From the Director

Welcome to the second year of Beyond the Test. We’ve had an outstanding summer, with successful programs in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Maryland; conference participation at the Acton Institute and Classical Conversations; and our most successful Academic Retreat yet. Now we’re looking forward with all of you to this new academic year in which we have the wonderful blessing to be able to share the riches of Catholic education with our students.

Last year, as I dropped my daughters off for their first day of school at St. Augustine Academy in Ventura, I was overwhelmed and uplifted by the exuberant joy that all those children had in getting back together again. The joy that comes from faith in the Truth was palpable in that community. My eldest daughter, a senior this year, wrote a lovely note over the summer telling one of her teachers how great it has been for her to be a part of such a strong community. That alone tells me they are doing something very right. “A third mark of catholicity is the emphasis on the school as a community––a community of persons and, even more to the point, ‘a genuine community of faith’.” (The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools) I hope that you are all enjoying these reunions in your schools.

This month’s edition of Beyond the Test is devoted to Virtue. To develop the virtues––theological, intellectual, and moral––in the young is one way to understand the goals of Catholic education. An exciting and meaningful course in moral theology is an important opportunity to engage students directly in this task. Of course, the development of the spiritual life through prayer is crucial for the development of Catholic virtue, as the classic spiritual work This Tremendous Lover makes clear.

We have made one change in our newsletter format for the upcoming year, one I think you will appreciate. Our Featured School section has expanded into a Focus On section, in which Catholic teachers and administrators will share their successes and struggles in bringing authentic Catholic education to their students. This month, Concetta Pilsner of The Montfort Academy in New York explains how, inspired by her attendance at our 2008 Academic Retreat for Teachers, The Montfort Academy implemented a rhetoric program last year.

We hope you enjoy this edition. As always your feedback is most welcome––encouraging us in our efforts and helping to make it better. Have a blessed 2009-10 academic year!

In Christ,

Andrew Seeley, Ph.D.
Director, The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education