Community of Caring

 

The Calgary Catholic School District strives to help schools create a stronger sense of community based in our faith.

All District schools have established Catholic Community of Caring programs based on the values of faith, caring, respect, responsibility, trust and family. The Catholic Community of Caring program focuses on building respectful and caring school environments, rooted in Catholic values.

Within our schools we are building more inclusive communities where respect for one another, our community and our diversity our celebrated. Each school’s Catholic Community of Caring program builds positive school communities by developing relationships through activities such as student leadership conventions, social justice projects and professional development opportunities.

The Catholic Community of Caring initiative is not just a program, but also a process. Through the incorportation of its essential elements into the daily life of school, a climate is created where the whole school community embraces these values. As a result, schools have experienced a reduction in incidents of bullying, absenteeism, discipline issues and an increase in volunteer service within the community.

Taken from http://www.communityofcaring.org/index.html:

Community of Caring is a K-12, whole school, comprehensive character education program with a unique focus on disabilities. Community of Caring was founded in 1982 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver and has been adopted by almost 1,400 schools nationwide and in Canada. It is research-based and has a proven record of accomplishment. Community of Caring believes that the universally accepted ethical values of caring, respect, responsibility, trust and family are the foundation on which responsible decisions and behaviors are based. Community of Caring schools weave these values into every aspect of school life and the existing curriculum through a framework and components that include:

-Professional Development/Ongoing Support
-Values In and Across the Curriculum
-Family and Community Involvement
-Service Learning
-Student Leadership/Forums
-Social Inclusion

Community of Caring believes that creating caring relationships and a caring school community while teaching values across the curriculum is essential in creating safe and healthy learning environments in which all children can succeed and prosper academically and ethically, including students with disabilities.

Links:

For Kids – http://www.communityofcaring.org/kids/index.html

For Parents – http://www.communityofcaring.org/parents/index.html