One School Gets 100% Right

In an era of never ending school drama, teachers on strike, less funding for programs and facilities either closing or merging, one northwest suburban school is growing and prospering.

Saint Mary School in Buffalo Grove has increased its enrollment each year over the last 5 years. In 2011, after a steady decline in enrollment the school board and parish brought in Nikki Raftery as the new principal. Raftery had previously been vice principal at St. Joseph School in Libertyville.

Over the last 5-years Raftery has made significant changes at the school, starting with the curriculum. Saint Mary's philosophy is to educate the whole child. Many schools state this but Saint Mary is delivering on their promise. All children grades Kindergarten through eighth grade have all the basics, reading, language arts, math, and science.

But teaching the basics is far from basic. When asked about curriculum updates and changes Raftery says "Keeping the curriculum current means that we constantly evaluate what we are teaching kids. We know that technologies change and industries evolve, so we need to prepare children for the world that they will experience as adults. Identifying the knowledge and the characteristics that are necessary for success in college and careers helps us drive curricular changes and updates. Now research tells us that teaching skills like problem solving and critical thinking is important, so students learn how to find their own answers. We also know that the brain is malleable and can grow and be worked out like a muscle, so we work to teach a growth mindset and frame learning in a way that allows children to evaluate their own mistakes and learn from them. Our curriculum responds to educational and brain research, as well as advances in technology and industry. This allows us to provide our students with current and relevant learning that will help them grow into leaders."

In addition, children at Saint Mary get to experience the finer things that many school districts just can't afford any longer. Saint Mary has a dedicated art teacher, music taught by a music teacher, Spanish taught by a Spanish teacher, physical education and health for the older children taught by a PE teacher and to top it off they all experience a science, technology, engineering and math class/lab taught in their new STEM lab by a dedicated STEM teacher. These classes are taught once or twice a week to all students. With this type of curriculum it's no wonder their test scores consistently rank well above the national average.

Saint Mary is located in Buffalo Grove where some of the best schools in the area are located, however according to one parent "We send our children to Saint Mary because we know they will get a great education but they get so much more, respect is emphasized for each other and everyone, giving back is emphasized, there is a sense of pride and ownership. They learn more than just reading and numbers, they learn to be a good person."

According to Raftery "our graduating students place into the Northwest suburbs top public and private high schools each year, including Stevenson high school in Lincolnshire and Carmel Catholic and St. Viator. For the first time since we began teaching Spanish our 98% of our 2014 graduating class placed out of freshman year Spanish."

Beyond the excellent academics Saint Mary offers students and families a sense of belonging. According Mary Lynn Kempf who had 5 children go to the school "we joined a community when our child started preschool. We didn't expect it, but we love the sense of family we have at the school. We wouldn't think of leaving."

Saint Mary School starts with pre-school and goes all the way through eighth grade.

For further information please contact: publicrelations@stmarybg.org

Serving the communities of Arlington Heights - Buffalo Grove - Hawthorn Woods - Lincolnshire - Long Grove - Mundelein - Vernon Hills - Wheeling.

Excellence in Education since 1855