Our Lady of Perpetual Help School’s theme of excellence is “Restoring Faith in Education”.  We make every effort to live up to that challenge.  

Over the last 10 years, many OLPH students have been Valedictorians or Salutatorians at graduation from Notre Dame High School.   This is possible because of OLPH’s emphasis on “Whole Education”, namely the focus on students' academic, spiritual, physical and social well-being.

That is not to say that OLPH ignores standardized testing.  In fact, OLPH prepares students for the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and administers the tests in early October, just a month into the school year.   Although early in the year, OLPH students generally perform at one grade level above state norms, or even much higher.  The advantage of early testing?  Armed with test results, the teaching staff is able to assess deficiencies early, and proactively strengthen their curriculum in problem areas.  

Education is a ministry, and God desires the well-being of each and every child.  Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding are Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3).  

We are bound by the ideals that educating our youth is the sacred duty of not only our teachers, but our priests, staff, administrators and our parents.  Even many of our older students participate in peer tutoring.

Our institution is fully-accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).  OLPH’s students benefit from highly-qualified, credentialed teachers who love teaching.  The students at the Jr. High level (grades 6-8) are offered instruction by a team of teachers, each offering instruction in their specialization.

The student population at OLPH is diverse, and addressing the varied learning styles of our students is one of the keys to OLPH’s academic successes.  As students become mentors or tutors, their comprehension of the curriculum increases, and guides them to becoming lifelong learners.

Besides classroom instruction, OLPH has an excellent technology program supported with a state-of-the-art computer lab.  Besides keyboarding, students learn how to use Word Processing, Spreadsheet and Presentation applications, even as they develop better writing skills. Moreover, the technology program is mainstreamed into many areas of curriculum.  Work in the computer lab enhances many Religion, History, and Science projects, as well as presentations

All eligible students participate yearly in the science fair, the spelling bee, poetry and essay competitions, and the national math test, with some progressing to higher-level competitions.  Even our preschool students develop a classroom-level science project together.

Every year, we are pleased to acknowledge a new group of our students who have met the five criteria for the National Junior Honor Society: scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship.

All students participate in physical education classes twice a week, where they are taught team sports, exercise, and dance.  This class is offered in addition to our daily recess, where many students choose to compete in sports.

There are four more gifts of the Holy Spirit:  Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord, and these are also key to the concept of “Whole Education”, namely educating and ministering to the “Whole Child.” As a Catholic Christian school, the goal of OLPH’s curriculum is to lead students to develop a deep love for God, and to appreciate all He has done for the world.  Those beliefs and understandings aid a child in seeking a stronger love and bond to God, in developing a love and respect for all people, in accepting responsibility for their own actions, in being a life-long contributor to the needs of the community, and in extending their efforts to preserving or improving the environment.  Developing a focused personal discipline and strong moral values (which is an aspect of Fortitude – a gift of the Holy Spirit) outfits each child for a successful future as a responsible adult.

Each school day starts with an affirmation of these principles.  The morning assembly, lead by the student council, begins the day with prayer, petitions for the intentions of the school community, a Bible reading, which is the Liturgical Reading of the day, the Pledge of Allegiance, a patriotic song such as the Star Spangled Banner, and then announcements for the day.  Announcements sometimes include small skits and spirit cheers for the athletic teams, as well as the detailing the activities for the week.

The whole school (K-8) attends Mass on Thursday mornings, and older students are paired with younger prayer partners.  Each class prepares and hosts assigned Thursday Masses, as well as hosting and reading for the Parish Mass, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of each month at 9:00 am.  Students who wish to make their First Reconciliation and First Communion are prepared in a two-year program taking place during school hours.

Year round, students collect food for the OLPH food pantry, which serves families in need in the community. Other projects include running clothing drives, and adopting needy families for Christmas.  Advent and Lenten boxes collect funds for our missionaries around the world.

OLPH’s academic program is as diverse as its student body, but it comes down to the simple principle of molding the “Whole Child”, a responsible and loving child of God.