Newsletter Sept 97 - Seton Home Study School
Transcription
Newsletter Sept 97 - Seton Home Study School
Seton Home Study School Volume XIV, Number 9 u ìUnder the Magisterium of the Catholic Churchî The Truth As we Catholic home schooling families begin a new school year, we turn to our Blessed Mother, certainly the Mother of Mothers, and the perfect Mother of the Perfect Son, to help us teach our children the truths of the Catholic Faith. Long before Jesus told His apostles, ìI am the Truth,î the Blessed Mother knew that her Son Jesus is The Truth, as pointed out by Father Pablo Straub in a speech given to parents at the Apostolate for Family Consecration. The Blessed Mother took Jesus out of the manger in Bethlehem, and she turned the face of The Truth to the shepherds so they could see The Truth and adore Him. We home schooling mothers must ask the Blessed Mother to help us to understand and to see The Truth, not only because we want to adore Him ourselves, but because we are responsible for encouraging our children to know and adore The Truth. Truth does not come from within us, Father Pablo said. It is not something within our own minds with no correspondence to reality. Truth is not subjective. Truth does not change with the times or culture. Truth is not relative. Too many people ask the same question Pilate asked, ìWhat is Truth?î They ask it in a cynical way as if Truth does not exist in reality, or if it does, we could not know it anyway. Everyone has an opportunity to discover The Truth, but like Pilate, many reject Him even as they stand before Him. It is easier to wash oneís hands and dismiss the personal obligation to seek The Truth. It is politically correct to prefer the popularity of the society than to have zeal for the difficulty of promoting Truth. We Catholic home schooling families must stand up for Absolute Truth, God Himself. We must insist to our children and to the society, that God exists, that He is Absolute Truth, and that only by seeing and understanding Absolute Truth, Jesus Christ, can we ever be happy or know objective reality. Even among Catholics, we find people who believe that one personís opinion or ìtruthî is as good as anotherís. It is all relative, they believe. Thus there can be no right or wrong, no objective standards of morality or even reality. In our home schooling families, as we teach about Jesus and the fact that He exists, we need to teach that Truth exists in every subject they are learning. In the newspapers and on television, we see objective facts mixed with subjective opinions as if there were no difference, or if there were, it is not important. The human mind is not to invent u September 1997 the Truth; instead, the human mind is to discover and acquire the Truth, Father Pablo pointed out. We are made in the image and likeness of God, in regards to our having an intellect and free will. Using our intellects to know the Truth, and using our free wills to live according to the Truth, will bring us closer to Him, the Absolute Truth. Let us pray and receive the Sacraments regularly and fervently, thereby increase Sanctifying Grace in our souls, and move closer and closer to Him. Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to turn the face of Jesus to us as she did to the shepherds, to help us more and more see, understand, and adore Him. If we do these things, we will become the loving sons and daughters of God, vibrant temples of the Holy Spirit, and lively members of the Mystical Body of Christ. As a result, according to Father Straub, Jesus will say to His angels, ìLook, angels! Look at my children. See how I have filled them with Grace and Truth. See how My sons and daughters look like Me.î Inside . . . Questions ...................... 2 Breaking News .............. 4 Home School Regs ....... 5 Seton on the Internet ... 6 Notes and News ........... 7 Family Education .......... 8 Seton Home Study School - 2 September 1997 Questions We Are Asked by Dr. Mary Kay Clark Director, Seton Home Study School I am overwhelmed at all the materials I have received. I wonder if I can do this home schooling. Like everything else in life, if you take just one step at a time, you can accomplish a great deal. After all, what you see in the box of materials is a whole yearís worth of work, for 180 days. You will be surprised how much children can accomplish, and want to accomplish, when they are at home. Children like learning. Learning is fun at home. Younger children can move rather rapidly through the program. Students who start later may need to spend more time in review. If the day seems too short for what needs to be done, take time with the necessary subjects of religion, math, and the language arts subjects. Except for high school, let the history and science, art, music, and P.E. go for a while. The book you were sent,Catholic Home Schooling, will help answer many questions, especially the chapters on ìHow to Begin,î and ìHome Schooling in the Large Family.î These chapters have many tips. If you did not receive a copy, let us know. Sometimes the frustrations mothers feel are because the children are not obedient. They would rather play or dawdle or day-dream. The chapter on ìDiscipline in the Catholic Home School Familyî should help with this. Some mothers become concerned because they are afraid they cannot keep their home looking clean and neat. Ginny Seuffert, mother of twelve children and a home schooling mother for many years, wrote the chapter ìHome Management in the Catholic Home Schooling Family.î Mothers are often emotionally stressed if husbands are not supportive. The chapter on ìThe Fatherís Roleî may be helpful in getting fathers more involved in the education or at least in support of the childrenís home schooling. We encourage you to join a local Catholic home schooling support group, where tips and ideas for dayto-day home schooling are often discussed. We have home schooling parents on our Seton staff, so if you call or write or fax or e mail, ask one of our parents to help you. I want to use the Baltimore Catechism but my pastor says I must use the new Catechism of the Catholic Church if I want to teach my children at home. How should I respond? I donít know of any parish school or CCD classes that are using the 800 page small print new Catechism with children. They are using childrenís catechism series published by four main publishers, which were evaluated and criticized by Msgr. Wrenn, of the religious education department under Cardinal OíConnor, in his book Catechisms and Controversies. A recent report by Bishop Buechlein and Bishop Schulte to the Bishopís conference is questioning the doctrinal presentations in these mainline catechism series. It is important to know your rights as a parent in educating your children [see the next question]. You have the right to use any means that is in keeping with the doctrine of the Church, the moral law, and your particular situation. The Baltimore Catechism and the materials associated with it all have been approved by bishops in the past. How could such materials suddenly no longer be acceptable? Tell your pastor that you have no quarrel with the new Catechism, but it is not meant, as he also knows, as an elementary textbook or catechism. Explain that you do not want to use new materials from mainline catechetical publishers, even if they are allegedly based on the new Catechism, because you cannot trust them to give solid doctrine and an accurate interpretation of the new Catechism. Not only are these recent catechetical materials being questioned by Bishop Buechlein and Bishop Schulte, but these materials have been used for the past thirty years and, according to Msgr. Wrenn in Catechisms and Controversies, Catholic children donít even know the vocabulary of the Faith much less the doctrines. Explain to your pastor that you cannot understand why parents cannot use a time-tested catechism that had been approved by the bishops of the United States and used widely for almost 100 years. Tell your pastor that many Catholics fondly remember the Baltimore Catechism. When the Baltimore Catechism was used in a Catholic school and a student came from a devout family, it almost always had a positive effect. Where parents do not pray daily and do not show that faith is more than a social routine, where parents do not talk positively about Catholic things in the home, no program or text is going to work in producing a knowledgeable practicing Catholic. September 1997 The Catholic Faith is not like teaching medicine or science. Those fields have continual advances in knowledge and skills; therefore, medical and scientific texts must be subject to continual updating. However, the doctrines of the Catholic Faith do not change like that at all. At most, there are ìdevelopmentsî of doctrine, but they occur very slowly, and they have little to do with the basics of the Faith: the Creed, the Sacraments, the Commandments, and Prayer, which is the concern of the Baltimore Catechism. While there are issues in the new Catechism which are not treated in the Baltimore Catechism, most if not all of them would not be taught on the elementary level of catechesis anyway. Donít forget that the Church teaching is that the pastor has the responsibility and the right to ask the children questions to see if the child is learning Catholic teachings. But the parents have the right and responsibility to choose the materials and to do the actual teaching. By the way, new Catechism references will be used in the lesson plans for our new series for parents to incorporate as appropriate, and it is the text in our college program. We also recommend the catechism in use for the past 500 years,Catechism of the Council of Trent. Cardinal Arinze from the Vatican has produced the Apostolate for Family Consecrationís excellent new catechism, and of course Father John Hardon wrote superior catechism. What do I do when the local bishop has ìmandatedî that my children attend the parish CCD classes or he will not allow them to receive their First Communion or Confirmation? It is most important to be informed. Understand your rights as well as your responsibilities. Once you understand that it is your right to educate your children as you think is Seton Home Study School - 3 best, and that the pastor has the right to evaluate your children to make sure that they are properly prepared for the sacrament, then you may choose to fulfill your rights and obligations yourself, or you may choose to send your child to the CCD classes. You may want to find out however, if the classes contain sex education or ìfamily lifeî or ìchastityî programs. This is the main objection home schoolers have about the CCD classes. For specific details about the church teachings on parentsí rights and responsibilities in the area of education, please read chapters three and four inCatholic Home Schooling. For further information, read the booklet by canon lawyer Edward N. Peters titled Home Schooling and the New Code of Canon Law. The sections of the Code of Canon Law are 835.4 [parents and the role of parents in the sanctifying mission of the church]; 1136 [parentsí rights and duty in religious education; all encompassing nature, including moral and religious]; 226.1 [the marriage vocation to educate and the mission of the church]; 226.2 [ parentsí obligations and rights regarding Christian education]; 793.1 [parentís rights to select those means by which they can better provide a Catholic education]. Other canon law sections: 1366 [penalty & censure if educated in non-Catholic religion]; 774.2 [catechetical instruction; the importance of forming a child by word and example]; 804.1 [bishopís responsibility to provide religious education; parentsí role follows natural law, yet ecclesial, that is, parentsí role in educating their children is part of the mission of the church; parentsí role is a canonically-recognized right, though content can be subject to legitimate church supervision]. Further sections: 827.2 [texts in schools must be approved; Since it is a canon law policy to strictly interpret meaning when restricting fundamental natural-law rights, this cannot be applied to parentsí texts; parental religious education is by right, schools religious education is by deputation]; 914 [duty of parents to see that their child is properly prepared to receive the Holy Eucharist; pastors also but parents educate, pastors evaluate]; 774.2 [pastors are to promote parentsí to take the responsibility]; 779 [ìall involved in religious educationî are to make use of any method they consider appropriate]; 529.1: church officials should support parents in their proper role]. The Canon laws are based on the following sections in the Second Vatican Council: Declaration on Christian Education; Pastoral Constitution on the Church; Dogmatic Constitution on the Church; Declaration on Religious Liberty; and Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity. And also check out the Introduction to the Rite of Confirmation. And Pope Paul VIís Decalogue of Prayer, in which he says that parents are religion teachers. Also read Letter to Families by Pope John Paul II in which he declares that parents are educators because they are parents [parentsí fundamental role as parents is to educate their children in moral and religious life]. Also read ìAddress to a group of American Bishops in AD LIMINA visitî by Pope Paul VI [[which can be downloaded from the Holy See Website]]. This pope proclaimed very strongly about the importance of the family in transforming the world and building up the kingdom of God specifically because of its role in educating the children. And last but not least read The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality (Guidelines for Education within the Family), paragraph 23 [principle of subsidiarity]; Chapter IV: Father & Mother as Educators; Chapter V: Paths of Formation within the Family; Chapter VI: Learning Stages [ìthe family is the best environment to accomplish the obligation of securing a gradual education in sexual life]. Chapter VII: Practical Guidelines. Seton Home Study School - 4 DC Schools Again The troubles with the DC public schools simply will not go away. For the third time in four years, the date of the beginning of the school year had to be pushed back due to safety violations. This time the entire system has been shut down until September 22nd in order to fix fire code violations and roof problems. Just last year, the Washington Post detailed many of the problems that are endemic in the DC schools. Many of these problems have been around for years and years and show few if any signs of improvement. One might question whether there is any real possibility that a system as far in decay as the DC schools can be saved at all. Against this backdrop, Sen. Dan Coats and Rep. Dick Armey are promoting a bill in Congress which would permit low-income District parents to send their children to schools of their own choice. School choice in the District of Columbia is favored by just about everybody in DC, including Sterling Tucker, the head of the D.C. City Council. However, Bill Clinton is opposed, so the plan is probably dead. Mr. Clinton may believe that it takes a village to raise a child, but apparently the wishes of the childís parents are irrelevant to the equation. September 1997 for $320.00 and 2 grams to Billy for $85.00 per gram. What is the street value of the balance of the cocaine it he doesnít cut it?î Another problem asks, ìJohnny has an AK47 with an 80 round clip. If he misses 6 out of 10 shots and shoots 13 times at each drive-by shooting, how many driveby shootings can he attempt before he has to reload?î The Dallas Morning News (8/20/ 97) reports that such word problems have been making their way around the country and have been reported in Illinois, Indiana, California and other states. Some of the teachers apparently thought that the problems were funny, but several students and their parents were not amused. Modern Math In math books,word problems can promote good or bad ideas. At Seton, in some grades, we have written word problems reflecting our Catholic home schooling family life. Transpose this to the public schools, where teachers try to make math relevant to students who may come from less than wonderful backgrounds. When this happens, you donít get strange math problems, you get downright bizarre problems. Six math teachers in Lancaster, Texas, were recently suspended when they gave math problems to their students that dealt with such topics as sex, violence, and drugs. A sample drug-based problem goes like this, ìJose has two ounces of cocaine and he sells an 8 ball to Jackson Marriage Laws There has been some talk lately about whether states ought to do away with no-fault divorce and go back to a system where one party must prove fault. The question is really two part. One question is whether a state should revert to a fault system for everyone. The other is whether a state should allow people to choose what type of marriage they want: a (reasonably) permanent marriage that can be dissolved only for specific reasons, or a no-fault divorce that can be terminated by either party for any reason at any time. Louisiana has decided that they will offer two types of marriage licenses. The old no-fault system will still be available. However, for those who wish to have a more permanent marriage, the ìcovenantî marriage will be available as well. The idea of covenant marriage seems popular, at least in the legislature, where it passed by a vote of 98-0. According to the new law in Louisiana, ìA covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one male and one female who understand and agree that the marriage between them is a lifelong relationship. Parties to a covenant marriage have received counseling emphasizing the nature and purposes of marriage and the responsibilities thereto. Only when there has been a complete and total breach of the marital covenant commitment may the non-breaching party seek a declaration that the marriage is no longer legally recognized.î The parties to the covenant marriage take the following oath, ìWe do solemnly declare that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman who agree to live together as husband and wife for so long as they both may live. We have chosen each other carefully and disclosed to one another everything which could adversely affect the decision to enter into this marriage. We have received premarital counseling on the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage. We have read the Covenant Marriage Act, and we understand that a Covenant Marriage is for life. If we experience martial difficulties, we commit ourselves to take all reasonable efforts to preserve our marriage, including marital counseling. With full knowledge of what this commitment means, we do hereby declare that our marriage will be bound by Louisiana law on Covenant Marriages and we promise to love, honor, and care for one another as husband and wife for the rest of our lives.î This is an attempt to hold couples together without reference to God. It takes three to make a marriage, and without God, no promises to a secular state will guarantee fidelity. Seton Home Study School - 6 September 1997 Seton on the Internet Some parents have asked if we have a Web Site, what does it have to offer, and should they invest in getting an Internet Connection to visit Setonís Web Site and other Web Sites. First, children need to learn about the advanced technology that they will need in their future careers. Whatever vocation or profession they enter, computers, the internet, and web sites are an integral part of skills needed for future careers. relation to methods of education, so we need to think about alternatives in ways to locate information. The Internet makes it possible to find exactly what you are looking for in literally seconds or minutes at the longest, from sources anywhere in the world. The Seton Web Site provides an abundance of information about Seton, equivalent to several hundred pages of information. Pages include not only introductory information, but a history We recommend that you invest in whatever technology you can afford to give your children the information they will need to be competitive with future careers. The Web Site includes photos of our new Setonpublished books, and soon will include sample pages. A ìHot Newsî section is meant to give information about Seton as well as current news about the Catholic home schooling movement. At the moment, we have reprinted the article on reception of the sacraments, and soon will have the specific ìguidelinesî for each diocese as we receive them from parents. In addition, we plan to add a variety of references to help parents regarding their rights and responsibilities for the education of their children. References will be from the Scripture, Canon Law, Second Vatican Council, and other Church documents. Secondly, the advanced technology can help you and your family immediately. The use of computers help students to do their work not only more accurately but with more quality of appearance which gives students pride in their work and helps them to be motivated to do longer and more creative and complex assignments. The Internet can provide information which is not only updated but of a variety of resources that are not available in local public libraries. The facilities of the New York public library, the Cleveland Public Library, and private libraries such as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library are available on the Internet. From this last Web Site, I was able to print out a chart of the major conferences of World War II showing the places, dates, code names, main participants, and major decisions. catalog with prices, a resources section which lists Catholic and Protestant home schooling state organizations & Catholic home schooling newsletters. In fact, our Seton newsletters for the past two years are available for reading and downloading. The resources section also provides links to The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Home School Legal Defense Association, Catholic City, The Holy See, and Christus Rex, as well as our favorite apostolates here in Front Royal: Christendom College, Human Life International, and Guardian Investments [pro-life investing]. It is important that students learn to use the normal book reference materials found in the local library, but with the incredible amount of knowledge and information now available throughout the world, no one library building can contain it all. of Seton, a tour of the Seton departments, curriculum information, complete list of our textbooks for grade school and high school, information about enrolling from the Admission Department, our counselors and their specialties [we hope to add their photos soon], Direct Dial Numbers to Seton information on our LD department. We include We have direct phone numbers available information about our for the counseling and admissions conferences including the schedule of talks within departments: the conferences, and information about nonHigh school English: Mark Gallagher: 540-636-2342 Seton Catholic home High School Math: Don Valaike: 540-636-1846 schooling conferences, or History: Bruce Clark: 540-636-6870, Extension 122 conferences which might Grade school English: Charlie Bak: 540-636-1755 be of interest to home Motivation, discipline: Janet Hartley: 540-636-1946 schoolers. Just as we need to think about alternatives, such as home schooling in Also included is our whole educational media Testing; SAT & ACT; College: Bob Wiesner: 540-636-2238 Admissions, Enrolling: 540-636-2039 September 1997 Seton Notes and News Conferences Information about Seton conferences is sent by mail to home schoolers on our mailing list in the state, and usually to surrounding states as well. Information also appears on our Web Site. Conferences include talks as well as the sale of Seton textbooks. If your support group is interested in a Seton conference, either a half-day or a full day, or if you are interested in having Dr. Clark at your own conference, please call Mary Lou Warren at Seton to make arrangements. Seton Conferences: San Antonio, TX, Jan. 31, 1998; St. John Neumann Church. San Jose, CA, Feb. 28, 1998; location to be announced. Columbus, OH, March 28, 1998; St. Patrickís Church. The Seton Home Study Newsletter is published monthly by Seton Home Study School 1350 Progress Dr. Front Royal, VA 22630 Phone: (540) 636-9990 Fax Machine: (540) 636-1602 Internet: www.setonhome.org E-Mail: [email protected] Subscription price for non-enrolled families is $15 per year. Executive Editor: Dr. Mary Kay Clark, Ph.D. Editor: Kevin Clark Seton Home Study School - 7 Other Conferences: Boston, MA: Oct. 9 to 13, Christian Home School Leadership Conf. Tampa, FL: Nov. 7 to 9, Catholic Home Educators Leadership Conf. Orlando, FL: April 25: Florida Catholic Home Educators Conf. Harrisburg, PA: April 25: Catholic Home Schoolers of PA Conf.; Home Name of Jesus Church. Short Takes Sending tests or student work: Please send these separately from books being returned. Papers may not get to the grading department in a timely manner if they are mixed in with books. Pastors have the primary responsibility for evaluating childrenís preparation for the sacraments,Parents have the primary responsibility for educating for the sacraments. Perfect SAT Score by Seton Student Raymond F. Hain. Raymond earned the Eagle Scout Award and is recognized as a member in good standing by the National Eagle Scout Association. He received a Certificate of Merit in recognition of outstanding achievement as an Eagle Scout, and received letters of congratulations from members of the legislature of Alabama and of the U. S. Sentate. Raymond has written numerous articles, especially book reviews, in his local newspaper, The Decatur Daily. He wrote a review for The Retreatant magazine on the purpose of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. We congratulate Raymond Hain again, and are proud he has been a student at Seton Home Study School. Home School Legal Defense Association Discount for Seton families. Call Seton with your family enrollment number to obtain the discount price of $85 for a yearís coverage with HSLDA. Homeschooling Today is a Christian, not Catholic, magazine which has been published for Protestants for the past several years. Advertising literature has recently been sent to Catholic home schoolers. While a few Catholic names are scattered in the literature, most are Protestant. Is Religious Education in America Catholic Enough? This is the title of an article appearing in Our Sunday Visitor on July 27. ìSome of the nationís bishops are concerned over a report that many new catechetical materials are doctrinally deficient.î Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein of Indianapolis reported to his fellow bishops at the spring meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops that ìwe have discovered [sic] a number of doctrinal deficiencies common to manyî catechisms. He reported ten areas in which there are deficiencies. 1) Insufficient attention to the Trinity. 2) Insufficient emphasis on the divinity of Christ. 3) Indistinct treatment of Catholic beliefs and magisterial teachings. 4) The impression that man is the first principle and final end of his own existence. 5) God appears subordinate to human experience and human action. 6) Insufficient recognition of grace. 7) Inadequate presentation of the sacraments. 8) Deficient teaching on Original Sin and sin in general. 9) Meager exposition of Christian moral life. 10) Negative lack of emphasis on eternal kingdom of God, positive emphasis on this world. Archbishop Schulte of New Orleans said that the deficiencies are ìextensive and very serious.î The Custer Legacy, a clean fun book of adventure and Americana, of mystery and Catholic heroes, of real cowboys and Indians, written by our Seton historian Bruce T. Clark, 600 pages selling for $25 from Seton. Buy one for a birthday present! Seton Home Study School - 8 September 1997 Family Education As it is the parents who have given life to their children, on them lies the gravest obligation of educating their family. They must therefore be recognized as being primarily and principally responsible for their education. The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. It is therefore the duty of parents to create a family atmosphere inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow-men which will promote an integrated, personal, and social education of their children. The family is therefore the principal school of the social virtues which are necessary to every society. It is therefore above all in the Christian family, inspired by the grace and the responsibility of the sacrament of matrimony, that children should be taught to know and worship God and to love their neighbor, in accordance with the faith which they have received in earliest infancy in the sacrament of Baptism. In it, also, they will have their first experience of a well-balanced human society and of the Church. Finally, it is through the family that they are gradually initiated into association with their fellowmen in civil life and as members of the people of God. Parents, should, therefore, appreciate how important a role the truly Christian family plays in the life and progress of the whole people of God. Vatican Council II Declaration on Christian Education