Immaculate Heart of Mary School
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Mary M. Hedger & Nancy Goebel - Co-Principals
We offer a well-rounded education at the elementary school level for grades K through 8. Grades K through 2 are self-contained. Departmentalization begins gradually at grade 3 and increases by grade 5. Maximum class size is 30 students for grades 1-8. Kindergarten classes are full day.
Preschool and Pre-K will be offered in fall of 2012. Information is on our parish and school website as it becomes available.
Our school’s religious program is a part of Immaculate Heart of Mary’s Catholic Formation Program and adheres to the mission, mandates and policies of the parish and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The curriculum follows the Graded Course of Study of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The integrated curriculum is based on the gospel values of Jesus Christ and current educational practices that include activities suited to a variety of learning styles. Academic programs and extracurricular activities are structured to help each student be successful. Our program provides opportunities for the student to grow in personal awareness of God, self and others. In addition to regular classes taught by certified religion teachers, there are opportunities for prayer, para-liturgical services, and regular participation in weekday liturgies.
• Immaculate Heart of Mary is a fully accredited school by the State of Ohio and the National Catholic Education Association
• U. S. Department of Education No Child Left Behind 2004 Blue Ribbon School Award
• 2010 Catholic Schools of Tomorrow Award, Category: Innovation in Curriculum and Instruction
• Mustard Seed Award Recipient
• National PTO Award
• NPCD Religious Education Award
• 2007 Edward M. Shaughnessy III, Serving All God’s Children Inclusion Award
Our faculty members are consummate learners. They attend professional development that addresses the needs of our students; they have become teacher leaders, encouraging and supporting their peers in their efforts to be better teachers, and they are peer trainers, presenting their knowledge and successes at local, regional, and national conferences. (Our faculty has presented at the National Blue Ribbon Conference, Ohio Catholic Education Conference, Ohio Council of Teachers of Math and the National Council for History Education).
To provide a safe learning environment for our students the campus buildings remain locked with access gained through a security door to the main lobby. Security cameras are used and volunteers are required to wear badges that identify them as passing the Archdiocesan requirements for all volunteers.
The National Catholic Educational Association Department of Elementary Schools honored our Immaculate Heart of Mary School PTO in Atlanta, Georgia at their NCEA Annual Convention. Our PTO received this recognition for their mosaic project, which can be viewed in the lobby of our school.
to IHM Principal Mary Hedger:
“I am writing to you today to congratulate you and your teachers for the outstanding honor that you have received from NCEA (the National Catholic Education Association).
The fact that your school was selected as one of only twelve schools in the nation to receive this 2010 Catholic Schools of Tomorrow Award is a true testimony to the quality education that your school continues to provide. Following your Blue Ribbon award from the US Department of Education, this innovative program “The Learning Brain in Action” once again emphasizes your school’s attention to each individual child’s needs.
The nine years of ongoing staff development has resulted in engaged student learners who learn by doing and are challenged at the highest cognitive levels. It is a real tribute to your entire staff.
I am also pleased that your teachers have become teacher leaders presenting their knowledge and successes at local, regional, and national conferences.
As the eighth largest Catholic School system in the United States, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati continues to demonstrate strong leadership across its 115 school and your award clearly exemplifies this…”
”Congratulations on your school being named a No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon School!...Your school community must be on cloud nine. We at the Council for American Private Education join you in celebrating your school's success…You, your staff, students, and parents should be proud and pleased that your efforts to deliver the highest quality education are not only successful, but are an example to others…Again, congratulations and best wishes to your entire community….”
“We were torn between IHM and another school for our first grader. When I come to pick him up students nearby will open the door for us, several ‘upperclassmen’ will say goodbye. Students are so nice and mannerly. That, combined with how much he has learned makes me certain IHM was the right choice for us!”
“...the staff of IHM is so dedicated to their jobs, and it shows in their approach to teaching...I have attended IHM for the past eight years, and I have been given the opportunity to transfer to different schools,
but no school, private, public, or Catholic, can offer what IHM offers...”
“I am not willing to compromise a student’s education for my convenience.”
“I like IHM because it is a place full of smiles. We learn about God, and speak our minds. There are great teachers and a beautiful church. Our classrooms are welcoming. We laugh and smile, play and learn. The Bosco sticks, spaghetti, and cheese Coneys are delicious, and the smell of chocolate cake flows through the hallways. Catholic Schools Week is a blast, but above all, IHM contains prayer and happiness. It’s practically our second home.”
“...Just about everyone I know that either works or learns here has an open heart. The people here make me feel safe and wanted. All the teachers are kind and loving...”
“... Our school is such a phenomenal place to be. There is an enthusiasm for learning that is contagious and our faculty and staff are knowledgeable and excited about their roles in your children's lives. When I walk the halls and visit in classrooms, I see smiles and eager faces.”
Debbi Hill
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School family provides a caring and challenging educational environment for our children. We nurture spiritual growth, self-esteem and academic excellence through a traditional curriculum and broad-based activities. Our Christian school community values the individual child, the joy of learning, community service and the development of personal and social responsibility.
2011/12 Geographic Information:
44% Forest Hills, 31% West Clermont, 11% Milford, 10% New Richmond, 4%: CNE-City-KY-Brown County
Graduates Attend:
Archbishop McNicholas High School, St. Xavier High School, St. Ursula Academy, Ursuline Academy, Moeller High School, Summit Country Day, Purcell Marian High School, Anderson High School, Turpin High School
Graduates were offered the following amounts in academic scholarships at graduation (none were based on financial need):
June 2011 $358,000 June 2010 $372,400
Each teacher has his/her own laptop. Every grade level has a digital/video camera. Classrooms are equipped with SmartBoards (interactive whiteboards) and Avio Projectors. The Starlab Portable Planetarium is available for student use and all classroom teachers are trained in its use for integrating the curriculum.
This extended day program is staffed almost entirely by our school employees and is structured to include play, snack and homework and sharing time.
Immaculate Heart of Mary School first opened its doors in 1955 as a four classroom building with a large activity room/cafeteria and outhouses. There was an initial enrollment of 159 students. Eight grades were divided between the four classrooms, grouped together by twos: first and second; third and fourth; fifth and sixth; seventh and eighth. On April 15, 1956, Bishop George J. Rehring dedicated the new school, which was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Sister Mary Ellen Robinson became the first principal. The Sisters of St. Joseph were an integral part of the original teaching staff through 1980.
Presently our faculty consists of twenty-seven classroom teachers, plus specialists in art, music, band, physical education, Spanish and computer education, a librarian, health aide, psychologist, reading and math specialists, language and communication specialist, special education and enrichment specialists and educational assistants.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary School Community provides a caring and challenging educational environment for children. We value the individual child, nurture spiritual growth, and independence, and promote community responsibility to those in need. We provide excellence through an integrated curriculum based on the Gospel values of Jesus Christ, and current educational practices that include activities suited to a variety of learning styles. (2011)
Statement of Beliefs
We believe that every individual is a witness to the teachings of Christ and models mutual respect, Christian behavior and love.
We believe educators must pursue educational excellence to best meet the needs of students so that they may meet the goals of our ever-changing world.
We believe that curriculum-based instruction must provide for the learning styles of all students.
We believe that parents are the primary educators of their children and that academic and spiritual learning is a cooperative effort.
We believe that with high expectations all students can learn according to their unique, God-given talents.(2011)
Michele Head won an award for outstanding math teacher sponsored by NKU UC and XU. She uses robots, technology, and active engagement to teach her jr high.
Deb Lofland takes her lessons beyond the mundane and has her students doing everything from composing blues songs to lying on their backs and painting the undersides of their desks while studying Renaissance literature. She presented her methodology at the 2009 National Blue Ribbon Schools Conference.
Melanie Pikar is trained in Brain Based Learning; teaches Daniel Amen's Mind Works Program as a way to make adolescents aware of the connection between a healthy brain and success. She also was a presenter at the National Blue Ribbon Conference. She is a high energy teacher with a program that integrates the arts into all facets of education.
Both Elaine and Michele have worked for many years with the UC Economic Center on a program called Market Madness. Their homeroom classes (2nd and 7th) design and run companies, make/market a product, and sell their products at a UC/XU city-wide event each year.
Mrs. Susan Myers was named a Nationally Certified Teacher. Suzie teaches our fourth graders at IHM.
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For almost fifty years our parish school has proved to be a place for Christian education and academic excellence. Our commitment to teaching the whole child is more than a few words on a page. The dedication of our faculty and staff has proven why our school is well regarded in our community and in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
It is our daily effort to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ that sets us apart from many other good schools in our neighborhood. Our Mission Statement and Philosophy are the challenges we face so that each person within the school will grow as a Child of God.
The fact that our school is well attended attests to the reality that our parents see us as a caring and compassionate place where a child can learn and be challenged to be the best person and best student he or she can be. We currently have over six hundred forty students in grades one through eight.
Our school first opened its doors in 1955. The Sisters of St. Joseph were an integral part of the original teaching staff through 1980. Presently our faculty numbers consists of twenty-four classroom teachers, plus specialists in art, music, band, physical education and computer education, a librarian, health aide, psychologist, reading and math specialists, speech and hearing therapist, learning disabilities teacher and educational aides.
Our school offers a well-rounded education at the elementary school level for grades one through eight. Grades 1-3 are self-contained. Departmentalization begins gradually at grade 4 and increases by grades 7 and 8. Average class size is 30 students.
Our school_s religious program is a part of Immaculate Heart of Mary_s Catholic Formation Program. As such, it is directed by the parish Catholic Formation department and adheres to the mission, mandates and policies of the parish and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The curriculum follows the Graded Course of Study of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Our program provides opportunities for the student to grow in personal awareness of God, self and others. In addition to regular classes taught by certified religion teachers, there are opportunities for prayer, para-liturgical services, and regular participation in weekday liturgies.
_ IHM is a fully accredited school by the State of Ohio and the National Catholic Education Association
_ Blue Ribbon School Nominee: IHM is one of fifty non-public schools from the entire nation which are being nominated for this award in 2004
_ Mustard Seed Award Recipient
_ National PTO Award
_ NPCD Religious Education Award