Catholic education

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Dr. Maria Montessori’s Understanding of the Spiritual Child

Ivy Schmalzried2023-03-27T09:40:34-04:00

“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.”Maria Montessori, Education and Peace – Speech in Copenhagen, May 1937 With man, the life of the body depends on the life of the spirit. Maria Montessori, The Advanced Montessori Method I, p. 20 Our Montessori Pre-Kindergarten program at St. Benedict Classical Academy uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Program for our students’ faith formation—a Montessori-based religious education curriculum for children, with level [...]

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Dr. Maria Montessori’s Understanding of the Spiritual ChildIvy Schmalzried2023-03-27T09:40:34-04:00

Setting Our Minds on What’s Above: The Sacrament of Penance

Ivy Schmalzried2023-03-21T11:29:16-04:00

17 To the man he said: Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, You shall not eat from it,Cursed is the ground because of you! In toil you shall eat its yield all the days of your life.18 Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field.19 By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread,Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken;For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.GENESIS 3: 17-19 I read this chapter of Genesis recently, fittingly on Ash Wednesday, and [...]

Setting Our Minds on What’s Above: The Sacrament of PenanceIvy Schmalzried2023-03-21T11:29:16-04:00

Keep It Simple

Ivy Schmalzried2023-03-12T20:09:25-04:00

“Lent is a time to grow and change for Christ”, reads the bulletin board outside our kindergarten classroom. Twelve flowers decorate the board, each with a Lenten promise written by a student. “I will play with my baby sister”, “I will give up sweets”, and “I will pray for the poor” are just a few examples. The promises, like the children who wrote them, are small. However, they contain a larger truth that is worth contemplating throughout our Lenten journey, a truth expressed by the Little Flower herself, St Therese: “Nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that [...]

Keep It SimpleIvy Schmalzried2023-03-12T20:09:25-04:00

Baroque’s GOAT

Ivy Schmalzried2023-03-10T11:38:11-05:00

Every summer the search for artists to include in SBCA’s artist of the month line-up begins. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio makes the list almost every year. In my opinion, he is the best choice and a solid standout in the Baroque era. My hope is that the students at SBCA will tell you why. Caravaggio dominates February as our artist of the month because of his compelling compositions that capture dramatic moments. He is a minimalist who controls what the focus should be. Spare scenes with dramatic illumination or tenebrism set the stage for the miracles unfolding on canvas. Remarkably, we [...]

Baroque’s GOATIvy Schmalzried2023-03-10T11:38:11-05:00

Lenten Gratitude

Ivy Schmalzried2023-03-10T12:04:38-05:00

On Ash Wednesday, the Church began the great preparation for Easter—the holiest liturgical season of the year. As a child, I fondly remember receiving the ashes on my young forehead, my parents asking me what treasured thing I would choose to give up for the following six weeks. (I usually chose candy—we did not have it that often, so that was easy!) During this time of fasting, I remember sitting together on the couch while my dad read the Chronicles of Narnia to my brothers and sisters and I, in place of watching our favorite show or movie. We went to [...]

Lenten GratitudeIvy Schmalzried2023-03-10T12:04:38-05:00

Turning Darkness into Light

Ivy Schmalzried2023-02-13T09:53:29-05:00

Many of my students have told me that history is their favorite subject at school. First graders at St. Benedict Classical Academy are introduced to the study of history by following a timeline spanning from Creation to the present day. Each week students get a brief glimpse into a particular time and place through the eyes of individuals or groups of people. Through storytelling, children imagine the wonder of early hunter-gatherers as they painted by flickering torch light deep in the earth. They discover the importance of literacy in civilization as we observe the development of several writing systems from hieroglyphics [...]

Turning Darkness into LightIvy Schmalzried2023-02-13T09:53:29-05:00

Speak Well

Ivy Schmalzried2023-01-30T18:48:52-05:00

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” - Proverbs 18:21 I now teach four Latin classes at St. Benedict Classical Academy, but only have recently gained a true appreciation of the language. Like my students, I too wrestled with the questions: Why Latin? Why are we doing this? Some of the students struggle to master reading and writing in their own native language as it is, so why are we having them spend their time and energy on a language which is dead in all but the Catholic church, [...]

Speak WellIvy Schmalzried2023-01-30T18:48:52-05:00

The Ignatian Examen in Grade 5

Ivy Schmalzried2023-01-09T14:06:32-05:00

One of the great blessings of my Catholic formation has been the exposure to various traditions within the Faith. In my undergraduate studies at Providence College, I learned about the Dominican tradition of preaching, teaching, and doctrinal study. In my graduate studies at Boston College, I was exposed to the Jesuit commitment to contemplative action and service. Here at Saint Benedict Classical Academy I have seen the Benedictine praise of God through both scripture and tradition. Each approach to the spiritual life has been helpful in unlocking a new layer of the rich tradition of our Catholic Faith. In my role [...]

The Ignatian Examen in Grade 5Ivy Schmalzried2023-01-09T14:06:32-05:00

Saints Anne and Joachim Society

Ivy Schmalzried2023-01-05T10:06:00-05:00

Grandparents for the Future of Saint Benedict Classical Academy Dear SBCA Grandparents, Little is known about the lives of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Second century sources tell us that Anne was born in Bethlehem but married the scholarly and pious Joachim of Nazareth. They were barren until visited by an angel, who foretold the birth of a most wondrous child to them: a daughter, whom Anne named Mary. So grateful were they to the Lord for this blessing that they brought little Mary to the Temple of Jerusalem and consecrated her to the [...]

Saints Anne and Joachim SocietyIvy Schmalzried2023-01-05T10:06:00-05:00

Living & Teaching Liturgically

Ivy Schmalzried2023-01-03T10:17:47-05:00

According to the culture that surrounds us, the Christmas season begins right after Halloween and ends as the clock strikes midnight on December 26th. If you are a Catholic, however, you know that this is not the calendar we follow. To us, Christmas begins on December 25th and is joyfully welcomed and celebrated in the following days and weeks. Whether you celebrate the wonderful season until the Epiphany on January 6th or until the Presentation of our Lord on February 2nd, there are many days dedicated to celebrating and giving thanks for Christ’s birth. The days leading up to Christmas break [...]

Living & Teaching LiturgicallyIvy Schmalzried2023-01-03T10:17:47-05:00

Catholic education

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