St. Jerome earns re-accreditation
School meets stringent standards for NEASC accreditation
The re-accreditation banner proudly displayed on the St. Jerome School building is a visible sign to passersby that a quality education can be found within. Those inside have known it all along.
The formal NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation process takes about two years. During that time every aspect of a school’s purpose and function is studied and documented to ensure that the school meets the stringent standards set by this prestigious association. The NEASC report that accompanies the notification of accreditation creates the blueprint that will be used to build the school’s future.
Having enjoyed a positive reputation since opening its doors 50 years ago, St. Jerome School first earned NEASC accreditation in 1997. The re-accreditation just awarded reflects much that has changed since then and, as importantly, much that has stayed the same. St. Jerome continues to be a Catholic school dedicated to the teachings of Jesus Christ. With this as the heart of their mission, the faculty is committed to challenging their students to reach high academic standards while preparing them for life outside the nurturing walls of St. Jerome School.
Collectively, the current faculty and staff have over 200 years of service at St. Jerome and have been witness to amazing changes in both the world and the school. As one walks through the classrooms you’re likely to see children engaged in activities that no one could have imagined when they opened their doors in 1957. The school has gotten serious about technology, equipping each classroom with SMART Boards and laptops. Their library is catalogued on-line and students are preparing Power Point presentations for their up-coming Education Fair. Many textbooks are electronically available from home and Gradekeeper and Test Whiz are tools teachers wouldn’t want to do without.
And all this has happened without losing a beat in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Many traditional approaches (even memorization and spelling bees!) live on, happily co-existing with their more modern counterparts.
As education in general is being viewed through a magnifying glass, St. Jerome School will strive for continued excellence. Offering the very best in instruction, up-to-date supplies, texts and equipment, St. Jerome School is well positioned for the future. The NEASC re-accreditation is not an end but rather a beginning. Periodic updates and visits from the NEASC team will keep the focus on identified goals until the ten-year cycle leads to the start of next self-study in 2015. With the blueprint in hand, parents, students, faculty and staff will journey forward confident that the students at St. Jerome School are receiving all that they deserve.
