The New Face of St. Paul's Academy

St. Paul’s Academy has a new website! Like a New Year's resolution, we wanted to shape up and improve our (public) figure.

Our new, refreshed site is a much better representation of who we are. Our goal is to not only make it easier for parents to access important information, but to also reach those outside of our school community.

We know that the first thing people do when they want to know about something is “Google it.” We want those new to our school to get a great first impression. There are so many ways St. Paul’s Academy is set apart and advanced in comparison to other schools (see the "Distinctive Attributes" section). We should be broadcasting all of these wonderful qualities. Thanks to our new website our public image is now more like our school (friendly and engaging).

If you have not yet checked out our new website, please click here: http://stpaul.academy/

If you know someone who may be interested in our school please don't hesitate to send them to our website!

                                    

Sounds of the Season

Our school is like a local radio station…. when Dec. 1st hits, the music all changes to everyone’s favorite, Christmas songs! I have worked in many schools that prohibit the playing of holiday songs and hold their seasonal concert in November. Not at St. Paul’s. Here we celebrate the sounds of the season!


Visitors, parents, and students are greeted when they walk into our building by Ms. Sue Ann’s Christmas play list. Students are belting out classic hymns throughout the school preparing for their Christmas concerts (3rd -5th grade is Dec. 15th). Our K-2nd grade will also be singing, and acting during their Nativity performance on December 17th.


While we are having lots of performances happening internally we also have been spreading cheer out into the community. Today, many 4th graders joined the Middle School to perform to the crowd at the Port of Bellingham Holiday Festival. Our 1st graders will be visiting the Woodway Inn on Dec. 10th to sing to the residents there.


When December comes we all feel the spirit of Christmas and want to show it through song. It is one of my favorite things about working at St. Paul’s.

4th graders at the Port of Bellingham Holiday Festival

Academic Progress

Today the first progress report for the year was sent home.

Did you notice how I used the word “progress” and not “report” card? That is because this is the start of the progress your son or daughter is going to make this year.

Often the first report of the year is the hardest for parents. Parents remember the high marks at the end of the previous year and expect that the start of this year will be no different. What is often forgotten is that your child is not mastering last year’s content. He/she is now being exposed to new, more difficult content.

Our report is based on the current grades expectations. Your student is not being compared to other students in his/her class but on benchmarks of performance for that grade. Our report uses numbers to signify the following things:

4- Exceeds grade level expectation

3- Meeting grade level expectation

2- Making progress toward grade level expectation

1-Below grade level expectation


Students should not exceed all grade level expectations this time in the year. There is a lot of knowledge still to be acquired. We want to challenge students and cause them to work towards mastery. This is how we progress in our pursuit of knowledge. The best progress is one that allows for and celebrates student growth.

Keeping Kids Safe in the Digital Age

Lori Getz, an Internet safety expert, presented to our middle and upper school students this week. Although she did not speak to the lower school students, her message can benefit children of all ages with the help of parents. It is important in this digital age that parents set boundaries and be cognizant of who and what our children are interacting with in the digital vortex. The earlier these guidelines are developed the better.


If you would like to hear Lori’s answers to modern day parenting questions such as, “should I spy on my child’s online activities?” or “how do I know if an app is appropriate or not?”, click on this link:

http://www.kidsinthehouse.com/expert/parenting-advice-from-lori-getz-ma

Lori Getz Parent Presentation 

Creativity

When businesses predict skills needed for the 21st century workforce, creativity is always on the list. Knowing how to think outside the box to conceive new ideas or products is an essential skill in today’s society.


This year, one way we are developing our students' creative force is by offering art to our list of speciality classes available to the Lower School students.
Art happens at least once a week for every student in grades K-12.


Ms. Butenschoen (our art teacher) has the students stretch their minds by offering a variety of mediums for them to work with. She not only helps them create unique works of art, but also incorporates art history and introduces them to famous works of art.



Art not only expands creativity and lets students see the world from a new perspective, but it also helps finely tune their visual-spatial and motor skills. Over all, art is not just beneficial for our students, but it is also transforming our space into one full of color, contrast, and of course, creativity!

Caution: Imagination at work

Halloween enhances one of the best characteristics of youth- a powerful imagination! Somewhere between jobs, kids, and making dinner, adults seem to lose this magic. Halloween is the day that best brings this out in us and makes the world childlike again.

The energy, laughter, and joy that has been sprinkled around our school is contagious! I hope you caught a drop of happiness while watching our Lower School costume parade, or the 3rd/4th grade "Thriller" performance.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Testing

Yesterday I proctored the PSAT test for our Upper School students. Before the test began, one of the students said, "I had to practice how to do this type of test." It got me thinking about standardized testing and how little of it we do here at St. Paul's.

In fact, if it was up to us we wouldn't do any at all. Unfortunately, there are certain outside entities that only use this form of data. For example, most colleges require a SAT score. So because we want our students to be able to ace any form of test they come across (including standardized tests) we try to expose them to all types.

So much of our society relies on this form of comparison data. If we want to compare our students to other schools and prove that we have a superior academic product, we must use the same tests. This, coupled with the need to introduce standardized testing, is why we give our 4th grade a standardized test in May. If you have ever seen our students' scores compared to Bellingham Public Schools or compared to all the other 4th graders in Washington, you would see that we are producing superior students.

This is proven by our standardized test scores and many, many, many other non-standard experiences.

A day off?

This Friday there is no school for students. For some of you, it may be interesting to read about what the teachers are up to when our students are absent. Our school is part of a network of other independent schools in the Northwest. My previous school in Anchorage was also part of this network (it is how I found out St. Paul’s needed a Lower School Director).


The network is called NWAIS (Northwest Association of Independent Schools). Once a year NWAIS holds a Fall Educator's conference where hundreds of teachers from schools just like St. Paul’s come together to learn ways to enhance their teaching. It is always held at one of the independent schools in our network and this year it is at Lakeside in Seattle. The theme of this year's conference is “Transformative Moments: the Journey to Inclusive, Welcoming Schools.”


Just as we encourage our students to never stop learning, we also need days for teachers to broaden their own education. I hope that an energized teacher with a pocket full of new ideas will greet you and your child on Monday!

Library

Yes, we have carts of iPads and laptops that allow students to access digital print, but one of our most precious forms of technology here at St. Paul’s is also one of the oldest.... our books!

Over the summer we moved our library to a new, warm, and inviting space. We also expanded our collection by purchasing over 12,000 additional books (the entire library at Whatcom Day Academy), which were distributed to our Preschool, Lower School and Middle/High School libraries.

This year we are also starting a Library Guild, which will help keep our libraries going strong by assisting with book purchasing, cataloging, and running the Markell Hall library. They will also be setting up and running the Scholastic Book Fair at the Lower School on Oct. 7th-20th. If you would like to join the Library Guild please contact Anita Austin 

With all of these opportunities to be exposed to print it is no wonder we have so many students who love to read! Today I saw a girl getting out of her car in the morning while reading, and a boy on the playground couldn’t put his book down because he was so enthralled.

Another great reason we have a library is that students tend to visit the same websites and read similar types of digital print, but if they visit the library they tend to choose something new that catches their eye. They have a librarian to make new recommendations and push them out of their comfort zones. Our library is the reading testing ground, which is full of new genres to explore.

Discovering your reading taste takes exposure to many types of literature. Our aim is for students to leave St. Paul’s with a love of reading whether using new or old technology!


"A sanctuary, a mine of treasure, a house of maps to secret lives in secret worlds… the library became my other home.” - Joy Cowley

House League

Today, students dressed in their house color and participated in group team building activities with other members of their house. If you are new to St. Paul’s you may be wondering what is a “house”?


At St. Paul’s our house families are a mix of students from grade K-12 separated into four groups (aka houses). Each house honors a family that is important to St. Paul’s. They are: Hess, Ferlin, Kaiser, and Ershig.


House League provides another opportunity for students to bond with other members of our school community. House assignments begin in Kindergarten and last until graduation, providing students with another sense of identity, acceptance, and belonging. All new students are assigned a house upon joining our school. Each house has a mascot, color, and cheer.


Throughout the year our “houses” will come together to bond as a group, meet friends outside of their class and participate in activities that embody our core commitments.

Successful Citizens

Thank you for coming to back to school night on Monday. In my opening speech I mentioned that this year we would not only continue to help your child grow academically, but we are also focusing on teaching them the qualities of successful citizenship.

The way we help students become successful citizens is by teaching them the tools it takes to be a good communicator, solving conflicts by rationally discussing a problem and explaining your viewpoint, and teaching them how to flourish in any social situation. After all, as the banner by LEPS says, “learners today, leaders tomorrow.”

Our teachers have been working hard to further develop the skills it takes to make these advanced concepts easy for elementary aged students to understand. This summer, we had trainers from The Institute for Social and Emotional Learning spend a day training our teachers how to share these concepts with students.

This week our teachers each took a tool from the SEL (social emotional learning) tool box and did a skit at our back to school assembly. This launch allowed students to get an overview of all the concepts that will be taught in detail by their classroom teachers throughout the year. The tools we'll be teaching are:

• Use an I-message when you have a conflict (e.g. I feel sad when I don’t get a turn with the ball and I wish that we could all take turns). If that doesn’t work go to a teacher for help.
• Try and come to an agreement where both people feel good (Win-Win).
• Try and make others feel good by filling their buckets with put-ups (compliments).
• Recognize your emotional thermometer and use cool down strategies.
• Recognize that all have different levels of comfort and boundary bubbles.

Today a second grade student told me that her neighbor (who does not go to St. Paul’s) had a conflict with her and so she just ran home. The second grader then told me, “I had to teach her about not just running away and giving an I-message when you are upset.” I was so proud, it has made me smile for the rest of the day! There is a successful citizen in the making!

Ms. Hammack, and Mrs. Galvin show students how to create a win-win. 

Ms. McDonnell and Mrs. Owens teach students how to cool off when they get angry

Welcome Back!

Welcome to my blog!

For those of you who are viewing it for the first time-thank you for visiting! I use this blog space to get a bit deeper into the education, events, and excitement happening at St. Paul’s Academy Lower School. Each week I will give you a bit more behind the scenes information.


This week our topic is that our school year is off and running! I could not ask for better students or teachers, and I can tell this is going to be one of our best years yet! We have 125 students in the Lower School -- 26 of those students are new (including our cute as can be Kindergartners).


Our parent association is led again this year by Kara Crotty. If you have not stopped in to meet her or visit our new PALS (Parents Actively Lending Support) room, please do. It is located three doors to the right from the front entrance. There is coffee, conversation and of course, lots of projects being completed. Among the events held each year are the Auction, Fall Festival, Family Fun Night, All School Picnic, and many more. There is always something happening around here, so stay tuned!

Summer

With the school year now at a close I want to just say thank you to all the parents, staff, and students who made this year so wonderful. I am so excited for the 2015-2016 school year!


Want to keep your child learning over the summer? Here are some wonderful summer reading lists (that are broken up by grade level):

http://imaginationsoup.net/2015/05/summer-reading-list-for-kids/


I also wanted to share Imagination Soup’s tips on making summer reading happen (see website above for more information).



Tips to Make Summer Reading Happen

1. CHOICE: Let your kids choose the books that they read.

2. BOUNTY: Fill your house with lots of books. More books = more chances for your children to find a fantastic, amazing, very good book that they can’t put down.

3. LIBRARY: Use your library. Let your kids go WILD and check out lots of books!

4. TIME: Kids need opportunities for reading. So, make sure they’re not filling all their time with TV, video games, and iPad time.

5. TECHNOLOGY: Don’t forget about audiobooks, Kindles, iPads, and Nook reading. Those count, too.

6. READABILITY: Make sure your child is reading books that he or she can actually comprehend. When choosing a book, use the 5 finger test to decide if it’s a just right book. During and after reading, ask your child to tell you a little bit about the story. If you haven’t read the story, read the back and ask questions pertaining to that summary. Make sure your child is understanding what he reads — and that he KNOWS IF HE DOESN’T.



Have a great summer and happy reading!

Mrs. Bucsko

Head of School for a Day

From the desk of Head of School for the day Will Carten (1st grader):


Things I like about our school are that teachers are really nice and Family Fun night is awesome (that's how I won Head of School).

This week at St. Paul’s Academy we are to do an art project where we are going to make bodies and tails and then combine them and make one crazy monster! We are also going to sing at a concert on Wednesday. One of the songs is about a train and a 'spring is here' song.


Today as Head of School I:

1. Greeted all the classrooms

2. Went and looked at classrooms. I looked for good behavior and the teacher being nice, and if the teacher's desk was messy or not messy and if the kids' cubbies/lockers were messy.

3. I had a bunch of recesses to look at. I had kids as my guards at recess.

4. Lunch with the teachers was pretty exciting. We talked about sports and Mrs. Roth’s dog's hurt back.

5. Then the power went off. I loved that, that was awesome. I carried a flash light around to help kids.

6. Then we had a fire drill. I pulled the lever. 

7. I went and helped with an art project. 

8. I passed out Dum Dums because the classes did a good job. 

9. I think that being the Head of School is amazing and awesome!

Accreditation Site Visit

Next week on Wednesday and Thursday there will be an external review team visiting St. Paul’s. The team will be composed of highly qualified observers from similar schools in the Northwest. This visit is just one piece of St. Paul’s accreditation renewal process.

In preparation for this visit the staff wrote an executive summary about our school. We have also completed a self-evaluation, and gathered evidence to support our ratings. Also, thanks to students, parents, staff members, and board members we collected and compiled data of our stakeholders’ feedback about the school.

The accreditation process and all the pieces involved is a form of quality assurance for our school. Although this can be a lengthy process, we value the feedback that comes from accreditation. Having an external source validate your program, provide recommendations, and commendations, helps us mold ourselves into the best school possible.

Evidence for visiting team

Spanish

America has become one of the largest Spanish-speaking populations in the world. This data makes Spanish a very important language for citizens of the 21st century. Our world is becoming smaller in terms of diversity and community.


We start our Spanish language program in LEPS (our pre-school) and carry instruction throughout a student’s time at St. Paul’s.


Acquiring a second language is a great tool for preparing our students for their future success, and will serve them well in social interactions, travel and even employment prospects.


Knowing any second language is helpful, but Spanish is the native tongue of almost 400 million people and is spoken in 20 countries. It's also learned and spoken at St. Paul's Academy.

March Madness SPA Style

I had a parent say the other day, “I love the way St. Paul’s connects learning to our child’s life.”

Making learning current and relevant to the world our students are navigating is extremely important. One great example I saw this week, connecting outside interests to academics, is our 5th grades' math unit on March Madness Basketball. The title Mrs. Stokes added appropriately reinforces this point: “Math in the real world - probability, fractions, percent, and decimals.”

Connecting academics to home life is also something we encourage. So while you are cheering on your favorite team, take an opportunity to talk math with your son or daughter.

Fun

A retired public school teacher taught my first elementary education class in college. Each day she would sternly remind us early educators, to never use the word ‘fun.’

“Fun is not a word you use when talking about your classroom. You can use educational, stimulating, or rigorous but never say fun,” she would often lecture.

During my first year of teaching I was very careful not to use this “f” word when speaking to parents. Until one day a parent said, “The best thing I like about your class is that my son learns a lot while having fun.”

It was then that it clicked- of course most parents want their children to see school as a fun place! Yes, academics should be our primary concern, but the ability of a school to inject joy into education is what keeps our students smiling each day.

We want our students to think of St. Paul’s as a fun place to attend school. Next week, we are having a Dr. Seuss themed reading week, to stress the importance of being a life long reader. There will be stories, an assembly, dress up days, door decorating and…you guessed it: fun!

Fun is not a word used to describe all schools, but it is a word I hope students use to describe our school.

All school field trip to the Trampoline Zone
 as part of our Lower  School Fitness Day

Social Studies

Social studies are an essential part of the curriculum we teach at St. Paul’s Academy. The term ‘social studies’ often causes people to think of history. The lessons of the past are included under this heading, but so is our world’s current state. Social Studies are also the study of politics, economics, geography, and culture.

Equipping our students with knowledge and a deep understanding of past events is a great way for students to excel as citizens in the future. Our students move systematically by grade, starting with egocentric observations and experiences, such as ‘my family and friends’ and ‘holidays and celebrations’ in Kindergarten. As students’ knowledge of their world develops so does our Social Studies curriculum. By 5th Grade, a student will cover broader topics such as the age of exploration, slavery and emancipation.

Giving students an increasing wider world view provides them with the tools for well informed and thoughtful participation in society. Being a good citizen is always an essential commitment at St. Paul’s.

2nd grade celebrates Chinese New Year

The King of England collects "taxes" from
the colonists in 4th grade

Teaching Compassion

One of the most striking differences between St. Paul’s and other schools I have worked at is philanthropy. Here, not a month goes by that we are not thinking of our fellow man (or animal). The Chapel Guild is the driving factor behind the majority of the charitable giving demonstrated here. They are a parent organization that creates and distributes “love thy neighbor projects” for every grade.


So far this year, students have given apple baskets to our neighbors, created Christmas cards and sang carols at a retirement home, made soup in a jar for the Salvation Army, collected jackets and socks for those without, sent Christmas shoe boxes full of gifts to children in impoverished nations, and later this week 8th Grade is making stone soup to feed those at Lighthouse Mission.


In addition to all of these great service projects, Lower School students also collected 939 food items to feed the hungry during our House League food drive!


This is just the start to SPA’s philanthropy this year. There will be many more opportunities to teach our students the importance of helping those who are less fortunate.

Seahawks and Patriots fans come together in
the name of charity for the House League food drive

Science

Curiosity is something we foster here at St. Paul’s. One of the ways we do this is by encouraging our students to look closer at our world through science. We not only have science class time at all our grade levels but we are also host to the Whatcom County Science Fair. If you have not yet picked up a science fair packet and application from our front office, you should. Doing a science fair project not only builds curiosity but also confidence, and helps students master the scientific process.


When I think back to all the projects I did as a child (lemon as a battery, ocean water to salt, flowers and food coloring) none were particularly difficult or elaborate but they were all projects based on questions I had about the world around me. Finding the answer to a mystery makes science rewarding. Science fair participants must research their question, learn and apply the scientific method, and think about the meaning of their results. Some students may get so excited about a project, they will want to bring it to the State Science Fair in Bremerton.


Whether students are competing at our fair, the state level, or just participating in classroom-based projects (see pictures below), science is a way for students to demonstrate curiosity, self-learning, critical thinking, and other important skills and traits.

SPA TALKS

Inspiration cannot come from one's self; it takes a community to inspire students to accomplish great things. One way we are encouraging students is by providing inspirational speakers for each of our Core Commitments.

Today, grades 3-12 heard a speaker who addressed the Core Commitment of “caring.” Our guest started a non-profit organization (Evangeline International) that provides wells and water protection to people in Ethiopia. Her inspirational story encouraged our students to look for ways to make the world a better place.

In November, we had our first SPA talk that focused on the Core Commitment of “engagement.” Brandon Nelson, a Guinness book record-holder, inspired students to push themselves, and work hard to reach their goals.

Throughout the year, we will be inviting more guests to foster student enthusiasm for achieving our Core Commitments. Parents are always welcome to attend.

What better way to model caring, reflecting, creating, and engaging than to have real life people share their real life lessons and experiences? Inspiring students is something we strive to do in whatever way possible.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! With the calendar turning to a new year we tend to reflect on the past and on the road ahead. Here at St. Paul’s we are also reflecting on our successes, areas of improvement, and providing new enhancements for the future.

Next school year, we will be modifying our middle school program to include 5th grade. Being at beautiful Markell Hall allows our 5th graders to have better space and access to more prospects. Instead of walking across the street to receive Music, PE, or use the science lab, it will be just a stroll down the hallway. Art and Spanish will also be provided for them. Additionally, it will allow us to create a true middle school program that focuses on academic excellence, teamwork, and problem solving.

So what does this mean for our Lower School? This means it will contain grades K-4, allowing us to provide better space for our students. With two classrooms free, we can create an art room, and a science lab. These two rooms will provide more flexibility, creativity, and space for our students.


I am very excited for a new calendar year, but even more excited for all of the great changes that will be good for St. Paul’s and great for our students in the new school year.