Resurrection-St. Paul School
News and Notes-July Edition
Summer Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday
2020-2021 Theme
Be a Light for All to See, Matthew 5:16
Rosanna Rensberger
Tracy Underwood
Dear Families,
The theme for the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools this year is "Be a Light for All to See" inspired by Matthew 5:16.
July 1st is the official beginning of the academic year as well as the first official day for new educational leaders across the Archdiocese of Baltimore. We welcome all the new principals, assistant principals, teachers, and instructional aides that are joining the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic School System. We are very excited to work alongside our new associate superintendent, Mrs. Denise Ball, of whom many parents were able to meet at our virtual parent meeting in May. We also wish all those educational leaders who have embarked on their new journey, retirement, a heartfelt thank you for the years of service to Catholic education. We wish our own Mrs. Barbi Frederick and Mr. Bob Buchta health, laughter, serenity, and many beautiful days at the beach during their respective retirements. Together, they have over 60+ years in serving in Catholic education!!!
The 2020-2021 theme seems so fitting for our school as we begin the new year amidst a global pandemic, a time of uncertainty. It is in these times we are called to be a light for all to see, be a beacon of hope, an agent of change, a servant leader for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Governor Hogan's March 12th announcement to close school buildings created a paradigm shift for educators across Maryland. At this time Zoom was known in the business world and higher education, but very new for elementary and middle schools. What a learning curve for all of us!
In one of our morning messages this spring, Mrs. Shontz told us that the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity is attitude. We have had our fair share of obstacles this spring, but we are grateful for the Resurrection-St. Paul community for turning those obstacles into opportunities for growth, community building, faith formation, and lessons in resilience.
Resurrection-St. Paul School did not skip a beat in offering instruction. We pivoted quickly and delivered over 55 days of distance learning, hours of tutoring and learning resource team support for students with accommodations and those with socio-emotional and academic challenges related to the COVID-19 school building closures, as well as professional development opportunities for blended learning for teachers. RSPS was able to collaborate with the AOB and ensure compliance with federal child internet safety laws to create policies and documents to allow our school Chromebooks to be deployed to all families who requested them. We sent out surveys to find out what was working, what needed to be changed, and who needed extra support. Many lessons were learned, we are reflective and are using the data to improve our programming, in the classroom and in our family outreach efforts.
On June 16th, the faculty and staff were able to gather in the Church of the Resurrection with the Resurrection-St. Paul School Class of 2020 and their families to celebrate an in-person Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation. We were so proud to be able to send off this talented class with the pomp and circumstance they deserved, while maintaining social distancing. Even though we were all masked, we could see the smiling eyes throughout the church. The Class of 2020 earned over $280, 000 in high school scholarships! We applaud these students and commission them to go make a difference in their continued education and community. We are honored to call them Resurrection-St. Paul School alumni!
Thank you to all of whom contributed to our 1st Annual Day of Giving and to those who donated their Gratitude Grant to families in need! Our goal this year was to raise community support and funds to keep our current Panthers in our "pride" by establishing an emergency tuition fund for families financially impacted by COVID-19. It will also go to new families who wish to join our "pride" and need financial assistance due to COVID-19. We are a village and we are grateful to all our sponsors who invested in a Catholic education for all who seek one. If you would like to participate in this giving opportunity, it's not too late. Click here to donate: https://www.resstpaul.org/giving/make-a-gift-today
We are welcoming many families to RSPS who heard about our continued instructional program during COVID-19, were impressed and wanted to be a part of the Panther family. We are so grateful to our teachers, specialists, and instructional aides for all their dedication, focus, and professionalism during a unique and challenging time!
We have many areas to celebrate! Let’s share the good news. We want to remind you of an amazing opportunity for our families, a way to earn $500 in tuition credit. Please see the ad for more details about the RSPS Referral Program. Many families are already benefiting from this offer.
We should never rest on our laurels and we also have opportunities for growth and improvement. It is our goal to continue to use data-driven, evidenced-based best practices and collaborate with our stakeholders to boost enrollment, fortify our educational programs especially for our students with learning differences and our gifted and talented students, grow our STEM program, complete our Destination Innovation Lab installation (storage furniture), maintain our culture of shared leadership and high achievement, and keep our Catholic identity strong.
These last few weeks have been filled with meetings with various teachers, staff, parents, committees and school board members to listen to concerns, to build on our strengths, and to collaborate and make plans for the 2020-2021 school year. We have many new exciting initiatives, renovations, and announcements to share in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Our doors are open this summer from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Please let us know how we can serve you this summer and stop by if you are in the neighborhood!
Sincerely,
Rosanna Rensberger
Principal
Tracy Underwood
Assistance Principal
AOB Planning Ahead Task Force Information (Sent previously via SwiftK Alert in May)
May 22, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we wrap up the 2019-2020 school year, we want to thank you for your continued support of and investment in a Catholic education for your children. Over the past 12 weeks, our number one goal has been the safety and well-being of your children and our school communities as we continue to provide the best education possible during this unprecedented time. As we conclude the 2019-2020 school year, please know that we are already working diligently with your school’s leadership team in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Department of Catholic Schools has created a team to develop a plan for the 2020-2021 school year. The “Planning Ahead Task Force for Catholic Schools” has been established to design a comprehensive plan for the safe return of both faculty and students to the classroom, focusing the following four areas:
- School Facilities Operations
- Curriculum, Pedagogy and Student Support Services
- Classroom Technology
- Safe COVID – 19 Response Protocols (including physical distancing, sanitization and hygiene)
The goal of the Planning Ahead Task Force is to provide standards to address safety, curriculum, and all aspects of our schools’ operations. We will establish clear guidelines and protocols for each school, including additional resources needed to implement the plan. While our schools operate independently from our public school counterparts, we are required to follow local and state laws and ordinances and we will adhere to relevant safety measures and guidelines issued by government and public health officials, as well as local Pastors. The plan will include contingencies to address potential guidelines and external factors that may affect how your school will reopen.
Over the coming weeks, the Planning Ahead Task Force will finalize a comprehensive plan to welcome students back to school. We appreciate your support, patience, and understanding and we will continue to keep you updated as the Task Force finalizes the plan to move forward for the 2020-2021 school year.
Be safe & stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Jim Sellinger, Chancellor
Donna Hargens, Superintendent
RSPS Reopening Plan Update
The various task forces' reopening plans will be rolled out to administrators in the coming weeks with the final reopening plan for all AOB schools to become available in the last week of July.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is a school system, not a system of schools. We will have one reopening plan for schools across the diocese. Each school will adhere to the AOB plan while staying within the State and county/local guidelines for reopening. AOB schools do not need to be in lockstep with the public schools in terms of calendar, schedules, or teaching modalities.
Announcements
Help us welcome our new students and their families!
I hope everyone is having a great start to summer! The RSPS Welcome Committee is looking to begin pairing new families with current families in order to ease their transition. If you are interested in this rewarding opportunity (which is also an easy way to begin earning volunteer hours) please complete the form below. Thank you in advance!
Delyza HowardI
RSPS Referral Program-Earn $500 Tuition Credit!
HCPSS Bus Discontinuation and RSPS Survey
Dear Families,
We and the leadership at the Archdiocese have been lobbying for and promoting our continued need for buses to Catholic school. On June 18th, we were disappointed to learn that Howard County Schools have cut $798,000 for buses for parochial schools from their budget. Resurrection-St. Paul School uses 4 buses daily with ridership of 70 students to and from school. Jim Sellinger, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Department of Catholic Schools, and Donna Hargens, Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools, are continuing to communicate with State leaders and Howard County leadership to determine if there is any more that can be done to rescind this decision.
Because we understand that this will impact your family’s transportation plans for the 2020-2021 school year, we are exploring options to potentially mitigate the impact on the affected families and ask that you complete the attached survey which you can access via the link below. Your responses will help us to gather the necessary data and begin to formulate options in preparation for the coming school year regarding transportation.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jCVJBqWoRtSZsqWMrQSK1S66Pk6yTU69lewSmsjyTFE/edit
We thank you for your time to complete this important survey.
Sincerely,
Rosanna Rensberger
Principal
Tracy Underwood
Assistant Principal
School Supply Box Kit Pre-Orders
School Supply Drive--Save time and money by pre-purchasing your school supplies for the fall. Items were hand selected by the teachers and are specified by grade level.
Order now through July 7th.
To order: www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks. School ID: RES025.
Supplies will be delivered to RSPS on August 17th.
See the attached flyer for more details. Questions? hsa@resstpaul.org.
Earn Volunteer/Service Hours
Service Hours -1 hour of service for 2 hours of credit!
VIRTUS Training for all Volunteers
Required training for all volunteers
Uniforms
As with any change in uniforms, there will be a three-year phase-in allowance. This means that from now until Spring of 2022, uniforms compliant with the 2018-2019 school year policy can be worn. For the 2022-2023 school year, all students will need to be in compliance with our new uniform policy.
The HSA still has gently used uniform pieces available for sale. Please contact HSA@resstpaul.org for more information.
Yearbooks, Class Photos, Lost and Found, Student Materials
2020-2021 Standardized Testing - New Platform
As you are probably aware, standardized testing for spring 2020 has been cancelled due to school closures associated with COVID-19. While we are disappointed at the lost opportunity to gain a better understanding of our students’ performance and academic growth, I am happy to provide some great news associated with standardized testing starting in the 2020-21 academic year.
In December of 2019, the Department of Catholic Schools embarked on the process to evaluate standardized assessment platforms to be used in all Catholic elementary and middle schools across the diocese. We sought an assessment platform that is more flexible, better aligned to our curricula, and provides teachers with the information they need to improve their instruction and impact student achievement. After evaluating several assessment options, the Department of Catholic Schools decided to move to Scantron as the official standardized assessment platform starting in the fall of 2020.
The Scantron Performance Series will be administered three times each year in fall, winter, and spring to students in grades 2 through 8 in core content areas. Optional testing is available for students in kindergarten and first grade. An assessment for learning, the results from the Performance Series are used to identify students’ ability levels, demonstrate academic growth over time, and place your child in appropriate instructional programs.
We are excited at the opportunity to assess students this fall in order to identify opportunities for student growth and to inform our instructional planning for the academic year. More information will be distributed in the coming months regarding the Scantron Assessment, but feel free to reach out to Dr. Eric Watts, chief academic officer for the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools, with any questions in the meantime, Eric.Watts@archbalt.org.
Math Placement for Grades 5-8
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Throughout the year our goal is that all students are successful within their math course. To ensure this level of success is met this year and in the forthcoming year, we come together as a team to analyze each student’s progress. We use this analysis to determine their math placement for the following year.
Since we ended this year differently than ever before, we are strongly looking at a student’s overall performance within their current math class and teacher recommendations, as well as their study and work habits. After careful review, we have placed your child in the course in which we believe your child will receive the learning experience most beneficial to their needs. You will be receiving your child's specific math placement by email by July 3rd. However, we will be continually re-evaluating the math placements throughout the first few weeks of school, identifying students that may need an adjustment due to unexpected gaps that formed during distance learning, or acceleration due to growth over the summer.
Over the summer each child is encouraged to continue working on IXL to keep their math skills fresh as they move into the next level. Each child will receive a flyer explaining how to use the recommendations and analysis feature the program offers. This allows students to receive individualized practice based on their previous skills that have been completed this past school year.
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s math placement, please reach out to both Mrs. Klingensmith (kklingensmith@resstpaul.org) and Mrs. Rensberger (rrensberger@resstpaul.org)
Enjoy your summer and we look forward to teaching your child next year!
Sincerely,
The Middle School Math Team
Summer Assignments
Elementary School:
Rising PreK4
Rising Kindergarten
Rising 1st Grade
Rising 2nd Grade
Rising 3rd Grade
Rising 4th Grade
Rising 5th Grade
Middle School:
Rising Grades 6-8 ELA Summer Work Letter, Book Talk and Book Trailer Documents
Rising 6th Grade- Wonder DIscussion Questions
Rising 7th Grade -The Outsiders Discussion Questions
Rising 8th Grade -To Kill a Mockingbird Discussion Questions
Rising Middle School Science Summer Work
Grade 6-8 Grade Math Summer Work
Daily Mass Around the World
While churches are opening with reduced capacity, why not take the opportunity to participate in virtual Masses throughout the world? You can join Catholics in Malaysia, Italy, Africa, etc. celebrate the Eucharist as one global Catholic faith community. Click on the link to access a calendar for live virtual Masses across the globe!
Rosary During the Summer Break
Meals for the Clergy
Meals for the Clergy
For those wishing to serve, earn hours, and help with meals for the clergy:
Fr. John requests that you drop meals for the clergy off at the back door of the Rectory house at 3130 Chatham Ct in Ellicott City. If nobody answers, you may leave it on the table on the deck, also in the back.
Drop-offs should be as close to 5 PM as possible, and may be left any day of the week. Fr. John and the clergy community appreciate what they can receive.
If you haven't already, you may sign up - use the following link and access code:
Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AADAA2BA3F94-meals1Access code: RSPSMeals4Clergy2019
Home School Association
Live, Love, Cook RSPS Cookbooks Are In!!!
HSA Commitees
Resurrection-St.Paul School
Vision Statement
At Resurrection-St. Paul School, students have unique opportunities for real life critical thinking, problem solving, and experiential learning through enrichment programs built into our curricula such as theater, art, outdoor education, and much more. We offer a well-rounded academic education rooted in the Catholic tradition of excellence and values. We prepare our students to assume responsible, creative roles in an ever challenging and changing world.
Mission Statement
Resurrection-St. Paul School, through the teaching of the Catholic Church, is dedicated to the total formation of the child by preparing them for a global society through innovation, problem solving, and cross curricular collaboration.
Email: office@resstpaul.org
Website: resstpaul.org
Location: 3155 Paulskirk Drive, Ellicott City, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 461-9111
Facebook: facebook.com/ResurrectionStPaul/