SCHOOL PROFILE 2007-2008

Holy Spirit School has 436 students. Currently students are 48% male and 52% female; 84% Catholic, 16% non-Catholic; 86% Caucasian, 14% other. Currently 84 % of Holy Spirit School families are members of either Holy Spirit or Church of the Good Shepherd Catholic Parishes in Huntsville, Alabama.

Holy Spirit Regional School is one of two Catholic Schools, grades kindergarten through eight, in the city of Huntsville, and is under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham. Holy Spirit Regional School serves a highly technical and sophisticated community, which expects quality in education. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command as well as many high tech contractors all contribute to the expectations of technological excellence in Huntsville.

Holy Spirit Regional School is a private, non-profit, parochial school accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1998. The school has two classes per grade, kindergarten through eighth. The current student/teacher ratio is 16:1 with an average class size of twenty-four students. Holy Spirit Regional School has a total of twenty-eight faculty members all holding B.A or B.S. degrees and 32% hold Master’s degrees.

Students receive 180 days of instructions with a seven-hour school day. The Alabama Course of Study is used as a guideline for curricula although teachers teach beyond the state-mandated skills, as evidenced by above average student achievement levels. Additionally, Diocesan curricular standards have been developed to meet the academic needs of students in the areas of Math, Music, Visual Arts, Social Studies, Language Arts, Technology, Religion, and Science. Other subject area curricular standards are under development. Homework continues to be an integral part of learning. As a student progresses through school, time required for homework and study increases.

Holy Spirit students have many opportunities to learn from both field trips and co-curricular activities. Field trips tap into Huntsville’s rich heritage and leading-edge technology. They include such resources as the Botanical Gardens, Panoply of the Arts, Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville Historical Tour, Constitution Village, Early Works Museum, local farms, Burritt Museum, Maple Hill Cemetery, Russell Cave and Archeological Site, the State Capital, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Alabama State Archives, the Civil Rights Monument, Civil Rights Institute, McWane Science Center, Sci-Quest, Huntsville Symphony, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, plays at the Von Braun Center, Huntsville Water Treatment Facility, and the Huntsville Solid Waste Disposal Facility. Student involvement in co-curricular activities include guest speakers, D.A.R.E., Diocesan Art Show, Panoply Billboard Competition and Visual Arts Competition, Safety Patrol, D.A.R. Essay Contest, and local poetry contests. Students participate in academic competitions for Mathematics, Religion, Spelling and Geography.

Holy Spirit Regional School emphasizes a caring, disciplined environment to foster learning and personal growth. Student’s self-discipline is promoted, and classroom rules reflect an emphasis on self-monitoring and responsibility. Teachers set discipline standards according to age and grade level expectations. Adherence to a uniform dress code establishes a neat appearance and minimizes distractions from schoolwork and activities. Discipline problems remain minor and do not adversely affect instruction.

Technology is an important aspect of the Holy Spirit Regional School program and is integrated into the curriculum. Financial resources and time are provided each year for technology upgrades and staff development. Students have access to computers in the classroom, library/media center, and computer lab. The computer lab has twenty-nine personal computers networked to laser and color inkjet printers. A high-speed Internet connection is provided for all personal computers. All classrooms and most support staff are equipped with a minimum of one personal computer and an Internet connection. With the addition of six personal computers to the Library/Media Center, students have access to enhanced educational resources. Students continue to receive 60 minutes of instruction per week in the computer lab with an opportunity for additional time when needed. The school hosts a website that is maintained by the Administration and Holy Spirit parent volunteers.

Holy Spirit Regional School provides an academic resource program, which serves students in need of academic reinforcement beyond the regular classroom. Small group and individual tutorials are used to enhance student performance. Additionally, the resource teacher conducts a comprehensive pre-kindergarten screening, which includes assessment of basic school readiness, fine and gross motor skills, vision, hearing, and speech. The academic resource teacher serves as a liaison between Holy Spirit Regional School and the city and county schools’ special education offices in identifying specific learning disabilities, speech and language problems, or any other behavioral, emotional, or physical condition which could impede a student’s academic growth.

Holy Spirit Regional School provides a comprehensive Guidance program. The guidance counselor provides individual and/or group services to students, parents, faculty, and staff. Services include personal counseling, psycho-education (i.e. anger management, stress management, and conflict resolution), consultation with faculty and staff, and classroom instruction in the areas of study skills, cooperation, and time management. The guidance counselor serves as our liaison for community and service programs and students transitioning to high school.

The music program has been enhanced with the hiring of a certified music teacher. Students receive sixty minutes per week of music instruction. Music instruction includes the fundamentals of music, music classification, and music history. Opportunities are provided for students to demonstrate music knowledge and skills through the leadership of the music program. Under the guidance of the music teacher students perform as cantors, chorus, and instrumentalists at school liturgies and school-sponsored events.

Holy Spirit Regional School is supported through tuition, church subsidy, and donations. Holy Spirit School has a strong financial and volunteer support system, provided by the PTO and businesses in the community. The PTO financial support has tripled due to the only PTO sponsored fundraiser, the BASH (Building an Academic and Spiritual Heritage). This annual social event not only raises money for enriching the instructional program and the student environment, but also contributes to fellowship within the community. Some businesses providing support with generous donations of time, resources, equipment and funds are the Boeing Company, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, The Huntsville Times, the Huntsville Police Department and the Printer Connection.

Parents give of their time and talent to support student learning and create a positive school climate. Various areas of parent involvement include but are not limited to the following: a “Do-Dads” committee, a landscaping committee, field trip volunteers, cafeteria volunteers, office volunteers, room parents, tutors for reading and computer technology, coordinators for dances and receptions, Fall Carnival volunteers, club sponsors, coaches, concession workers, BASH committee workers, PTO members and chairs, School Board members, Camp Kinder volunteers, and Eucharistic Ministers.

Students are actively involved in service to both the community and to each other. Class projects, such as clothing and food drives, recycling, collecting donations to charitable causes heighten students’ awareness of community needs. All grades develop and implement Lenten and Advent projects each year. Grades six through eight participate in a buddy system and serve as mentors to students in kindergarten through second grade. The National Junior Honor Society serves the community by sponsoring food drives and weekly recycling services. Other student community involvement includes lectoring, altar serving, and participating in choir in both parishes. Students in each grade also serve each other and the larger community by preparing and participating in liturgies each week at Holy Spirit Church.