Holy Name remains accredited school

A decade ago, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools awarded accreditation for the first time to Holy Name of Mary School. It’s a distinction that boosts any school’s academic reputation.

After a rigorous review process in the fall, Holy Name will remain an accredited school for the next seven years. A team from Middle States, including two retired principals, an active principal and a teacher, visited the school in October to determine if Holy Name was still worthy of the distinction.

McMahon said that the renewal process took 18 months. He and a committee of teachers developed an improvement plan for the school to build upon its existing successes. The primary objectives for the coming years are to boost English language arts scores, increase enrollment and upgrade the facilities.

Already, McMahon said, the school has doubled the amount of time students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade spend on ELA instruction. They now spend 84 minutes a day honing their reading, writing and verbal skills.

Enrollment, which is about 340 students, has remained stable over the past few years, but McMahon says there is room to welcome more. He said the school has expanded its advertising efforts, promoting the school on the village’s electronic sign and in church bulletins in the surrounding area.

McMahon said that increased enrollment would allow the school to grow its programs and provide students with new opportunities.

As for facilities, McMahon noted that the building is more than 75 years old and needs upgrades. Recently, he said a new telephone system was installed, and the school will implement a plan to repaint three classrooms every summer.

McMahon said that one the benefits to being an accredited school is it can have a chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. He noted that Holy Name’s organization has thrived since its inception a few years ago, with students completing a variety of service activities for their schools, church and community.

“The Honor Society helps us live out our mission statement,” said eighth-grader Kevin Glaittli. “It really shows what the school stands for.”

Many of the Honor Society members volunteer their time with the peer tutoring program, helping other students with their work. Sabrynne Yu, the Honor Society secretary, said they are role models for the school’s younger students, a responsibility they don’t take lightly.

Glaittli, who came to Holy Name for sixth grade after attending Blessed Sacrament, said he values the numerous activities at the school each year including the science fair, math and spelling bees, and oratorical contest.

Jaclyn Manicdao, president of the Honor Society and co-president of Student Council, said these activities allow students to shine. “It brings out the strengths in some of the students,” she said.

Overall, the students say they like the education they receive at Holy Name, and noted that the teachers have different styles which makes learning interesting. Eighth-grader Matt Donoghue praised the well-rounded curriculum, which includes art, library and computer classes. Sydney Bhojwani added that she feels ready for high school because of her experience at Holy Name.

McMahon noted that this year’s graduating eighth-grade class is unique. For those who started at Holy Name in pre-K, they had the benefit of 10 years of Middle States accreditation, while also getting to take part in the renewal process.

His partners on the renewal committee included kindergarten teacher Patricia Gallo, second-grade teacher Donna Deitsch and librarian Catherine O’Connor. McMahon said the process allows for much self-reflection.

The school was asked to compile in-depth information about the math, ELA, early childhood and religious education programs, while also providing test results. McMahon explained that accreditation shows that Holy Name has been vetted through a rigorous review process by a respected organization.

McMahon said he and his teachers will now work toward achieving its newest objectives, with the hope of being accredited again in 2021.