Catholic schools are called to be places of communion and community. At Divine Savior Holy Angels High School (DSHA) in Milwaukee, WI, this mission has led to a deep focus on cultivating student belonging—not just for social and emotional development, but also for academic engagement.
Beginning in summer 2022, DSHA partnered with the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College to strengthen practices around student belonging. This collaboration has helped foster holistic development in students and a renewed sense of purpose among teachers.
Central to this journey has been the understanding that connection and community are deeply intertwined with academic engagement.
DSHA is an all-girls Catholic high school with 645 students from 130 feeder schools across metro Milwaukee. This creates a diverse student body across geographic, economic, religious, racial, and political lines. In the wake of COVID-19, the school began using surveys to assess school climate and student perceptions of support and belonging. While 82.5 percent of students reported a strong sense of belonging, DSHA’s leadership continues striving for 100 percent.
During a Cognia re-accreditation survey, one data point stood out: 44 percent of students described themselves as “compliant,” not engaged. Additionally, the lowest-rated items were in the behavioral engagement domain. DSHA recognized that student compliance wasn’t enough. In Catholic schools, the goal is true engagement—where students are intellectually, socially, and emotionally invested.
This led to a working definition of academic engagement: “a pedagogical means to help students feel connected, present, and seen.” Engagement became the bridge between belonging and achievement.
To put this into practice, DSHA leadership aligned all teacher professional goals with student engagement strategies. Faculty could choose one of four focus areas: (1) student voice, (2) active learning strategies, (3) student collaboration, or (4) student creativity.
Each area was designed to enhance student belonging and promote classroom value. Teachers embraced this initiative, finding creative ways to refine or reintroduce practices with new intentionality. It was an invitation to let the "slow work of God" unfold—creating lasting cultural change.
One teacher’s SMARTIE goal exemplifies this approach: “During the 2025–2026 school year, I will create differentiated learning centers before three summative assessments each semester to review content. These centers will offer students voice and target-specific skills. Success will be measured by assessment results and student feedback.” Goals like these put engagement and belonging at the center of instruction.
DSHA’s commitment to connection also draws inspiration from its founding religious order, the Sisters of the Divine Savior (SDS). The Salvatorian charism emphasizes inclusive community through the collaboration of priests, sisters, and laity. In 2025–2026, DSHA is launching the Salvatorian Family House System to further integrate this spirit of sisterhood and community. The system will enhance student life by creating smaller communities within the school where every student is known and valued.
Through its partnership with the Roche Center, DSHA is witnessing how pedagogical practices that prioritize connection lead to academic and emotional growth. For nearly four years, DSHA and Roche staff identified four key takeaways for other Catholic schools aiming to foster belonging, engagement, and well-being while maintaining high academic standards.
Anchor this work in your school’s mission and charism. At DSHA, the connection between faith, academic rigor, and care for the whole student provides the "why" for focusing on belonging.
When schools understand that fostering community is rooted in their core Catholic identity, initiatives become meaningful and sustainable.
Don’t shy away from data. Use surveys and other tools to listen to students’ lived experiences. At DSHA, student data helped leadership see beyond academic performance to engagement levels and emotional connection. Even uncomfortable findings can be powerful drivers of change when approached with openness and purpose.
Photos courtesy of Divine Savior Holy Angels School
Some educators fear that prioritizing belonging detracts from academic excellence. DSHA challenges that assumption. Catholic schools can be both academically rigorous and emotionally supportive. In fact, the two work together. High standards drive deeper engagement, while a sense of connection makes students more invested in learning.
Too often, initiatives feel top-down. DSHA addressed this by involving teachers in goal setting tied to a shared vision. While the focus—student engagement—was collective, teachers had the freedom to choose how to pursue it. This approach fosters ownership, professional growth, and alignment across classrooms.
Catholic schools like DSHA thrive when educating the whole person. By aligning mission, student feedback, and professional development, they create spaces of deep belonging.
Through intentional strategies and a commitment to connection, Catholic school educators can build learning environments where communion and community inspire cognitive growth.
In the end, DSHA’s journey reminds us that when students feel seen, heard, and valued, they don’t just comply—they engage, flourish, and thrive.
Dan Quesnellis the principal at Divine Savior Holy Angels School, Archdiocese of Milwaukee.Quesnelld@dsha.info
Erin Housiauxis the academic dean at Divine Savior Holy Angels School, Archdiocese of Milwaukee.HousiauxE@dsha.info
Molly McMahon, Ph.D.is the director of leadership programs at Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College.mcmahomw@bc.edu