Welcome, friends, family, alumni, and prospective families!
Every school year is special in its own way, with unique surprises and events. The past spring of our 2019-2020 year, however, brought an historic event the likes of which we have never seen. Adjusting to the closure of much of the United States, including the State of Illinois, and more specifically St. Michael Parish School, required rapid planning, classroom conversions to 100% digital instruction and learning, a hyper-collaborative teacher-student-parent effort, expansion of at-home learning environments, and the adoption of modes of communication students and teachers alike had to learn anew. We are incredibly grateful to all involved for ensuring that as much as possible, this was a time of calm for our children, and that our students' learning, social, and spiritual needs remained at the center of our days. The staff and I were especially pleased with the accomplishments of our students during the Distance Learning that took place the final Trimester of 2019-2020! We experienced exceptional attendance and engagement from our students, with 98% student participation, as well as dedicated support from parents and caregivers. Combined with creative methods and ardent effort, teachers were able to stay on track with curriculum, confident students are prepared to transition grades next year. Also, we've found that the love and compassion of our community can be felt from a distance...and that is a beautiful thing. The connection each child feels as a part of our school is real and present miles beyond the building.
This Fall 2020, we are back, live and in-person! Our most up-to-date
reopening plan can be viewed here
. Modifications were necessary to accommodate every safety measure, but we have been so grateful to be back with daily in-person instruction for all grade levels. Getting through the first trimester of this year required a spirited collaboration, and we have been thrilled with the results of our efforts. As well, the option for a live, synchronous, virtual experience allows our Lancers to learn from home by choice or sometimes by necessity if their household needs to quarantine. Planning for every eventuality continues to be part of our plan, and we will be ready to respond should structural changes become necessary.
When I began as Principal of St. Michael Parish School in Fall 2017, I
couldn’t have imagined how great it would be here at St. Mike’s. The students,
our staff, the community…it has just been amazing. I thank everyone for the
warm embrace, and thank God for bringing me here to serve. As your Principal, whether you’re a
current family, you’re considering St. Michael as an option for your family for
the future, you were once a school family and now your kids have grown, or
you’re an alumnus yourself, please know I invite you to talk with me about the
school, share your experiences, ask questions, and please… come visit when we reopen!
We continue to offer year-round tours for prospective families, so if you simply call our office, our staff will add you to our tour calendar. I hope to see you soon!
I am also excited to share with you a wonderful facilities update... we launched a "Stand Strong" initiative for school safety in the spring of 2018. Stand Strong began as a movement within our community to better secure the school; safety being top priority. The major outcome of the campaign was an overhaul of our front entry, as shown in the photos below. In addition to many safety upgrades, we have a new traffic pattern into the school and better use of office space. This is incredibly exciting and we are deeply grateful for the community's response to this critical building project. A heartfelt "thank you," to all who contributed!
If you are visiting our website because you are considering St. Michael for your family, I invite you to please call me at 630-665-1454. School days really are "different" here at St. Michael. Your child will experience such incredible growth during these
school years and we hope you will consider
St. Michael, which provides a uniquely formational school experience. Through our academic rigor, community culture, engagement in faith, teaching of morality and virtue-centered living, and a
common language that values goodness, students at St. Michael build a self-view and world-view that are positive, hopeful, and life-giving.
I am honored to partner with all our school families as we continue the rich tradition of academic excellence of our Catholic education for which St. Michael Parish School has been well-known in our community.
Make it a great day,
Adam Ferguson
