COVER SHEET
WCEA ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
School St. Mary’s CatholicElementaryCityMoscow, ID83843
Principal Sister Margaret Johnson, OSU Date June 15, 2014
Date of Next Full WCEA Accreditation Visit 2015
- Briefly update the School Profile by listing significant changes in:
- Demographics: In the fall of 2013, we were able to finally offer a full elementary education, Preschool through 8th grade. The last 8th grade class at St. Mary’s was in 1966. Middle grades were discontinued in 1966, due to the direction of the pastor. We will continue the process of building enrollment in the middle grades, as well as working as a school community to successfully integrate these classes into the whole school. We again had a successful year academically and we are looking forward to building on our successes in the year(s) to come.
- Enrollment: A steady and slightly increasing enrollment has been true since our last WCEA visit. Our middle school enrollment is not large yet; but we are working on building retention from elementary level. First grade had the largest enrollment (31 students) and we added extra certified teachers and aides to assist the primary grades (Kindergarten and First).
- Finances: As of June 2014, we are working to develop an alumni campaign to add to our savings account which we have started to replenish after paying off the Diocese for our expansion loan. We have over 1. 6 million in our foundation account which is used to help subsidize expenses and operating costs. TheGreat Teacher’s Fund, a separate fund in which donors may pledge/place monies to assist with salaries,will help pay for a 2% raise for teachers in the 2014-2015 school year. Final monies are coming in to complete the fiscal year budget 2013-2014.
- Staffing: For the school year 2013-2014, St. Mary’s SchoolParishSchool included grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. Grades 6, 7, and 8 have two full time teachers and 1 part time teacher and a certified aide. For the other classes, aides were added as needed. The majority of our staff (administrators, teachers and aides) has been here for ten plus years; retention of staff is steady.
- Curriculum: We have a rigorous curriculum in which excellence is the expectation and norm. However, the school is not exclusive to only high achievers; we work with students of all abilities. The high achievement of students on standardized tests is evidenced by our school being awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award in 2005 (to qualify to apply for this award a school must prove it is in the top 10% level of all schools—public, religious based, private, charter—in the state). In addition, our classes usually perform in the top percentile across the curriculum in the fall and spring Measures of Academic Progress tests (MAP) which are nationally normed. The school uses technological tools to individualize student education in math, language, reading, science, and problem solving and to objectively assess student needs. We have Title I teachers that work in our building assisting those students who need extra reading help. Special Ed/speech teachers come to the school when necessary. We also have a reading specialist (from Lewiston, Idaho) who has given his services to students who struggle in reading. He comes twice a week and he is giving assistance in the summer program
The expansion of our facilities has provided a gymnasium for improved physical education opportunities, as well as providing rooms/space designated for music, library, art, and science. This year 7th and 8th graders have been participating in a Healthy Lifestyles class taught by volunteers. They have done Crossfit, Zumba, had lessons on healthy eating and nutrition.
There is also a stage and kitchen. In addition to a daily school assembly, we have multi-level grouping for recesses, enrichment days, and lunches, so that all students know each other and learn to play and learn together as a community. Our professional, stable, and well-educated faculty and staff provide low pupil/teacher ratio. We have aides in the classroom for either the whole or part of the day. Collaboration, community service, leadership opportunities and extracurricular activities round out the curriculum.
Other goals that we continue to work on are:
- Integrating new and old teachers/staff into the school community so that they have a sense of not only being welcomed, but also belonging. We are also working to build more of a community feeling between the lower and upper grades. Developing a schedule for the upper grades to maximize and enrich learning activities and possibly including extracurricular activities and foreign language across the grades. We also are working on seamlessly scheduling the “extras”, music, PE, art, and Spanish.
- Continuing our focus of our SLE’s with parents, students, and the wider community in even more effective ways (SLE’s are the 3 R’s: respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness).
Catholic Identity Standard 6
At St. Mary’s School classes do a variety of outreach. The first thing that all students do is prayer. We gather as a school community daily. The assembly includes announcements, recognizing birthdays, and prayers offered for the needs of the school community, their families, parish, and the world. The Pledge of Allegiance is also recited along with patriotic songs.
We are part of the parish prayer trees and each class has their own prayer tree in the room. As the day starts, teachers pray together first for the needs and intentions of each other, parish members and students and then the school community prays together. Prayer is offered several times during the day for different intentions.
Some of our other outreach programs are:
Writing to American Soldiers to thank them for service and giving love and encouragement.
Writing stories and performing Readers Theatre for the kindergarteners.
Collecting shoes for the poor in Mexico.
Raising money for Heifer International and Catholic Relief Services via bake sales
Collecting items for soldiers.
Crocheting blanket squares for the Red Cross (students give up one recess weekly to make the blankets).
Cleaning up the lunchroom after lunch for the year
Encouraging the use of Rice bowls for Catholic Relief Services.
Having a Penny War for St. Vincent DePaul was initiated this year. This “War” was among the classes to collect coins for one week to see which class would have the “most” pennies. All monies were given to St. Vincent De Paul (local Chapter).
Donating items to the food bank for Thanksgiving and prayer services.
Writing to the seminarians from Moscow, Idaho each month.
Cleaning “D” Street for the City of Moscow.
Praying for and writing letters to University of Idaho sports teams to encourage and support them.
Dedicating a prayer bench for the front of the school to remember four members of our school community who died in 2012.
Assisting with creating trunks for Parish’s Halloween Trunk or Treat; thesame class assisted with games and decorating pumpkins.
Assisting Catholic Women’s League with moving rummage items from parish basement to main floor.
Assisting the Moscow Food Bank by moving and storing food supplies.
Providing a meal for the families staying at the ParishCenter for Families of Promise (inter ecumenical program for homeless families).