Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Rose Guerin.
Mary Rose, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My Josephinum journey began in 2004 when I was hired to teach 9th and 10th grade English Literature. During this time, I was tasked with helping the English department strengthen and align our curriculum. In addition, I served on the Professional Development Team, a small team of teachers charged with the task
of helping my colleagues grow professionally as they strengthened their curriculum and classroom instruction.
In 2008, I was offered the role of Assistant Principal and I eagerly accepted. I served in this role for roughly 8 years. During this time, I lead the faculty through a considerable curriculum overhaul. We spent years mapping and aligning our school-wide curriculum. We increased course offerings and we intensified ouracademic rigor, eventually leading us to become an authorized International Baccalaureate World School. Today, Josephinum is proud to be the only all-girls independent high school in the Midwest to offer a wall-to-wall IB Diploma
Programme.
In 2016, I stepped into the role of principal. Since then, I have enjoyed leading the Josephinum community through the first few years of IB implementation. In my new role, my focus is much broader, as I now, not only have the responsibility of ensuring that our academic program is being implemented effectively and efficiently, but I am also responsible for growing our extra curricular programming as well. In doing so, I oversee those charged with growing our athletics, campus ministry, fine arts and student services departments. I truly enjoy working with my team to strategically grow and strengthen all of our programming in an effort to provide a holistic education for the girls whom we serve.
Has it been a smooth road?
I am so proud of the growth Josephinum Academy has made over the course of the last decade. We’ve grown from a community of roughly 90 high school students to a student body of nearly 200 students. We’ve become the newest member of the Sacred Heart Network of Schools, joining an esteemed international community of schools, providing us with support, guidance and a wide variety of professional growth opportunities. We’ve moved from a series of isolated courses, to an aligned IB Diploma Programme Curriculum. We’ve increased our extra curricular offerings, strengthening our athletic program, and building a strong fine arts program that specializes in both visual and performing arts. And, most recently, we’ve built an inclusive education program, designed to strategically support students with learning differences as they progress through our IB Diploma Programme. This type of growth, while inspiring and exciting, isn’t easy. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t come without its challenges. However, I am truly lucky to be the leader of an incredibly committed, hardworking, and talented faculty and staff. Their resilience has helped us overcome any obstacle that we have faced along the way. Our success has truly been the result of a team effort.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart is a college-preparatory high school and a proud member of the international Network of Sacred Heart Schools. Our mission is to offer a world-class approach to academic excellence combined with a holistic, moral, and spiritual development in a college-preparatory environment at an affordable price to all girls in the heart of Chicago. As Chicago’s first all-girls high school to offer a wall-to-wall International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, Josephinum is excited to extend the opportunity for this life changing program to all girls in Chicago.
As a Sacred Heart school, Josephinum Academy aims to develop holistic young women who not only strive for academic excellence, but who are also committed to personal growth and are impelled to act against injustice and oppression. In the same regard, at the heart of the IB Organization’s mission is the desire to develop global, critical, and principled thinkers who will help create a more peaceful world. For both Josephinum Academy and the IB Organization, developing one’s intellect without fostering a critical consciousness is simply not enough. We both understand that it is what one does with her education that truly matters and it is what one contributes to the world that makes a difference.
In addition to aligning beautifully with Josephinum’s mission, the IB Diploma Programme is designed to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. Thanks to modern advances in technology, our students live in an incredibly innovative, interconnected, and global world. Through the IB curriculum, Josephinum students will be challenged to become independent researchers, critical consumers of information, and effective communicators. Furthermore, they will be called to evaluate multiple perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of complex world issues, growing into responsible global citizens.
The IB program, combined with Josephinum’s diverse community and international relationships through the Sacred Heart Network, provide our students with a unique and powerful opportunity to develop a global perspective and hone the skills that are demanded by our rapidly changing world.
As a Sacred Heart School, Josephinum measures its success one student at a time, and seeks to provide an education that meets the needs of the whole child. Our small class sizes and exceptional faculty focus on understanding the unique educational needs of each student, helping her to discover her unique gifts and fostering a passion for excellence in education, service and faith.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1501 N. Oakley Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60622 - Website: www.josephinum.org
- Phone: 773 276 1261
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_jo_1890/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Josephinum/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_Jo_1890
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