https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:05:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2505030 Thu, 24 Mar 2016 07:54:29 +0000 meredithNYC 2505030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBeluga: I have always suspected that CCD totally sucks, lol. Interestingly enough, my LO attends a preschool run almost entirely by nuns and they are so sweet and totally unlike the old school model. I mean, they're strict, but not mean. And the kids love them! But yes, your nun teacher sounds pretty beastly.</p> <p>@JennyPenny: Definitely pros and cons. I think ultimately we're lucky to live in a fairly liberal area that, while not very diverse, is accessible to a very diverse part of the country (NYC). So generally, while it's a heavily Catholic area, the culture is not nearly as "Christian" as my Midwestern hometown is. Like, people are religious but they don't "lead" with that, if you know what I mean? I would say you have to get to know someone fairly well before they assert their religious identity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2504364 Wed, 23 Mar 2016 12:24:23 +0000 JennyPenny 2504364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was raised Catholic and still consider myself a practicing Catholic and I went to public school even though there were great Catholic schools in my area. I'm not sure if my parents had any specific reason, but I'm not sure it mattered in the end. </p> <p>I had a great experience at a diverse, competitive high school. I went to CCD and while it wasn't my favorite, it was nice to have a teen community of that sort. I sought a similar community in college through the Catholic program there. However, I was also a part of lots of other groups that had nothing to do with faith. My faith is just one part of my multi-faceted self. I suspect that attending (and enjoying) Catholic school might lead to your faith making up a bigger portion of your identity, but I see pros and cons to that.</p> <p>On the other hand, my brothers had the same schooling and upbringing as I did and they have fallen away from the Church. I suspect the same would have happened regardless of if they attended Catholic schools or not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2504329 Wed, 23 Mar 2016 12:03:01 +0000 MrsBeluga 2504329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hated CCD! My experience is probably a lot more old school than CCD today, but I will share anyhow. I hated having to go after school (felt like detention), and hated that it was taught by a mean nun instead of a friendly school teacher. It was a tiny group of kids so the nun really got facetime with each and every kid. When big events happen (first communion, confirmation, etc.) you attend events and classes with the Catholic school kids, who stare at you for not being a part of their group. So as a little kid I hated it, but I think it also depends on how large the CCD group is, who teaches it, and its overall feeling (mine was beat you with a ruler old school and I deplored it).</p> <p>We are sending our littles to Catholic elementary because its reasonably priced where we live, but possibly public high because private high school is $$,$$$/yr. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2504274 Wed, 23 Mar 2016 11:16:34 +0000 MrsKerch 2504274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meredithNYC: I'd say anything to make middle school more enjoyable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2503256 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:56:06 +0000 meredithNYC 2503256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsKerch: that is a really interesting viewpoint. I agree that school rankings aren't the end all, be all and "fit" is equally important. These are also large schools and I'll admit I would much prefer a smaller environment. I also really dislike the middle school concept, which we would avoid by doing Catholic school as it's pre-k through 8th grade. I just have never, ever come across a person who enjoyed middle school, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2503205 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:31:02 +0000 MrsKerch 2503205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can tell you this: I went to a very highly ranked public school in a town adjacent to a large state university. We had excellent and diverse opportunities for standard education in addition to art, music and sport. It was also HIGHLY competitive, with a lot of the children of tenured professors and researchers attending. when I talk to my parents now about hindsight, they both agree they wish they would have given the local catholic schools a little more thought. Partly because they think my brothers and I would have had a more level playing field amongst students and their family backgrounds and partly because I think it would have fostered our relationship with the church more. I am similar to you, still a practicing Catholic but my DH does not attend and though he went to catholic school K-12, he does not see the value in it. He went there because he was considered a "hockey prodigy" and this school was the most willing to work with his parents when it came to addendance and his travel hockey schedule.</p> <p>As for my community involvement, my parents requested that each of us three kids attend weekly CCD until we were through 9th grade. When we could drive, they left it up to us. If we wanted to continue to attend CCD, they would continue to support it. If we wanted to be done, we could be. I think all three of us stuck it out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2503178 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:20:03 +0000 deerylou 2503178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was raised Catholic and went to public schools through university. My family is mostly Sicilian, so in many ways, it was more of a nod to our heritage and part of honoring old family traditions. It was evident on holidays, woven into our traditions, and in regards to annual feasts, etc. </p> <p>I fell away from Catholicism as an older teen, and although I still attended mass on the major holidays with my family, I wasn't involved or invested. I am not sure if it had any relation to attending public school, but perhaps due to the very liberal environment where we lived, and where I eventually attended college. I started to question the Church's position on some social issues and eventually just distanced myself, entirely.</p> <p>We've been attending an Episcopal Church for nearly two years, now. We attend on Sundays, DD goes to nursery, and we just joined a fellowship group that meets monthly for shared meals and friendship. While not Catholic, it's a very similar experience, and feels familiar. </p> <p>That being said, our DD (and any future LO's) will either attend public or charter school. We live in an amazing district and frankly, would not likely be able to afford private schooling without substantial scholarship. They're $$$, here! </p> <p>There are a lot of wonderful resources available that encourage liturgical living - crafts, meals, holiday traditions, feast days - that you can adopt in your own home. I'm confident you can create a feeling of community and faith with or without private, Catholic schooling. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2503117 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:50:59 +0000 meredithNYC 2503117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MUI831: I agree that there can be a feeling of burnout after so many years of going to mass multiple times per week! Like most Catholics, I went through my phase of questioning the faith and I have come back to it fully as an adult. Doesn't mean I never struggle with it because I certainly do, but it's been such a stabilizing presence in my life, you know? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502811 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 09:29:49 +0000 Mommy Finger 2502811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>On the flip side, except for 3 years of high school, I went to a Catholic school from 1st grade through college and I am really not that involved in the church. As in, I go to mass on Christmas Eve, weddings and funerals. I definitely have my reasons for this that are probably complicated. However, I do love that I had all of that Catholic schooling as it really did help me develop who I am as a person and what my beliefs are, even if some of them don't match the Catholic beliefs. I feel like I got burned out by having to go to mass all of the time and take many, many religious classes.</p> <p>I struggle with this a little too as our public school system is fantastic. It's one of the reasons we moved here and are ok paying higher taxes. Therefore, I don't see the need to spend extra to send them through the Catholic schools. But I struggle with how to give my kids that religious background since I don't really want to go through it again but I know I'm setting bad example. This is something that DH and I still need to figure out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502785 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 09:11:09 +0000 looch 2502785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meredithNYC: That's what is interesting about the Catholic schools in this area. They tend to have higher concentrations of immigrant families from South American and India. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502782 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 09:09:26 +0000 Madison43 2502782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meredithNYC: so that's an interesting twist. Under typical circumstances, I would say that the diversity offered by the public school experience would trump any benefit that catholic school would have on your children's religious experience, particularly since you can still be a very involved Catholic by attending church, CCD and participating in the parish community. I guess my opinion is altered slightly if Catholic school is the more diverse option. Even if the public schools are great, the student population in that town is going to be fairly homogenous across all categories. Tough decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502755 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:52:46 +0000 meredithNYC 2502755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: We're moving to Fairfield, so you will probably get it regarding the school diversity issue. I met a few local moms who expressed disdain for the Catholic school we're looking at because "there are kids from Bridgeport there." :shocked: :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502748 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:49:11 +0000 meredithNYC 2502748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tidybee: Here's the thing: in normal circumstances, I agree that Catholic schools tend to be less diverse. However, in this particular area the Catholic school offers much more diversity than the public options - and that's huge to me. I should have actually mentioned that in my original post.</p> <p>ETA: I also grew up in a city and my Catholic school was pretty diverse (much more than its suburban counterparts). I am that weird combination of political liberal + practicing Catholic, so that informs my choice pretty strongly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502728 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:42:16 +0000 Tidybee 2502728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To your second question - being in a public school gave me choice to a lot of different communities to try out and find out what my passion and interests were. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502726 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:41:06 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2502726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not catholic, but I was very involved in our church and attended public high. In fact my parents wanted me to switch for high to a local catholic school but because I had forged a group of good friends, they let me go to public. I think its all about the community you surround your child with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502725 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:40:54 +0000 looch 2502725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went to public school, but was raised Catholic (my father was a seminarian before he met my mother, so it's a pretty serious thing in my family). We went to church every Sunday growing up. They still attend service every Sunday and my dad is part of the Mens Society. We've had the leadership of the church at our house for dinner, if that gives you an indication of their dedication.</p> <p>Anywho, I attended CCD on Tuesday afternoons and I absolutely detested it. When I was finally confirmed and done, I didn't even want to attend the newly formed youth group.</p> <p>I eventually decided to attend a Jesuit university. I thought it would be a good way for me to connect with my faith again, but I can count on one hand the number of times I actually went to mass. And they made it easy, they had special student masses and stuff, but I still wasn't interested enough. </p> <p>I then moved to NYC and found a church near my apartment on the UWS. I would go once in a while, but again, I never got involved. Then the scandal broke and I seriously parted ways and I've never been back. My son isn't baptized and I thought my father would have a really difficult time with it, but he hasn't. My brother, raised in the same house as me, same education set up, on the other hand, belongs to a church and had his son baptized. </p> <p>So, anything can happen, I think.</p> <p>eta: to your second question, I got involved by volunteering for the Red Cross. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502721 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:38:23 +0000 Tidybee 2502721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went to catholic school until 8th grade but went to public high school. I guess you could say it did affect my participation and views in and of the catholic church. In my honest opinion, for the better. I was exposed to more diversity and more realistic life experiences. I was able to see the rigidity of the catholic church and the unfair treatment and lack of acceptance of different lifestyles even though my peers were really good people (I'm referencing peers being gay kn high school).<br /> I feel like I have a much broader view of things...whether that's just age or getting out of catholic school, I'm not sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/catholic-bees-who-attended-public-schools#post-2502712 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:32:34 +0000 meredithNYC 2502712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I are at a standstill regarding our children's education. I am a practicing Catholic and attended Catholic schools from first grade through high school, whereas he is not religious. He attended Church of England schools in the UK, but they were not overtly religious institutions and were actually what we would consider public schools here in the US.</p> <p>I loved my experience at Catholic schools and really got a lot out of the small, supportive community. I want my kids to have something similar, but we are moving to an area where the public schools are great. I totally get my husband's perspective on wanting our kids to go to the public schools, but I have to admit my heart is a little broken when I think about forgoing the Catholic school experience.</p> <p>For those of you who went to public schools, do you think it affected your relationship to the church? How did you get involved with the community in other ways? </p>