By Rebecca Steck
As I wrap up my first year serving the students, families, staff, and faculty of Greenwich Catholic School, I find myself reflecting on the tremendous success of the school year. Some of the highlights include welcoming new family members, our students’ academic and athletic achievements, and the outstanding community events that promote who we are as a school and our greater reach into the Fairfield and global communities.
Since September, our school has grown in students, family, and faculty members. For an educator who believes in their school as much as I do, new members of all forms are the most exciting part of my role as Head of School. Anytime a new student has the chance to experience Greenwich Catholic, I know that my faculty and staff along with our larger school community, will positively impact that student for the rest of their lives. New students feel at home and quickly realize that they are exactly where they are supposed to be. For staff and faculty, the Greenwich Catholic School experience is similar. Our staff is a family who grows together to better serve our gifted student body. They are driven and focused on educating the whole child. For all of us at Greenwich Catholic, our campus is a second home.
Our students are excelling in their scholarly and athletic endeavors. Three times a year our students are tested utilizing a program called Edmentum (comparable to the NWEA MAP assessment) and annually on the IOWA assessments. After a thorough review of the data, our students grew at each checkpoint throughout the school year, particularly in the areas of reading and math. Our IOWA scores exemplified growth in almost every subject in every grade level. If there is one takeaway from this school year, is that despite the trials of the everyday Covid protocols, our children and teachers continued to keep learning expectations high and achieved everything that they set out to accomplish. Athletically, our sports teams were out in the community competing. Most noteworthy were the accomplishments of our cross country, 6th grade basketball, varsity baseball and softball teams who all had successful seasons.
One of the most important components of a Greenwich Catholic School students’ experience is in the area of service. This year, our students and families raised almost $10,000 for the Unicef Children of Ukraine campaign. The children of GCS participated in a 5K Color Run in which they solicited sponsors for their participation. The children of Greenwich Catholic are easily inspired and always ready to help those in need and for that I am very proud.
As the school year comes to a close, there are thousands more “little wins” to celebrate. Every student smile in the hallway and every teacher who prepares an authentic and exciting lesson for their Science class reminds us that Greenwich Catholic is a nurturing place to learn and grow. If you would like to see Greenwich Catholic School for yourself, please give me a call. After all, there isn’t anything else I like to do more than to share the Greenwich Catholic School experience with you and your family.
Rebecca Steck is in her first year as Greenwich Catholic’s Head of School. She is an Indiana University School of Education graduate and earned her Masters degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton. Formally, she was the Principal of St. Patrick’s School in Yorktown Heights, NY which was named the Best Private School in Westchester in 2020 and 2021. She is one of ten National Catholic School Principals to graduate from the NCEA New Leader’s Academy in June. More than anything she is passionate about personalized student growth and making the world a better place through her students.
