As the school year gets closer there are many exciting things going on at Our Lady of Grace School that will make for a great start to the year. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be regularly updating this area with information about changes and additions to our school so keep checking back!
Welcome New Faculty!
Mrs. Debra Havey will be joining us this year to teach our 3-year-old pre-schoolers. Mrs. Havey is a certified teacher who has taught primary and pre-school age children for over 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. Her most recent teaching experiences have been teaching with 3 and 4-year-old pre-school students .
Miss Cathy Zyra will be teaching half of our 4-year-old pre-school classes. Miss Zyra is a graduate of Our Lady of Grace School. She recently graduated from St. Mary's College in Indiana. She is a certified teacher who has experience as a Kindergarten teacher's aide.
Mrs. Danielle McDonald will be joining our intermediate level teachers and will be working with our 4th and 5th grade students by teaching half of our 5th graders in language arts and both classes of our 4th grade social studies. Mrs. McDonald has taught for almost 10 years with experience in the Diocese of Pittsburgh at St. John Neumann School. She is a certified teacher and is a graduate of Carlow University.
Curriculum Update
- The middle school students schedules will be changing this year. Previously, the students had one class of social studies and one class of science each day. This year the students will have a single class of social studies and science three days a week and one day with a double class period of social studies and science. This students will have 5 periods of science and social studies just in a different structure. The double class period once a week allows for the teachers and students to participate in more in-depth science experiments and social studies simulations and activities. This change was encouraged by a recommendation from our Middle States Evaluation.
- Our social studies curriculum is being updated. Beginning this school year, our students in 5th grade will now be focusing on world geography and our 6th graders will be focusing on world history. These changes to our social studies curriculum will help our students to increase their learning about cultures and lands from around the world.
- We are adding to our middle school science program. Currently our school has physical and life science books from Pearson- Prentice Hall Science. To add to this series, we have added the earth science book in this series which will allow our students to develop their knowledge in all three areas of science.
Facilities Update
- In addition to our beautiful new floors, we have also been blessed with new, brighter lighting in our entry way, first floor, second floor, stairwell landings, and down the hallway by the library and pre-school classrooms. The lighting has made our school hallways very bright and they look great!
-Our Lady of Grace School is getting a major make over! As soon as you walk in the building you will not be able to miss it. We have been blessed to get brand new floors in the entry way, in the hall in front of Conroy Hall, down the first and second floors, on the landings, and in the school office. These floors will brighten up our hallways and make them even more inviting.
- Not only are our floors getting a major improvement, so is our cafeteria. Our students will return to new cafeteria tables and chairs. These will replace the tables with the seats attached. The new tables and chairs will be used by our students each day at lunch and by the parish for various activities. Thank you to the Our Lady of Grace Parish Women's Guild for such a kind and generous donation that will be shared by so many.