<![CDATA[GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC SCHOOL - Announcements And News Stories]]>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:43:09 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[GSC Again Is Named a "School of Distinction"]]>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:49:38 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/gsc-again-named-a-school-of-distinctionFor the fourth time in five years, Good Shepherd Catholic School has achieved "School of Distinguished Instruction" status from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Office of Catholic Education.

Here is the email that GSC Principal Sister Helen Thomas, IHM, received from the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, Enrollment, and School Culture for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools. 

​From: Bonnie Delciotto 
Date: Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Subject: School of Distinction - Growth AND Exceeding Potential
To: shelen@gscregional.org

July 23, 2026

Dear Sister Helen,
 
It is with great pride that we congratulate Good Shepherd Regional on being named a School of Distinction for BOTH Growth and Exceeding Potential!

These dual recognitions highlight the exceptional teaching, learning, and commitment that define your school community. Together, they reflect not only how much your students are achieving, but how far they are progressing.

Your school met the following rigorous criteria:

Growth Award
Based on year-over-year performance on the Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) scale, your school demonstrated that a majority of classes (80%) at each tested grade level showed academic growth in all content areas.

Exceeding Potential Award
By comparing results from the InView (cognitive ability) and TerraNova (achievement) assessments, your students were shown to meet or exceed their anticipated academic potential in all content areas at 80% or more of tested grade levels.

These accomplishments are a testament to your faculty’s instructional excellence and your students’ hard work and perseverance. We are truly honored to recognize your school among the top in our community.

You are invited to the Schools of Distinction Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Thursday, August 13, 1PM at St. Isaac Jogues. The address is 50 W. Walker Road, Wayne, PA. We hope you will join us as we celebrate your school’s dedication and success. 

Thank you for your continued dedication to the mission of Catholic education and to helping your students grow, thrive, and exceed expectations.

With deep appreciation and congratulations,

Bonnie Delciotto
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]]><![CDATA[GSC Teacher Celebrates 50 Years in Catholic Education]]>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/gsc-teacher-celebrates-50-years-in-catholic-education
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GSC News Page in the Queen of Peace Parish Bulletin ~ Sunday, June 21, 2026
]]><![CDATA[Good Shepherd Catholic Graduates Its 16th Class]]>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/good-shepherd-catholic-graduates-its-16th-classThe 16 graduates in the Class of 2026 from Good Shepherd Catholic School in Ardsley are headed in eight different directions when they begin their secondary education in September at six area and two out-of-state schools, including Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster (1); Bishop Moore Catholic High School, Orlando, FL (1); Georgetown Preparatory School, Bethesda, MD (1); La Salle College High School, Wyndmoor (1); Lansdale Catholic High School (the most "popular" destination with 7); Little Flower Catholic High School For Girls, Philadelphia (1); Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Flourtown (3); and Roman Catholic High School, Philadelphia (1).

​Good Shepherd’s 16th eighth-grade class received their diplomas on Wednesday night, June 10, during a graduation ceremony following a Mass at Queen of Peace Parish Church.
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GSC News Page in the Queen of Peace Parish Bulletin ~ Sunday, June 7, 2026
]]><![CDATA[It's a Snowy Start to GSC's Annual Celebration of Catholic Schools Week]]>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/its-a-snowy-start-to-gscs-annual-celebration-of-catholic-schools-week
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Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. This year, CSW coincides with the 16th anniversary of National School Choice Week. Good Shepherd Catholic has a full week of activities planned to highlight the important choice parents and families make to send their children to GSC for the well-rounded, academically challenging education we provide in a safe, welcoming, loving and Christ-centered environment.

​GSC is the place to be for preschool (ages 3 and 4), kindergarten, and grades 1-8!
​
​Here's what's happening at GSC from January 24-30, 2026
(** Please Note that there are Changes Due to a Winter Snow Storm on Sunday! **):
  
Saturday, January 24: Pre-CSW Event for Parents and other Adults
•  The Home and School Association's annual Trivia Night takes place in the GSC auditorium.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the questions start around 7:00.

Saturday and Sunday, January 24-25: Celebrating Our Parish and Faith Community
•  Student speakers will talk at the weekend Masses at Queen of Peace Church.
•  School representatives will hand out chocolate lamb lollipops after the Saturday Vigil Mass.
•  School representatives will serve coffee and donuts in Lynaugh Hall
(under Queen of Peace Church) after the Sunday morning Masses.
** Due to Sunday's storm, coffee and donuts now will be served
after the three Masses on Sunday morning, February 1. ** 
​
Monday, January 26: Celebrating Our Volunteers and Community First Responders
•  Annual Mass for GSC volunteers and community first responders
at 9:00 a.m. in Queen of Peace Church, followed by a
light breakfast/refreshments in the GSC auditorium.
The Mass can be watched via the Queen of Peace Livestream:
https://masslivestream.com/churches/qofpeacechurch​.
** Due to  the Winter storm, this special Mass and reception are being moved to Monday, February 2. ** 
 
Tuesday, January 27: Celebrating Our Grandparents and Special Friends
•  Students will dress as their favorite storybook character.
Students not dressing as a character can wear their gym uniform.
•  There will be two sessions for GSC students to play Bingo with their invited guest(s),
from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m., and then from 10:30 to 11:45 p.m.
Here is the SignUpGenius link to RSVP for grandparents/friends:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FAAAC2EA2FD0-61681934-copy.
** Due to the lingering effects of the weekend storm,
Bingo will be rescheduled to a date in the Spring. ** 

Wednesday, January 28: Celebrating Our Teachers and Staff
•  Teacher Appreciation Day
•  Teachers will enjoy a catered lunch provided by
the Good Shepherd Home and School Association.
Adult lunch monitors should sign up here:
www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FAAAC2EA2FD0-61681911-copy#/
to volunteer in a classroom from 11:25 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. so the teachers can enjoy their lunch.
​Thank you for your time and consideration!
•  Students can wear their gym uniform.
•  Students and teachers and will play games in the gym in the afternoon.
** Due to circumstances, the teachers' lunch is moved to Friday, January 30. ** 
​
Thursday, January 29: Celebrating Our Students
•  Students can wear their favorite team shirt with gym pants.
They also can wear crazy hats and/or socks.
·  Students in Preschool through Grade 5 may bring in their favorite stuffed toy,
and students in grades 6-8 can use "anything but a backpack" to carry their books.
•  Students will receive a soft pretzel at morning recess/snack time.
•  The Home and School Association will treat students to a Hot Dog Lunch.
•  There will be an Academic Fair/Open House from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Friday, January 30: Celebrating GSC!
•  Dance For Education! (Click on the words to donate.)
•  Students may wear GSC spirit wear or their gym uniform.
·  Students/families will participate in a service project collecting boxes of cereal and instant mashed potatoes for a local food pantry.
​All donated boxes will be used to create a school-wide domino effect.

Also, the Scholastic Book Fair will be open during Catholic Schools Week,
including during the Thursday night Open House!
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/goodshepherdcathregschool​
]]><![CDATA[GSC's 16th School Year Begins on Wednesday, September 3]]>Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/gscs-16th-school-year-begins-on-wednesday-september-3​Good Shepherd Catholic School's 16th school year begins on Wednesday, September 3, for grades 1-8, and students will have a 12:00 noon dismissal, followed by full days on Thursday and Friday. Our school day runs from 7:50 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., with after-school care until 6:00 p.m.

Kindergarten's first full day is Friday, September 5, and our preschool classes start on Monday, September 8. After-school CARES and the NDS Breakfast and Lunch Program also begin on Monday, the 8th.

​You can consult the online school calendar for more important dates and events that will kick off the new school year!

There are 123 families with children currently enrolled in the school, and GSC is beginning the 2025-2026 school year with 39 three- and four-year-olds in preschool, 16 kindergarten students, and 111 students in grades 1-8.
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GSC News Page in the Queen of Peace Parish Bulletin ~ Sunday, August 31, 2025
]]><![CDATA[Good Shepherd Catholic Graduates its 15th Class]]>Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/good-shepherd-catholic-graduates-its-15th-classThe 17 graduates in the Class of 2025 from Good Shepherd Catholic School in Ardsley are headed in a few different directions when they begin their secondary education in September at six area schools, including Abington Senior High School; Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster; La Salle College High School, Wyndmoor; Lansdale Catholic High School (the most "popular" destination); Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Flourtown; and Upper Dublin High School, Fort Washington.

​Good Shepherd’s 15th eighth-grade class received their diplomas on Wednesday night, June 11, during a graduation ceremony following a Mass at Queen of Peace Parish Church.
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GSC News Page in the Queen of Peace Parish Bulletin ~ Sunday, June 8, 2025
]]><![CDATA[GSC Celebrates School Choice and Catholic Schools Week]]>Sat, 25 Jan 2025 19:56:53 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/gsc-celebrates-school-choice-and-catholic-schools-week
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This year, Catholic Schools Week coincides with the 15th anniversary of National School Choice week. Good Shepherd Catholic School has a full week of activities planned to celebrate the important choice parents and families make to send their children to GSC for the well-rounded, academically challenging Catholic education we provide in a safe, welcoming, loving and Christ-centered environment.
 
​Here's what's happening at GSC from January 25-31, 2025:
  
Saturday, January 25: Pre-CSW Event for Parents and other Adults
•  The Home and School Association's annual Trivia Night takes place in the GSC auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the questions start around 7:00.

Saturday and Sunday, January 25-26: Celebrating Our Parish
•  Student speakers will talk at the weekend Masses at Queen of Peace Church.
•  School representatives will serve coffee and donuts in Lynaugh Hall
(under Queen of Peace Church) after the Sunday morning Masses.
​
Monday, January 27: Celebrating Our Community
•  Annual Mass for GSC volunteers and community first responders
at 9:00 a.m. in Queen of Peace Church, followed by a
light breakfast/refreshments in the GSC auditorium.
The Mass can be watched via the Queen of Peace Livestream:
https://masslivestream.com/churches/qofpeacechurch​.
 
Tuesday, January 28: Celebrating Our Grandparents and Special Friends
•  Students will dress as characters from an assigned book (or theme).
Students not dressing as a character can wear their gym uniform.
•  There will be two sessions for GSC students to play Bingo with their invited guest(s),
from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., and then from 10:30 to 12:00 noon.
Here is the SignUpGenius link to RSVP for grandparents/friends:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FAAAC2EA2FD0-54289052-grandparents.

Wednesday, January 29: Celebrating Our Teachers and Staff
•  Teacher Appreciation Day
•  Teachers will enjoy a catered lunch provided by
the Good Shepherd Home and School Association.
Adult lunch monitors should sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FAAAC2EA2FD0-54289008-teacher#/
or contact a teacher directly if they are able to volunteer
from 11:00/11;30 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. today.
​Thank you for your time and consideration!
•  Students can wear their gym uniform.
•  Teachers and staff will play "Minute To Win It" against the eighth graders.
​
Thursday, January 30: Celebrating Our Students
•  Students can wear their favorite team shirt.
•  Students will receive a soft pretzel at morning recess/snack time.
•  There will be a surprise activity for all students.
•  The Home and School Association will treat students to a Hot Dog Lunch.
•  There will be an Academic Fair/Open House from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Friday, January 31: Celebrating GSC
•  Dance For Education! (Click on the words to donate.)
•  Students may wear GSC spirit wear or their gym uniform.

Also, the Scholastic Book Fair will be open during Catholic Schools Week,
including during the Thursday night Open House!
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/goodshepherdcathregschool​
]]><![CDATA[GSC is a Three-Time Archdiocesan "School of Distinguished Instruction"]]>Thu, 12 Sep 2024 18:16:48 GMThttps://www.gscregional.org/announcements-and-news-stories/gsc-is-a-three-time-archdiocesan-school-of-distinguished-instructionThe Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office of Catholic Education recognized 71 parish and regional elementary schools last Thursday (September 5) as 2024 Archdiocesan Schools of Distinguished Instruction. School administrators gathered to receive their award during a ceremony at Saint Dorothy Church in Drexel Hill.

Dr. Andrew McLaughlin, Secretary of Elementary Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Bernadette Dougherty, the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools in Montgomery County, were on hand to present the awards.

GSC Principal Sister Helen Thomas, IHM – along with Fourth-Grade Teacher Sister Teresa Haug, IHM, and Resource Teacher Sister Christine Lamb, IHM – accepted Good Shepherd Catholic School’s plaque for a third year in a row.

GSC was one of 44 schools recognized for "Growth" and "Exceeding Potential," and this is the second consecutive year that GSC has succeeded in both categories. Recognition for "Growth" was determined by comparing the Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) score from the March 2024 testing to the NCE examinations taken by students in the previous academic year. GSC students’ scores demonstrated a full year’s growth in the total mastery of skills at every level tested.

Recognition for "Exceeding Potential" was determined by analyzing the data from the ability testing (InView) and the achievement testing (Terra Nova) in which schools were found to have 85 percent of the classes (grades 2-7) meeting or exceeding their potential in all content areas at every level tested with a growth rate between 76 and 90 percent.

Here is the press release from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia: https://archphila.org/71-area-catholic-elementary-schools-to-be-recognized-as-2024-archdiocesan-schools-of-distinguished-instruction/.
 
Here is the story on CatholicPhilly.com: https://catholicphilly.com/2024/09/news/local-news/71-catholic-grade-schools-honored-for-excellence/.

Congratulations to GSC students, teachers and staff for all of their hard work that led to this significant academic achievement!
 
#GSCScholarship  #GSCCommunity  #GSCistheplacetobe  #ComeGrowWithUsAtGSC
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