2022-23 Admission Profile

The Frances Xavier Warde School (FXW) was founded in 1989 with a vision to develop a rigorous academic Catholic school that would embrace all religions and build on the multi-layered diversity of Chicago—ethnic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic. As FXW has evolved, these ideals solidified into our Charisms.

Our Charisms

FAITH

A Community of faith that welcomes and embraces all faith traditions

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

A Community that is purposefully diverse and intentionally inclusive

ACADEMICS

A Community that is preparing thinkers and leaders in an academically enriched environment SERVICE

A Community motivated by faith to serve others

Tuition

Northwest Chicago 12

Wrigleyville/Ravenswood/Lakeview 72

Bucktown/Logan Square/ Irving Park 106

Lincoln Park 60

River North/Gold Coast 70

Garfield Park/Austin 14

West Loop/West Town 256

Downtown/Streeterville 56

South Loop/Chinatown/Bronzeville 122

Kenwood/Hyde Park/South Shore 53

Bridgeport/Pilsen 27

Archer Heights/Midway 8

South/Southwest Chicago 12 Southeast Chicago/Indiana 5 Suburbs

High School Acceptance

FXW Classes 2021 and 2022

British International High School of Chicago

Calabasas High School (CA)

Cardinal Newman High School (FL)

Cate School (CA)

Chicago Academy for the Arts

Chicago Hope Academy

Cranbrook High School (MI)

De La Salle Institute

DePaul College Prep Episcopal High School (VA)

Evanston Township High School

Fenwick High School

Francis W. Parker School

Hinsdale Central High School

Jones College Prep

Lane Tech College Prep High School

Latin School of Chicago

Lincoln Park High School

Loyola Academy

Mount Carmel High School

Nazareth Academy

Northside College Prep

Oak Park and River Forest High School

Ogden International High School

Radnor High School (PA)

Senn High School

St. Charles North High School

St. Ignatius College Prep

Trinity High School

Walter Payton College Preparatory High School

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School

THE VALUE OF AN FAITH FORMATION

10 faith traditions represented at FXW 2 religion curriculums offered (Catholic and Multifaith)

FXW is an independent, Catholic school where all students experience and gain an understanding of religious diversity. The goals of FXW’s religion program are to:

n Partner with families to enrich the understanding and appreciation of the student’s faith and spirituality.

n Develop respect and understanding of world religions.

n Establish a foundation for service work that is an of faith in action.

In Preschool and Kindergarten, the experience of faith is rooted in the student’s imagination and filled with stories of awe and wonder of God. In Grades 1–8, students participate in either a Catholic religion class (Moonbeams) or an interfaith religion class (Shooting Stars). Both curricula mirror one another. Throughout the year, students participate in ecumenical prayer services and masses as an expression of their faith experience. As an intentionally inclusive community, FXW School values the opportunity for interfaith dialogue which involves listening, learning, and asking questions to deepen our understanding of world religions. The celebration of Catholic holy days and sacramental preparation are part of the Catholic religion program.

SERVICE LEARNING

Regardless of a student’s faith or culture, at FXW, all students have the opportunity to put their beliefs into practice. Service learning is an important aspect of FXW students’ experiential education. Projects are closely tied to our mission and allow our students the opportunity to develop their social consciousness. At every grade level, students apply classroom knowledge to service projects for local agencies which effect positive change in the community. It is important for students to realize that they can make a difference in the world around them.

Living the Legacy: FXW Community Service

Through the Living the Legacy service program, FXW students and their families meaningfully and consistently lend a helping hand to the Chicago community. Service comes in many forms—serving a hot meal on a cold night, cleaning up our parks and streets, spreading holiday cheer, or even something as small as sharing a smile, a hug, or a game of bingo. Annually, through the Living the Legacy service program, the FXW community completes more than 6,500 service hours and once again proves that every person—no matter how big or small— can make a difference.

Pillars

n Tenants of Faith

n Liturgical Education: Rituals, Traditions, and Worship

n Morals, Ethics, and Values

n Prayer and Meditation

n Life, Community, and History

n Living the Legacy: Service and Social Justice

FXW EDUCATION

Technology at FXW

The Frances Xavier Warde School integrates the latest technology resources in relevant and meaningful ways to help students expand and apply their knowledge and skills. Faculty and students use technology intentionally to ask big questions, try new ideas, test and verify hypotheses, produce original and creative work, and demonstrate concept mastery. Teachers utilize technology to engage and inspire students and as tools to prepare students to be creative and critical thinkers.

Communicating Student Progress at FXW

Monitoring and communicating student progress involves multiple perspectives and sources of data: checklists, teacher observations, written and oral assessment, self-assessment, and portfolios. Information is formally communicated through standards based reports in conjunction with parent/ teacher conferences. The goal of communicating student progress in a timely and clear manner, while focusing on the “whole child,” is to promote a sense of shared responsibility for supporting student growth and development.

Social Emotional Learning

We strive to foster the development of socially and emotionally competent children capable of achieving success in school and life. As partners with parents, our goal is to support children as they grow in self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and relationship skills. This collaboration promotes our school culture where children learn and live these skills and attitudes every day.

PRESCHOOL

(3 & 4 year olds, 124 Students)

In Preschool, we believe in...

n Play as the foundation for all learning.

n The importance of social and emotional development with an emphasis on relationships, self-regulation, and initiative.

n Nurturing growth mindset and sense of belonging in the community of the classroom.

n Modeling and fostering the development of empathy and compassion to enhance relationships.

n Teaching critical thinking skills through discussing, questioning, and exploring.

n Providing choices to foster motivation to learn and to experience the joy of learning.

n Building body awareness by strengthening gross motor and fine motor muscles.

n Supporting the religious and spiritual faith of all children through prayer and music.

n Encouraging self-help skills to build independence and pride.

n Child readiness for learning with sensitivity to individual differenes and needs.

n Partnering with parents to establish goals in order to support and nurture children’s development.

Continuity of Care

The FXW Preschool Program follows the Continuity of Care (COC) model. Children remain in the program with many of the same classmates over their two years in preschool. As a classroom comprised of 3, 4, and 5 year olds, mixed-age grouping has something important to offer everyone involved.

KINDERGARTEN, GRADE 1, 2

(Primary School, 242 Students)

In Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2...

n Our co-teaching model allows for more individual attention and student support and enrichment in primary grades.

n Literacy classes consist of differentiated reading instruction that instruct students from “Learning to Read” to “Reading to Learn.”

n In math, students learn through collaboration and openended questions which allow them to gain confidence and discover various problem-solving strategies.

n Science focuses on learning skills and building vocabulary through a hands-on approach.

n Students love school at this age, and teachers foster this love of learning through lessons designed to provide relevant connections to the student’s own life experiences.

Community and Collaboration Highlights

Pre-K—Blessings in a Backpack Service Learning Project K Blessings in a Backpack Service Learning Project; Beach Clean-Up with Alliance for the Great Lakes 1st Catholic Extension “Change for Change” Service Learning Project

2nd—Misericordia Candy Days

GRADE 3, 4, 5

(Lower School, 253 Students)

In Grades 3, 4, and 5…

n Students shift from the co-teaching model to a developmentally appropriate single-teacher model and eventually rotate through a semi-departmentalized schedule starting in Grade 5. This encourages students to build independence, increase their executive functioning capabilities, and further develop their problem-solving skills.

n As students are still learning patience and perseverance, their schedules provide a variety of academic experiences throughout the day.

n Students use the foundation of concrete and pictorial math strategies to create abstract methods in problem solving.

n Literature includes global themes of equity, social justice, and empathy.

n As students further define their identity, collaborative work and conversations play a large role in instructional strategies.

n Science is designed to nurture curiosity and develop inquirybased theories.

Experiential Learning Highlights

Grade 3—Chicago Architectural Cruise Grade 4—Springfield, IL Grade 5—Dozin’ with the Dinos*

GRADE 6, 7, 8

(Middle School, 263 Students)

In Grades 6, 7, and 8…

n Students continue to develop executive functioning skills, specifically in time management, as assignments and projects are given in a larger capacity to develop skills in planning ahead, setting goals, and meeting deadlines.

n Students continue to pursue the “why” behind what they are learning, while moving towards more abstract thinking in their problem-solving mathematical approach.

n Students continue using the readers and writers workshop model as they move into informational and argumentative writing, including units on Afrofuturism, resume writing, and an identity project.

n Students explore concepts related to climate change and space, what it means to be “living” by delving into cells, genetics, and dissections, as well as physics through performance assessments, projects, and labs.

n In Social Studies, students develop an understanding of Ancient History, World Geography through themes related to each continent, as well as units on Chicago History and the U.S. Constitution.

n Students further develop communication skills through live debates as well as tech communication such as presentations and podcasts.

Experiential Learning Highlights

Grade 6—Irons Oaks Team Building & Explore Milwaukee* Grade 7—Explore Springfield, IL & St. Louis, MO* Grade 8—Washington, D.C.*

*Indicates

Frances Xavier Warde School is a Catholic elementary school in downtown Chicago that provides an academically excellent, valuesoriented education to students of all ethnic, religious, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in a child-centered urban environment. As a keystone of its diverse community, The School provides need-based scholarships to 30 percent of its students, partners with its families, nurtures faith development for its Catholic students, and engages all students to learn about and respect other faith traditions. FXW follows a rigorous curriculum that enables students to grow, clarify their values, and develop decision-making skills and a sense of responsibility for themselves and the world they will inherit.

HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL CAMPUS

OLD ST. PATRICK’S CAMPUS