Fall 2010Maverick

ContactsSenior Pastor Rev. Robert B. Donovan Jr.

pastor@stjames-­lutheran.org

Principal Warren Gastprincipal@stjames-­lutheran.org

Educational Facilitator Kristin Rydholm krydholm@stjames-­lutheran.org

Communications and Admissions Kate Donovancommunications@stjames-­lutheran.org

Tuition and Billing Catherine Sitzchurch@stjames-­lutheran.org

Youth Ministry Rev. James Hueninkphuenink@stjames-­lutheran.org

Children’s Ministry Jennifer Donovanjdonovan@stjames-­lutheran.org

PTL President Nan Mortellnanettemortell@aol.com

PTL Vice President Tiffany Jozwiaktiffany@prairieviewdental.com

PTL Treasurer Beth Enochianenochiba@hotmail.com

PTL Communications Emily Reuteremrita33@gmail.com

St. James Lutheran School2101 N. Fremont St.Chicago, IL 60614

Phone 773.549.1615Fax 773.326.3645

www.stjames-­lutheran.orgSpecial thanks to Vision Integrated Graphics Group for printing our magazine. www.visionps.com

Welcome to our annual Education issue of the Maverick. This issue provides an opportunity to share a little about what make us unique in our objective to provide your

valid types of schools and methodologies for education. What makes St. James special is our focus to nurture the whole person. Academic growth is certainly the core of an education, but the growth of the whole person is what allows academic achievement to become success.

At St. James we believe each child is a unique and valuable person. We believe each child grows through a process that allows him or her to become what God created him or her to be. This is why our approach to education is to provide for the whole person to grow at their pace in an environment that values them as individuals.

In order to create that environment for success we blend the best combination of current education strategies, caring

In this article I will talk a little about how technology is supporting our objective.

Our approach is to use technology as a means to enhance the learning experience and cultivate opportunities for the students and teachers. Given the rate of change in information systems and technology, we use a set of principles to guide us to optimize our program and resources.

We recognize that not every person will embrace technology in the same way. We will align ourselves with the platforms and products that demonstrate a high commitment to development and support of technology in the classroom. We seek to provide opportunities for students and teachers to grow by challenging them to embrace new strategies. We will implement technology enhancements with the caution to match both the human and information needs.

The last four years have seen the implementation of Promethian Activboards in each elementary and middle school classroom. Two thousand and ten is our second

year as clients of NWEA and their MAP testing program, which offers dynamic assessment of a student’s progress throughout the school year. This fall we began the transition from a Windows based organization to an Apple platform through equipping each teacher with a MacBook for their professional use. By the end of this year we will have completed the development of our online Gradebook to give parents real time access to their students’ assignments and progress.

The sum of all of these technology uses and enhancements is that your son or daughter is able to advance their learning through state of the art tools that emphasize the individual needs of a family and the importance of parent, student, teacher involvement.

As this year progresses, we begin the process of moving the student computers from Windows to Apple as well. Currently, a needs analysis study is helping to determine

classrooms appropriately and cost effectively. This will allow us to articulate a learning plan for computers in the classroom at each grade level and consider the best strategy for equipping students to enter into high school.

As you can see, we are fully committed to making your students experience at St. James the best education

schools.

Preparing Students for Success 1

Preparing Students for SuccessBy Rev. Robert B. Donovan Jr., Senior Pastor

In order to provide the best educational experience for your child, St. James must actively encourage continual

is measured against benchmarks established nationally (NLSA – National Lutheran Schools Accreditation;; NAEYC – National Association for the Education of Young Children), regionally (Illinois State Standards), and locally ( Northern Illinois District-­Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s Curriculum Planning Team).

Teachers utilize these standards to guide curriculum planning for the classroom. Individual goals are established for students using a model of differentiated instruction, which address the varied abilities and interests of our students. We employ a balance of informal teacher assessments in combination with our standardized MAP assessment tests to assist us in identifying the needs of our students.

Selecting instructional materials is also an important

key to the success of our program. Textbooks are chosen which include lessons that engage teachers and children in dynamic learning experiences. Supplemental instructional materials are appropriated under the direction of our Educational Facilitator. Supportive technology is put in place and regularly upgraded to prepare students for success in Chicago’s premier high schools. We then

map which coincides with our NLSA and NAEYC accreditation cycles.

The third part of offering a quality program is teacher preparation. We believe that just as children should have individual growth plans, so should each of our teachers. Many of our faculty members have independently pursued master’s degrees toward their goals of becoming better educators. Likewise, in an effort to further promote professional development within our staff, we research materials and conferences to assist our teachers in meeting

2 Fall 2010

Standards Based Curriculum

An important facet of staff development is sharing fresh, new ideas with contemporaries. Kristin Rydholm, as Educational Facilitator, reviews workshop opportunities to help teachers select conferences that meet their individual needs and complement the strengths of their fellow teaching team members. This year Tara Houlihan (gr. 1), Krissy Cornelius (gr. 2) and Lauren Monticello (gr. 4) attended regional conferences for teachers at their

curricular areas. Becky Gorcyca and Kim May work with our middle school students in grades 5-­8. Becky attended a “Hands-­on Science” workshop. Kim May attended a conference entitled “The Best Books for Students in Grades 4-­8.” Farrah Falco (gr. 3) attended the “Two Sisters Daily 5” conference to further develop her skills in integrating the Language Arts. Lynda Adams (kind.) attended a math conference for kindergarten teachers to

Our early childhood staff members often attend local and regional conferences as a group as well. Michelle Bragado, Meredith Boese and Megan Leonhard attended the CAEYC Conference (Chicagoland Association for the Education of Young Children) last winter here in Chicago. With Kristin Rydholm’s guidance, teachers select from a broad menu of course offerings designed to help them meet their current class’s needs. This past summer Diana Maanum, Shayna Partridge and Meredith Boese attended a similar event, the Early Childhood

Conference, at Concordia University in River Forest where Lynda Adams served as a presenter.

Also this summer, our elementary staff attended the nearby Chicago Lutheran Educational Foundation’s Networking Conference to learn more about brain-­based research, especially on a hot topic. . . metacognition (thinking about thinking!).

Some of our teachers have also taken professional development to the next level by embarking on graduate programs. In addition to Kim May, Lauren Monticello and Michelle Bragado who already hold master’s degrees, Meredith Boese and Krissy Cornelius completed master’s degrees at DePaul University last spring in the Reading Specialist program. Currently, Tara Houlihan and Farrah Falco are working toward similar degrees from Concordia University in River Forest. Shayna Partridge is in the Special Education graduate program at DePaul University, and Lynda Adams is pursuing a graduate degree in Child Development from the Erikson Institute here in Chicago.

For a full list of our faculty and

www.stjames-­lutheran.org/bios.

Funding a school is an important part of its mission. In addition to tuition and congregational support, St. James enjoys the support of parents who work long and hard to fund many key components of our education. Through the PTL and opportunities like the Traveler’s Gala, the Barnes and Noble Bookfair and Box Tops, programs such as the library, Spanish and Art, as well as a major investment in technology, enhance our ability to succeed and

St. James successful.

Importance of PTL

Preparing Students for Success 3

Staff Spotlight

“What did you learn in school today?” That’s certainly a time-­honored question from adult to child on the way home from school or at the dinner table. Usually the answer is brief and requires further

as your child gets older. However, almost everything that happens at school is a learning experience...though perhaps not always highly academic. Fortunately, our learning experiences are not limited to endless rote memorization enabling our children to dutifully answer our initial question. Can you imagine your child providing you with a 30 minute synopsis of all the mental, physical, spiritual, social and emotional benchmarks they achieved today? We smile at the thought of that, but consider all that goes into mapping out your child’s day.

Our early childhood teachers go to great lengths to create and manage a learning environment devoted to social and emotional growth. They also lay the groundwork for “cracking the code” in reading, comparing and counting in math,

for investigating their world. This doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Our six early childhood teachers attend annual workshops, plan units together, and rely on nationally recognized benchmarks for establishing what we’ll learn in school today.

Our teachers in the primary grades

4 Fall 2010

What did you Learn Today?

to developing kids’ love for books. This is the growth stage where students move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” All three of their teachers either possess or are in the process of acquiring graduate degrees as reading specialists. A major portion of the day is spent on the language arts employing an approach called “the Daily 5” (Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Work on Words, and Work on Writing). This requires a “print-­rich” classroom. Our Promethian Activboards are a great tool for

our book fair efforts is also vital to our success. You’ll even see a dynamic new concept being piloted in the third grade called the Café Menu. It requires students to independently engage in literacy tasks while the teacher spends concentrated time with each student surveying his or her reading and

curricular review cycle also calls for the consideration of a new basal (text book) series. This will be the hot topic of teacher meetings in the months to come.

Fifth–eighth grade are regarded as our Middle School with teachers departmentalizing subjects. Fourth grade, as a stand-­alone classroom, serves as the link between the Primary and Middle School programs. As a result, we begin to see novel-­based reading units in fourth grade much like their older

schoolmates are experiencing. We see more of a focus on problem solving skills, too.

In fact, our seventh and eighth graders are now a part of that same Everyday Math program we’ve employed in the lower grades for years. They’re even learning to

calculators. You will also note more science “happening” in fourth–

that matter). Our new series supports our plan to make science more than learning concepts and memorizing facts. We want our students to recapture that same curiosity they had in preschool and apply it within

method of investigation.

What we learned at school today begins and ends with what we learned about God’s love for us and how we share it. Rather than

religious instruction, we emphasize faith-­building. All our students attend weekly chapel services where they worship with other students at their same age-­level. We teach Bible stories from preschool through fourth grade to develop a base of understanding the Bible story. By Middle School students begin discussing the impact of both Old and New Testament stories as they apply to their lives as emerging adolescents. Extra curricular programs are available to all elementary through middle school students to help develop the concept of Christian community.

Our curriculum also includes several other subjects. We are different from many schools who are not able to offer P.E. every day, Music twice a week, Art every week, Spanish twice a week and Library. These subjects are an important aspect of a whole education.

Preparing Students for Success 5

At St. James, we believe that extra curricular and enrichment activities are just as important as traditional classroom education to a child’s development, which is why we offer a variety of activities for our students to

school activities reprinted from associatedcontent.com:

Physical Development

When children participate in sports and outdoor activities, they get good exercise and learn life-­long habits of

life skills like learning how to eat right, will ensure that children know the basics of living a healthy lifestyle.

Creativity

Many different activities can provide an outlet for creativity and problem-­solving. Obvious choices are arts and crafts, music, performing arts, but other activities like sports and collecting can teach problem-­solving skills. The best activities for your children are those that encourage their natural curiosity and interests.

Stress Relief

Many activities take place in a relaxing environment or promote healthy methods for dealing with stress. In an increasingly complex and pressure-­oriented world, the

the better we are.

When children learn new skills and engage in social

resolutions in a fun and relaxed environment will help them interact appropriately with others -­ a skill valuable in all aspects of life from home life to the workplace.

Team Spirit and Camaraderie

Teamwork is increasingly more important in home life as well as at work. Team sports require children to work together to achieve a common goal and remove the focus from the individual to the team. These aren’t the only activities that teach teamwork, though. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts teach these important skills as well as some other activities like drama and dance.

Time Management

Many activities emphasize the importance of time. Sporting events like track are often measured in seconds. Of course, participating in one or more activities can teach a child how to juggle school, homework, family life, and their after-­school activities as well and learn the importance of priorities and planning.

Enrichment Opportunities Offered for the 2010 – 2011 Academic Year

Cross CountryBasketballVolleyballBowling

Track and FieldBoy ScoutsGirl Scouts

Community Kids 10:31

Youth NightPiano LessonsGuitar LessonsViolin Lessons

Science OlympicsWalcamp

Learning FairTour of NationsSpelling Bee

Geography BeeOperetta

6 Fall 2010

Benefits of Enrichment Activities

Haiku from Walcamp

The blue, open skyThe gold sunlight from heaven

Natasha Uno (5)

Orange leaves are fallingHawks are soaring through the cloudsHiking through the woods Alexander Louthan (5)

Trees whistle outsideSquirrels run and hide in trees

Julia Andrus (6)

Once green but now redYellow, orange and fallingFall leaves are here now Rachel Miller (7)

Wavy, orange, and red outsideWarmth. Cooking. Fire. Spencer Jobbe (6)

Green leaves on a treeGreen leaves falling to the groundGreen leaves turn to brown Marqui Browner (6)

Finally Fall’s hereLeaves are changing and fallingAnimals prepare Erin Nishida (8)

Our Walcamp experience was exuberant! We participated in activities

canoeing.

area with many thorns and bugs. The teams were 5th and 7th graders versus 6th and 8th graders. On the second night, the 6/8 team was lead to victory

On Thursday night we had the Weird and Wacky Olympics. Some activities were trying to get marbles out of shaving cream only using our toes. Another activity we had to do was to hold a person in our arms while standing on one foot (Mr. Gast and Annabella won!)

After dark we went on Night Hikes, roasted marshmallows, sang songs by

We had a blast, and none of us will ever forget this experience. However, no one was looking forward to taking showers in water that smelled like rotten eggs!

Written by Maggie Larson, Berlinda Teyeson and Alexandria Parker

In October middle school students had the opportunity to attend Walcamp for a unit on outdoor education. Here’s a glimpse into their hands-­on educational experience.

Preparing Students for Success 7

Walcamp 2010

In 2009-­2010, St. James began using a new version of formalized achievement testing known as MAP (Measures of Academic Progress). The major difference between MAP and our previous program (Stanford testing) is the new electronic format. This new program was developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association based in Oregon. There are currently more than 4200 schools around the world using MAP to measure their students’ progress and to map out plans for improvement. In June of this past summer, the U.S. Department of Education announced that MAP had been added to the list of approved assessment tools for qualifying as a Blue Ribbon School (basically, a school placing in the top 10% on test scores nationwide). The Chicago Public Schools system is currently piloting this program (which has already been in use for several years in nearby suburban school districts). We are proud to be at the forefront in this new phase of student assessment and pleased with the initial results.

MAP testing at St. James begins in kindergarten and continues through the eighth grade. Students are tested in the fall, winter and spring (an immediate advantage over the previous program which focused on one week out of the school year for students to provide an accurate snapshot of their progress). We are allowed to establish our own “window” of time for testing so that ideal testing conditions can be maintained (no problem with

We generally allow ourselves a two-­week testing period each season,

with one week for grades K-­2 and one week for grades 3-­8. Rather than waiting for results at the end of the year, we need wait only 48 hours before a wide variety of reports are electronically available.

Testing at the kindergarten level is focused primarily on making sure that students understand and are comfortable

8 Fall 2010

Measures of Academic Progress

with the testing format. Kids certainly catch on fast and are excited about working at a computer. Initially, they are tested for letter and number recognition. As the year progresses, many of the kindergartners will begin actual skill assessments in math and reading. By the beginning

challenging math and reading assessments. These provide

basic skill areas so they can meet students where they are and avoid spending hours of instruction or practice on skills which students have already achieved mastery.

As students enter grade two, they begin taking interactive achievement tests in math and reading. Like the Stanford or Iowa tests, national norms and percentiles are now measured. Unlike these more traditional tests, MAP assessment now becomes interactive. A correct response leads to a more challenging question. An incorrect response leads to a less challenging question. Thus, each student is taking a test designed just for him or her and never repeats the same test whether taken in the fall, winter or spring. The ensuing report analyzes the student’s strengths and weaknesses, suggests a course of action for improvement, and provides a comparison of the student’s progress in relation to his or her previous efforts, those of his/her classmates, and those taking the tests across the country (new norms provided every three years through university research including Vanderbilt, Fordham and Notre Dame).

In grade three and through grade eight, students continue taking the interactive tests. However, Language Skills (grammar, punctuation, writing, etc.) appear as a third test on the menu. Students must also now adjust to simply reading and responding to test questions. Up until this point, they have been wearing headphones as the passages and questions are read aloud by a recorded

students become more comfortable with the process and

As stated previously, MAP testing allows us to create optimum testing conditions without jeopardizing the

validity and reliability of the assessment. For example, tests can be paused for the student who needs to use the bathroom in mid-­test. Tests have no time limits, so deliberate workers are not penalized (discovering

process). Test administrators (Mr. Gast, Ms. Rydholm and Mrs. Lazowski) determine which setting (large group, small group, individual) is best for each student. The administrators, likewise, exercise judgment on when to suspend a student’s testing schedule for the day if he/she has become distracted, frustrated, anxious, etc.

of administering tests. We have learned a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of our individual students, as well as the parts of our curriculum that need added attention. We have only scratched the surface of analyzing the implications for each teacher’s and each student’s

that MAP assessments are the right tool for enabling us to measure student progress, enhance individual growth

As a result, our parents and teachers are well-­informed on how to help our students achieve success now and as they approach high school.

For more information about MAP Assessment visit www.nwea.org.

Preparing Students for Success 9

fellowshipNet FAQs

What is fellowshipNet?FellowshipNet is the St. James intranet. It serves as an online directory and social networking site complete with groups, e-­mail and newsletter functions and an e-­vite system.

Why is it important?

and administration to easily contact you. Additionally, all our newsletters and event invitations are sent out through fellowshipNet.

How do I log on?Go to www.fellowshipnet.org and enter your e-­mail and password.

What’s my password? St. James does not assign passwords. Each user creates his or her own. You should have received an e-­mail with a link to set-­up your password. Please click on the link and follow the on screen instructions. If you have not received an e-­mail to set-­up your password, please contact Catherine Sitz, church@stjames-­lutheran.org, and she’ll e-­mail you an invitation.

I don’t remember my password. What do I do?When you go to www.fellowshipnet.org, you’ll see a sentence on the home page that says “If you have set a password for your account and have forgotten your password, click here to reset your password.” Please click on the link to receive an e-­mail with instructions. Password reset will not work if you did not initially create a password.

Can you change my contact info?FellowshipNet is a user friendly website, giving each person the freedom to change his or her own information easily. When you log-­in you’ll see an edit button under your contact information. It’s important you keep your information current. Don’t forget to add a picture! This helps people in our community put a face with a name.

How do I get classroom newsletters?

in the left-­hand column of each Monday’s eTempo. When you click on the link, you’ll be prompted to sign-­in to fNet. Newsletters are posted on a bulletin board in the eTempo group. Older classroom newsletters are posted for your reference.

10 Fall 2010

The new St. James Gradebook, under development and undergoing testing at the Middle School level, promises to offer parents and students a dynamic way to stay in good communication in order to best manage each student’s progress.

Parents will see a report card as in the past with supporting information from the teacher, but they will also be able to access all the supporting data by assignment in order to see exactly how their student is doing as the quarter progresses. This allows parents to be more proactive in managing their child’s education allowing for earlier intervention in cases where help is necessary and not having to rely upon the student or the teacher to trigger a conference.

We chose to develop our Gradebook in house rather than purchase an outside package for a number of reasons. First, this lets us communicate each student’s progress the way our education process is best understood. Many packaged programs force you to use their designations and categories.

Additionally, most packaged programs are rich with features we don’t need. They try to maximize their market opportunities by putting something in there for everyone. This can be confusing and often cost more that the actual value of the users need. Our Gradebook is developed for our reporting purposes and is able to be tailored easily and cost

effectively as needed.

We also wanted to limit the number of websites a family has to relate to. The fellowshipNet is our proprietary product and includes an online directory, electronic invitation system, group and event managers, as well as a secure family space for Gradebook and the storing of private family information including wedding licenses,

data for tax purposes.

Each family will access their student’s Gradebook from a secure home page. Simply by clicking on their student’s name they will go to the student page with tabs to review Recent Grades, Open Assignments and All Grades.

Recent Grades is a lineal spreadsheet of each piece of work the student was assigned up to the moment of a teacher posting the

information. Open Assignments lists work given to the student, but not yet completed, so parents can be on top of all assignments that are due. All Grades is an electronic report card. Under the heading of each subject is list by type of all the graded material, its weight and the student’s actual grade. For example, in Mrs. May’s Language Arts class, each parent can review their child’s progress by assignment under the categories of Homework, Participation and Quizzes.

We are excited as the year progresses to adapt Gradebook to each level of education in a meaningful way in order to serve you best. We hope to be fully functional by the end of the third quarter, but ask your patience, as we want to be sure that the system accomplishes everything we promise.

Preparing Students for Success 11

Online Gradebook

Overview

The 2010 Admission Season begins with an Open House on November 16 for prospective families. Hosted by Admissions Ambassadors, our Open House is an important element of matching St. James to future members of our community. Parents will hear from Rev. Robert Donovan, Senior Pastor;; Warren Gast, Principal;; and two of our teachers. Additionally, they will have an opportunity to tour the school with an ambassador and ask questions.

Please pay careful attention to the dates and deadlines included on this page.

Re-enrollment

Current St. James parents will receive an e-­mail on January 6, 2011 with a re-­enrollment link. It is crucial to complete re-­enrollment before January 14 in order to secure a place in one of our programs for the 2011-­2012 academic year. Re-­enrolling by deadline allows you to secure a place for your child and defer the $400 deposit until June. Otherwise, the deposit is needed with the late re-­enrollment to be considered for admission.

Dates and Deadlines

November 16Open House

Applications are Released

December 17Early Admission Application Deadline

January 6Re-­enrollment E-­mail Sent

January 14

Re-­enrollment Due

Key Information

General Admissions questions can be directed to Kate Donovan, admissions@stjames-­lutheran.org.

To apply for Financial Aid, please pick up an application at the front desk. Questions can be directed to Pastor, pastor@stjames-­lutheran.org.

If you have a question about Special Needs, please contact Principal Warren Gast, principal@stjames-­lutheran.org.

Current parents, if you’re interested in becoming an Ambassador, please contact

Holly Cortes, shcortes@comcast.net.

Application Process

Applications for new student admissions will be released on November 16. To apply we need a completed application, The

deposit will be applied to tuition when a student is accepted into a program, returned if a child is not accepted and forfeited if acceptance is declined for any reason. To be considered for Early Admission please turn in all materials

12 Fall 2010

Admissions for 2011-2012

for. Here’s what they said:

I am thankful for friends and

keeping them safe.

PJ Shute

I am thankful for my mom and dad, they are wild, crazy and fun to be around.

Jordan Onweller

I am thankful for my classmates and everything in the world that is good.

Sophia Roman

I am thankful for family and Jesus.

Marqui Browner

I am thankful for my Mom, Dad and brother because they love me.

Grant Kalil

I am thankful for a good teacher, lucky I have one.

Graham Louthan

I am thankfulfor my love.

Tobiason

I am thankful for being baptized.

Kingsley Cortes

Preparing Students for Success 13

Give Thanks

Where in the World is Marty Maverick?

Find out at Tour of NationsThursday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m.

2101 N. Fremont Street + Chicago, IL 60614773.525.4990 + www.stjames-‐lutheran.org