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Five Pillars of a Catholic Education Why attend St. Celestine
School? Choosing a school for one’s child is one of the biggest
decisions a parent faces. This choice sets not only a course for
education, but also friendships, emotions and spiritual foundations
for life. There are many things to consider in making the choice.
Examining five “pillars” or benefits of choosing St. Celestine
School may help in making this decision.
The first pillar is Academic Readiness. In its long history, St.
Celestine School students receive acceptances to the high school of
their choice. Our graduates attend the very finest Catholic High
Schools in the area, including Fenwick, Trinity, St. Patrick, Notre
Dame, Resurrection, and Immaculate Conception, and St. Ignatius.
Because of the rigorous curriculum present at St. Celestine,
including our state of the art technology, our students are ready
for high school and many of them receive scholarships as part of
their acceptance.
CelebrateCatholic Schools
Week!
This Issue Includes:
Five Pillars of a Catholic Education
Calm Classroom
Caring for School Families Knows
No Season
Early Childhood Programs Support
the Youngest Celtics
iReady is Keeping Our Students
on Track
How St. Celestine School Survives a
Pandemic
A Reflection from Fr. Paul…
The More You Give, The More
You Receive
Building Community:
Thoughts from Our Families
An Affordable Investment in Your
Child’s Future
St. Celestine Catholic School
3017 N. 77th Ave., Elmwood Park • 708-453-8234
85 Years of Catholic Education including Preschool 3 years
through 8th grade
Believe, Achieve, Succeed!
Winter 2021
Principal: Sheila M. Klich
Pastor: Fr. Paul Cao
Continued on page 2.
Calm ClassroomStress levels for everyone increased this past
calendar year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Students, families and
teachers needed to find ways to navigate feelings of anxiety and
pressure unlike ever experienced before. St Celestine introduced
“Calm Classroom” to practice calm-ness and mindfulness into our
everyday school curriculum.
Research shows that students who practice mindfulness are able
to manage stress and be more focused in the classroom. They are
better able to navigate feelings of stress, and
1Continued on page 2.
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Caring for School Families Knows No Season
As St. Celestine School continued to follow Archdiocesan
protocols and procedures for our Fall of 2020 semes-ter we realized
we needed to offer even more to some families during this time. The
Archdiocese instituted two weeks of quarantined remote learning for
all after the Thanksgiving holiday break and after the two-week
Christmas break. Despite these decisions being guided by holiday
safety and care, it also add-ed hardship to families who still
needed child care option.
Because St. Celestine School offers a supportive environment,
child care op-tions were made available for families who did not
travel and whose work situations did not allow for remote
learning.
Thanks to a number of first respond-er parents at St. Celestine
we were able to work with them, and with their expertise
assistance, were able to create a safe, healthy community child
care option during these holiday breaks.
The faculty, staff and community of family at St. Celestine
School strives to provide the very best of academic and emotional
support for all our students. Seeing the school community come
together and help each other through the pandemic is just one
amazing way everyone works together for the school.
Five Pillars of a Catholic Education continued from page 1. The
second pillar is Moral and Spiritual Development. St. Celestine
School stu-dents participate in weekly Mass. Plan-ning for monthly
Masses are part of the religion curriculum each year. Students are
taught that they are a unique and loved child of God. Their
education is such that they are given the fundamen-tals for a life
of faith and service to God. Since the importance of family is
crucial to faith development, we encourage families to attend Mass
and participate in the community life of St. Mother Theodore Guerin
Parish.
In addition to family worship, St. Celes-tine School encourages
the development of the third pillar which is growth of a Community
of Families. Organizations such as Parents Club, School Board, and
Athletics encourage our families to form lifelong bonds of
friendship that contin-ue, in many cases, into adulthood. Many of
our students are children of St. Celes-tine alumni. The phrase, “It
takes a vil-lage to raise a child,” is not lost on our families.
Parents work together to plan events for both parents and children
that allow families to raise children side by side. St. Celestine
School is a family-cen-tered environment, where parents are
supported in their journey.
The fourth pillar, Providing a Support-ive Environment, thrives
in St. Celestine School’s structures and routines. Chil-dren know
what to expect each day and know that there is always a teacher
pres-ent to help them in any way they need. They see God in their
lives as they devel-op self-worth and see kindness modeled
throughout the building. Examples such as the “Kindness Initiative
for Seniors” undertaken by fifth grade students shows students that
they are part of a larger community dedicated to service and love
of God and each other.
The fifth pillar, seeing Catholic education as an Affordable
Investment, reflects the understanding that a Catholic educa-
Calm Classroom continued from page 1.
overwhelming anxiety. Mindfulness is maintaining a
moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily
sensations, and surrounding environ-ment, through a gentle,
nurturing lens. When we practice mindfulness, thoughts tune into
what we’re sens-ing in the present moment rather than rehashing the
past or worrying about the future.
With that in mind, the inclusion of a daily mindfulness exercise
in the stu-dents’ routines helps with managing stress in all its
forms. It gives the stu-dents the opportunity to stop and center
themselves as they move through their day. St. Celestine School, in
its emphasis to develop the whole child, embraces the importance of
mindfulness, relaxation and emotional growth. The benefits to the
approach in “Calm Classroom” help students in three major ways:
1. Students improve in executive func-tioning, which is the
ability to control responses and impulse control. This means
students are more likely to think before acting and think through
results of choices they make. Improved execu-tive functioning has
benefits for learn-ing and for life.
tion is an investment for a lifetime. Our families recognize
that what is done to-day bears fruit later in life. Our students,
because of their educational grounding, enjoy a wider path of
opportunity in high school, college, and careers. Through the
relationships created in the school com-munity, families have a
network of sup-port available to them throughout life’s ups and
downs.
If these five pillars speak to you and you want to join the St.
Celestine School community, reach out to Sheila Klich, St.
Celestine School Principal, at [email protected].
2. Another benefit is improved aca-demic and behavioral
outcomes. When students practice mindfulness, they are better able
to focus and concentrate on work. They make better choices and have
increased self-esteem.
3. Finally, mindfulness programs, pro-mote well-being in adults.
This helps our teachers as they model choices and approaches in the
classroom. The class-room becomes a positive space with less
tension for all.
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Early Childhood Programs Support the Youngest Celtics
St. Celestine School sets the standard for Early Childhood
programming. Research shows that students who participate in a high
quality PreK program are more successful in school in future
years.
In response to the needs of school fam-ilies, we now have more
choices for our families. Parents of both 3 and 4 year-olds can opt
for a full day option, a three morning per week option, or a five
morning per week option. This structure is very important to
creat-ing a joy-filled, engaging place where students enjoy coming
to school and being around each other, while respect-ing the needs
and readiness children have for learning.
Both Mrs. Paula Niklewicz and Mrs. Ann Jandrists bring years of
experience and knowledge of best practices in PreK education to St.
Celestine families. The student to staff ratio is 10:1 because of
the presence of aides in the classroom. Therefore, students get
more individu-alized attention and care.
Throughout their day, students learn important academic skills
that benefit them for life. Our youngest Celtics learn skills
through early literacy lessons, hands-on activities, number concept
activities, problem solving opportuni-ties, centers work and other
activities. Students experience classes such as
art, music, and an introduction to technology. These classes
help develop students into well rounded learners.
Students also learn important social skills that will help them
as they grow through school. Students learn how to work
independently, in small groups and as a whole class. Learning how
to make decisions, taking turns and en-gaging in conversations are
also part of these skills. They are supported through these
endeavors by an entire school community who model what it means to
be part of a caring school environ-ment.
Age and availability of spaces deter-mine placement for the
2021-22 school year. Some spaces may be available. Registration for
the 2021-22 school year begins in January, during Catholic Schools
Week and spots fill up quickly! Call the school office at
708-453-8234 to learn more.
iReady is Keeping Our Students on Track
For the 2020-21 academic year, St. Celestine School has been
using i-Ready, a research proven approach to individ-ualized
instruction. I-Ready was espe-cially useful during the Spring of
2020, when students and staff participated
in remote learning due to the stay-at-home order implemented
because of COVID-19. This program also helped teachers when
students returned to the classroom by providing data about where
the students were as learn-ers. The data helped with lesson
plan-ning and approaching instruction for both face-to-face
learners and remote learners.
The i-Ready Program is an individual-ized approach to
instruction tied to a student’s level of knowledge, areas of
strength and areas in need of support. The students began the
program by taking a diagnostic assessment of their individual
learning. The i-Ready Diag-nostic is an adaptive assessment that
adjusts its questions to suit a child’s needs. Each item a student
sees is in-dividualized based on their answer to the previous
question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in
slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will
yield slightly easier questions. The purpose of this is not to give
a child a score or grade, but instead to determine how best to
support a child’s learning. The results from the assessment allow
the teacher to differentiate instruction, work with small groups
and tailor instruction more strategically.
After the assessment, i-Ready in-struction is implemented.
Instruction provides students with lessons based on their
individual skill level and needs, so a child can learn at a pace
that is just right for them. These lessons are fun and interactive
to keep children engaged as they learn. The instruction allows for
growth through just enough productive struggle with a path to
suc-cess. The teachers receive support and ideas based on the
i-Ready Program to guide each student to success as in-dividual
learners. This is just another way that SCS is committed to a
rigorous academic program for every child in the school.
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Every educator in the United States as well as around the world
continues to face the challenge of teaching during the COVID-19
pandemic. St. Celes-tine School rose to the challenge last March
when we went into temporary lockdown and now through continued
tiers and phases mandated by the State of Illinois. Because of our
emphasis on health, safety and a rigorous education we were able to
make it through the Spring with the hard work and dedica-tion of
our faculty, staff and families.
As the 2019-20 school year ended, we anticipated this pandemic
extend-ing into the 2020-21 school year. Last May, we began a task
force to analyze and implement immediately what was needed in order
to continue our high standards of student success. A com-mittee
consisting of parents and teach-ers was formed to analyze the
safety protocols mandated by the Archdiocese
of Chicago and see how they could be best implemented for our
facility. These mandates helped ensure that the virus would not
spread in the school environment. Once the new school year began
this past Fall, cases, when they occurred, were quickly managed,
with rooms being quarantined and disinfect-ed quickly. Classes were
switched to remote learning as soon as possible and families were
notified so that they could adjust schedules and maintain a
learning environment. These measures continue to stay in place and
be used when needed.
Other measures that were implement-ed and continue to this day
include requiring students and staff who do not feel well to stay
home. We eliminat-ed the “Perfect Attendance Award” so students do
not feel pressured to be here when not feeling well. We contin-ue
to make sure that clear and honest
communication between families and the school takes place when
concerns arise.
Temperatures are taken in the morning and throughout the day.
Any individual with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher is not
allowed in the building. Over $6,000.00 to date has been spent on
cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and masks so that the entire
school could be prepared for students, utilizing health procedures
recommended by the Archdiocese and the Center for Disease Control
(CDC).
Everyone wears masks. Students are now used to masks as part of
their wardrobe and are very diligent about keeping them on during
the day. When available, at outdoor recess students when they are
6-feet apart are allowed a short breaks from the masks. Oth-er than
those times, adherence to the
mask expectations has been a great achievement of the plan.
The school has accessible sinks and enough supplies for people
to clean their hands and cover their coughs and sneezes. Supplies
included soap, a way to dry hands (e.g., paper towels, hand dryer),
tissues, hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol (for staff
and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer), disinfectant
wipes, and masks.
Stickers and signs throughout the build-ing remind teachers
where and how to stand so that they are far enough apart. Shamrocks
painted outside on the sidewalk help students know where to stand.
Even parents at pick-up time use them to space themselves apart
while waiting for their children.
Arrival and dismissal times are stag-
gered so that our face-to-face students are able to maintain a
social distance and arrive comfortably for a wonderful day of
learning. Plexiglass shields are placed in office spaces and in
various classrooms. Technology hardware is wiped down daily and
stored in carts by classroom teachers.
For families preferring a remote learning environment, teachers
are providing it. Students benefit from both a synchro-nous and
asynchronous learning expe-rience. Teachers make sure questions are
answered and students received support. The lower grades use
See-Saw and the upper grades used Google Classroom as the learning
management system and workflow solution. Google Meets with live
streaming is a regu-lar part of everyone’s day. Throughout the
summer, before the 2020-21 school year began, we invested in
upgraded infrastructure, hardware, software pro-
grams, and professional development. These investments provide
equity for all our students. No child is left behind.
While we hope and pray this pandem-ic is a once in a lifetime
event, the response to it has shown us what a strong, vibrant
community SCS is and will continue to be as we serve our families
and surrounding community well into the future. Our faculty, staff,
and families, especially those who served on our task force, have
sur-ly shown us that St. Celestine School’s top priority is
children’s health and well-being.
How St. Celestine School Survives a Pandemic
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A Reflection from Fr. Paul Cao on Spiritual Development at
SCS
Fr. Paul, Pastor of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish, attends
to the spiritual needs of the entire parish/school com-munity. He
supports the school in its mission and reflects on how important
St. Celestine School is in developing faith within the parish.
St. Celestine School is part of St. Guer-in Parish. We are very
blessed to have a strong, vibrant school with a dedicated,
hard-working principal, teachers, and staff. We also have a very
supportive School Board, an active Parents’ Club, a dedicated
Athletics program and exten-sive Scouting program. As a pastor, I
want to assure that our students learn about their faith as much as
they can, and this is our priority. The first part of St.
Celestine’s mission is “to instill Gospel values and promote
spiritual growth through liturgies, ser-vice, and commitment to
God.” We make sure our students will grow and deepen their faith in
Jesus Christ.
Our students are required to attend Mass once a week. Once a
month, there is also a special mass for the entire school and each
grade is in charge of planning for the liturgy. Because of the
Pandemic, our students cannot gather in-person in church this year,
so they watch the recorded mass every week in their classroom and
their connection to the liturgy remains important.
Religion class every day helps them to learn more about their
faith. We also help prepare our first and second grade to receive
their First Reconciliation and First Communion. The priests usually
visit the classroom to teach our students about the Mass and the
Sacraments. They also learn about different saints and Catholic
traditions. Our 7th and 8th graders are also prepared to receive
the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Our students are very active in their faith during their time at
SCS. Many of them are involved in the children’s choir which they
sing on the first Sunday of the month at 10:30 a.m. family Mass.
Our Students are also involved as altar servers at Sunday Masses
and I am very proud of them all.
Let us continue to pray for the success of St. Celestine School
that the Lord showers His abundant blessings to all the teachers,
staff, students and all the parents. May we work together to
promote the values of Catholic edu-cation under the guidance of our
Lord Jesus Christ!
The More You Give, The More You Receive
Catholic education has both changed over the years and remained
the same. In addition to the rigorous education provided by
Catholic schools for gen-erations, the reliance on all community
members to provide Time, Talent and Treasure as part of creating a
firm com-munity foundation has remained con-sistent for
generations, too.
Volunteering provides an opportunity for parents to engage in
the school and in their children’s lives in a deeper way. Research
consistently shows that learn-ing improves for children who have
par-ents positively connected to the school through volunteering.
Another benefit is that when parents volunteer togeth-er, they
create communities of mutual support. Parents develop relationships
with other parents, which helps every-one raise children. The
knowledge of not being in it alone is comforting.
Time, Talent and Treasure as a way to support the school has
changed dra-matically over the years, particularly with the
increased reliance on techno ogy and different sources of
commu-nication. Volunteering at St. Celestine School has a
significant impact if the following volunteer pieces are
included:
Time - volunteering at your child’s school is a research proven
way to im-prove their academic success and in-crease their
appreciation of education. Your time is precious, but so is the
edu-cation your child receives while he/she is here.
Talent - we all have one. Why not use your personal positive
attributes to en-rich learning and benefit the communi-ty? Are you
a coach, an artist, a strong communicator, a friendly face? We need
you!
Treasure - financial contributions are always appreciated. While
St. Celestine School deeply appreciates and under-stands the
sacrifice tied to tuition, addi-tional support helps enrich
educational programming, develop scholarship op-portunities, and
maintain our facilities.
Voice - use your love of the school to spread the word about us!
A personal connection and recommendation is the best marketing.
Having a strong enroll-ment with committed families ensures that
the St. Celestine academic tradition will continue for generations
to come.
Network - your personal network of friends, families and
colleagues may help the school, as well. Connecting the school to
businesses for fundraisers benefits everyone through donations to
the school and increased traffic for lo-cal business. Plus, with
small businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic, broadening
their network into a large Catholic school community helps them, as
well.
While the pandemic may have limit-ed opportunities to volunteer
in the 2020/21 school year, those volunteering opportunities will
return and we need you to return with them. Please contact the
Principal, Sheila Klich at sklich@ stcelestineschool.org to learn
more.
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Building a Community: Thoughts from our Families
St. Celestine School has a long history of developing the whole
child. We are blessed with strong families who part-ner with the
school to help children grow in every way. Anita Hollingsworth,
mother of Joe shares her experience, “St Celestine School has
prepared Joseph for high school in so many ways. Academically, it
prepared him for the ex-pectation of writing in depth, researched
and detailed papers. St Celestine pre-pared him, for the quick pace
and love of both science and math. He is a bet-ter athlete and
music enthusiast due to the instructors of both PE and music. St
Celestine enforced his ability to have his own voice while still
being respectful and having empathy for others.” Joe Hollingsworth,
a 2020 graduate and current student at Notre Dame College Prep,
shares, “St. Celestine helped so much in preparing me for high
school. I feel that St. Celestine has prepared me the most in
writing, especially with Mr. Creagh assigning all of the papers he
did for both seventh and eighth grade. There is nothing else I
could have want-ed academically because St. Celestine gave me a
well-rounded education and helped me know what to expect walk-ing
into a high school classroom.” Even after having been remote for
part of the 2019-20 school year, Joe was ready for and is excelling
in high school. Current families see the school as united. They are
appreciative of the school’s plans regarding COVID-19 and safety.
Melba Perez, parent of a current 7th grader says, “I cannot tell
you how pleased I was with how the school re-sponded to COVID.
Right from the start, although it was new for everyone, we all
worked together to make it work. The school provided a weekend
schedule for the parents to come and pick up their child’s
belongings and first thing on Monday morning the kids were
online.
It was very organized and well thought out. For the 2020 school
year, I was extremely comfortable in sending my child to SCS for
‘in school’ learning. The school once again had a very thorough
plan. The desks were arranged differ-ently and more spaced out, the
masks were implemented. Classrooms thor-oughly cleaned. There is
hand sanitizer in every classroom and office. All grade levels had
outdoor recess, which was something new for the kids this year,
particularly for the 4th thru 8th graders. It was definitely a nice
change of pace.”
Mrs. Perez appreciates the teachers and staff and when asked
about her favor-ite part of the SCS community states, “What I love
most about St. Celestine School are the teachers and the
Princi-pal. At SCS the teachers are always very helpful and willing
to work with your child and family when help is needed. Our school
Principal, Mrs. Klich is both caring and involved when it comes to
the students and the school. She makes it a point to know the names
of her students at the school and that speaks volumes to me.” The
SCS community’s unity and strength make it a truly special place
for everyone.
Mrs. Klich, the School Principal, contin-ues to strive to
develop an education-al program that brings forth the best from
every student. Catholic education is seen as a mission that
improves the lives of everyone in the community and ultimately in
the world. As the world faced the pandemic this past Spring, SCS
students, teachers and parents met it with faith and determination.
That faith and determination is part of the school’s approach to
every challenge. Despite the challenges of the past, pres-ent and
future, Mrs. Hollingsworth sums up the reason why she chose St.
Celes-tine years ago and why many families continue to choose it
today. She states, “My husband, son and I are confident in saying
that we made the right choice for kindergarten and grade school
when we decided to trust Joseph’s education with such an amazing
and caring staff. St. Celestine will always feel like family. “
Call the school office at
708-453-8234 to learn more about making St. Celestine School
part of your family!
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St. Celestine School3017 N. 77th Ave,
Elmwood Park, IL 60707(708)453-8234
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Catholic schools are the best choice for what matters
most...faith and a rigorous education, which prepares students for
life in the 21st century. Meanwhile, we understand the difficulties
that families face when deciding how to pay for a Catholic
education. What makes a Cath-olic school a good value? Well, like
all questions of value – there are two sides to the equation – cost
and benefit. There’s a constant struggle be-tween keeping our
schools affordable for as many as possible and providing fair and
equitable compensation for our staff. There’s also a cost
associated with technology, curriculum and re-sources. As for
benefit, we look at many measures of quality to substantiate our
schools’ value. These include the following:
Access to Technology St. Celestine School is a 1:1 school (a
device for every student), with stu-dents in PK-2 having access to
iPads and
students in grades 3-8 having access to Chromebooks. Our
students learn coding, work on robotics, and produce videos using
Chroma key technology. Digital citizenship is practiced at all
grade levels throughout the year. All of these activities lead to
students who are able to approach problem solving with integrity,
collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.
Performance on Standardized TestsOur students consistently
outperform national results on standardized tests. Our students are
well above national norms in every subject. This allows our
students to attend the high schools of their choice, with many of
them earning scholarships to do so.
Catholic Faith DevelopmentThe most important part of a Christian
education is raising our children in the Catholic faith. It’s the
day-to-day teach-ing of faith and values, praying together, and
putting our faith into action through
service to others. These are all part of the witness we pass on
to students each and every day. And it’s that daily, ordi-nary
witness that changes lives.
Affordable Measures St. Celestine School offers 10-and-12 month
tuition payment plans, so that families can plan costs into their
bud-gets. Based on a daily cost, a 10-month plan makes the daily
cost under $18 per day. A 12-month plan has a daily cost of under
$15 per day. Should fam-ilies need additional support for this
cost, St. Celestine School is committed to helping them find it
through tuition assistance programs based on need. Families can
reach out to the school office at 708-453-8234 to learn more.
When analyzed in the light of what is gained and the investment
in your child’s future, the cost is well worth it. A Catholic
education opens doors to a child’s future and provides them with
the tools to succeed for life.
Believe! Achieve! Succeed!Make a gift today!
givecentral.org/location/313 event/20175
E-mail us at: [email protected]
Visit us at: stcelestineschool.org
St. Celestine School… An Affordable Investment in Your Child’s
Future
