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Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
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Diocese of Trenton
Dr. Frank X. McAneny, Principal
23 W. Prospect Avenue
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Document Generated On May 14, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Description of the School
2
School's Purpose
4
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement
5
Additional Information
6
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Introduction
Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
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.
The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and
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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
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provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis.
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Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
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?
Our Lady of Good Counsel School is located in Moorestown, New Jersey, a community rich in history within the state. We are part of the
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Diocese of Trenton and presently provide a Catholic education for 435 students in Pre-Kindergarten 4 through Grade 8. The Mission
statement for Our Lady of Good Counsel School is to form young minds, hearts and hands in the image of Jesus, spiritually, academically,
physically and socially through authentic Catholic teaching within a community of faith with respect and compassion for others.
Our school opened in 1927 with four classrooms for eight grade levels and an enrollment of 180 students. The Sisters of St. Joseph from
Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania originally staffed the school and the early influence of the Sisters remains part of the traditions today. This
includes a strong emphasis on faith formation and academic excellence.
Construction in 1963 added 12 classrooms, a cafeteria, library and Technology Center. The Early Childhood Center was added in 1985
offering programming for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students. The Sisters remained until 1986. Presently, there are 19 classrooms
staffed by one religious and 29 lay teachers and providing a Catholic education for students from approximately 20 communities around the
Moorestown area.
Seven years ago, an unexpected decline in Kindergarten registrations led to the establishment of a School Board which remains today as an
integral component in the operations of the school. The school board meets monthly to review academic objectives and strategies, discuss
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financial and facility concerns, review and renew marketing objectives and maintain the school's strong Catholic mission. The board consists
of nine voting members with a range of professional experience in the fields of academics, finance, law, business and administration.
During this period, staff also recognized the need to modify instruction to enhance student participation and engagement in class activities,
such as in-class learning centers and project based learning that allowed students to work independently and collaboratively to improve
content knowledge. Through Professional Development and Learning Communities staff investigated programs with a focus on student
processing skills and comprehension development. This resulted in the implementation of components of "Visualization and Verbalization"
into all content areas, application of Learning Targets in instruction and a better understanding of how Executive Functioning impacts on
student performance.
In addition, increased demands for student use of technology led to policy modifications permitting students to bring their own electronic
devices to school (BYOD) allowing access to the growing resources available to support all levels of student interest and learning. Permitting
mobility tools enhances the expansion of learning beyond the classroom. BYOD lends itself to the experiences that will enable, enrich and
personalize learning. Students use programs such as Symbaloo and Glogster to support class content. Middle School students all have
Edmodo accounts and several Middle School classes are now being "flipped" to increase student learning with more teachers becoming
interested and involved in this approach each year. Our efforts to be "Back Pack Free" include at home on-line access to texts used in
school.
Classrooms have Active Boards and projectors. All teachers have use of an IPad to support instruction. Available to teachers and students is
a fully functioning Technology Lab, an IPad mini cart and two laptop carts for use in classrooms. Professional Development scheduled
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Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
throughout the school year provides teachers with updates regarding web-based instructional applications available to them. Many of these
presentations are provided by school staff either before or after school.
Support for students in need is provided by staff Reading and Math Specialists, and through special education services arranged through
Non-Public School service providers. Emergent learners are supported in Pre-School, Kindergarten and First Grade through full time
Paraprofessionals. Standardized tests are administered yearly in the Spring to students in grades 2-7. High Schools that accept our
students report back on the academic accomplishments and overall contributions made by our graduates to these schools.
Understanding that student development is not through academics alone, a range of Enrichment programs offer students opportunities for
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personal growth in non-academic areas. Students can participate in Student Council, Latin Club, Lego Robotics Team and Lego League, Art
Club, Battle of the Books, Media Club, Choir and a full complement of sports scheduled for each season. The Media Club coordinates
presentations on the in-school network: W-OLGC TV.
Our commitment to faith and community service is evident through projects including "Tag Days" for local charities such as "Cozies for
Chemo," food drives for community Food Banks and Catholic Charities, fundraising projects that are student generated through "Just Do It,"
and our Twinning project that connects us through on-site and distance contact and support with students in Kingston, Jamaica. These
projects enhance student awareness of local and global social concerns.
Our overall focus is on blending our traditions with the demands inherent in being progressive. By keeping this focus we will accomplish our
mission to prepare students to fulfill their responsibilities as contributing members of the Catholic Church and their communities. Excellence
in faculty, curriculum and instruction is the foundation of an educationally superior institution. Our Lady of Good Counsel School displays this
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excellence in all areas, which makes it a sound educational investment and worthy of Blue Ribbon consideration.
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Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
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.
The experience of educational achievement in a Christian community at Our Lady of Good Counsel School will help our students recognize
and develop self-discipline, honesty, social responsibility, consideration, self-reliance and charity.
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Our parochial school is truly an integral part of our parish life. It provides our children with the best education possible - a Catholic education,
centered on Jesus Christ. It is both instructional and formational and includes activities to emphasize faith formation, such as daily Mass,
Sacramental preparations and special Prayer Services.
Students are provided with a strong foundation and basic knowledge of their faith so they mature in their religion and in their lives. The goals
for the various levels of instruction are based on the developmental needs of the children, the deepening of moral values, and the teachings
of the Church.
Through the dedication and partnership of administration, teachers and parents, our school helps students excel in wholeness and holiness.
We have accepted the responsibility to provide them with personal, moral, and civic values. Building on this foundation, students are
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challenged to be creative, think critically, inquire, discover, and to be more aware of the contributions they can make locally and globally.
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Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
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.
Student testing results demonstrate a high level of commitment and attention to program goals and expectations for students. Resources for
Technology in the classroom have been a priority for the last several years. Each classroom is equipped with an Active Board and projector.
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Computers and printers are also available in these rooms. Equipment in the Technology Center and Media Center is updated yearly.
Students have been working on projects using Prezi presentation software, Symbaloo and Glogster as well asl learning coding skills. Staff
Development has focused on appropriate and varied forms of Assessment, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Visualization and
Verbalization and Writing Skills. We have increased the opportunities for students to BYOD in our upper elementary and Middle School
classes. Several teachers are providing instruction through "Flipped" classrooms. There has been an increase in Non-Fiction reading in
classrooms as well as being used as a source of writing assignments and activities. Cross content projects have increased in the Middle
School with projects such as the planning of the 7th Grade trip to Baltimore including activities in Social Studies, Language Arts, Math,
Science and Art classes. Students in 6th Grade also worked on a Book Publishing project that included Integrated Language Arts classes
combined with Technology and Art. Our goal is to maintain these programs and to enhance our Technolgy and Media Centers so they are
seen as a single resource within our program. We continue to select topics for Staff Development that will assist with classroom instruction
such as the need to consider Accommodations and Modifications for all learners in our classes. We would also like to expand our STEM
offering and become more involved with Project Based learning which we believe will further enhance student engagement and reflection on
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content information.
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Executive Summary
Our Lady of Good Counsel School
Additional Information
Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous
sections.
We are involved in a "Twinning" project with St. Francis Primary School in Kingston Jamaica. We are in contact with them through "skyping"
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and have worked on different in school projects to support their programs.
Our students continue to be involved in "Just Do It Global Awareness Club" which is an in school program to research areas of need such as
the American Cancer Society or St. Jude's Hospital and to then plan a fundraiser for the selected program. The club is open to 5-8th grade
students and is involved in helping students raise money for local and global causes such as poverty, illiteracy and other social concerns. To
date, the Just Do It committee helped students raise over $10,000 for many charitable initiatives. Our OLGC students have a strong voice
and we believe they can truly make a difference in the lives of others.
All students participate in several other Community Service Projects during the school year, such as the Thanksgiving collection and the PB
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and J Sandwich Day for the Community Outreach Program in Camden NJ.
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