Congratulations to the Newly Elected
2013-2014 School Captains!
(Left to Right) School Vice-Captains Max Steele and Mary Grace Palmer, Principal Mike Winters, and School Captains Connor Kovach and Jamie Thivener.
The House System
House System Overview
Every House a Home…In Every Home – A Hawk
The 2010-2011 school year marked the inaugural year for the Bishop Hartley High School House System. The primary purpose of the House System is to further the mission of the school by providing greater pastoral care to all our students while strengthening our sense of community. The system will also enable us to be proactive in the development of each student’s leadership skills.
Each student is assigned to one of six houses. In honor of those who have laid the foundation of Catholic education in the Columbus area, the houses have been named after former Catholic high schools – Aquinas, Rosary, Sacred Heart, The Springs, Victory, and Wehrle. In this way, students come to respect the past as they move to change the future.
Every house contains members of the faculty and staff to mentor and provide pastoral care to all our students. In each of the six houses, there are approximately 120 students. Split into six mentor groups (five students from each grade to total 20 per mentor group), students meet with their mentor teacher/group every day. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, mentor groups meet for 12 minutes with the emphasis on daily interaction in order to “take the pulse” of the group both individually and collectively. On Wednesdays, mentor groups meet for 36 minutes to conduct various activities related to service, spirituality, and social/athletic endeavors that promote positive interactions with peers and mentors. In addition, students remain with the same mentor group for all four years that they attend Bishop Hartley to assist in the development of relationships to ensure trust and provide guidance.
Six House Days are held throughout the year to give students an extended period of time (two hours) to further the mission of the House System. These days will include opportunities to earn points in the year long competition to win the House Cup. As friendly rivalries emerge, houses will compete in the areas of academics, athletics, school spirit, and much more with the culmination of the competition during the House Olympics in the spring.
While integrating our previous student government system, the House System provides close to 100 more leadership positions than that of a traditional student council model. These positions include School Captain, Vice Captain, and House Captain to name a few. One of the primary goals of the House System is to enable all students, not just those who hold a specific title, to embrace their potential for leadership to prepare them to make positive changes in our community. One opportunity students have to make this impact is through the Bishop Hartley Service Hour Requirement. Each student is required to complete 25 hours of service annually. Students keep track of their progress and develop a service portfolio that will be a working document throughout their four years at Hartley.
Bishop Hartley assures that each student is embraced in the “Hartley Family Spirit” while recognizing them for their individual gifts and talents. The House System enables us to strengthen the partnership of school, student, and parent in the development of each child that walks through the doors of Bishop Hartley. All parents and guardians are encouraged to get involved in the House Parent Organization (HPO). No matter what house a student belongs, we are all Hawks committed to furthering the mission of Christ both in our community and in the world.
Connection to the Six Pillars
How the House System Embraces the Six Pillars
Faith
Students have opportunities to share and grow in their faith through daily interaction and prayer in their mentor groups. Each house has a student designated as a chaplain, who along with their House Dean, will help organize and lead activities to enhance students’ spirituality, such as annual retreats and community service projects.
Preparation
Daily interaction through our mentor groups allows each student to have one faculty or staff member to see them every single day of their Hartley experience to assist with academic and personal development. Students will also benefit from the opportunity to work with their classmates and lean on the experience and wisdom of upperclassmen as mentors and through peer tutoring.
Community
The House System further develops our students’ awareness of the impact they can have at all the various levels of community (school, Church, local, and national) and provide them with resources to make effective changes in our world today. Guest speakers are routinely brought in to highlight the school’s six pillars and how our students can make a difference.
Service
All students take part in our service hour requirements to complete 25 hours of service annually. Students will work both individually and collectively within their houses, clubs, and athletic teams to help those less fortunate and to answer the call to be Christ for one another.
Spirit
As our enrollment continues to increase over the years, the House System allows us continue the “Hartley Family Spirit” with each and every one of our faculty, staff, and students. Marquee events will be held throughout the year to boost the pride and support for all Hawk athletes, club members, artists, musicians, and thespians.
Leadership
Leadership is a key ingredient in the development of a student’s responsibility and awareness of the impact they can have as they become young adults. Through the House System, students gain valuable tools and assets that empower them to become better leaders and mentors. Leadership exists on numerous levels to meet a student’s comfort level that will put them in a position to succeed.
Canned Food Drive versus Ready
Here are the details of the Canned Food Competition between the Hawks and Ready leading up to the football game on Friday, October 26. Together both schools raised over 10,000 canned goods/non-perishable food items that were donated to Mid-Ohio Food Bank (Ready) and Brookwood Food Pantry (Hartley). Both schools did an amazing job serving the needs of those less fortunate on both the west and east sides of Columbus. Great job Hawks!
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2013
During the week of February 25, 2013, Hartley for the first time ever took
part in the National Eating Disorder Association's awareness week. A group
of students in National Honors Society teamed with the House System to
plan, organize, and facilitate a rather eventful week of activities.
The week kicked off with Mirrorless Monday. The mirrors in all the
bathrooms were covered with paper to direct attention away from outside
appearances. Most students--even the boys--were surprised when they found
they could not fix their hair or what not as they do on a constant basis.
On Talk About it Tuesday, Mentor group was designed to educate students
about the reality of eating disorders. Mentor groups were given different
facts to creatively display throughout the school. Walking down any hall
that day, one could easily find an informative fact or statistic about
eating disorder to raise awareness in our community.
Hartley welcomed registered dietician Amy Jones on We Speak Wednesday to
talk about the dangers of dieting and how to help a friend in need. Many
students and even a few teachers reported that they learned things about
themselves or a friend that they hadn't realized before. Amy's
presentation was extremely informative for those who attended.
On Thursday, Hartley had a reconciliation prayer service. Students had
time on this day to simply reflect prayerfully on what they had learned
this week.
Feel Good Friday was definitely the students' favorite day. Each person
was given two Post-It notes where they wrote their favorite encouraging
thought or personal compliment. These notes were centered around inner
qualities; many notes were along the lines of "your soul is beautiful" or
"your kindness brightens the day." Students were allowed to place the
notes anywhere in the halls. As we went through the day students were able
to take the ones they especially liked to either keep it for themselves or
to hand them off to a friend in need. A few students, when asked, said
Feel Good Friday was their favorite day, simply because they think
affirmations are the easiest way to brighten someone's mood or confidence.
NEDA week at Hartley was definitely a great success. Hartley is a family
and this week reaffirmed that students are loved for exactly who they are
both inside and out. A special thanks goes out to Jenna Bailey and Tori
Portier for co-chairing the NEDA activities. Job well done ladies!
House Cup Standings and Competition Results
THE HOUSE CUP
Every year, the six houses compete for the House Cup. This award is given to the House that accumulates the most points in a variety of competitions held throughout the year. The competitions revolve around academics, athletics, leadership, character, and school spirit.
The overall goal of the House Cup is to promote healthy competition that increases the Hartley Family Spirit while encouraging participation and interaction.
HOUSE CUP STANDINGS
2013-2014
Updated 6/1/2013
| House | Points |
| Aquinas | 0 |
| Sacred Heart | 0 |
| The Springs | 0 |
| Rosary | 0 |
| Victory | 0 |
| Wehrle | 0 |
