Mission

MISSION STATEMENT/PHILOSOPHY

Chaminade College Preparatory School, an independent, Catholic Day and Resident school, sponsored by the Marianist Province of the United States, is dedicated to developing the inherent spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical potential of young men in Sixth through Twelfth Grade so they are prepared for success in college and life and ultimately become the men the world needs them to be.

This is accomplished through emphasis on the Five Characteristics of Catholic Marianist Education listed below.

Five Characteristics of Marianist Education:

Educating for Formation in Faith

To encourage and help all members of the Chaminade community to bear witness with a personal and committed faith that touches the heart
To promote a faith and culture dialogue which illumines reality from the perspective of the Catholic world view
To form students in the Gospel values and Christian attitudes
To elicit a personal commitment to a life of faith
To present the Marianist heritage and charism as a viable and dynamic approach to living the Gospel
To support and encourage those members who have chosen to take the Lay Marianist vows
To offer graduates the opportunity to continue their faith formation at one of the 3 Catholic Marianist universities

Providing an Integral, Quality Education

To promote quality education of the whole person
To provide a broad and coherent curriculum
To provide a well-formed, professional administration, faculty and staff
To develop respect for every person as a daughter or son of God, unique and individual
To develop an interior spirit and self-knowledge
To develop a concern for global and local issues of culture and ecology
To continue to utilize advancements in technology as they enhance the educational process
To utilize the school schedule to enhance educational and extracurricular activities
To foster a diverse faculty and staff as well as a diverse student body
To provide fiscal stability
To augment our physical facilities to provide for current and future needs
To create a favorable environment for a collegial approach to education
To offer graduates the opportunity to continue their educational pursuits at one of the 3 Catholic Marianist universities

Educating in Family Spirit

To cultivate interpersonal relationships characterized by openness, respect, integrity and dialogue
To form an educational community with collaborative structures and processes
To express authority as loving and dedicated service
To promote a culture of kindness to bring about a sense of belonging
To invite and encourage graduates to continue in the charism of family spirit by attending one of the 3 Catholic Marianist universities

Educating for Service, Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation

To promote a sense of stewardship for all of God’s creation
To educate for solidarity, justice, and peace
To promote the sacredness of human life in all stages and the inherent dignity of all people
To promote the dignity and rights of women and minorities
To encourage participation in service programs which attend to the poor and marginalized
To address the increasing cost of Catholic higher education by promoting the possibility of early entry into one of the 3 Catholic Marianist universities

Educating for Adaptation and Change

To educate to adapt to an ever-changing world
To educate to accept and respect differences in a diverse society
To develop critical thinking skills in the search for Truth
To be open to local and global contexts through both classroom and experiential learning
To learn to respond and lovingly articulate Catholic teaching when presented with secular thinking
To be keenly aware and proactive regarding the students realistic opportunity to pursue their higher education at a Catholic Marianist university

Philosophy

Chaminade College Preparatory School is an independent Catholic School for young men in Grades 6-12. The school bears the name of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a priest who lived during the era of the French Revolution and who founded the religious order known as the Society of Mary (Marianists).

The school maintains an active relationship with this Society through governance structures and the employment of lay and religious Marianists committed to a conscious effort to keep alive the most fundamental traits of Marianist spirituality in all aspects of the institution's functioning.
These traits include a deep sense of "faith of the heart," a deep sense of "community" and a deep sense of "mission."

It is the school's Marianist roots that cause it to emphasize growth in faith, the development of the whole person, and the cultivation of Gospel values in a nurturing environment. Much of the school's Catholic and Marianist approach is presented to students through the school's motto, "Esto Vir." This motto, which literally means, "Be a Man," is a challenge to maximize the potential of all the gifts and talents which God has placed in each individual and to cultivate human values all of which have their origin in the person and figure of Christ the "Perfect man." The motto helps to make it clear that education at Chaminade is much more than an academic undertaking; it is an endeavor that encompasses all aspects of the young man's being.

In selecting Chaminade for their son's education or in allowing their son to select Chaminade, parents are invited to enter into a partnership with the school to help it realize its goal of holistic education. They attempt to involve themselves in the life of the school to the extent possible in their circumstances and reinforce in their home life many of the lessons the young men learn at school.

True to Blessed Chaminade's vision, the faculty possesses a strong commitment to the total education of all students. As educators in the Catholic and Marianist tradition, they set for themselves the personal goal of modeling and communicating gospel values as norms of conduct. The faculty commitment to professional development through continuing education and the development of current best educational practices is strongly encouraged. The faculty is assisted in its mission by a wider variety of support staff who shares the commitment to foster the development of each student. While not as directly involved in the process of education, these staff members likewise attempt to model the values which Chaminade stands for and to help create the familial atmosphere that is so much a part of the school.

To confirm that the school’s mission is founded on sound educational rationale and is sensitive to the needs of all of the school’s students, the administration conducts an annual development of the school’s strategic plan process, whereby key performance indicators are generated. These KPI’s ensure that the goal-setting process aligns itself to the school’s three pillars: academics, character formation, and athletics and activities. In addition, the school’s MIT (Mission Integration Team) generates a 4-year plan designed to move the school toward a fuller expression of Marianist Education. The Marianist Office of Education provides oversight and evaluation.

Chaminade's academic structure develops students into individuals who think for themselves by providing an integrated middle school and high school program. This curriculum challenges students to take the knowledge given to them each day and recognize the moral and ethical implications of modern life. Throughout their Chaminade education, students receive the tools to become critical thinkers making informed choices.

A wide range of athletic, cultural, social and religious activities is an integral part of the total education program. These activities can be key in allowing the individual student to cultivate his inherent skills, as well as to exercise initiative and responsibility.

Discipline is often a necessary part of human growth and, when required, is administered in such a way as to enhance the personal growth of the students. Chaminade provides a disciplinary system which balances justice with mercy and develops personal responsibility.

A Chaminade education brings the student into contact with the variety of communities of which he is a part: local, national, and global. He learns that he has a responsible role in each of them and that he must work for their betterment according to the Gospel values of justice, sacredness of human life, human dignity, and compassion. A variety of experiential opportunities are offered to help each young man discover the unique contribution he can make to the human endeavor.

Through its resident program, Chaminade offers to students from around the world the benefit of a quality education while, at the same time, enriching the whole school community with the geographic and cultural diversity that these students bring. Through this diversity of the student body, as well as that of the faculty and staff, the young men are able to experience and value the great variety of gifts and talents among all of God's people.

Chaminade strives to provide a holistic, high-caliber education grounded in faith, which prepares its students for success in college and in life.