INFORMATION
Visit the SPICE website
MISSION STATEMENT
St. Catharine SPICE Program recognizes that each of our parish children is a unique individual with different learning needs. The SPICE Program supports serving the educational needs of these children. We believe every child has different learning styles that provide diversity in the classroom environment.
Working together with the support of the SPICE program, the parish community, pastor, administration, teachers, and parents can help to provide understanding, information, creativity and willingness to address special educational needs.
WHO BENEFITS?
A child with special needs receives more than a formal education when allowed to participate in the learning process with other students. The emotional and intellectual challenges of the classroom environment provide a well-rounded and stimulating educational experience.
As spice adds flavor to food, so do children with special needs add richness to the classroom – encouraging a dimension of understanding and acceptance in even the youngest students.
The inclusive classroom promotes understanding, compassion and respect for all. When students work together and learn to appreciate their individual strengths and weaknesses, everyone wins!
What is SPICE Doing?
SPICE creates awareness that members of our parish have special needs. Our parish is an extension of the family, the basic unit of the Catholic Church. Just as parents try to do all they can for their children, our parish family tries to do all that it can for our members.
SPICE creates an atmosphere that supports these students’ needs and creates a model for other parishes within the Diocese and beyond.
SPICE allows our parish community to provide additional funding for the following opportunities:
- Classroom aides, tutors, & interpreters
- Speech & occupational therapists
- Teacher and staff continuing education
- Classroom support materials and software
- Individual grants for summer tutoring and specialized programs
Although these extra items are intended for those with special needs, effective instruction of any child enhances the learning of every child.
What is SPICE?
Special People in Catholic Education, or SPICE, is a special funding program developed to address the variety of student learning needs within our parish learning community. This includes the needs of our typical, developmental and accelerated learners in our parish and school. St. Catharine SPICE recognizes that each parish child is a unique individual with different learning needs and supports serving the educational needs of these children in several different ways:
- SPICE supports teachers, catechists and staff at St. Catharine School in the philosophy that every child is special, inherent in human dignity.
- SPICE serves as a means to raise funds and support the educational process and parish life in whatever area deemed necessary by our pastor, principal and director of religious education.
- SPICE encourages all students with special needs to live out their Catholic faith by affirming the dignity of being created in the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the saving power of
