But then, that’s the point…of this school-wide effort to bring faith-based good habits into focus all throughout the school year.

Begun by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia several years ago, the Virtues in Practice (ViP) Program is a simple but effective way for students—and parents—to practice growing in the virtues (good habits) that help direct our lives to union with God.

The program covers 27 virtues over a three-year cycle (see the Program Outline document at the bottom of this page). These three years emphasize and are named for the three theological virtues:

• The year of faith focuses on Catholic devotions and the idea that “faith works” (Gal 5:6), by a school-wide emphasis on service projects.
• The year of hope emphasizes study skills, because in order to fulfill His plan for our lives we need to develop the talents God has given us.
• The year of charity emphasizes community, particularly how students interact with one another, because “he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).

In each month, grades PK-8 learn about the same virtue, but primary, intermediate, and middle school students learn about different Saints—our good friends in Heaven and heroes in the faith. In this way, students who are in the program throughout their elementary school career will have a basic introduction to a virtue at the primary level with one Saint, cover the same virtue again in more detail at the intermediate level with a different Saint, and delve into a deeper meaning of the virtue at the middle school level with a third Saint.

Virtue is not something just to know, but to do. The ViP Program emphasizes role-playing in the classroom so that students can practice how to act when using a particular virtue, as well as monthly projects designed to invite students to strengthen themselves in the virtue of the month by practicing it in real situations. 

Since parents are the primary educators of their children, ViP respects their role by placing individualized conversations about a child’s character in the care of the parent. Home projects are not meant to dictate the role of a parent; parents may choose to create their own project for any month. A suggested list of projects is provided as a resource for the parents.  It has great effect when parents model the virtue of the month, make references to it, or even choose to do one of the projects themselves.