Portland St. Patrick Catholic School

Preparing for Next Year

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:40:00 +0000

As we enter the second semester and begin to think about next year, one of the things at the top of our list is preparation for our preschool, DK, and kindergarten students. On Tuesday, February 28, we will host an Open House for these early education programs, which will include pre-school classes for three and four year olds, a DK/young fives program and kindergarten. The Open House will take place in the Parish Hall and will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Here are some of the questions that have been asked, along with my answers:

Will there be any changes to the preschool programs?

Our three-year program will not experience any changes. It will remain on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will run two and half hours in length. The morning classes will run from 8:30 – 11:00 and the afternoon session will run from 1:00 – 3:30.

The four year old program will continue to run on Mondays and Wednesdays with a Friday option. We are adding a half hour to our four-year old program. This half hour will provide more time to focus on academics for the students. The morning classes will run from 8:30 – 11:30 and the afternoon session will run from 12:30 – 3:30.

Will there be any changes to the developmental kindergarten/young 5’s program?

Developmental kindergarten (or young 5’s as it often referred) will remain a half day program which takes place five days a week. The morning classes will run from 8:30 – 11:30 and the afternoon session will run from 12:30 – 3:30.

The major change in this program will be the cutoff date for age. In the past we have let any student who turns five before the end of the school year enter our program. Next year we will use February 1 as a general cutoff for DK. However, if a student has a birthday after February 1 but screens ready for DK they will be allowed to enter the program. If the screening shows a child is not ready to enter DK they will be referred to our four year old preschool program.

Will there be any changes to the kindergarten program?

Kindergarten will remain all day, five days a week. To enter our Kindergarten program, students must be five years of age by December 1 of the school year of enrollment. This also is not a strict deadline. If a child turns five after the December 1 cutoff but their screening shows they are ready for kindergarten and the parent agrees they are ready, we will enroll that child into our kindergarten program.

Can I as the parent choose to have my child placed in kindergarten or DK or do I have to what the screener advises?

A child will be placed based on the screening unless the parent prefers to hold them back. For example, if a child screens for kindergarten, a parent may request to have the child placed in DK. A parent cannot have a child placed in a level where the screening shows they are not ready. For example, we will not advance students to kindergarten who screen for DK. We do not want to place students in a situation where they will be unable to be successful.

If you have any further questions in regards to St. Patrick’s preschool, DK or kindergarten programs, please contact me at (517) 647-7551 or by email at randyhodge@portlandstpats.com. I hope to see you at the open house on Tuesday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m. Our kindergarten screening is scheduled for Thursday, April 19.

First Semester Comes to an End

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

The first half of this school year has come to a conclusion at St. Patrick School. It’s been challenging for our students and staff but it also has been fun and exciting. I would like to share some of the exciting events or changes which took place throughout the first half of the year.

• We fielded both a girl’s and a boy’s cross country team for the first time in many years. This may possibly be the first time we’ve had both teams in the same year.

• Students started to use our new instructional computer lab which is equipped with thin client computers.

• We held our annual Pay-it-Forward community service day in the fall.

• Our freshmen received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Andrews Cathedral at the Diocese in Grand Rapids.

• We began a Campus Ministry team to advance our major objective at St. Patrick School, which is helping our students grow in their faith. This new team allows our high school students the opportunity to take leadership in growing the faith of our student body.

• We held our first semester exams before Christmas break. This was done on a trial basis but after getting student, staff, and parent feedback we plan on continuing this practice into the future.

• We purchased seven new Smartboards with donations from parents, the PTO and Kidsfest committees. They’ve been installed in classrooms, projectors have been mounted from the ceilings and new wireless programs connect the teachers' laptops to the projectors.

• We made the decision to change our high school football team to an eight-man team next school year. We will begin playing football in a new league in the fall of 2012.

• We are watching our boys basketball team get off to its best start in many years, with a current record of 7 – 2.

• The teaching staff completed an eight-week bible study called the Great Adventure Bible Time Line, which helps them continue to grow in faith.

• And finally, we are excited to announce that our enrollment continues to grow! Our high school enrollment has grown to 104 students (8% increase) and our overall enrollment is 359 students (9% increase).

I appreciate that our students are such good stewards of their time, talent and treasure. Together with their families, the students from St. Pat’s have donated thousands of dollars in money and goods and thousands of hours of community service to a variety of causes and charities this year. They truly understand how important it is to be generous!

The first half of the year is behind us. I have heard so many positive comments, and I appreciate the prayers and words of support. I thank everyone who has assisted in helping our students and staff throughout the first half of the year. I look forward to working with the students and their families and our staff the rest of the school year.

Catholic Schools Week Coming Soon!

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:25:00 +0000

The week of January 29th through February 4th is designated as Catholic Schools Week. This is the time of year we celebrate our own Catholic School here in Portland and Catholic Schools throughout the United States. This year’s Catholic Schools Week theme is “Faith. Academics. Service.” The theme was chosen because it draws attention to the three main areas of focus for Catholic Schools.

There are many activities planned throughout this week that bring us together to celebrate St. Patrick Catholic School. Here is a calendar of events for activities taking place during Catholic Schools Week:

Saturday, January 28, 2012:

 High School Winterfest dance at the Wagon Wheel.

Sunday, January 29, 2012:

 PTO movie in the school gymnasium from 2:00 – 5:00.

 PTO sponsored parent meet and mingle in the Parish Hall from 2:00 – 5:00.

Monday, January 30, 2012:

 Preschool – 12th grade breakfast sponsored by the St. Patrick School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO).

 Middle and high school students have “Pajama Day.”

Tuesday, January 31, 2012:

 Delegation of SPS students to attend Mass at St. Andrews Cathedral.

 Elementary students will pray the Rosary in the hall.

 Middle and high school students will participate in an “All Day Rosary.”

 Middle and high school students have “Class Color Day.”

Wednesday, February 1, 2012:

 Please join the K – 12th grades as we celebrate the Eucharist at 9:30 a.m. Mass.

 Big Rocks/Little Rocks will participate in an activity after Mass.

 All students wear “Sunday Best” for school Mass.

Thursday, February 2, 2012:

 “Thank you cards” delivered by St. Patrick School students to area businesses.

 Popsicles for all students at lunch.

 Middle and high school students have “White Out Day.”

Friday, February 3, 2012:

 Order out pizza for lunch for all students.

 Elementary students will watch movies.

 Middle and high school students go bowling at Meadow Bowl Lanes.

 Middle and high school students have a pep assembly and compete in Winter Fest activities.

 Middle school dance in the evening.

 All students wear jeans and school spirit wear.

Sunday, February 5, 2012:

 Come celebrate with us as we end Catholic School’s Week at the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

 Relax and leave the cooking and cleaning to us. A superior All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast will be served in the school cafeteria 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. sponsored by the St. Patrick School Commission. Breakfast tickets may be purchased from a SPS student, the school office, or the parish office.

 St. Patrick School Open House 10:45 a.m.– 12:00 p.m.

We hope you will come and join us in our Catholic School Week celebration. More importantly, I hope students, alumni, parents, and the community at large will experience the dividends of being part of our Catholic school. Faith, academics, and service are alive and well at St. Patrick School. For more information about Catholic Schools Week and St. Patrick School visit our school web site www.portlandstpats.com.

School Board Appreciation Month

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:40:00 +0000

January has been designated as School Board Appreciation Month. Although St. Patrick School does not officially have a School Board, our School Commission serves as a consultative body for the pastor and the principal on matters concerning St. Patrick School. The School Commission is a diverse group of individuals who meet each month to discuss issues that are important to St. Patrick School students.

This year and next will be a time of transition for the St. Patrick School Commission due to the recommendation by the Diocese of Grand Rapids for the establishment of a School Board of Directors. The Board will work closely with the administration and will have Limited Jurisdiction to assist in the governance of the school. The Board of Directors shall have as its primary concern the ministry of Catholic education via strategic planning, formulation of policies relating to academic, student, and faith community affairs, and evaluation of policies and operations. The School Commission looks forward to these new responsibilities and to assisting in the development of the new model.

With the change to a new model the School Commission will become a School Board. The School Board will see an increase in size from the current seven members to an 11 - 13 member board. A lot of the work will be completed by board members in the following subcommittees:

• Executive Committee

• Mission Effectiveness Committee

• Committee on Board Members

• Planning and Policy Committee

• Building and Grounds Committee

• Finance Committee

• Development Committee (Committee on institutional advancement)

• Marketing and Communication Committee

• Technology Committee

The subcommittees will be chaired by one of the School Board members. The subcommittees will consist of board members and they will seek other individuals to serve on the subcommittees. These individuals can be parents of students, parishioners, members of the community, and members of neighboring communities. The goal is to find individuals to serve on the subcommittees who bring a high level of expertise and knowledge in that area.

The current members of the Commission are: Mrs. Jennifer Meredith (2nd Year) serves as the chair of the Commission, Nikole Brown (2nd Year) serves as the vice chair, Mr. Ken Cook (4th year), Ms. Diane Bissell (6th year), and Jennifer Davlin and Jill Scheurer are new to the St. Patrick School Commission. Mrs. Nancy Wohlscheid is the recording secretary for the commission.

The St. Patrick School Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month in room #111 and encourages attendance. Meetings begin with Mass at 6:00 p.m. and reconvenes after Mass at 6:45 p.m. More information about the Commission, including meeting minutes, can be found under the Administration icon on our school website www.portlandstpats.com.

I’d like to thank our fine Commission members for their time, talent, and dedication. Their knowledge, enthusiasm, and leadership are a vital part of our school’s success. If anyone has questions, concerns, suggestions or is interested in becoming a member of our School Board or serving on a subcommittee next school year, feel free to contact Chairperson Jennifer Meredith at jen.meredith18@gmail.com.

Welcome Back From Christmas Break

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Welcome back! I hope everyone had the opportunity to get a little rest and relaxation over Christmas break. It was a nice break and hopefully everyone is prepared to get down to business as we prepare to finish the first half of the school year.

We are excited to welcome new students Bryce (2nd grade) and Adriana (K) Wendling to St. Patrick School. We also welcome their parents Matt and Corinne Wendling to our St. Patrick School family.

St. Patrick welcomes Mrs. Joanne Davids. She is a student teacher from Spring Arbor University and will work with Mrs. Diane Simon’s third grade class throughout the next 10 weeks.

I would like to commend the junior class for the excellent job they did leading at Mass this week. The high school exam schedule seemed to go well before Christmas break. I have only heard positive feedback thus far. Feel free to let me know your thoughts on exams before Christmas break. The one question I was asked is what will students do after break? The answer is teachers will resume teaching the curriculum with the option of including the material from the last three weeks of the semester on the final exam in June or they can use another form of assessment for this period of time.

The week of January 9 – 14 has been declared as Vocations Awareness Week. Fr. Ron Hutchinson, Director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese of Grand Rapids will concelebrate school Mass on Wednesday and discuss vocations with our students. Feel free to join us at the 9:30 Mass to pray for and support vocations. Fr. Ron will stay for lunch so students have the opportunity to speak with him one to one or in a small group. I’m still pushing the idea that a high school our size should be graduating one future priest every four years at a minimum. We have some great future priest and religious sisters attending our high school right now.

Since next week is Vocations Awareness Week, the jean day money collected next Friday will be sent to Michael Steffes. Michael is a graduate of St. Patrick High School and is currently in seminary studying to be a priest. Please continue to pray for Michael.

Congratulations to David Simon (First Team Offense WR), Tyler Pung (Second Team Offense WR), Paul Pung (Second Team Offense OL), Jesse Smith (Second Team Offense OL), and Collin Lay (Second Team Defense DB) for being named to the 2011 All-Ionia County Football team.

Congratulations to Stephanie Miros (First Team Libero) and Jalyn Moyer (Honorable Mention Middle Hitter) for being named to the 2011 All-Ionia County Volleyball Team.

High School Students Participate in Retreat Day

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

On Wednesday,November 30, St. Patrick high school students had the opportunity to participate in our annual retreat day. Although our Catholic faith is infused into our everyday curriculum, it’s important we allow students to further our spiritual mission and experience God’s work outside of the classroom.

Each class had a different retreat scheduled. This year, the freshmen class traveled to Aquinas College and spent the day with a group of dedicated Aquinas college students called the AQ Light Team. The theme of their retreat was “Replace the Rock.”

The sophomore retreat was hosted by the National Evangelization Team (NET) and took place on campus here at St. Patrick School. NET Ministries is an international youth ministry organization whose mission is to challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church. The theme for the sophomore retreat was“Reality Check.”

The junior retreat was held on campus and led by our parish youth minister Mr. David McHugh He wasassisted by high school staff members. The theme for the junior retreat was “Vocations as a way of life.”

The seniors traveled to the Fr. Solanus Casey Center in Detroit for their retreat. The theme of their retreat was “A life of humility and service.” They toured the center and found out about the life of Fr. Solanus Casey. They also had the opportunity to work in a food kitchen or in the warehouse which collects and distributes food and clothing to those in need. At lunch time, our seniors sat and ate at the food kitchen along with the homeless. I think the retreat was a very eye opening and humbling experience for our senior class.

I believe the majority of our students enjoyed and learned from their retreat day experiences. It provided our high school students the opportunity to grow as individuals and to grow spiritually as well as take away lifelong lessons that may forever impact them. We will continue to encourage our students to participate in events and activities over and above our theology curriculum so they can become the best they can be.

Getting Ready for December

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:55:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Break is over and the Season of Advent is officially underway. We are entering a busy period of time that will end with a flourish before Christmas break. Much preparation and planning has taken place to assure our students are well prepared for the coming of Christ on Christmas Day. Here are some of the upcoming events at St. Patrick School:

On November 30, our high school students participated in their annual retreats.

Each Monday during Advent, students will assemble in the gym to participate in the Advent Wreath lighting ceremony led by our high school Campus Ministry Team.

On December 14, we will celebrate our final school Mass of 2011. After Mass, Big Rocks will assist their Little Rocks to write “Letters to Santa,” as part of a program sponsored by Macy’s. The company donates$1.00 to the Make A Wish Foundation for each letter to Santa.

Our annual preschool through 5th grade Christmas music program will be held on Monday, December 19 at the Portland High School auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

And, inaddition to all of the Christmas activity, we have a flurry of athletic and academic activities, as well:

The winter sports season kicked off this week with our JV and varsity girls basketball teams hosting Morrice at home on November 29. The boys JV and varsity boys basketball season begins when they travel to Morrice on December 6. The bowling team starts their season at home (Meadowbowl Lanes) against P-W on December 5.

This year St. Patrick School isexperimenting by having first semester exams take place before Christmas break. Exams will be held on December15, 16, 19 and 20.

I appreciate the efforts of our students and staff and all they have done to help us prepare for a busy Advent Season. I also appreciate the support of our parents and grandparents during Advent. We look forward to this busy time of year and welcome the challenges ahead as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas Day.

Rockbots Team Competes Well

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:45:00 +0000

One of the extra-curricular activities that we offer to our elementary/middle school students is the Rockbots team. Rockbots is our school robotics team that allows students the opportunity to participate in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) which is an international program for students age 9-14. Students build and program their robots and also build the course to complete the missions that have been assigned by theFLL. Teams consist of up to ten members(St. Patrick had two teams this year) and focus on team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking. The competition combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program and a research presentation in a sports-like atmosphere.

The St. Patrick SchoolRockbots team participated in the FLL annual competition on the weekend of November 12. This year’s theme was food safety, and our teams focused their research efforts on salmonella and listeria. According to Coach Chris Pung, “The teams focused on finding solutions to prevent the spread of these diseases.” One simple but effective solution was to create a refrigerator magnet that shows the proper method of storing foods in the refrigerator to prevent the spread of listeria from meats to other foods. A second idea which would need to be developed was to create human safe food dye that can be injected or sprayed on foods to indicate the presence of harmful bacteria.

The two Shamrock Rockbots teams traveled to East Lansing to compete against 22 other schools. They were graded on their presentation, how well the robots fared in completing their missions, teamwork, and a technical grade for their robot and the team’s knowledge of the robot. The missions are constructed from a set of Lego parts utilizing on-line technical manuals. Each mission is set up on a four foot by eight foot mat and will need to be completed by the team’s robot.

Even though the teams did not qualify to compete at the state level, they performed well placing 12th and 14th in the robot competition, scoring 99 and 97 points respectively. Both teams were awarded second place trophies in overall project and quality of research. Coach Pung said, “The teams performed well and were very competitive, especially when considering that the majority of the teams in the competition had 7th and 8th grade students while our teams consisted of students from the 4th and 5th grade.”

I commend Chris and Janet Pung, Kathy Pung, and Don Gunderman for the outstanding job they did in running the Rockbots Program this school year. The students were well prepared for the competition on Saturday and represented our school very well. Members of team 1 are David Kreiner, Chloe Lay, Jake Pung, Joe Timmer and Grace Timmer. Members of Team 2 are Zak Arwood, Tyler Coyne, Jeff Davlin, Karley Goodman, Annie Gunderman, Jenna Pung, Bret Weller and David Yang.

Importance of Standardized Testing

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:40:00 +0000

I frequently have individuals ask me about standardized testing at St. Patrick School. I usually get asked about our test results as well as about the types of testing St. Patrick School students take each year. Here are the answers to those questions:

What are the 2011 results of your high school Michigan Merit Exam (MME) and American College Test (ACT)?

Michigan Merit Exam (MME):

Math Reading Science Soc. Stud, Writing

St. Patrick High School 80 72 88 96 72

State Totals 52 63 61 78 47

American College Test (ACT):

Composite English Math Reading Science

St. Patrick High School: 22.1 21.7 21.9 21.7 22.4

State Totals: 19.3 18.3 19.5 19.2 19.8

Do your students always do this well on their standardized tests?

We closely monitor our test results with the goal that we are continuously improving each year and to ensure our test scores remain high. As you can see in the charts below our test scores have seen minor fluctuations over the last four years, but have been consistently high.

Michigan Merit Exam (MME)

Class Year: Math Reading Science Soc. Stud. Writing

Class of 2009: 71.4 81 81 90.5 61.9

Class of 2010: 94.4 83.3 94.4 94.4 66.6

Class of 2011: 65 85 95 95 75

Class of 2012: 80 72 88 96 72

Class of 2012 State Avg. 52 63 61 78 47

American College Test

(ACT)

Composite English Math Reading Science

Class of 2009: 21.4 20.7 22.2 21 21.3

Class of 2010: 22.3 20.2 22.7 23.9 22.4

Class of 2011: 22.1 22.1 20.4 22.4 22.9

Class of 2012: 22.1 21.7 21.9 21.7 22.4

Class of 2012 State Avg. 19.3 18.3 19.5 19.2 19.8

What other tests do your students take at St. Patrick School?

In May, seniors in advanced placement courses will take AP Exams. Juniors take the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) test in October each year as well as the MME and the ACT in the spring. Freshmen take the PLAN test in November. Students in grades 2 – 10 take the Measure of Academic Progress (MAPS) test in the fall, winter, and spring each year.

Why don’t St. Patrick School students take the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Test?

The Office of Catholic Schools (OCS) has the schools in the Diocese take the MAPS test in lieu of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) Test. MAPS test provides more feedback and allows for us to immediately identify any areas in need of improvement in our curriculum. Also, this is a nationally norm referenced test which means our students are compared to students who take this test across the United States.

Are there any upcoming changes in your testing program?

This year we are using the Northwest Evaluation Association MAPS tests that provide on-line testing for students in grades 2-10. Our students will take these test three times a year. Our teachers and students will receive immediate feedback so we have data which allows for immediate action. We are also planning to have 7th grade students take the ACT Explore test each spring which will give us valuable feedback for students as they prepare for high school.

Many educators often lament the use of standardized testing. I believe standardized testing is one way educators are held accountable to their community to make sure they are providing a quality education. The test scores from the MAPS, ACT, MME and other tests are our report card. If we’re providing our students with a rigorous curriculum and are properly teaching from that curriculum, our report card will reflect it and our students will do well on these tests.

I have been extremely pleased with our annual “report cards.” We will continue to monitor our data as we strive for continuous improvement. We must continue to set high expectations for our students as we know that approximately 95% of our students move on to higher education after graduation.

It's Been a Busy, Busy Fall!

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:40:00 +0000

I have to confess that I am a little tired as I write this because of all the activities that have been taking place around our school recently. We have celebrated homecoming, our annual Fall Festival, and the end of the fall sports season (with the exception of varsity volleyball). Looking ahead, there is no immediate let up in the schedule with many upcoming activities scheduled over the next few weeks. Here are some of the activities taking place recently during the month of October.

• Spirit Week: Spirit Week was the first week of October. Each day had a different theme and a different way for the students to show their school spirit. On Friday afternoon the middle and high school hosted a pep assembly, followed by our annual Powder Puff Football Game. The only major controversy surrounding Spirit week was the mysterious appearance of a foreign exchange student named “Helga”, who was on the senior Powder Puff team.

• Homecoming: St. Patrick School hosted our annual Homecoming football game on Friday, October 7 with a 40-13 victory over Potterville. King Paul Pung and Queen Holly Wieber were crowned at half time. Following the game, students and parents headed to Father Flohe Field for our annual homecoming bonfire, which was large but quick burning. On Saturday night, the Student Council hosted a dance at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. Students were dressed to the nines for a lovely evening of dancing and fun.

• Fall Festival: On Sunday, October 9, the Athletic Association hosted our 51st Annual Fall Festival. This is one of the major fundraisers sponsored by the Athletic Association to raise funds for our Shamrock sports program.

• Fire Prevention Week: The Portland Fire Department visited and talked with our elementary students about fire safety and prevention on Tuesday, October 11.

• Parent/Teacher Conferences: We held our annual Fall parent/teacher conferences on Tuesday, October 18 and were pleased that nearly all of the parents of our students attended.

• Fall Sports Wrap Up: All of our fall sports have wrapped up with the exception of varsity volleyball which still has tournaments left. Our annual fall sports banquet is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9.

• Staff Development Day: Our staff participated in a Staff Development day at St. Patrick School on Friday, October 21. They worked on completing a bible study and learned more about the technology available to teachers and students including: Smartboards, Wikis, Web 2.0, and Skype.

• Quiz Bowl: We hosted the CMAC quiz bowl competition on Wednesday, October 26.

• Pay It Forward Day: Our students participated in the school’s annual community service day known as Pay it Forward Day on Friday, October 28.

• Confirmation: Our freshmen will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, October 30.

It definitely has been a very busy, yet fun and exciting time of the year at St. Patrick School, with not much rest available for the weary. The winter sports season will begin kicking off soon and then it is a dash towards Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks.