1. Prayer – A disciple of Christ “prays unceasingly” and orders her or his whole life, work and activities towards God.
2. Presence – A disciple helps others be and feel known and loved, having been listened to and cared for with great attention and joy; the presence of a disciple is a powerful witness to the love of the Father.
3. Persistent Growth – A disciple rests only at the perfection of holiness, the excellence of her or his state in life and conditions of work, and the excellence of persistent commitment to forgiveness, reconciliation and growth

The West Catholic House System divides all students into four communities. Each House is composed of seven mentor groups led by a House dean and supported by student leadership. Houses have a cross-section of the student body; the ratio of students to mentors is approximately 1:16.

The four Houses are each led by a dean, who does not mentor an individual group but oversees the House as a whole, supporting their mentors and students in living out the House System’s guiding principles. The deans and their communities are:

• Troy Dudas, St. Padre Pio House Dean
• Lisa Nawrocki, St. Catherine of Siena House Dean
• Gillian Palmer, St. Josephine Bakhita House Dean
• Vacant, Blessed Miguel Pro House Dean

West Catholic High School values the development of the whole person. In this development, both leading and being led contribute significantly. The House System will allow students various opportunities to lead their peers and shape the Catholic community of the school in a variety of roles.

The West Catholic House System allows for more personal connections between students of all grade levels and dedicated mentors. With this alternative alignment for student engagement, there is increased peer-to-peer mentoring and leadership development opportunities. The House System approach also allows House deans and staff mentors to guide a student through the full four years of high school – providing continuity, resources and appropriate accompaniment through the student’s WC journey of education and faith. West Catholic is much more than just a high school. One of WC’s goals is to promote the development of the whole person, and the House System structure will help accomplish this.

West Catholic is among the first schools in the West Michigan area to debut a house system. To advance our mission, WC leaders visited and researched the household systems of private schools around the country, examining them for best practices. The West Catholic House System, however, is unique to WC in order to meet the particular needs of our students.

The mentor groups in each of our Houses meet several times each week. Meetings vary in length from short informational meetups to longer service-oriented gatherings. House meetings occur somewhat regularly but not as frequently as mentor groups.

Students are assigned to Houses on the basis of maintaining a cross-section of the student body in each House. Siblings are assigned to the same House, but not the same mentor group, for family continuity.

• St. Josephine Bakhita
• St. Padre Pio
• Blessed Miguel Pro
• St. Catherine of Siena

Studies show that academic performance is positively impacted when there’s an atmosphere of care and connection. With the West Catholic House System, student care and connectedness is intentionally amplified, especially by the persistent presence of the staff mentor for all four years of a student’s WC career. The House System will address students’ social and emotional learning through the lens of our mission to form disciples of Christ. These so-called “soft skills,” like cooperation and empathy, while vital for both career success and excellence in responding to one’s vocation from God, are often lacking in our tech-focused world. The House System model is designed to support students in their integral development.

Yes! Class-level camaraderie is an important part of high school. Students still identify with their freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classmates. The West Catholic House System just provides additional opportunities to get to know and learn from students in other grades. Placement in a House isn’t a replacement for one’s grade level – it’s a bonus! Within the House structure, students are able to interact with a diverse cross-section of the student body.