CATHEDRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOUSE SYSTEM
“One for all and all for Christ”
Introduction
The role of Cathedral School as moral educator is vital at a time when moral teaching and value-centered influences are sometimes absent from students’ lives. The school must embody good character and encourage Catholic values daily. Cathedral School strives to accomplish this by becoming a moral community that helps students form caring attachments to adults and to one another. These caring relationships foster both the desire to learn and the desire to live as Christ did. All children have a need to belong, and they are more likely to internalize the values and expectations of groups that meet this need.
To develop good character, students need many varied opportunities to apply values such as responsibility and fairness in everyday interactions and discussions with positive feedback from adults and peers. As students develop good character, they develop a stronger inner commitment to doing what their moral judgment tells them is right. It is our goal to develop this intrinsic commitment to core values and minimize reliance on punishments that distract students’ attention from the real reasons to behave responsibly.
In the Cathedral Elementary House System, students in grades PreK3 – 6 are divided into mixed grade level houses. Each house is named for a saint that the students should emulate. Each house has a motto, a mascot, a cheer and a banner that hangs prominently in the school. Mentors oversee the houses, and house captains lead the meetings. All school staff – administrators, teachers, assistants, librarian, counselor, cafeteria workers, etc. - are a part of the house system and are called to take ownership of the character education effort. All of these adults must model Christian values in their own behavior and take advantage of the opportunities they have to positively influence the character of the students with whom they come in contact.
At the house meetings, the students work together to learn about various character traits and discuss actions or events in which they have had an opportunity to live their Christian faith. Students share positive, character-building experiences through community service projects, extracurricular activities and good deeds. Throughout the year, houses may be awarded points based on members’ good behavior and may lose points for unsatisfactory behavior.
The benefits of being involved in the House System are outstanding. Mixing students from all grades in the house provides more opportunities for students to meet peers with whom they may not otherwise interact. Older students are strategically placed in positive leadership roles and younger students feel more relaxed and safe. Faculty and student relationships also improve as a result of interactions outside of the classroom. Positive peer pressure gets students involved in activities in order to support their house and students gain a sense of pride in being able to contribute. When all students feel that they can make a difference it creates a climate where students and teachers want to be!
Organizing Houses
Mentors
Mentors include every member of the Cathedral Elementary faculty and staff community. Teams are divided to place two or more mentors in various positions on the staff to aid in diversity.
House Names
House names are derived from Catholic saints who serve as role models for our faculty, staff and students. Many of these saints contributed to the inception and furtherance of the good works of the Daughters of Charity to whom we as a Cathedral family owe a particular debt of gratitude.
Assignment of Houses
Students shall attend a house sorting assembly at the beginning of school to welcome new members and explain rules. Students are randomly divided into houses with the exception that immediate family members will remain together. These houses will meet at scheduled times throughout the year and will participate in other activities including field day as designated by the coordinators. Each house will have PreK3-6th grade members. If a new student enrolls during the year, they will be placed in a house with the fewest members. Students will remain in the same house as long as they are students at Cathedral Elementary School.
Click Here for House Assignments
House Motto
House members will choose a house motto which should be directly affiliated with the house saint.
House Colors
House members will pick their house colors. House colors will not change once selected. Student created banners with house crests will hang prominently in Cathedral School. Houses will also create t-shirts to be worn on meeting days, field day and other days as designated by the coordinators. T-shirts should include the house name, motto and colors.
House Mascot & Cheer
House members decide on a mascot and cheer that are affiliated with their assigned saint and motto.
Job Descriptions
Coordinators
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Model Christianity for all, everyday.
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Schedule dates of meetings and see that they are included on the school calendar.
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Select houses and sort students into houses.
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Coordinate mottos, colors, and other house selections.
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Obtain information for monthly point sheets and maintain a database of point totals for each house and post monthly scores.
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Obtain number of detentions/behavior reports, etc. for point tallies.
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Develop house meeting goals and lessons.
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Plan yearly awards.
Mentors
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Model Christianity for all, everyday.
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Be a role model/advisor to house members.
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Oversee house during activities and meetings.
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Help captains lead meetings and manage behavior. Facilitate discussion.
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Take an active role in awarding points for proper behavior throughout the campus daily.
House Captains
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Model Christianity for all, everyday.
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Be a role model and leader.
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Lead individual house meetings and activities.
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Get house members involved in activities and help members learn names.
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Reinforce positive behavior and earned points.
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Collect all point sheets, supplies, etc.
Team Members
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Model Christianity for all, everyday.
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Reinforce positive behavior and earned points.
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Participate in house meetings and activities.
House Meetings
Purpose
The purpose of the House Meetings is to consistently come together as individual houses to get to know one another, collect and distribute information and review accumulated points. Members will discuss ways they have demonstrated characteristics of the house. Students will work on character and team building skills and have time to meet with mentors to share personal experiences.
Dates
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August – Welcome and Introduction/House Sorting
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September – House Meeting
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October – House Challenge
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November – House Meeting
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January – House Meeting
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February – House Meeting
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March – House Challenge
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May – Field Day
Structure
Accumulated points are reviewed at each meeting. Encouragement should be offered by captains and mentors as students share point opportunities since the last meeting. Lessons or activities will be available for each meeting. At the end of the meetings, members should be allowed to demonstrate knowledge of others’ names and familiarity with information about their house, including the house motto.
Point System
Point Sheets
Mentors will be provided with point sheets and others will be placed in designated locations around the school. Upon witnessing good behavior, the faculty member will fill out the child’s name, number of points, and their signature. Points sheets are to be deposited into the member’s house mailbox.
It is stressed that students are doing good things because it is the right thing to do – not just to accumulate points. If a student asks for points, points will be taken away!
Students can be “caught being good” by showing good citizenship, respect, good manners, good conduct, helping others, taking care of school property, and more! However, points may be taken away when a child is disciplined in the classroom, referred to the office or receives a detention.
Points are given or taken away in increments of 5.
Points awarded:
5-15 Honorable
20-35 Virtuous
40-50 Noble
Points may also be taken away in the following manner:
5-15 Naughty
20-35 Horrendous
40-50 Ghastly
Bonus Points
Each month, if the house as a whole receives ZERO bad behavior reports or detentions, the house will receive 50 points. If every member of the house receives at least one positive point sheet at any given meeting, the house will receive 50 points. Special competitions and events may be available throughout the year to allow houses to earn points.
The winning Field Day house will also be awarded additional points.
Rewards
Bi-monthly Rewards
The house with the most points for a month will receive a reward. These may include: free dress, movie/popcorn, breakfast, etc. This time is a reward for hard work and allows them time to interact as a house. If a student consistently does nothing to contribute to the house victory, they will not be allowed to participate in the reward.
End of the Year Rewards
The house with the most accumulated points for the year wins a field trip and is awarded the house cup and placement of their names on the house plaque for that year.