At the end of the 2022-23 school year, we shared the 5-Year Strategic Plan that was developed for St. Mary Parish School. The goals we identified as part of this plan were guided by the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS), which is intended to describe how the most mission-driven, program effective, well managed, and responsibly governed Catholic schools operate. Four Domains within these standards are: Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality.
As we conclude the 2023-24 school year, we wanted to give you a brief update on some of the action items we have been working on and the effectiveness standards they address!
Mission and Catholic Identity
Beginning with the school year 2023-24, St. Mary Parish School eliminated the parishioner/non-parishioner tuition rate to align our participation in the Wisconsin School Choice Program. By doing so, St. Mary took a large step toward making Catholic education affordable for more families. In the 2024-25 school year, 23 students will benefit from this program.
Academic Excellence
Progress is being made toward establishing a curricular niche that clearly differentiates St. Mary Parish School from other Catholic and public elementary schools in the development of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Lab that will open this fall! The STEAM Lab is a space for students to engage in hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities that encourage curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking, all within the context of a faith-filled environment.
As part of our goal to ensure academic excellence, we utilized Key Performance Indicators to assess and enhance student outcomes. Collecting data allows us to make informed decisions to enhance student learning and optimize educational outcomes. Better data, leads to better decisions. In that spirit, we are shifting to a more strategic student performance data tracking program that offers detailed skill evaluation in reading and math. This shift will enable us to tailor instruction more effectively and support targeted student growth.
We are implementing the Bridges math curriculum in grades K5 through 5. This comprehensive program utilizes visual models and active learning to deepen students’ understanding of mathematical concepts.
Another step we took toward student academic support was joining the Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP). This will help us provide more resources to better meet students’ learning needs. The SNSP provides funding to help us establish an inclusion program for students with special needs. This includes hiring a full-time Learning Support Teacher and contracting with a Speech Pathologist.
Advancement
This year, St. Mary established an endowment fund to provide a means for constituents to provide long term support for St. Mary Parish School to ensure ongoing funding for major programs, tuition assistance, teacher salary support, facility upgrades etc.
Facilities
A long held desire to install a playground on the campus is being realized. St. Mary Parish has dedicated some of the funds raised through the parish’s portion of the Love One Another Campaign to purchase and erect recreational/playground equipment. This support, along with individual donations and a $25,000 grant from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Love One Another Trust, will fully fund the playground, which will be built in August.