Dear Prospective Family,

Welcome to Jackson~Walnut Park Schools! We are delighted you have chosen to learn more about our wonderful campus!

Jackson-Walnut Park Schools is a community of learners where instruction is responsive to the needs of children. We believe that children want to learn, create and discover themselves and their world. We appreciate that learning happens within the context of relationships, whether student to student, student to faculty or faculty to faculty. Being understood by the important people in your world is a vital component of a student’s social / emotional life. It is in the experience of our whole school community that students are nourished and learn the habits of mind and heart that they may use to make their life choices as they grow and develop. The expectations and principles that guide our daily activities and interactions hold a critical role in the teaching and learning process

Each morning parents bring their children to our school where they are cheerfully greeted by administrators and staff. Teachers enthusiastically welcome their students to the beginning of a new school day. The sounds of energy and enthusiasm for another day of learning and movement fill the air as people prepare for the school day to start. This is a most valuable time of day because we are able to catch up with each other - parents, teachers and students for a few minutes in simple ways that reflect who we are and how we function as a school and as a community at Jackson-Walnut Park Schools.

We see on our children's faces potential as unique as they are. We sense each parent’s concern: "How well will the school care for my child's special gifts?" We know that each parent is with us because they want to be part of a school that guides their child as s/he develops. As one of our parents observes, "We chose Jackson-Walnut Park Schools because it values learning and growth. It has a strong academic program and it is a responsive, friendly and safe place that values our child. We wanted a school that cared.”

At JWP one of our strengths is our committed and dedicated faculty who bring just the right balance of rigor and nurture to the classroom. The teachers work together to provide a solid academic program to our students and a delightful sense of play and adventure in the learning process. We care for our students' uniqueness. We challenge them as whole people, attending to their intellectual, artistic, spiritual and social, and physical development. We engage our students in this educational process, respecting each child's developmental needs within the context of an academically stimulating environment. We affirm students as they acquire self-knowledge about how they learn, perspective about what they learn and empathy – or the ability to imagine how others see and feel - as they learn.

Our expectations are high, and we ask each member of our community to cooperate and collaborate in achieving excellence. For students, excellence means doing their best, being resourceful, and searching for the best in themselves and others. For the administration and faculty, it means developing and delivering an engaging and practical curriculum that is reflective of the world around us and guided by the tenets of our school’s mission and the charism of our sponsors – the Sisters of Saint Joseph. For parents, it means supporting the community of the school, finding ways to contribute to their child’s school experience and encouraging the best in their child and others. Parents are an integral part of the Jackson-Walnut Park Schools. Parents and teachers communicate frequently and are an essential team in fostering student success. Many parents choose to join in classroom activities, participate in field trips, or serve as a volunteer.

We look forward to sharing in the development of your child's unique promise and we invite you to learn more about our schools! Please feel free to contact the Admissions Office at any time with questions you may have.

On behalf of our community we welcome you and look forward to learning more about your family!

Sincerely,

Nicole Pascarelli O’Brien
Director of Admissions,
Jackson-Walnut Park Schools