COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM
Core courses enhanced with Spanish, art, music, technology, physical education, library, guidance. Full-time learning support available.
ENHANCING THE CLASSROOM
NUMATS, Battle of the Books, STEM Day, Community Awareness, Global Read Aloud.
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY
Middle School 1:1 device program, Google Apps for education, classroom SMARTboards, tablets and laptops.
“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s we rob them of tomorrow.” -John Dewey
Why a 1:1 device?
- A powerful tool for progressive, student-centered learning
- Differentiation for all types of learners
- Offers a wealth of educational apps
- iPads and Chromebooks are robust and well supported
- No boot time issues
- Long battery life
- 1:1 program extends and expands learning
Changing Expectations for Today’s Classroom
- Developing 21st Century Skills- Collaboration, Creativity, Critical thinking, and Communication
- Common Core Standards
- The changing role of teaching and learning in the 21st Century Classroom
- Student-centered, teacher as the facilitator of learning
- Relevant and interdisciplinary curriculum
- Multiple sources of information
- Moving beyond memorization of facts into higher level thinking skills
- Facilitates effective instructional strategies, inquiry-based, and project-based learning (PBL)
School Management
- Controlled and monitored accounts through Google Apps for Education
- Students may not modify- DO NOT sync with home computer or personal itunes accounts
- iPad and Chromebook use is a privilege, not a right
- Creating a partnership between home and school to help our students become ethical and knowledgeable digital citizens in the 21st century
Final Thoughts
- “We are not fixated on technology, we are fixated on student learning.”
- Enhancing our learning environment and opportunities
- Continual learning process
- Implementing change to better prepare our students
STAR TESTING
If you are a past parent or alumni of Holy Family, you may remember the standardized testing called “the Iowa’s”. Holy Family School has changed to a new standardized test called the Renaissance Star Reading and Math. Star is a standards based, computer adaptive assessment that measure students’ reading and math comprehension, monitors achievement and growth, and tracks understating of focus skills aligned to your specific learning standards. Each grade takes the Star testing, and testing is done several times during the school year to track growth and compare with the school’s benchmarks.
STANDARD BASED GRADING
Holy Family has implemented Standards Based Grading (SBG) into the kindergarten through grade 8. Why are we changing to standard based grading? Traditional grading scales, which are based on points and percentages, only serve to rank and order students. This system of grading emphasizes the outcome (grades/GPA) rather than the learning experience. SBG does not rank students but rather focuses on growth. Students are assessed on clearly defines learning goals that are aligned with state standards. There are a number of advantages to using proficiency based grading rather than letter grades. The criteria behind earning a particular letter grade can vary greatly among districts, schools, and even teachers with a school, leaving students and parents confused. In SBG, the performance indicators clearly communicate the level of learning students have demonstrated on the standards during the grading period.