When St. Francis founded his order of Franciscan Monks more than 800 years ago, one of their earliest guiding mantras was “knowledge in the service of love.” This meant that monks were encouraged to observe the world around them and learn as much of the natural order of things as possible, in order to strengthen their bond with God.
It’s a driving ethos that produced some of the western world’s most celebrated minds, from St. Bonaventure and Blessed John Duns Scotus to Roger Bacon, whose direct pleas to Pope Clement IV helped usher science into a new era.
That singular value of “knowledge in the service of love” lives on at St. Francis Catholic School on Hilton Head Island, producing bright, curious, and faithful minds for the past 30 years.
“The standard is high, and our goal is always to go from good to great to greatest,” said Principal Andrea Smith. “We look at each student and challenge them, raising the standard of how they challenge themselves.”
Firmly within the framework of a classic Catholic education, the curriculum at St. Francis takes an all-encompassing approach to knowledge while encouraging students to take ownership of their own pursuit of learning. The school serves students from Pre-K to eighth grade.
From the core classes of English, science, and math into enriching pursuits like music, art, and physical education, St. Francis grounds its instruction in a hands-on approach.
“We have so many opportunities for high collaboration. These students aren’t just sitting there being lectured, they’re collaborating with their peers,” Smith said. “And they’re shown how to learn and apply these opportunities. Most students who graduate from our school go on to advanced courses in high school, so they leave us very well prepared.”
Yes, their teachers are given tools like smartboards to better facilitate teaching their students. But the most powerful tool they’re given lies in the school’s devotion to hands-on learning. “We want our teachers to have the best, but not to view it as the end all, be all,” Smith said. “Technology has its place, but so does traditional learning. We try to balance that by creating a faith-filled, nurturing environment.”
Since taking the helm at St. Francis four years ago, Smith has taken this unique approach and applied it to a host of new pursuits for her students. Along with adding a feast day festival, she has expanded Spanish learning to the entire school. One of her first initiatives was to create a house system of four different communities within the middle school student body. With names chosen by the students, the four houses of St. Joan of Arc, St. Adjutor, St. Nicholas, and St. Sebastian compete for the house trophy both in academics and in special events like Potato Olympics and costume contests.
“The house system was implemented to provide a unique system promoting student leadership, academic, and social support through connections across grade levels,” said Smith. “It’s a great community building opportunity.”
Smith also introduced the Leadership Academy, guiding students toward their future endeavors at a critical time when their career ambitions are just starting to crystallize.
“The goal is to get different professional speakers in front of these kids to share what their profession is like, and how to shine in it,” Smith said. “They learn a lot of characteristics of leaders along with communication skills and what it takes to be successful.”
As the school celebrates 30 years, these new facets of the St. Francis Catholic School experience have added to a rich legacy of education dating back centuries. And as it looks to the future, it aims to continue that evolution in nurturing bright promising young minds.
To learn more, visit sfcshhi.com.
