When Father Judge High School (Philadelphia, PA) and Nativity Preparatory School (Wilmington, DE) started the school year, students were greeted by new principals with wonderful plans for this year and beyond.
Ms. Shaquona B. Meyers
Ms. Shaquona B. Meyers, Principal at Nativity, describes her role as “not a job but a purpose and a passion.” As principal of this tuition-free Catholic middle school for boys in Wilmington, she is committed to supporting her teaching staff. She plans to focus her efforts on giving educators agency: the capacity of teaching to act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional growth and contribute to their colleagues.
“When we give teachers who are with the students the empowerment to do what is best for the children in our student-centered environment, we see a big shift,” Meyers said. She looks forward to helping teachers hone their crafts and support lesson development. “We want to diversify the scope and sequence to reach all learners.”
Ms. Meyers with students at Nativity Prep
Nativity, like many schools, welcomes a diverse community of learners. Many boys come from marginalized or disadvantaged communities, and most have African American, Latino, or multi-ethnic heritages. “What is so beautiful about Nativity is that we have students with so many diverse experiences, it allows for the true beauty and purpose of this place,” Meyers said.
She wants all her students to know that they deserve to be at Nativity, to have opportunities, and to receive every good that God offers. Salesian Spirituality is the pathway for these messages. School days begin with the Direction of Intention and end with a gratitude reflection. Prayer services highlight Saint Francis’ teaching and weekly house sessions (boys are divided into houses) explore what it means to be Salesian Gentlemen. Saint Francis’ practical spirituality is infused in all they do at Nativity. Teachers regularly challenge students to explain how they live out the Salesian virtues and what ordinary activities they do extraordinarily.
Mr. James Hozier
Fifty miles north in Philadelphia, boys at Father Judge face similar Salesian challenges. But this year, under the direction of Mr. James Hozier, Principal, one of the school’s three core goals is to increase students’ knowledge and practice of Salesian Spirituality. All teachers, in every discipline, have been tasked with incorporating one Salesian virtue into their curriculum and creating a paper assignment exploring this connection. “We want students to be able to connect Salesian virtues to all they do, in every subject, in and out of school,” Hozier said.
Other initiatives for the new school year include further development of the school’s science laboratory and technology suite with an E-sports arena, podcast studio, green screen room, and high-speed auto-CAD laboratory. This year, Judge will also extend their maker space with new 3-D printers, upgrade their TV studio, and renovate the science labs.
As Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, Hozier designed Judge’s three-year integrated welding curriculum, the first of its kind among archdiocesan high schools and a component of the Father Brisson Academic Excellence Center, a career and technical education (CTE) initiative. The first cohort graduated in June as certified welders and were all offered full-time welding jobs. Father Judge is developing a similar program for students to graduate as certified automotive technicians and future plans include other trade programs. For Hozier, this is just the beginning, “I am very excited about all that’s happening at Judge,” he said. “We have a lot going on and it only going to get better!”
Learn more:
