Student Learning Expectations - SLEs - are expectations that our students should know, understand, value, and be able to do by the time they graduate from St. Louise School. Each month, one or two different SLEs are focused on school-wide. Mr. Fitzpatrick announces to all the students the "SLE(s) of the Month" on a Monday intercom announcement at the beginning of each month. The students and their teachers then discuss the meaning of the SLE and come up with examples of how this expectation could be practiced, observed, and realized. They then work all month on improving their knowledge and understanding of this learning expectation, and some grade levels are even able to achieve it later that month or later in the year. Other grade levels will need more years of practice before they can confidently confirm they can satisfy this objective. At the end of the month, each class informs Mr. Fitz what their class did that demonstrated the SLE(s) was accomplished, or is being initially worked on and hopefully will be achieved in the future.

          We focused in February on a Student Learning Expectation around the importance of students being LIFE-LONG LEARNERS: "A St. Louise student demonstrates a solid academic foundation while using problem solving techniques, technology, critical thinking and study skills." (SLE #2.1) A few of these classrooms' reports to Mr. Fitz are highlighted below...

         

One of the SLE reports written in kindergarten class

Kindergarteners wrote sentences and drew accompanying pictures that showed that they indeed are working at accomplishing this learning expectation. For example, one student wrote, "I love science because it is so cool and because I like the explosion." Another wrote, "I am using technology by using a computer. I like looking up history."

          During the 5th graders' winter project - History Maker Scrapbook - they have been demonstrating their solid academic foundation by reading to research people of American history, using critical thinking to choose the most important information to include, using technology to type the components of the scrapbook and formatting the timeline, and using strong study skills to follow the project calendar to keep to all the deadlines. This spring Mrs. Talevich's and Mrs. Cervante's students will present their History Maker projects to their parents and to other grade level students, while dressed as their famous Americans. 
           Similar to these 5th grade projects involving people of American history, projects involving people of Christian faith were created in 4th grade. Using technology, the students typed up Person of Faith reports, adding photos and cutting and pasting these faithful Christians' quotes into their reports.  Mrs. Danforth's and Mrs. Scruggs' students also used critical thinking to determine which of their collected information was vital enough to be added to their report to tell about the faith and Christian actions of their chosen person, and which information, though interesting, was superfluous and not needed for a concise report.

          In the 6th grade, students show evidence of achieving SLE #2.1 in regards to how well they use study skills in Mrs. Patterson's language arts/literature class. They use post-it notes to mark in the novel when they find text evidence to answer a question or to refer to a vocabulary word. They work in groups to take notes over each chapter in their novel to help prepare for reading quizzes.  They have created character posters to present to the class to give further information about the main characters in the novel.  Sixth graders design a plot diagram using these novel notes to chart the introduction, rising action, climax, and falling action of the novel.  They will then use all of these creates, and a study guide, to help them prepare for a two-day final examination over the novel. 

          The expectation that a St. Louise student will be a life-long learner who demonstrates a solid academic foundation doesn't end in February, but our spotlight on this particular SLE will end for now. Instead, moving on to a new month means all the classes will move on to focusing on a new SLE. or in the case of the month of March, focusing on TWO learning expectations. Through March 31, school-wide we will highlight these two Student Learning Expectations:

• SLE #3.1 - "A St. Louise student is a well-balanced individual who practices positive social skills by taking responsibility for one's own actions and showing respect.
• SLE #3.2 - "A St. Louise student is a well-balanced individual who develops mind, body, and spirit by experiencing the arts and participating in physical activity