History

Our Lady Queen of Angels School opened its doors to 140 students on September 21, 1964, to assist Catholic parents in the total education of their children. Grades one through four were members of the charter enrollment.

Reverend Monsignor William Ralph Harvey, founding pastor, worked closely with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet in staffing the school. Sister Georgeann O'Brien was named the first principal. She was succeeded by Sister Michael Ellen McEver in September 1968, at which time the school consisted of grades one through eight. In the fall of 1974, Sister Michael Flaherty was appointed principal. Sister Linda Nicholson came to Our Lady Queen of Angels School in September 1978. Kindergarten was added to the school in September 1983.

Reverend Monsignor Michael Driscoll succeeded Monsignor Harvey. In 1984 Monsignor William McLaughlin became pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels. In September 1985, Sister Joanne Clare Gallagher was appointed principal. In August 1987, Miss Eileen Ryan joined the administration as vice-principal. In August 1988, Miss Eileen Ryan joined Sister Joanne Clare as principal.

Preschool was added in September 1991. The new wing which houses computer and science labs, music/extended day, kindergarten, and preschool classrooms, library, and school offices was opened in October 1991. The old school offices were refurbished and now comprise a counselor office, tutor room, and reading specialist room.

Our Lady Queen of Angels School is under the supervision of the Department of Catholic Education of the Diocese of Orange.


Philosophy

We as Christian educators at Our Lady Queen of Angels School, are committed to Catholic Education. We recognize that each student is a unique creation of God with individual abilities to be developed and shared. Our Lady Queen of Angels School is a community that ministers to students of diverse abilities, including some with special academic and physical needs. In cooperation with the parents, who are the primary educators, we work to discover and develop the potential God has given to each child so that he/she will be prepared to live in and contribute to the world of tomorrow. We strive to live this out by providing programs that stress Catholic values and promote self-worth, respect, responsibility, independence, and leadership. We believe Catholic education has, as its goal, development in several areas: religious, academic, physical and cultural, personal and social, and service to the community.


Spiritual Development

We guide the spiritual formation of the students. We strive to influence the moral values of each child and hope to enable the strengthening of his/her personal relationship with God. We achieve this goal by the following:

  1. creating an atmosphere of Christian concern, which encourages charity, justice, honesty, friendliness, courtesy, and the acceptance of self and others
  2. imparting the Catholic message using instructional material based on Scripture
  3. exposing students to the beliefs and practices of other world religions
  4. celebrating regularly scheduled Masses and seasonal prayer services with students, parents, and faculty to heighten awareness of our faith community life
  5. involving the students in preparation for First Eucharist and Reconciliation and providing opportunities at the school to celebrate Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation
  6. providing retreat experiences for students providing daily opportunities for communal and personal prayer at morning assembly and in each classroom
  7. extending our school faith community to include parents, parishioners, and those beyond our parish/school community
  8. integrating Catholic values and principles into secular subjects and teaching the Family Life Program
  9. inviting the priests of the Parish to interact formally and informally with the students

Intellectual Development

We address the diversity of academic needs arising from our recognition of individual learning styles. We endeavor to teach the child to develop thinking skills and reasoning processes that will enable him/her to competently meet the demands of the present and the challenges of the 21st century. We achieve this goal by the following:

  1. presenting sequentially developed programs in all areas of curriculum
  2. using various teaching methods and materials
  3. celebrating regularly scheduled Masses and seasonal prayer services with students, parents, and faculty to heighten awareness of our faith community life
  4. providing opportunities for individual and group study and for individual instruction and cooperative learning
  5. providing, as needed, services of a reading specialist, teacher assistants, and counseling services
  6. encouraging and recognizing academic achievement through Honor Awards
  7. supplementing the curriculum with specialized instructors in music, physical education, computer science, art, and Spanish
  8. departmentalizing instruction in grades six through eight in language arts, social studies, and mathematics, where students are grouped according to ability
  9. teaching study skills in kindergarten through eighth grade and integrating their use in all daily work
  10. keeping parents well informed of student status through progress reports, report cards, and conferences
  11. involving the students in a multicultural program; requiring participation in special projects at school, such as curriculum fairs, speech contests, and field trips
  12. teaching students how to access information using library and computer resources

Physical Development

We foster in our students an awareness of good physical health which we believe is essential to their total growth and well being. We achieve this goal by the following:

  1. providing physical education instruction in grades preschool through eight
  2. instructing students in nutrition, safety, and the consequences of substance abuse
  3. providing extracurricular physical education programs
  4. providing the daily presence of a school nurse
  5. identifying problems through teacher observations and yearly evaluation programs for hearing, sight, speech, and scoliosis

Personal and Social Development

We guide the students in development of a positive self-concept and an attitude of respect, acceptance, and courtesy toward others. We help the students to define their personal roles and responsibilities as members of society. We achieve this goal by the following:

  1. identifying the school community as part of the larger parish community
  2. providing recognition of individual efforts through Honor and Citizenship Awards
  3. developing a sense of pride in one's accomplishments
  4. developing a sense of pride in one's cultural roots and recognizing the variety of cultures
  5. providing opportunities for the development of student leadership
  6. discussing concrete examples of social problems within the classroom and making an appropriate application at each grade level
  7. providing formal counseling services for individuals through an on-campus counselor
  8. providing opportunities for social interaction, e.g., class parties, school parties, school festivals, Catholic Schools Week activities, sacramental celebrations, grade level sharing, Outdoor Science for grade six, student trip to Washington, D.C. for grade eight
  9. encouraging school spirit through participation in pep rallies, field day activities, and Student Council sponsored activities
  10. requiring service from grades seven and eight to the school, parish, and community
  11. providing opportunities for participation in service projects, e.g., Thanksgiving Food Collection, Family Adoption at Christmas, Propagation of the Faith, Parish Outreach, and support of other missions

Aesthetic Development

We stimulate an appreciation of the varied components of a rich heritage. We encourage recognition and appreciation of the arts in our Christian and secular culture. We achieve this goal by the following:

  1. offering a sequential program throughout our total curriculum including music and art
  2. sponsoring art exhibits, Christmas program, and speech contest
  3. encouraging the study of the aesthetic contributions of people of many cultures
  4. providing field experiences for students at concerts, plays, and museums, and also providing on-going enrichment programs on campus
  5. providing opportunities through art projects, vocal and instrumental music, and speech making for self-expression


   
 
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