Dear Friends,

As we approach testing season, indeed, it is already upon us, many of you have asked why we here at DeSales follow the Common Core Learning Standards and administer these assessments.  This is a great question for, as many point out, we are not a public school.  If you look back in my blog you will notice that I have addressed this very question on a variety of different occasions.  You will notice that I have been very vocal with my concerns about the assessments lack of accountability for all facets of a child’s life, they do serve a necessary purpose in education.  The administration of properly formatted tests that provide generalizable and valid results allow schools to effectively evaluate their program and tailor their programs to accelerate student learning.  With this in mind, I would like to offer the following.  Recently, Sr. Carol Cimino, Superintendent of Education for the Diocese of Buffalo put very succinctly, why we in the Diocese use the assessments and I wanted to share it with all of you.  

Why We Administer NYS Testing

Rational  sent on 2/12/15 by Sr. Carol Cimino

Once again, as testing season draws nigh, we anticipate that parents will, once again, seek to have their children “opt out” of the NYS testing. I thought it might be helpful to you to provide parents with a rationale for why we administer NYS tests, and why it is important that our student s take the tests.

1. NYS test results are used to analyze the effectiveness of instruction. They measure students’ ability to express their understanding of what was taught.
2. NYS test results are exhaustively used to determine, by item analysis, the precise areas in which our students are both deficient and successful.
3. NYS test results are NOT used to evaluate our teachers. The results help us to design professional development programs in each school.
4. NYS test results are used to diagnose students’ academic needs. Should a student opt out of the tests, we cannot determine what kinds of help and remediation that student requires.
5. The administration of NYS tests allows our schools to receive from NYS, Academic Intervention Services, which is financial aid that is used to train our teachers to meet academic needs of students. Without at least 95% participation, our schools cannot avail themselves of this training.
6. The NYS test results are not included in the students’ permanent records, but kept separately.
7. Students will be engaged in some kind of standardized testing throughout their academic careers, and not giving them some experience, especially when the “stakes” are low, does them a disservice.
8. NYS test results, on a school scale, allow principals and teachers to compare their results with those of other schools.
9. NYS test results are not used to punish either students or teachers; they are only one of many tools that the school uses to assess its instructional effectiveness.

As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call, write, or if you are in the area, just stop by and ask.

Peace,
Scott

Dear Friends,

 As I write, we are fully immersed in our registration process for the 2015-2016 school year and looking to solidify our operating budget for next year.  Like many organizations, several of our costs fluctuate with the changes of society, but as a private, Catholic school, we face the added obstacle of projecting enrollment and, as I have written you in the past, enrollment is the single most determining factor for any private school when they look at setting tuition.  Many times I have been asked, what exactly goes into a budget for a school?  How is the money allocated?  With these questions in mind, I recently presented an overview of our budget and where our allocations are spent.  Please feel free to look over the attached budget and, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or just stop by.

 

DeSales Budget Presentation

Peace,
Scott

 

Dear DeSales Family,

Over the last decade, education has undergone many major changes: the spiraling amount of assessments given to students of all ages, the emphasis placed on those assessments for both students and teachers, and a comprehensive realignment of curriculum under the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) to name just a few.  To better put things in perspective, the curriculum that was in place when I entered kindergarten so many years ago our current three-year-old pre-kindergarten students are surpassing within the first few months of school.  As such, DeSales has engaged in a wide-ranging internal and external analysis of our curriculum and teacher strengths to determine if we are taking full advantage of what we have to offer our families.  What we discovered is that while we offer a very strong program that helps our students to excel, with a little tweaking, we can take our programs to a completely new level. 

Simply stated, DeSales will become the premier literacy program in Western New York with literacy defined as the braiding of reading, writing, and technological citizenship together to nurture the development of students that develop a lifetime love of learning, allowing them to excel in any venue.  With that in mind, our early elementary students, pre-kindergarten through second grade, will focus on the fundamentals of reading.  When a student leaves second grade they will have a solid foundation in reading.  From there, grades three through five will progress to the next logical step, writing.  These middle/late elementary grades will help students learn to effectively express their thoughts in a wide variety of genres.  Middle school will mark the culmination of these two fundamental curricular needs together.  Students will delve into more complex fiction and non-fiction texts, comparatively analyzing them from a variety of viewpoints.  Finally, with our introduction of an increasing number of tablets into the classrooms will allow our students to become comfortable in an ever-changing technological society. 

 With these thoughts in mind, we have fine-tuned the placement of some of our teachers to take better advantage of their academic strengths.  So, for the first time, I am pleased to present our 2015 ~ 2016-faculty list. 

Pre-Kindergarten Tues/Thurs and M/W/F	Mrs. Shipley
Pre-Kindergarten Full-Day and 5 Day Half-Day	Mrs. Chase
Pre-Kindergarten Aide	Mrs. Klee
Kindergarten	Mrs. Pellicano
Kindergarten	Mrs. Rosenberg
1St Grade	Miss Agostini
1st Grade	Mrs. Webster
2nd Grade	Mrs. Robinson
2nd Grade	Miss Trombitas
3rd Grade	Mrs. Gilbert
3rd Grade	Mrs. Kraatz
4th Grade	Mrs. Caldwell
4th Grade	Mr. Granchelli
5th Grade	Mrs. Sheehan
5th Grade	Mrs. Thompson
Middle School English Language Arts	Mrs. Merrill
Middle School Math	Mrs. Fraass
Middle School Religion/ Director of Religious Education	Mr. Schuster
Middle School Science	Mr. Welt
Middle School Social Studies	Mrs. Engel
Art	Mrs. Kruse
Library/Technology	Mrs. Rahill
Music	Miss Rarick
Physical Education/Health	Mr. Wilson
AIS Literacy K-4	Mrs. Crofts
AIS Literacy 5-8	Mrs. MacClaren
AIS Math ~ Middle School Math	Mrs. Kowalski
Special Education	Mrs. Wade
School Counselor	Mrs. Badura
Spanish	TBD

 

With this exceptional line-up of very talented teachers, please join me in registering for the 2015~2016 school year. 

In His Name,
Scott

A Christmas Wish

My Dear Friends and Family,

I offer you the following this Christmas season.

Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

 Robert Louis Stevenson

My our Savior watch over you and your family this season and the whole year through.

In His Name,
Scott

Hello Friends,

I recently had the pleasure of reading an article that I felt was especially appropriate to share at this time as we begin the holy season of Advent. It was written by Glennon Doyle Melton, author of the New York Times Bestselling Memoir CARRY ON, -WARRIOR, and it is entitled:

                                                       A Time of Waiting

It seems that as the world becomes supposedly less complicated through
technological advances, we still find ourselves waiting. Waiting for that
package to arrive that we ordered online in record speed. Waiting in line at
the self-checkout station at the supermarket, designed to eliminate waiting.
Waiting for the phone to ring, or the text to come. It never ends. Researchers
tell us that the average person will spend 5 years of his or her life waiting
in line, 2 years playing telephone tag, and six months sitting at red
lights. That is over 7 and a half years of waiting, at best doing nothing, or at
worst experiencing great aggravation! The bottom line is that even in our
fast-paced world, with postmodern conveniences, we are all waiting for
something.

In the month of December we spend time preparing children for concerts,
decorating classrooms and hallways, making preparations for Christmas at
home, shopping, baking, attending parties and sharing joy. As you know,
Advent is the time for waiting, praying, and preparing ourselves for the
birth of Christ. By taking a step away from the hustle and bustle, asking
kids to slow down and reflect on what the birth of Christ means to them, the
world and our faith, such a richness will be added to this time of waiting.

God Bless You All,
Scott

Dear DeSales Family,




Well, usually at this time of year I write about impending snow and how we can tell it is about to make an appearance, but, as we have seen this week, we already have been visited by the white splendor that makes Western New York so special. OK, so maybe I am understating the monster that some are calling "Snowvember." Yet, let us remember that we are blessed that it has missed us and also let us keep those who have been buried by the snow in our prayers. As such I feel that it is a great time to re-visit both winter and regular school safety concerns.

Ø Please remember that all of our little ones walk through the parking lot in some form or fashion and they do not always look before moving on. As a rule make sure that you enter and exit the lot through the designated lanes and that you adhere to a maximum speed of no more than five miles per hour.

Ø Please allow some extra time for students to get into class in the morning as they are wearing a few more clothes, and so is everyone else in the school. If you have never seen an elementary school hall the day of a first real snow, it looks as if a tornado has hit with kids and clothes everywhere.

Ø With the previous in mind, please be sensitive to the time of teachers immediately before and after school. The time is designed for daily preparation and brief student questions. Unfortunately, they often do not have time to accommodate drop-in parent conferences. It is always best to either call, e-mail, or drop a line to schedule a conference. As a school, it is our goal to reply to all communication, at the latest, in 24 hours.

Ø In the rare case that DeSales Catholic School is going to close because of inclement weather we will publicize this on all major television stations and, in all instances, if the Lockport City School District is closed because of inclement weather, DeSales is closed.

We have been hearing growing concern about driving in and around DeSales. Over the years we have discussed many of the different rules and regulations of traffic safety as they apply to the roads around DeSales and, while I am happy to bring them forward again, the most important issue at stake here is the safety of our children.

Ø Please remember that passing a school stopped school bus, even with a permanent divider in the road is illegal.

Ø The streets around DeSales Catholic School are designated as a school zone and, as such, reduced speed is very important.

Ø When entering and exiting the parking lot, please make extra sure that there are no children present as little ones tend to hide behind bushes and such and rarely look before running.

It is only through working together and with the guiding grace of our Savior that we can continue to ensure the safety and well-being of our future.

Stay Warm,
Scott

Looking Forward in Reverse

Dear Friends,

I am often asked “Dr. Fike, why should I send my child to DeSales and have to pay tuition when I can send my child to public schools for free?” This is a question that I both dread and look forward to at the same time. I dread it because it forces me to “brag” about the incredible accomplishments that our students realize on a daily basis, but I look forward to it for the very same reasons and today, of all days, it seems apropos to speak about the value and beauty of a DeSales education. However, not as you might expect, with me going on about the variety and depth of offerings at DeSales, but, as the song goes, “looking forward in reverse.”

Now, you may ask why today, well, that is the easy part. This evening we celebrate the induction of our second class into the DeSales Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at the Classics V. The Hall of Fame inductees embody the teachings of the school's patron, St. Francis de Sales, as they excel in their professional, volunteer and family lives. Bearing the motto "enshrining our past, ensuring our future," induction into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame serves as the highest honor bestowed by Desales Catholic School. This year’s inductees, Mary Carol (Bracken) Marotta - St. Joseph's Academy, 1950, the late Sr. Mary Loretto (Loretta Hamm) - St. Joseph's Academy, 1926, David R. Kinyon - DeSales High School, 1968, William A. Kirsch - DeSales High School, 1950 and, inducted together, the late Jim and Jack Mullane - DeSales High School, 1950, represent some of the very best of what a DeSales education can lead to.

As the principal here at DeSales, but more importantly as the parent of a current student and alum, I want to know that the education that my children and yours are receiving is going to prepare them for: Are we laying a solid foundation for their future? I know that the answer is yes because all I have to do is look at what has been accomplished by the 2014 DeSales Distinguished Hall of Fame Class to know that yes, DeSales is the Start of Something Great.

God Bless You All.

In His Name,
Scott