Seton School Newsletter
A Year of Gratitude
September 20, 2019
From the Principal...
Dear Seton Families,
Our teachers have begun to take steps toward standards based grading. Standards based grading is a shift taking place in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and many other schools nationwide. We will work toward preparing our teachers, students, and families for the switch during this school year, and begin using full standards based grading grades 1-8 in 2020-2021. You will learn a lot about what to expect as we progress on our journey together.
When implemented, standards based grading measures student performance based on the mastery of learning standards. This is different than traditional grading where student performance is measured based on an average of all of the work a student has done within a given period of time.
There are a number of advantages to using standards based grading rather than letter based grades. The use of letter based grades can often confuse students and parents as they do not clearly communicate the level of learning students are achieving. The criteria behind earning a particular letter grade can vary greatly among districts, schools, and even teachers within a school, leaving students and parents confused. In standards based grading, the performance indicators clearly communicate the level of learning students have demonstrated on the standards during the grading period.
To get a clearer picture of the differences between traditional grading and standards based grading, read the "Riding a Unicycle" example below.
Thank you for being a part of our Seton Catholic School Community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stephanie Nardi, Principal
Standards Based Assessment and Grading: Riding a Unicycle
While the adult is learning to ride the unicycle, he is practicing (daily work, homework, formative assessments). On the first day of our two-week unit on learning to ride a unicycle, he can't even sit on the unicycle without falling over. Slowly but surely, he begins to get better. Pretty soon, he is riding the unicycle ten feet before he need to put his feet on the ground. After two weeks of practice, he is finally able to ride the unicycle 50 feet without falling. He has mastered the skill!
In traditional grading, this man would be graded on each attempt to ride the unicycle. Using a points grading scale, each foot covered is one point out of a total of fifty points for covering the desired distance. In the beginning, he would receive Fs for each time that he tried to ride the unicycle but couldn't. As he got closer to being able to ride the unicycle 50 feet, his grade on each attempt would go up. He would earn a C for going 35 feet. Then, a B for going 40 feet.
If we were to give him a final grade, we would average all of his attempts to ride a unicycle 50 feet and give him a grade. In this case, a B-. But, is this right? The goal was to ride the unicycle 50 feet. And, he did it! Does a B- accurately describe the fact that this person successfully rode a unicycle 50 feet without falling over?
To be able to say that he mastered the skill of unicycle riding is a much more accurate way to describe his ability that taking the average of each of his attempts and giving a final grade.
Last Chance to Give----A Service Opportunity
If you would like to participate, drop off any donations at Seton School. There is a collection bin outside the school office.
Picture Orders
2018-2019 Wisconsin Forward Assessment Results
The statewide results of the 2018-2019 Wisconsin Forward Exam were released last week. Those of you with students in grades 3-8 in 2018-2019 should have received your child(ren)’s individual results in August. For your reference and review, I have attached two tables showing how St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School did in comparison to the state, all state public schools, and the Sheboygan Area School District. I do not have access to compare ourselves to all private schools in Wisconsin; however, our Wisconsin State Report Card will be released in November. This report card will be available for all Wisconsin schools whose students took the Wisconsin Forward Exam in 2017-18 and 2018-19. When those are released you will be able to make additional comparisons.
Please notice our scores. We are above the Sheboygan Area School District in all grade levels and subjects with only two exceptions. We score below the SASD in both third and fourth grade math. Elementary math intervention (working with students who struggle) has been a topic of conversation at Seton Catholic since my hiring in 2017. We have been able to add intervention in the upper grades, but are still working on strategies, professional development, and staffing solutions for our elementary students. We have made gains, yet this will continue to be a goal for improvement as we move forward.
Currently, we work to meet all students where they are academically through the following plans and services.
Students with special needs identified by a plan of service are tutored according to their plan by staff provided by the SASD.
Students in grades K-5 who are identified as significantly below grade level in reading are served during the school day by a Title I teacher provided by the SASD.
Students in grades K-5 who are identified as significantly below grade level in math are served during the school day by a Title I teacher provided by the SASD if time permits in the Title I schedule.
Students in grades K-3 who show exceptional skill in math are served by their classroom teacher.
Students in grades 4-8 who show exceptional skill in math are enrolled into advanced math.
Students in grades K-8 who struggle or show exceptional skills in ELA are served by their classroom teachers through classroom differentiation.
Students in grades 5-8 who are identified as struggling or significantly below grade level in math or ELA receive services in a resource classroom provided by a Seton Catholic teacher.
As you review the assessment results, please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your support and for being your child(ren)’s first teachers.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ― Mother Teresa
We Are Reading...
Seton School Schedule
Please note we will be starting a bit earlier this year.
Daily Schedule
7:30 Front doors open. Children may wait in the foyer.
7:45 First bell- students may enter the classroom.
7:55 Beginning bell - classes begin for all students 4K through 8th Grade. Students will be marked tardy if not in their classroom at the 7:55 bell.
11:00 Dismissal of 4K half-day students (front of school)
11:00-1:00 Lunch and recess (times vary by grade level)
3:00 Dismissal- Monday through Friday
3:00-3:15 Playground is supervised for pick-up
3:00-5:30 Aftercare available in Seton cafetorium for $8/day
The school is not open to students before 7:30am. At 7:30am, students who are dropped off can enter the main doors on Superior Avenue and wait in the foyer until 7:45. Students may not be dropped off before 7:30am as there will be no supervision and our doors will be locked. Drop off time begins at 7:30am and school begins at 7:55am.
Safety for All
Please help us by following school policies and procedures. Parents, volunteers, and visitors MUST sign in at the office when they are in the school from 7:45 to 3:00. The only exception to this is the drop-off of a child in 4K or kindergarten. Those early childhood students may be walked to their classrooms beginning at 7:45. Any children in grades 1-8 should NOT be accompanied by a parent or guardian into the hallways. We will make an exception to this on the first week of school. Parents and guardians are welcome to drop-off forgotten items or leave messages for their children in the school office during the day. While you are welcome to come in for lunch with your child, please stop in the office to sign in when you arrive and sign out when you leave.
Door access during school hours is restricted. From 7:30 to 8am the front main doors on Superior and the back door off of the playground will be unlocked for student entry. Prior to 7:30, all doors will be locked to the building.
At 7:55am the back door will be locked. All students or guests arriving after 7:55am must enter through the main doors on Superior Avenue and go to the office to sign in. At no time during school hours, 7:30am to 3:30pm, should anyone be entering any of our other doors even if they have a key to the building. The main doors on Superior Avenue are the only allowed entrance from 7:55am to 3:30pm.
Together we can keep all of students and staff.
Drop-off and Pick-up
When picking up your children at the end of the day, our procedures are the same as last school year. In the back parking lot the drive through lane is for entering and exiting the lot only. There should be no students entering or exiting a vehicle in this lane.
Students in grades 5-8 may walk to a parked vehicle and may escort a younger sibling. Students in grades K-4 will remain behind the cones to be picked up by a parent or guardian. 4K students should be picked up in their classroom.
From Home and School
Save your Coke bottle caps and codes from 12 and 24-packs. Turning them in to school helps generate money for fundraising efforts.
Hansen Pizza orders are due on Friday, Sept. 27.
Seton Choir Begins September 24
All Seton students in Grades 2 - 8 are invited to join the Seton Choir! Rehearsals are in the Music Room on Tuesdays right after school from 3:00 - 3:45. (Students are dismissed onto the parking lot afterward.) This is a great opportunity to expand your singing skills as well as learning to sing harmony! The Choir will sing at some school Masses, the Seton concerts, and possibly some special events.
Our first rehearsal for this school year is Tuesday, September 24th. Students do not need to audition. A schedule and information sheet will be handed out at that first rehearsal. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Engman at 920-452-1571 or engmanj@sheboyganseton.org
Join REMIND
Playground Planning Committee
Weather and Other Closings or Delays
You can see our announcements on TMJ4, NBC26, and WBAY2. Closings and delays will also be posted on our school website, Facebook page, and Twitter. In addition, we will send out a recorded phone call and a REMIND.
Support PBIS By Ordering Coffee and Tea
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)---The Expectations
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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School
Email: info@sheboyganseton.org
Website: http://www.sheboyganseton.org/
Location: 814 Superior Avenue, Sheboygan, WI, United States
Phone: 920-452-1571
Facebook: www.facebook.com/setoncatholic
Twitter: @Sheboygan_Seton