Overview

Saint Paul’s Lasallian Catholic school is a united community where diversity is respected, where no one is left out, and where everyone finds a place. Individuals within the school community recognize and accept another’s strengths and limitations. This core principle is expressed through the Lasallian ideal: “The Lasallian Family.”

The Catholic Opportunity for Responsive Education (CORE) program evolved through the collaborative efforts of the Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Catholic Schools, and Saint Paul’s administrators, teachers, and parents, who were committed to providing an education experience for students with developmental disabilities to promote independence and self-determination within an inclusionary, Lasallian Catholic School environment.

In keeping with Saint Paul’s Lasallian core principles, the Saint Paul’s community is committed to ensuring students in the CORE Pack Program steeped in the culture of Saint Paul’s and are full participants in the five Lasallian values, Faith in the Presence of God, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Respect for all Persons, Quality Education, and Inclusive Community.
The goals of the CORE Pack Program are to provide the following:

• Lasallian Catholic education
• Each student with the opportunity to be as fully integrated as possible into the total life of the school community
• Opportunities for young adults with developmental disabilities to grow socially, spiritually, and academically
• Opportunities for the entire Saint Paul’s community to gain an understanding of diversity and to value the unique gifts and talents of all students

The CORE Pack Program is based on a holistic, child-centered educational premise and focused on promoting successful outcomes for each student through (1) a comprehensive understanding of each child’s unique needs, (2) the identification of behaviors, benchmarks and achievements to be attained, and (3) the determination of methods for evaluating specific individual progress along this identified continuum of behaviors.

With this understanding, the program endorses the belief that universal competencies exist for all students which can be defined under the following six major developmental domains: cognitive/academic development, communication development, personal development, interpersonal development, career development, and spiritual development. This framework facilitates comprehensive planning for each student, clearly defined programs and services, and a vehicle for accountability regarding individual achievement and program efficacy

CORE Pack Admissions

The Saint Paul’s School CORE Pack program provides a quality, modified, inclusive education in a Lasallian Catholic environment for students with developmental disabilities seeking a high school certificate of achievement. Ideally, the program is a six-year term with students spending their first two years as pre-freshmen. Parents desiring such a Catholic educational experience for their children should follow the application guidelines outlined. Additional information is available by contacting the CORE Pack Director, Ms. Carla Barwick, or Principal, Mr. Lee.

A student will be admitted based on an evaluative assessment reflecting reasonable confidence that the program will be able to meet the needs of the applicant. In order for the student to be accepted, the family must agree to actively support the program as outlined in Appendix 1 (See appendices: CORE Pack Enrollment Agreement). The CORE Pack Admissions Team will review the applications and forward recommendations for acceptance to the Admissions Committee of Saint Paul’s School for final approval.

Curriculum

Saint Paul’s School has chosen a goal-driven education model for the development and implementation of academic material used in the CORE Pack Program. Emphasis on student success is the cornerstone of a goal-driven education. Goals are the end products of the instructional process. Goals should be observable; however, internal changes in the learner should occur.

The CORE Pack Program curriculum focuses on learning in the following six domains:

• Cognitive/Academic Development
• Communication Development
• Personal Development
• Social/Interpersonal Development
• Spiritual Development
• Career Development

Designing the curriculum begins with the student’s goals and objectives and includes the need to have high expectations for each CORE Pack Program student. Another critical component is having access to various elective and CORE classes at Saint Paul’s School. The existing framework of elective and CORE classes is revisited each semester to ensure the best possible instructional program and supportive environment students.

Development of curriculum also takes into account various themes that can change on a yearly basis due to current events, such as the rotation of history and science classes, the creation of work and transition schedules, and the varied strengths and interests of the students in the program.

Mentor Program

The CORE Pack Mentor Wolves Program is Saint Paul’s brand of peer mentoring, an empirically validated recognized strategy for increasing not only the instructional effectiveness but also enhancing social interaction among a wide range of peers. Meeting new people and forming friendships is paramount to a memorable and rewarding high school experience. In order for all Saint Paul’s students to reap the greatest benefit from all that our school has to offer, partnering students with each other is a critical means to achieve the stated goals of the CORE Pack Program.

As a Mentor Wolf, one will have the opportunity to actively participate in the Saint Paul’s Lasallian mission. Implementing each of the Five Core Lasallian Principles is essential to the success of both the mentor and mentee. In order to become a Mentor Wolf, one must be willing to give of himself spending quality time and service to aid in our CORE student’s success.