March 21, 2017
Greetings Falcon Families,
Last week we had a WASC visit. During a WASC visit, a team of educators goes to a school to affirm the good things being done and support goals the school has set through a process of self study. Our WASC team was made up of three principals and three teachers from various Catholic schools. They gave up three days to be here with us and visit with our school community. The faculty and staff prepared for this visit for over a year, and although it was A LOT of work, it was a very good WASC visit.
The team found that our school is highly effective in reflecting Catholic identity through our Mission Statement, Philosophy, and Student Learning Expectations, but more importantly, they each commented that you can see that the whole school community is living out our Catholic faith. They stated that St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish School is “highly effective in modeling a faithful community that supports and cares for one another.”
They also observed that our faculty and staff are effectively creating an environment of learning and are committed to high achievement of all students, and they commended us for integrating technology into the learning process. It was also noted that we are highly effective in planning for emergencies and “effective in providing resources and services to help students with special needs including students with greater learning aptitude”.
The team also recognized the improvements that have been made over the last year in the areas of communication and financial management.
The following quote summarized the thoughts of our Visiting Committee:
“The Visiting Committee observed that Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Parish) School fosters a Christ-filled learning environment that is further strengthened by the Dominican charism. The students are a reflection of the strong family-oriented community modeled by the faculty and staff. It was observed that the entire Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Parish) School community is united in its commitment to continue the strong effort of bringing the school to its full potential. The Visiting Committee believes that the Action Plan set forth by the school, when followed through with fidelity, will enhance the strong practices already in place, thus leading to high achievement of all students.”
I am deeply grateful to Fr. Edwin, Sr. Mara Anne and the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, our faculty, staff, students, parents, and the whole St. Ignatius of Loyola community for always working so hard to make our school a wonderful place of faith and learning. We are truly blessed!
Ileana Wade
Principal
