It helps instill ideals of Christ for a lifetime believes John Findlater
By Sam Libretti, Special to the Catholic Herald
ST. FRANCIS — A Catholic high school education will help instill the
ideals of Christ for a lifetime, educational consultant John Findlater
said Oct. 30.
Findlater’s talk, entitled “Catholic High Schools: A Gift for a
Lifetime,” stressed that parents and teachers must work together to make
sure children become successful Catholic adults. “When a strong
Christian home unites with a strong Catholic school, there’s almost no
way that kids can lose,” Findlater told a crowd of about 50 at the
Cousins Center made up mostly of parents of grade-school age children.
“If you try to do it all by yourself, and if we in the schools try to do
it by ourselves, it’s not going to be nearly as effective,” he added.
Through a series of oftentimes humorous anecdotes from his 25 years in
the Catholic school system as a teacher and an administrator, Findlater
showed how Catholic high schools can enrich a young person’s life, and
help steer them in a spiritual direction. “We must keep the most
important thing the most important thing,” Findlater said, adding, “and
Christ is the most important thing.”
Financial concerns are often key among parents when deciding between a
Catholic school and a public school. As the high school years approach,
parents begin to save for college. So, why spend added dollars on a
Catholic high school education? To that, Findlater noted most colleges
offer a wide array of scholarships and other financial aid
opportunities, and an education in a Catholic high school is a priceless
means of learning lessons that go far beyond chemistry and geometry.
“Kids need to be exposed to religious activities and teachings in order
to lead tomorrow,” Findlater said. “When they leave a Catholic high
school and enter into a public university, they should stick out like
sore thumbs, with the fire of the Gospel in their hearts, ready to
change the world.”
Findlater, whose sister is principal of a public school in Florida,
pointed out many public schools desire teachers who are in the Catholic
school system. He used himself as an example of why there is more to
being a teacher in a Catholic school than teaching literature or
calculus.
“I’m still up to my ears in Catholic schools because I have faith in our
teachers, our parents, and our children,” he said, “Kids, in school,
need to hear the words of the Gospel. Any school can teach you social
studies. We do more than that. We make your children think about their
lives, to develop a relationship with their lives based on the teachings
of Jesus Christ.”
Findlater stressed that the decision of what high school to attend is
one of the last big decisions a parent will make for his or her child.
“Don’t give this up. You still have the ability to influence your child
in a spiritual way,” he said, noting that during an average school year,
a child will spend more hours in the classroom with the teacher than at
home with the parent. Therefore it’s important for parents to know that
while their children are in school they are getting both a good
education and an enrichment of their spiritual selves, he said.
Findlater reminded parents to be role models for their children, even if
it makes them the enemies of their children. “Parents, I say to you: if
your children do not actively dislike you 25 percent of the time, then
something is wrong,” Findlater said to a chorus of laughs.
Findlater closed by stressing the partnership concept between a Catholic
high school and the home: “I believe that you, as I, want to see
children in an environment of school that replicates and supports the
values and virtues of your own home.”
“He articulated very well why a Catholic high school is important,” said
Colleen Mas, the mother of a second grader who attended the presentation
to get a jump on things as she plans for her son’s future. “He gave
great real-life experiences and touched on very important issues that
parents should be thinking about.”
Findlater provides educational workshops throughout the country. He has
been a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools in and around his
hometown of Detroit. During that time, he founded a new inner-city
Catholic school in Detroit, the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Academy,
which accommodates students from preschool through the 12th grade.
Findlater completed his undergraduate study at Aquinas College in Grand
Rapids, Mich., and his graduate study at the Catholic School Leadership
Program of Boston College.
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