The mission of Saint Ignatius Loyola School is to incorporate the Catholic Christian values as exemplified by Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Saint Ignatius Loyola with high academic achievement as well as to encourage an enthusiasm for learning.

Saint Ignatius Loyola faculty and administration strive daily to have Christian values permeate every area of secular study, so that we send forth children who are committed Catholic Christians and who will witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Saint Ignatius Loyola School also endeavors to be of service to the greater community through students’ involvement with charitable activities.

Philosophy

The Nature of Purpose

The spiritual philosophy of Saint Ignatius Loyola School is to acknowledge and affirm the presence of God and to make the Gospel message known and lived:

• By worshipping as a school community in daily classroom prayer and observing the liturgical calendar in chapel prayer groups
  
  
• By fostering a love and appreciation of our Catholic faith by presenting its truths accurately, completely and consistently
  
  
• By showing our students by word, action and deed how to live their faith as committed Christians
  
  
• By engaging the participation of parents, teachers and parish staff in developing and expanding the students’ capacity for right judgment
  
  
• By promoting Catholic Christian values, preparing the students for mission awareness, community outreach and Christian service

As a school in the Archdiocese of New York, we must impart Catholic Christian dogma not as rote learning, but with the zeal and genuine conviction of a true follower of Christ. We expect parents to be actively involved in the academic and spiritual development of their children. We attempt to instill values such as integrity, social justice and a commitment to continue Jesus’ mission on earth by inspiring all with the desire to serve others.

The teachers at Saint Ignatius Loyola School must manifest those attributes which can be identified by the children as Christ-like. Our discipline is rooted in the values exemplified in the Gospel. We strive to develop the God-given talents of each student. Academically, it is our goal to create and maintain an atmosphere conducive to optimum learning and to develop a sensitivity and flexibility of mind and spirit. To attain this goal, we strive to enhance intellectual, social and personal growth. To best serve the students, we aim to achieve a balance between process and content, integrating various resources in order to develop productive, independent learners. We encourage and help each child to reach his/her spiritual, intellectual, social and emotional potential.

The Nature of The Student

We recognize the student as an individual whose growth in spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical and social characteristics is addressed at each stage of development. Establishment of a caring Catholic Christian environment enables the student to become a self-disciplined, productive and independent learner.

Students are immersed in a Christ-like environment that clearly defines them as children of God. Prior to children beginning their day with morning prayer, students gather around the school prayer corner to write their own special intentions and to ask others to support them in their prayerful requests.

Prayer is an integral part of the day, beginning with morning prayer and ending with prayers that reinforce the religious studies in the last period of the school day. Liturgical celebrations, which are celebrated throughout the year, focus on Advent, Lent, Christmas, Easter, the lives of the saints and special Marian feasts. Bulletin boards frequently represent the spiritual nature of the school. The proximity of our church affords us the practice of incorporating liturgical services and prayer services into our religious instruction.

The development of Catholic Christian moral values is further reinforced through the use of a family life series. This program acts as a tool, which partners the pastoral obligations of both parents and school to develop and strengthen the moral decision-making of their children.

Saint Ignatius Loyola School appreciates the intellectual development of young learners in kindergarten through eighth grade. The major premise of our instructional philosophy is to give each student a firm foundation in the basic skills so that they may become competent in reading, writing, mathematics and verbal communication. As a part of the process, the children receive instruction in developing good work habits which become the tools they utilize in applying their knowledge in problem solving and analytic reasoning. Across the grade levels, students’ conceptual learning is solidified through concrete hands-on instruction, small group learning, cooperative learning and whole class lessons. Saint Ignatius Loyola School recognizes the value of the arts in education and encourages the students to explore their creative abilities and expressive voices.

Every effort is made to nurture and develop the social skills of our students. Throughout the school day, teachers reinforce basic social skills. Everywhere and always during the course of the day, the children’s social interaction with peers and adults is strengthened by honing interpersonal skills and by accepting and appreciating the diversity of their school community.

Real life experiences such as student leadership, public speaking, drama club and school newspaper enable students to develop skills necessary for social interaction. There are also annual family events such as the Christmas Pageant, International Night and Spring Musical. These events give students, teachers and parents the opportunity to interact in a convivial atmosphere. These activities help the students to expand their classroom experiences and to open their minds to a greater global awareness.

Recognizing academic and social pressures, the administrators, school psychologists and teachers team together to develop programs to meet the various needs of the student population. If needed, weekly child study meetings initiate a formal process of intervention, which facilitates communication between home and school. Ongoing programs, spearheaded by the school psychologists, deal with pertinent topics.

The child’s physical needs are addressed by the entire staff, as well as a school nurse who keeps accurate health records on file. Our physical education program provides a weekly opportunity for each child to engage in activities with the primary goal of integrating physical, social and mental development through instruction. We maximize our resources throughout the day by utilizing an adjacent high school facility and incorporating an outdoor, high-fenced rooftop play area. Our Upper East Side space is optimized during outdoor recess by creative activities such as the use of chalk, jump ropes, beanbags, hula-hoops, etc. We offer afterschool sports and recreational activities such as boys and girls basketball, spirit squad, faculty and student events, intermural and intramural competitive sports.

In order to foster the well being of every student during the time spent at Saint Ignatius Loyola School, specific provisions are in place to insure the safety and protection of all who are entrusted to our care. Regulations regarding safety and deportment in the classroom are clearly stated and periodically reviewed. Students in grades four through eight receive a student handbook that clearly defines the expectations of being a Saint Ignatius Loyola student, a good role model and a responsible citizen of the greater community.

Nature of Relationships

An integral component of what Saint Ignatius Loyola School exemplifies as an effective institution is its affective dynamics among all constituents that comprise the community.

The school community consists of 520 students from 418 families. The school is not a typical parish school since our members come from the five boroughs, Long Island, upstate New York and New Jersey. The varied socio-economic backgrounds are an added dimension of the people who make up our school community.

The Saint Ignatius Loyola School student body represents 42 nations from around the world. We can truly call ourselves an international community. The faculty and staff members all work together as one for the greater good of the students as expressed in the mission of the school.

The student-teacher relationship is the heartbeat of the school climate. The students feel welcome by the entire faculty and staff. This relationship is firmly rooted in mutual respect and reverence for the dignity of the individual. It is not unusual to see a teacher interacting with a small group of students before school, during lunch or after school to assist them in their many lessons inside and outside the classroom. Teachers consistently exemplify Catholic Christian values in all their interactions so as to serve as role models.

Teachers maintain a positive learning environment so that students may engage in dialogue that fosters self-confidence and assertiveness in their studies while appreciating the voices of others.

It is known that peer relationships are vital to the development of a healthy, social and emotional individual. Equal emphasis is placed on student awareness regarding decision-making and consequences, which is the foundation of their peer relationships. Students work hard to develop mutually supportive and caring friendships. Even though academic competitiveness is always at the forefront of their core studies, cooperative groupings and student study groups enable the students to help each other along the way.

Competition in the classroom and on the court is always tempered with the Catholic Christian value that each student possesses unique gifts from God. How they act and give of themselves is taught and encouraged. The teacher-parent relationship is a partnership in which both parties have a shared sense of their common goal: the well being and education of the child. Home-school communication is in place in a variety of ways:

• Back to School Nights
  
  
• Interim progress reports as needed
  
  
• Trimester or quarterly report cards
  
  
• Formal scheduled parent-teacher conference in the fall
  
  
• Additional parent/student/teacher communication whenever necessary
  
  
• Parent workshops
  
  
• Weekly newsletter

The primary component of the teacher-teacher relationship involves espousing the school’s mission and the living out in action and words Catholic Christian values.

Emphasis is placed on team collaboration as an important aspect of this relationship. Teachers often share ideas, classroom philosophies, resources and expertise. This sharing among teachers helps to maintain a professional and supportive environment in which teachers flourish in the art and science of their vocation and serve as role models for student interaction. The faculty enriches the school spirit and student life by willingly attending school events, coordinating after school activities and moderating student service programs.

The teacher-school relationship is based upon dedication and commitment. The teachers at Saint Ignatius Loyola School are committed to living and sharing the Gospel message and are dedicated to providing excellent educational opportunities for their students. The teachers devote their time, energy and focus to meeting the needs of the students and accomplishing these goals and objectives in all subject areas.

Nature of Process

Effective school administration is achieved by the cooperation, mutual respect and understanding between the pastor, who is the ex-officio, chief administrative officer of the total parish educational program and the principal and assistant principal who are the Catholic Christian leaders and administrators responsible for the effective day to day operation of the school. This team must be able to inspire and direct the faculty, students, parents, pastoral staff and the community with their understanding, enthusiasm, intelligence, patience, warmth and sensitivity. They are the spokespersons for the school who communicate the vision, mission and accomplishments of the school. They are leaders who have been entrusted with preserving the tradition and legacy of the institution while assessing the present in order to plan for the future.

The pastor, cooperating with the administrative team, pastoral staff and faculty, provides for the religious formation of the students with liturgical celebrations, preparations for sacraments, religious education in the classroom and brings together the school as a faith community. The pastor meets regularly with the principal and exchanges information and ideas on education and administrative procedures, reviews school finances, personnel, tuition, development, fund raising and school facilities.

The administration, as Catholic Christian leaders, emulate and embrace the teachings of the Church and incorporate these teachings as part and parcel of the educational process. The administrative team enables the faculty to realize their instructional leadership role and provides professional development enhancing methodology through curriculum to meet students’ needs. The administrators interface between the Archdiocese of New York and Saint Ignatius Loyola School by communicating and implementing policy and procedures set forth by the Archdiocese. It is also the role of the team to design parent education workshops and meetings to assist families in their roles as the primary educators of their children.

The purpose of our curriculum is to incorporate a specific set of skills as mapped out in a vertical curriculum in scope and sequence on grade level. In addition, we use the curriculum as a vehicle to teach the students how to think and apply learning. Reviewing and implementing this process is as important as utilizing the Archdiocesan Essential Learnings and the New York State Standards as guidelines. A values integrated approach is in place to bring Catholic teachings into the school environment.

The teaching and learning atmosphere is developed in which teachers and students can grow in a deeper knowledge of themselves as individuals and as part of the community. We strive to motivate each student to develop a moral code of living based upon Gospel values. We recognize that we share this responsibility with the parents who are the primary teachers of their children. The Archdiocesan Essential Learnings and the New York State curriculum form the objectives and specific goals for each teacher. The lesson plans are based upon these objectives and the individual needs of the children. The teacher utilizes diverse resources and integrates technology to enhance instruction and student-driven learning.

The principal/assistant principal observe the teachers in a formative process and at the end of the year in a summative report and conference. The clinical and collaborative review of teaching methods focuses on assisting the teacher to reflect on his/her teaching style. Teacher goal setting at the beginning of the school year is crucial for self-directing instruction and leadership. Plan books are reviewed weekly and are used as an administrative means of being knowledgeable of the week-to-week progress of curriculum. Scheduled common prep time allows for collegial conversation on a weekly basis. The faculty is encouraged by the administration to be reflective practitioners. Students are evaluated on a regular basis. They are also formally evaluated in January with mid-term examinations and assessments and again in June with final examinations and assessments. Kindergarten through eighth grade are also administered standardized tests and the New York State Assessments. As part of the Archdiocesan evaluation, the students are evaluated in third grade through eighth grade in religion and in the eighth grade Algebra Honors math program. Within the Latin program, the seventh grade students are evaluated through the Latin Proficiency Exam and also have the opportunity to participate in the National Latin Examination.

Evaluating the teacher-learning process is an essential and integral part of the process of teaching. Teaching and evaluating go hand-in-hand. As teachers, we must constantly be attentive to our students’ academic performance and continually ascertain what they know and what instructional support they need. We believe that instruction is more efficient and effective if, at the same time instruction is implemented, it is evaluated and modified based upon the assessment process. Therefore, we believe assessment emerges as a day-to-day process and is authentic in scope. In evaluating the teaching-learning process and in making educational decisions based on those evaluations, Saint Ignatius Loyola faculty embraces these guidelines:

• By observing and celebrating the process as well as the product
  
  
• By encouraging the student to communicate verbally and in a written format the
  process of what they are learning
  
  
• By designing lessons and activities that measure students’ competency and proficiency
  
  
• By evaluating not only rote learning but the understanding and application of that learning

The faculty’s role at Saint Ignatius Loyola School is multi-faceted. The teachers are witnesses to the Gospel, as well as educators, facilitators and child advocates.