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St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School

Newsletter

December 6, 2013 www.stcharlesschoolfw.org schooloffice@stcharlesschoolfw.org 260-484-3392 Dear Parents and Students, Happy  Advent!    As  part  of  the  Season  of  Advent,  we  have  a  beautiful  Jesse  Tree  displayed  by  the  office  entrance  area.    According  to  the  booklet,  ‘Advent  and  Lent  Activities  for  Children'  by  Twenty-­‐Third  Publications,  the  Jesse  Tree  represents  Jesus'  family  tree.    The  name  is  taken  from  Isaiah  11:1,  in  which  Jesus  is  referred  to  as  a  shoot  coming  up  from  the  stump  of  Jesse,  the  father  of  David.    The  ornaments  on  the  Jesse  tree  tell  of  Jesus'  ancestors,  and  of  the  events  leading  to  Jesus'  birth.        Daily  our  Student  Council  officers  and  classroom  representatives  have  been  leading  the  school  with  reflections  building  to  the  birth  of  Jesus.    We  began  Advent  with  the  story  of  Adam  and  Eve  and  hung  an  apple  on  our  Jesse  Tree  as  a  symbol  of  original  sin  and  the  beginning  of  Jesus’  story.    We  will  conclude  with  the  birth  of  Jesus  on  the  last  Friday  before  Christmas  by  displaying  the  Christmas  Nativity  and  placing  the  baby  Jesus  in  the  manger.      Come  with  us  on  this  journey  of  hope  and  joy  as  we  build  to  the  celebration  of  the  birth  of  our  Savior.    During  these  three  weeks  of  school  in  December,  all  of  our  students  in  grades  2-­‐8  will  have  an  opportunity  to  receive  the  Sacrament  of  Reconciliation  in  preparation  for  the  Christmas  celebration.    Our  Jesse  tree  will  grow  with  new  symbolic  ornaments  each  day.    Our  daily  prayers  will  continue  to  build  towards  this  great  gift  from  God.    We  wait.    We  pray.    We  hope.    Again,  come  and  journey  with  us.    Here  are  a  few  dates  and  events,  which  may  help  you  with  your  Advent  journey:    Sunday, Dec. 8th: Feast of the Immaculate Conception & Athletic Association sponsors Pancake Breakfast with Santa in the cafeteria from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $5.00 adults & $3.50 children 12 and under. Thursday, Dec. 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe & Students in grades 3, 4, & 5 perform the Christmas Musical DUDE, YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? at 7:00 p.m. in the Hession Center Gymnasium. Admission is free. Saturday, Dec. 14: First Reconciliation for all grade 2 students 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Church. Pray for them! Wednesday, Dec. 18: St. Charles Parish Reconciliation Service at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome. The priests stay until the last confession is heard. Tuesday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Masses - 4:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. & Midnight Mass Wednesday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day Masses – 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. (No 7:30 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. Masses) Report Card grades have been given out by the State Department of Education, and our St. Charles Borromeo School has received a “B” this time. We were penalized a point for not showing enough individual student growth among our ISTEP+ English/Language Arts scores. Here is a layman’s summary of the Growth Model upon which this rating is based. When a student, let’s call him Chet, takes the ISTEP+ for the first time in grade 3, he is grouped with students around the State who scored in the same range as he did on that first ISTEP+ test. Chet and his group of fellow similar scorers are then tracked and compared with one another over the next five years (grades 4-8). Chet is required to improve his scores, or “show growth” each year as compared with his similar group, or cohort. So Chet has a target score range for growth each year. If Chet scores within the range, then he has “typical growth”. If Chet scores above the range, he has “high growth”. If Chet scores below the range he has “low growth”. Each year the target is adjusted for growth. So if Chet scores “high” one year, then his target range is raised even higher the

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next year. If Chet’s cohort scores high one year, then the target range is also raised the next year. No one knows the target range for each student until after each year’s ISTEP+ scores are tabulated. Additionally, the scores are adjusted each year based on the scores of the students within the cohort, so they are always changing. If you are confused, then welcome to the great majority of teachers and principals around the State of Indiana. In defense of public school teachers, this formula is used as part of their job evaluation, which causes great anxiety. Our Diocese does not use this formula to determine job performance and/or pay. This is most likely, the last year for this growth model formula. The State is trying to tweak the growth model to measure each child’s growth against himself each year. No more cohort comparisons. I would be a proponent of this if the test and the test targets were consistent from year to year. They are not. This is not your old Iowa Basic Skills tests that we took years ago. At that time it was the same test each year, but different students taking the test. The data showed clearly where the strengths and weaknesses were as individuals, grade levels, and as a school. Apples compared to apples. The ISTEP+ test has different students taking a different test each year. The data is not consistent. Apples compared to oranges. Receiving a “B” does not mean our school is low performing. We are a high performing school. This is about individual growth targets. A school could actually have lower passing rates on the test, but could receive an “A” on the test because their students exceeded growth targets for the year. Additionally, if a school’s students score strongly in third grade, then their expectations under this formula are going to be higher over the next five years than those schools whose students perform at a lower level in grade 3. This is sort of like shooting your stronger golf score or bowling your stronger game and having this strong score determine your handicap for the next five seasons. If you start with a high score, then most likely you will eventually go down a bit one year in growth which counts against the school. Last year we received bonus points because we exceeded the growth requirements in English/Language Arts. We actually would have had an A++ last year if they gave A+’s. This year, we fall one tenth of a point short of an A. We had 11 students who, even though they scored in the Pass+ range in English/Language Arts, showed low growth because they did not meet their target range. So, as I sat next to a fellow Diocesan principal at our meeting last week, and I noticed that his school passed the ISTEP+ at an 84% rate in English/Language Arts and 83% in Math, and we passed at a 93.7% rate in English/Language Arts and 94.7% in math, and his school received an “A” and our school received a “B”, well, I could only smile and think of the words “This too shall pass.” We just need to let the B stand as a reminder to do “B”etter next time! Finally, despite the unpredictability of the formula, we take our scores seriously. We have met as a faculty to analyze the data and implement strategies to improve our individual student growth on this year’s ISTEP+ test. We, as always, will work to do better as administrators, teachers, and students. We needed about 12 students to answer one more multiple choice question correctly or to pick up another score point on the open-ended questions on the test to make the “A” grade this year. We will shoot for all students bumping up their scores a bit this year. Thank you for your children. Sincerely – Rob S.

CALENDAR UPDATE

DECEMBER 7 JAMES E. ROBINSON 9TH GRADE MERIT SCHOLARSHIP EXAM at Bishop Dwenger H.S. for 8th graders 8 Second Sunday of Advent Pancake Breakfast with Santa, sponsored by Athletic Association 9 Feast of the Immaculate Conception all-school Mass 8:15 am

Grades 3-4 receive the sacrament of Reconiliation, 9:15 am 10 Grade 2 attend The Nutcracker at Arts United Center 11 Advent Movie Night “The Nativity” see info below 12 Christmas musical, 7:00 pm in the gym 13 if weather prevents the musical performance on the 12th, it will be performed tonight, the 13th, 7:00 pm 14 First Reconciliation, 10:30 am 15 Third Sunday of Advent 16 Grades 7-8 receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, 9:15 am 18 St. Charles Parish Advent Reconciliation Service, 7:00 pm 19 St. Charles School Choir performs at Townhouse Christmas Party in the afternoon 20 2nd quarter ends Dec. 21 – Jan. 5 Christmas Vacation JANUARY 6 School is in session

NEXT FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, IS THE LAST SCHOOL NEWSLETTER UNTIL FRIDAY, JANUARY 10.

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SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO SCHOOL STUDENTS “ADOPT” EIGHT FAMILIES TO ASSIST THIS CHRISTMAS Thank you for your donations to make this a nice Christmas for eight families from the Fort Wayne community who are in need. These donations need to be delivered to Catholic Charities on Washington Street, downtown, on Wednesday or Thursday, December 11 or 12. If you have a covered truck or a van and are able to help with the delivery on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning, please contact Linda in the office on Monday.

PANCAKE & SAUSAGE BREAKFAST WITH SANTA SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8 The St. Charles Athletic Association will be serving pancakes and sausage on Sunday, December 8. All the pancakes you can eat and a chance to sit on Santa’s lap. Serving from 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The cost is $5.00 for adults; $3.50 per child (ages 12 and under), or $18 for the entire family. Proceeds support St. Charles Athletics. ALTAR SERVERS December 7, 5:00pm: Brynelle D’Rosa, Amanda Horter, Zach McKenna, Anne Ueber December 8, 7:30am: Kaden Beck, Andruw Krieger, Lyle Yaggy December 8, 9:00am: Daniel Escarcega, Tom Lonsway, Josh Schipper, Emma Witte December 8, 11:00am: Collin Cahill, Brian Pearson, Kathleen Robertson, Anthony Starr December 8, 5:00pm: John Copeland, Dustin Messman, David Stevens, Anne Ueber NEWSLETTER STAPLING SCHEDULE December 13, 20: Michael Hennegan, Laura Tio, Nancy Federspiel CAFETERIA SCHEDULE December 9: Jean Neuhaus, Kathy Vande-Zande, Stephanie Eddy, Ann Lovett, Jen Eisaman December 10: Kathy Haines, Kathy Kappelmann, Bobbie Jensen, Ange Hennegan, Michael Hennegan December 11: Tom Neuhaus, Jennifer Steigmeyer, Jenn Tippmann, Becca Williams, Christy Jacob December 12: Mary Cahill, Elaine Jackson, Angela Pikel, Nancy Hartig, Marlene McKenney December 13: Stephanie Schubert, Elizabeth Hull, Sarah Mohrman, Kelly Symington, Emily Sylvester MARKET DAY Market Day is offering savings on two popular products this month: our ChicNSteakes and French Toast Sticks are both $2.00 off! Stock up now!!! Receive a free GoGo Squeez applesauce pouch and a free 2014 Eat Well calendar with any purchase. Order through January 9, 2014 - thanks for shopping with Market Day!

CHRISTMAS MUSICAL St. Charles School students from grades 3-4-5 will perform a Christmas musical, DUDE, YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? Christmas time is filled with sound! Sometimes, so much sound and noise that we can hardly hear the real message of Christmas. This musical is a rollicking adventure for kids that ensures that nobody will miss out on hearing the REAL Christmas story! The performance of this show is Thursday, December 12, at 7:00 pm in the Hession Center gym. (If there is inclement weather, the show will be Friday at 7:00 pm) This show is free of charge and a wonderful way to prepare our hearts and spirits for Jesus' birth in our lives each and every day! Please plan on spending some time supporting these budding thespians and enjoying an evening out!

ADVENT MOVIE NIGHT “THE NATIVITY STORY” Wednesday, December 11, 7:00 p.m.-Hession Center

Relive the most magnificent portrayal of the Nativity ever! Enrich your Advent journey as you follow the Holy Family at the beginning of theirs. Rated PG. Snacks will be available: please RSVP so we can plan for setup/ snacks) to Carolyn Hunneshagen at care0920@aol.com, or call 486-7823.

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62nd Annual Christ Child Festival “King of Kings & Lord of Lords”

at University of Saint Francis Performing Arts Center, 432 W. Berry St. (former Scottish Rite) FREE family friendly event for all ages! More than 50 booths to help you get in the spirit of Christmas including a wide variety of children’s activities and quality crafts, entertainment and refreshments! Musical performances and a living nativity are included in this free festival! Friday Dec. 6 6-9 PM Saturday Dec. 7 12-8 PM www.fwChristchildfestival.org Sunday Dec. 8 12-5 PM Lighting of the Lake and Living Nativity at University of Saint Francis, December 8, 6 pm, free Star of Bethlehem at the Schouweiler Planetarium at University of Saint Francis, www.sf.edu/sf/alumni/events/christmas-at-usf Check the website for various dates and times! SCRIP Holiday Shopping – Have you been making lists and checking them twice but still have no clue what to buy for at least one person on you holiday shopping list? Let SCRIP take all the stress out of your shopping. Be sure to pick up a SCRIP order form today. Our list is quite extensive, but not final. Even more merchants are available through our supplier, Great Lakes SCRIP. To special order an item, simply write it on the order form on the backside in the space provided in the lower left corner and include payment. Your item will be ordered on Monday and available for pick-up or delivery by Thursday. SCRIP gift cards and certificates can be used for your holiday purchases as well as for gift giving. Consider both options so that you can maximize your SCRIP credit from your holiday spending. Dates to Remember – The last day of SCRIP sales for 2013 is Friday, December 21. The last scheduled day for placing a Great Lakes order is Monday, December 16. It’s a very short holiday shopping season. Don’t wait too long to place your SCRIP order. Helping Us Help You – The Christmas shopping season has always proven to be the busiest time of year for the SCRIP office. We try very hard to be accurate in filling your order and there are a few things that you can do to help us help you. -­‐ Please take time to fill out your order form carefully. The print on the form is small so that we can list the many options. Check

to be sure you mark the correct item. -­‐ Pay attention as our volunteers are filling your order to be sure that what they are pulling, are the items you want. -­‐ Check your order as soon as possible to be sure that it is correct and complete. -­‐ Always include a current phone number.

Gift Card Returns – In an effort to keep our customers satisfied in the past, we have allowed gift card exchanges. This has always been contingent upon us checking the balance of the returned card to be sure it still has its full value. There are some gift cards that cannot be checked by phone or on line and we stated earlier this year that we will no longer accept those cards for exchange. Some of the gift certificates that cannot be returned are Michael’s, Fred Toenges, and Amazon. If you have questions regarding exchanges, please contact the SCRIP office. VOLUNTEERS – You should be receiving e-mail reminders for your scheduled SCRIP commitments. Thanks to Audrey Clauser and Kate Sweigert for organizing this. Please be sure to check you email for these reminders. Dec. 9 – Classroom Delivery - Suzanne Stratton & Cathy Yaggy Dec. 13 - Andrea Fisher, Stephanie Eddy, Cindi Horter, Judy Smith Dec. 13 – Classroom Delivery - Cheryl Morello & Denette Pearson Dec. 14 - Jennifer Perkins, Cheryl Haines, Tricia Lilly Dec. 15 - MaryJo Amorini, Angie Amorini, Jodi Christle Dec. 16 – Classroom Delivery - Emily Sylvester & Sue Christle Dec. 20 - Sue Christle, Lisa Madinski, Kelly Wolf, Amy Copeland **CHRISTMAS BREAK – NO SCRIP SALES

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STUDENTS OF THE WEEK Congratulations to our students of the past weeks: Jack Mohrman, Rafael Cucueco, Lyle Yaggy, Joe Gray, Gregg Meyers, Logan Miltner, Amya Cato, Lucas Lehrman, Theresa Bulanda, Brooke O’Neill, Collin Cahill, Will Hagerman, Avery Jackson, Bella Lytle, Karissa Godfrey, Isaiah Ryan, Logan Kien, Brooklyn Christle, Kolten Hartig, Sam Horine, Ava Maxwell, Sydney Fischer, Ella Campbell, Gabby Cheever, JP Cheever, Grade Ade, Owen Potosky, Paddy Pierson, Lauryn Federspiel, Remmington Huynh, Allie Trimbur, Madison Buckley, Riley Murphy, Andrew Parker, Anna Morello, Claire Frazier, Ashton Wolf, Jada Tippmann, Maddie Filler, Jonathan Baez, Kaitlyn Cubellis. BISHOP DWENGER NEWS JAMES E. ROBINSON 9TH GRADE MERIT SCHOLARSHIP EXAM Reminder to the 8th grade students that the registration deadline for the James E. Robinson 9th Grade Merit Scholarship Exam was Tuesday, November 26th and the exam itself is Saturday, December 7th. Details and registration form can be found on the 'Prospective Students' page at www.bishopdwenger.com. TRIVIA NIGHT Are you smarter than a teenager? Let’s find out! Save the date and join us for the third annual Bishop Dwenger Trivia Night on Saturday, January 18, 2014. Doors open at 6:30 pm and games begin at 7:00 pm in the gym! Tickets are just $10 per person. Come on your own, as a couple or with a handful of friends, and we’ll put you on a fun (and smart) team. Or put your own team of 10 together! All guests must be 21 years of age or older (no outside alcoholic beverages please). Reserve your table now by emailing your team members info to RSVP@bishopdwenger.com or by calling 496-4775! Cash for College campaign: Cash for College http://www.in.gov/cashforcollege/ equips students and families with the practical steps needed to save for college, navigate the financial aid process and complete college with minimal debt. The campaign supports local students and communities with a variety of helpful resources, including online tools, age-specific checklists, special events, student contests . Upcoming Cash for College dates: Friday, Feb. 21, 2014 – FAFSA Friday Webinar (event) Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014 – College Goal Sunday (event) Monday, March 10, 2014 – Cash for College Entries due Monday, March 10, 2014 -- FAFSA Filing deadline Monday, March 10, 2014 -- 21st Century Scholars Affirmation Deadline for High School Seniors Saturday, May 10, 2014 – FAFSA Ask the Expert Session (event) Thursday, May 15, 2014 – FAFSA Corrections Deadline Learn More Indiana Activity Bank Learn More Indiana has an Activity Bank with activities for EVERY GRADE LEVEL on how to Plan, Prepare and Pay? You can find it at: .in.gov/learnmoreindiana/print Learn More Indiana is on Facebook Like us to stay updated on our campaigns facebook.com/LearnMoreIN Contact Amber Audrain, the new College Success Campaign Manager, aaudrain@che.in.gov

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Lunch Payment Form Parents can put money into the student's account through your MealpayPlus online account at www.mealpayplus.com or by calling 866-662-3382 for a small fee. Or, you may send a check with the Lunch Accounting Form below to the school cafeteria. For example, if you have 3 children, send a check for $90 payable to St. Charles Cafeteria and designate $30 to each child's account. Each child who will eat hot lunch needs to have money in their meal account. It is recommended to have a minimum of $10.00 in this account which will pay for five meals. If the student may want additional portions of the main entree, then it is recommended to have a minimum of $6.25 in the general account as well. if you have questions regarding this, you may call the school cafeteria at 969-4028 on school days 8:00-12:30 or the school office at 484-3392.

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Last Name First Name Grade-Room Lunch ID Payment

General-Payments to the General account may be used for Meals, Extra entrée ($1.25), and milk (40¢)

Meal-Payments to the Meal account may only be used to pay for a Meal (regular price $2.00)

Last Name First Name Grade-Room Lunch ID

Payment

General-Payments to the General account may be used for Meals, Extra entrée ($1.25), and milk (40¢)

Meal-Payments to the Meal account may only be used to pay for a Meal (regular price $2.00)

Last Name First Name Grade-Room Lunch ID Payment

General-Payments to the General account may be used for Meals, Extra entrée ($1.25), and milk (40¢)

Meal-Payments to the Meal account may only be used to pay for a Meal (regular price $2.00)

Last Name First Name Grade-Room Lunch ID Payment

General-Payments to the General account may be used for Meals, Extra entrée ($1.25), and milk (40¢)

Meal-Payments to the Meal account may only be used to pay for a Meal (regular price $2.00)

Last Name First Name Grade-Room Lunch ID Payment

General-Payments to the General account may be used for Meals, Extra entrée ($1.25), and milk (40¢)

Meal-Payments to the Meal account may only be used to pay for a Meal (regular price $2.00)

Last Name First Name Grade-Room Lunch ID Payment

General-Payments to the General account may be used for Meals, Extra entrée ($1.25), and milk (40¢)

Meal-Payments to the Meal account may only be used to pay for a Meal (regular price $2.00)

revised 08/2013

Total Payment Enclosed

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.