At Escuela de Guadalupe, faith is not an isolated subject or a box to check—it is the thread that binds together our academics, service, language learning, and daily community life. As President Nicky Freeburg, Ed.D, explains, “Our students obviously receive direct instruction about our Catholic values through religion classes, through Sacramental prep in second and third grade for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.” These explicit experiences are essential to our Catholic identity. But it’s the implicit, everyday infusion of faith across the entire school culture that gives Escuela its heart and power.
Catholic Worldview in Every Corner
From the classroom to the playground to the broader community, Escuela encourages students to live a Catholic worldview.
As Nicky notes, “When we talk about values, it’s always within the context of what does our faith call us to do? Who does our faith call us to be?”
Students learn not just what is right, but why—because, as she reminds us, “Jesus taught us to be kind to one another. That’s exactly what he told us to do.”
This sense of moral purpose is reinforced across academic content areas. While our literacy and other core curricula are secular, teachers skillfully frame learning in the context of Catholic social teaching. Stories, writing prompts, and discussions often explore themes of justice, reconciliation, compassion, and community.
“The larger formative piece for all of our students is around Catholic morals,” Nicky affirms.
Service Rooted in Catholic Values
One of the most visible expressions of faith at Escuela is service. All students engage in community service projects throughout the year, with some at the classroom level and others involving the entire school. “Sister Susan Service Day,” a cornerstone of this commitment, is an annual tradition in which every student and staff member from Escuela fans out into the Denver community to work in gardens, nursing homes, parks, homeless shelters, food banks and more.
Through these experiences, students learn the core tenets of Catholic social teaching—the dignity of the human person, care for creation, and the call to serve.
“We have a responsibility to care for those around us,” Nicky explains. “At Escuela, we teach our students about the corporal works of mercy… to take care of the people around us, to take care of the environment, caring for our common home.”
Service is not extracurricular—it is curricular. It is faith in action, and a key way Escuela instills a sense of civic and Catholic responsibility in every student.
Teachers as Living Witnesses
Perhaps the most powerful faith formation tool at Escuela is the staff themselves. With over 90% of faculty and staff identifying as Catholic, students encounter daily role models who embody Catholic values with sincerity and joy.
Nicky highlights how teachers integrate their faith into everyday moments.
“You’ll see our teachers praying with our students. You’ll see them modeling how to think through a problem—how to work through conflict using the language of respect, reconciliation, and dignity for every person.”
Whether it’s using parables to illuminate a concept or quietly modeling reverence during Mass, teachers at Escuela show what it means to live a life guided by faith.
Additionally, moments like faculty visibly receiving the Eucharist at school Masses, or celebrating Church events with genuine emotion, are not lost on students.
“It’s pretty powerful,” Nicky says, “when students see their teachers go up to receive the Eucharist. The kids feel that.”
Faith and Language in Authentic Harmony
Escuela’s dual language program—an essential part of its academic and cultural identity—does not sit apart from faith. Instead, the two reinforce each other.
As Nicky explains, “The best way for students to learn a language is within authentic contexts… and our faith is our authentic context.”
Talking about spiritual values, preparing for sacraments, or praying together—whether in English or Spanish—gives students meaningful opportunities to use language in real and personal ways.
This interplay also enhances faith formation itself.
“If their first language is Spanish, an authentic way for them to learn about their faith is in Spanish—and vice versa in English,” Nicky says. Rather than treat faith and language as separate silos, Escuela unites them, helping students develop deeper understanding in both domains.
A Distinctive Catholic Identity
In a diverse and changing educational landscape, Escuela de Guadalupe stands out not just as Denver’s only dual-language Catholic school, but as a place where Catholic faith is not just taught—it is lived. From preschool through eighth grade, students are immersed in a community where service is joyful, language learning is sacred, and teachers model compassion and integrity.
“Our faith calls us to be kind. Our faith calls us to serve. Our faith calls us to act,” Nicky concludes. And at Escuela, that call is answered every single day.
