PROFILE |
BY MISTY MILIOTO
Lake Castle Private School New Orleans STUDENTS LEAVE LAKE CASTLE PREPARED FOR THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AND ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS HIGH SCHOOLS IN NEW ORLEANS.
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The EAST New Orleans
have similar philosophies, which are also compatible with the school’s,” McGovern says. “We expect that the investment parents make in their children’s education will pay off tremendously in the opportunities available to them later because of their academic achievement.” With a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1, parents can expect that their investment in a private education is being put to full use. For instance, the school strategically uses books that are at least one grade level ahead so that students are practicing reading and comprehension at a more advanced rate. Pre-kindergarteners learn to read (phonics based, not sight reading), and kindergarteners learn to do three-digit addition. “We have a full grammar class each day in addition to a reading class, not a combined ELA class,” McGovern says. “Moreover, students at Lake Castle learn good study and organizational habits, the importance of helping others, and the vital skill of using good manners and treating one another with respect.”
Students at Lake Castle are taught not only to understand material that is presented, but also to express their ideas in an articulate and concise way through oral presentations. Students also learn how to calculate advanced mathematical problems and how to apply those concepts in logical ways. Computer classes, taught once per week from kindergarten through 8th grade, teach students typing skills and how to use programs for writing MLA research papers or to create digital presentations. “We take great effort to make sure students are treated well every day,” McGovern says. “Not only is Lake Castle an academically advanced school, but it is also a nice and happy place to be. Important to note, Lake Castle does not receive (or ask for) money from the city, state or federal government. We do not get free books, lunch, transportation or anything. I am not aware of one private or parochial school with lower tuition than Lake Castle’s. I am pretty proud of that fact.”
PHOTOS BY CHERYL GERBER
A top private school in New Orleans, Lake Castle offers education for Pre-K through 8th grade, preparing students to excel at top-rated high schools such as Ben Franklin, Jesuit, Dominican, Brother Martin and Mt. Carmel. “We compete in several city-wide competitions and perform at a superior level,” says Jane McGovern, principal at Lake Castle Private School New Orleans. “We have won many first-place individual and team awards at the Cabrini High School Invitational Tournament, the Brother Martin MiddleSchool Math Competition and the De La Salle High School Invitational. In addition, we are routinely the highest-ranking team in New Orleans in the Mathcounts competition, sponsored by the Corps of Engineers; and we have won first place several times, including last year, at the Brother Martin Quiz Bowl Tournament, which includes teams from all over the metro New Orleans area.” The school, which is easily accessible from New Orleans East, Lakeview, Chalmette and Gentilly, features a computer lab with 40 computers, a spacious gym and a swimming pool. Lake Castle also offers numerous clubs and teams for various grade levels, including drama, art, photography, travel, science, current events, flag football, basketball, dance, volleyball and many more. Furthermore, the campus has a gate-access system in place for safety and security, meaning guests must be buzzed in during school hours. Lake Castle also is deeply rooted in tradition, following the ideals of its founding principal, Clendon J. Butera, who believed in working hard, being fair, having high expectations of oneself and others, and using one’s talents to make a difference in the world. “It can be said that a main reason Lake Castle is so successful is that the parents here
