eGazette - March 24, 2010

April 2010 School Calendar

See attached.
April_2010_Calendar.pdf

Curriculum Conversations

Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families,

You may recall that we proclaimed Math as our curriculum focus for the 2009/2010 School Year. The standardized test (ITBS) scores of the Diocese of Santa Rosa schools are above the national averages but Math is relatively lower than other areas amongst the schools. I write you today with updates on progress at St. John. Our early dismissal Wednesday staff meetings have been packed with conversations, projects and exercises, all aimed toward advancing our Math program and promoting continued achievement in the area of Math for every student.

- Oversight by our Curriculum Committee: Our Curriculum Committee consists of several teachers who evaluate critical aspects of our curriculum. Our Math focus began last summer and continues through this year. Direction and activity are all in concert with our WASC/WCEA Action Plan.

- Intensive Analysis of our Math Curriculum: For the area of Math, teachers drafted out what they teach and when, dialoged with fellow teachers below- and above- their grade levels, analyzed textbooks, reviewed new textbooks, materials and approaches.

- Analysis of School-Wide and Diocese-Wide ITSB Scores: Unlike our public school counterparts, we primarily use our standardized test scores for the purpose of curriculum and program review. Using a web-based analysis program, we've studied our ITBS scores in a variety of presentations; by class cohort, by specific grade, etc. Also, the Diocese provides Diocesan-Wide data that we integrate into our evaluations.

- Outside Expertise: Staff keeps current on the instruction of Math by reviewing professional articles as well as participating in in-service opportunities. Several staff recently attended a two-day Math workshop entitled: Critical Math Content to Improve Student Understanding & Performance led by Kim Sutton. Ms. Sutton's message was to define a school-wide curriculum, implement the curriculum and create a manageable daily schedule where all aspects of Math learning opportunities are presented to students. Our teachers are busy applying what they learned. Please visit Mrs. Sutton's site for additional information: http://www.creativemathematics.com/presenters.htm

What does this mean for you, our parents-as-partners, in the education of your children?

- School-Wide Curriculum Map: I invite you to explore our new school-wide curriculum map that outlines our spiraling Math curriculum. You will be able to see the essential Math standards every teacher teaches during each trimester, the strategies used to teach and the methods of assessment used to determine mastery. To access, visit the school site, click on Classroom pages and locate the Curriculum link for each grade.

- Flash Cards: Basic operational skills are KEY! Students need to be solid in their foundation in order to be successful in higher-order operations. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts are critical and the standard flashcards product results. They can be found at "Toy B Ville" across the street from school or your child can make them. While we don't necessarily advocate for "kill and drill" worksheets and exercise, we know that rote memorization works for basic operational Math skills.

- Internet Links: The internet provides ample opportunity for Math skill improvement. Some of these sites are primarily for parents to provide you with ideas to support your child. Others are for students and offer engaging Math games and activities. (My household is particularly keen on "math baseball" on the "funbrain" site.)

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/
http://www.mathforum.com/index.html
http://themathworksheetsite.com/
http://www.coolmath.com/index.html
http://www.mathcats.com/
http://www.funbrain.com/numbers.html

In closing, it's been exciting to walk through the process of an in-depth curriculum analysis. We will continue monitor our Math program as we move into other areas of our educational program. We are blessed with a consistent staff that has worked together for several years and thus, are able to engage in meaningful, mission-focused dialogs which further our work at St. John the Baptist Catholic School.

Happy counting!

In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal

With only a few days left in the month, don't forget to use your Dine & Donate vouchers at PicaPica! Meet other families there, or take out for a quiet dinner at home. Either way, our school receives 10% of every order during the month of March. More vouchers are available at the front office.

It was "standing room only" at the March Family Club meeting! Moms, Dads, grandparents, teachers, and staff all participated, along with our Principal Nancy Jordan. There were great ideas and suggestions, lively discussion, and lots of information. Many thanks to all who were there...

Doesn't our library inspire our kids to leap into the stories they find in the fantastic selection of literature (and fun) to be found there? Read Across America, daily activities, story time, and the upcoming Spring Book Fair are just a few examples of the many ways our librarian, Mrs. Evans, brings literature to life in our school. Volunteer opportunities are available, so please contact Mrs. Evans if you would like to help! How about helping for 30 minutes during your child's library time, or for an hour during lunch recess? Speaking of the library, the upcoming Spring Book Fair begins April 20. This year, we have a BIG goal! We need to raise at least $2,200 in profits to help us purchase a beautiful (and much needed) set of current state books for our 5th-8th students to use for state reports.

Plan to attend the important workshop for parents discussing the responsible use of digital technology, hosted by St. John the Baptist Catholic School and the Family Club. The parent workshop will be held at Justin-Siena High School on April 12 @ 6:30pm.

Last Friday, March 19, St. John the Baptist Catholic School celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph. As the 6th graders told us, "Joseph always said "YES" to God." Thank you to all the students, teachers, staff, parents, and Fr. Francisco who said "YES" and created a special morning assembly followed by a delicious lunch in honor of St. Joseph.

Save the date for the next Family Club meeting, April 16 @ 8:30am.

Reminder:

Spring pictures will be taken on Friday, March 26th. This is a FREE DRESS DAY. Send no money now. You will be able to review the spring pictures before you purchase them. Pay for only the photos you want to keep. Send unwanted photos and payment back to the school office.

We will be having a very special presentation from St. John the Baptist Catholic School Principal Mrs. Nancy Jordan on "Keeping your kids Catholic". Please come join us at the school library on April 24, 2010 from 10am-12noon. Please RSVP to Jennifer Heun at 287-4582. We look forward to seeing you. God Bless!

The School Council is a leadership group who is advisory to the Principal and Pastor. They work in collaboration to advance the mission and philosophy of St. John the Baptist School. We anticipate there to be two openings for membership for the 2010-2011 school year. As described by Diocesan by-lays, eligibility for membership is "good-standing in the parish and in the school's parent body, as determined by the pastor." We encourage all interested applicants to submit a letter of interest and brief bio to the school office or by email to: schoolinfo@stjohncatholic.org by Monday, April 12th.

Do you use Facebook? Myspace? Twitter? or YouTube?
Do you use a digital camera, cellphone, webcamera, or do you text message?

St. John the Baptist Catholic School invites you to attend a digital technology event -

Attending this event will make you part of the rapidly growing number of "2.1Certified" individuals guaranteed to receive the information necessary to understand how to proactively avoid making a life altering mistake with any form of current or future digital technology.

Event presenter, Richard Guerry, warns that your activity with any digital device is Public and Permanent. Poor digital judgement often leads to immediate, life altering and irreversible consequences. You are responsible for all of your actions when using digital technology.

Event Information:

For: All Community Members (Adults Only - students in grades 5-8 will be given an age appropriate presentation on Tuesday, 4/13, in their classroom.)

When: Monday, April 12, 2010

Where: Justin-Siena High School

Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm

See flyer attached.
IROC2_CONCERT_POSTER_St__John_Baptist_Catholic_School_Community.pdf

Thank you to Mrs. Berube, Mrs. Ford and all of our parent and student helpers for shoveling dirt and getting the planter beds ready for our Spring Garden.

Thank you to Mrs. Franzino, Mrs. Kiernan and our 6th grade class along with all of the parent helpers for another wonderful St. Joseph's Day feast.

Justin-Siena High School will be sponsoring the pre-release premiere of Race to Nowhere, a documentary film by director Vicki Abeles, presented at the Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa, on Monday, April 19th at 6:30 pm. There will be a discussion with the director after the film.

President Robert T. Jordan is encouraging community members to attend the screening of this important documentary, "We are pleased to sponsor this premiere to help raise awareness in the community about the new pressures faced by students in America today. It is important to begin dialogue about the health, safety and well-being of today's youth, and to understand how life has changed for young people preparing for a successful adulthood. As a college preparatory school, we are proud to ignite this dialogue by sponsoring this event."

Director Vicki Abeles turns the personal political, igniting a national conversation in her new documentary about the pressures faced by American schoolchildren and the teachers in our achievement obsessed public and private education system and culture. Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren't developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what's best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

The film includes interviews with experts such as Dr. Madeline Levine, author of The Price of Privilege; Dr. Deborah Stipek, Dean of the Stanford School of Education; Dr. Wendy Mogel, author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee; and Dr. Ken Ginsburg, Adolescent Medicine Specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The documentary was an Official Selection of the 2009 Mill Valley Film Festival, the 2010 California Independent Film Festival, and the 2010 Sonoma International Film Festival. Race to Nowhere has been deemed, "Another Inconvenient Truth" by the George Lucas Education Foundation and Edutopia, as well as, "A must-see documentary," by Patrick Bassett, President of the National Association of Independent Schools. The film's website, www.racetonowhere.com, offers more background about the making of the documentary and additional reviews.

This premiere will be open to all members of the public. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $20 at the door. Tickets can be ordered online at: http://rtnnapavalley.eventbrite.com/

Justin-Siena is the only Catholic college preparatory high school in Napa County serving students from Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties. It is part of the worldwide network of schools sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers.

Important Date:

March 31st next Wednesday is the last day to turn in your March Box Tops... so keep those box tops coming.

The Box Top Committee is gearing up for our 2nd ANNUAL END OF YEAR BOX TOP BBQ.

There will be more announcements in upcoming eGazettes with BBQ details.

Websites that help our school with box tops are:
www.thebigclip.com
www.boxtops4education.com
Both of these sites either have contests for extra box tops, recipes, and links to shopping online which will benefit our school.

Your Box-Top Coordinators,
Lee Tatsuguchi
Rebecca Griffin