A photo of Holy Redeemer Catholic School in the heart of Washington DC.
fIt is with great joy that we announce Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Washington DC as our third “ND Magnificat School”. Together with St. Adalbert in South Bend and St. Ann in Chicago, Holy Redeemer has joined a developing initiative to keep at-risk Catholic schools open. For the next five years, the University of Notre Dame’s Educational Outreach, a branch of the Alliance for Catholic Education, will work closely with these three schools, and provide resources, to help increase enrollment, student achievement, and decrease faculty turnover.
Equally exciting as the naming of Holy Redeemer a Magnificat School, Ben Ketchum (ACE 4, ALP 3) has been appointed principal and will lead the school community into this developing relationship. Upon accepting his position, Ben remarked:
“I am excited to begin working with the University of Notre Dame and Holy Redeemer under the Magnificat model. This initiative to sustain and strengthen Catholic schools will truly enrich the Holy Redeemer community by strengthening academic achievement, parental involvement and Catholic identity. I look forward to collaborating with other ACE graduates who share the same dedication and eagerness to contribute to the goals and mission of Catholic schools.”
Holy Redeemer opened its doors in 1955, under the leadership of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters, and was run by the Order until 1981. In recent years, the school has had three lay principals, and Ben will be the fourth. Fr. David Bava has worked closely with the school since 1995 as the pastor of Holy Redeemer Church. He considers the school to be a “historical treasure” in the heart of the city, which was originally opened to serve the African-American population. Currently, Holy Redeemer has a student body population of 215 and they are hoping to increase their enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year. Ninety of their students are part of the Washington scholarship fund, which is the DC voucher program enacted by Congress.
With Ben’s leadership and vision, and support from the University of Notre Dame, Holy Redeemer is already on the path to success. Currently the school is actively looking for several teachers to fill open positions. We hope that several ACE alumni will consider this special opportunity. Washington DC is a lively city with a strong community of ACE graduates, and this particular school is poised to take off. Please contact Ben Ketchum at benkjennifer@msn.com if you would like to inquire about a position at Holy Redeemer.
Students at Holy Redeemer enjoy their playground as their teacher looks on.