Virtues in Practice (VIP)

Virtues in Practice, a 3-year spiraling curriculum created by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, is a program for children in grades pre-kindergarten through eight to grow closer to Jesus by imitating His life and virtues. It is set up in such a way that a whole school studies the same virtue each month, to provide a whole-school (and at home, whole-family) focus. The program covers 27 virtues over a three-year cycle, with 81 saints held up as models of the virtues. The VIP program emphasizes role-playing in the classroom so that students can practice how to act when using a particular virtue, as well as monthly projects designed to help students grow in the virtue of the month by practicing it in real situations.

These three years emphasize and are named for the three theological virtues:

The year of FAITH focuses on Catholic devotions and the idea that “faith works” (Gal 5:6), by a school-wide emphasis on service projects.

The year of HOPE emphasizes study skills because in order to fulfill His plan for our lives we need to develop the talents God has given us.

The year of CHARITY emphasizes community, particularly how students interact with one another, because “he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).

The 2022-23 school year is the Year of Faith.