COLORADO SPRINGS. Visitors to four of the campuses in the Unified Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Colorado Springs may feel as if they’ve stepped back in time. Students are reading from printed books, collecting science data using a pencil and paper, and there isn’t a computer in many of the classrooms. The change to a classical education model for these schools wasn’t about joining the growing movement towards this type of education. Instead it was about returning to the roots of Catholic education and a commitment to deepening the knowledge of each student.

COLORADO SPRINGS. In a world where information is ever present and “news” is gathered through both official and unofficial sources, the profession of journalist has become less defined. The question of what is classified as journalism and who can claim the title of journalist is harder than ever to nail down. But the students in the 21st Century Journalism and Broadcasting class at St. Mary’s High School are not only learning to hone their critical thinking skills, but also gaining hands-on experience in producing news that is relevant to their community.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Crisp uniforms are on order, stacked boxes yield fresh textbooks, and new lockers line the hall as Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Walsingham prepares for the first day of its inaugural year. This classical Catholic high school, located on the campus of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church, welcomes students Sept. 7.

COLORADO SPRINGS. After an extraordinary year of learning to educate during a global pandemic, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Colorado Springs are excited to welcome their students back to campus in person for the 2021-2022 school year. School administrators have worked with health guidance experts to develop a plan for the year that addresses the students’ mental, emotional and physical health.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Divine Redeemer School is one of the schools in our diocese that has joined the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s network of Classic Catholic Liberal Arts Schools for the 2021-22 school year. This month, Divine Redeemer will begin to integrate some of the premise of the classical approach to education into our curriculum and our culture, beginning with the content of curriculum based in history and paired with a study of Latin.

(Editor’s Note: Following is the second installment of a series on St. Mary’s High School’s new theology curriculum and other new course offerings. Information sessions on St. Mary’s will take place June 13 at St. Patrick Parish after the 5 p.m. Mass, at St. Peter Parish in Monument on June 20 after the 10:30 a.m. Mass, and at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish on June 27 after the 10 a.m. Mass.)

COLORADO SPRINGS. Sheila Whalen, previously the principal of St. Peter School in Monument, was named Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Colorado Springs effective July 1. She replaces Holly Goodwin, who is retiring.