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St. Gregory Episcopal School (773)277-4447 (with voice mail), (773)277-4445 (fax) ________________________________________________________________________________ |
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ABOUT ADMISSION NEWS/ACTIVITIES EVENTS
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St. Gregory
Episcopal School ENABLING INNER-CITY BOYS TO acquire the
habits of heart and mind to achieve THEIR true potential for self and
community
Vision Statement At St. Gregory every boy will acquire the courage, moral direction, and habits of heart and mind to achieve, unencumbered by social condition, his true potential for self and community. History and Recent Accomplishments St. Gregory Episcopal School was
established in 1962 by the Rev. R. L. Whitehouse and Gordon L. Baker. Its
founders envisioned a liturgical and educational institution patterned after
the all-male English Cathedral choir schools, but situated within the urban
context of In August of 2002 St. Gregory’s
moved to a shuttered school building in o An intensive tutoring program for those students who, despite our best in-class efforts, are not reading at grade level; o A six-week summer school program that offers both remediation and enrichment courses; o A reading specialist, who will support teachers, parents, students and tutors in our quest to have 100% of our students reading at or above grade level; o The introduction of a religious curriculum called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which uses a Montessori approach to religious education; o The introduction of several successful parent involvement programs. The vision of its founders, and the leaders who have followed, has made it possible for almost 2,000 inner city boys to attend St. Gregory's. The school offers a rigorous academic curriculum, small class size (no more than 15 students per classroom), guidance and shepherding through the high school selection and application process; K-8 music and choral instruction; and counseling for students and their families when necessary. St. Gregory’s offers a traditional “back to basics” elementary (K-8) education, with emphasis on reading, writing, critical thinking, and speaking. Here at St. Gregory’s, reading and math are priorities, but we believe that children from resource-poor environments must have a “wrap-around” educational experience that provides a range of opportunities to stimulate not only their minds, but also their bodies and spirits. Fighting the negative influences of the inner city demands much more than some children are able to receive in public schools, and we strive to give our students the education, moral fiber, and character it takes to succeed in today’s world. In so doing, we are strengthening inner-city communities by investing in the future of their young men. Education is freedom and, given a level playing field, our students can accomplish anything to which they set their minds. Performance on Standardized Tests During the past three years we
have seen a steady climb in the Iowa Test scores of St. Gregory students. By
2004, based on It has long been recognized by educators that smaller class sizes, especially in the early grades, result in increased learning and better reading and math skills. With a maximum of 15 students per class, the students at St. Gregory’s receive individualized attention and teachers are able to know their students in a way that would be impossible if they had larger classes. Students entering high school below grade level in reading or math are more likely to fail, and failure in one or more subjects during the first year of high school significantly increases the potential for dropping out. St Gregory’s believes that an unwavering emphasis on these subjects is vital. And while traditional education is primary, substantial time is also given to building self-esteem, providing appropriate role models, and exposing students to competitive sports and team work. St. Gregory’s recognizes that there is much our students need, and strives to offer a variety of enrichment opportunities in order to expand students’ horizons while assuring that reading and math levels are at or above grade level: Spiritual Development Each school day is begun with a short morning prayer service, with another at lunchtime. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday by a rotating cadre of volunteer priests who support our goal to provide frequent opportunities for worship. Our students assume roles as readers and acolytes at these services, supported by a Board member who teaches them how to fill leadership roles. September 2005 saw the implementation of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a catechism that teaches through a Montessori-based hands-on learning of the lessons taught by the Bible. The pilot program started with our youngest students, and will gradually expand to all grade levels within three years. Music & Choir Since the school’s inception, students have participated in music instruction and choir. Students may audition for the St. Gregory Boychoir and are taught to sing in Latin, Greek, German and Italian, and perform a range of church anthems, hymns and spirituals. The presence of the choir program at St. Gregory’s cannot be undervalued. Not only are musical concepts closely related to mathematics, the Boychoir provides students with a disciplined activity that takes them out of their neighborhood and exposes them to communities and fellowship they might not otherwise experience. The Boychoir is consistently in high demand, maintaining a busy weekend schedule of singing dates at various churches and organizations throughout the city. During the past year, the Boychoir has performed at 18 venues, including Seabury-Western Seminary, the Chicago Police Department Dedication of Gold Star Memorial Park, and more than 15 Episcopal churches. Reading & Language Arts We are especially proud of our
library, writing lab, and tutoring program. When we moved three years ago,
the “library” had virtually no usable books; the set of encyclopedias that
had been left stated that Kennedy was the President of the In order to create a “culture of literacy” at St. Gregory’s the Board and faculty have pushed forward a number of initiatives. We collaborate with Hug-a-Book, an early childhood literacy program of Family Focus, Inc., to guide faculty, volunteers and parents in maintaining a high standard of literacy promotion activities at St. Gregory’s and in the home. Students have the option of competing for prizes by solving logic, math and lateral thinking puzzles each week, and this year we hope to see the implementation of regular family reading and storytelling gatherings. Cooperation and Teamwork The benefits of team effort and spirit are taught through the touch football and basketball teams which compete in the West Side Catholic League. Faculty and volunteer coaches work with our students during the week and on Saturdays to assure that participation in team sports is possible. Community and Fellowship We have had an increasing number of visits from parish groups recently, and have been able to hold regular Saturday events which bring them together with our students and parents for service projects, learning and fellowship. Our students also take part in twice-yearly community service projects, and regularly collect food for the community food pantry. Role Modeling and Mentoring The Visiting Mentor Project, under the leadership of one of our Board members, is bringing positive role models in to talk with the seventh and eighth graders twice a month. Many of our boys lack a positive male role model in their lives, and we do what we can to fill that gap by working with men who have the desire to share some of their life experience with our students. Visiting Mentors make one or more arranged visits to the school to talk to students, and are asked to share information about their careers and how they made their work and life choices. The importance of education, and how it provides opportunities one might not otherwise have, is stressed. We also try to offer the boys a glimpse into career worlds to which they might not ordinarily be exposed, and demonstrate for them how adults prepare themselves for work that they both enjoy and find meaningful. We are especially interested in highlighting the role technology plays in so many careers today.
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