The October Students of the Month will receive their certificates on Friday, Nov. 7th.
Don’t forget the annual school auction on Saturday, November 8th. It is always a great time and is so important in raising funds for the school. The auction is the biggest fundraiser for the school and parish. Check the website next week for a list of items. Thanks to all who are working so hard to make this a profitable evening.
This week’s folder will have a Market Day order form. The annual pie fundraising special is here just in time for your Thanksgiving. Our goal is to sell at least 100 pies. Please read the attached notice about the pie sales. (The internet is a convenient way to order and pay your total in advance. That makes pick-up a breeze.)
KUDOS to:
Our students for the biggest Animal Rescue Foundation collections we have ever done.
Our auction workers for the fantastic amount of time and effort done to get ready for this year’s auction.
COMMON CORE #3
This week I am going to address some of the reasons that there has been opposition to the Common Core standards. There has always been opposition to new concepts and educational programs. The No Child Left Behind mandate that was made law a decade ago was met with vigorous criticism as well.
One popular misconception is that Common Core is a federal program designed to eliminate local educational control. This program originated at the request of the state governors. The federal government helped to stimulate the adoption through a program called “Race to the Top” that awarded money to states who implemented Common Core and showed educational improvement.
Many teachers and teacher unions oppose CC because of the teacher evaluation tool that will be used. The new evaluations measure teacher effectiveness in a different method. Some states are pushing for merit pay for teachers, rather than union-backed raises. We do not use the public school evaluation tool here at SSPP.
Some states have pulled their support because of problems with the standardized tests that will be used to measure student achievement. The PARCC tests are done on computers and many districts are struggling with how to implement the test and how to pay for it. The PARCC test is not available for private school use. We are currently using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).
Some states have not endorsed CC because they felt that their standards were more rigorous than CC. Virginia is one such state. Other states have decided to write their own standards, keeping in mind that the ACT and SAT college entrance tests will be based upon the CC standards.
I hope that this series on the Common Core has helped your understanding. Maybe it has raised new questions. Mrs. Wepking and I are available to meet individually with you for any further discussion. We can set up an appointment at your convenience. If you are interested, please contact me with possible meeting dates and times.