The "Cardinal Way"

Note: I have tried to articulate, as briefly as I can, the foundational principles we've used at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, AL since its opening in 2016. We're now in our third year, our first as a complete 9-12 school.  

Our faith is the lens through which all else is focused.

We seek to build a joyful Catholic culture: learning together, praying, worshipping, celebrating and enjoying each other’s company. Weekly school mass is the centerpiece of our communal life. We welcome families from other religious traditions and are proud to build this community of faith with them.

We want our students to stretch. 

Students are children of God, capable of becoming “scholars, leaders and disciples of Jesus Christ” because of the transforming power of God’s grace in their lives. Our culture too often underestimates teenagers. We want students to stretch, to challenge themselves, to seek “more!"

We subscribe to a “Renaissance vision” for our students, encouraging them to get involved in many different things. 

We believe that students flourish when they develop in many areas—academics, the arts, athletics and faith—without “specializing” exclusively in any one area. We believe a “both-and” emphasis brings balance and wholeness to their lives.

Relationships govern.

Yes, there are rules, and if the authority of a teacher is challenged, the teacher must invoke his or her authority. But our relationships should be human ones first! Students respond well to a culture that “gives them space” to grow up.

We welcome students of varying aptitudes and socio-economic standing. 

Though we want our strongest students to be challenged and to graduate with the opportunity to attend excellent universities, we do not want to become merely an enclave for the intellectually elite or socially advantaged.  Rather, we believe the chemistry and interplay between students of different backgrounds and abilities give our school its authenticity, liveliness, and perhaps even, its  “flair.” 

We seek to be a school marked by generosity and philanthropy.

Generosity of spirit and willingness to serve others is at the heart of the gospel; we want our students to recognize and respond to the needs of others with compassion and courage. We also seek to build a school that inspires enthusiasm and generosity in our stakeholders, inviting them to participate in our ministry and to help establish our long-term viability.