Dear Families,
A question that keeps running across the invisible ticker above my forehead that notifies me when I need to re-calibrate my thinking or adjust my own preconception runs as follows: what truly motivates a person to choose the good; what sustains that very motive to do the right thing over time and every time? The most common distinction has been carved since the question was first pondered by the great philosophers: what good is most captivating to the human person? Is the good somewhere on the outside, an extrinsic and future possibility that may provide some sense of gratifica...
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Dear Families,
As we return to school in this beautiful time of crisp, fall mornings and changing leaves, I find myself often explaining to friends, neighbors, family members, and more exactly what makes Mount Royal Academy such a special place. It is easy for them to understand our focus on virtue, and our emphasis on learning to know and love God; after all, we are a Catholic school. That is to be expected. It is much more difficult for them to understand what we mean by “liberal arts” or “classical” when discussing our curricula and pedagogy, our mission and values.
That is why I was exci...
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Dear Families,
I would honestly much rather prefer that our inaugural school newsletter not fall on this particular date. I shall try my best to communicate how exciting it is to be back in school in the midst of this solemn occasion.
We are very grateful to announce that the newly assigned pastor of St. Patrick's parish in Newport - Fr. Michael Sartaroi - will be serving the students and staff in a school chaplaincy position for the duration of the school year, a first ever role here at MRA. This entails celebrating Mass twice a month on campus, in addition to a chaplaincy visit that will incl...
Dear Families, Faculty, and Friends,
On Tuesday, the faculty made our annual end of year mini-pilgrimage to St. Joseph Cathedral for a retreat. We always end the school year in prayerful silence before our Lord; this includes a holy hour, benediction, and confession. Fr. Jason Jalbert is always very hospitable to us - and he was so gracious again to mention the mission of Mount Royal in his daily Mass homily. He exhorted us to faithfully follow the example of St. Barnabas, an unconventional Apostle who passionately taught the truths of the faith. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI commented on Barnab...
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Introductory Remarks, Headmaster Derek Tremblay
On behalf of the soon-to-be graduates, their parents, and the faculty of Mount Royal Academy, I welcome you to the 2019 commencement exercises.
I keep looking back over previous commencements to make sure I don’t say the same thing. Sorry in advance if you have heard some version of this before. Mr. McMenaman did comment at the Senior Dinner that good teaching requires repetition.
Before we begin, there are two elements to this particular commencement that are unique. I can never recall a commencement that coincided with the Easter season, and o...
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Unplug this Summer
The end of the year is full of wonderful signs and symbols of celebration. Our senior dinner banquet, Baccalaureate Mass, field trips, field days, parties and more. It is a time to look back, reflect, revel, and step forward.
One of the things I have been reflecting upon right now, is--- technology. An odd connection for sure, and not typically a topic of graduation speeches or end-of-year addresses; but as I look back over the school year, which has gone by so quickly, I noticed that the focus of so much of our efforts was addressing the use of technology. We pondered the...
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I attended a conference last summer with the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education at Catholic University of America. This summer, I will be returning to provide a breakout session entitled Classical Schools and the New Evangelization. The President and Founder of ICLE, Michael Van Hecke, made a comment at the conference that continues to resonate with me.
In the quest to measure the quality and success of an educational program, there are so many data points available to schools. Do standardized test scores verify mission success? Is student behavior the best prism to gauge whether...
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This week I have been blessed to spend time in our kindergarten. I have been moved and stunned by the simple and unbridled joy with which they view--- everything! It is a joy borne of God, that revels in His creation. Whether it is grace before meals, or prayers of thanksgiving at the end of the day; their petitions are heartfelt and sincere. The world is viewed with wonder and awe. They are quite simply, an inspiration of pure faith.
Each day they write warm and complimentary notes to one another, which are delivered during mail time at the close of day. The original drawings and honest gre...
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