Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in San Dimas
Holy Name of Mary School Board and Extended School Year Committee have announced that they will adopt an additional 10 days to the school year calendar by 2013/14. An additional five days will be implemented into the 2012/13 calendar and the remaining five days will be added into the 2013/14 school year. This decision will yield a 190-day school year for Holy Name of Mary School students.
Holy Name of Mary’s announcement comes nine months after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles revealed that the Catholic schools in the Diocese would be implementing a 200-day calendar. Holy Name of Mary School decided to further evaluate the situation and created an Extended School Year Committee to look into what would be the best thing for the School.
In a letter dated, Nov. 18, Holy Name of Mary School Principal, Candice Kuzmickas, and Pastor, Fr. Rich Danyluk, ss.cc., explained the decision. Stating that the School attempts to be mission-based and mission-driven, they explained that their goal is to be a child-centered Catholic school, which partners with parents to meet the academic, emotional, and spiritual needs of each child. The letter stated that the decision was made with careful consideration to the elements of the Mission Statement, balancing educational excellence, nurturing each child’s individual needs, maintaining their Catholic identity, and partnering with the parents. The School Board and the Extended School Year Committee met with a professional consultant, Richard Burke, while addressing this issue. Mr. Burke, President of Catholic School Management, is nationally recognized as an expert in consultative guidance for Catholic Schools and has worked with over 3,000 schools. With Mr. Burke’s guidance, a decision was reached that the best thing for Holy Name of Mary School students was to adopt 10 additional days over two years and then remain at a 190-day school year for five years, during which they can evaluate the effectiveness of the calendar, the teaching/learning process, and the student outcomes.
The next step for Holy Name of Mary School will be for the faculty to review the curriculum and identify where the extra time will have the greatest impact on student learning. Faculty members will address all subject areas on a grade-by-grade basis to ensure appropriate sequencing of the curriculum.
The decision to add additional days to the school year comes as the California state budget shortfalls threaten to eliminate school days in the public schools. With the possibility of California’s public schools moving to a 168-day school year, Holy Name of Mary School’s 190-day calendar provides an alternative, allowing for more time in the classroom.
Holy Name of Mary School is a private Catholic school, serving over 320 students in grades Pre-K through 8. The School is grounded in Christian values and is accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Holy Name of Mary School is located at 124 S. San Dimas Canyon Road, at the corner of Bonita Ave. and San Dimas Canyon Road in the city of San Dimas. For more information, please call school principal, Candice Kuzmickas at (909) 542-0449 ext. 226