Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School Expands Its Academic Offerings with Nationally-Acclaimed Pre-Kindergarten Program

Philadelphia, PA, November 18, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School announced today that it will add Blueprint for Early Literacy® to its arsenal of academic offerings. The program, which emphasizes literacy development and Kindergarten-readiness, will be available to all students enrolled in the school’s Pre-Kindergarten program beginning in the 2010-2011 school year. The program is made possible through a generous grant from the Connelly Foundation.

Blueprint for Early Literacy is based on National Reading Panel and Early Reading First recommendations, and is designed to meet state and national standards for reading, writing, and oral language development. These skills are taught in the context of 10 related, sequential themes. At the heart of each theme are award-winning children's books, carefully chosen to introduce children to the delight of reading. As part of this program, Pre-Kindergarten students at Our Lady of Port Richmond will experience a fully redesigned academic program complete with new books, learning tools and classroom materials.

“Literacy is a fundamental cornerstone of academic success for students,” said Sr. Mary Ripp, S.C.C., principal of Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School. “We strive everyday to provide each and every one of the children at Our Lady of Port Richmond with the best possible curriculum and the finest academic programs possible. And we are thrilled to be able to offer a program of this caliber to our youngest students as they begin their academic careers.”

The Blueprint for Early Literacy program is just the latest in a series of state-of-the-art programs that Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School announced since opening its doors in September 2008. Last year, it unveiled LabLearner, a fully-furnished science lab complete with an elementary school-level science curriculum for grades Pre-K through 8 aimed at harnessing the power of hands-on science instruction. In addition, Our Lady of Port Richmond offers a full-service computer lab, technology in each and every classroom, as well as an art studio, a music education program and a world language program.

“It is with programs like these that our children will succeed and our school will accomplish its mission of helping students reach the limits of their God-given potential,” added Ripp. “We had a tremendous inaugural year and are continuing that momentum in 2009-2010. And we are very excited as we look to what the future holds for Our Lady of Port Richmond.”

About Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School
Centrally located in the heart of the Port Richmond community, Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School services over 500 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Its degreed and dedicated staff provides students with a solid faith-filled education through a full academic course of study following the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. With a low student-to-teacher ratio, each classroom is equipped with state of the art technology, and all students experience amenities ranging from a computer lab, art studio and college-level science lab to a full gymnasium, music studio and world language program. In addition, students enjoy a variety of extra-curricular activities including dance, choral and sports programs; bible study; drama club; a school newspaper and a literary magazine. For more information, visit www.OurLadyofPortRichmond.webs.com or call 215-739-1920.

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