Written by Dan Quesnell, principal, [email protected], and Rachel Fredricks, dean of student affairs, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
“Jesus, help me to be Your goodness and kindness.”
These words conclude every morning and afternoon prayer at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School (DSHA) in Milwaukee, WI. Rooted in Titus 3:4 and the charism of the Sisters of the Divine Savior, the prayer reflects both our mission and our daily aspiration: to make known the goodness and kindness of Jesus Christ.
Like many Catholic schools, we continually ask ourselves an important question: How do students experience our mission beyond religion class, liturgies, and service opportunities? How do we ensure that our Catholic identity is not simply communicated, but lived?
Several years ago, through our partnership with the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College and our work with their Whole Child Education Framework, we began exploring how mission, belonging, and student engagement intersect. We recognized that if students are to grow spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically, they must first know that they are seen, valued, and connected.
This realization led us to a practical question that many Catholic schools face: What structures can help every student experience belonging while reinforcing the distinctive mission and identity of the school?
Our answer was the creation of the Salvatorian Family House System.
Start with Mission, Not Programming
Schools often adopt programs because they are popular or successful elsewhere. We took a different approach. Before discussing logistics, competitions, or traditions, we asked whether a house system could advance our mission and strengthen our Salvatorian identity.
The answer was yes—but only if the system was intentionally rooted in our charism.
The founders of the Salvatorian Family, Blessed Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan and Blessed Mary of the Apostles, envisioned an inclusive community dedicated to making known the goodness and kindness of Jesus Christ. Their vision provided a natural framework for creating smaller communities within a larger school while reinforcing shared faith, service, leadership, and belonging.
Because of this foundation, the house system became more than a student engagement initiative. It became a vehicle for mission formation.
Design for Belonging
Research consistently demonstrates the connection between belonging and student success. Catholic school educators understand this intuitively. Students who feel known and connected are more likely to engage academically, participate in school life, and deepen their faith.
Our house system was designed around this principle.
Today, every student belongs to one of five houses that include students from all grade levels. Within each house, students participate in smaller groups called dens, creating opportunities for meaningful relationships across ages and experiences.
The goals extend beyond school spirit. We seek to:
- Strengthen students’ connection to the school’s mission and Catholic identity.
- Foster relationships among students, faculty, and staff.
- Develop leadership skills and the qualities of the DSHA graduate.
- Create opportunities for service, collaboration, and mentorship.
- Ensure every student feels a sense of belonging within the school community.
The structure itself communicates an important message: Every student has a place here.
Connect Identity to Daily Experience
One of the most important lessons we learned is that mission becomes meaningful when students encounter it repeatedly through rituals, traditions, and experiences.
At DSHA, each house is connected to a patron saint, a specific school value, and a characteristic of the graduate profile. House identities are visible throughout the year in prayer, liturgy, leadership opportunities, and community events.
During school Masses, representatives from each house bring forward candles representing their house colors. Patron saint feast days provide opportunities for prayer and formation. House leaders participate in campus ministry initiatives and help connect faith formation with student life.
These practices may seem small individually, but collectively they help students understand that Catholic identity is not an isolated program. It is woven into the fabric of school life.
Build With, Not For, Students and Faculty
A second lesson involved ownership.
During the design year, faculty and students played a significant role in shaping the system. They helped determine leadership structures, traditions, activities, and house identities. This collaborative approach increased buy-in and ensured that the system reflected the culture of the school.
The result was not simply a program implemented by administrators, but a community initiative embraced by students and faculty alike.
Schools considering similar efforts should resist the temptation to overdesign. Instead, create opportunities for stakeholders to help shape the experience and be realistic.
Student Leadership Matters
Leadership is one of the qualities of a DSHA graduate that we hope every student develops during her high school years. The Salvatorian Family House System created new opportunities for students to lead, serve, and build community in ways that extend beyond traditional leadership roles.
Within each den, student leaders help create a welcoming environment where younger and older students can form meaningful relationships. Through conversations, activities, and shared experiences, they foster the sense of connection and belonging that lies at the heart of the House System.
House leaders assume broader responsibilities by helping coordinate events, supporting house traditions, encouraging participation, and serving as a bridge between students, faculty, and administration. In these roles, students learn to lead collaboratively, communicate effectively, and model the values of their house and our school community.
We also intentionally integrated existing student leadership structures into the House System. Student Council blended into House System and existing Campus Ministry leaders connected to the House System to play active roles within the houses, helping connect student leadership, faith formation, and community life. As a result, leadership is no longer concentrated in a small group of students but is woven throughout the school experience.
More importantly, these opportunities help students grow as servant leaders. By creating spaces where others feel known, valued, and connected, student leaders help make visible the goodness and kindness of Jesus that stands at the center of our mission.
Learn from Others and Adapt
No school needs to begin this work alone.
As we explored the possibility of a house system, we visited schools, participated in virtual conversations, exchanged ideas with colleagues, and attended the annual House System Symposium. The generosity of other Catholic school educators accelerated our learning and helped us avoid common pitfalls.
Equally important, we viewed our first year as a prototype rather than a finished product. Reflection and feedback led to adjustments in leadership structures, scheduling, and activities. Continuous improvement has been essential to the system’s growth and effectiveness.
Mission Made Visible
At the end of our first year, one house earned the House Cup. Yet the more meaningful outcome was not which house won.
The greater success was seeing students develop new friendships, deepen their connection to the school, and experience our mission in tangible ways.
Catholic schools tell their stories most effectively when mission is visible in everyday life. Programs alone do not create identity. Relationships do. Traditions do. Shared experiences do.
When students can see, hear, and feel a school’s mission in the way it structures community, leadership, prayer, and belonging, the school’s story becomes unmistakable.
At DSHA, the Salvatorian Family House System has become one way we help students experience what we pray every day: to be the goodness and kindness of Jesus.
