New House Leadership Program

You could feel the excitement in the gym as our 5^th through 8^th grade students gathered for LCA’s inaugural House Sorting Ceremony.  The same question was on the mind of every student: “Which House will be mine?”

“Only the wheel knows,” was the answer that Mr. Sinchak gave throughout the program.  It was true; no one in the building knew how students would be sorted.  Students lined up by grade level, but were allowed to get in line in any order.  As the students learned one by one which House they would now belong to, the students already in the House cheered and welcomed their newest member.  The energy was contagious, and the enthusiasm of the day set the tone for a great year to come.

Now that the students are sorted and House memberships are set, the House meetings will take place every Monday for an hour.  During that time, the Houses will complete activities based on themes that were planned by a group of teachers and administrators this past summer. Each theme will culminate in a convocation, where the Houses will compete for points in order to win the House Cup at the end of the school year.

While the Houses will be competing for points throughout the year, there is a bigger message for our new system: We are united in faith.  This is an important message that can be applied to the six Houses being united together through our Catholicity, but can also be applied to each House individually.  Once sorted, students will remain in the House for the duration of their time at LCA.  This allows the students and the House Guardians (the three teachers assigned to each House) to build meaningful relationships with each other, and to support each other in good times and through hard times.  It gives our 8^th grade students the opportunity to be leaders and role models for the younger students in the House, and allows students to build friendships with students in other grade levels. 

We are excited to see how the House System transforms our Saints, and we are grateful for the overwhelming support that we have received as we begin this journey.

LCA House System at a Glance:

• In order to find a common meeting time, we have created a new Monday schedule for our 7^th and 8^th grade students. We are calling this schedule our “Monday Mods.”  Students take 5 classes instead of their usual 8, and the classes meet for 60 minutes.  In both grades the Mod classes are Math, Theology, Literature & Language Arts, and PE/Design.  In 7^th grade, the 5^th Mod is Individuals & Societies, where in 8^th grade it is Science.  
• Students in grades 5 and 6 follow an abbreviated schedule on Mondays, which allows them to attend all 8 classes that they would attend during the rest of the week.
• Students in grades 5-8 will meet with their House for an hour each Monday.
• The name of each House comes from a different language from around the world, and each name has a special meaning. In addition, each House has a motto, a symbol, a Saint, and a color. 
• The Six Houses are:
  • Speranza, the House of Hope.
  • Sabedoria, the House of Wisdom
  • Atenrosera, the House of Friendship
  • Ceartas, the House of Justice
  • Shanti, the House of Peace
  • Ujasiri, the House of Courage

In order to learn more about each House, click HERE.

~ Ms. Brenna Warrell, Dean of Academics