We are the Champions

  Just thinking about the next 4 weeks of school makes me feel like the owl on the right.  Believe it or not, the end is almost here.  Having a late spring break is great because there's not much time left when we return, but it also can be stressful knowing how much there is to do in so very little time.  Please know that we are all in this together and if you need help just ask.  I am going to ask for help from everyone with the student cum folders this year.  Typically the homeroom teachers do this themselves, but with a baby on the way and teacher workshops during the 4 days when school is done, it's going to be all hands on deck.  Thank you in advance for being All In to Make the end Happen with as least stress as possible.  The top 6 items that need to be addressed before we hit the beach are: grades, cum folders, inventory, packing up the rooms, professional development, and review of our action plans.  We have two remaining faculty meetings, two half days of school, and 4 PD days that will help to get this all done.  Gina will have more details at Monday's faculty meeting.    

Here is the list of PD available the 4 days after school lets out.  Anyone who will be teaching science next year is required to attend one of the sessions (Thursday or Friday) on NGSS.  I will also this workshop.  Anyone who will be teaching K-8 science, technology, art, religion, math, or language arts will be required to attend the STEAM workshop on Monday.  Gina and I will both be there for this.  This will be a great opportunity for us to learn together and start developing plans for how we will start the paddle upSTREAM.  It will not happen in one year, but we need to take advantage of this opportunity to help get us started.  The other workshops are optional if you wish to take them.  Gina and I will also work on getting PD for envision math (K-8), whichever science program we choose (K-5), and anyone new to Wit and Wisdom.  We can talk about when is best to do this.  It may seem like a lot, but there are a number of new series we are adopting and it's best to do all this at the beginning of the summer so you have the summer to digest it and start planning for next school year.  We can then plan some PLC time during pre-planning in August for questions, idea sharing, refreshers, etc.  

Thursday, May 30

Exploring Next Generation Science Standards (Full Day) 

Project/Problem Based Learning K-12 (am session)

Accommodations for Special Learners K-12 (pm session)

Friday, May 31

Exploring Next Generation Science Standards (Full Day)

Writing Across the Curriculum K-12 (am session)

Using Technology to Differentiate K-12 (pm session)

Monday, June 3

STEAM K-12 (Full Day Workshop)

Tuesday, June 4

Effective Classroom Management K-12 (am session)

The Power of Praise in the Classroom K-12 (pm session)

Now that I've hit you with all that, it's time for the REALLY GOOD NEWS!......  We've seen the Terra Nova scores and there is much to celebrate.  In some cases, the classes did better than on the iReady tests.  What I am most excited about are the math scores.  I'm not sure how these compare to Iowa and there is a lot of analysis to do, but at first glance, for the first time taking this test we did great.  For some of you, if you look at the overall class scores in some areas, you may not be impressed.  However, if you look deeper and look at individual scores, you will find that there are a few students in your class (and I'm sure you will know who they are) who bring down the class scores.  There are students scoring in the single digit percentiles and that will affect scores greatly.  One thing I believe you will find is that this test more accurately compares to how students do in the classroom.  Those who you expect to do well did and those who struggle did not do as well.  Again this is in general.  There are always exceptions.  I don't understand how to read it all yet and how to run reports, particularly for InView.  Alton and Gina will be trained on this on May 6.  They will then share what they learned at our May 13 faculty meeting.  In the meantime, I will share your login codes tomorrow so you can start looking.  

Some general highlights by grade (areas where the class did very well):

2nd grade - math

3rd grade - math and reading

4th grade - reading

5th grade - math and reading

6th grade - reading and language

7th grade - this class was in the 60s percentile for everything

8th grade - this class was in the 70s percentile for everything and were clearly the superstars

Overall, everyone did very well in science and social studies.  Language and mechanics tended to be lower than other scores in most grades. 

Thank you to everyone, not only for your day-to-day efforts in teaching our students, but also for getting the students through the testing in a way that helped them to be successful.  

Highlights for this week:

Full faculty meeting Monday (location TBD)

Galy and Jamie to be interviewed for the Shining Light award

May 1 is the May crowning Mass and Kids on the Block presentation for grades 3 and 4

Friday I will be at the Bethany Center.  This will be a working session to review and revise our crisis intervention plan.

Friday is also Marvelous Mustang and Jean Day

Saturday - First communion for our 2nd graders

Have a Blessed Holy Week

As we near the end of our Lenten Journey, I wish you all a Blessed Holy Week.  Our much awaited Easter Break is almost here.  Enjoy the time away with friends and family and return rejuvenated and ready for the final weeks of school.  Those final weeks will fly by and there is much to accomplish before the year is over.  

Say a prayer for our 5th and 8th graders this week as they will be taking the ACRE test on Tuesday.  This is an opportunity for our students to show how much they have learned about their faith and how they live it.  

One more reminder to get all your events for next year into schooldude by May 10.  If there is anything else that needs to be added to the school calendar, please let me know asap.  I will share our current final version with everyone.  Thank you and have a Happy Easter!

Spring Break is Closer than it Seems

Gina and I walked the school on Friday after everyone left.  We really enjoyed the dino-doors you all created.  I particularly like the dino-selfies of Sue and Susana.  We did have a hard time picking a winner so we decided to choose one from Angel's Wing and one from the main building.  That didn't quite work either.  Here are the winners....

Angel's Wing - 7th grade

Main Building - It was a tie...  2A (Ms. Galy) and 1A (Ms. Maria)

We truly loved ALL the doors.  All three classrooms will receive $50 to spend on books.  We will also announce on the Morning Show. 

This is our last full week prior to Spring Break.  It's important to finish up units if possible prior to break, give summatives, and start fresh when you return.  Once we return, we will only have 4 full weeks of school (3 for 8th grade).  It will go by quickly.  Before you leave for on April 17, please be sure you spend some time with the students cleaning your classrooms.  While we have a cleaning company for trash, floors, and bathrooms, most of the classroom cleaning should be done by you and the students.  Here are some things that should be done on a weekly basis:

• Dust shelves
• Clear off the sink counter and wipe it down
• Wipe off desks and tables
• Dust electronics
• Clean the whiteboard

Students should also clean out desks and lockers every Friday and take home their papers.  If you have a job chart in your room (and you should), be sure to include these items.  Remember, our classrooms are used by others each week and every day when you leave, they should look the same way your home does when you are expecting company.  

Next Sunday is uniform Sunday.  Please remind students to come to church in their uniform.  There is only one more opportunity after next week to earn a Holy Card.  

I will be at the Ringling Museum on Friday with Mrs. Gonzalez and the 8th grade.  

Be sure to sign up for a Benefits session.  There are many changes and it would be wise to attend.  The closest is at Nativity and you will probably need to go to the 6 p.m. session.  Everyone who has benefits would have received an email regarding the meetings.  

On a final note, any time a parent talks to you about tuition, scholarships, finances, etc. please refer them to the office.  I'm not sure who said what and it could have gotten lost in translation, but I had a parent say to me they were upset I was asking everyone to participate in the raffle when his tuition money goes to others who then get free tuition.  That is not true at all.  When we spoke he told me he thought that because a teacher told him some students come here for free and that's how it works.  Please know that no one comes here for free using another family's tuition money.  Some get government scholarships, some get scholarships from the diocese and other trust funds, and some do get school scholarship money.  The school scholarship money does not come from other parents.  It comes from support from our church, support from other churches that do not have schools where our students are registered, and donations from parishioners, many of whom are very generous to our Heart-to-Heart program.  Now you all have the facts, but it's always best to refer people to the office.  

Thank you all for everything you do.  

A New Chapter

This week, our 7th graders will be taking off on an adventure that begins a new chapter in our school's history -- our first overnight trip!  Please pray for our students, the parents who will join them at night, the instructors from Nature's Classroom, Fr. Tim who will join them on Wednesday to say Mass, and of course, Amy and Alton who are truly "Courageously Living..."  Amy and Alton have agreed to brave the wild with our 7th graders for three days.  If you are a prayer pal to either of them, bug spray would be a great gift right now.  In case you haven't already heard, Alton is an expert at canoeing, diving, swimming, fishing and all other water sports and will be leading the students in murky water species exploration.  Good luck, safe travels, and have a great time!  

Gina and I will be in after lunch on Monday.  We will be at a Hillsborough County Title I meeting in Tampa.  Spring pictures are on Tuesday (be flexible with the schedule).  Karen will have the details.  7th grade will be at Nature's Classroom Wed - Fri and will present the Living Stations on Friday after the Fish Fry.  I will be out on Friday at Tampa Catholic.  One other reminder, I will be in Jacksonville Mon - Wed (April 1-3) at Assumption School doing an accreditation visit and next Thursday is Field Day (April 4).  I will most likely not be sending out a blog next weekend as I will be preparing for the accreditation visit.  Have a great week and no wild parties when I'm gone next week.  

Reminder for teachers about Monday's PLC from my email last week:

On Monday, we will be using PLC time to look at samples of new curriculum for Math, Science, and ELA.  (Jennifer - please join Katie as there is cross over between ELA and social studies.  Charles - please join us to look at the technology requirements.)  I'd like to do it all together as some teachers teach all three subjects.  Following teachers are excused - Elaine, Julie, George, Julianne, Derrick, Alton but are welcome to join us.  We will meet in the Media Center

Heading Up STREAM

 No, this blog is not about salmons heading upstream in the fall.  It's about education -- where it is and where it's headed.  Dr. Mark used to say he's driving the bus and everyone needs to jump on.  Education is no longer a bus chugging along, its the bullet train and we don't want to be left in its dust.  I know we are all aware of changes in education and at times it's hard to keep up, but it is possible.  Listening to some of the presenters at the FCC Convention gave me some perspective of how we need to change our mindsets and those of parents and students in order to be the school of excellence we strive to be.  When the mindsets change, the results can be amazing.  SSCS truly can become a Lighthouse if we are All In to Make it Happen!  Areas that need attention are communication, scheduling, STREAM and technology integration, assessment, PLCs, motivation, creativity, and student initiation.  Wow...  that seems like a lot!  But it's not.  I've seen how changing a few things like scheduling, how the curriculum is delivered, and empowering students can address most of those needs.  It' will not happen overnight, but the first step is to recognize the importance of change and how we will go about it.  

I don't even know where to begin to share some of the great ideas we heard.  What was clear is that we have the tools available to us, but they are not being utilized to their fullest.  We have technology, a makerspace, an ESE and enrichment teacher, instructional coaches, project-based learning, rubrics, PLCs, electives, etc.  It's how all these things are put together and used that can make the difference.  At the end of this school year, we will review our CIPA in preparation for our third-year review in the Fall.  This is the perfect time to conclude the action plans that have been met and add new ones that address our vision for the future. 

One of the areas I mentioned is communication, something we have been talking a lot about recently.  Today I read an article that addresses communication and had some valuable tips in communicating with parents.  It also explains the shift in parent needs for communication.  Below is an excerpt from the article.  One of the ideas relates to Instagram.  Gina and I were just talking about having a presence on Instagram.  Our young parents are not on Facebook, but they are on Instagram.  Read the info below and think about how well you communicate to parents. 

Have a great short week.  I will be out on Friday at an Administrator's meeting and both Gina and I will be out Monday morning, March 25.  We will be at school briefly before school and should be back by noon. 

Tips to Utilize Parents in the Classroom (FACTS March Newsletter)

The importance of parental involvement is at an all-time high in private schools. This is often due to the financial and personal stake parents have in their child’s education and security.  As a colleague in a “Marketing to Millennial Parents” learning session remarked, “Helicopter parents of the past are now drone parents of the present.”  The question is not how to prevent parental involvement in the classroom, but how to utilize parents to our advantage.

Communicate Effectively

Parents want to be involved at every level, so communication is key. Keeping parents up-to-date on activities, goals, progress, projects, homework, and assessments is vital to building trust.  When parents are able to hang an overview of their child’s next few weeks, they’re thankful. Likewise, when the students know the teacher is well-organized, they generally rise to meet higher expectations in the classroom.

Utilize Social Media

Utilize Instagram to show what’s coming up for the week. Snap a photo of classroom updates and communicate with families via direct messaging. If you want to utilize photos to show class projects or students studying, be sure to get written parental permission when starting the school year. Remember, you don’t have to follow parents who follow you on Instagram and you can turn off commenting on classroom posts as well.  Consistent communication between teachers, students, and parents is crucial. When it’s present, students are highly engaged and teachers often have more positive relationships with parents.

Set Expectations — And Stick to Them

Having concise rules, expectations, and procedures — from the beginning of the year — is one of the most important traits of a successful teacher. Parents are eager to support the teacher at home if they know the procedures and expectations. Partnering with parents provides the best environment for students to be truly successful.  Parents are not the classroom’s enemy. In fact, their unique connection with your students makes them some of your strongest allies.

40 Days of Renewal

During the season of Lent we fast for 40 days.  Forty is not some random number; it's a number we see many times throughout the Bible:

The Great Flood lasted for 40 days
Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai
The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 days
Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days

and here we are during our 40 day period of preparation and cleansing for something great that is coming.  Lent is the perfect time to refresh our hearts and refocus ourselves on what really matters.  This is why we give up the things (good and bad) that distract us and lead us away from God.

During a parent/teacher conference this week, and after reading many parent emails, and having meetings with parents, I was forced to look at what really matters to our community.  While our families love our school and want desperately for their children to be here, they are not all completely happy.  I feel we have failed to provide what really matters to them.  It was during this one parent/teacher conference that I had to explain what contract law is.  Students are not protected by Constitutional Law once they enter our building, but they are covered by Contract Law.  Our contract is with the parents/guardians who register the students in our school.  Our "contract" is what we set down in our school handbook, our grade level syllabi, our newsletters, etc., and we are bound by that contract.  If our contract says we will have 4 summatives in a trimester, we must have 4 summatives.  That is in our contract.  If our contract says we will post homework in ParentsWeb, we must put it in ParentsWeb.  That is in our contract.  What is in our handbook is not a list of suggestions, it is the rule.  The same goes for the parents.  If the contract says students will wear all black shoes, we are in our right to enforce that.  However, a contract is only good if both sides are demanding the other must live up to the contract.  I can tell you that parents are demanding.  The natural consequence when we don't live up to our end of the contract is that parents remove their students from the school.  Thankfully, most parents are not doing that, but they are being vocal.  Some parents, however, are removing their students because we are not living up to our contract.

The agenda for Monday's Faculty Meeting will consist of sharing.  I would like everyone to share about what they learn during the Feb. 15 PD day.  I would also like to share what is happening on Thursday during the Lent retreat and address questions anyone might have.  I will share with you what I am hearing from parents.  I would like you to share what you feel is keeping us from fulfilling the contract.  I don't mean to put anyone one the spot, we can talk in generalities and I would like all of us to come up with solutions so we can help one another meet parents' expectations.  Unfortunately, our community is one of gossip.  When parents are upset, not only do they complain, but they make sure the whole world knows.  The reasons for pulling students is also shared among the community and everything eventually makes its way back to me.  We need to take these 40 days to refocus on what matters to our community and change the way they talk about us.

On a final note, and this is for everyone in the school.  Sometimes parents can wear on us and we may feel they are being demanding or unreasonable.  Even during these moments we MUST remember that they are the customer.  If they are yelling and being disrespectful, you are in your right to say I'm sorry but I can't continue the conversation right now.  I'm happy to speak with you when you are calm.  Or, you can say, let me get Mrs. Umoh.  I have a very thick skin and I can be the parent whisperer.  But what we can NEVER do is respond with anything but KINDNESS.  We cannot return what they are giving us or ever show our frustration.  If you remember I had a motto a few years ago...  Kill them with kindness.  Another thing that works is to say "You're right."  "You're right it would be best if you walked down to 5th grade, interrupted the class, and personally told Johnny he's riding home with grandma today.  However......"  Don't really say that, but you get the idea.  Say you're right, say you're sorry and then kindly tell them what the rule is.  ALWAYS have a smile on your face.


Gina and I will leave early Wednesday afternoon for our conference.  Everyone is welcome to leave after carline on Thursday (except Extended Day, of course) and have a wonderful long weekend.

"Our sins are nothing but a grain of sand along the great mountain of mercy of God." St. John Vianney

Remember that you are dust...

 March is here and it is a month filled with activities.  Tuesday is our Pancake Dinner.  I am still looking for some volunteers to support this event by spending some time helping to pass our beads and spirit shirt and jeans passes as well as help out with the mask making if needed.  Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and Friday is the first Fish Fry of Lent.  Speaking of Lent, be sure you have reviewed Julianne's retreat information and you are ready for March 14.  Gina and I will both be in Orlando that day at the Florida Catholic Conference Institute.  Julianne will be available should you need anything.  

I do not have anything else to share today.  Have a wonderful week and remind students that Lent is not just about giving up candy.  It's about giving up things that separate us from Jesus and replacing them with other things that bring us closer.  Give up video game time to read the Bible or a faith-based book.  Give up YouTube for Formed.org.  You get the idea.  Here is a list to share...