St. Jane Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Parish Information

St. Jane de Chantal is a Catholic school established in 1953 by Msgr. James Caulfield and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, PA. It is a co-educational, K-8 parish school in suburban Maryland. Our mission is to spread the message of Jesus by providing high quality, well-rounded education within our Christ-centered community. While most of our students are Catholic, all of our students are encouraged to manifest the presence of God. We provide a comprehensive, developmental, and integrated curriculum imbued with Gospel teachings, which stimulate academic excellence while developing traditional Catholic values. Religion is the thread that weaves the curriculum together. Prayers, recited together as a school, begin and end each day. Every day, a different grade joins the parish in celebrating Mass. The entire school attends holy day Masses and special liturgies. The faculty, parish priests, staff, administration, volunteers, parents, and students make up our community of learning and spirituality. This community creates an atmosphere, which fosters the growth of individual talents and gifts including self-confidence, self-respect, and self-esteem. St. Jane de Chantal School teaches and encourages the development of leadership and dedication to community service. The community recognizes that the student body needs to be given opportunities to appreciate differences in culture and affluence. The faculty hopes by laying the groundwork, service will become a way of life, not limited to school activities. Students are encouraged to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ; namely to love, respect, and care for one another. Through our outreach programs, our students learn to appreciate and respect cultural differences. We have a strong commitment to basic academic skills and learning in a sequential format. Realizing that knowledge is more than academics, we balance these basic skills with attention to social, personal, and physical development. Our faculty strives to create a Christian environment, conducive to learning in which the mutual rights and responsibilities of students are recognized and upheld. Characteristics of good citizenship are acknowledged and rewarded. Intellectual development follows a sequential continuum of instruction. Critical thinking skills are emphasized across the curriculum. Students are encouraged to develop individual learning styles by being given opportunities to work independently and in cooperative groups, using collaborative skills, and exploring different problem solving strategies. During a student's years at St. Jane de Chantal, a child begins with a view of the world from her/his perspective and proceeds through many stages to become an individual able to function as a Christian in today's world. These stages include self-awareness and taking personal responsibility for actions. Students learn to respect authority through interactions with adults and other students. Positive reinforcement of appropriate behavior is stressed in a secure and warm environment. Students become mindful of their social responsibility in American society. St. Jane de Chantal School has a formal physical education program and an expanded multi-purpose facility has been built to facilitate many of these activities. We are aware that caring relationships among students, teachers, and parents help to maintain an excellent institution. These relationships are enhanced through interaction at Home and School Association meetings, parent conferences, and through phone calls and notes. A student has a variety of relationships in the school community. Students learn to respect and support one another through such activities as group projects, peer mediation, cooperative groups, peer tutoring and duty as lunch and recess monitors. Older and younger children are paired during "family" activities. With a dedicated faculty, the school supports the students in meeting the demands of our educational philosophy. Implementing our principles and beliefs, we create a strong sense of God's presence in our community where each child can flourish and reach his/her potential. We recognize and celebrate each child's individual talents. The faculty provides a safe, consistent, and nurturing atmosphere. By modeling Christian values, the faculty members play an integral part in the lives of students. Teachers collaborate by sharing their expertise and classroom experience in various areas. Teachers act as guides in each student's spiritual and academic development by their collegial and professional contributions to the learning community. Teachers encourage cooperative activities with parents and share the responsibility for the total development of the students within the ever-changing family structure. The principal, as academic and spiritual leader of St. Jane de Chantal School, has the responsibility for policy decisions. She encourages input from her faculty and values their contributions. The curriculum is set by the Archdiocese of Washington. Annually, the administration, department heads, and teachers examine the curriculum to determine its relevance and compliance. The teachers at St. Jane de Chantal are required to hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited college and be certified by the State of Maryland. Qualities in teachers that encourage the education of the whole child are also desired. Formal and informal evaluation of students and faculty is on going. The students are encouraged to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Through our outreach programs our students learn to appreciate and respect cultural differences. Our hands and hearts come together to achieve the aspirations of our school:Hands to WorkHearts to GodFrom generation to generationMay each of us have theHands and hearts that canWork together, love togetherAnd pray together.