St. Isidore Catholic School
St. Isidore School is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
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History and Achievements

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St. Isidore Catholic School is the education ministry of St. Isidore Catholic Church. The school was built by the parish and opened in September 1955 serving grades one through six. In December 1955 the Feather River flooded leaving the school under twelve feet of water. The school reopened in March 1956 after the repair of extensive flood damage. One additional grade was added each year for the next two years. The first class to graduate from the eighth grade was the class of 1958. The kindergarten program was added in 1975. The Extension Program (before and after school care) was added in 1985. The Parish Hall was built in 2000 and is used for hot lunch, after-school sports and Physical Education during inclement weather. Holy Angels Preschool opened in 2001.

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur staffed the school through June 1972. Since then, the school has been administered and staffed by lay personnel. The St. Isidore Catholic School faculty and staff consists of: the principal, nine full-time faculty members, an administrative secretary, an office assistant who also serves a classroom aide, an extended care director, two extended care aides, a preschool director, three preschool teachers/aides and one Kindergarten classroom aide. Three faculty members are working toward a California Credential; all others hold Teaching Credentials. Three faculty members have earned Master's Degrees. The principal holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and is currently seeking a Doctorate in Catholic Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco with completion scheduled for 2012. All faculty either have or are working towards the religious education certification. Many are involved in continuing education to meet salary scale movement requirements or simply to increase their skills and knowledge. The student to faculty ratio is currently just below 20:1.

Total enrollment for the 2008-2009 year stands at 218. Enrollment has increased in each of the past three academic years, and an active marketing effort has been undertaken to assure continued growth. The school is open for enrollment by students of all religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and does not discriminate in its application, admission or enrollment process. The school recognizes and respects all faith traditions and asks only that its non-Catholic students respect the school’s Catholic tradition. The school is one of three private school options in the area.

Academic assessments at St. Isidore Catholic School are aligned with our student performance objectives, as well as Diocese and California State Standards and include: standardized tests, textbook tests, teacher-created tests, standards based tests, student projects, written and oral reports and teacher observations. On standardized achievement tests, St. Isidore Catholic School annually performs above the national averages and on a level that is similar to the Sacramento Diocese. Slight variations occur with student enrollment changes.

Most of our graduates attend Yuba City and River Valley High Schools. Some attend Marysville or Sutter High Schools, and a few attend Christian Brothers, Jesuit or Loretto (scheduled to close in the fall of 2009) High Schools, all Catholic High Schools located in Sacramento. We often hear positive comments from the faculty and administration of local schools in reference to our students' study skills and abilities to perform at the secondary level. Many of our students assume leadership roles and receive awards at the high schools. In the past few years, several former students have been chosen for Boys’ State, Girls’ State, and HOBY Conference.

St. Isidore Catholic School is located in the southeastern section of Yuba City, one mile from the Town Center and one block from one of the two public high schools. The school serves families from Yuba City, Live Oak, Marysville, Linda, and Sutter. Yuba City is a major hub of commerce and residence in the Sacramento Valley. Agriculture is the main industry of the area.

St. Isidore Catholic School has two official representative bodies that consult with and advise the principal and pastor. The School Advisory Council is comprised of 11 members, plus the pastor, principal, a representative from the Parents' Club, a faculty representative and members at large elected by parishioners and school parents or appointed by the pastor. The Council recommends new policies, oversees the financial operation of the school, is responsible for major fundraising and marketing efforts, and recommends existing policy changes affecting our school provided they do not conflict with Diocesan policies. The Parents' Club, whose officers are elected by the parents, has as its goal to provide and improve communication with parents and conduct fundraising activities that are aimed at keeping tuition affordable and help in the running of the school through their volunteer activities. Parent participation is very high a St. Isidore Catholic School. Parents help with the daily hot lunch program, volunteer for yard duty, aid in the classroom, coach athletic teams, drive on field trips, assist with technology, assist and support our fundraisers, and provide countless hours to improve the educational and extracurricular offerings at St. Isidore Catholic School. The school has a minimum requirement of 40 parent service hours per academic year.

A Catholic education at St. Isidore Catholic School benefits families in our community by providing:

The school has achieved recent milestones such as an increases in enrollment, air conditioning in every room, new chairs and desks in almost all classrooms, painting of classrooms, new science lab equipment, new curriculum texts (social studies and Saxon Math for third grade), ability-based math in the middle school, Introduction to Spanish classes in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, single grade classrooms, internet in all classrooms, laptop computers and email for all teachers, and a school web site (http://www.stisidore-yubacity.org/isidoreschool.html).

Our vision for the future calls for improvements such as a new Language Arts program and texts, summer school program (academics and sports), grounds improvements such as fencing for security, gutters, updated security system, implementation of a computerized library program, a computer lab and classes, a resource education program for special needs and advanced students, an enhanced science center, a music program (instrument and choir), and a theatrical program.