Diocese of Memphis Mrs. Patricia A Wyckoff, Principal 8151 Poplar Ave Germantown, TN 38138-6138 Document Generated On October 11, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 6 Additional Information 9
Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. <br><br> The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? In the 2013-2014 academic year, Catholic School serves a student enrollment of 216 from the Mothers Day Out program through grade eight. This student body represents 146 families. The majority of school families have one or two children enrolled at the school. Most of the students live in a home with both parents. The ethnicity of OLPH families is primarily Caucasian with a growing population of students with Hispanic heritage and multi- racial identification. The majority of the OLPH parents are professionals with at minimum a four year degree. Annual household incomes tend to be more than $100,000 per family. Most families are Catholic and are members of Parish. Classes range from eight to twenty-one students. Catholic School is located in Germantown, Tennessee. One hundred families with children enrolled at Catholic School live in the City of Germantown. Germantown is home to a population of 39,446 according to the latest census from the U. S. Census Bureau. Eighty-nine percent of the population in Germantown is Caucasian. The median household income in Germantown is $112,979. Sixty-three percent of the people living in Germantown hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Only fifty-eight percent of the Germantown population lives in the same house for five years or more. Twenty-eight percent of students in grades one-eight attend a private school. Catholic School is a parish school within the Diocese of Memphis. Currently, there are 1,789 registered members in the Parish. Germantown residents account for 1,110 of 's parishioners. Enrollment demographics relating to Catholic School are reflective of the community that the school serves. OLPH employs forty faculty and staff members. More than half of the twenty-four teachers and administrators have more than ten years of experience in education. Two-thirds of the entire staff is Catholic. Over one-third of the instructional staff have attained a Master Degree. Catholic School fulfills its mission in Catholic formation to a majority Catholic population. The school has witnessed the growth of its Non-Catholic population in the last three years. Non-Catholic families are seeking to find an environment rich with Catholic mission, values, and traditions. Their path has led them to Catholic School. Catholic School is located in the heart of Germantown. The school serves Church and the immediate Germantown community. The nature of today's suburban lifestyle lends itself to an increasing degree of population transience due to employment relocation. The City of Memphis and its suburbs is home to several large corporations. Job transfers are a common reality in the lives of today's families. The greatest challenge facing Catholic School is maintaining a stable population. The vision for Catholic School is to maintain its status of a unit school that serves preschoolers and elementary students through grade eight. The graduating eighth grade student who entered as a preschooler is celebrated. Page 2
School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Church Mission statement is as follows: The Mission of Catholic Church is to practice the teachings of the Roman Catholic Faith, and to convey to the community the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are committed to establishing the educational facilities,dedicating the resources and supporting the Catholic education programs for children, youth and adults of our community. We are dedicated to promoting unity and peace within the community and being instruments of reconciliation, evangelization and service to others. We shall sustain this mission faithfully through the power of the Holy Spirit and pursue the mission with the time, talents and treasures of the members of our parish. Catholic School's Mission statement is as follows: It is the mission of School to instill in our students the fundamental beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith, ensuring quality learning experiences with the highest regard for individual differences, while preparing them to live in a changing world as selfdirected, caring, responsible citizens. Catholic School's Beliefs are as follows: Our Beliefs: - Each student is a child of God created as a valued individual with unique intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs. - Teachers, staff, administrators, parents, students, and community all share in the responsibility for promoting a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. - The fundamental beliefs and values of the Roman Catholic faith will be transmitted through education, example, and prayer. - That built on a foundation of faith; our students will have an understanding of different peoples and their cultures and will have the courage and wisdom to serve their world community. - All students can learn and when given a variety of instructional approaches, individual learning styles will be supported. - Parents and teachers share in the responsibility of the student's success. Page 3
- A safe and physically comfortable environment enhances student learning. - Students need to demonstrate their understanding of essential knowledge and skills and to apply this knowledge to their everyday lives. - The school community should be committed to continuous improvement to meet the ever changing demands of society, enabling students to become self-directed lifelong learners. Catholic School's Vision statement is as follows: The students of Catholic School will become self-directed learners and contributing members of society who value academics, appreciate the arts, reflect responsible leadership, and serve God's people. Catholic School's Philsophy is as follows: School philosophy is firmly built on the "Cornerstone of Christianity", Jesus, Our Lord. Dedicated to Our Lady, who was entrusted with the care and formation of the Child Jesus, we seek to imitate her gentle love in nurturing our children. We strive to create an atmosphere, which promotes our children's spiritual, intellectual, social and physical growth. Developing well-rounded students steeped in Catholic doctrine will ensure that the Church, supported by her "Cornerstone", remains strong and true to Catholic beliefs. School is a meeting place for those who wish to express Christian values in education. The aim of the Catholic school community is the transmission of values for living. Its work is to promote a faith relationship with Christ in whom all values find fulfillment. Faith is principally assimilated through contact with persons whose daily lives bear witness to Christ. Christian faith is born and grows within a community. Our school community generates an environment where our children gain a sense of responsibility for themselves and for the rights of others. Building on a foundation of faith, like Mary, our children will have the courage and wisdom to serve their world community. School is dedicated to providing an accredited, co-educational, child-centered school of developmentally appropriate excellence, serving all qualified children of any race, creed, national or ethnic origin. Christian values and an environment designed for the optimal development of the whole child are emphasized throughout the school program. School celebrates its seventeenth year of service to students as a Catholic environment. The vision, beliefs, and mission statements of the school are as timely today as when first conceived. With the Catholic Church and the tenets of the faith as the guiding star, School moves forward with confidence that it endeavors serve each of God's children well with a "whole child" philosophy. The school continues to assist the Parish in achieving its mission with faith, knowledge and service. The mission statement of Catholic School was developed in 2001. Each year, the mission statement is reviewed by stakeholders. Although subject to change, the mission statement has withstood the test of time. The school's belief statements, vision statement, and philosophy consistently support the school's mission. The three components of the school's mission statement drive the climate, culture, religious formation, instructional focus and student support services in all areas. The primary focus of the school's mission statement is that of religious formation. We honor our Catholic faith in recognizing that our prime Page 4
purpose is to support the Church in its educational ministry. The role of the Catholic school is to develop a spiritual foundation that is rooted in the tenets of the Catholic faith. At Catholic School, our students, our staff, and our parents come to know who they are within the context of our Catholic identity. Religious formation is deliberate, planned, and guided by our patroness, our Blessed Mother,. Religion is a core subject and is taught daily. Students are called to be people of faith, knowledge and service. Opportunities to practice our faith are offered through daily prayer, weekly Mass, the sacraments, and service opportunities. The liturgical year is celebrated with ritual and prayer. The lives of the saints serve as our role models. Athletic events are framed in prayer. Students are offered the opportunity to live out our mission by serving the altar of the Lord, acting as lectors, cantors, liturgical musicians, and gift bearers during Mass, the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, the OLPH Food Pantry, the International Heifer Project and more. Teachers fulfill their catechetical professional development requirements yearly. Catholic School strives to ensure quality learning experiences with the highest regard for individual differences. Our school recognizes each child as a unique gift from God with unique talents and gifts. Therefore, it is incumbent upon our staff to be thoughtful, purposeful, and direct in meeting all students at his or her level. Teachers offer time during planning periods, after school, and during the summer for student remediation and enrichment. Web-based programs offer students a means to work at their own level and pace in reading and math. Instructional support services are offered to classes and individual students through the school's instructional support program (EXCEL is an acronym for Excellence in Curriculum, Education, and Leadership). The school's guidance program assists in the identification of high achieving students with the school's involvement with the Duke Talent Identification Program. School support services address the school's fundamental belief in the development of the whole child. Art, music, foreign language, computer skills, physical education, and guidance departments enhance the instructional program with cross curricular efforts. With religious formation and sound educational practice, students at Catholic School bear witness to leadership, responsibility, moral and ethical citizenship. Students participate in leadership programs and are given opportunities to lead in prayer, academics, and service. All the students have the chance to actively impact the world in which they live. Preschoolers feed the hungry every time a can of soup is donated to the food pantry. Eighth graders impact the community with their visible presence on the streets of Germantown on Pro-Life Sunday. Our school Green Team wear their "green" shirts proudly as they gather up all the discarded paper in the school for the recycle bin weekly. Our STEM initiative for middle grade students is fostering the development of the creative thinker who will one day be an asset to tomorrow's work force. The students of Catholic School understand the importance of the school's Catholic identity, the value of each individual, and the responsibility to contribute to the common good of an ever changing world. Our mission statement is our guiding compass. Page 5
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Notable Achievements: Catholic School strives for excellence in all areas. The story of our school is written by our spiritual formation, sense of community, student performance, recognitions and achievements. Catholic School has attained and maintained accreditations from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Advanced-Ed from 2001. The school has also attained and maintained the prestigious early childhood accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children since 1998. These accreditations ensures that Catholic School holds in high esteem criteria set forth by these accrediting agencies with directed efforts to meet criteria during each accreditation period. Our most notable teacher and student recognitions are received from across the nation, the community, and the Diocese of Memphis. On the national level, Catholic School has participated in the NASA Explorer School program. As a NES school, our teachers and students have access to a vast array of resources and opportunities. The school recently won a $5,000 grant for its efforts to promote STEM education and was one of six schools from across the country to receive this great honor. The school is now recognized as a NASA Honor School. The school's fifth-eighth grade science specialist was recently chosen as one of twenty educators from across the country to participate in a summer NASA Explorer School program. Two students from the Class of 2013 participated in an invitation only student symposium held in Houston. Teacher ideas and book reviews have been published in national venues. Student poetry and book reviews have been published as well. Students in grades third-eight grade have been recognized for achievement in the Catholic Math League Competition which includes student performance, performance rankings, and comparison of performance in divisions across the country. A local or community presence is an important facet of Catholic School. Our students have the opportunity to present their gifts, talents, knowledge and service in a variety of ways. Our school has been recognized as the City of Germantown's Favorite School every year since 2005. Our city and the Memphis area local television station, WREG, have recognized seven teachers from Catholic School as outstanding teachers who serve students and the greater community. Students have received accolades for essays written on crime prevention by the Memphis Exchange Club. The local Knights of Columbus have praised eighth grade students for their thoughtful reflections on responsible citizenship as Catholics. Students have qualified on the State level for the State National Geographic Geography Bee. Every year, Catholic School is represented at the Scripps Commercial Appeal Spelling Bee. Our fourth grade teacher participates in the City of Memphis premier cultural event, Memphis in May. Our school has been recognized in the class and school competition for three years. Two recognitions yielded $1,000 cash prizes. Cross grade collaboration between a preschool and an elementary class involved using recyclable materials in order to create a scarecrow that was displayed in our city's newest park, the Germantown Farm Park. This joint class effort was recognized as a winner. Catholic School enters the community's local science fair yearly. Students orally present and defend their Page 6
projects. Our students and their efforts are recognized with a high percentage of winning ribbons and awards. Seventeen students have earned a place competing in the Broadcom Master's National Science Fair. One student advanced to the semi-final. Eighth graders competed with area high school students in the Canstruction contest at the University of Memphis. Moving STEM from the classroom into practice yielded a sound structure, unique design, and an efficient engineering plan. Our team's effort was recognized as a People's Choice Winner. Following the event, our students served the immediate Memphis community through their donation of the canned food to the Memphis Food Bank. In the area of fine and performing arts, our students participate in art contests, music competitions and public speaking events. Students achieved honors as artists, vocalists, and performers. Our school is a member of the National Middle School Forensics League. Students have attended leadership conferences on the national and local level. At the Diocesan level, Our Lady of Perpetual help Catholic School teachers and staff have been recognized for service and achievements at the annual Diocesan Professional Day. Teachers have served as presenter and facilitators at grade level sharing sessions. Administrative staff and teaching staff have volunteered time and talent to accreditation and curriculum committees. Student performance at Catholic School reflects a student population that values achievement. The Iowa Assessments building summaries indicate a larger percentage of high achieving students as compared to the nation in all areas. All fifth and eighth grade students at Our Lady of Perpetual help Catholic School attained a score of two or higher on the newly developed four point scoring rubric on the TCAP Writing Assessment. Fifth graders scored 80% or better on all questions pertaining to the four pillars of the Catechism on the ACRE assessment (Assessment of Children in Religious Education). Eighth graders scored 70% or better on all questions. Areas of Improvement in the Past Three Years: Catholic understands the role that technology has for today's learner. Technology upgrades and technology integration have been a focus at School. imacs are included in the school's computer lab. imacs have also been added as student and teacher stations in elementary classrooms. Preschool classrooms now include imacs as teacher stations. All classrooms are outfitted with LCD projectors. Interactive white boards have been added to Kindergarten-eighth grade classrooms. ipad carts have been purchased for use by preschool and elementary students. Mini ipads have been issued to all instructional personnel. Students are now proficient in Mac and PC formats. ALEKS Math has been incorporated in grades 3-8. This web-based math program allows for differentiation and individualized math instruction. This program has enhanced and improved our math program, instructional management for differentiation, and has improved the skill mastery for students. Ten Lego Mindstorm Robots have been purchased for the Robotic Club which expands our STEM initiative. Our $5,000 NASA Honor School Grant includes funding for a 3-D Printer and accessory software which will lend itself to further collaboration among the disciplines of scientific inquiry, technological practice, engineering ingenuity, and mathematical understanding for our students. Future Areas for improvement: Page 7
Catholic School is striving to attain a three year plan of sustainability in enrollment, teacher recruitment, and technology funding. Enrollment fluctuations due to a transient community, job transfers, and public school mergers may affect climate and budgetary considerations. A vigilant focus on recruitment and retention is needed to keep enrollment stable if not increased over the next three years. The median age of current teachers could affect the stability of climate and culture at the school. Priority must be given to teacher retention and the successful transition between one teacher and the next. Seeking alternative sources of funding is inherent to the maintenance and the acquisition of a technological infrastructure and equipment needs as the industry constantly evolves. Catholic School must strategically plan to find funding options for technology and its rapid change in advancements. Page 8
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Catholic School has a rich tradition of producing high academic achievers even though it has only been in existence since 1996. Each following year, a grade was added until reaching eighth grade. With a smaller population, it is extraordinary that this Catholic school has been awarded so many outstanding achievements to the school, the teachers, and especially the students. High school administrators as well as former parents and students are constantly complimenting the rich educational background obtained by the students they serve or the progress their children have accomplished while being a student at OLPH. This strong, solid background builds a lasting foundation as these students continue on their journey of education to the field or occupation that are attaining. Teachers and staff of Catholic School are to be commended for the arduous effort and time that they give in preparation for their students. Stakeholders evidence this by the survey results we receive. Accreditations alone with Advanc-Ed and the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) display and require their commitment to the high standards that we as a school hold high. The staff gives of their time and talents to create an atmosphere of learning that is above and beyond the call of their duties. Collaborating together makes for great team effort that builds the community of ownership. Catholic School has earned its own merits. For eight years in a row, it has been voted Favorite School in Germantown. Our faith community is deepened with the many acts of generosity and service to the community as well as individuals who are deemed eligible. Our commitment to the Lord has many facets through Mass, prayer services, kind deeds, donations, collections, and through our daily example. The school crest of Faith, Knowledge, and Service seems to give credence to the umbrella effect of the life of those that are a part of the past, present, and future of Catholic School. Page 9