Happy Fall! From the Principal

It was a pleasure to see and visit with so many of you at the Jog-a-thon, the Carnival and at Mass. We are very blessed to have such a supportive community. We have reached and exceeded our Jog-a-thon goals and I am so grateful to each and every one of you. I am especially grateful to Pablo, Julie Skinner and their hard-working team of Jog-a-thon volunteers. They sure unleashed the running beasts in all of us!

We are a community of empowered disciples, supporting our Christ-centered active learners through the Jog-a-thon and living out Gospel values by donating food at the Blessing of the Backpacks Mass to share with families in need. Our neighbor to the north, Broadview Thomson K-8 School sends backpacks home each weekend with food for students on their free and reduced price lunch program. Your efforts will fill those backpacks for the next three months. Bless you all.

We are also a community that values daily prayer and the opportunity to gather during times of great need. This week we have prayed for the Masterson, Blaylock, and Kirschner families.

Academic News
So far, grades 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 have taken MAP tests. We will continue over the next week. Once we have all the students tested and the information compiled, we will send home the results.

The Accreditation Team comprised of faculty and administration representatives is finalizing the self-study. Based on data and evidence in the self-study, including surveys you and your children answered, our strengths and areas for growth were identified. We determined three target goals on which we will work over the next six years. I know I announced them on Curriculum Night, but I am repeating them here for you as you received so much information that night.

Our target goals are:

• Increase Student Achievement in ELA (English Language Arts)
• Develop a formative assessment of the Student Learning Expectations
• Increase achievement by all students through differentiated instruction

As you read this, I am at the Principals Retreat, the focus of which is Laudate Si, Pope Francis’ revolutionary encyclical on the environment which calls us all to be stewards.

God Bless,

Bernadette O’Leary