Faith Life
The mission of our school is to shepherd our students into a life led by example of Christ. We advance this mission by infusing the student experience with the language and practices of the gospel teachings, the Catholic Mass, and the Church magisterium.
How We Teach Students To See Jesus in Self and Other
- We incorporate the teachings of Jesus into the everyday curriculum.
- We promote "epistemic humility," granting that what one sees in others is not the full picture of who they are.
- We promote empathy by teaching students to consciously take on the perspective of one's neighbor.
- Via the Divine Mercy charism, we teach that the love of Jesus is poured out for all, upon all, and through all.
- We teach students to act on the understanding that "there but for the grace of God go I."
- We actively provide opportunities for our students to see how others live and think, that they might understand their own personal experiences in life are not necessarily the experiences of all.
- We teach our students tools for looking inward and examining conscience, that a wise self-awareness might be cultivated.
- We perpetually challenge our students to ask themselves: "What would Jesus do?"
How We Uphold Academic Rigor
- We hold our students to high expectations.
- When students do not perform to high expectations, we examine the reasons and act upon the results.
- We actively involve parents in the challenge of drawing out the best in their children.
- We hold ourselves to high expectations, allowing our students to witness models of excellence in their teachers.
- We promote the belief that God made us for greatness, and that working towards this promise is a conscious choice, not an arbitrary accident.
- We embrace a growth mindset.
- We celebrate hard work.
- We prioritize professional development.
- We use data (quantitative and qualitative) in a systematic way to profile student growth over time.
How We Teach Moral Character
- We thread our Virtues program throughout school life.
- We measure and report on students' moral growth in the same way that we do their academic growth.
- We bring the example of Jesus into the way we discipline our students.
- We give students opportunities to live out works of corporal and spiritual mercy.
- We invite guests to present to our students on themes of truth and goodness.
- We teach students basic manners and make no exceptions when enforcing these norms.
- We rejoice in our good fortune to be a community of Easter people—happy, joyful, and triumphant!
Traveling Crucifix
The Traveling Crucifix was crafted in 2021 by parishioner Tom Witt. In the 2022-2023 school year, the crucifix traveled to each classroom, where it rested for each month while the students learned about a specific manifestation or apparition of Mary, the Mother of God. Prior to passing the crucifix to the next class, students addressed their classmates at an all-school Mass and summarize what they learned.
In the current school year, students are learning about the cardinal and theological virtues. The 4th graders recently taught us about the virtue of fortitude, then handed the crucifix to the 2nd graders, who will teach us next month about the virtue of prudence.
Divine Mercy
The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.
QP students enjoy celebrating Divine Mercy the first Friday of every month as they recite the Divine Mercy Chaplet with the Parish of Queen of Peace.
Student Sundays
The first Sunday of each month, our students "take over" our 11:00 Sunday Mass. Students lead us in all aspects of worship. All school students participate as we live the first and greatest commandment; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." - Matthew 22:37-38
Virtues in Practice Program
Queen of Peace encourages families to participate in our Virtues in Practice Program where each month of the trimester they devote time to actively teach their kids (through home activities) valuable virtues such as charity, friendship and courtesy. We appreciate every effort toward growing in virtue. Through our Virtues in Practice Program we strive to become Virtuous Vikings and grow closer to God and closer to our families.
In December 2019, families were recognized for their consistent work on the monthly Virtues in Practice Home Projects. Each family received a certificate of recognition, along with a copy of the book 77 Ways To Pray With Your Kids by Jerry Windley-Daoust. Thank you to these Virtuous Vikings for their devotion to the cause!
Empty Bowls
Being the Heart & Hands of Christ
In 2019 a large effort was made to organize opportunities for the whole Queen of Peace community to come together not only in prayer but also in giving back to the Hamilton area. Queen of Peace is made up of wonderful people from different backgrounds working to present a positive Catholic image in our city. We did this through the Empty Bowls Project.
Empty Bowls is an international project designed to fight hunger with the help of concerned artists and/or students. So how does it work? ALL students—from Homeschool, PREP, and Queen of Peace School--were invited to use their artistic skills and paint a ceramic bowl. On March 24th everyone was invited to partake in a simple meal of soup and bread with special guests, Ohio Senator Bill Coley and his wife, Carolyn. The painted bowls were on display for purchase at the event.
After weeks of planning, painting, and hard work, the Queen of Peace community was able to raise $2,810 to donate to Mark Mills of the Helping Hamilton Ministries. This money will be put to further God's call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless of our local community.
