January 2009

January 2009

But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good….Romans 2:10
Happy New Year! I wish everyone a blessed, healthy, and peaceful 2009. It was good to have an extra day off; however, I hope none of you have been adversely affected by the rain/flooding.

First of all, I would like to update you on the Strategic Plan progress. The core group met right before the holidays and looked at the data we received from you in the input sessions. One of the main areas you indicated for us to focus on is communication. This is an area we have been working on and are trying to improve. As a matter of fact, it is part of our SACS School Improvement Plan. Two years ago we began sending you quarterly “Letters of Expectations” from every teacher. This year we have added the “Year at a Glance”. These documents are to inform you of the standards, lesson/unit topics, skills, and assessments that will be taking place in your students’ classes. The Friday Fanfare has been the document we use to keep you informed on events and news of the week. We just updated our website to make it more user-friendly and have added sections such as a parent corner, the counselor’s corner, and student work. As of this month, every teacher (1st-8th grade) will be posting on edline to keep you updated on your students’ progress and activities in their classes. Last year we experimented by having our Parent-Teacher conferences in the evenings as well as days so we could meet with more parents; you gave favorable feedback; so, we are continuing that this year. I personally am trying to keep in touch with you better through more frequent emails. In addition, we have begun to post school news in our Sunday bulletins.

Later this semester we are going to be changing our communications system. This new program is also going to be used by Notre Dame and St. Jude. Some of the schools in Knoxville have already begun using it, and their staffs and parents love it. It will combine all of our individual programs and should make communication easier. You will be updated as this becomes a reality. Meanwhile, we will continue to work on creating better ways of communication; we know how important this is not only for our parents and students, but for the community. Please take advantage of what is offered, and do not hestitate to contact the teachers or me; remember your input is important to us.

This month is going to be another busy one, and it is going to fly:
• Report cards will go home next Wednesday, January 14th, and awards will be given on Friday the 16th.
• Family Honor is being held the 16th and 17th. If you have a 7th or 8th grader and haven’t signed up for this yet, I encourage you to do so. This is an excellent program, and we have gotten great reviews and praises about it from families who have attended in the past. If you have any questions about the program, Mrs. Haywood or Mrs. O’Boyle can answer them.
• Monday, the 19th is Dr. Martin Luther King Day. There is no school.
• Wednesday, the 21st, our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students are going on a wonderful field study to Atlanta to see two wonderful exhibits. Mrs. Meinert and our middle school staff have worked hard to create this wonderful experience for our students.
• Wednesday, the 21st, is also the first Home and School meeting for 2009. Please plan to attend.
• The week of January 26th is Catholic Schools Week. We have a great week planned for the students. You will be getting more information on this from the religion department.
• Friday, January 30th, is our second open house for kindergarten. If you know anyone who is interested in sending a child to our school, invite them to attend or to get in touch with us for more information. Dr. Morgan, our superintendent, is planning to be here for this occasion.

Academically, we are working on getting our fifth and eighth graders ready for the TCAP writing assessment in February. This test will be given February 3rd. This is the first time we are using TCAP; in the past we have taken the IOWA writing assessment. However, we never received the data or the feedback we were looking for. Because this is the first time we are using this assessment, we are not sure what kind of feedback we will be getting, but we will use it as a baseline and go from there.

Also, in February, we will have our second Parent-Teacher conferences. These will take place the 9th from 3:30-7:30. Please mark this on your calendars.

As always, I appreciate your support. Without it, OLPH could not be the school it is; with it, we become better and more successful all the time.

Sincerely,
Jeri McInturff