Junior High Parent

OrientationSt. Therese

Chinese Catholic School

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Goals of a St. Therese JH Education● High School Readiness

○ Articulating knowledge and deep UNDERSTANDING○ Meeting individuals at their level

○ Build a Growth mindset - I CAN DO THIS!

● Independence and Accountability ○ Personally responsible for our own learning

○ Utilizing modern skills across multiple platforms

○ Recognizing and accepting consequences

● School & Home collaboration○ Communication options

○ Academic honesty

○ SFA Involvement

Tonight’s Topics: ● Handbook

○ Attendance

○ Academics & Honesty

○ Bullying

○ Uniforms

○ Faith Formation, Service Hours & Competitions

● Technology Overview ○ Edline

○ PowerSchool

○ Google Account

○ Chromebooks

○ Digital Resources

● SFA - School and Family Association

Handbook: Attendance● Goal: regular, timely attendance. However…

○ 20 or more combined absences / tardies

■ 3 weeks summer school

○ 20 or more absences

■ 4 weeks summer school

■ Administrative meeting with family

○ Medical Considerations:

■ Long term illness

■ Consecutive absences require doctor’s note

Handbook: Academics● Missing a deadline = Missing Work

○ 0% (No Grade) entered into PowerSchool

● Flags / Emails sent for missing work ○ Return the flag signed / parental email reply with missing work

○ 0% is removed, assignment is given an appropriate grade

● Parents can access PowerSchool online ○ Teachers will not follow up after initial contact

● Multiple missing assignments may result in:○ Detention

○ Suspension

○ Impact on final grade

○ Academic retention

Handbook: Academics● Corrections to assignments and assessments:

○ All teachers allow for some version of improvement for unsatisfactory grades

○ The format is teacher’s discretion and/or by appointment after school

● Extra Credit ○ Offered at the individual subject area teacher’s discretion

○ May not be applied to all assignment types

● Tests: ○ Study Guides available for unit / chapter tests

○ May be on the portal or Drive

○ May be emailed

Handbook: Honesty ● Plagiarism: automatic 0% until resubmitted and behavioral consequence

○ Plagiarism: work NOT originating with the student but represented as being original

○ Copying from a student, print, audio or digital source can be plagiarism

● www.TurnItIn.com prevents both accidental and deliberate plagiarism ○ Teachers will give students an account as necessary

○ Students receive instruction on how to cite a source and write a bibliography

Handbook: Bullying● Archdiocesan Mandate:

○ Defined by the Archdiocese

○ All activity meeting those criteria are deemed as such

○ Consequences are immediate and non-negotiable

BULLYING is any act or conduct

● Physical, electronic, verbal, emotional, or sexual

● Which can be reasonably described as intentional, repeated, hurtful● And which also:

○ Creates fear of harm

○ Has a detrimental affect on the academic, social, mental and /or physical health

○ Interferes with inclusion and participation in school activities and services

Handbook: Uniforms (Girls)● White button down dress shirt

● Red tie, navy blue blazer with the STCCS patch

● Knee-length skirts (shorts or bike shorts worn beneath)

● White, knee-high socks

● Black dress shoes

Handbook: Uniforms (Boys)● White button-down dress shirt

● Navy blue tie - appropriate size

● Navy blue blazer with STCCS patch and navy

● Blue dress pants

● Black dress shoes

● Black or blue socks

Handbook: Gym Uniforms - Girls and BoysWarm Weather

● White gym shirt with St. Therese emblem● Knee-length navy blue shorts with St. Therese emblem● Gym shoes

Cold Weather

● Navy blue sweatshirt with St. Therese emblem● Navy blue sweatpants with St. Therese emblem

Faith Formation - Mr. Howard● Sacramental Sense ● Developing the Whole

Child

Faith Formation

Faith Formation - MAY CROWNING

Faith Formation - BACCALAUREATE MASS

Handbook: Service Hours

● Everyone: ○ Turn in a service hours sheet each

Trimester

○ All service hours outside St. Therese

require a signed pre-approval form

prior to the actual activity date

● Pre-Approval forms are available on our website○ Only outside activities pre-approved will count for service

○ Only Ms. Oi and Ms. Cavallone can approve outside school service hours

● Only hours turned in as described count

● Failure to complete service hours can result in mandatory service over summer

Handbook: Service Hours● 5th and 6th - 25 hours ● 7th and 8th - 35 hours + In-school Job each Trimester● Service Hour opportunities can be found:

○ From Mr. Howard

○ From individual teachers as-needed after school

○ In the monthly newsletter (school events and outings)

○ On the school website

○ From the St. Therese Church:

■ Altar Servers, Choir, Lector programs

● Contact Mr. Joe Delfin through the Church if you are interested

Handbook: Performance and Competition● 7th and 8th grade students are asked to enter the following:

○ History Bee & Geographic Bee (usually around Catholic Schools Week in January)

○ Handwriting & Spelling Bee

○ Math League (Catholic Math League and ICTM) 5th - 8th

○ IJAS Region 2 Nonpublic Science Fair*○ QED Math Symposium*

■ *The same project could be entered into these two competitions

■ Service hours for their performance at these city level events

■ Nonparticipation hurts the curriculum fair grade - not the subject grade

■ Optional for 7th and below, required for 8th - extra credit and service hours for others

■ 6th graders are encouraged to volunteer for events for an even earlier start

■ Curriculum Fair Grades must be A-/>2 for honor roll, same as subject area

Healthy Mind and BodyWe highly encourage students to become involved!

● Student Youth Council● Dance - K-pop, lantern, drum, handkerchief, ribbon….● Drumming - drum line & taiko● Athletics - volleyball, football, basketball, track, etc.,● Coming soon…..Girls Who Code, Robotics, NJHS, and more!

Technology: New Website & Email Communications

● www.sttheresechicago.org is the St. Therese School website ● Permanent storage of important files

■ The school page has school / office files

■ Teacher pages have teacher files

○ Communication tool for parents and students

■ Calendar, announcements, videos and other resources

■ Teacher Calendars for student assignments

● It is supplemented by SchoolMessenger and Constant Contact○ Newsletters, school closings, School and Church Event reminders

● Please see the office or email the homeroom teacher if you don’t get the email● Mr. Flip, Mr. Chang or Mr. Gonzalez to get help w/username & passwords

Technology: PowerSchool

● Online Gradebook updated weekly ○ monitor your Student’s grades via PowerSchool

○ Sign up for daily / weekly emails

○ Receive email from teachers for missing

assignments (your email must be accurate in school

records)

● PowerSchool has its limitations:○ Weekly emails are several days behind

○ Teachers may also be several days behind

○ The combined effect is up to a 1-2-week

discrepancy to real time

● PowerSchool login is sent home at the start of every year. Your teacher can help you if you need this information again.

Technology: Google Accounts● Every St. Therese JH student gets a Google Account, provided by the school

○ 5th grade: co21FirstName@student.sttheresechicago.org

○ 6th grade: co20…

○ 7th grade: co19…

○ 8th grade: co18

● Student emails are used to: ○ Assign and collect work

○ Send homework daily

● Grants access to Google Drive ○ File sharing, storage, and live-time collaboration

○ Assists in remote group project and work

Technology: Google Accounts● Parents: use your smartphone to log into your students’ emails to get all

teacher emails and emails from classmates (to prevent spam…)

● Please note: YOU cannot email your student - @student.sttheresechicago.org can ONLY receive other email from @sttheresechicago.org

● To get or reset Google Account passwords, please communicate with Mr. Flip

Technology: Chromebooks● Each student in 5th - 8th is assigned a School Owned Chromebook

○ Chromebooks are basically laptops and have all the same functionality

○ With their google account, students should:

■ Log in and save their passwords for:

● Google Email & Drive

● Digital Textbooks (some classes)

● Mr. Gonzalez: Duolingo, Scratch, Snap, etc…

● ELA & Math: IXL, LightSail

● Science: thinkCERCA, Turnitin.com, IXL

● Families may opt out and provide their own device

Technology: Chromebooks● Chromebooks are the financial responsibility of the family:

○ Students receive the same Chromebook from 5th to 8th

○ Padded cases with a shoulder strap are required

● When a Chromebook is damaged: ○ Families must pay for the damage

○ Costs may include not only the replacement cost as well as the cost of a new device

○ St. Therese may decline to issue a new device but allow a device from home

● Device usage is a privilege and may be revoked○ This applies to student with school-issued Chromebooks and those who bring their own device

Technology: Digital Resources● There are no digital text editions for Social Studies or Science

○ Teachers supplement text with online resources which are free & fair use

○ Social Studies uses a non-password digital edition (7th and 8th only)

○ Students manage their own BrainPop accounts

● ELA uses LightSail and Holt McDougal○ Please contact your ELA teacher if you need assistance with these licensed resources

● Math has an online component ○ Please contact Ms. Hang for help assisting this licensed resource

● World Languages: ○ Spanish and Mandarin both use student-managed websites - the teachers do not manage their

login or passwords

● IXL licences are K and up; contact Mr. Gonzalez with problems

Technology: Digital Assessments● ASPIRE testing:

○ Taken in the spring

○ Interim ASPIRE testing/test-prep 3x-4x before the summative test in April

○ FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS on writing and reading within a set time period

● MAP/NWEA for 6th 7th and 8th ○ Testing & monitoring also taken online

○ Given during Saturday school & summer boot camps

SFA - School And Family Association

Time to let your student do more on their own,

but there is still a way you can do more for them…

Need help? Reach out! We respond back in ~24-48hrs(email addresses available on our website too)

3, 4 & 5/ELA: 5- 8/Science:

PE/Soc Studies: 6, 7 & 8/ELA:

5 - 8/Math: Religion 7/8:

SS/Religion 5/6: Spanish/Tech:

Mandarin: Assistant Principal:

Principal:

Mr. HentiesMs. Biel Mr. ChruscielMs. KielusiakMs. HangMr. HowardMr. FlipMr. Gonzalez Mrs. LeeMs. Oi Ms. Cavallone

mhenties@sttheresechicago.org cbiel@sttheresechicago.org jchrusciel@sttheresechicago.orgkkielusiak@sttheresechicago.orgchang@sttheresechicago.orgthoward@sttheresechicago.orgnfilipiak@sttheresechicago.orgagonzalez@sttheresechicago.orgjlee@sttheresechicago.orgdoi@sttheresechicago.orgprincipal@sttheresechicago.org

Website - teacher pages!

Let us take a moment…...

Thank You!

(This concludes our presentation.)