We updated our Mission Statement in 2023. We hired a consultant to help with this process. This consultant conducted 1:1 interviews with seven individuals who represented our major stakeholder groups, met with focus groups representing donors, teachers, School Advisory Council, and parents, and analyzed the results of our school survey. This information was organized to develop our new Mission Statement which we believe describes who we are and who we aspire to be. We also added a new motto.
St. John the Baptist Catholic School is an enduring Community welcoming students to be known and loved, to excel academically, thrive spiritually, and to lead with generosity and joy.
Our new mission highlights a number of themes that came up repeatedly in 1:1 interviews, focus groups, and our parent survey. The first is that St. John’s is an enduring community. St. John’s has three partner parishes. St. John the Baptist is one of these parishes. The others, St. Mary’s and St. Mathias formerly had their own schools. Today those parishes continue their tradition of Catholic education by sending students to St. John’s. We draw from a broader area and more communities than these three parishes represent. We have many committed donors and stakeholders who were students at the school fifty years ago. A quarter of our staff has been at the school for over 19 years. Nearly half of our staff has been here for at least ten years.
Our Mission Statement next says that students are known and loved. We are blessed to have a tight knit community where every student can know every other student, where our teachers can know every single student, where our parents can know one another, and all of our families can be known. This ensures a positive experience at school and social interaction with others. Feeling welcome and cared for at school is crucial to student success. We can know each student’s individual skills and personalities. Each is made in the image of God and we attend to the uniqueness of each.
Finally, our Mission notes that we call students to excel academically, thrive spiritually, and lead with generosity and love. Academic achievement is a big reason families choose a Catholic school. Our classes consistently perform above the norm in both reading and math. We are committed to working with each child on their individual level. We have made large commitments to our reading and science programs, commitments to targeted intervention and acceleration, and commitments to our afterschool and summer offerings.
As a Catholic school, we invite each student to live a deep spiritual life. We participate in a variety of faith services throughout the year and pray many times each day as a community. Thriving spiritually also means that we are giving back to our community. Our students have regular opportunities to lead. Our fourth graders lead on the morning announcements, lead their faith families, and serve in other ways. Our second, third and fourth graders are big buddies to younger classes. All of our classes lead at Mass and other faith services.
One thing that was said over and over in 1:1 interviews, focus groups, and surveys is the joy seen at SJB. Pope Francis talks about joy as a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. We work to kindle and keep alive that joy in each student. Our students love our school and feel cared for here. This joy shines bright at SJB.
Thank you again to everyone who participated in the development of our Mission. This Mission is a guide to our highest ideals and a guide to lead us into our future.
Be Known – Be True – Be You
Be Known: To Christ, others, and yourself
Be True: To your faith, your academics, your community. Pursue with passion and authenticity.
Be You: Be celebrated for your unique gifts. Assurance of self and others.
