Dear St. Giles Families,
19 more days…11 if you ask the Class of 2022! While this has been a long and, at times, challenging year, we will be out before you know it and off for summer fun! Time truly is flying by.
I’d like to take a minute to share an update about standardized testing at St. Giles School, particularly around our use of iReady in grades K-8. Last year, due to COVID protocols and the inability to remote test using Aspire, the Archdiocese moved to eliminate that test as our final summative assessment. Additionally, ACT, the parent company of Aspire, announced they were retiring that testing option during the summer of 2022. Therefore, the Archdiocese adopted iReady as our annual testing program.
Over the next two weeks, students will complete the third iReady Diagnostic. Our students have done an incredible job over these past two years and overall we have shown great progress. For example, while we continue to work on improving our Typical Growth for math, we are pleased to report that during our 2nd diagnostic, our school-wide ELA Typical Growth was 92%, up significantly from our 2022-21 Typical Growth of 68%. Typical Growth is an important indicator that our students are growing and developing academically throughout the year.
Our goal for this year, which will continue into next year, is to continue to improve our math scores in each grade. Our math teachers have met regularly and worked on aligning our curriculum maps and adjusting areas for remediation where needed. Of note, improvement of math scores is an overall goal for all Archdiocesan schools, not just St. Giles.
This is our 3rd year using iReady in grades K-8 and we have seen significant improvement through the diagnostic testing. Students continue to outpace average targets set by the i-Ready program, which is particularly impressive given these past two school years of the pandemic.
What do we do with these results? There are many ways we use iReady data, including:
- Identifying tier supports for individual students in Reading and Math
- Providing detail within the subject areas for teachers to differentiate instruction
- Reviewing our curriculum and identifying areas for improvement, ultimately outlined in our annual school improvement plan
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We DO NOT use iReady for determining grades in individual classes
- 7th and 8th grade Diagnostic results are submitted to area high schools as part of their application process
I am certain that this brings about questions and, now that we know iReady is in place moving forward, I will be holding an iReady information night this fall when we return to school. This night will include more details about the tests, how they are used and how our students are scoring. In the meantime, to address any questions you have now, I am sharing an overview of iReady, including a guide to help you interpret results, and other parent resources below.
Stay well,
Meg
Family iReady Resources
Welcome Back Mr. Siwek!
This week we welcome back Mr. Siwek from his parental leave and look forward to seeing pictures of his growing family and new baby, Zachary. We are so grateful for Ms. Bell's hard work in his absence.
COVID Update
In addition to the 5 cases I reported earlier last week, we have had an additional 5 positive cases reported. While we are mask optional, we do recommend that students and staff mask, especially our 8th graders as they enter their final weeks. This is such a busy and important time of year – for not only our soon-to-be graduates, but for our younger students as well – with end-of-the-year academics and activities both in school and out. As much as is possible, we don’t want our students to miss out on these important and fun spring events and believe masking is one way to cut down on exposure and spread within our school community. Please see this update with protocols sent earlier this week.
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Strategic Plan
As you know, we've partnered with the Silver Lining Learning team as we undertake the process of developing the school’s next strategic plan! Both St. Giles School and Silver Lining Learning believe that the best strategic planning process involves interactions between all members of the school community. With that in mind, we hope you can attend one parent focus group as we look to garner feedback from our wonderful parent community. We have both in person and virtual opportunities for you to provide feedback for our process. Please join us – our first focus group is tomorrow! If you have any questions, please reach out to Meghan Hurley Gibbs, board chair, at schoolboard@stgilesschool.org. Times and locations are as follows:
5/9 8:15AM, Parish Center Living Room (enter through the Parish Center)
5/17 8:15AM, McDonough Hall
5/17 6:30PM, Parish Center Living Room
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Thank you to all of our parents for showering us with joy, treats, gifts, and notes throughout Teacher Appreciation Week! You made the week fun with surprises every day. We appreciate you and your support as well!
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Thank you for a great year of enrichment. We are so excited that we were able to return to in person enrichment programming this year. Whether or not your children participated in enrichment programs this year, please complete this quick survey that includes areas for suggested future programs that will help us plan for next year. Thank you!
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School Supplies for the 2022-23 School Year
Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about the next school year. Below you will find teacher-generated school supply lists.
Families of students entering Kindergarten through 8th grade have also the option to order school supplies online through Educational Products, Inc. EPI Supplies Pack will be in your child's classroom on the first day of school.
Online ordering is open now through Sunday, June 12th. Click here for more information on the EPI Packs. St. Giles School ID: STG005
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Uniform Update
If you missed our update regarding uniforms, please see this special eNews sent Friday. Uniform Update
St. Giles Summer Enrichment registration is here!
Classes include Chess, Giving Artfully, Legacy Sports, Kids Klub and even ones our littlest Lions can enjoy! For a more detailed description, please look at the 2022 Summer Camp flyer. Most of our teachers have either scheduling conflicts or just need a break, so we have reached out to our vendors and they have responded! Sign up today!
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Please join the St. Giles Council of Catholic Women for an evening of celebration to honor the CCW Woman of the Year:
Marietta Walsh
Tuesday, May 10
6:30 – 8:30pm
The Parish Courtyard, weather permitting
(alternate space will be McDonough Hall)
We hope you can join us for a gathering of friendship and celebration. Snacks and spirits will be served.
In recognition of Marietta’s welcoming spirit, we encourage ALL parishioners to join us to reconnect with friends and fellow parishioners as we honor Marietta. Additional information about this event and award can be found here.
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2022 SUMMER CAMPS & CLINICS
Registration for Summer Camps is now open including the return of Shamrock Sports Camp! Click here to register. Check back as more camps are added!
If you have any questions, contact Matt Reardon, Athletic Director, at 773.282.8844, ext. 295 or mreardon@stpatrick.org
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FUTURE BLAZER NIGHT AT BLAZER SOFTBALL
Future Blazers are invited to cheer on Blazer Softball on Monday, May 2 as they face Mother McAuley! Future Blazers will receive complimentary snacks and giveaways!
Trinity Softball plays at Triton College, 2000 N. 5th Ave, River Grove.
Monday, May 2 at 6:30 PM
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Trinity Musical Theatre Camp
Join Trinity’s Performing Arts Department for a musical theatre camp that will help performers build a strong foundation in acting, vocal technique, and choreography. Theatre games will help stretch their largest muscle; their imagination. There will be a final performance on the evening of the last day of camp where parents, grandparents, and friends can attend.
Students will work with Trinity's Performing Arts teachers to become well-rounded performers while also learning about Trinity’s performing arts curriculum and opportunities!
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5TH - 8TH GRADE BASKETBALL SKILLS CLINIC
Champions are made in the offseason! It's time to start working on the fundamentals to take your game to the next level.
Come work with Trinity's coaching staff on:
Footwork/Speed and Agility, Ballhandling, Passing, Shooting, Defense
Sundays, May 1, May 8, May 15, May 22
Time: 4:30-5:30pm
Grades: 5th through 8th
Cost: $20/session
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