August 20, 2014
School is in Session
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Photo courtesy Federation of Catholic Schools
Students are experiencing a myriad of new things this school year, from computer labs and iPads to renovated By Shawn Clubb schools and new meal programs August has arrived and that means there’s a whole lot of new. Students have on their new clothes and carry their new school supplies into the new school year. And it’s not just the school year itself that is new for area schools. Many of them have made changes to facilities over the summer, while others have made changes to programs or how they conduct day-today operations. Below are just some of the new aspects that are greeting students this year. Federation of Catholic Schools: Many of the schools associated with the Federation worked on upgrading their technology over the summer. St. Angela Merici, for example, has a new computer lab with 30 computers, said Cara Koen, director of advancement for the Federation of Catholic Schools, Northeast Deanery. Meanwhile, teachers from all eight schools will gather regularly throughout the school year in their professional learning teams, she said. The PLTs are a collaborative program of the Federation. They are meant to enable and encourage teachers to share ideas and best practices for classrooms and curriculum, and provide support for one another to solve problems and challenges. Koen said principals are observing a positive impact from their teachers’ participation in PLTs. “Our Lady of Guadalupe is definitely a better school because of our faculty’s participation in the PLTs,” said Peggy O’Brien, principal at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School. “The PLTs provide
a network for the teachers where they can share ideas, successes and challenges with one another, providing a source of encouragement and problem-solving that did not previously exist for our teachers. Over the past few years, this has brought a new level of excellence to our classrooms.” Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Ferdinand recently received a Sr. Mary Ann Governal and Mrs. Ellen Ryan Memorial Development Grant from the Archdiocese of St. Louis Catholic Education Center for their Connect 4 program. Fourth-grade students from the two schools with gather four times during the year for special projects and field trips. The program is intended build community and a collaborative spirit between the schools, teachers and students. North County Christian School: This year, the school has begun offering students the opportunity to take chemistry and physics for dual credit through Missouri Baptist University’s Excel program, Superintendent Greg Clark said. “Students are able to earn college credit for the course at the same time they earn their high school credit,” he said. “And the fee for the college credit is greatly reduced from what they would normally pay at the university.” The school also is continuing a project from last year by installing new Mimio projectors in five classrooms. Money for the project comes from a grant from the Employee Community Fund of Boeing St.
Louis. “The Mimio projectors provide an interactive whiteboard that allows the teacher to provide instructional activities utilizing digital content from the internet, thereby expanding the instructional resources available and enhancing the students’ learning experience,” Clark said. Additionally, the school is implementing a new math program, Purposeful Design Mathematics from ACSI, in grades kindergarten through six. The program provides students with a more hands-on, inquiry-based approach to mathematics, See SCHOOL IS IN SESSION page 2
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