Feeding the spiritual needs of young people should be the key component in a student?s education.

That?s the view of Jim Silcott, the new headmaster of Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Bermuda?s only Roman Catholic school.

Mr. Silcott arrived in May to take over his new post with responsibility for both the high school and elementary classes.

Until last June the school was headed up by Sister Judith Rollo, principal of the grades seven through 12 and Sister Dolores Sullivan, who was the elementary principal. Both nuns belonged to the Sisters of Charity, the order which founded the school over 100 years ago.

Although a layperson, Mr. Silcott is dedicated to the spiritual mission upon which the school was founded.

An American who has spent the past decade overseeing Catholic high schools and elementary school in Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Silcott is well aware of the challenges faced by young people growing up today.

Secular society places much pressure on young people who are bombarded with so many different messages from their peers, television, movies and music, he said.

For a school like MSA, the challenge is to give students a first-class education but also provide an environment which fosters spiritual growth.

?I spoke with all of the teachers before the school year started and I told them that I want MSA students to be the best on the Island,? he said. ?And for me best has a special meaning.?

?The B stands for well behaved, we want to encourage well-disciplined students here. The E is for educational excellence, and just making sure that in terms of our curriculum we are doing the best for all of the students.

?The S is for spirituality, which to make sure that we address that side of students? education.?

Pausing at this letter, Mr. Silcott said that all students at MSA, whether Catholic or not, will be encouraged in their spiritual life. Alienating non-Catholic students is one mistake he does not want to make.

?I asked the teachers present at the meeting what they thought the T stood for in BEST and no one could answer,? he said. ?It is my hope that I can make a student?s time at MSA transformative. I want them to leave MSA, not just going to top colleges and universities or receiving scholarships, but I want them to be the future leaders of Bermuda. I want MSA to encourage the personal growth which makes great individuals,? he said. Mr. Silcott was mindful that he is taking over a Catholic institution which has come to the end of an era. With the departure of the Sisters Rollo and Sullivan, MSA will be without the religious guidance the Sisters of Charity have always provided.

But it is the new principal?s hope that Bermuda?s Catholic priests and the wider religious community will step up to help in his spiritual mission.

?I met with the Catholic pastors in Bermuda and we?re going to have a number of all-school Masses, he said.

?There will also an Ecumenical Day and a Pastor Day which includes not just Catholic pastors, but the students of different faiths will be asked to invite their church pastors, who will be given the chance to speak to our high school students,? he said.

The local priests have also volunteered to hold the class Masses in our small chapel at the school, he said. ?Sister Judith and Sister Dolores are still on the Island and are helping out in the local diocese. And it?s nice to know that they are only a phone call away. We call them about once a day just to ask questions and check up on details,? he said.

After his first week on the job, Mr. Silcott said that he was excited about where the year will take both him and MSA. Focusing on connecting with the student body ? he is intent on learning the names of all his students, which number over 500 ? Mr. Silcott said that he isn?t going to be making any big changes right away.

?We are just making plans right now. We?ve got several curriculum committees started up which will look at the English, Math and Religion curricula we have in place from Kindergarten to Grade 12,? he said.

?This is just a chance to update the curricula to make sure that we are up to date with the latest academic standards,? he said.