Providing a Life's Foundation
Through Faith, Education and Community

St. Bernardine School draws its diverse student body from the parish community of Forest Park/Oak Park, Chicago and over fifteen suburbs. Here, in a safe and caring environment that nurtures wisdom and skills, children learn to become contributing members of society.

Our goal is to reach each child's potential by meeting individual needs. The school provides a setting which promotes spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. We understand that our students have varied learning styles and multiple intelligences; therefore, we offer learning centers and thematic units as well as gifted and special-help programs towards those ends. By choosing how to complete their lessons, children have the opportunity to take charge of their own learning. At the same time, portfolios allow them to judge their work; determine those areas in need of improvement; and set personal goals. Leadership is developed through participation in school liturgies, the Student Council, sports, and interschool academic challenges.

St. Bernardine's academic base is further strengthened by classes designed to prepare students for the future. Since life in the 21st century will require the ability to locate, retrieve and use various types of information, the children can take advantage of special library and computer classes. And, since life always benefits from expressing and enjoying the beauty of our world, the school offers art and music. In addition, Spanish classes give students a foundation for learning a second language as well as the history and customs that bring it to life.

St. Bernardine School sees the world as diverse, yet one. So, we enrich our curriculum with the study of other cultures. That way, as we learn about others, we recognize similarities and appreciate differences. To bring other cultures to life, each grade studies a country or region of the world during the year. Many facts, activities, traditions and experiences are thus shared between grades. The areas of study by grade are: Junior Kindergarten, Mexico; Kindergarten, the native peoples of North America; First Grade, China; Second Grade, Japan; Third Grade, Philippines; Fourth Grade, Ireland; Fifth Grade, Germany; Sixth Grade, France; Seventh Grade, North and Central Africa; and Eighth Grade, East and South Africa.

Exploring other cultures has allowed students to celebrate such holidays as Las Posadas; Chinese New Year; Japanese Children's Day; Christmas as it is celebrated in Europe; and Kwanza . In addition, the children put on an Ethnic Fest for the school community to showcase the food, music and storytelling of the country or region they have studied.

True harmony becomes possible in part by understanding and appreciating our differences and by recognizing our oneness with God and each other. In the classroom, cooperative learning encourages clear communication and a pooling of skills to better achieve common goals and satisfactory grades. Also, special events such as BOO (Bernardine's Outstanding Olympics) Days allow older students to lead younger students in games and team spirit. A school-wide Peaceworks program teaches students the importance of conflict resolution to maintain harmony, with the children learning to balance rights with responsibilities.

Each member of the staff is personally interested in each child. Faculty members work together as a dedicated team of educators. They are encouraged to use innovative approaches in the classroom based on a sound understanding of the best in continuing education research. Teaching materials are carefully chosen to reflect and understand our differences without losing sight of our common purpose. We constantly assess the curriculum for its ability to best prepare children for a rapidly changing world.

St. Bernardine School makes a significant difference to the community. Here, excellence is molded and standards are set; art is interwoven with knowledge to reflect the beauty of our universe. We provide an excellent knowledge base, creative demonstrations of lesson comprehension and strong social skills. Our greatest wish is for our students to be the richer for the experience.

The evangelizing mission of St. Bernardine School is to educate each child to his full potential within a Christian setting. The staff encourages our diverse population to become prayerful people of service by being active witnesses of the Gospel message. St. Bernardine Parish and the Archdiocese of Chicago sponsor St. Bernardine School.

St. Bernardine School is a dynamic, Catholic faith community whose members strive to live the Gospel message. The school, in partnership with our parish, teaches our students to practice these truths in their daily lives. All students are required to learn about the Catholic faith. They are expected to show reverence, respect and courtesy during religious services.

St. Bernardine School acknowledges that parents and guardians are the primary teachers and motivators of their children. We appreciate the trust they place in us as partners in this responsibility.

St. Bernardine fosters academic excellence by educating the whole student: spiritually, cognitively, emotionally, physically, and socially. The faculty recognizes individual learning styles and provides a loving and safe environment where students are challenged to reach their full potential. Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and self-motivation necessary to think creatively and critically, accept responsibility, and assume leadership. St. Bernardine students will become reflective citizens who will integrate information and contribute in a Christian manner within a technologically complex and interdependent society.

St. Bernardine School is a culturally diverse environment. This atmosphere enables our children to appreciate the individuality of others in a pluralistic society. We advocate peace and justice and expect our students to exhibit these values within their communities.