At Cathedral of the Risen Christ School, the Junior High students participate in Abbeys. Read on to see what one of our teachers, Miss Johnson Brass, has to say about them.

1. What are the Abbeys?

   Abbeys are teams which students are randomly assigned to when they enter 6^th grade at Cathedral. Each Junior High teacher leads an Abbey. Students compete with their Abbey their entire Junior High career (6^th-8^th grade). If you’re familiar with the Hogwarts Houses of Harry Potter, the Abbey’s aren’t too different.

   The Abbeys at Cathedral School are: St. Francis of Assisi (Mrs. Vera), St. Therese of Lisieux (Mrs. Wisdom), St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mrs. Caradori), St. Albert (Mr. Simmons), Pope St. John Paul II (Mr. Laney), and St. Padre Pio (Miss Johnson Brass).

2. What do the Abbeys do throughout the school year?

   We celebrate each Abbey’s feast day, have competitions each quarter of the school year, and have a party at the end of the year for the top three teams. Students can earn their Abbey points during competitions as well as at the end of each quarter. They can earn points for having clean infraction (behavior) cards and for achieving A or A/B Honor Role.

3. How were the Abbeys started at Cathedral?

   A previous Cathedral P.E. teacher, around 2011, shared with the principal a fun “Houses” concept from his old school. Our principal then decided to do a Catholic spin on it with the Saints.

4. What is your current role with the Abbeys?

   As the Jr. High Coordinator, I lead the planning and scheduling of Abbey events and help record scores as well as make sure Abbey teams are split fairly (both in # of students and boy/girl ratios). Abbeys, however, are definitely a team effort. Jr. High teachers meet once a quarter and plan out competitions. The administration plays a role in helping with logistics as well. WE all see the benefits and joy this tradition gives the kids, so it’s well worth the work!

5. Why do you think the Abbeys are beneficial?

   I think junior high can be a challenging and intimidating time for kids. The Abbeys help to bring new students into the Cathedral family. They foster community and provide great team-building opportunities. It is so cool to see 8^th graders cheering on their 7th and 6th grade Abbey teammates and interacting with them around the school throughout the year. I love getting to know the younger grades through this, since I predominantly teach 7^th & 8^th. I think getting to interact with your teacher through fun, team-building activities helps build relationships and can help foster a great student/teacher relationship for the future! Throughout my years here at Cathedral, graduating students have told me countless times that some of their favorite moments in Jr. High were memories made through the Abbeys.

Photo from the October 2022 Abbey competition: