Parent Link Nov/Dec 2018

PA RENT LI NK NOV / DEC '18

FEA TURES ENGLISH ONTHEIMPORTANCEOFHORROR SCIENCE NEWCOURSEOFFERINGFOR2019-2020 PERFORMINGARTS FRANKENSTEINOPENSNOV9TH ACT ST.PIUSCONTINUESTORISEABOVE MR.SANCHEZOVERSEESHISENGINEERINGII STUDENTSDURINGATRIALRUN OFTHEIRROBOTFORTHEB.E.S.T.ROBOTICSCOMPETITION.

DEARPARENTS,GUARDIANSAND FRIENDS, WELCOMETOFALL! The holiday season is approaching quickly, and the first semester of the year will be completed in December. Time flies. The trick is to use time as efficiently and productively as we can, but our children must always come first. Our days at St. Pius X go by quickly. There is a lot to do including, our priority, the safety of the students and faculty.

Safety of students comes in many forms. As I tell the students, St Pius X is not just about book learning. (Read about our latest ACT scores in an article

by Mr. Rodriguez.) St. Pius X is also about lifelong learning. Lifelong learning includes such aspects as goal setting, organization, spiritual formation, moral development, understanding the consequences of decision making and protecting mental and physical health to name a few. However, the school cannot do this alone--we need parental help.

The school?s first priority in student development is spiritual and moral development, and our second priority is educational excellence.

Sometimes, these endeavors are thwarted by societal influences such as drug and alcohol use. The latest craze in drug use among teens, even with pre-teens in mid-school, is the use of vaporizers, or e-cigs and juuls (pronounced ?jewels), which look like USBs. These are drug paraphernalia which are illegal for students under 18 years of age. They may contain nicotine, or THC (different forms) or stronger drugs. Vaping does not give off a smell of drugs--it?s difficult to detect. Our information comes from talking with other administrators, our school resource officers, as well as from reading our professional journals and newspapers such as Education Week and Teacher Update.

St. Pius X has a very proactive drug policy that has been in effect for almost 20 years. It is not a ?gotcha? policy; but, one that is designed to bring school and parents together to support the students in their efforts to be clean from use of drugs, before the use becomes a life threatening event. Please read this policy in the Student Handbook online. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, ?The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense...They constitute direct cooperation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to moral law? (CCC 2291).

Barbara M. Rothweiler, Ph.D. Principal

In paragraph 2223 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the role of the parent is to raise children according to the teachings of the Church. ?Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.?

Consequently, the duties of parents to their children ?must extend to their moral education and their spiritual formation? (CCC 2221). ?The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values,,,?

(CCC 2207).

Parents, your teenagers need you now more than ever! Our society is full of drugs and practices that only impede the development of our students. As I tell the freshman parents at orientation each year, look through their rooms and their belongings; search the history on the telephones and any other electronic devices to be mindful of who your children are talking to and the content of those conversations. I know you may be fearful of what you find but, remember, you are paying the mortgage/rent and the telephone bill and we will support you also! You are not invading their privacy but keeping them safe. Know where your student is at all times and who they are with. Check the amount of money your student carries. Give your children the smell test when they arrive at home after being out by giving them a big hug and telling them how much you love them. What do you smell? Does your child seem secretive? Has there been a change in behavior or friendships?

I am sure you have many more ideas how to keep your child safe. If you know there is something going on that is not right at the school, call Dean Mendoza. Your tip will be kept confidential. Along that line, St. Pius X is working on instituting the Crime Stoppers program in conjunction with APD so that parents and students can anonymously report tips to the school. Look for announcements soon.

We want our children to be successful in all aspects of their lives but it takes a positive partnership between parents and school to achieve this goal. There are lots of great things going on at St. Pius X High School. For instance, The International Thespian Society, the honor society for high school theater students, has announced the list of our students who were inducted in March 2018: Vanessa Lucero, Sydney Moya, Darcy Robinson and Sam Valenzuela. Congratulations! Be sure to attend the upcoming play ?Frankenstein?-- sure to be a thriller!

Ms. Clark?s choir students earned a Superior 1 rating in the Albuquerque District Solo and Ensemble festival recently. They are Raegan Carter, Elicia Rowe, Julia Lopez, Dominic DeBlassie, Thomas McCarthy, Mia Kroeter, and Maia Sanchez. In addition, senior Amanda Stone was awarded a 1+ rating which is the highest award given. Congratulations to all!

I was happy to meet many of our parents at Report Card Night. Thank you for attending and showing great interest in you student. It is a great day to be at St. Pius X High School!

Fall blessings to all, Barbara M. Rothweiler, PhD Principal

THESPXPARENTASSOCIATION(SPA) WELCOMESYOU!

SPX/SPA Officers

The SPX Parent Association provides hospitality at various events during the school year. We would like to invite the parent community at SPX to be involved with our monthly Teacher Treats provided by each class, the Welcome Back and Spring Teacher Appreciation Luncheons, Open House and Sartan Night for future students and their families. We also assist with the Alumni Council, Career Day, Kids Against Hunger, and the Senior Farewell Luncheon.

Secretary: Chayenne Gutierrez

Throughout the year you will receive emails via SignUpGenius website from your class parent representatives inviting you to assist with these events that help to support our school staff and community.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

We would also like to welcome parents to join us for our monthly meetings to plan upcoming events. Often, Dr Rothweiler or another staff member will attend to give an update on various school matters. The meetings are held in the Faculty Lounge, at 6:00 pm on the first Tuesday of each month. Please contact Eddie Crespin @ 505-220-1846 for more info.

Chair: Eddie Crespin Co-chair: Open

Treasurer: Maritza Garcia

Parent Representatives Seniors: Roberta Martinez, Raymond

Quintana

Juniors: Open Sophomores: Rose Quezada, Art Quezada, Catherine Hanson Freshman: Andres Santiago, John Garcia

FROMTHEFACULTY ENGLISH On the Importance of Horror

By Stephen Armijo In honor of All Hallow?s Eve and this rather spooky time of year, a moment should be taken to acknowledge those scary stories that are often seen as dark and low.

My love of literature began with the children?s book series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; these were a gateway to a literary life steeped in the macabre.

Eventually I found my way to King when I picked up a used copy of Pet Sematary for 75 cents. By the second page I was hooked, and Stephen King opened up many creaky doors and moonlit paths to great authors like Poe, Lovecraft, Kipling, Machon, Chambers, and many more.

Horror, more so than any other genre, has rarely been taken seriously. It has been seen as pulp entertainment, which is strange considering that many classic authors have at least one chiller to their name. Horror is often seen as anomalous, counter cultural, garish, avant garde, and often seen as a low and dirty. Odd, considering how popular it has become. October has become synonymous with ghosts, ghoulies, and long legged beasties. Horror films are often times the most profitable films to come out every year. In fact, the trailer for the film La Llorona was released this month and has received over a million views.

Here in New Mexico, everyone has their own version of La Llorona. The lesson of the story, no matter the version, is important; if I were to walk in an arroyo at night, I would have no idea if a bad storm was brewing in the Sandias. A person could be swept away without so much as a warning! The chance of a flash flood striking seems impossible and distant; whereas, a kidnapping ghoul in the dark feels more plausible in the arroyo. A good ghost story can offer us a lesson, as if we were Scrooge on Christmas Eve. Every Halloween, I talk to my students about the power of horror. In the same way that myth can tell us what a culture values and holds dear, a horror story that captures the zeitgeist can give us an insight into what society fears. It is a dark mirror that reflects back to us the problems we see in our world. A good scary story has something to say about this fear, which is both powerful and universal. Scary stories give us an opportunity to go to a dark and terrible zoo; we see the things that frighten us the most, up close, from the safety of the couch, knowing no matter how frightening, we have the ability to close the book or turn off the TV. These stories act as a buffer. They afford us understanding; why are we scared? This fall, take a chance to read a good scary tale!

Stephen Armijo English

FRENCH 22 French high schoolers lived the American dream at St. Pius for 10 days!

After traveling over 8,100 kilometers or 5,000 miles to cross the Atlantic, a group of twenty-two adventurous French high schoolers (all seniors) were greeted with big, bright welcome signs from St. Pius High School as they arrived in the land of enchantment on Saturday, October 13 at 11:00 p.m. They traveled from France, many visiting the US for the first time, to immerse themselves in a new culture and experience the excellent academic environment of St. Pius X High School. The group and their two chaperone social studies and math teachers, François Prigent and François Hemdat, who come from the Lycée Chateaubriand, the top rated public high school in Rennes, northwestern France, visited St. Pius High School for 10 days through October 22nd. What a wonderful opportunity to learn about one another's culture and language(s)!

This visit is part of an exchange program that was launched in 2014 between the two schools by St. Pius teacher Laurence Godret who sought to provide opportunities for her students to communicate in French with native speakers in realistic, communicative contexts and to establish long-term friendships between students of the two schools. Preparing for the French group?s visit in Albuquerque took over a year of planning between the two schools. The French school launched this educational project with several objectives in mind for their students: to explore the multicultural diversity of New Mexico, to discuss the concepts of ?the frontier? with it multiple layers of meanings and to provide linguistic immersion in both the English and Spanish languages. This is a pertinent goal since French high school students are all required to study a minimum of two foreign languages throughout their schooling among the eight modern and classical languages being offered at Chateaubriand High School, including Greek and Latin. This is bound to turn many French high schoolers into polyglots eager to travel the world!

Upon arrival, the visiting French students had to adjust to the American accent, which they are familiar to in the mass media, especially through music and pop culture, but not so within the walls of their classrooms. Indeed in France, students learn to speak British English, not American English. In addition to shadowing Sartans at school to get a feeling for what the American educational system is like, the traveling French seniors had an exciting program of activities during their visit in New Mexico. Some of the sites they visited included the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Old Town, Acoma Sky City, Tent Rocks National Monument and Santa Fe. The French group was also extremely honored and touched to be invited by June Yazzen, one of our St. Pius students, to Laguna Pueblo for a feast day where they met a proud, joyful, 100 year old warrior chief from Laguna who had help liberate France and Europe during WWII. Some French seniors stated that they enjoyed the large open spaces here and the diversity of the local landscape and its people. They added ?Red chile can be really really hot here, but we definitely love the New Mexican food, especially the breakfast burritos, tacos, pizzas, green chile burgers, donuts, and every single bite of American junk food.? What else would you expect from teenagers, even from France. At SPX, the French high schoolers also got to co-present the televised morning news on Sartan TV with their American counterparts and wrapped up their week of adventures by playing a friendly, mixed gender French-American soccer game on Friday, 10/19 which the Pius team won 4 to 3. Ten days are short to live like a Sartan and an American, but it will surely leave a mark on these happy globetrotters and on our Pius host students. French students were all impressed by the generosity, kindness and hospitality of all St. Pius families and are forever grateful to them. A big thank you to the twenty St. Pius families who offered their home and heart for ten busy days to welcome our visiting French students this fall: Ana Rios, Ethan Martinez, Heber Rios, Cristian Monsalve, Matthew Buerschen, Susanna Lanucara, Santino Chavez, Aalyah Turrietta, Melissa Hipple, Celeste Lucero,Alexandra Ortiz, Kenneth Bole, Sydney Sandoval, Adrienne Swindle, Hope Montoya, Leslie Ortiz, Max Cassidy, Sarah Brown, Amber Baker, and Mariah Magness. Thank you also to science teacher Ms. Green for making the field trip to Laguna Pueblo?s feast day, a French dream come true. Merci mille fois!

MATH NEWS FROM THE MATH DEPARTMENT Senior at St. Pius Taking College Level Calculus III Online The St. Pius X High School Mathematics Department is proud to recognize one senior who has surpassed our highest level Mathematics course and who is now studying Calculus III (Multi-Variable Calculus) online. Cole Damon successfully completed AP Calculus BC during his junior year. Since BC Calculus is the highest level of mathematics that we currently offer, the Mathematics Department offers an on-line course which allows Cole to continue to move forward in his study of mathematics.

Cole is currently enrolled in Calculus III through the University of North Dakota?s ?Enroll Anytime? program.

Although the majority of his work will be done independently, the members of the SPX Mathematics Department will be happy to work with Cole as the need arises. We look forward to seeing how Cole progresses through his online mathematics course. Good luck to Cole Damon as he delves into the study of vector calculus, line and surface integrals and Euclidean space. We are proud of Cole and his accomplishments!

SCIENCE The Science Department is excited to announce a new course offering for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Conservation Science will be offered in place of Marine Science and Earth Science, which will be archived next year. Topics from these courses will be incorporated into a more comprehensive and environmentally focused course that examines how all Earth systems work together, as well as how human activities impact these natural systems. The course description for this class is detailed as follows: CONSERVATION SCIENCE This is an adaptation of an environmental science course designed for students who have identified as being on a non-scientific academic path. This course promotes the understanding of the dynamic and integrated processes of Earth's natural systems, the delicate natural balance of resources that must be maintained to sustain life, and the impacts that human activities have on these systems. The course comprehensively integrates life science (biology) and physical sciences (chemistry, Earth, ecology, ocean, atmosphere), as well as some engineering (light), for a practical application and experience. Topics include: natural and complex cycling of Earth?s energy and matter; ecosystems and evolution; sustainability of natural resources; human health, toxicology, consumption, and impacts; and environmental concerns with evaluation of mitigation strategies. Some activities may include: energy and water audits, maintaining a raised bed garden, composting, hydroponics, and review of environmentally focused case studies, as well as analysis of energy and resources used in the food industry.

Additionally, students are required to complete and present an environmentally beneficial citizen science project with a local organization in their community.

Prerequisites: At a minimum, completion of Biology, Chemistry, and Conceptual Physics courses are required prior to this course. Students may only take this course for an elective fourth credit in science if they are ineligible for every other science elective; essentially any student who earns less than a C in Chemistry or less than a B in Principles of Chemistry.

SOCIALSTUDIES Seniors in Mr. Cappleman?s and Ms. Nakai?s Government & Economics classes were commodity brokers for a day as they participated in a simulation called A Market in Wheat. Each class was randomly divided into buyers and sellers and sent to the ?trading floor? to compete for wheat orders. The ?brokers? worked fast and furiously to negotiate prices and achieve maximum profit. Along the way, students reinforced their knowledge of the impact on equilibrium prices of changes in supply and demand. The simulation was part of the students?fall economics unit on financial markets, saving and investment. Students learned that markets of many types are institutional arrangements allowing buyers and sellers to trade goods and services.

SPANISH DIA DE LOS MUERTOS The Spanish Department has created an altar for the Dia De Los Muertos celebration in the Library.

Papel picado, flores, origami skulls, folded by Bunny Sanchez and painted by Rita Martinez, and Pan De Los Muertos are but a few of the symbols used to celebrate this festive day of All Souls Day. Students, teachers, and staff members are asked to bring in their photos and memorabilia of departed family, friends and animals, to be placed on the altar. Fr. John Trambley will be blessing the altar on the morning of Wednesday, October 31, following the 7:45 am Mass.

The belief of the Hispanic world that celebrates this day, is that the souls of the faithful departed return to visit earth on this special and holy day when a picture of the departed has been placed on an altar. All are invited to view the altar, which will be in the Library for viewing for one week.

THEOLOGY This is the second year that Greg Hakeem and I (Scott Howard) have had the pleasure of teaching World Religions to our Junior class. As much as we enjoy the subject matter, it seems that most of our students enjoy it as well (we can?t please everyone!). The typical response for why they appreciate the course is because ?it is so different? and ?you see how much we have in common.?

In the first quarter we covered Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and we are currently finishing up the unit on Islam with the movie Malala. I always tell my students that thirty to forty pages in a textbook are not going to be enough to fully cover a world religion that is over a thousand years old. With today?s technology, we are able to read from Hindu sacred text, The Bhagavad-Gita, or watch millions bathe in the Ganges river to be cleansed of their sins.

We have also read and discussed the inspiring quotes of Confucius, and watched the Sufis of Islam perform their twirling spiritual dance known as the Whirling Dervish. These are just a few examples of the subject matter we cover, but they all lead to more questions: Why the hat? Why that river? Why no pork?

As a teacher, I am excited to venture deeper into another faith and find out with my students why people do what they do and believe what they believe. To add to the mix of textbooks, sacred texts and visual aids is the creative process. For example, the designing of a board game that encompasses the teachings of Hinduism (Mr. Hakeem) or students using their Chromebooks to create and explain the sacred images of each world religion (Mr. Howard). Ultimately, this is all about our students being informed, educated and in the end, more compassionate human beings, in a world that continues to become a smaller place.

PERFORMINGARTS The fall play, Frankenstein by R.N. Sandberg, opens Friday November 9th at 7:00 pm, with a reception following. Performances also take place Saturday, November 10th at 7:00, and Sunday November 11th at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $3 at the door. Entry is free with SPX ID. The Fine Arts Department is one busy place this fall! The Choir had all-state auditions last week and 6 choir students made the all-state choirs. We are so proud of Amanda Stone, Julia Ortiz, Mia Kroeter, Maia Sanchez, Thomas McCarthy, and Dominic Deblassie. Congratulations on the highest choral honor our state awards! Great job!

We had three band students make the District VII Honor Band (Albuquerque) These students are: Selena Brandt, Sam Valenzuela, and Benicio Gutierrez. Congratulations on a great JOB by all!

So far this year, we've had a concert, all-state auditions, and students doing solo and ensemble choir. Our annual Halloween Concert is on Oct. 31st! WOW! Christmas is coming and our Christmas Concert is December 12th. The Christmas Craft Show is scheduled for December 15th and December 16th, from 9am - 4pm. Come and have a blast shopping for Christmas gifts. We have tons of gifts for you to peruse.

A very special shout out to Amanda Stone who is the only NM Student to make a National Music Ensemble.

Amanda will be flying with Ms. Clark to Orlando, Florida at the end of November to attend the NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) to represent the top performing high school musicians in the United States. This is so much more than a musical ensemble; it is a comprehensive, musical and educational experience.

Remember that SPX will be represented on the NAfME National Honor Ensemble by Amanda. Keep her in your prayers for a safe trip and a rewarding, educational experience!

Special thanks to Principal Barbara Rothweiler and Superintendent Susan Murphy for supporting Amanda's audition and acceptance to this once in a life time experience! Our amazing Fine Arts Boosters (FAB) have given Amanda a scholarship to help with her trip expenses as well.

God bless you and your families in this busy holiday season! Come see our Christmas Concert on December 12th in Stage Two of the Fine Arts Center at 7pm.

ATHLETICS The St. Pius X Athletic Department and Athletic Booster Club are proud to introduce Est. 1956, the Athletic Magazine of St. Pius X High School. Copies are available at all home athletic events or you can read it online on the St. Pius X website.

For more information about Est. 1956 or to become one of our advertisers, please contact Jennifer Maldonado ?91 at 505-831-8437 or jmaldonado@sxabq.org.

DORADOS This Christmas season, the SPX Dorados Dance Team and the SPX JV Dance Team are partnering with Pursonalities Plus to provide women in need with new or gently used purses filled with personal items and small gifts. Please help in this effort by cleaning out your closet and donating your ?like new? purses! No purses to donate? You can help by donating personal items for us to fill the purses with. Items needed include: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, shampoo, brushes, combs, makeup, lotions, small packages of tissues, and especially new hats, socks, winter gloves, scarves, and slippers.

During the Christmas season of 2016, Pursonalities Plus donated 180 filled purses to women in need in the Albuquerque area. In 2017, 1087 filled purses were delivered. In 2018, the goal is 2200! The Dorados and JV Dancers have been asked to provide for 35 young women at Haley?s Haven, a transitional living home which provides a supportive, nurturing environment to guide young women in recovery. If you would like to donate purses and/or items, please contact Coach Gina Rightley at grightley@spxabq.org or drop off items at the SPX Athletic Office in the school gym. Also, please check out the Pursonailities Plus ABQ Facebook page to learn more about this amazing organization. In addition to Haley?s Haven, other recipients of the filled purses include: A Peaceful Habitation Barrett House Care Net Casa de Mariposa Crisis Center of NM Crossroads Enlace Communitario Freedom House Family Promise God?s Warehouse Haven House Healthcare for Homeless Joy Junction Love, Inc Luvyanm

SAFE House Saranam Silver Horizzons Steele Bridge Center of Hope St. Martin?s Hope Works Susan?s Legacy Teen Challenge Tender Love Community U Turn for Christ Valencia Shelter Services Valerie?s Place Wings Women?s Housing Coalition Women in Crisis Zoe Project

COUNSELING Saint Pius X Portals Please take time to visit the SPX Counseling Group page within portals. Information from parent nights and other resources are posted on this page.

Upcoming ACT and SAT Tests Registration is open for ACT and SAT tests.

ACT: February 9th Deadline to Register: January 11th www.act.org SAT: March 9th Deadline to Register: February 8th www.collegeboard.org There is no SAT subject test on this date. The next SAT subject test is May 2019.

Preparation booklets are available in the Counseling Office.

SPX School Code: #320032 SENIORS Be mindful of deadline dates for college applications. These can be found in Naviance or on the college/university website.

Regarding common courtesy and professionalism: ALWAYS ask the teacher before requesting a letter of recommendation from them. This includes Naviance and any other online applications. Thank you!

SENIORS PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE IN A COLLEGE SPORT MUST FILL OUT NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE AND/OR NAIA FORMS. NCAA can be located at www.eligibility.net and NAIA can be located at www.naia.org. If you have questions or need help, make an appointment to see your counselor.

COLLEGE VISITS Visits with representatives from colleges all over the country, are scheduled during the school day, from August through April. The details of these visits are posted in the Counseling Department as well as in the weekly Parent Link article. Interested students must sign up in the Counseling Department. If your student cannot make the make the visit, he/she can stop by and pick up information after the visit. Visiting with college representatives and attending college fairs are great ways to assist in the search for just the right college or university.

Alumni/Senior Visit Day Alumni Day will be held January 9, 2019, in the SPX library during D, E, and F lunch hours. Alumni will be sharing their college experiences with SPX seniors. These alumni are attending in-state, out-of-state, and Catholic/private universities. This has been a very successful event for our seniors who are close to making their own college decisions. Students are welcome to bring lunch and report to the library at the beginning of their lunch hour. We are grateful to all the alumni who participate and look forward to seeing our graduates!

FINALEXAMS IMPORTANT REMINDER REGARDING 1ST SEMESTER FINAL EXAMS Mrs. Ducaj would like to remind all parents that final exams are scheduled for Monday, December 17th through Friday, December 21st.

As per SPX policy, no student is allowed to take a final exam early. If a student misses a final and is unable to make it up on or before December 21st, the student will need to make up his/her final(s) on Saturday, January 12th at a fee of $50 for every final that is missed. If necessary, additional final exam make-up dates would be Saturday, January 19th and Saturday, January 26th. The only exception to paying the $50 fee is if the student is ill (with medical documentation provided) or if there is a death in the family.

Please schedule all family vacations to begin after the last final exam is administered on Friday, December 21st. Feel free to call Mrs. Ducaj, at 831-8443, or email her at bducaj@spxabq.org with any questions.

ST.PIUSCONTINUESTORISEABOVE Education Week, Inside Higher Ed and the Wall Street Journal recently published articles regarding national ACT scores in math reaching a 20-year low. These low math scores are a cause for concern due to the importance of strong math skills needed for science, engineering, technology jobs and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs in post-secondary institutions. The national average score in math for the graduating class of 2018 was 20.5, a decline from 20.9 in the graduating class of 2013. The report also indicates that virtually no progress in math has been made since 1998, when the national average was 20.6. Both reporting sources indicate that ?a greater percentage of U.S. high school graduates who took the ACT college-entrance exam aren?t ready for college-level coursework, with math readiness at a 14-year low.?

How does this affect St. Pius X High School student preparation for college? Our curriculum is rigorous, aligned and meets national standards. Standards embedded in the curriculum include NSTA (National Science Teachers of America), NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards), NTE (National Teachers of English), NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), NCCSS (National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies), and ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language). Other sources include AP College Board, SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory), and MTP (Method Test Prep) which includes ACT and SAT test preparation.

Teachers and administrators are always looking for ways to promote the success and achievement of students. St. Pius X High School has continued be above the state and national average since the opening of the school. Scores for SPX graduating classes of 2011-2018 are as follows:

A perfect score on the ACT is 36 on either a subject test or the composite. Below are national average ACT scores, 2014-2018.

ACT's annual report on college readiness notes that, judging by courses completed as well as test scores, most high school graduates are not prepared for college. Generally, students who have completed recommended college preparatory courses do better than others on the ACT. A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing courses.

St. Pius X High School College Readiness Benchmark Scores:

St. Pius X High School will continue to implement ACT test-taking strategies through the delivery of instruction. This year we implemented MTP (Method Test Prep), an online program that helps students improve their ACT and SAT scores. We encourage students to incorporate many of the resources they are provided at St. Pius X for continued success in their academic growth and preparation for their post-secondary education.

Recent graduates have indicated that St. Pius X has prepared them well academically for college.

YEARBOOK We?re in this together.

Buy your yearbook NOW to get the best price!

Buy a yearbook and remember the year forever! You can buy your yearbook online at jostensyearbooks.com or call Jostens and place your order on the phone at 1-877-767-5217. Price is $75, but will go up to $80 on February 23rd. So, buy early to save the most money!

WHY buy a yearbook? The most exciting story of the year will cover the greatest moments and memories of 2018-19 with hundreds of photos and stories about student life, academic accomplishments, club activities, art performances, school sports, special events, and class histories. The yearbook is special because there?s simply nothing else like it. You?ll never find a better way to capture school life and the achievements and experiences of every student inside and outside of school all in one place.

Senior quotes are due by Monday, 11/12. Instructions are available on the school?s portal under LINKS and must be read thoroughly before a quote is sent. All senior quotes must meet approval before they can be published in the Yearbook. Should your child miss the deadline, the Yearbook staff will assign them a religious quote.

Your photos needed ASAP for the yearbook on these topics: students?last summer (vacations, activities and summer jobs), Homecoming proposals and dance, concerts they have attended, their special talents/activities outside St. Pius, your student with their pets, clothes and accessories they wear on the weekend (all must be appropriate). Feel free to also send other quality photos on student life, sports or academics for the 2019 yearbook. Email the yearbook staff by 11/1 at yearbook@spxabq.org Senior recognition (baby) ads on sale!

In September, we mailed a brochure to all parents of seniors about purchasing a recognition ad (also called a senior ad or a baby ad) for your son or daughter who is a senior this year. Deadline is Friday, February 15, 2019. Senior ads are purchased online at www.jostens.com/yearbookads Prices range from $150 to $450. However, the earlier the ad is placed, the better its placement in the book.

WHY buy a senior ad? Senior ads represent a chance to congratulate your senior on the occasion of his or her graduation and a wonderful opportunity for contemplation, reflection and celebration. Yearbook recognition ads are an excellent way to commemorate and highlight student achievements and important milestones. They also provide a unique space to leave an inspiring message to your loved one and to capture moments and thoughts to cherish for a lifetime. In addition, revenues from these ads help our school to create a better yearbook and balance the yearbook production budget. Jostens handles the production and all payments for the ads; the SPX yearbook staff does not. If you have any questions about these ads, email the yearbook advisor Ms. Laurence Godret at lgodret@spxabq.org Thank you for your generous support.