Our Accomplishments

Here's a short list of what we, along with support from the Resource team and administration, have accomplished: 

• applied for and received a $58,000 grant from the Catholic Coalition for Special Education in the spring of 2022 to support hiring another Resource teacher and receive monthly support from an expert instructional coach who has been coming to SJA on a monthly basis for the past three years;

• hosted professional & parental development days for teachers and parents on topics such as executive functioning, sensory integration in the classroom, accommodation basics, ADHD, and co-teaching;

• collaborated with the Sta. Rosa de Lima parent group to throw a celebratory party for our teachers on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe;

• started the SJA Volunteer Student Assistance program (need volunteer hours? consider applying!);

• created a Roadmap for Parents: Navigating the IEP Process in PG County;

• started a Resource Lending Library;

• instituted an annual Fiat Award to be given to a member of our school community who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving children with special needs; 

• initiated site visits in 2024 and 2025 with SJA administrators, teachers, and parents to learn from local Catholic schools that are doing inclusion well; 

• did a presentation about our group at an Archdiocese of Washington Professional Development Day for Resource Teachers and Counselors in 2024 on how to support a St. Margaret of Castello chapter at other schools; 

• co-hosted a Holy Hour Happy Hour with the Catholic Coalition for Special Education at St. Jerome Church in 2024;

• collaborated with St. Bernadette School in Silver Spring to start a new St. Margaret of Castello chapter in 2025;

• co-hosted a "watch party" inviting all SJA parents and teachers for a webinar by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education entitled, "The Educator's Sacred Task: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Classical Education";

• implemented and fulfilled every item requested on an SJA Resource Team Wishlist in collaboration with SJA teachers and the SJA Resource team in summer 2025; 

• created this website full of resources for all SJA parents and supporters!