Holy Family Academy's Phenomenal Growth—It's all about the Teachers

We've all read about it and heard it discussed on television and radio talk shows. Recently, teachers seem to be blamed for everything from states' financial crises to the decline in the American work force. But at Holy Family Academy in Inverness, quite the opposite is true. Teachers are praised and cited as the primary factor in the young school's phenomenal growth from 29 students in 2002 to nearly 450 students in 2011.

“Since becoming principal at Holy Family Academy, I often receive compliments about our innovative and welcoming school,” states Dr. Gretchen Ludwig, Principal. “Although I am very proud to be a part of this special school, the true recipients of these compliments are the amazing teachers we have at Holy Family.” Despite this humbling affirmation of Holy Family's teachers, it's obvious that Dr. Ludwig subscribes to the philosophy of “getting the right people on the bus.” This philosophy is attributed to Jim Collins, author of the best selling book, Good to Great (2001). Collins contends that if you want to adapt to a rapidly changing world it's critical to get the right people in place to move the organization forward. Simply stated, leaders of organizations that go from good to great start with identifying “who” will be best to get the organization going in the right direction. Dr. Ludwig is a skilled leader at getting the right people at Holy Family Academy.

The culture of Holy Family clearly attracts a certain type of teacher. Mrs. Becky Sponseller, 3rd grade teacher, states, “Holy Family allows me to implement the best of what I learned while getting my teaching degree. Just as important, it is a very empowering culture that supports teachers trying new methods or expanding lessons with technology. Many of my friends teach at more traditional schools that are reticent to change.”

The common thread among teachers at Holy Family is that they are skilled at engaging the whole class. Gone are the days where our classrooms have one teacher, one book and 30 students. Embracing 21st century skills means that teachers keep students motivated with varied and creative approaches and incorporate critical thinking and problem solving skills that address real world issues. “My colleagues embrace best practice instructional strategies like inquiry learning and reading and writing workshops which they learn from ongoing training, mentoring and coaching from Curriculum Consultant, Dr. Emily Alford,” said Mrs. Sponseller. Dr. Alford is quick to point out that in all of her years in education, she has rarely seen such devoted teachers. “In my professional career, I've trained thousands of teachers across the state, and I can clearly say, I have never seen teachers that are as dedicated and innovative as the teachers at Holy Family Academy. Schools can change curriculum, but unless these schools have the right teachers to implement the curriculum, it will not succeed.“

Holy Family Academy has both a 21st century curriculum and amazing teachers who embrace new methods of teaching. Dr. Alford likes to say Holy Family is moving from “best practices” to “next practices.'” A case in point is Holy Family Academy's implementation of new Common Core State Standards issued in 2010 by the Department of Education and adopted by the state of Illinois. “While many schools are scrambling to implement these new standards, Holy Family has been using these standards in our Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum for over 6 years!” Likewise, the faculty is looking at a initiative to broaden the definition of “literacy” to include the ability to express ideas through media. Curriculum is being enhanced to reinforce and utilize various multimedia tools in the classroom to prepare students for careers in the 21st century that will require sophisticated use of technology.

Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, saw a difference during a recent visit to the Inverness school. “I saw such a positive spark of energy. I saw teachers working so hard and kids so engaged. There was real work of the heart and mind going on.” Skillfully engaging students is a hallmark of a great school. In a recent interview, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan stated that he can quickly get a feel for successful schools. “You can walk into a school and, honestly, in about two minutes, figure out, are students engaged? Are they having fun? Are they learning? Are teachers actively engaged?” If the answer to these questions is “yes” you have a terrific school. “Holy Family Academy's use of differentiated instruction,” states First Grade teacher, Mrs. Laura Moynihan, “helps us challenge kids at different levels. Some schools challenge students that work above grade level by giving them additional worksheets to complete. My first grade class at Holy Family had five different reading groups. We like to say, every student is challenged, every student is prepared to succeed.”

Ultimately, however, the real judges of successful teachers are the parents and students themselves. As Dr. Ludwig states, “a truly great teacher is technically sound while also warm, enthusiastic and encouraging.” It is the right combination of technical skills and interpersonal skills that make the biggest impact on children and parents. “My family recently relocated from Cleveland and joined Holy Family Academy,” states Katya Norman of Kildeer, and parent of two middle school students. “When I first came to the school, I was immediately impressed with how many people told me how much their children enjoyed school. I saw how motivated my children were during the year, but I honestly was surprised when my kids were actually sad that school was ending for the summer.” Enzo DeVente, a third grade student from Barrington, echoed these feelings. When asked how it felt to be at the last day of school, Enzo replied, “I can't believe school is over. It feels like I just started yesterday!”

Perhaps one of the best signs of a great teacher is the humility to learn from her students. Mrs. Cath Lyon, second grade teacher, says it this way: “I constantly learn from my students. They continually show me that there is no limit to their learning, and equally important, they remind me that we are all called to be welcoming and accepting of each other.” With teachers like this, the future continues to look exceptionally bright for Holy Family Catholic Academy!

Holy Family Academy offers 21st century education to develop leaders, thinkers and people of faith. Offering classes for 2 yr. old preschool through 8th grade. To learn more visit www.holyfamilycatholicacademy.net or call Deb Atkins 847-907-3461