Terrific Teachers

One of my favorite quotes as an administrator is, “Every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design.” – Douglas Fisher

I like this quote because one of my main tasks at SPA is to make sure your child has a great teacher. Not just a teacher that challenges them to do their best academically but also one that cares deeply about them succeeding in all aspects of their life (social, emotional, spiritual).

You may not know, but unlike public schools (that have teacher tenure), our teachers are reevaluated every year and have informal and formal observations. We do this so that we can ensure your child is getting the best possible teacher they can have.

I want to know what is happening in the classroom. I feel confident in having the background knowledge to say (with proof) that we have fantastic teachers!

Two of our terrific teachers (Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Jorgensen) 

Thank you

Thank you for attending parent teacher conferences last week. Research shows that the more a family is involved in their child’s education, the better the child's academic performance and attitude about school.

You and your student’s teacher both want your child to learn and do well. When parents and teachers talk, both parties get to share information about your child’s talents and needs. We all need praise and constructive criticism to grow, this leads to a better understanding of each child and helps map the best path for their education.

Although conference time provides an opportunity for every parent to meet with their child’s teacher, I encourage you to email the teacher and set up additional meetings throughout the year. 

If you sense any changes in your child or feel “in the dark” about what is happening in the classroom, please contact the teacher right away. Things do come up over the year and changes are natural, but our goal at St. Paul’s is to keep you informed and provide a support system for your child if you ever need one.

Snow Days

For those who may not know, I grew up in Alaska. My mom reminds me when I talk about snow days here that my school was only closed three times.. once because we received three feet of snow in a night, once because the volcano across from where we live erupted, and once because part of the school burned down.

So it may be no surprise, that I am all for having our school be open as much as possible. However, I am also insistent on families doing what is safe and feels right to them. We have families from all over Whatcom and Skagit counties, and conditions are different depending on where you live.

It is at the discretion of parents to evaluate the conditions at your house and determine if it is safe to bring your child to school.

Please remember that although school is open there will be no penalty for an absence or tardy.

If you are not sure if we are open, please check your email and the school website for school cancellation due to inclement weather.

Another thing you learn when you grow up in Alaska is how fun snow is, and how much you can learn by playing in it! So, when it snows, please send your child to school with the proper snow gear (boots, hat, gloves, warm jacket, extra socks).

Happy Halloween!

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 out our creative side 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. I hope to see all of you (dressed up) tonight at the Fall Festival!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Books, books, everywhere

The book fair ended this week. I can’t say I am going to miss shooing kids to class (after it has started) because they are browsing at the book fair in the morning. But I can say I appreciate any event that brings more print into our school and homes.

Books are important, extremely important in your child’s academic development. I cannot stress enough how beneficial it is for children to be in a print rich environment. Not just at school but at home also. The more opportunities your child has to see, experience, hear, and absorb words, the more comfortable and confident readers they will become.

Sometimes a reluctant reader just needs to find a fit that sparks their love of books. One mom told me her son never liked to read very much until he found the Captain Underpants books. Now he is a vivacious reader. The mom was not a Captain Underpants fan but she soon became one because of her son's transformation.

The book fair had lots of titles with characters I was not familiar with (whatever happened to the Box Car Children books?). That is because it was not catered to me or parents but to our children’s interests. Letting your child “shop” and decide what is interesting to them, while bringing more books into your home and our school is what the book fair is all about. Inspiring and fostering reading in any way we can is part of what we do at St. Paul's Academy.

Thank you PALS for the new books from the Book Fair for our classroom

Where in the world are we?

Americans are notorious for their deficits in the area of geography. We are trying to change that reputation at St. Paul’s Academy. We want our students to know not only about their own state and country but also about the rest of the world. One way we give our kids an extra boost is by hosting Passport Club.

Passport Club is not really a “club” but an all-inclusive activity for our students to hone their geography skills. Students start with the continents, oceans, and deserts in 1st grade, and then the program adds 5-10 new countries per year so by the end of 4th grade students will know 195 of the world’s current independent nations.

Americans may not be famous for their geography skills but at St. Paul’s our kids are getting accolades for their attempts to change that!

CSG

We have an organization at our school that has just been rebranded. What use to be the Chapel Guild is now the Chapel Service Guild (or CSG if you prefer acronyms. PALS ladies I’m talking to you!)

What does the Chapel Service Guild do? They assist with Chapel events and put together a service project for each grade at our school. Today Kindergarten launched our service initiative by creating and then delivering apple baskets to our neighbors around the school. Neighbors, if you are reading this, thank you for throwing our balls back over the playground fence. We love being your neighbor and loved meeting so many of you today!

As students grow in ability so does the complexity of their CSG project. By 8th grade our students create a meal, and serve it at the Lighthouse Mission. St. Paul’s Academy values service to others. In this age of abundance it is an important skill to teach our children.

Parents, if you are interested in helping our school grow in service please consider joining the CSG. As Chaplain Matt once said, “Our students learn best when they’re doing things, when their whole body, mind, and spirit is engaged.“

Conflict?

There is no school anywhere in which students don’t have conflicts. Any place where children are gathered the same themes emerge: sharing is hard, agreeing on what game you are playing is sometimes difficult and figuring out who goes first in a game is next to impossible. But with conflict there is also opportunity.

Our students learn how to deal with conflict in a way that allows both parties the opportunity to discuss an issue and come out with a solution. This is not a skill learned overnight but one that we continue to teach, reinforce, and practice all year.

This week we had an assembly that taught our students the skills needed to handle any problem. Our teachers pretended to be students having conflicts and then showed the students ways to solve them. We often call this, “giving an I-message,” or finding a “win-win solution.”

Sometimes parents assume that because we encourage our students to first talk out problems at recess that this means a duty or teacher never intervenes. This is absolutely not the case. We teach kids that there is a difference between small problems (like who goes first in a game) and big problems that need a big person (aka a teacher or duty person) to solve it.

In the younger grades teachers or duty people are involved with every problem. Teachers either act as facilitators, guiding the students’ discussion about small problems in a calm and collected way, or they solve the conflict because it is more than the typical recess dispute and needs a larger intervention.

Once students reach 3rd grade an amazing transformation starts to unfold. Anyone who has observed our 3rd/4th grade recess can testify that yes, students still experience conflict but the difference is that they no longer need a teacher to solve the “small” problems. You see students having a discussion, voicing their opinions, and agreeing on a solution. It may take a while to teach students the skills needed to address conflicts, but in the end what was once a conflict is now an opportunity to learn and grow.

Welcome Back!

The start of the year is my favorite time. Over the summer, when I am here getting our school ready, it feels so empty, cold, and lifeless. It makes me realize that our building is just a shell. What really makes a school special is the warmth of the people inside of it.

When the students return, the joy, excitement, and sense of wonder return also. We have a special community at St. Paul’s Academy. No matter where we are housed, what makes us special is our students, teachers, staff and parent community.

Welcome back everyone! I am so happy to see your smiling faces and feel the magic of education again. It is going to be a fantastic year!

Summer Reading

While it may be most students’ tendency to throw their backpack at the door and not visit it again until August, I am urging each student to continue one important aspect of school - reading. Summer reading should not be a chore but a luxury.

While I would love to curl up with a good book on a hammock all summer, it may take a bit more coaxing for some of our students. Here are some tips for getting your child to read over the summer:

1. Fill your house (or car) with lots of different books of all genres. The more books means the more chances your child may discover something they can’t put down.

2. Use your library. Make it a fun adventure; maybe take a bike ride to check out a book.

3. Show what good readers do. Tell your child that it is time to read and do it yourself. Model how enjoyable reading can be.

4. Ask questions about reading. Maybe even read the same book as your child and start your own family book club.

5. Reading can take lots of forms. Magazines, online stories (e.g. Starfall), and audiobooks (perfect for long road trips) all help your child love literature.

Happy Reading!

A second grade student starts his summer reading before school is even out! 

Head of the Lower School for a Day

Today I have a special person taking over my blog for me. Ms. Palmby won the chance to be Head of the Lower School for the day. Here is her blog:

I had so much fun being principal for a day and I liked seeing my friends. I was very nervous but it was so much fun. I had lunch with the teachers in the teachers lounge. We went to the Upper School and saw the bell and went on the roof. I gave out extra recesses for everyone it was so fun for everyone. I could just give them to some grades but I didn’t want to be mean so I gave them to every grade. We went to chapel and told Chaplin Matt that he did a great job. I read to the Kindergarteners Dr. Seuss, “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” I had so much fun but being a principal is hard work!

A Real Author Visits

On May 15th Author/Illustrator Ben Mann came to give a presentation about what it takes to be an author. He is a very well known Allied Arts Teaching Artist and is one of Bellingham’s favorite local artists, but word is just starting to spread that he has expanded his colorful repertoire by adding Author to his resume.


He presented to Kindergarten- 2nd grade at 10 a.m. and 3rd and 4th Grade at 10:30 a.m. The students loved the chance to hear Ben read his story of the fox who encounters a whole host of new friends as he goes on an adventure, which proved to be a rhyming romp through unlikely friendships. Getting to see a real author and learn about the writing process is a real treat for our budding authors! 

Enrollment is open!

When thinking about next year, I sat down and really wanted to reflect on what makes our school unique and why I would love for you to register your child with us again. I decided the best way I could organize my thoughts was in list format. Here are the top 10 reasons why St. Paul’s is special (in no particular order).

10. Dress Code- One comment made to me by a grandparent on Grandparent’s Day was that all of our students are dressed like, “ladies and gentlemen.” Having a dress code is proven to increase student achievement by encouraging them to concentrate more on academics and less on their wardrobe.

9. Parental involvement- The three-way partnership between parents, students, and teachers is essential to student success. Our parents are more actively involved in their children's lives than any school I have been at. Thank you for being available and responsive when I have a concern or compliment about your child.

8. Community- As the Lower School fills with surfboard pictures in anticipation of Family Fun Night, I am reminded of the great community we have at St. Paul’s Academy. I love knowing every student’s name and who their parents are. I am so grateful to be in such a close knit community.

7. Shared Values and Culture- You have brought your child to our school because you value a good education. You want your child to be under the umbrella of our school's Core Commitments of Care, Engage, Reflect, and Create. This is a shared group of values in our community.

6. Religious teaching- We care about the whole child including their spiritual upbringing. Chaplain Matt teaches ecumenical Christian values, reinforced by our Core Commitments. Your child learns about a wide variety of faiths and we embrace and celebrate the rich religious diversity represented in the student body.

5. Overcrowding vs. our small class size- Public schools tend to be huge and crowded. Classes can include 20-30 students. Our smaller class sizes (maximum 15 students) create a favorable student-to-teacher ratio.

4. Testing- Today, “core curriculum standards” can result in many schools teaching to the test. Public schools receive funds based on how their students perform, so often, children are no longer taught to think, but rather to memorize. We administer the state test at the Lower School in 4th grade only, and we do this just as a comparison marker without the pressure.

3. Comprehensive Program- Our program not only includes excellent academics it also offers a K-12 Spanish program, Art program, Physical Education, Music, and Library. Our students have a myriad of academic options to pursue interests in a variety of disciplines, including the arts, athletics, language, science, music, math, and more.

2. Academics- Students excel at St. Paul’s Academy where they participate in our premier college preparatory program and significantly outperform Bellingham and Washington public school students on standardized tests (including Advance Placement tests). Our devoted teachers average more than 11 years of classroom teaching experience, and each K-12 teacher has a Bachelor’s degree and most faculty members have advanced degrees. Our goal is to give your child the best education we can possibly give.

1. We love your child- The teachers here truly love your child. I wish parents could see the amount of love and understanding that each of our classroom teachers and specialists give each day. Every staff member from the front office to the sibling care teacher knows each child’s needs and strengths. We love your child and hope that they will once again bless us with their presence next year.

Student Led Conferences

Have you ever asked your child what they learned at school today and you get a vague answer?

Yes? That mumbled response happens to all parents at some point. That is why the Lower School is holding “student-led conferences” this week.

Who better to tell you about their academic progress than your own child? Or I should perhaps say, who better to SHOW you?

A lot of preparation and reflection happens before your child’s conference takes place. The teacher acts as a coach prior to the conference and a facilitator during, to help your child recognize their strengths and areas for growth.

Goal setting is a topic I speak of often and that we encourage frequently. A student-led conference helps learners set their own goals and fosters drive to achieve them. Typical parent-teacher conferences also help set student goals, however, these are created by the parent and teacher with little input from the one person who has to achieve them.

The core benefit of student-led conferences is that your children leave the conference feeling as though parents and teachers really care about them and their success. They get to see their support system in action. Research shows that the more a family is involved in their child’s education, the better the child's academic performance and attitude about school.

Student-led conferences open up the dialog between home and school, and hopefully will also encourage your son or daughter to speak more to you about their academic experience.

Where in the world is Mrs. Bucsko?

I will be gone next week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Anna Johnson will be here filling in for me. This is not for a personal reason but rather a professional one.

I will be serving on a team that will be evaluating a private K-5 school in Seattle. They are part of our association of independent schools (NWAIS). Some of you may remember a few years ago when an accreditation team came and evaluated us. It is now my turn to repay the favor and go and do the same for another school.

My goal for this visit is to not only help a fellow private school but to also absorb lots of new ideas and ways of connecting with students, staff, and parents and bring those ideas back to St. Paul’s Academy.

"It is good to rub, and polish our brain against that of others."

-Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
(1533-1592, French Renaissance philosopher and writer)

Lunch Time Concert Series

This week we celebrated the many talents our students have with the “Lunch Time Concert Series.” Students got to eat lunch in the gym while being entertained by their peers. We had many friends playing instruments, singing, reading poetry, dancing, rapping, and even some martial arts.

The point of this event was not only to showcase abilities, but to practice public speaking and encourage our students to be brave in front of an audience.

There is so much talent at this school that we may need to add extra days next year!

Art Appreciation

You know the feeling of awe and appreciation you have when you look at a really beautiful piece of art? Well, I have been feeling this way while walking around our school lately.

There is so much art displayed that I feel we should all thank Ms. King for not only teaching our students to be artists but also how to appreciate art and recognize the impact it has in human history.

This year our art classes have had an Asian focus. All projects have centered around this theme and by participating, students have learned about the culture, traditions, food, and of course art, of Asia.

A little birdy told me that next year our students and school may be learning about South America. I can’t wait to experience the awe and appreciation for a whole new continent's works of art!

Resolutions

All around our school are projects posted on walls where our students reflect on their resolutions for 2017. This is not a new concept for our students because we start our school year off in this same tradition. Each fall our students and parents come in and share their hopes and dreams for the school year (remember that?)

It is normal (and easier) for kids to just think about their daily tasks but having something to work toward and exerting energy to get there is important in their development. This is not only a skill we practice at school but also something you may want to try at home. Having your child save money for an item they really want to have teaches them much more than just buying that item for them. Accomplishing set goals gives kids a rewarding feeling. Below are the steps for achieving goals with kids (from http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/24471/how-to-set-goals)

A simple four step plan for achieving goals with kids.

So what are the steps to actually making your child’s dream a reality? How do we help them to turn a goal into a realistic, achievable task? Here’s a simple plan that will break up the goals into manageable steps. Once the goal is broken down into easy to accomplish stages, even the biggest dream will feel within reach.

1. Choose the goals. Write down your child’s goals. They could even make a poster and hang it on the fridge or the bedroom wall.

2. Set a time frame. Decide a date by which your child would like to accomplish their goal. You may need to guide them here to help them keep it realistic.

3. Break the goal down into stages. What concrete steps need to be taken to reach the goal? Write down everything that needs to be done. For example, if the goal is to learn to swim, the steps might be to find a swim school, buy a bathing suit and goggles, determine what days your child can attend swim classes, etc.

4. Plan. Write down exactly when your child will perform each of the steps that were determined in step 3. For the example of learning to swim, Week 1 – research swim schools in your local area. Week 2 – book classes and buy a bathing suit. Week 3 – begin classes.

5. Celebrate. When your child achieves their goal – celebrate their achievement!