Auction Tickets

As was stated in the Trumpet, we are going to include the purchase of two tickets to our Auction as part of our mandatory fundraising for the 2010-2011 school year. This was a decision that caused a significantly larger amount of stress than it should have, as we are very aware of how every dollar spent can effect some of our families. However, after much discussion with the school board we chose to adopt this policy.

As everyone should know, the Auction has become our primary fundraiser, and its success is the number one reason we are able to charge a tuition that is below what we spend each year per student. Despite its importance, we are now into our second year where no one has signed up to chair the event. It is a daunting task with the unspoken implication that “each year must do better than the previous year.” While this is not the case, we do depend on the funding that the auction generates.

It has to be remembered that every family at Holy Angels that pays the parish rate for tuition is, essentially, in receipt of a scholarship and these scholarships are funded, in part, by this event.

Yet, every year, we enter into Auction season with questions about the procurement of items, putting together a successful evening, in addition to the multitude of details that must be addressed. We always seem to approach the final week before auction with questions about attendance, with ticket sales low and the constant nagging regarding the success or the failure of the night. I, along with the school board, feel it is not fair to those who step up and lead this event to always require them to worry if individuals will even attend. Secondly, it is unfair of the school to expect the committee to work without a budget of any sort, based upon lack of ticket sales.

Most importantly, we want our families at the event. We have families who have been at the school for over ten years who have never attended this great event. It is really a great night and a lot of fun, whether or not you bid on items. The community of our school is highly regarded throughout the area and it is important that all our families are part of this. With this in mind, we hope you are supportiveof this decision, and more importantly, that we will see you at the Auction!

What's Up With Those Test Scores?

I have been fortunate enough over my twenty years in education to teach at virtually every grade level, from primary to high school, and in almost every "socio-economic" environment, from the very disadvantaged to the extremely fortunate. Each of these varying demographics has had their own challenges and rewards, but what has always been the most striking thing to me is the similarities they all share.

One of these similarities, which I have said many times, and I may have written it here, is that Catholic schools do a great job of educating our students, ass well as graduating good people. I have been able to state this about the children at every school I have worked in, no matter what the climate in their surrounding community.

In addition to graduating good people, another hypothesis I have formulated during my teaching is that I really don't think individuals are born significantly smarter than one another. Working in primary grades, I often saw a good majority of children who were on relatively equal footing at the start of their school experience. They were not significantly higher or lower than their classmates, in terms of reading or math. Years later, teaching these same children in junior high, it was very apparent that somewhere along the way a gap began to develop regarding their education. Some of those children were now significantly ahead of the same students they were on the same level with in second grade, and vice-versa.

The reason this has been on my mind lately is due to the recent sharing of our standardized tests scores with our parents. Our children do well, and we see that by the time they are in eighth grade they are, generally, achieving well beyond their grade level, according to these tests scores. Most of our students in each grade are testing at similar levels, and thus our school scores are "high".

This seems concerning to the parents who compare them with our second grade scores, and see their children are "only at grade level. I have had numerous parents ask, "What's going on with them?" and I tell them they have accidentally stumbled upon one of the flaws of standardized testing, and particularly, the reading of class or school percentiles.

Because a parent asked specifically about science scores in the second grade, i opted to use these scores as an example to answer the many questions. The second grade class average was in the 51st percentile rank for science. The 50th percentile represents grade level, but it is significantly below what our students score in other grades, and it seems to be a cause for alarm that our kids are "only" on grade level in certain academic realms (according to these test scores). So I disaggregated the information and this is what I found.

The science subtest for the second grade had 31 questions covering four ares of science.

7 questions were on Scientific Inquiry. 85% of the class got the answers correct.

14 questions were on Life Science. 81% of the class answered the questions correctly.

4 Questions were on Earth and Space Science. 77% of the questions were answered correctly.

6 questions were on Physical Science, with 81% of the class answering correctly.

What this tells us is that our students answered the questions with a relatively high success rate. But so did all the other students across the nation who took the test. Thus, it is the "average" for the grade level and comes across as grade level. Most of the second grade students across the country are on the same level as our students in science. So, despite a class that answered most of the questions correctly, the class average appears to be low or bad. Another way to look at it is if the entire nation got all the questions incorrect on the science test, and Holy Angels students got 10% of the questions correct, we would be in the 99th percentile, even though it does not mean we knew the material well. Obviously, this is an extreme example, but it illustrates my point.

Interpretation of test scores is a very tricky thing to do, and misinterpretation is an extremely easy mistake to make. The only scores that truly matter, in terms of standardized testing, is your own individual child's. As one can see, failure to have ALL of the information can lead to a miscalculation of what the numbers mean. Standardized tests are just one piece of a very complex puzzle that add up to academic success for a child, and this must never be forgotten. So, don't get to hung up on our school's perceived success or failure on a test. Stay involved in what your child is doing in the class and how they are achieving there.

The Individual Value of All Our Families

I respect and admire when parents challenge my decisions in a thoughtful way. Often times, they can raise philosophical questions that I may have already struggled with and, having reached my conclusions, it is easy to respond. Other times, they may raise concerns I have not considered, and it can cause me sleepless nights as I mull over their thoughts.

One such situation occurred recently with a parent who views our recent decision to post donations to Angels Among Us at different levels as a subliminal message that the more you give, the more you are valued. Her thoughts mirror discussions we had in our Development Committee meetings when we first started to discuss the establishment of giving levels.

I think everyone is aware of the progress we are making on renovating and improving the school. To accomplish any of this, we need to fund raise and develop. This is difficult, from a Principal's perspective, because education, not fundraising, is my "area of expertise". However, it seems more and more that financial matters are often the issues that take up a majority of my time.

As we continue in our development efforts, we need to be very clear as to what our goal is. We are not raising money to bloat our egos or increase salaries, or to elevate the status of those who are able to give at a higher level. We are raising funds to improve the school environment, and this is a goal that benefits every single child that attends the school. If we begin to treat individuals differently because of their donations, then we are failing in our efforts.

We have all heard the gospel story regarding the old woman who's small donation is a much greater sacrifice to her lifestyle than the wealthy man who gives more. We all understand the message implied in this parable, and by no means is breaking our donations into level meant to imply that one family is sacrificing more than another. I know that every family sacrifices just to send their child to our school, and anything above and beyond what is required is equally appreciated. But I have also come to the understanding that the individuals who are in a situation to give at a higher level are doing so for the betterment of the school for every child. We should also be able to teach our children gratitude. A larger donation does not make an individual a better person, but it does enable us to better the school.

We are all in different situations in our lives. Some days I have a dollar in my pocket and am able to pass it along when someone needs help. Other days I don't, and I feel guilty, but it is my reality. I am not a better person on the days I can give, I have a different reality on those days.

Every dollar we receive for AAU is valued and appreciated. However, we also understand that some families are in a position where they are more able to offer the gift of presence, while still others may be able to offer a service or skill. We understand this and value it all. Financial is just one means of support we receive at Holy Angels. As we move forward our goal will not change, our perceptions of our parents will not change, and our students will ultimately be the beneficiaries of all that we accomplish.

President Obama's Education Address

A parent that I greatly admire and respect called me recently to ask what we intended to do about President Obama's address to the nation's school children next Tuesday. Upon receiving my answer, she stated that she wanted her child to opt out of watching the address, based primarily upon the fact that she and her husband dislike Mr. Obama.

I find this rationale curious. So often, our elected officials use education as one of their primary agenda items to get elected. However, once the election is over, few, if any, continue to see the value in education, despite everyone agreeing it is important. Here is our country's leader wanting to actually address students about education and many want to politicize the act and prevent their children from listening to what he has to say. I don't believe that President Obama is planning on turning this into a subliminal message about health care reform, but I do know that a ten minute address from the president will never supersede the philosophies a parent teaches their child at home. That being said, I believe it is still a parent's right to make decisions about this for his or her child.

Concurrently, I also believe that no matter what an individuals personal opinion about President Obama may or may not be, he is our President and I think he deserves all the respect that goes along with the office. It can easily translate to questioning the values we teach children today. We often hear criticism about "kid's today", but we always seem to forget that we are the ones raising these kids with the values we are complaining about. Respect is a quality that needs to be taught, and it does not work if it is taught "selectively". Teaching children that you should respect this person but not that person, based upon a fairly subjective list of criteria, just does not work. Try responding to that thought process when your child is disrespectful to someone you think they should respect. In that case, simply disliking the school principal would be an adequate rationale for being disrespectful. (and how could that be right!!???)

As I stated, I do not believe President Obama is going to use this forum to push his political agenda, (the text will be published this Monday) but if he says something a parent disagrees with, shouldn't that be an opportunity to dialogue with your child about that issue? In many instances, I think it would give parents an opportunity to further solidify their philosophies within their child, rather than "indoctrinate" their child with liberal rhetoric!

The most influential political leader in the world talking about the value of education seems, to me, to place a high value on education. Removing a child from this scenario seems to have other implications. We all seem to agree education is important, but God forbid our children begin to think that way by hearing a message from our President!

H1N1 Virus

With the marvels and convenience that comes living within the "information age" also comes a great deal of responsibility and rationality. Never before has it been so easy to acquire virtually any type of information about any subject at such a great rate. Additionally, never before has it been so easy to create crisis, epidemic and hysteria. Swine flu is a perfect example. Upon its identification, people were quarantined, confined to their houses for weeks on end and entire schools, offices, maybe even some gated communities, were shut down and identified as modern day leper colonies.

Based upon the assumption that lobbyist for the pork industry objected to the moniker bestowed upon the virus, swine flu has been re identified as the H1N1 virus, and the thinking regarding reaction to it has become more level-headed. We don not have the ability to stop the virus, particularly in environments that are most susceptible to passing germs, but we can control it to some degree.

The flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in Holy Angels School. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this.

We are working closely with the Arcadia Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

If the flu becomes more severe, we may take additional steps to prevent the spread
such as:

conducting active fever and flu symptom screening of students and staff as they arrive at school,

 making changes to increase the space between people such as moving desks farther apart and postponing class
trips, and

 dismissing students from school for at least 7 days if they become sick.

For now we are doing everything we can to keep our school functioning as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help.

Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an
alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.

 Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or un-
washed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Covering up
their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a
tissue is unavailable.

 Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever
(100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a
runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people
may also vomit or have diarrhea.

 Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever
or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever
at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.

 Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are deter-
mined to be sick while at school will be sent home.

I have been told that the reality is the H1N1 virus is really no more dangerous than any other flu virus. While I don't know the accuracy of this statement, it seems like we should go about our daily lives with a bit more attention to hygene and not let a media -fueled hysteria become a rationale for making reactionary decisions

The New Year

Remarkably, summer is quickly coming to a close, and with it, a flurry of activity is taking place as well. Some of it is very good for Holy Angels, while other occurrences are a bit more concerning.

we have accomplished a significant amount of physical plant upgrade throughout the school. Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of several parents, we have completed the construction of a new lunch structure; we have re-slurried and painted the playground, and we replaced the carpet in both the pre-kindergarten and seventh grade classroom. We are also in the process of renovating our lower grade bathrooms, thanks to the generous support of Murray Plumbing.

A bit more troubling is that, like most Catholic schools, our enrollment will be down this coming school year. While the numbers are far less than what many schools are experiencing, and a final number is still not known (we still get calls daily about enrollment) we will be down.

We are excited by the recent hiring of Ms. Kathryn Di Pietro as our new sixth grade teacher, as well as alumni Sara Canzoneri to help teach math in our 5 through seventh grades.

Finally, we are awaiting word on our WASC outcome, although we have great expectations for our results. Our teachers will soon begin training to use a computerized grade book, and the the eight grade grades will be posted online as an experiment for future grade postings.

As you can see, we have a great deal going on at the school, but most importantly we will be entering another school year where our students education is of primary importance and we will begin to institute the change we identified in or school self-study. I am excited about the upcoming year, as I feel that we continue to fulfill the promise and the mission of Catholic schools. As always, first and foremost I attribute this to the parents of our school who are the primary motivators of all we do at Holy Angels. In particular, we must acknowledge Rudy Castillo for his efforts and dedication to the lunch structure, Clare Maher and Kim Collins for their motivation behind all our development efforts, and Tim Tomko for acting as the conduit between Holy Angels School and Murray Plumbing. They are examples to all about the impact parents have on the quality of our school

Keeping Costs Down

Economics difficulties are hitting most families right now. We see it in our applications for enrollment. We are receiving higher than normal amount of applications for our upper grades from families who may have their children in more expensive private schools.

One of the basic tenets of Catholic school is to provide an affordable Catholic education to families who want it. This is a philosophy I strongly subscribe to and I make it a priority. Some of the ways this has been made possible in past years is to have religious teaching in the schools, receiving subsidies from the parish and having parents do service in the school.

We no longer have religious teaching in most of our schools (none at Holy Angels) most parishes cannot subsidize their schools any more ( we receive financial support form our parish) and parent service has lost its purpose.

Parent service hours is supposed to fulfill roles that we would otherwise have to pay for. This may include aiding in the classroom, supervising at lunch and recess, completing office tasks, and much much more. Some of this still gets done by volunteers, but those numbers are becoming less and less. We have hired staff to do most of these jobs now, and every year the suggestion for many jobs previously done by parents is "Why not just pay someone to do it?". We are fortunate to be able to afford this, but ultimately, it ends up driving the tuition of the school up.
At the same time, we may have thirteen parents volunteer to run a class Christmas party, which may be more than necessary, and, ultimately, does not really serve the purpose for which school service hours are intended (keeping costs down).

We need to decide what we want our school to become. I know what I want it to remain, but it will require our parents to be involved in some roles that may not be as fun or easy as we are becoming accustomed to. Otherwise we run the risk of defeating one of our primary goals.

Technology Ramblings

As we approach the eve of our annual Jog-a-Thon, it struck me that we are currently without an active Technology Committee and thus, our Technology Plan is falling out of relevance. Each year we raise a significant amount of money to enhance the school's technology program, and we are doing an excellent job in keeping the students, the classrooms and the teachers up to date. But technology changes so quickly that sometimes a plan can become outdated within a couple of years, so over planning almost seems futile. Its a true Catch-22.

We have a tremendous amount of parent-genrerated energy taking place at the school right now, and it's exciting to see because this kind of energy will result in the goals getting set and these goals being met. We need to re-energize our Technology Committee to ensure that we set realistic goals and that we meet these goals, rather than just wait for another twelve months to roll around and then decide how we should best spend the money we raise. Additionally, we need to gather individuals who are able to view the future of education and where technology fits in, while also realizing that technology does not just include computers and related products.

Consider signing up to be apart of this committee. Let myself or Mr. Jaco know that this is something you are interested in, and lets continue to build upon the momentum that is driving our school into the future.

Being an Accountable Citizen

We exist in a community that is full of excellent schools. Walk one mile in any direction from Holy Angels, and you will come across several excellent public and private school. It is one of the reason's Arcadia was recently selected as the best city in California to raise a child.

Considering the ample choices for a quality education in the area, the question regarding Holy Angels purpose in the community should be asked. Arcadia does not need another excellent school. However, along with Annunciation, what we do provide that does not exist elsewhere in Arcadia is an excellent Catholic school.

A component of being an excellent Catholic school, which we have included in our schoolwide learning expectations, is developing our students to be accountable citizens. I can say, proudly, that I think we do fulfill this purpose, and quite well. Sometimes I worry that we do not do enough to improve the community that we are part of, but then I take a moment and think back to all that has been accomplished by our parents and students in just the last month, and these worries vanish.

So what have we done? Since the middle of November we have provided a Thanksgiving dinner for 250 senior citizens; while our primary classes put together complete dinners for 18 needy families. We have had students raise thousands of dollars for the homeless and participate in a walk to raise awareness for this crisis in our society. Our parents have committed to purchasing over 150 Christmas gifts for needy children (in just 3 days), while we have students who have opted to forgo a Christmas gift exchange in favor of making gift packs for Maryvale Orphanage. Our CPTA has adopted a needy family in the community to ensure they have a wonderful Christmas.

This is a three week portrait of just some of the activities that are taking place at Holy Angels. While words are good, I have always told our students it is much more important to live our faith than it is to just talk about it. While I sometimes worry that we are too constant in our appeals to our families, we must also remember that helping those who are less fortunate than us should be a way of life, not just a periodic event. I am proud to say our families do this all year long. I think it is one of the aspects of our school that makes us an excellent Catholic school, and it is a strong argument for our existence in such a great community.

On Halloween, Horror and Exposure

Halloween is just about here, and from a teachers perspective, I can tell you it is one of the worst days of the year. It is amazing how an over energized classroom full of kids can drain all the energy out of anyone 25 or older in a matter of minutes. That being said, we also all know what a great day it is for kids and how important it is to have a fun day once in a while.

I do not agree, at all, with the individuals who view Halloween as an "evil" day or satanic in any way. In fact, the day is very strongly rooted in Christian tradition (see the related article) and is nothing more than a fun day for kids. I vividly remember how absolutely magical Halloween was, dressing up as a hobo or a marine, and going out trick or treating. I never once thought of invoking the devil or summoning evil spirits. It was all about fun.

What I do have cocerns with regarding Halloween is the age appropriateness of some of the costumes children wear. The other day, I was privy to two second grade students arguing the merits of Michael Meyers, not the comedic actor, but the killer from the Halloween movies. I was horrified that these kids not only knew who he was, but knew him well enough to debate him. I refrain from making judgements about parental decisons because I know how difficult and crowded a day can get. Sometimes fast food may be the only option for a meal or a child may see a program that is not "child-friendly." But in this case, I did judge the parents. How is it that children seven years old are allowed to watch multiple "slasher movies" to the point of knowing dialogue? I find it inexcusable.

I never wanted to dress as a killer for Halloween because I was not exposed to killers as a child. I wanted to be a hobo because I read books about hobos (and infact,it was a career goal of mine for many years). Marines were heros and thats who I wanted to emmulate. Now it seems common place for young children to come dressed as some of the most brutal characters ever created for "entertainment purposes". They must be choosing the characters because they are familiar with them. The question then becomes, how are they familiar with them?

Parents can not relinquish their responsibility to monitor media for appropriateness. Children will be exposed to plenty of inappropriate material even with the most vigilant parents. I certainly think in the society in which we currently reside, it becomes more important than ever to limit exposure than we can limit and not glorify that which should not be glorified. It is often these same parents who just don't get it when their child acts out in a n aggresive or violent manner, since they never see that at home.

Truth about Halloween

Halloween:
The Real Story!
Father Augustine Thompson, O.P.,

We’ve all heard the allegations. Halloween is a pagan rite dating back to some pre-Christian festival among the Celtic Druids that escaped Church suppression. Even today modern pagans and witches continue to celebrate this ancient festival. If you let your kids go trick-or-treating, they will be worshiping the devil and pagan gods.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The origins of Halloween are, in fact, very Christian and rather American. Halloween falls on October 31 because of a pope, and its observances are the result of medieval Catholic piety.

It’s true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival on Oct. 31 — as they did on the last day of most other months of the year. However, Halloween falls on the last day of October because the Feast of All Saints or "All Hallows" falls on Nov. 1. The feast in honor of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved it to Nov. 1, the dedication day of All Saints Chapel in St. Peter’s at Rome. Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV commanded that All Saints be observed everywhere. And so the holy day spread to Ireland. The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, "All Hallows Even" or "Hallowe’en." In those days, Halloween didn’t have any special significance for Christians or for long-dead Celtic pagans.

In 998, St. Odilo, the abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in Southern France, added a celebration on Nov. 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe.

So now the Church had feasts for all those in heaven and all those in purgatory? What about those in the other place? It seems Irish Catholic peasants wondered about the unfortunate souls in hell. After all, if the souls in hell are left out when we celebrate those in heaven and purgatory, they might be unhappy enough to cause trouble. So it became customary to bang pots and pans on All Hallows Even to let the damned know they were not forgotten. Thus, in Ireland, at least, all the dead came to be remembered — even if the clergy were not terribly sympathetic to Halloween and never allowed All Damned Day into the Church calendar.

But that still isn’t our celebration of Halloween. Our traditions on this holiday centers around dressing up in fanciful costumes, which isn’t Irish at all. Rather, this custom arose in France during the 14th and 15th centuries. Late medieval Europe was hit by repeated outbreaks of the bubonic plague — the Black Death — and she lost about half her population. It is not surprising that Catholics became more concerned about the afterlife. More Masses were said on All Souls’ Day, and artistic representations were devised to remind everyone of their own mortality.

We know these representations as the "Dance Macabre" or "Dance of Death," which was commonly painted on the walls of cemeteries and shows the devil leading a daisy chain of people — popes, kings, ladies, knights, monks, peasants, lepers, etc. — into the tomb. Sometimes the dance was presented on All Souls’ Day itself as a living tableau with people dressed up in the garb of various states of life. But the French dressed up on All Souls, not Halloween; and the Irish, who had Halloween, did not dress up. How the two became mingled probably happened first in the British colonies of North America during the 1700s when Irish and French Catholics began to intermarry. The Irish focus on hell gave the French masquerades and even more macabre twist.

But, as every young ghoul knows, dressing up isn’t the point; the point is getting as many goodies as possible. Where on earth did "trick or treat" come in?

"Treat or treat" is perhaps the oddest and most American addition to Halloween, and is the unwilling contribution of English Catholics.

During the penal period of the 1500s to the 1700s in England, Catholics had no legal rights. They could not hold office and were subject to fines, jail and heavy taxes. It was a capital offense to say Mass, and hundreds of priests were martyred.

Occasionally, English Catholics resisted, sometimes foolishly. One of the most foolish acts of resistance was a plot to blow up the Protestant King James I and his Parliament with gunpowder. This was supposed to trigger a Catholic uprising against their oppressors. The ill-conceived Gunpowder Plot was foiled on Nov. 5, 1605, when the man guarding the gunpowder, a reckless convert named Guy Fawkes, was captured and arrested. He was hanged; the plot fizzled.

Nov. 5, Guy Fawkes’ Day, became a great celebration in England, and so it remains. During the penal periods, bands of revelers would put on masks and visit local Catholics in the dead of night, demanding beer and cakes for their celebration: trick or treat!

Guy Fawkes’ Day arrived in the American colonies with the first English settlers. But, buy the time of the American Revolution, old King James and Guy Fawkes had pretty much been forgotten. Trick or treat, though, was too much fun to give up, so eventually it moved to Oct. 31, the day of the Irish-French masquerade. And in America, trick or treat wasn’t limited to Catholics.

The mixture of various immigrant traditions we know as Halloween had become a fixture in the Unites States by the early 1800s. To this day, it remains unknown in Europe, even in the countries from which some of the customs originated.

But what about witches? Well, they are one of the last additions. The greeting card industry added them in the late 1800s. Halloween was already "ghoulish," so why not give witches a place on greeting cards? The Halloween card failed (although it has seen a recent resurgence in popularity), but the witches stayed. So, too, in the late 1800s, ill-informed folklorists introduced the jack-o’-lantern. They thought that Halloween was druidic and pagan in origin. Lamps made from turnips (not pumpkins) had been part of ancient Celtic harvest festivals, so they were translated to the American Halloween celebration.

The next time someone claims that Halloween is a cruel trick to lure your children into devil worship, I suggest you tell them the real origin of All Hallows Even and invite them to discover its Christian significance, along with the two greater and more important Catholic festivals that follow it.

Essay on Parenting

For the last twenty years of my life, I have made a living teaching and telling parents how they should raise their children. I was very well schooled in theory and felt like I had a very logical answer for virtually every problem that arose. Slightly over 18 months ago, that all changed when my daughter was born. While I think I have always known this deep down inside, theory is great, practice is a bit more difficult. This new found philosophy was recently confirmed upon taking my daughter to her pediatrician. She too has recently had her first child, and I asked her how rigidly she was able to adhere to her own and advice, and she grudgingly admitted it was not always so easy to do.

As a young teacher, I would get offended when people told me that I didn't understand certain situations and practices, because I did not have kids. It did not deter me, however, from reiterating the theory I was already espousing, and letting them know that what I had to say was really what was best for their child.

Their is an emotional factor to parenting that can never truly be separated from the decision making process. We all want to do what is best for our child, but we also all know that what your child suffer through a bad decision, hurt themselves as they investigate, or sometimes, just the desire to do things the "easy" way cause us to interfere or make bad decisions, even though we know it is not what is in the child's best interest. Other times, we may be so intent on them learning a lesson that we let the lesson override what we know we should do as a parent. Most of them time, it is hard to decipher what is the right thing to do in any situation.

So while I understand, now more than ever, the reality of being a parent, I also hope that my child has some of those theory-driven teachers who can point out to me what I can do to best help my child. I want the teacher who does not let emotion beat out common sense when it comes to my child's development, and I want the teacher who is not afraid to tell it to me like it truly is. I hope I am the parent who is able to listen with an open mind and truly understand that my child's teacher has her best interest at heart. I hope that I am truly able to comprehend that if I truly want what is best for my daughter, I will try to apply the suggestions of that teacher and work with her teachers to ensure that she succeeds. I hope my mind is not closed when I hear things that are difficult to hear about the child I know is wonderful and then I hope I will do everything I can to help make her an independent, successful child. Lastly, I hope I will be compassionate when my child fails and understand that these failures should be turned into the most valuable learning experiences of her life.

And then, on the way home, I will probably buy her an ice cream before dinner and tell her not to tell her mom.

A School for All Ages

Despite its continual decline in quality and content, I still thoroughly enjoy the Los Angeles Times. I used to consider it the best paper in the nation, whereas now, I think its a good paper. In contrast to my assessment regarding its perceived decline, I am fairly happy with one area of coverage that seems to have increased in recent times, that being articles that pertain to educational issues.

One of these articles recently spoke about a movement in the public schools to eliminate junior high schools and have the schools include grades kindergarten to eighth. As anyone who has been involved in Catholic schools is aware, this has always been our model and a relatively successful model at that.

The irony here is that we have had numerous discussions over the last several years, both at the school level and in principal meetings, about the difficulty of providing programs that cater to all these grade levels. To solidify the point a bit, try considering how you would plan a birthday party that would keep a 5 year old and a 14 year old entertained. The same challenges that you could foresee in this scenario are prevalent in a school environment. We want our school to be inclusive and communal, but the reality is an assembly about Martin Luther King cannot possibly keep all the age groups enraptured to the same degree or teach the same lesson to all these students.

We have discussed the benefits of regional schools, including junior highs and pre-kindergartens and it may be a direction the schools in our area eventually go; but then again, it may never happen. That does not solve the dilemma we are currently faced with in a PK-8 school.

Fortunately, in our meetings prior to the start of school, we as a faculty finally addressed the elephant that has always been in the room. We cannot possibly do everything for every age group and do it well. Some of what we plan for the year may only be appropriate for children of a specific age group or grade level, and that's ok. It will not cause us to lose the community aspect of Holy Angels, thanks in part to programs like our school families. By allowing the children to gather several times a month, as a "family", we will continue to keep our commnity strong, teach leadership and responsibility to our older students, and allow our younger students interaction with older kids who are cool simply because they are older.

As with anything that is kid-generated and run, we will have some bumps in the road. We are aware of this and we prepare for it. By critiquing instead of criticizing, and providing guidance instead of directives, we will help all of our students to grow and become the responsible citizens that are highlighted in our school wide learning expectations.

Lazy Man's Blog (Apologies to Ben Stein)

I am too lazy to write too much over the summer, but I have had some interesting thoughts sent to me, so I decided to steal them and post them here.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

Of Primary Importance

This morning, the results of a new study regarding education were published in the L.A. Times. The findings indicated that a student's probability of passing the public schools' high school exit exam could be predicted fairly accurately as early as fourth grade. The indicators included a student's grades, their scores on standardized tests, and, somewhat surprisingly, their classroom conduct.

The reason a believe this is of particular note is not due to a students ability to pass a high school exit exam. I have never seen one nor its content, (and I have my scepticism about its true value. ) However, I do find that this supports a philosophy I have embraced for many years.

If you consider that these indicators can be recognized as early as fourth grade, it would seem to make sense that everything done prior to fourth grade has contributed to these indicators. I have always said that the primary grades are the most important grades in a child's school life.

Parents of primary aged children: you have the opportunity right now to truly shape your child's scholastic success by establishing good habits, expecting your child to do his or her best, and establishing habits that will lead to a successful child.

I have been preaching this mantra for twenty years. It is only in the last year and a half (which just so happens to coincide with the birth of my daughter) that I have realized how difficult this truly is. The theory is sound, but the practice is much more taxing. However, I continually refer back to this "theory" when it would be much easier to give in to my daughter than do what I know is right. Be it eating vegetables, taking her pacifier away from her, or requiring her to pick up the mess she has made, I try and forgo the easy road so as to better her as a person. The same practices hold true regarding what you expect of your child in school.

If you have ever tried to rid yourself of a bad habit, you know how difficult it is to do. The same is true of good habits. Ensure that you establish good habits in your children, one's that they will take with them into the upper grades of education, and you will ensure your child achieves his or her best. Putting in the earlt work will result in a lifetime of payoff for you and your children.

Summer Schedules

Ready or not, summer is quickly approaching and the unenviable task of keeping your children occupied is coming along with it. As I have often stated, I am a huge proponent of not scheduling every minute of every day for your child. Instead, allow them time to be creative, to develop their imagination and think up ways on their own to stay occupied. This simple step can have a very positive consequence in the classroom, when they are expected to explore problems, rather than just follow given directions. Not to mention, kids need a break combined with some time to relax.

That being said, Holy Angels will continue with mandatory summer reading for our students. I think this is a component of your child’s development that is crucial to their success in virtually all aspects of life and will be encouraged throughout next year, but not if reading becomes a burdensome task that has to be completed in a very limited time frame. In the coming week, you will be receiving a list of books that are readily available at local bookstores and libraries. I know some people have the habit of waiting until mid-August to look for these books, but do yourself a favor and look into getting the novels a bit sooner. Give them the opportunity to read and enjoy, not just read because they have to!

Our kids live in a world much different than the one we grew up in. However, if we recall the truly great moments of our childhood, we have to remember that our children deserve the same opportunity to enjoy life (and summer.) Keep things balanced and allow children time to just be kids, while giving them the opportunity to stay mentally sharp and engaged .

The Gift of Teachers

We are a little behind the eight-ball as we honor our teachers and staff this week with Teacher Appreciation Week. I think it is extremely important to take a moment to pay tribute to the faculty and staff of Holy Angels. I have said this often, and am very genuine when I state that we have the best faculty I have ever had the fortune to work with. None of our staff come here slowly to receive a paycheck. They are here because of their dedication to Catholic education and Holy Angels School.

The career of an educator has many misconceptions about it. Some of these include that teachers only work ten months a year. Any teacher dedicated to their profession works during the summer doing their lesson plans for the year, attending professional development seminars, preparing their room and attending classes.

Another may be that their day ends at 3:00 PM. Again, I have never met a teacher whose day ended once the students leave. Correcting papers, preparing for the next day, extra tutoring, and meeting with parents are all part of the work day that takes place after 3:00 PM.

Sometimes, the fact that everyone has attended school often leads to the belief that they have a better way of doing things or, at the very least, the ability to see what a teacher is doing wrong. Anyone who has ever had a birthday party for more than four kids knows that managing a group of children requires more than just telling them what to do!

In order to honor our teachers, the greatest gift a teacher can receive is a letter of gratitude written by his or her student. A card written from the heart has much greater meaning than any gift a teacher could be given.

Holy Angels School is fortunate to have a staff of teachers who spend countless hours of their days dedicated to the students they serve. I am honored to be able to work amongst such a hard working group of individuals. We will honor our wonderful teachers all week with a variety of meals and ceremonies. I challenge each of our families to do the same!

Parish Unity

One of the strengths of Catholic schools in general, and Holy Angels in particular, is community. I have never been in a Catholic school where the communities were not closely bound and supportive, and I believe Holy Angels embodies this to a greater degree than any of the schools I have been at.

One component of this community that can show weakness, however, is the school's view of where it fits in the parish. It seems often times, we want the benefits of parish support without offering that same support in return. Over the weekend we had the opportunity to be part of a true parish event when all the children of the parish had the opportunity to receive the Eucharist for the first time. Complaints are some times levied that this sacrament should be celebrated with the school and religious education classes as separate entities, but this only furthers the misconception that we are not all part of one parish. We cannot make the claim of being an active parishioner only when it means receiving a discounted tuition rate while wanting complete separation from the parish on other occasions.

We all benefit by being active members of a united parish. Working together, celebrating together and worshiping together allows us to accomplish much more than it would if every ministry of the parish pilots its own ship. Parish support is not a one-sided proposition, nor will it be of ultimate benefit to Holy Angels School or Holy Angels Parish. Our greatest accomplishments will come from uniting together as one.

Authentic Learning

We recently had a faculty meeting that was focused on standardized testing, scores, and their relevance and validity. I believe that each individual teacher has his or her own opinion regarding these issues, but generally speaking, we see them as one indicator of student achievement, but not the primary indicator, or even an extremely relevant indicator. I could probably spend the next three months writing about thees rationales and the pros and cons supporting them, but more importantly, it got me thinking more about true "learning"

I have written numerous times about grades vs. learning, the difference between the two, and the ideological world it would be wonderful to live in regarding these issues. Standardized tests raise even more of these discussions. But the day after our meeting, the fourth grade class was involved in a project where they built structures and then tested their ability to withstand a simulated earthquake.

Take a moment to think about what is a better representation of "authentic" learning. I would be willing to bet most of those children will be able to discuss this project many years from now and what they learned. (They do so now, with great enthusiasm.) It will never be asked about on a standardized test, it will never be tested on a piece of paper, but it may very well spark a child's interest in engineering or architecture. It may also help a child to understand all that goes into the completion of a project, how to work with others, and how to be responsible to their group. Again, no learning that will show up on a written test.

As standardized tests become more and more the "norm" for gaging a school's success, we need to keep in mind that assessment has many forms, and many of the skills taught in the classroom will never receive a percent, a stanine or a grade.

Diversity of Interests

Congratulations go out to many different factions of our student body over the last several weeks! Our boys and girls soccer teams recently competed in the CYO Annual Tournament, and both teams played well. Our girls team advanced into the second round, before being defeated on Wednesday 2-1. Watching our teams play was extremely rewarding, primarily because they represented our school well as athletes and as people!

Also taking place on Wednesday was our first ever music recital, which featured performances from over twenty different students or collaborations. I was extremely impressed with all the participants, and floored by the talent that showed itself that evening, ranging form vocal performances, to solo instrument performances and group collaborations and dance. Very impressive, to say the least.

All the Holy Angels students who participated in the recent Civitan track meet must also be recognized, once again for performing well and also for representing the school in a very positive manner.

We have recently seen the reemergence of a cheer leading squad, and Mrs. Bennett's drama and dance classes continue to be extremely popular and well received.

It is so easy to focus on what we "should" have, but I am still impressed by all that we do have. We are fortunate to have coaches, teachers and volunteers who create programs that speak to our children and their diversity of interests. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue throughout Holy Angel's existence.