- Aug 8, 2022
June 24, 2022
Dear Parents, Thank you to the many OLC parents (47% of you) who completed the 5Essentials survey for our school last March. This survey was taken by you, by the teachers, and by students in grades 4 - 8. According to the survey, students reported that their classmates believe the work they do in school is important, and that their classmates try hard to do their best. They believe that teachers “expect students to do their best and to meet academic demands.”
Teachers believe that the school leadership team is an active and skilled group that sets high standards for teaching and student learning. They reported that parent involvement in the school is good and has improved. Teachers would like to be able to collaborate with each other more by observing other teachers teach, and have more opportunities to work together to review test data and develop instructional strategies.
Parents reported that they are satisfied overall with the school, with 81% stating that they are “extremely likely” to recommend OLC to a parent looking for a school for their child; no parents reported that they are “not at all likely” to recommend the school. Parents also stated that they would like a greater voice in school affairs, more frequent communication from the teacher, and a continued emphasis on school safety, including bullying. All of this information provides us with an excellent foundation for school improvement in the coming year.
You should have received a copy of your child’s end-of-the-year iReady Diagnostic test results with his or her report card. As a school, our students made great progress this year, especially in the area of reading, and despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schooling overall: In reading, the median percent progress towards Typical Growth for OLC was 125%. “Typical growth” is the average annual growth for a student at their grade and baseline placement level; many of our students exceeded one year’s growth in reading this year. In math, the median percent progress towards Typical Growth for our school was 81%. Again, “typical growth” is the average annual growth for a student at their grade level. Math will continue to be our “School Improvement Plan” academic focus this coming school year. Studies show that success in high level math leads to success in college!
Maura Mullins and Marisa Villaseñor are moving on from their teaching posts at OLC this summer. Both of them made their mark on OLC students and staff. They were dedicated to the school and they worked hard every day.
Ms. Mullins joined our teaching staff in 2016. As the middle school religion teacher, she shared stories of her faith with her students, guided them through the sacrament of confirmation, and helped significantly increase our students’ participation at Mass (maybe you have noticed that!). Maura will be moving on to a high school position in the fall. Ms. Villaseñor came to OLC in December of 2018 to fill a vacancy of a teacher on a leave of absence. She has done a wonderful job with our first graders, helping them learn to read, to pray, and to work together. Her classroom was always an organized and engaging center of learning. Marisa has secured a position in a public school district in the northwest suburbs. We will miss them both, but we wish them the best of luck in their new endeavors.
Yours in Christ, Frank S. Zarate, Jr.,
Ed.D. Principal (708) 652-0262
fzarate@olc-school.org