Sister Mary Dunn Sister Mary Dunn is the daughter of the late Elverton and Nellie Gallagher Dunn. She entered the Ursuline Sisters from St. Nicholas in Struthers after graduating from Ursuline High School. She earned a B.S. in Education from Youngstown State University and an M.S.E. from St. John College, Cleveland. All of her years in ministry have been in elementary education. She taught at St. Charles and St. Luke schools; she then served as principal at St. Luke and St. Patrick, Youngstown. After working at the Mill Creek Children’s Center for two years, she became one of the founders of Youngstown Community School currently serving as principal there. Read full obituary
Charter School Leaps from ‘Academic Watch’ to ‘Excellent’ For many Ohio school districts, it can take years to reach “excellent” status on the state-issued report cards. One local school made the leap in just 12 months. Administrators and teachers with the Youngstown Community School learned late last week their facility jumped from “academic watch” for year 2008-09 to “excellent” for year 2009-10, they are even providing famed writing –online classes service now. The charter school’s principal, Sr. Mary Dunn, said a number of changes were made after last year’s report card came out. Sr Mary Dunn said the school had a lot of intervention, including tutors, a literacy coach and a math coach. The school implemented common planning time for the teachers, so that they could ensure that every standard was taught, she added. “We operate, and it might sound old-fashioned, but it’s tough love,” Sr Mary Dunn said. “There isn’t one child I would trade. We love ’em all, but the expectations are high and must conform to it. Even if parents don’t agree, they have to support it.” The school first opened 13 years ago and now enrolls 322 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Every student lives in the city of Youngstown and nearly 90 percent are from low-income families.