Saints Simon & Jude School | 2018–2019
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SAINTS SIMON & JUDE SCHOOL | 2018–2019 ANNUAL REPORT MISSION STATEMENT Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we commit ourselves to learning, proclaiming, and living the Good News of Jesus Christ. We strive to educate and develop all for Catholic leadership in the church and community, enabling one another to serve with compassion, courage, and competence. 2018–2019 School Board Members Sr. Regina Elinich, IHM Michael Jackson Peter Federico Carol McCarry John Furgele Michael Parsons Maureen Gallagher Dr. Mary Sinnott Rev. Michael J. Gerlach Sr. Eileen Tiernan, IHM Lynne Halligan Alexis Walsh-Romano Bob Hallinan Emily Zuber-Grubb 2018–2019 Home & School Association Officers Karen Cleary Jen Doran Megan DelFra Molly Kelly Colleen Donohue SAINTS SIMON & JUDE SCHOOL LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL Dear Parents, Parishioners, Alumni, and Friends of Saints Simon and Jude School, It is my honor and privilege to express my gratitude to you on a very successful second Annual Fund, Lighting the Way. I know Father Gerlach, our priests, faculty, staff, School Board, and families join me in expressing our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your generosity to our parish school. I am happy to report that our second Annual Fund surpassed its goal of $150,000. This is a strong testimony to the commitment of all our donors to ensure the future of catholic education here at Saints Simon and Jude School. Our Home and School Association collaborated with our School Board in hosting a Night at the Races in May. The proceeds from this successful and enjoyable event helped us attain our Lighting the Way goal. It truly was a delightful, fun gathering! Although we can never deny the importance of monetary support, we are very grateful to all our volunteers who give of their time and talent to create a great school spirit, a great parish spirit. Our third annual spring musical, The Wizard of Oz, saw many students, parents, and volunteers involved in another entertaining, first-class, sell-out production. In addition to the musical performance, there was an art show where our budding artists’ work was displayed. All of the creative pieces centered on a theme or line from The Wizard of Oz. Our fine arts program continues to thrive due to the financial support of the Annual Fund. Our technology program continues to grow. Each student in grades three through eight has a Chromebook assigned to him/her for daily use. Children in preschool through grade two have the use of iPads in their classroom. The Annual Fund certainly allows us to provide the necessary programs to equip our children with the essential skills and knowledge to succeed in the digital age. In addition to all the wonderful things happening at SSJ, our strong catholic identity remains strong and vibrant. When one enters the school through the lower lobby doors one views the following message printed on the wall: Let it be known to all who enter here that Jesus Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever present Teacher in its classes, the Model of its faculty and staff, the Strength of its parents, the Inspiration of its students. Know that you are a special part of our school family and are most welcome to visit our amazing parish school at any time. May God bless you abundantly for your goodness to us. Gratefully, Sister Regina Elinich, IHM Principal 2018–2019 ANNUAL REPORT | 1 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Dear Friend, I’m pleased and grateful for the opportunity to share a few words with you, our school community. I pray you will reflect for a moment on how important Saints Simon and Jude School is in today’s world. This Annual Report provides a synopsis for you, a brief look into our story – your story. A Catholic school has been defined as a community of believers who together pursue a shared dream. The pages of this report clearly illustrate how all of us play a vital role in pursuing this dream for they reflect the school, and how it is pursuing the mission to which it is called through strong, value-based programs, diverse activities, and dedicated people. Photos, articles, and reports provide but a glimpse of the powerful and transformational philosophy which imbues all that happens here. Young and fertile minds are provided the holistic education so increasingly important in today’s society. Graduates are more readily able not just to move on to high school, college, and life beyond – but to do so as leaders. Saints Simon and Jude is dedicated to maximizing each student’s potential – academically, socially, spiritually, and in the arts, athletics, and social endeavors. It is important they develop interpersonal skills, a sense of self confidence and growing awareness of who they are. Our students are prepared for life, to be better citizens and, in the final analysis, to search for the answers to life’s ultimate questions: Who am I? Who made me and what is my mission? How do I successfully live my life and fulfill that mission? You—each and every member of the community who thinks about these children and this school, and prays for their success— help them one and all to complete their mission. I am happy to conclude my report with a special thank you to each of you who were able to support the Lighting the Way Annual Fund. Gifts at every level enabled this success and helped establish the Annual Fund as the bedrock of the advancement program. We each have many worthwhile causes compellingly inviting our support. I hope that continuing to help transform the lives of so many young people will be among them. Blessings, and all that is good. Peter G. Federico Chairman 2 | SAINTS SIMON & JUDE SCHOOL CLASS OF 2019 Congratulations to SSJ’s Class of 2019! We thank you for your leadership during the 2018-2019 school year. We know you leave SSJ with lifelong friends and fond memories, especially of your 8th grade year filled with wonderful events and traditions. We are proud of your accomplishments during your time at SSJ and wish you all the best in your high school years and beyond. Congratulations to ten members of the Class of 2019 who received scholarships to Archdiocesan high schools or private Catholic schools. We are proud that 31% of the students qualified to sit for the Connelly Foundation’s esteemed Neumann Scholarship exam. Class of 2019 High School Selections • Academy of Notre Dame de Namur • Malvern Preparatory School • The Agnes Irwin School • Penndale/North Penn High School • Bayard Rustin High School • Phoenixville Area High School • Bishop Shanahan High School • Sacred Heart Academy • Devon Preparatory School • Salesianum School • The Episcopal Academy • Villa Maria Academy High School • The Haverford School • West Chester East High School 2018–2019 ANNUAL REPORT | 3 SSJ Putting the “R” and “A” into STEM STEM is based on the idea of educating students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. According to the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), “Preparing students to enter STEM careers in the future is not enough. The integration of Religion and the Arts into STEM content areas merges 21st Century teaching and learning with the timeless truths of faith and beauty in all of the subject areas.” In the fall of 2018, Saints Simon and Jude began a schoolwide STREAM initiative. STREAM is not a new curriculum, nor is it a specific subject, but a creative method of teaching a concept across a variety of subjects. Implementing this curriculum model requires planning and staff development. At SSJ, two professional development days were dedicated to faculty training; teachers went to Makey Makey invention workshops; and four middle school teachers attended an NCEA 3-day STREAM conference. SSJ’s teachers from preschool to grade eight are collaborating and integrating the STREAM curriculum. In the spring of 2019, SSJ’s projects were featured at the Archdiocese “Showcase of Excellence” at Bishop Shanahan High School. • SSJ’s 3- and 4-year-old preschool students learned the basics of coding using Fisher Price Code-a-pillar. • Kindergarten students researched and created Sock-a-saurus animals. • First grade students designed roller coasters using marbles, masking tape, plastic cups, and foam rollers. • Second grade students read the book Building a Mini-Park, did online research, drew blueprints, and built their own mini-parks using 3D shapes. • Third grade students learned about behavioral adaptations and used index cards to build trees for animals to hide from predators. • Fourth grade students researched saints, created and presented Google Slides presentations, and created stained-glass windows demonstrating the concepts of transparent, translucent, and opaque, as well as intersecting and parallel lines. • Fifth grade students researched hurricane-proof houses, created budgets, built model houses, and tested their durability with a leaf blower. • In SSJ’s middle school, sixth grade students created models of the Earth using styrofoam spheres labeled with the correct layers, and students wrote about the layers of their faith. • Seventh grade students used their knowledge of cellular organization to research and design three-dimensional models of a cell and its organelles. • Eighth grade students used the STEM process to think of a problem to research, design, and test for the Chester County Science Research Competition. At Saints Simon and Jude School, our goal is to provide a high-quality Catholic education for 21st Century learners. Our STREAM initiative will provide our students with the necessary skillset to become critical thinkers and future innovators. 4 | SAINTS SIMON & JUDE SCHOOL The Wizard of Oz Saints Simon and Jude School’s spring musical received rave reviews for the third year in a row! There was so much excitement and appreciation from so many for the four magnificent performances of The Wizard of Oz.