Elementary Virtue Practices
In Elementary School, our St. Mary Catholic Virtue School students navigate towards Mary Immaculate, the Stella Maris, not only by learning to put into practice the Core Virtues of Concord, Industriousness, Magnanimity, and Wisdom, but also by living out the particular Virtue of their own grade.
The vision of the DCJM
The Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary (DCJM) have pointed out a specific "path of Virtue" designed to lead our students not only towards a great life as adults, but especially towards eternal life with God. For each grade, in consideration of the affective, intellectual, and developmental level of young people of that age, a certain Virtue is proposed for them to understand and to master.
Polaris Virtues
Kindergarten
The Polaris Virtue for Kindergarten is Obedience, and their Polaris Practice is the Dad's and Mother's Day Tea.
"With his whole being, man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, the 'obedience of faith,'" teaches the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 143). All authentic obedience, then, is finally obedience to Him. In Kindergarten our St. Mary Catholic Virtue School students learn this Virtue, whose name derives from the Latin word audire (meaning, to hear).
Our Kindergarten Patrons are Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Saint Francis Xavier.
First Grade
The Polaris Virtue for 1st Graders is Piety, and their Polaris Practice is creative writing.
"The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood," affirms the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 2214). Filial piety, then, extends the obedience due first and foremost to God, to one's father and mother, and to those acting in legitimate authority. "The fruitfulness of conjugal love," the Catechism continues (no. 1653), extends to the fruits of the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life that parents hand on to their children by education." Through the Educational Covenant, primary educators collaborate with the school ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
Our 1st Grade Patrons are Saint Patrick and Saint Joan of Arc.
Second Grade
The Polaris Virtue for 2nd Graders is Honesty, and their Polaris Practice is reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
"The virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret; it entails honesty and discretion" (CCC, no. 2469). In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, penitents confess their sins to the priest acting in persona Christi with complete transparency, secure in the knowledge that the seal of the Confessional sends every syllable they whisper straight to the ear of the Almighty, and nowhere else. In practicing the Virtue of Honesty, St. Mary Catholic Virtue School 2nd Graders learn to be honest with others as well.
Our 2nd Grade Patrons are Saints Peter and Paul.
Third Grade
The Polaris Virtue for 3rd Graders is Generosity, and their Polaris Project is reception of the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation.
"The Lord's Sermon on the Mount," teaches the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 1969), "far from abolishing or devaluing the moral prescriptions of the Old Law, releases their hidden potential and has new demands arise from them; it reveals their entire divine and human truth . . . where faith, hope, and charity are formed, and with them the other virtues. The Gospel thus brings the Law to its fullness through imitation of the perfection of the heavenly Father . . . in emulation of the divine generosity." To act generously, then, is not merely to participate in the just apportioning of temporal goods, but to conform our lives to Christ through whom all things are both created and redeemed.
Our 3rd Grade Patrons are St. Catherine of Siena and Saint John of God.
Fourth Grade
The Polaris Virtue for 4th Graders is Temperance, and their Polaris Practice is Taste Star.
"Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable" in the sight of Almighty God (CCC, no. 1809). In learning to put this great virtue into practice, our Fourth Graders participate in Taste Star–a delectable banquet in which they not only serve and enjoy marvelous dishes, but also act as young ladies and gentlemen with impeccable manners.
Our 4th Grade Patrons are St. Kateri Tekawitha and St. Jerome.
Fifth Grade
The Polaris Virtue for 5th Graders is Fortitude, and their Polaris Practice is completing a long-term and demanding project.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 1808) calls Fortitude "the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and to sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause."
Our 5th Grade Patrons are St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Elizabeth of Hungary.