Holy Child Catholic School in New Mexico is one of many Catholic schools that chose to upgrade their curriculum using resources from the Catholic Textbook Project library. Principal Janice Martinez described the success of this transition.
“Students at our school enjoy using these books and have shared stories with me about how their readings have impacted their lives,” she said. “For example, in 8th Grade our students study the ‘New World Year’ and we utilize The Making of the Modern World as a central part of our study. A student remarked that she really enjoyed the chapter on ‘Romanticism and Revolt,’ noting that Fredrich's painting really affected her and gave a ‘sense of mystery.’ She said she found it easy to place herself there in the picture and get a sense of what life was like for these thinkers in the Romantic era.”
Martinez added, “Students studying the painful events of the two World Wars found it helpful to read from a view ‘grounded in truth,’ while studying individual lives that were directly affected by such events. The sections highlighting authors are especially relevant as one student enjoyed seeing Tolkien highlighted and was able to see how a writer she admired was truly ‘part of history.’”
Principal Martinez is thrilled with the reception in Holy Child's classrooms, already seeing a measurable impact. The accurate Catholic source material cultivates curiosity among students at key developmental points in their education, setting them up for a lifetime of wonder and discovery. Students learn to appreciate the people and events that created the world they live in today, and learn to see the hand of the Divine throughout history.
Meanwhile, teachers love the “less-is-more” manuals that accompany the textbook, breaking down the contents and offering activity suggestions along with lists of resources for further learning. Principal Martinez recommends that if you're on the fence about implementing these textbooks, don't wait another year!