The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Students at Mother Seton learn more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. They learn to be inquisitive, to take away as much as they can from their experiences, and to give back as much as they are able to their communities

Kenny Jones holds his breath as he tosses a beanbag onto a grid drawn in chalk on the parking lot of Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. At first glance, a visitor might think the eighth grader was spending recess involved in a game of hopscotch; however a closer look would reveal a number of his classmates sitting on the ground with pencils in their hands and looks of intense concentration on their faces. In fact, the students are in the middle of an algebra lesson. Armed with a series of problems missing a single variable or coefficient, the students must toss the beanbag to fill in the unknown figure and then solve the equation.

Though the lesson might seem a bit out of the ordinary at many schools, it is not particularly unusual for Mother Seton, an innovative middle school for young men and women from low-income families. Mother Seton is one of nearly fifty “Nativity” Schools in the nation modeled after a middle school the Jesuits founded in 1971 at the Nativity Mission Center on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The schools take at-risk students, many of whom have already fallen one or more grade levels behind their peers, and give them the attention, support, and structure they need to thrive.

“There is a real family atmosphere here,” said Sister Jacqueline Kotz. “We encourage our students. We support them. We love them."

The Concept

Mother Seton was begun in 1993 by a number of religious congregations— including the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia— who believed they could help the youth of inner city Baltimore being failed by a public school system that graduates only 30% of incoming freshmen. In order to qualify for attendance at Mother Seton Academy, students must be fully eligible for the federal free meals program. Although the admissions process is designed to identify students capable of college preparatory work, the school is not necessarily looking for only the best and the brightest. Instead, the goal is to admit students who are capable and motivated but at risk for falling behind and dropping out.

The Academy shares a number of Nativity school characteristics. Class sizes are small, with a maximum of twelve boys and twelve girls enrolled in each grade. Boys and girls are taught separately to reduce distractions and a number of volunteers including Americorps workers and students from both a local college and high school assist paid faculty in giving the kind of individualized attention that makes the school work. “Our students get the support and encouragement here that many of their families aren’t able to give them at home,” explained Sister Jacqueline Marie Kotz, who served as co-principal of Mother Seton during its first three years and now serves as the school’s secretary. “That’s what makes the difference for them.”

Despite the benefit of what Sister Jacqueline describes as a “family atmosphere,” being a student at Mother Seton is not easy. The school day begins with breakfast at 7:45 and by 8:00 students are in class. Like they do at many schools, classes at Mother Seton end at 3:00. Unlike most schools, however, the day does not end there. From 3:00-3:20 students clean the school, taking turns covering bathroom, dining room, classroom, and hall duties. From 3:20-3:45 there is snack and recreation—a time for students to wind down and fuel up before an hour of supervised homework time. Dinner is served around 5:00 and then students who need extra help stay until 6:45 for one-on-one tutoring.

Students interested in extracurricular activities at Mother Seton can take music lessons, write for the school newspaper, join the chess club, or even start their own special interest group.

The Students

For most students the structured schedule is a far cry from what they are used to. A number of Mother Seton students have spent their childhood moving from one foster home to another. Some come from homes in which a family member is incarcerated or on drugs. Most live in neighborhoods where shootings are commonplace. “We know the environments our students go home to every day,” said teacher Sister Ann Claire Rhoads, Daughter of Charity and creator of the “hopscotch algebra” lesson. “So while we are firm with them, we also make sure they know that we love them and that we will consistently be there to support them.”

Even the students who come from more stable family situations generally do not have the at-home support they need with regard to academics. Many parents of Mother Seton students never completed elementary school and may not fully understand the importance of a solid education. “It is difficult for our parents—who have not had the opportunity for an education—to be cheerleaders for their children,” said Sister Jacqueline. “They just don’t understand what an education can mean for a young person.”

The Program

The faculty at Mother Seton is very aware just how much is riding on the three years students spend there. The idea is not just to teach students how to parrot back multiplication tables or name state capitals.Although lessons for acquiring that kind of knowledge are part of the curriculum, the overarching goal is to give students the skills and the desire they need to learn throughout their lifetime.

Teachers at Mother Seton work hard to make the academic program not only challenging but also engaging as well. Walk past Sister Ann Claire’s classroom, for example, and you are likely to see students working out complex problems in a mound of shaving cream or wrestling with a pile of candy in an attempt to understand the metric system. “Keeping things moving and using different senses and different parts of the brain helps to keep students with all different learning styles interested,” she explained.

Teachers also get students into their subject matter by helping them relate what they are learning to the real world. Sixth grade teacher Sister Mary Ann Roderick brings a science lesson on electricity to life by explaining to students how their televisions work. After learning about the scientific aspects of the process, students take a field trip to a local TV station where they see firsthand how the news is compiled, filmed, and edited.

Making learning exciting and accessible also helps to make it socially acceptable. Unlike some schools where the students who consistently answer questions are ridiculed, Mother Seton is a place where students come to see knowledge as something to be proud of. “Our students take pleasure in meeting the challenges we give them,” said teacher Deborah Krepiel. “They help each other along and they feel good about themselves when they do a good job. Sometimes I look at the work my students do and I am struck by how far they have come.”

Standardized testing confirms Deborah’s impression that her students have made real progress. The most recent class to graduate from Mother Seton Academy went from testing on a fifth grade level in the fall of their sixth grade year to testing on an 8.5 grade level just two years later.

While most students enter Mother Seton Academy with below grade level skills, the rigorous, hands-on academic program helps even struggling students shine. A majority of Mother Seton students demonstrate substantial growth in their performance during their tenure at the school, often progressing one and a half to two academic years in a single calendar year.

The Values

The learning process actually extends beyond academics at Mother Seton, encompassing lessons of leadership, responsibility, community service, and respect for self and others. “We address the whole child,” said principal and Daughter of Charity Sister Mary Bader who last spring received the Distinguished Principal Award for the South Atlantic states from the National Catholic Education Association. “Academics are important but we are equally committed to the spiritual, physical, social, and emotional development of our students.”

Mother Seton students are expected to conduct themselves with decorum and to treat both adults and peers with kindness. They also are required to do community service. The daily cleaning—which teaches the importance of giving back and helps instill pride in the school—counts for a portion of that requirement but students must find additional projects in order to fulfill their obligation.

Even things like learning how to show respect to visitors and how to politely introduce oneself to adults are part of the education at Mother Seton. “Whenever there is a visitor to the classroom, the students practice approaching the person, looking him or her in the eye, shaking hands, and saying his or her name,” said Sister Ann Claire. “These are skills that are important out in the world and that many of our students have not seen modeled by the adults in their lives.”

The Follow-Up

Although students move on to a variety of Catholic and public high schools, their connection with Mother Seton does not end with middle school graduation. Realizing the necessity for good follow-up in ensuring that the progress students make in middle school translates into long-term success, the staff at Mother Seton keeps in close contact with its graduates. In fact, the school recently appointed a former teacher to serve as graduate support coordinator. This person not only assists students as they make their way through high school but also helps them prepare for their SATs, apply to colleges, and procure financial aid. “We have students who would probably not make it through high school without our support,” said Sister Jacqueline. “We invite them back so we can encourage them along.”

For many students that encouragement takes them far beyond where they ever thought they could go. Regina, an early Mother Seton graduate who still comes back to visit, entered sixth grade working far below grade level. “When Regina arrived, she didn’t know the difference between a city, a state, and a county,” remembers Sister Mary, who was teaching social studies at the time. “In three years she came along both academically and socially and by the time she went to high school she was really ready for it.”

Regina came back to Mother Seton for help applying to college. She ended up attending the University of Portland in Oregon and even spending a semester abroad in London during her sophomore year. “Regina is a wonderful example of someone who went places she had never even dreamed of,” said Sister Jacqueline. “That is what our success stories are all about—students who come away with the skills and the self-respect to makes new lives for themselves.”

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HOW YOU CAN HELP...

• Volunteer as a tutor for students at a school in your area. Whether you feel comfortable handling a variety of subjects or you have expertise in one or two, there is sure to be a child who could benefit from your help.
• Don’t feel comfortable in an academic role? Why not offer to shelve library books, answer phones, or stuff mailings? Few schools are so well staffed that they couldn’t use an extra set of hands.
• Contact a local school to find out what items they need. Mother Seton Academy is always grateful for simple donations such as postage stamps, paper towels, cleaning supplies, pre-packaged snacks, and gift certificates to craft stores and home improvement and office supply warehouses.
• Give to the ministry. Funds are needed at Mother Seton Academy to help with operations and to provide scholarships for students. Consider a small donation to be used for some of the many expenses involved in running a school, or a larger gift that could be used to cover all or part of a $7,000 scholarship for one child. Make tax-deductible contributions online via our secure website.