The LCHS House System
Scholars of Domus Scientiae (House of Knowledge).
Description: The LCHS House System is a student-organizational structure designed to manage LCHS students through the establishment of vertical divisions to achieve specific academic and student-life objectives. The system supplants the traditional horizontal groupings of school class, age and grade level by creating smaller integrated communities of students within the school.
The LCHS House System also provides a framework for student governance allowing greater opportunity for development of meaningful leadership.
Purposes:
- To increase institutional and peer-to-peer support for each student.
- To ensure individual care for each student with at least two adults who will monitor and support the academic, social, moral and behavioral growth of each LCHS student.
- To multiply occasions to build strong, healthy student relationships.
- To develop leadership skills in every student.
- To enhance recruitment of new students.
- To maintain relationships with LCHS graduates.
Organization: LCHS students from all grades are divided into three separate groups called “Houses.” Each House contains approximately 25 students beginning 2010, sixty students by 2012. Each house is overseen by a “House Dean.”
Eventually as the LCHS student population grows, each House will be divided further into “Mentor Groups” consisting of approximately 20 students. Each Mentor Group is staffed by a faculty/staff member. These groups remain together throughout the students’ high-school experience.
Unique Outcomes for LCHS:
- Enhanced school-family spirit spanning freshman through senior class divisions.
- More robust opportunities for all LCHS seniors to be trained as leaders through hands-on service gaining meaningful valuable leadership experience.
- More robust leadership opportunities for LCHS underclassmen.
- Stronger interpersonal relationship skills for each LCHS student.
- More focused support internalizing LCHS character development.
Scholars of Domus Virtutis (House of Virtue)
House System Terminology:
House Captains – Students in each House chosen by their housemates to lead, convene and organize the House representing it at all school-wide student- governance meetings.
House Dean – A faculty member chosen to oversee the effective development of a House.
House Director – The faculty member who directs the day-to-day operations of the House System.
House – A group of approximately 25 students, freshmen through seniors.
House names – To be stated in Latin:
Domus Scientiae (House of Knowledge)
Domus Virtutis (House of Virtue)
Domus Prudentiae (House of Common Sense)
Mentor – A faculty member assigned to oversee the effective development of a Mentor Group.
Mentor Group – A multidivisional group of approximately 20 students within each House (similar in operation to “homerooms”).
School Captains – Upper classmen (seniors only beginning 2012) who have been chosen by the school to help lead all the Houses.
Scholars of Domus Prudentiae (House of Common Sense)
House Activities: Each House is expected to organize various House events such as cookouts, service projects, teambuilding activities, outings (Putt Putt, bowling, etc.), tournaments, donuts, etc. Additionally, each House will develop its own traditions, customs, symbols and crests, a website, and historical awareness of the House’s name and its significance to LCS/LCHS history.
Each House is expected to organize various school-wide events such as social activities (dances, proms, etc.), competitions, guest lectures, spirit rallies and service projects.
House Competitions: Each year the Houses compete for the Neenan (David & Sharon) Cup Award. This award is given to the House that accumulates the most points in various diverse competitions that accentuate academic, athletic, leadership, character and school-spirit excellence.
Each quarter, Houses earn points by placing the most students on the Honor Roll, achieving best attendance, least school detentions, best dressed and other extraordinary achievements. Points can also be earned by student attendance at athletic events, house song competitions and other incentive opportunities offered by the LCHS administration.
The goal of the Neenan Cup is to promote healthy competition that boosts spirit and encourages student participation and interaction.
House Assignments: Students are placed into each House by the Headmaster. Placements are made with an intention to balance talents, skills and personalities in a way that best strengthens the positive characteristics, qualities and interpersonal strength of each House. Attention will be paid to such individual strengths as aptitude, geography, confidence, athletic abilities, demonstrated leadership and any other appropriate qualities of distinction. Siblings will be placed in the same House.
Liberty Common School 8th grade students will be assigned to Houses approximately December of each year.
Recruitment: Initially 8th grade students at Liberty Common School are assigned to an LCHS House toward the end of their first semester. These students are identified with each House though their involvement is only at arm’s length. Junior-high students do not participate in regular meetings or serve in House leadership positions. They do not participate in most LCHS activities. However, school administrators the House Director, House Deans and Mentors identify appropriate activities and strategies, through the House system, to ease TLCS’s junior-high students toward a smooth high-school transition and eventual high-school enrollment.
Alumni Relations: Each House works with the LCHS administration to maintain contact and long-term relationships with LCHS graduates. A graduate’s House will be his primary point of LCHS contact.
*Plan approved by the Liberty BOD on 01.21.10
Procession from Liberty Common School to Liberty Common High School August 17, 2010.
LCHS HOUSE LEADERSHIP 2010-11
School Director: Mr. Dave Lunn
School Captains: Kati Werst ‘13, Megan Davis ‘13
DOMUS SCIENTIAE:
House Deans: Mr. Dybzinski, Mr. Kem
House Parent: Mrs. Melanie Seilbach
House Captains: Gabrielle Bear ‘13,
Hope Jeffers ‘13 (VP), Matthew Bunner ‘13 (VP)
Capstone guardians of: Justice, Gratitude
DOMUS VIRTUTIS:
House Deans: Mrs. Karr, Mr. Lavin
House Parent: Mr. Jay Neighbors
House Captains: Melissa Davis ‘13, Alauna Sutton ‘13
Capstone guardians of: Fortitude, Temperance
DOMUS PRUDENTIAE:
House Deans: Mr. Lovely, Mr. Staton
House Parent: Mrs. Cindy Sherman
House Captains: Christiana Spicer ‘13, Elizabeth Sherman ‘13
Capstone guardians of: Patriotism, Prudence
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