Holy Family Academy hits the school year running

There was so much excitement in the air as Holy Family Academy in Inverness began a new school year.

Students from 24 different surrounding communities brought their supplies and smiles on their first day.

“It's amazing to see how much some of these children have grown over the summer!” stated Principal, Dr. Gretchen Ludwig.

Known for her ability to make everyone feel welcomed, she is seen giving hugs or holding a new student's hand. Remarkably, she will be able to greet each child by his or her first name before the end of the week. Given Holy Family Academy's phenomenal growth, that is no easy task. Consistent with the last nine years, enrollment continues to climb.

“We've grown over 22 percent since last year and we are delighted to be able to welcome new students into every grade from two-year-old junior preschool through eighth grade. It's hard to believe that the school began just nine years ago with 29 students and now our current enrollment is 450.”

A commitment to continuous improvement is one of the hallmarks of Holy Family Academy and clearly an attribute that attracts interested parents and new students. While many schools are now beginning work to introduce 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and fluency in technology, Holy Family has been implementing these skills for the last six years and is moving forward.

Dr. Emily Alford, Holy Family's Curriculum Consultant, likes to say the school is moving from “best practices” to “next practices.” To illustrate, Dr. Alford states, ”The curriculum built at Holy Family Academy has served as the model for a new life science blueprint that will be used at all Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Chicago.”

This blueprint calls for nothing short of reinventing science education for students at Holy Family and ultimately all Catholic schools in the Chicago area.

In July 2011, the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, issued a report stating the need for significant improvements in how science is taught in the U.S. Using the framework outlined in this report, Holy Family is participating in a “scaffolding blueprint” which focuses on helping students deepen their knowledge of science by building on knowledge acquired from one grade to the next rather than acquire shallow knowledge of many topics.

Continually improving science education allows Holy Family Academy to educate students in the wonder of science and give them the framework to pursue careers in science and engineering. Clearly, this is the type of science education needed to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Holy Family Catholic Academy serves students in 2-year-old preschool through eighth grade. For more information on Holy Family's 21st century curriculum, call Deb Atkins at (847) 907-3461 or email at datkins@holyfamilyparish.org. Also visit the school website www.holyfamilycatholicacademy.net