Saturday, December 30, 2017

Week of January 1, 2018








Which Students Have a Growth Mindset and Which Don’t?

            In this Brookings research paper, Susana Claro and Susanna Loeb report on a study assessing growth mindsets in 125,000 California students in grades 4-7 in five school districts. The researchers measured students’ mindset based on their responses to these statements:
-    My intelligence is something that I can’t change very much.
-    Challenging myself won’t make me any smarter.
-    There are some things I’m not capable of learning.
-    If I am not naturally smart in a subject, I will never do well in it.
For each question, students answered Not at All True, A Little True, Somewhat True, Mostly True, or Completely True. The researchers came to three major conclusions:
            • Students in all subgroups who had a growth mindset scored higher on standardized tests of reading and math and had bigger learning gains each year than otherwise similar students who didn’t have a growth mindset. Claro and Loeb estimate that the difference made by having a growth mindset (versus a neutral mindset) was the equivalent of 19 days of learning – almost a calendar month of school.
            • Girls had more of a growth mindset than boys up to seventh grade, at which point the mindset gap began to close.
            “While this study is just a first step in assessing the effects of mindset on a large population of students and the role of schools in building mindset,” conclude Claro and Loeb, “the findings provide initial evidence that it may be beneficial to monitor the levels of growth mindset in the population and convey to students that the brain is malleable.”

“New Evidence That Students’ Beliefs About Their Brains Drive Learning” by Susana Claro and Susanna Loeb in Brookings Research, November 9, 2017.

As a reminder to parents the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing that is administered three times a year measures how children's mindset grows over the course of the year.
 


 
Registration facts for the 2018-2019 School Year 
December 1, 2017 :
Admissions open for NEW families
January 19, 2018:
Registrations for NEW and RETURNING families open
Re-Qualification for Financial Assistance opens for RETURNING families
Tuition & Fee rate sheets  will be available on January 12, 2018.

February 1, 2018:
Deadline for NEW families to submit complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications, including all required documentation, in order to receive a decision regarding Financial Assistance by March 15.

March 15, 2018:
Families who have submitted complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications (including all required documentation) and who have been accepted by the school of interest by February 1, will receive email notices informing them of the results of their Financial Assistance applications by this date.
 
Parents and MAP Growth – 7 Things to Know
First, what is MAP Growth? Unlike the paper-and-pencil tests of days gone by, where all students were asked the same questions and spent a fixed amount of time taking the test, MAP Growth is a computer adaptive test—which means every student gets a unique set of test questions based on their responses to previous questions. The purpose of MAP Growth is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.
MAP Growth tracks student growth over time – wherever they are starting from and regardless of the grade they are in. For instance, if a third grader is actually reading like a fifth grader, MAP Growth will be able to identify that. Or, if a fifth grader is doing math like a third grader, MAP Growth will identify that, too. Both things are incredibly important for teachers to know so that they can plan instruction efficiently.
Did you know?
  1. Archdiocesesan schools administer MAP Growth three times per year – in fall, winter, and spring. 
  2. The winter testing window opens January 9th and closes January 26th for students in K - 8.
  3. As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. By the end of the test, students will have answered enough questions to inform a teacher about what they know and what they’re ready to learn.
  4. MAP Growth is grade independent, which means teachers and parents can see where a child is performing relative to grade level – not merely if they are at grade level or not.
  5. MAP Growth assesses math, reading, language usage, and science.
  6. MAP Growth takes less than an hour to complete – but is not timed. Students can take as much time as needed.
  7. The score your child receives is called a RIT score. You’ll be able to see your child’s RIT score progress from test to test, and year to year.
  8. The RIT score can be connected to online resources, such as Khan Academy for math exercises and com to determine what books might be at the appropriate reading level. You can even plug their RIT score into our College Explorer tool to see what colleges your child is on track to attend.
Parents who have  further questions should click the links in the paragraphs above for more information and feel free to speak to your child's teacher or see Mr. Woods on Sundays from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM.
 
 
 
Wednesday January 3, 2018
School Reopens  
January Calendars will be sent home.

Thursday January 4, 2018 - Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Mass at 9:00 AM led by students of the 8th grade.
Parents Welcome

Friday January 5, 2017
Tuition Due to Smart Tuition 
Progress Reports sent home today with all students.
Math Coach will work with students in Grades 5-8

Sunday January 7th 
Living Environment Class 9:00 AM
Mass for students in sacramental program 1:00 PM 



Sunday, December 17, 2017

Week pg December 18,2017 Annoncements


Guidance for Parents on Educational Apps

            In this New York Times article, Tara Haelle quotes Ellen Wartella, director of the Center on Media and Human Development at Northwestern University: “There really does need to be some sort of Good Housekeeping seal of approval to say this is a good app, but we don’t have that yet.” While we wait for authoritative guidance, Haelle suggests that teachers and parents apply these criteria when appraising apps that claim to be educational:
-    Does it have clearly defined, measurable objectives that build on existing skills?
-    Does it connect new learning to existing knowledge?
-    Can kids transfer what they learn to real life?
-    Does it actively engage the child? Is it fun?
-    Is it empowering for kids? Is it an active versus a passive experience?
-    Does it have features that make it socially interactive?
-    Is it adaptive, adjusting to errors and giving feedback as kids play with it?
-    Does it have distractions that interrupt the learning experience?
“When an app is well-designed, with a clear goal to support a skill and clear target audience,” says Jessica Taylor Piotrowski of the Center for Research on Children, Adolescents, and the Media at the University of Amsterdam, “and really relies on these principles of being active, engaged, meaningful, and socially interactive, it works, it absolutely works. But some of these apps are playful experiences that enable creativity and problem-solving, and they can be just as valuable.”
Haelle goes on to suggest several questions that educators and parents should ask about apps as they pick and choose from hundreds of possibilities:
Does the app seem right for its users? This involves watching kids playing with the app and seeing where it falls on the continuum from serious learning to just play.
Who created it? Pretty much anything from PBS is going to be high-quality, says Haelle. With other companies, see if educators were involved in the development process. Big names like Disney and Nickelodeon don’t always produce good educational apps, while some little-known companies like Tinybop have some excellent  products.
            • Trust the experts. Common Sense Media is a good source of information on apps, says Haelle. Children’s Technology Review (Ctrex) also does helpful reviews, often including video clips of the app in action.
            • Does it have advertising or in-app purchases? PBS apps are free with no strings attached, but others support themselves with commercial links. Poptropica, for example, is a fun app with some educational content, but it can seem like “one long advertisement for Kellogg brand cereals,” says David Hill, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. Some apps offer a “freemium” app that lets users download a partial version to try before paying for the full-featured version.
            • Does the app protect children’s privacy? Be wary of apps that ask for too much information on a child. Products for children under 13 should be compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). But anonymity is a double-edged sword, warns Haelle. “In social apps, complete anonymity can open the door to bullying if kids don’t feel accountable for their words.” Does the app make it easy to report abuse? Roblox is an example of an app with multiple safeguards for kids.
            • Does the app do something only an app can do? Flashcards and worksheets are a waste of technology. A good app should “bring to life an experience that’s impossible to create off screen,” says Christine Elgersma of Common Sense Media. Examples include these Tinybop apps: The Earth, Robot Factory, Space, Skyscrapers, and The Human Body. Another good one is Homer, a literacy app that allows kids to send their creations to approved family members and educators.
            • Everything in moderation. How much app playing is too much? “It’s a question of balance over the course of the day,” says Wartella, who recommends technology-free zones such as mealtimes and bedtime. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a personalized family media use planning tool at www.Healthychildren.org. App use should make room for physical activity, homework, reading, and social interactions – and of course eating and sleeping.
            • Co-play. There is some evidence that when children use an app with another person, there are more benefits than from solo use. When parents or teachers use an app with a child, there are additional benefits: “A parent can really be a bridge to transfer any learning an app has to the real world so it’s not isolated to a screen when the tablet cover is closed,” says Elgersma. “Co-use and co-play – that is one of the most powerful ways that apps can be educational.”
From her informal network of parents and educators, Haelle recommends several apps: RazKids, Dragonbox, Starfall, Bedtime Math, IXL apps, Scribblenauts, Endless Alphabet, Spelling City, TumbleBooks, Epic!, and ABC Mouse.

“How to Decide Which Educational Apps Make the Grade” by Tara Haelle in The New York Times, December 7, 2017,  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/smarter-living/educational-apps-kids.html

Chocolate Bars for Fund Raising 
Recently there have been a number of parents who were unaware of the fund raising requirement of either paying $175.00 to Smart Tuition or selling candy bars.  This was stated on this blog for three weeks in September (please scroll back to September to see the announcements) along with the policy that it is an either/or scenario - either parents opt to sell candy bars to defer them making payments directly out of pocket OR pay out of pocket. 
 The registration form on TADS does mention all these facets.
The September notices gave a deadline for chocolate pickup as November 1st so that entries could be made by Smart Tuition on those people who decided which option they wanted. 
For next year Mr. Woods will make sure more clearly that parental understanding appears on the sign off sheet. It is also just as important that parents read the blog carefully and ask office staff questions before over reacting because they did not read the policy.

Kitchen Update
The New York City Fire Department was here last Wednesday regarding the hood above the stove in the kitchen.
The Fire Department has ruled that the hood must be removed completely and a new hood installed with a venting system running through the rectory with an exit pipe on the rectory's roof.
This matter is being looked at the building commission of the Archdiocese and therefore the stove and convection ovens must remain off until the work is complete and approved by the
 NYC Fire Department. 
The kitchen was installed in 1980 and rules have changed over the years so children will continue to be served a cold lunch provided by the Archdiocese of New York's  Child Nutrition Program until the work is completed and approved. 



Registration facts for the 2018-2019 School Year 

December 1, 2017 :
Admissions open for NEW families

January 19, 2018:
Registrations for NEW and RETURNING families open
Re-Qualification for Financial Assistance opens for RETURNING families
Tuition & Fee rate sheets  will be available on January 12, 2018.

February 1, 2018:
Deadline for NEW families to submit complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications, including all required documentation, in order to receive a decision regarding Financial Assistance by March 15.

March 15, 2018:
Families who have submitted complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications (including all required documentation) and who have been accepted by the school of interest by February 1, will receive email notices informing them of the results of their Financial Assistance applications by this date.

Monday - December 18, 2017
Please check with your child's teacher about classroom party on Thursday

Tuesday December 19, 2017
PreK For All Holiday Presentation 9:00 AM
8th grade Cake Sale 

Wednesday December 20,2017
Mrs. Claus arrives with the elves to visit students in PreK, Kindergarten and First Grades 

Thursday December 21, 2017
Lessons and Carols -- 8 :30 AM - All Grades - IN CHURCH. Parents welcome 
Dismissal at 3:15 PM 

Christmas Recess begins at dismissal - Classes resume January 3, 2017 




Sunday, December 10, 2017

Week of December 11, 2017



Registration facts for the 2018-2019 School Year 

December 1, 2017 :
Admissions open for NEW families

January 19, 2018:
Registrations for NEW and RETURNING families open
Re-Qualification for Financial Assistance opens for RETURNING families
Tuition & Fee rate sheets  will be available on January 12, 2018.

February 1, 2018:
Deadline for NEW families to submit complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications, including all required documentation, in order to receive a decision regarding Financial Assistance by March 15.

March 15, 2018:
Families who have submitted complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications (including all required documentation) and who have been accepted by the school of interest by February 1, will receive email notices informing them of the results of their Financial Assistance applications by this date.



Front Row and Pearson Realize

Students should be working on 
Front Row and Pearson Realize
 at least 3 times a week for 
approximately 20 minutes for each program.
These programs are replacing IXL and i-Ready.
Students were given logins and passwords and student reports show they are not being used at home on a regular basis.
If you need the logins and passwords for either of the programs please contact your child's teacher.

Friday December 15th
Dismissal 12:00 Noon
NO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM 

PreK For All Dismissal 3:15 PM 
NO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM 

Monday December 11, 2017 
Reminder Immunizations are due this week before audit

Tuesday December 12, 2017 
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Wednesday December 13, 2017 Feast of St. Lucy
Anti- bullying curriculum will be covered 
Native American Heritage Presentations in Classrooms
Grade 2 - Mrs. Bagley/Mrs. Coello - 9:00-10:00 AM
Grade 3 - Mrs. Ramsey 12:30 PM
Grade 4 - Mrs. Ramsey 9:40 AM
Grades 6 & 7 - Mrs. Ramsey 8:15 AM 
Grade 8 - Mrs. Larios 2:15 PM 
Parents are invited to classrooms to preview presentations.

December 14, 2017- Feast of St. John of the Cross
PreK For All Instructional Specialist will be working with students.

Friday December 15, 2017
Early Dismissal Day 12:00 NOON 
NO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
PreK For All Dismissal at 3:15 PM 

Sunday December 17, 2017 - Third Sunday of Advent
Mass at 1:00 PM for all students in sacramental program 



Sunday, December 3, 2017

Week of December 4, 2017



Feast of the Immaculate Conception 
Friday December 8th 


NYS DOH Immunization Inspection 
IMPORTANT 
Mr. Woods was notified on Friday that OLQM will undergo an audit of ALL students immunization records before December 15th - no exact date was set.
This same audit happened approximately 
15 years ago.
If students did not have immunizations up to date a letter was sent home by the NYSDOH informing the parent that their child 
COULD NOT RETURN TO SCHOOL until the records were updated.  
Alba and Mr. Guzman will be calling parents this week and it must be addressed immediately -
this is not a manana moment!   
This is beyond the school's control! 

Registration facts for the 2018-2019 School Year 

December 1, 2017 :
Admissions open for NEW families

January 19, 2018:
Registrations for NEW and RETURNING families open
Re-Qualification for Financial Assistance opens for RETURNING families
Tuition & Fee rate sheets  will be available on January 12, 2018.February 1, 2018:
Deadline for NEW families to submit complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications, including all required documentation, in order to receive a decision regarding Financial Assistance by March 15.March 15, 2018:
Families who have submitted complete Admissions & Financial Assistance applications (including all required documentation) and who have been accepted by the school of interest by February 1, will receive email notices informing them of the results of their Financial Assistance applications by this date.



Front Row and Pearson Realize

Students should be working on 
Front Row and Pearson Realize
 at least 3 times a week for 
approximately 20 minutes for each program.
These programs are replacing IXL and i-Ready.
Students were given logins and passwords and student reports show they are not being used at home on a regular basis.
If you need the logins and passwords for either of the programs please contact your child's teacher.


Monday December 4, 2017 - Feast of St. John Damascene
A reminder that children are dismissed at 3:15 PM AFTER Prayers - 
lately there have been a number of parents who are scooping up students before they enter Church for afternoon prayer ---
A thought question to parent---why do you have your child in a Catholic School?

Tuesday December 5, 2017 
PreK For All Program CLOSED
This pertains to students in Mrs. Gonzalez's Class, Ms. McGarry's class and Mrs. Serbones' Class
Touring Tuesday
Tuition due to Smart Tuition 

Wednesday December 6, 2017 - Feast of St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas Prayer and Distribution of Candy Canes will happen after morning prayer - parents are welcome to join the students in grades 1-8 and receive their own candy cane.

Thursday December 7, 2017
A reminder that children are dismissed at 3:15 PM AFTER Prayers - 
lately there have been a number of parents who are scooping up students before they enter Church for afternoon prayer ---
A thought question to parent---why do you have your child in a Catholic School?

Friday December 8, 2017 - 
                                            Feast of the Immaculate Conception 
Prayer Service will be held at 9:00 AM