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June 9, 2020, Wilmette, Illinois – Elizabeth Schuster, President of Regina Dominican High School, issued the following action statement in response to the tragic death of George Floyd.
There Are No Words ... But There Are Actions We Can Take
I have struggled to find the right words to share about this heinous time in our nation's history. I have seen message after message of support for justice come from everyone – from my favorite furniture store to my alma maters. Many of the messages are eloquent, many of them say all the right words probably written by a professional PR person who carefully crafted each word for the most impact and least blowback from their varied constituents. But I wonder as I read this beautiful prose, what will change after the hashtag stops trending and the memories of a man being murdered before our eyes fade? How many of these messages will actually turn into action?
Regina Dominican High School strongly condemns the brutal murder of George Floyd and the centuries of systemic racism, abuse and murder that preceded it. However, in this time of "thoughts and prayers" and strong public statements made comfortably from behind the safety of a screen, we also need action.
There are many things that I am proud of with regards to our school. I am proud of our students who don't shy away from tough conversations, I am proud of our students who are brave enough to be a minority voice in a majority crowd. I am proud of our faculty and staff who encourage young women to be leaders, to have their voices heard. I am proud of our history as the progeny of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, a congregation that not only preaches about eliminating racism but is on the front lines of the fight for equity it is in their core enactments and one of the reasons I am so proud to work at Regina Dominican. Further, the decision of the board and the General Council of the ADS Congregation to make their first lay president a woman of color speaks volumes.
We work hard to live up to the legacy of social justice handed to us from the Adrians. Currently we try to do our part by providing coursework that covers the topics of challenging unjust and oppressive systems in various academic departments from English to social studies to theology. We also have several new courses coming online this fall through a new and exciting elite global academic partnership. Here is a sampling of some of those new courses:
We have provided visual reminders throughout our halls that Regina is no place for hate and provided opportunities for students to experience and take action against the injustice in the world. Pro-life does not apply to just abortion.
We maintain a school culture that is caring and loving towards all students. We want them to learn and grow from their mistakes. We take a restorative justice orientation towards student behaviors, so that when a student's actions are at odds with our expectations, we work with them to see the harm and to repair the relationships with people they have affected. It is in this way that we become better people and a stronger and more supportive community.
I would submit that it is not enough to teach students about difficult topics; it is our responsibility to ensure they actually learn. There has been a multi-year coordinated professional development program for faculty to help teachers use the best practices in ensuring learning for each student.
We have several new initiatives coming up which include a partnership with the YWCA Equity Institute, professional development for faculty on eliminating racism and bias from the classroom, and sessions for students when they return in the fall.
In the past few years, we have completely revamped our hiring process to ensure equal opportunity, to eliminate bias in the interview process and to make sure anyone who is hired at Regina believes in our values as declared in our mission statement, to foster academic excellence, truth, peace and justice while challenging each student to develop leadership for life and respect for all races, cultures and faiths.
A few years ago, a strong student leader started a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Club. This club has evolved to include students of all colors and faiths. They recently solidified their mission statement and it is as follows:
The D.E.I. Club brings awareness to and promotes the acceptance of all cultures and beliefs to all, especially in the Regina community. Through activities and celebration of diversity we foster equity and unity.
I joined the DEI club earlier this year not as a formal adult moderator but as a member because this is an important piece of our way forward as a school and I feel it is important to show support as the leader of our school.
Much of the change we need to see in the world can be made by getting the right people in office who represent our values as a nation, a state, a city and a neighborhood. We continue to stress the importance of voting down ballot. We became a polling site this year through collaboration with the League of Women Voters. We commit to continuing to educate our girls on the importance of their vote, not just in big flashy national elections, but most importantly in the down ballot elections in their local districts.
We can all always do better. Some of the things we have planned to help facilitate doing better are listening circles hosted by the YWCA Equity Institute. These sessions will be for students, faculty and staff. Our goal is to ensure that faculty and staff are well versed and trained in having and supporting conversations on race and bias. School leadership will participate in the YWCA's Equity Summit later in June.
None of what I describe above is by accident. None of it came into existence because of George Floyd because these were all things planned before his tragic death. These things came into existence because we knew there were many George Floyds out there and there have been for centuries. We are here to do real work in the space of eliminating racism. We as Dominicans who follow in the footsteps of St. Catherine of Siena hold ourselves to more than just social media and hashtags. We hold ourselves to action, not just saying what we believe online but by doing. We show with our actions how we intend to contribute to the solution.
We still have a ways to go and a lot of hard work ahead of us in our school community and in our society, but I am proud that we have the chance to ensure our faculty, staff and students will be well prepared to be a part of the solution. If you are looking for support as you start on this journey with us, join us online for Mass on June 11 at 7 p.m. CDT.
Lastly, if you are looking for ways to be a part of the solution click here for five simple ways to get started.
June 9, 2020, West Palm Beach, Florida – Sister Donna Baker, OP, long-time teacher and administrator at Rosarian Academy, received the prestigious Rose and Torch Award from the school during its virtual graduation ceremony.
The Rose and Torch Award is presented to an individual who has contributed exemplary service to Rosarian Academy. Through faith and commitment to the common good, the recipient rises above daily challenges and perseveres for the good of others.
In presenting the award, Linda Trethewey, Head of School, described Sister Donna as one who “dedicated her life to the Dominican tradition of preaching through prayer, study, common life, and ministry” and who strove to live out the Adrian Dominican Vision: “Seek truth; make peace; reverence life.”
Sister Donna ministered for 16 years at Rosarian Academy: first as English and religion teacher in grades 6 to 8; as coordinator of the school’s chapter of the National Junior Honor Society; committee chair for the school’s accreditation process; and facilitator for religious education and mission development. She then served in administration, as assistant principal, director of the middle school, and as principal of the middle school. It was a surprise diagnosis of bone cancer that abruptly ended her career at Rosarian Academy.
Sister Donna said she learned about receiving the award only a few minutes before it was presented, as she and Sister Mary Ann Caulfield, OP, Chapter Prioress of the Florida Mission Chapter, sat with her for the Zoom presentation. “She kept telling me I might want to look nice,” Sister Donna recalled, and finally told her about the award.
“I think my first reaction was shock,” Sister Donna said. “I never thought about it. I was speechless. It still hasn’t settled with me.” She added that the Rose and Torch Award is the most prestigious award granted by Rosarian Academy.
“I looked forward to every day” at Rosarian, Sister Donna said. “I looked forward to meeting the students in the morning, their activities, the camaraderie.” As an administrator, she said, she worked as part of a team with the other administrators.
Sister Donna said she especially loved watching the students’ participation in liturgies, plays, and other activities. She particularly enjoyed Field Day, when the students were divided into teams. “I enjoyed the competition and loved cheering for my team.”
But Sister Donna said she also faced challenges. “As a teacher, you want to do the best for each of the students, to meet each child where they were, and it was difficult,” she said. “I often felt there was more I could do.”
Along with classwork, Sister Donna focused on the kinds of people her students would become. “I often told them, ‘You are our future. Do your best and accomplish what you can,’” she said. “I also often told them to keep God in their lives – don’t ever stray too far away from God.”
Sister Donna was inspired to become an Adrian Dominican Sister and a teacher by Sister Rose Patrick Conroy, OP, her first-grade teacher at St. Agatha in Redford, Michigan. “She was a great influence on my life – in my vocation and my career,” Sister Donna said. “All I ever wanted to do was teach and become an Adrian Dominican Sister because of the influence of Sister Rose Patrick.”
Sister Donna has had a positive influence on her students, who were constantly reminded of Rosarian Academy’s mission statement to live the Gospel values.
Watch this video of Rosarian Academy’s virtual graduation. The Rose and Torch Award presentation can be found at about 15 minutes into the video.
The Rosarian Academy Class of 2020 stands six feet apart on the Oakley Gage Debbs Memorial Field in honor of their late classmate. Photo by David Scarola Photography