School Leadership

SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

The Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac community's shared Catholic vision is to guide and challenge our students through excellence of teaching to develop a sense of ownership for their own life-long learning. Thus students can achieve their maximum potential to become faith-filled, literate, integrated, and contributing members of a multi-cultural society.

SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School brings together the faith, talent, gifts, and the dedicated lives of priests, women religious, and lay collaborators as educators who are committed to fostering, nurturing, and sustaining a Catholic, Christian environment. The prevailing spirit of this school is focused on building a community of faith which invokes the positive formation and comprehensive education of each child in our care. This dynamic educational program is designed to promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, and psychological growth, as well as the intellectual, aesthetic, and physical development of each child.

Together with the devoted parents, who are the primary educators of their children, we unite in striving to build, strengthen, and incorporate our beliefs as Catholics, so that each child may develop a vibrant awareness of God's presence in their daily life and experience a meaningful personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through the dynamics of our Christ-centered community, the children will experience a sense of worth, belonging, and success.

Saint Jeanne's School provides for it?s families and students a caring community and an educational environment in which academic scholarship and Christian citizenship flourish. The faculty aspires to meet the students at their respective levels of ability and achievement and endeavors to provide them with skills and encouragement where each child may grow to his/her full potential. In this affirming atmosphere, traditional ideals and values are cherished so that the child is challenged to meet the diverse opportunities of tomorrow effectively with the knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual integrity that s/he has learned as a vital component of the school community.

SCHOOL-WIDE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS

Saint Jeanne Students are:

Honorable Catholics

1. We make moral choices according to Gospel values.
2. We know and live our faith.
3. We honor the life and legacy of Mary and Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac.

Earth's Citizens

1. We celebrate our diversity.
2. We strive for social justice.
3. We respect ourselves, others and our world.

Active Lifelong Learners

1. We aim for academic excellence.
2. We learn and think independently and cooperatively.
3. We participate in the Fine Arts.

Responsible Individuals

1. We are peacemakers.
2. We practice sportsmanship and good health habits.
3. We learn to LEAD and SERVE.

Thoughtful Communicators

1. We express ourselves compassionately, appropriately, and respectfully.
2. We speak and write clearly and creatively.
3. We are active listeners.

Saint Jeanne’s Students have HEART!

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Religious Development

We strive, by personal example of Christ's loving concern for every member of the community, to build and strengthen a personal understanding, response, and love of Jesus Christ, which will lead our students to the beliefs and practices of one who lives and proclaims the Gospel, as they integrate this growth into becoming members who actively participate in their parishes.

As stated above, Saint Jeanne's school desires to become an authentic Catholic community. To effect this goal we center ourselves around the following themes: Christian formation and practice. In order to achieve this goal, we are called:

CHRISTIAN FORMATION: The object of our school is to facilitate the development of mature Christian behavior by providing the environment and training which will promote total commitment to a full Christian manner of life.

To develop Christian formation, we propose to work daily toward the goal of having each student:

• Know and place our emphasis of the Sacred Scripture as God's revelation to us, and the context by which we form our morality.
• Acquire an appetite and a habit of prayer and worship.
• View the world with a Christian perspective.
• To teach and live as Jesus did, as we learn that we are accountable for justice which grows from within this sister/brotherhood in Christ, and flows out into the world. We call our student's to meet the challenge; that by having been given the gift of a Catholic Education, they are chosen, and must give back to the community the richness they have received.
• Develop moral and spiritual values, ethical standards of conduct, and basic integrity in functioning as a responsible member of the family, the church, and civil society.
• Build and strengthen a personal understanding, response, and love of Jesus Christ, which will lead our students to the beliefs and practices of one who lives and proclaims the Gospel, as they integrate this growth into becoming members who actively participate in their parishes.

QUALITY EDUCATION: To provide quality religious education in our school we propose to do the following:

• To aid all students in acquiring a common store of knowledge in religion.
• To sow the seeds of a love for God, a love of self, and a love of others, through positive and healthy interactions in the family and community.
• To involve students in the preparation and celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist and other sacraments, by providing opportunities for active participation in liturgical and paraliturgical services to enhance the depth and intensity of their experience of God.
• To honor Mary, our Mother, and recognize her place as the embodiment of all that Jesus lived and taught. She is the touchstone by which we find our way to Jesus and to the Father.
• To teach Catholic doctrine and social teachings, while developing the students' basic understanding of Catholicism.
• To share our faith in daily religion classes and assemblies.
• To encourage students to live Gospel values through their acknowledgment and appreciation of individual differences and embracing cultural diversities.
• To live our faith and Christian values by the example of the clergy, religious, and faith committed lay staff who serve as models.
• To offer opportunities for times of reflection and retreat.

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Our faith is continually fostered through works of service to others within, as well as beyond, the school community. These activities and experiences will prepare our students for life as a member of family, Church, and the secular community in which Christian principles must be made present. To accomplish this we propose the following goals:

• To foster a Christian awareness and responsibility of the qualities of a good community through the active student participation between the school, local and world community and use the local talent of the community through recognized and talented speakers.
• To afford the students the opportunities to express their faith and commitment to the service of others through a variety of projects in their home, parish, school, and civic community.
• To encourage active participation and tithing in their parish.
• To emphasize respect for honest differences of opinion.
• To foster an acceptance of one's civic duties thus resulting in a life lived as a cooperative member of the local and global community.
• To help our students grow in a realization that God calls them to use their talents and abilities for self-development and to care for the needs of others.
• Foster in the process of growth an attitude of service to others that is made real in works within, as well as beyond, the school community.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

In order to meet the challenges of our changing world, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School recognizes and places a high value on basic skills development, general knowledge, search for truth, and acquiring a diversity of skills. Building on this solid foundation, we will continue both to integrate technology into subject areas and to offer our students a variety of educational experiences that appeal to their different learning styles. To provide quality education in our school we propose to do the following:

• To continue to teach the basic, core academics emphasizing essential reading, writing, and computation skills which prepare them to perform responsibly in a rapidly-changing, technologically-complex, and interdependent world.
• To assist our students meet the challenges of our changing world so that they recognize and place a high value on the attainment of basic skills, general knowledge, a search for truth and acquiring a diversity of skills.
• To provide a continuing curriculum development for all children in grades preschool - 8 in the use of the computer.
• To use current textbooks, study trips, cooperative learning groups, audio-visual aids, and "hands-on" materials.
• To help each child to develop his/her power to think constructively and creatively.
• To help each student to attain the optimum educational growth and development within his/her capacity.
• To provide educational programs which take into account individual differences.
• To provide students with decision-making opportunities, group discussion, and inquiry sessions to enhance the classroom learning experiences.
• To provide each student with experiences which emphasize the American heritage and the responsibilities and privileges of American citizenship.
• To assess the needs and capabilities of individual students by utilizing various diagnostic measures.
• To guide each child to accept responsibility for self-evaluation and continuing self-instruction.
• To continue to create a caring, Christian environment where the principal, teachers and staff through guidance and example, provide positive and consistent measures which enable and encourage students to be accountable for their actions.
• To assist students in celebrating the world's diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds by fostering an ongoing sharing of these diversities through recognition of secular and religious holidays.
• To develop leadership skills through service projects, cross-age tutoring, involvement of students in the Liturgy as lectors and altar servers, and classroom discussions of the qualities necessary for effective leadership. We will continue to provide Big Brother/Big Sister "Buddy" activities in which the older students serve as role models for the younger students.
• To continue to expand the students' experiences and involvement in expositions and contests which provide an avenue for them to be recognized and rewarded.
• To employ the use of computers to further integrate technology into their core-curriculum studies.
• To choose faculty members on the basis of qualification, competence and dedication to the philosophy and objectives of Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School.
• To maintain a working relationship of cooperation between parents and teachers, especially through the Home and School Association
• To foster a cooperative effort of the total school staff in achieving the goals of the school which are based on the philosophy of Saint Jeanne.

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

As Christian educators, we believe in our children. We want them to grow in a realization that God calls them to utilize their talents and abilities for self-development and to care for the needs of others. We aim to maintain an atmosphere where a child can experience success and know that effort is valued as worthwhile and contributes to success. We want them to understand and accept the strengths and weaknesses of others while encouraging and supporting others to be their best. Most importantly, we want them to develop a positive self-image as one who is loved by God, oneself and others.

In order to accomplish this the school continues:

• To insist that the students grow in self-esteem, social skills, and the ability to apply the principles of their faith to everyday living.
• To encourage the development of a sense of pride in one's accomplishments
• To recognize and celebrate one's cultural roots as well as the variety of cultures within the school community.
• To provide student organizations such as team sports, intramural activities, student government, and group activities where student participants are encouraged, recognized, and rewarded.
• To provide opportunities within the classroom and school community where students are encouraged and guided in their exercise of leadership.
• To guide, support, and affirm the students in daily practical situations that develop character and require respect and courtesy.
• To provide informal counseling and referral services for students.
• To provide opportunities for social interaction.
• To encourage participation in service projects within the school and parish community, while reaching out to those within the human community who are in need.
• To help the students become aware of the need to respect, protect, and care for property in their local environment and in the world around them.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

We foster in our students an awareness of good physical health. Our students will develop sound patterns and attitudes of health leading to optimum growth and development. They will learn to deal more effectively with the critical issues that endanger their total growth and well-being.

In order to accomplish this, the school strives:

• To foster in our students an awareness of good physical health.
• To provide physical education instruction in grades kindergarten through eight.
• To instruct students in nutrition, safety, fitness, managing stress, and the consequences of substance abuse.
• To provide an extra-curricular after-school sports program.
• To develop interest in lifelong well-being and the benefits of recreation.
• To identify problems through teacher observations, and yearly evaluation programs for hearing, sight, speech, and scoliosis.

AESTHETIC DEVELOPMENT

We value an appreciation of the varied facets of the arts from a variety of cultures. We encourage appreciation and participation in the fine arts.

In order to accomplish this, the school strives:

• To encourage recognition and appreciation of and participation in the fine arts.
• To provide instruction in the creative arts.
• To encourage students to participate in musical presentations, art and craft displays, ethnic dances and talent shows.
• To provide professional performances for the enjoyment, appreciation, and instruction of the students.
• To encourage the study of other cultures and their contribution to the arts.
• To provide study trip experiences for students at concerts, plays, and museums.

In summary, in order to accomplish these goals Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac school strives to:

• Provide a safe, loving environment that encourages personal responsibility and traditional Christian values.
• Provide a challenging curriculum that is uniquely designed to meet the needs of our students and that promotes academic excellence.
• Provides a faculty that is personally and professionally suited for service and ministry.
• Provides a rich variety of educational opportunities and activities that enhance and stimulate.
• Provides a facility that meets the needs of our students and that provides a spacious and aesthetically pleasing environment for the students.

SCHOOL SONG

"Spirited and Proud"

REFRAIN:
We sing of our school - spirited and proud.
When called to fulfill our name, we answer lovingly.
Bold, purple and gold, Mustang spirit uphold.
Faithful we'll always be.
Together, we can make a difference.

Verse 1:
The fire that burns within
Our souls now brightly shines.
And we'll maintain that flame both in our hearts and minds!

REFRAIN

Verse 2: And as the years pass by
We come to realize
The bonds we forge here with our friends will never die!

REFRAIN

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School admits students of any race, color, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or ethnic origin regarding its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, or other school administered programs.