Newsletter September 2022
A word from the president...
Since our last newsletter communication in July, a lot has happened. We hosted a second, well-attended info session – further evidence of the growing interest in what Chesterton has to offer. The following month, members of the Chesterton board had a fruitful meeting with Bishop Olson and staff. Two weeks ago, we launched the Chesterton Academy of Fort Worth website. (If you haven’t visited yet, please do. Our fundraising link is active! Please share it.) And earlier this month, we began conversations with members of the faculty at the Braniff Graduate School of the University of Dallas, which specializes in training classical educators. We are seeking to grow a relationship with UD in effort to improve our search for qualified teachers – and we are off to a promising start.
Please look for updates about the next info session, continue to spread the word and pray.
Yours in Christ,
Carlos Crespo
President of the board CAFW
In the Chesterton model, culture matters
In so many aspects of our lives these days, it feels like we’re fighting a constant current of what writer Rod Dreher would call “liquid modernity.”
Our kids are immersed in a culture of materialism and despair, one in which only secular pursuits are valued.
God is abandoned. Character is irrelevant.
Helping our next generation overcome this culture of death is one of the primary motivations of Chesterton Academy schools, which help create a space that transcends the darkness of modern life.
But rejecting modern culture also means embracing something in its place. It means following our Catholic faith. It means living out the virtues.
Chesterton schools adopt Pope John Paul II’s call to pursue a Culture of Life.
They seek to direct students’ attention away from the noise of modern life and to help them focus, instead, on the true, the good and the beautiful.
Building character isn’t an afterthought – it’s a primary goal.
Chesterton’s Catholic identity and curriculum are naturally self-reinforcing, keeping students’ eyes fixed on what is eternal in all they do.
Keeping class sizes small and capping grades at 50 students also help maintain school culture.
But let’s be honest, high school students are still kids. They need a learning environment that is joyful and fun. That’s why Chesterton academies also value a robust student life – sports, clubs and activities that enhance what happens in the classroom.
Once we’re up and running, we will look to student interests’ for deciding what extracurriculars to pursue.
Because pursuing a virtuous life doesn’t come at the expense of living a joyful one.
Upcoming information sessions
A third Chesterton Academy of Fort Worth information session will be held in the coming months. Please look for further communications for an exact date and location.
“The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man”
–G. K. CHESTERTON
