Res Weekly Update #15
The Way to Stay in Touch with All Things Res: 4/15 - 4/26
Principal's Corner
“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." -St. Pope Paul VI
Introducing Res Events Website For Faculty & Staff
What's Happening at Res This Week?
Week 31 4/15 - 4/19
This short week will be highlighted by a pep rally on Monday (no 7th period) and the events occurring on Wednesday. Juniors and seniors will be attending the Operation Prom event that will run through mid-morning. Juniors and seniors will be allowed to leave upon completion of the event. Freshmen and sophomores will be taking the annual Spring summative Aspire test. Testing will run until around 2:15 pm. Ann Marie Schneider will be sending teachers detailed instructions, assignments and the schedule. The busy day will end with spring Parent Teacher Conferences. After the busy day, please enjoy a restful last break before the end of the school year rush!
Week 32 4/22 - 4/26
After our Easter Break, please be aware that Activity Schedules are over for the year, Wednesday is a noon dismissal and that sophomores and juniors will be leaving early on Friday for school dances.
Daily Breakdown
Monday April 15 - Red Day (no 7th pd)
- Freshmen Class Meeting: Seminar B in the Theater (Sr. Donna Presentation) - Please take attendance and then bring your class down
- Spring Pep Rally: 2- 3 pm in the Gym (no 7th period)
Tuesday April 16 - White Day
- Activity 3 Schedule
- Sophomore Class Ring Order: Lunch outside of the Cafe
Wednesday April 17 - Testing Day (No Regular Classes)
- Operation Prom (Jrs/Seniors) - Students leave after event
- Spring Aspire Testing - 2:15 dismissal, please see above for more detail
- Spring PTC
Thursday April 18 - Easter Break
Friday April 19 - Easter Break
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday April 22 - Easter Break
- Department Meetings: 7:30 am in various locations
Tuesday April 23 -Red Day
- No Activity Schedule
Wednesday April 24 - White Day
- Noon dismissal
Thursday April 25 - Red Day
- Mother Celine Presentation: Sem A & B in the Library for students or teachers interested in attending
- APUSH Sem B Review Session
- Academic Council Meeting: 3:15 pm in the Board Room
Friday April 26 - White Day
- Makeup Technology Integration II (Lunch & Learn): Sem A & B (separate sessions) in Rm 123
- Practicum Field Trip (All Day)
- Early dismissal for Soph/Jrs for Soph Formal & Junior Prom
Instruction & Technology Updates
Designing Performance Tasks
If you were asked "What are a few indicators that tell you that your curriculum is achieving its goal", how would you respond. What evidence could you point towards to support that your students are developing the skills, knowledge and conceptual understandings that lead to successful transfer? UbD stage two work requires that include a performance assessment in each unit. The performance assessment, that is a combination of application and explanation, should provide one of your best learning artifacts if it is properly developed and aligned.
UbD will commonly refer to the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) framework that was developed by Dr. Norman Webb. This framework distinguishes four levels of rigor and cognitive complexity. This framework can be useful to reference for any assessments that you plan to utilize in your units and lessons. It is important to note that every performance assessment that you and your department design should, at a minimum be at Level 3 of the DOK. Our older and more advanced students should commonly reach Level 4 complexity. Take time during department work to reflect on where you believe your performance assessments would land on the DOK frameworkl and consider what could be done to push the assessment to level three or four if needed.
Please remember that we have a fully developed UbD course in the Faculty Learning Schoology course that you can always access. It has helpful short videos, articles and handouts for faculty members who may want or need additional support. Because of our emphasis on designing performance assessments, I will include below a short video from Jay McTighe as he discusses the importance of performance assessments and authenticity.. If you have any questions or would like additional assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Hapara Update!
Soon in Highlights, you will have the option to pause learners’ screens for a short period of time. This is great when you need to refocus the class or quickly give all learners verbal instructions. The ability to Pause Screen Time will be coming soon!
Curriculum and Academics!
Academics
The Social and Emotional Connection to Academics and What We Can Do About It
Recent studies (Reynolds, Lee, Bromhead, & Subasic, 2017). suggest students' school identification has an impact on their academic achievement. Defining school identification as a sense of "connectedness, belonging [and] relatedness" (p. 78) the researchers point out "school identification show[s] a significant positive relationship [with scores] in numeracy and literacy" (p.78).
Further, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) purports it becomes more difficult for students to feel a sense of belonging in secondary education. They suggest several tips for connecting students to school thus increasing their sense of school identification. The tips are listed below (Also see the link below for the video and article).
- Prioritizing high-quality teacher-student relationships
- Creating a supportive and caring learning environment
- offering emotional support to students
- being sensitive to students' needs and emotions
- showing interest in students
- trying to understand students' point of view
- respectful and fair treatment
- fostering positive peer relationships and mutual respect among classmates to establish a sense of community
- positive classroom management
We encourage you to think about what it would be like to come into your own classroom if you were an adolescent. Would you feel connected as though you belong there? What if you were a struggling student for whom academics did not come easily? What could the teacher (in this case the future you) do to have an inclusive classroom?
As we move toward the end of the year and the beginning of next year, let's keep in mind the importance of a welcoming classroom environment for all of our students. Not only will it likely help them achieve more academically, showing them care is a manifestation of the Catholic identity in which our school is rooted.
References
Reynolds J., Eunro, L., Turner, I., Bromhead, D., & Subasic, E. (2017). How does school climate impact academic achievement? An examination of social identity process. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034316682295
Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896.
Curriculum
Test Preparation in a Data-Focused Environment
The New Times reported in 2008 district officials in Atlanta were caught cheating on standardized tests. Chicago has also had its cheating scandal. One might argue that having such a strong emphasis on high-stakes testing was the catalyst for both instances. Under the guise of test preparation, problematic practices have most certainly manifested themselves. However, Grebil (2018) believes there is nothing inherently wrong with making students familiar with the test format and content "especially when it contributes to real improvement in student learning" (p. 9).
Grebil's approach to test preparation is based on "learner-oriented" and student-focused instruction. This can result when curriculum is aligned to standards, and teachers use their creativity, content knowledge and expertise, and assessment for learning in the classroom to teach well. Good teachers understand meaningful teaching in which students will be interested and which is rich in content will likely result in significant student growth. As Resurrection increases its focus on test scores, we also want to remember nothing can
prepare students more than an informed, dedicated, and excellent teacher.
Gebril, A. (2018). Test preparation in the accountability era: Towards a learning-oriented
approach. TESOL Journal, 9(1), 4-16.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be sure to have your phones available between the hours of 7:30 a.m.-8:15 a.m. as Dr. Vallone may need to ask you to cover a class period in the event of someone's absence. At those times, it is very important for her to get a a quick response. Thanks!
If you are in need of a same-day substitute, please follow the procedure below:
1) Text Dr. Vallone @ 708-674-4397 as early as possible. Also send an e-mail to tvallone@reshs.org.
2) E-mail your department's curriculum coordinator.
3) Call the school and leave a message at extension 500. This line will be set up this week.
If you have further questions, contact Dr. Vallone
Pope Francis 2019 Lenten Message
Fasting, that is, learning to change our attitude towards others and all of creation, turning away from the temptation to “devour” everything to satisfy our voracity and being ready to suffer for love, which can fill the emptiness of our hearts. Prayer, which teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-sufficiency of our ego, and to acknowledge our need of the Lord and his mercy. Almsgiving, whereby we escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves in the illusory belief that we can secure a future that does not belong to us. And thus to rediscover the joy of God’s plan for creation and for each of us, which is to love him, our brothers and sisters, and the entire world, and to find in this love our true happiness.
Let us not allow this season of grace to pass in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion. Let us leave behind our selfishness and self-absorption, and turn to Jesus’ Pasch. Let us stand beside our brothers and sisters in need, sharing our spiritual and material goods with them. In this way, by concretely welcoming Christ’s victory over sin and death into our lives, we will also radiate its transforming power to all of creation.
- Pope Francis' 2019 Lenten Message
Happy Birthday!
Sr. Mary Ann Meyer - April 14th
Lina Ruiz - April 15th
Sam Toomey - April 20th
Sarah Brendzel - May 7th
Nora Corcoran - May 7th
Sarah Haug - May 11th
About Us
Mission
Resurrection College Prep High School is a Catholic Christian community dedicated to the education of young women, and to the development of their God–given talents. Convinced of God’s unconditional love and nourished by the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, we are committed to the spiritual, ethical, intellectual, physical and social growth of our students.
Sponsorship
Resurrection College Prep High School is sponsored by the Sisters of the Resurrection, an order founded in Rome by Blessed Celine Borzecka and her daughter Mother Hedwig. Resurrection College Prep High School was established by the Sisters in 1922 and is built on the Sisters’ mission of transforming society by uplifting women through education and preparing them for leadership. Resurrection is focused on young women and their needs. The faculty and staff are fully committed to developing young women of faith who are educated, confident, articulate, dynamic, inspiring and service oriented leaders who will help build stronger families, communities, parishes and places of work.
Email: Resurrection@reshs.org
Website: www.reshs.org
Location: 7500 W Talcott Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Phone: 773-775-6616
Facebook: www.facebook.com/reshs.chicago/
Twitter: @ResurrectionHS