Virtues in Practice
The Year of Hope
Trusting in God’s Loving Plan
One of the great gifts of educating in a Catholic school is the virtue formation that occurs on a daily basis. St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School has been a part of this emphasis through the implementation of the Virtues in Practice program. Developed by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, this program offers a three-year cycle of virtues based on the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Each month, students from Pre-K all the way to 8th grade are introduced to a new virtue as well as a fitting saint that exemplified that virtue. Our principal, Sister Mary Sheila, introduces that virtue to the whole school at the beginning of each month in an all-school assembly. Monthly virtue home projects are assigned throughout the grades so that this virtue can not only be a definition that is taught but a habit that is formed.
The students use Virtue in Practice booklets in the classroom to study each virtue through the designated saint during the month. The Parent Guide* was sent home at the beginning of the school year and contains the home projects. All these booklets are available to view by clicking on the images to the left.