School Plans Individualized Learning For 2020-2021 School Year
Educators at St. Philip Neri School have always been committed to academic excellence, nurtured in small class sizes with personal attention for each student. They met the challenges of the unforeseen Covid-19 public health crisis from the very beginning of the stay-at-home lockdown in mid- March, designing an innovative home curriculum. Utilizing I-Ready and Google Learning (Teach at Home)/Google Classrooms to offer individualized learning plans the home curriculum fosters knowledge and skill development, conceptual understanding and problem solving.
To support the home learning environment, the Archdiocese of Chicago launched a series of instructional videos for all students including e-learning videos for preschool and kindergarten students. Other instructional videos contain lessons in various core subjects including English, math, religion, writing and science as well as sing-a-longs and dance-a-longs.
Administrators say the remainder of this academic school year will require an e-learning environment. The school will continue to incorporate digital elements with traditional strategies. This will include digital tools and resources for each student and expansion of the virtual learning center when the school session resumes.
To facilitate continuity of learning for current families, the school is offering early registration for the next school year. To welcome prospective new families, immediate enrollment opportunities are offered that include: Zoom/Duo/Skype meeting with the principal and teachers for prospective parents, and online enrollment on the website.
Principal Kenneth Koll explained being able to transition to e-learning so quickly, and discussed plans for the upcoming school year.
“The Covid-19 pandemic thrust all of us into an entirely different lifestyle at all levels. It is very important for us to be strong physically and emotionally. It is especially important for our students to continue to develop intellectually.
“Our small class sizes and differentiated learning model made it much easier for us to develop learning plans to support learning in the home. I am very proud of how our students, parents and staff have continued to work together to prove rich and lasting learning experiences in the home. We have already begun creating individualized learning plans for each student that will guide instruction when we return in the fall.”
About St. Philip Neri Catholic School™- St. Philip Neri School has been a strong presence in the South Shore Community since it first opened in 1913. The founding priests, sisters and families were determined that their institution would add to the well-being and growth of the church and the greater South Shore community. Construction on the school began long before the permanent church was built. The initial worship space was located where the present-day main entrance way is – the section of the school now referred to as the rotunda.
Since the 1970s, the South Shore neighborhood went through a transformation and became an area where upwardly mobile African Americans moved into the community. St. Philip Neri remains a pillar of scholastic relevance for families that want their children to have a quality education, innovative ways of learning and experienced teachers who integrate Catholic Christian values with fundamental educational concepts for their growth in the future.
For more information about St. Philip Neri Catholic School, visit www.spnschoolchicago.org.
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