The following is from a Catholic SF guest column by Pamela Lyons, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of San Francisco.

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week across the United States, you may be wondering what is it that separates the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from the many other schools in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo. You may be asking yourself, why Catholic school?

When a child enters a Catholic school, they are treated as one of God’s beloved children, created in His image and likeness, and as such are inherently good. In other words, all of our students are beloved because they are created by God. Catholic schools create educational opportunities that not only address the intellect, but of equal importance, the spiritual, moral, and social aspects of every child. We recognize the importance of academic excellence, and are diligent about ensuring that our students are receiving an education on par with, and in most cases, an education that greatly surpasses other local public and private institutions.

The difference lies in our pursuit of academic excellence as a pathway to a greater good. Our curriculum is rooted in the Gospels that inspire a love of learning and the intellectual pursuit of the truth. I always tell our teachers that we are educating our students to change the world, by contributing to the Kingdom on earth, with their ultimate goal being entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Full story at Catholic San Francisco.