Private School Offers Special Education Program
Saint Giles Program Serves Students at Mount St. Joseph High School
Aug 26, 2009
The St. Giles program at Mount Saint Joseph High School was developed in 2006 and services students with developmental disabilities. This program provides students an inclusion setting where they can continue to focus on academics while at the same time begin practicing vocational skills necessary for life after graduation.
The History of the Saint Giles Program
Ben Stevick attended special education classes in elementary and middle school and as he approached the beginning of high school, his family had a decision to make.
“I felt like we’ve been breaking new ground since day one with Ben in regards to education,” says Ben’s mother, Doris Stevick. “We had been having trouble with the decision of whether to home school him or send him to Catholic school and always knew that he needed religious values in his education. Our oldest son attended Mount Saint Joseph and we couldn’t think of a better environment for Ben.”
Ben’s special education teacher, Mrs. Cheryl Hall, along with Ben’s parents, went to Mr. Barry Fitzpatrick, Principal of Mount Saint Joseph to discuss what could be done for Ben.
Mr. Fitzpatrick was open to the idea of implementing an inclusion program for Ben to enable him to attend Mount St. Joseph, and thus the idea for the Saint Giles program began. Mrs. Hall developed a program that combined academic support as well as vocational support and began searching for additional funding for the program.
Funding for the Saint Giles Program
The Catholic Coalition for Special Education provided grant money through their Believe in Me Grant Making Program designed specifically for schools looking to enroll or expand services with developmental disabilities. This helps to fulfill their mission of ensuring “that children with special needs are able to attend, and receive an appropriate education in their local Catholic elementary schools and high schools.” [CCSE website, accessed August 24, 2009]
The Saint Giles program continued to receive funding through the Catholic Coalition for Special Education for three consecutive years to expand and support the program. According to President and Founder, Francesca Peloegrino, “[Mount Saint Joseph] has been really an exemplary school and has been wonderful to work with. They have really embraced the idea of serving individual students.”
Mount Saint Joseph’s Contribution to the Saint Giles Program
The Saint Giles program serves a very unique population of students, yet the atmosphere in which the program has been developed plays a huge part in the success. Ben’s mother explains this when she said “The group of kids [Ben] associated with was phenomenal. He had the opportunity to do something seemingly impossible – humanize adolescent boys. These friendships, I believe, served as more of a benefit to Ben and his development as much, if not more, than the program itself.”
Ben graduated from the Saint Giles program in 2009. He is currently taking a comprehensive career test at the State of Maryland Workforce & Technology Center, where they will determine his strengths and make recommendations as to a proper job placement. Parents who are interested in finding out more about the Saint Giles program should contact Ms. Kate Stearns, Director of Special Programs.
Read more about the special education programs that Mount Saint Joseph’s has to offer.
Contact information:
The Catholic Coalition for Special Education: info@ccse-maryland.org
Ms. Kate Stearns, Director of Special Programs at Mount Saint Joseph: 410-644-3300 X259 e-mail: kstearns@admin.msjnet.edu.
Source: Interview on August 24, 2009 with Francesca Peloegrino, President and Founder of the Catholic Coalition for Special education.
Interview on August 20, 2009 with Jessica Jankoviak, Director of Communications and Events, Mount Saint Joseph.
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