Dear Parents,
I’m pleased to share this year’s State of the School update, highlighting our progress, upcoming initiatives, and dedication to excellence in Catholic education. This year has been a great success, with strong community engagement and remarkable student growth. As you review the key highlights below, I encourage you to reflect on our shared progress and the exciting developments ahead. Thank you for your ongoing support in making our school a thriving community for our students and families.
Catholic Identity: Our commitment to Catholic education remains strong, with a faith-filled environment supported by a 73% Catholic student body and a dedicated faculty, all of whom are 100% catechistically certified teachers, ensuring a meaningful religious foundation for all students.
Budget & Tuition: Our school remains financially strong, and a strategic 3% tuition increase will help sustain our high-quality programs, maintain our facilities, and support our dedicated teachers.
Curriculum & Academic Performance: Our school remains committed to academic excellence, with ongoing curriculum improvements, strong student performance on assessments, and a focus on closing learning gaps to support every child’s success. We have begun implementing a structured curriculum adoption cycle, starting with Social Studies, to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with educational best practices. Parents and teachers will have opportunities to preview materials and provide feedback. Key evaluation areas include learning objectives, content relevance, teaching methods, assessment effectiveness, accessibility, and integration of Catholic values. English Language Arts will be our next curriculum adoption.
The Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College recently analyzed national assessment data, highlighting both strengths and challenges in student achievement. Their findings show that Catholic school students continue to outperform public school peers while also addressing learning gaps that have widened since the pandemic. While nationwide trends show a decline in reading and math scores since the pandemic, our instructional strategies aim to close learning gaps and maintain strong achievement levels.
Land’s End Uniform Provider: We are excited to announce that Lands’ End will be our new uniform provider following the closure of our previous supplier. Lands’ End is known for its high-quality, durable school uniforms and excellent customer service. We look forward to offering families a smooth transition and a convenient shopping experience to maintain consistency in school attire.
School Community Survey Results: Our recent parent survey reaffirms strong satisfaction with our school’s academic excellence and Catholic faith formation. Families highly rated our curriculum across core subjects, including religion, math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Additionally, parents expressed deep appreciation for our Catholic identity, student-teacher relationships, and open communication between teachers and families.
CYO Athletics & Extracurricular Activities: Our students continue to thrive in extracurricular activities and athletics, demonstrating teamwork, dedication, and creativity beyond the classroom. CYO sports participation remains strong, with student-athletes showcasing sportsmanship and commitment across various programs. After-school activities such as orchestra, drama club, and chess club provide enriching experiences that foster creativity, strategic thinking, and collaboration.
Professional Growth & Excellence: All teachers are actively participating in professional development opportunities, ensuring they stay current with best teaching practices. Additionally, we are proud to share that we have achieved 100% teacher retention, reflecting a strong, supportive environment for both educators and students.
Campus Security Updates: Enhancing campus safety remains a priority, with new automatic security blinds being installed and ongoing efforts to secure grant funding for upgraded classroom door locks, starting with the preschool wing.
As we move forward, we remain dedicated to fostering a strong academic foundation, a vibrant faith community, and a safe, nurturing environment for all students. We are grateful for your partnership in supporting our students’ education and faith journey. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback—my door is always open if you’d like to discuss anything mentioned here.
Thank you for your continued trust and commitment to our school community.
Blessings,
Dr. Bernadine Mahar