Catholic Faith Expectations
At Clear Water Academy, our mission is firmly rooted in the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church. As a Catholic school, we give enrollment priority to Catholic families who seek an education grounded in the faith. When space permits, we are also pleased to welcome applications from mission-aligned non-Catholic families who respect and uphold the Catholic identity and spiritual life of our school.
Families who choose to join our community do so with the understanding that faith is not simply a subject we teach; it is at the heart of our daily life and the culture of the school.
Each school day begins in prayer. Every morning, students pray together, including a decade of the Rosary, reflecting our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We also regularly pray for the Holy Father, the Pope, who serves as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. All students are expected to participate respectfully and devoutly in these prayers.
The celebration of the Mass is at the heart of our identity as a Catholic school. Elementary students attend Mass weekly, while secondary students attend monthly. In addition, every class participates in a monthly class Mass. Throughout the year, we also gather as a whole school community to celebrate important feast days and liturgical moments in the life of the Church, including the First Day of School, All Saints Day, an Advent Mass, the Stations of the Cross, the Last Day of School, among others. All students are required to attend and to participate reverently, standing, sitting, kneeling, and joining in the prayers of the Mass with the community.
In order to deepen their experience of the Mass, students participate monthly in Eucharistic Adoration, where Reconciliation is offered and in spiritual retreats designed to encourage reflection, foster personal growth, and deepen their relationship with Christ.
We recognize that not all students share the same sacramental background. Students who are baptized Catholic and have received First Communion are able to receive the Eucharist during Mass. Students who are not Catholic, or who have not yet received First Communion, do not receive the Eucharist; instead, they come forward with arms crossed to receive a blessing.
Only Catholic students are eligible to serve as altar servers or join the Knights of the Altar club. During Mass, non-Catholics are not assigned to proclaim the Scripture readings, but they are welcome to participate in other appropriate ways, such as singing in the choir, the Prayers of the Faithful and bringing the offerings to the altar.
Beyond these distinctions, all students are expected to engage respectfully and reverently in every aspect of our faith-based activities, religion classes, and school traditions.
Families sometimes ask how we approach other religions at our school. In Elementary and Junior High, religion classes focus exclusively on the formation of students in the Catholic faith. Instruction at these grade levels is devoted to deepening understanding of Catholic doctrine, Scripture, prayer, and moral teaching, and does not include comparative study of other religions.
In High School, as part of the Religious Studies curriculum, students are introduced to an academic overview of other world religions. This study is academic in nature and intended to provide general knowledge and cultural literacy. It does not present all religions as equivalent, but rather helps students understand other belief systems while remaining firmly grounded in Catholic teaching.
Families should be aware that our enrollment contract includes a Catholic Education and Formation clause. By signing, parents and students commit to respecting and upholding the teachings of the Catholic Church during their time at our school. This agreement reflects the serious and joyful responsibility we share in forming Christian leaders in an authentic Catholic school. Continued enrollment is contingent upon honoring this commitment.