Joliet Catholic educators repackage schools for 21st century

Published: 2005-01-26

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (CNS) -- To relate to current needs Catholic school educators in the Joliet Diocese are repackaging schools for the 21st century. At the elementary level, Catholic education has broadened its approach to meet today's definition of the family-friendly environment, said Benedictine Sister Helen Jean Kormelink, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Joliet Diocese. For most Catholic elementary schools, this means offering preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, before- and after-school baby-sitting and intercommunity bus transportation. The traditional neighborhood school also has adjusted with lifestyle alterations. Institutional demographics show that school enrollment now is more a reflection of parents' deliberate efforts to shape their children's educational environment. Parents are looking for schools that demonstrate the ethics and faith values at the core of their philosophical beliefs, said Sister Kormelink. In Naperville and Kankakee, parishes have come together to open new parochial schools designed to serve the needs of their communities.

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