For St. Josaphat School and St. Viator High School, winning a National Blue Ribbon award is familiar territory. St. Josaphat School, 2245 N. Southport Ave., previously won the award in 2010 and 2017. St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights won it in 2008 and 2014. The awards were announced on Sept. 23 by the U.S. Department of Education; both schools received the honor again this year under the category of Exemplary High Performing Schools. Out of the 356 schools recognized this year, only 40 were private schools; 78% of those schools were Catholic. Nel Mullens, principal of St. Josaphat, said the staff and students were excited to learn they won. “It’s a tremendous honor,” Mullens said. “It’s something we’ve been working toward since our last win in 2017.” During that time, students, faculty and staff have worked to maintain high test scores and student engagement and fostered the positive culture of the school community, she said. “It hasn’t been easy, but we continue to try,” she said. One way the school accomplishes its goals is to bring teachers together regularly to evaluate how classes are going and making changes where necessary, she said. “The teachers really do have a say in our programs, and that really gives them the voice they need in a school,” Mullens said. The school also maintains strong ties with parents and community leaders. Now, school leaders turn their focus to the next five years, when they can apply to win a National Blue Ribbon again, she added. “In general, winning a Blue Ribbon Award really validates and authenticates what you do as a school,” said Jon Baffico, principal of St. Viator High School. “It means a lot, not only to win it this time but to kind of separate yourself in terms of the number of times that you won it.” Only three schools in Illinois have won a National Blue Ribbon more than three times, Baffico said. “It’s certainly something as a school you celebrate,” he said. “I think we have high standards for our students as well as our faculty and our staff. When you do that, it raises the level of achievement of the school.”
Cardinal Cupich visits school that held mock conclave On the morning of June 2, Cardinal Cupich, dressed in a red cassock and wearing a red zucchetto, joined the student “cardinals” at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy to see a reenactment of their now-viral mock conclave and to answer their questions about the real conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
Local school’s mock conclave goes viral around the globe Two days before Pope Leo XIV, a native Chicagoan who is a member of the Augustinian religious community, was elected the 267th pope by the College of Cardinals, students at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy elected their own native Chicagoan in a mock conclave, and the student elected took the name “Augustine” when he accepted his election.
St. Ann School receives $97,000 from Big Shoulders Fund St. Ann School Principal Kathleen Fox credits a school culture that emphasizes ongoing learning and making sure each students feels that they are known and valued for its growth in test scores and other academic measures.