24Oct

Many Parts, One Body

Dear Families,

I am privileged to teach catechesis here at Mount Royal Academy. I am even more privileged that I have been able to teach (and learn) with the same group of students for three years in a row. We are able to dive more deeply and quickly into discussions, to offer one another more critical feedback in an honest manner, and to truly experience the joys of helping one another along the path to heaven.

In Catechesis III (eighth grade) we just finished our first unit. The featured themes of solidarity, family, common good, and community were striking. We contextualized these topics fr...

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18Oct

Right Anthropology Equals Right Education


Dear Families,

In astronomy class yesterday, one of those moments happened when the teacher-- which was me-- and the students could all clearly see that together we were not tackling the question as we should. It was quite humorous to observe all of the students chime in with parts of the answer, but unable to coherently complete the correct answer (our minds are all in need of a little fine tuning). An adage that I often recite to the students explaining the expectation goes as follows: "Complete sentences come from complete thoughts, which come from a completely functioning intellect....

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09Oct

The Fallacy of Outcome Based Education

Dear Families,

“Sir Francis Bacon exhorts us to conquer nature by applied science. The efforts in schools, in general, are based on the false assumption that man is malleable, and that the school can shape man into anything it needs to solve its social problems.” - Steve Rummelsburg.

While listening (again!) to the Pints with Aquinas episode Mr. Tremblay referenced last week, this quotation kept coming back to me again and again. Mr. Rummelsburg discussed with host Matt Fradd, his views on the historical purpose of schools, the contemporary shapes this takes, and the modern problems resulting...

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02Oct

Do we want our children to be happy or good?


Dear Families,

The simplest questions are always the best ones to answer. In my own youth, these questions were not present in the forefront of my own thinking, due in large part to the type of education I received. Later on down the line, these simple questions became downright fascinating to me.

We can start with the first, most obvious question: What is education? G.K. Chesterton coined this response: "Education is the transmission of culture." What is culture we might ask? Culture is living in common, or communion with others. The root of education means to lead forth (Latin, educ...




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25Sep

Why do good?

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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18Sep

Education in True Freedom

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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11Sep

A Eucharistic and Patriotic Mission

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...



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12Aug

Virtue is its Own Reward

"Virtue is its own reward, and brings with it the truest and highest pleasure; but if we cultivate it only for pleasure's sake, we are selfish, not religious, and will never gain the pleasure, because we can never have the virtue." Read More
19Jun

4th Quarter Academic Honors Released

Mount Royal Academy has announced academic awards for the 4th Quarter of the 2018-2019 school year. Read More
13Jun

A Truly Human Education

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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