As a former studet, I can say that FXW was the most amazing experience of my life. I spent my entire childhood and adolesence as a member of the FXW community, and I honestly believe I could not have been happier anywhere else. I have to thank the teachers, parents, and administration for giving me the
... Read more most fulfilling childhood a person can have. However, I would like to echo some of the negative sentiments of the former posts. The changes I have seen take place over the years, especially in the time since I graduated, have made the school something completely different from the one in which I was raised. I don't want to place blame; I don't think it's any one person's fault. I'm merely lamenting the fact that something that was once so amazing is now... not. Read less
Posted by a other on 01/28/09
FXW offers a very nurturing, social and diverse environment for both the parents and children. The preschool program is well thought out with an indoor imagination room and play based thematic curriculum. Parents are very involved and the before and after school care is really helpful for working parents.
... Read more However, the school is at a point where there is great opportunity to make some improvements. The fundraising emphasis from the current administration, while important, seems to be occuring at the expense of an evaluation and improvement on the curriculum. FXW has a wonderful foundation but in order to reach to the next level needs to reach beyond the brick and mortar focus and create a richer academic environment. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/27/09
The best part of this School is the social opportunities for parents to make new friends and be social. We love the parties Gala and we love making friends and the education is good and we made many friends here and its all great
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 01/03/09
My daughter and I are new additions to the FXW family and honestly, I have nothing negative to say. Having come from a different school system, it was refreshing to join a school where the administrators, teachers, and students are focused and committed to learning. The dedication of the teachers remind
... Read more me of that shown to me by my teachers as I was growing up - something that I had yet to see in the school system that we left. My daughter's teacher also makes learning FUN! This year was the first year that I've seen her excited to go to school. And three months later, she is still excited. The children at the school are also great! They are intelligent, well-mannered, and kind. Without hestitation, they welcomed my daughter with open arms. Additionally, the school is not solely focused on academics, as it has programs focused on community service. Read less
Posted by a parent on 11/17/08
We are always sorry to lose families, but, like every school, some families choose a different option for their children. We have the lowest teacher turnover we ve had in years, and our student population is topping out at 756, an all-time high for FXW. Much more importantly, though, is that I d like
... Read more to address this family's concerns about diversity, about execution of plans, about our religious identity and our embrace of working families. In terms of racial diversity, our student population is as follows: African American, 24%; Asian American, 8%; Bi-racial, 7%; Caucasian American, 47%; Hispanic American, 14%. Socio-economically, 30% of our students receive some sort of scholarship or financial aid. We ask families to use a financial aid service, which helps us determine the applicant family s need, so much aid goes to middle class families, as well as families who are poor. This year, we will raise and provide nearly $1MM in financial aid. And we are a Catholic school, with a multi-faith model. The Catholic students have a curriculum which prepares them for the sacraments and for life as an active parishioner, and the students of other faiths participate in a broad curriculum which honors all the ways we know God's presence in our world. We are proud of this plan, and know from our graduates that our mix of Catholic and multi-faith prayer services, masses, sacramental celebrations, religious studies and our culture of social service is turning out some incredible young people, firm in their faiths and in their place in the world. I would like to be more open to working families. Last year, we had half of our parent group meetings in the evening, and this year, six of ten are evening meetings. We will work toward scheduling other meetings, like parent conferences, with evening options. I make no apologies for being aggressive about change. We have installed an early intervention team in our primary school, to catch reading issues. We now have co-teaching, we have new block scheduling, and we're experimenting with single sex music and gym classes in some grades. We are hiring people with advanced degrees, we encourage our staff to pursue professional education, and offer cutting edge professional development, in house. We want to honor the vision of our founders, adapt to the changing needs of our students and the world around them, and search for excellence in all we do. Read less
Posted by a principal on 09/29/08
Unfortunately, FXW is a school that has changed dramatically over the last 5 years and we have moved our children to a differnt school. It went from being a 'diamond in the rough' to not having any clear direction. They have lots of plans but virtually nothing is executed well. Many families have
... Read more left, teacher turnover is high, the administration is unable to address the issues and they make promises which they don't keep. There is little sense of community and while they boast 'diversity', it really doesn't exist. The Catholicism is hidden, the working parent isn't embraced (no evening options for parent teacher conferences or important committees), and the communication is often challenging. It's very disappointing to have to write a review like this but it is very honest and i do believe that parents looking at this school should be made aware Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/26/08
I am the Principal of the FXW Middle School (Holy Name Campus), and brand new to FXW, having spent the past seven years with the UofC Laboratory Schools. In moving from one outstanding school to another, here is what I ve been able to observe in my first weeks here: An energetic level of commitment
... Read more to a significant number of children who come to us without all of life s advantages and needing our School s support not just in terms of tuition assistance (which is very generous here at FXW), but also in terms of a wide range of educational services necessary to assure that they and all our students achieve academic success. A remarkable diversity families of all faiths, races and backgrounds, enjoying school together, collaborating to solve problems, and celebrating the values they hold in common. Dynamic school leadership, all of whom understand and embrace the challenges of FXW s rise to the level of a truly superior academic institution one that prepares its graduates for the most competitive and selective high schools in the Chicago area while remaining faithful to our mission of child-centered, values-based education marked by personal attention and teacher investment in every child. Moreover, since we are a school committed to serving lower and middle class families in fact, over thirty percent of our students receive some form of financial aid we spend considerable time and effort raising money. We are truly grateful for the generosity of our families and friends, who make substantial sacrifices gladly for the good of the larger school community. Last year, seventy-two percent of our parents contributed to the FXW Annual Fund that s an impressive number, by any standard! Read less
Posted by a other on 08/01/08
There are changes at FXW and I'm trying to be open-minded. My observations -- the teachers look stressed in the lower grades; no one looks happy. There is a new school psychologist who has alientated everyone she's reached out to -- and has referred dozens and dozens of kid out for Occupational Therapy.
... Read more FXW is appearing inflexible and focused on fundraising. Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/22/08
We were greatly disappointed with FXW. The new principal is not leading the school in the spirit of its founders. The school presents itself as welcoming diversity yet we found it to be a very unwelcoming place. There is an alarming teacher absentee rate coupled with a 'no substitute' policy which
... Read more is in conflict with the published teacher:child ratios much of the time. Overall we find the school to be out of balance in catering to the needs of the teachers above the needs of the students. Read less
Posted by a parent on 03/23/08
Reading through the reviews, you get a decent picture of the school, warts and all. Our kids attended another school before fxw. Our perspective is a little broader. Both our kids are good students and now in an excellent hs. A common occurence at fxw. Though no organization is perfect,I have to
... Read more rate fxw excellent based on overall results. A nearly universally talented bunch of teachers. High academic expectations. If your child has academic talent, and you're into academics, then I cannot imagine not being satisfied here. It has shortcomings. It is a 'commuter school', not a neighborhood school. The kids and teachers form community. Very close ties. Fxw shapes good kids. Parents meet through kids. If you're into walking the halls during the school day? Find another school. If you're looking for a place for your child to thrive? Maybe fxw is for you. Read less
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Chicago schools — Frances X Warde - Osp is located at 120 S Desplaines St, Chicago IL 60661. 120 S Desplaines St is in the 60661 ZIP code in Chicago, IL The school district for Frances X Warde - Osp is the Archdiocese Of Chicago Education Off. Frances X Warde - Osp is a Catholic school that serves grade levels PK - 4.
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