This week marked the beginning of our 2024-2025 school year at Chesterton Academy!

Once again, our school has grown significantly. We rose from 54 students last year to 84 students this year, also adding several new teachers. (Learn more about them here!)

As we do before each school year, the entire faculty and staff took an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, pledging to “preserve the Deposit of Faith in its entirety, hand it on faithfully and make it shine forth.”

We then welcomed all returning students back to school on Monday. Students reacclimated to the school and learned what to expect for the new year. They also broke into their House communities (Ambrose, Athanasius, Augustine, and Chrysostom) to plan how to welcome new students arriving on Tuesday, including how to induct them into their new Houses.

The House of Ambrose started off by introducing all their new members one by one, to great cheer. As each new member came forward, House Prefect Sasha Beu, presented them with a beehive candle and a prayer card in honor of their patron, St. Ambrose, patron of beekeepers. After every member was introduced, the entire House then burst through a large paper sign made by the veteran House members.

The House of Athanasius went next. Students also introduced the new House members one by one, having them sign a House document, add their fingerprint to the charter, and receive a prayer card featuring St. Athanasius.

The House of Augustine introduced its new members through a game of musical chairs. For game music, House Prefect Riccardo Cerutti played the piano and Strummer Klein sang the Augustinian House song. Once the game concluded, all members drank pear juice and the winner received a pear in honor of St. Augustine, who as a young man (in)famously stole pears.

The House of Chrysostom also introduced its new members through a game. New members had to capture cones while veteran members closed their eyes and waved pool noodles, trying to tag new members. Surprisingly, the new members ended up beating the veterans! New members then received prayer special House prayer cards.

After all the initiation events, we celebrated with a donut social as students became even more excited to begin the new school year.

Please pray for all our students, faculty, and staff, that they the enjoy another year of wonder, discovery, and holistic formation in all that is good, true, and beautiful!