House Program
The CRCP House Program fosters a better school culture by creating more accountability, ownership and leadership opportunities among students and faculty in a way that is intentional and personal. The fundamental component of the House Program is the assignment of students, staff and faculty from a large community into smaller ones. In those smaller communities, accountability, ownership and leadership are more purposefully and productively taught and embodied for the ultimate end of building a positive school culture and stronger school community.
The House Program consists of four houses. Each House is divided into six families with 12-15 students. At least one faculty and staff member is placed in a family. Both houses and families include all four grade levels. Student siblings are placed in the same house and family. Students and adults are chosen for each house and family taking into consideration any known factors among students or adults that would prohibit unity.
A senior student from each family is selected or elected to serve as the Family Leader (FL). A member of CRCP’s Administrative Team serves as House Director. The Dean of Students and Student Activities Director with the assistance of others will coordinate the activities of the House Program. Additional faculty/staff members will serve as House Assistants. Time is scheduled for monthly House meetings and weekly time is allowed for families to gather and develop relationships. Houses and families may schedule additional meetings to take place before or after classes.
The adults in each house are responsible for mentoring, monitoring, encouraging, and getting to know the individuals and student leadership in their house and family. The opportunities for mentoring and creative involvement are only
limited by the degree of commitment each person is willing to give to the program.
The House Program should never allow participants to engage in negative behaviors or any actions that do not support the positive, wholesome interaction of students, faculty and staff. Anyone who engages in any sort of behavior that is not supportive of student’s positive development of the goals of CRCP’s mission is subject to disciplinary consequences.
Who leads the house program?
Each family in the house program has a Senior student leader. Faculty Mentors, House Assistants, and House Directors are expected to serve as mentors and advisors to the students in their house/family. The adults of each house/family
will establish relationship with the students that allows them to genuinely know
the students in their house/family. “Students care how much you know when
they know how much you care!”
How do the house leaders make an impact on the students within
their families?
• Assist family members in organizing school work and developing study schedules.
• Attend class with family members. Important insights are gained when a mentor experiences the classroom firsthand.
• Participate in activities with the family members.
• Share special interests like a hobby, an interesting object or something that has particular meaning such as a treasured item from a grandparent and share the story behind it.
• Help keep struggling family members accountable for their academic success, attendance, and behavior. However, faculty mentors in the CRCP’s House Program are not teachers or parents, but supportive caring friends.
• Share cultural traditions.
• Find a creative, supportive ways to deal with an area of concern in the families.
• Find mutual interests to share.
• Help Family members develop decisions making skills.
• Share your life experiences.
• Discuss current events and encourage the student to express his or her own.
• Celebrate accomplishments of family members.
How will each individual family interact and support it’s members?
Families are expected to positively support one another - As with any successful family, Family members within the CRCP House Program are expected to help one another navigate through life’s challenges and attain the goals of our school’s mission. (Faith Development, Academic Excellence, and Leadership.)
Tutoring/Academic Assistance - When family member is in need academic help the Houses/Family is responsible for supplying tutors or making sure the family member in need gets the proper assistance either with their own House/Family or through existing tutorial activities and efforts.
Life Events - Important events in the student’s life would be celebrated by Families and in some cases Houses. Birthdays should be celebrated in each Family. Tragic events of life (death/hospitalization of family member, death/loss of a pet, family moves, etc…) should be appropriately responded to or acknowledged by House/Family members. Awards, accomplishments, and special recognitions bestowed to a Family member should also be celebrated by the House/Family.
Support of fellow Family and House members – Family/House members should support one another by attending extracurricular events or just gathering to grow in recognizing each other as Children of God.House/Family members could gather before or after school to pray, plan special masses or prayer services,
conduct group service projects; occasionally eat lunch together, etc.
Where do the House & Families derive from?
The Houses/Families of the CRCP House Program are named in honor of individuals, corporations, and foundations who in the past or who presently are have making significant contributions to the founding, improvement and/or sustainability of Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School. Through their individual and collective commitment (and in some cases personal sacrifice) Cardinal Ritter College Prep one the nations “Catholic Cornerstone Institutions” is able to remain committed to and be successful in its mission of providing a quality Catholic education to youth who may not otherwise have had the opportunity of a college prep education.
Positive characteristics and qualities of these individuals, as well as corporate logos/brands or foundation purposes will be traits the students in each family are committed to developing.
What are the names of each house?
Archbishop Robert Carlson House (Advancement of Catholic Education)
The family names of this house are in recognition of individuals, foundations and/or corporations who have made long-standing financial contributions to establishing and sustaining the mission of Cardinal Ritter College Prep.
Families
Enterprise
Commerce
Emerson
John Vatterott
AmerenUE
John Danforth
Msgr. John Shockley House (CRCP Task Force & Board Members)
The family names of this house are in recognition of individuals who have had made a long-standing commitment to establishing and sustaining the mission of Cardinal Ritter College Prep. Many of them are members of the original task force and past or current board members.
Families
Joe Wiley
Pearl Richardson
Tom Nolan
Craig Fowler
Joe Conran
Thelma Lewis
Sister Teresa Haug, SSND House
(CRCP Business Office Manager 1988-2011)
The family names of this house are in recognition of priests, nuns, and lay people of the Catholic Education Office of the Archdiocese of St. Louis who have made a long-standing commitment to establishing and sustaining the mission of Cardinal Ritter College Prep.
Families
Bro. Larry Keller
Fr. Thaddeus Possey
Sr. Maryanne Echoff
Sr. Maria-Choca
Fr. Chester Gaiter
George Henry
Carmel Hall House
(CRCP Administrator President-Principal-Dean of Students 1986-2009)
The family names of this house are in recognition of current/former teachers/administrators who have made a long-standing commitment to establishing and sustaining the mission of Cardinal Ritter College Prep.
Families
Dr. Joyce Thomas
Blasé Boettcher
Richard Bischof
Kevin O’Brien
Diane Smoot
Preston Thomas
House Competitions & “The Cardinal Ritter Trophy
– The House of the Year”
Each year The Cardinal Ritter Trophy will be awarded to the House that earns the most points through a series of competitions. Activities and student data will be audited to rank Houses/Families. Each year The Cardinal Ritter Trophy will be awarded to the House that earns the most points. The Cardinal Ritter Trophy will be displayed prominently in the school and trophy winners will be names and photo will be published in/on the school’s website, yearbook and newspaper, parent/president/principal newsletters and reported Archdiocese of St. Louis
Communication Department for possible inclusion in the appropriate Archdiocesan publications.
House of the Month (Monthly) Student performance data will be audited each month and grading period. Houses will be ranked and point awarded. The House with the most points will be awarded certain privileges for being the House of the Month. Members of highest ranking House will wear House T-Shirts each Friday of the next month in addition to earning points toward the Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
Marquee Events (All Year) Throughout the school year certain Open House, performances, ceremonies, games, events and activities will be identified as Marquee Events. House/Family membership attendance will be recorded. The winning House/Family will receive some type of recognition/award/privilege in addition to earning points toward the Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
Program Evaluation
At the end of each school year House Captains, Family Leaders, and Faculty Mentors will meet with the House Program Coordinator to evaluate the activities and effectiveness of the program. It is the responsibility of this group to determine modifications and suggest plans for the upcoming school year. An evaluation will also occur in each house and each family.
Other events including the following will take place throughout the year
Flag Football Tournament (September/October) Each House/Family will compete in a round robin flag football tournament. The winning House will receive some type of recognition/award/privilege in addition to earning points
toward the Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
Frozen Turkey Bowling (November) Each family in each House/Family will compete in Frozen Turkey bowling in gym. The winning House will receive some type of recognition/award/privilege in addition to earning points toward
the Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
3-on-3/5-on-5 Basketball Tournament (January) Each house/family
will enter a team in the tournament. The winning house will receive a recognition/award/privilege in addition to earning points toward the Cardinal
Ritter Trophy.
Mission Fund Raiser (Lent) Each house/family will compete for most funds raised by house. Coins will count for the house and any dollar bills put in
collection will count against the house. The winning house will receive a recognition/award/privilege in addition to earning points toward the
Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
School-Wide Fund Raisers (TBA) Each House/Family will compete for most funds raised by House. The winning House will receive a recognition/award/privilege in addition to earning points toward the Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
House Olympics (April/May) Each house/family members will compete in various field activities. Points will be awarded for each event for each competitors place/finish. The winning house/family receive a recognition/award/privilege to earning points toward the Cardinal Ritter Trophy.
Awards-Recognitions-Elections (April/May/June) The Cardinal Ritter Trophy and election of next year’s House Captains and Family Leaders will take place at the end of each school year.