St. Giles School Announces Strategic Partnership

With Rose K. Goedert Center for Early Childhood Education

OAK PARK, IL – February 29, 2024 – St. Giles School is delighted to announce it will be partnering with Dominican University’s Rose K. Goedert Center for Early Childhood Education, creating a dynamic early childhood program that will further strengthen the educational offerings for young learners in Oak Park and surrounding communities. Starting in June 2024, the combined preschool program will operate at St. Giles School, allowing the students and families of the Goedert Center the opportunity to continue their learning in the wake of the Center’s closure at the end of this current school year.

The decision for the Goedert Center to integrate with St. Giles School comes after a four-month search for a like-minded partner. Both programs bring a long-standing history of educational excellence that seeks to seamlessly transition preschool students to kindergarten. Key highlights of the new partnership include:

1. Seamless Transition – The transition from the Rose K. Goedert Center to St. Giles School will be a smooth and seamless process, ensuring minimal disruption for students, parents, and staff. St. Giles is able to accommodate every 3-and 4-year old preschool student in the Goedert Center’s current program who chooses to enroll for the 2024-25 school year.
2. Expanded Resources – By joining forces, St. Giles School will provide enhanced resources and facilities, fostering an even more enriching learning environment – all while maintaining its 10:1 student to teacher ratio. The school is adding a summer program for preschoolers to provide continued, year-round care. The summer preschool program will be available for registration beginning summer 2024.
3. Expertise Integration – Pending enrollment, the collaboration aims to integrate the expertise of educators from both institutions, combining their strengths to create an even more robust early childhood education program.

“We are thrilled to welcome the families and students of the Goedert Center for Early Childhood Education into the St. Giles School family,” said Meg Bigane, principal at St. Giles School. “We’ve been looking to expand our preschool program and this partnership offers the perfect opportunity to do so. This is a testament to our shared values and dedication to providing the best possible educational experience for the children of Oak Park and its surrounding communities.”

“When the decision to close the facility at Dominican University was made last year, it became critically important to me and to our faculty that we selected a partner that matches Goedert’s beliefs, culture, and educational mission: a place where our families can easily and seamlessly transition and know their children will receive the same experience they do now,” said Sarah Thomas, Director of the Goedert Center. “St. Giles is that place. Our programs are strikingly similar with educational philosophies that mirror one another. I know our students will feel the warmth and support of a loving community; I have already.”

The integration of the Goedert Center into St. Giles School will be effective as of June 17, 2024. Both institutions are actively working to ensure a smooth transition and are excited about the positive impact this collaboration will have on its community of young learners.

For more information or inquiries, please contact Meg Bigane, St. Giles School Principal (708-383-6279 – mbigane@stgilesschool.org) or Sarah Thomas, Director Rose K. Goedert Early Childhood Center (708-714-9150 – sthomas@dom.edu).

About St. Giles School – For more than 90 years, St. Giles School has served the families of Oak Park, Elmwood Park, Galewood and the surrounding neighborhoods. Since the school opened its doors in 1928, its singular commitment has never waivered: providing a preschool through 8th-grade education to prepare children to be people of faith imbued with a lifelong love of learning and spirit of service to others.

About the Rose K. Goedert Center for Early Childhood Education – The Rose K. Goedert Center for Early Childhood Education has been providing high-quality education and care for almost fifty years serving as a laboratory school for Dominican University’s School of Education. Housed on the University’s Priory Campus, the center welcomes two to five-year-old children of Dominican students, faculty and staff, as well as children from neighboring communities.