Middle States

Head Of School: Mrs. Alberta Ricketts

School Information

Address: 18310 Middletown Road, Parkton, MD 21120
Phone: (410)329-6956
Fax: (410)357-5793
E-mail: bricketts@ourladygrace.org
Website: http://www.olgs.org

School Details

Level Of School: Preschool-8
School Type: Religious School
Enrollment Size: 175
First Accredited Date: 4/20/2004
Last Accredited Date: 4/20/2004
District: Archdiocese of Baltimore

Goals
Past Goals

Our Lady of Grace School received its initial accreditation from Middle States Association in 2004. Drawn from the recommendations made in its Self Study and the commendations and recommendations evidenced from the Team visit, the school designed the following three year Action Plan goal statements:

GOAL STATEMENT I: To provide by June 2007, faith-filled experiences which will increase age-appropriate spiritual development of children.

Overall Growth: Catechesis has been broadened to include various age-appropriate opportunities for the students to learn, reflect, internalize, and apply the truths of the Catholic faith. Although a formal Faith Formation team was never formed, the individual utilization of services from the pastor, parish Youth Minister, Religious Education Director, and parish Liturgist together with OLGS principal, faculty, and student liturgy committee led to the development and offering of several activities and programs.

Activities:

  • monthly school-wide attendance at “School at Mass”
  • monthly middle school attendance at “Middle School at Mass"
  • a yearly “All Hallows” presentation by kindergarten through grade two students
  • a seasonal re-enactment of the “Living Stations of the Cross” by the grades three, four and five
  • the beginning of “Prayer Partners” with kindergarten and grade six students continuing each year through grade eight
  • weekly “Tuesday Afternoon Pizza” offered by the Youth Minister for middle school students (socialization opportunities and “hot topic” peer discussion groups are offered at this time with material taken from the formal program, “The Edge”)

Programs:

  • the purchase of a systematic Family Life program implemented from kindergarten through grade eight curriculum (faculty and parents received in-service before implementation)
  • the offering of a parent program to assist families in praying the scriptures together
  • the scheduling of a parent presentation on “Conflict Resolution Skills” for March 12, 2007
  • the formation and implementation of a school-wide Service Learning program (Each grade has adopted an organization as their outreach partner and they are actively getting to know one another.)
  • the requirement for each eighth grade student to complete a fifteen hour Service Learning program. (Personal reflections are expected before graduation in May.)

The initiation of this last activity will lead the administration and faculty into a new goal for the next three years.

GOAL STATEMENT II: To provide by June 2007, tools and resources needed by teachers to lead students toward becoming effective communicators and life-long learners.

Overall Growth: Various tools, resources and opportunities have been developed and are offered by the administration and faculty to lead students toward becoming effective communicators and life-long learners.

Tools and Resources:

  • the appointment of school-wide curriculum coordinators and the gradual initiation of responsibilities and tasks
  • the assignment of work space and coordination of scheduling for weekly support staff
  • the research and design of a Student Council
  • the planning and provision of staff development on the methodology and use of rubrics in the area of penmanship and the writing process
  • the provision of staff development in the area of curriculum mapping with special emphasis on school-wide writing, grammar, and spelling standards
  • the training of faculty in the use of software for curriculum mapping

The initiation and implementation of these two tools and resources will lead the administration and faculty into a continued commitment to a new goal for the next three years.

FUTURE GOALS: 2007-2010

GOAL STATEMENT I: To expand the faith-based components of the school’s outreach projects and service opportunities so that students will further develop a greater social awareness and committed responsibility to serve in a global community.

  1. Provide staff development around the theme of Catholic Social Teachings
  2. Provide staff development around the development of reflection skills needed for students to more fully appreciate their projects as a Gospel-Centered service
  3. Provide opportunities for students to use spiritual reflection skills that relate to the meaningfulness of their classroom and school-wide outreach projects and service learning

GOAL STATEMENT II: To continue the implementation of the curriculum mapping process so that faculty will create an “essential map” of the writing, grammar and spelling content and skills taught at all grade levels.

  1. Provide teachers the necessary working time to map the curriculum
  2. Establish a teacher leadership cadre to move the mapping process forward within the school

Complete a school-wide inventory of the writing, grammar, spelling content, and skills taught at all grade levels.


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