Before, During & After St. Jude's

Before St. Jude's
First, parents will contact St. Jude's and arrange a social appointment with the Director, or the Principal. At this meeting, all your questions about how St. Jude's can help your child and how we can help build skills so that your child will have a successful return to the publicly funded system will be answered. This meeting is usually an hour in length. Many times, the student is invited to visit for a day or more to experience first hand what St. Jude's is like.

Each person who wishes to become a student at St. Jude's will be interviewed and assessed by the Director and/or Principal. This assessment demonstrates how your son or daughter can function in a one to one learning situation and in a small learning group. Functioning in a large learning group is determined from his/her previous educational experiences. It is with these three learning situations in mind that a BASE level at St. Jude's can be assigned. St. Jude's does not accept students with a history of behavioural problems in their previous school, in the community or in their homes.

The BASE level indicates your child's teachability needs in terms of teacher training, teacher planning, teacher/pupil interactional time, class structure, instructional styles, and social and emotional needs. Your child's BASE level can influence the maximum number of students possible in his/her class so that learning can occur with the quality and quantity necessary to reach the goal of a successful return to the publicly funded educational system.

During St. Jude's
The structure of the school and its academic emphasis will be immediately evident. Most parents loudly proclaim that it should be
 St. Jude's way in every school. For example...

• no PD days
• formal and informal reporting to parents on a regular and very frequent basis  
• parents interview teachers with every report card
• percentages are used and grade comparisons are given so parents know at what level their child is performing
• provincial standards are used as a minimum measure of a students performance
• homework in assigned every day
• homework in checked every day
• if homework is not done well, a student will be required to redo the work
• any homework or assignment not completed to the teacher's satisfaction by each Friday, will be done and done well before your child is dismissed for the weekend
• inappropriate behaviour is not accepted
• phonics, correct spelling, grammar, penmanship, times tables, note making, study habits and organizational skills are taught
• final exams must be passed in order to receive the credit.
• all homework, assignments, projects, and independent study units (ISU) must be completed before a high school student can go home after an exam
• all assignments must be done and done well even though it is too late to be marked

These are just some of the ways St. Jude's School is preparing your child for his/her return to the system. We teach them not only how to survive but St. Jude's teaches them how to be a successful student and learner.

After St. Jude's
When your son/daughter is ready to leave St. Jude's, the initial assessment is repeated. If your son/daughter qualifies, he/she will be invited to attend Scholars' Hall (www.scholarshall.com). If your son/daughter is returning to the public system, the Director or Principal goes to the receiving school and informs the teacher of your son's or daughter's learning styles, strengths, and needs. Assistance is provided to make the transition from St. Jude's to the big system an easy and successful one. To further support and facilitate the transition, St. Jude's encourages our elementary students to become involved in the ExtraHelp Club after school during the week or on Saturdays, or the HeadStart School every August. For our high school students we encourage the HomeWork Club either during the week or on Saturdays.

And we always enjoy, year after year, sharing in our former student's successes when the return to St. Jude's to show us how well they are doing.