Educational Philosophy
Introduction
There are four pillars upon which the academic philosophy and objectives of St. Augustine Prep are constructed. The first of these is the Roman Catholic Church from which the school takes its fundamental identity. The second is the heritage of the Augustinian tradition. The third derives from the writings of John Henry Newman and his concept of the Christian Gentleman. Lastly, St. Augustine Prep realizes that it must develop civically-minded individuals and so the school embraces the fundamental principles of the American political system.
A - Catholic
St. Augustine Prep takes very seriously its role within the Catholic educational framework. In light of this, the school follows the teachings of the Church, most especially those of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. In November l972 the bishops published a pastoral letter entitled To Teach As Jesus Did. Here, the bishops stated that the mission of all educational ministries is three-fold: to be faithful to the message the Church proclaims; develop fellowship in the Holy Spirit; and foster service to the Christian community and the entire human community. The Prep steadfastly embraces these three premises.
B - Augustinian
Through the writings of St. Augustine and the traditions established by the Augustinian Order, the Prep has enhanced the identity it receives from being a member of the Catholic educational ministry. St. Augustine, himself having been a teacher, declared that wisdom (sapientia), by which he meant the understanding of absolute truth, is the ultimate goal of education. Wisdom is a higher value than science (scientia), the former being the intellectual understanding of eternal things and the latter the rational understanding of temporal things. These two principles (i.e., sapientia et scientia) appear on the emblem of the school as reminders of the purpose of our education. St. Augustine maintains that at the heart of existence, there must always be an area of mystery impenetrable to the understanding of humans. Teachers must nourish the sense of wonder in their students.
The three benchmarks of an Augustinian education are Veritas, Unitas and Caritas (Truth, Unity and Love). The Truth must be the primary goal of any education. If what the student learns acknowledges the existence of God, then what one has learned is true. Truth can not be separated from reality, it must united to it. Unity also means that what we do must be done in consideration of others. Augustine speaks eloquently when he says, “Love and do what you will.” If Christian Love is the motive of our action, we can never err. Our patron emphasizes the basic importance of intellectual inquiry. It is the role of the student to question. The questions must be guided by these three principles.
St. Augustine shows that education is founded on a personal relationship of teacher and pupil and is, therefore, as subtle and inexplicable as personality. Integrated with this is the idea of community which is fundamental to the Augustinian Order who founded the Prep.
C - Christian Gentleman
What uniquely distinguishes the Prep is that not only does it follow the teachings of the Church and the writings of St. Augustine, it also is imbued by the ideas of John Henry Newman. In his famous work, The Idea of a University. Newman lays the foundation for the concept of the Christian Gentleman. There are several characteristics that distinguish this individual. First, because he is rooted strongly in faith, the Christian Gentleman is not afraid to confront any discipline. He will be able to see the error in anything that is contrary to his faith. Second, the Christian Gentleman is never mean or little in his disputes. He has the intelligence necessary to respect a variety of opinions while at the same time being able to distinguish between differences of opinion and outright error. Everyone feels at ease in his presence because he desires to build up a sense of community. The Christian Gentleman is considerate of others and never exploits someone's weakness or ridicules those who are different than he. He is simultaneously respectful and respected. He treats all people with deference and expects the same of others. Lastly, and most importantly, the Christian Gentleman is not afraid of the truth. When it is demonstrated to him, he desires it wholeheartedly and incorporates it into his life.
D - American
Since the Prep is a part of the American society, it feels impelled to educate its students to the highest ideals of that society. The Prep is a strong advocate of the democratic system. The voice of all people should be heard. No one should be denied their rights due to economic, social cultural, sexual, religious or racial reasons - E pluribus unum. As an American, each student is encouraged to defend the rights of all. The concept of liberty underpins the civic formation of the youth entrusted to the school's care. Liberty is one of God's greater gifts and so, "In God we trust." Lastly, all in the community that composes St. Augustine Prep are encouraged to be active members in society and to fulfill their civic duties.
It is upon these four pillars that the educational foundation of our school is established. The obligation of those involved in the formation of our young men is to use these four points as stays in an academic education that prepare our young men for entrance into college. We realize, as one of the great Romantic poets succinctly stated, "The child is father of the man", and so our mission here is only transient; we welcome boys and bid farewell to men. Ours is a time of preparation, and although it is primarily academic, it is not that solely. It is incumbent upon us to form the Christian Gentleman and send him into the world.
E - Supporting theories
The active tools by which the teachers and staff design and implement the above-mentioned principles are two: brain-based research and multiple intelligences theory. By using the results of research from these fields, teachers are able to achieve great things.
In short, the method we use to teach accommodates the way the brain learns. The student must be fed and hydrated if he is to learn properly. There must be breaks in the day to allow the student to refocus. The learning environment must be pleasant and free of fear. Students have more than just verbal and mathematical abilities. Teachers are encouraged to use many different means to deliver the message of the subject matter. By making the presentation of the material as varied as possible, the student will stand a greater chance of learning what is being offered.