Porter's Post...
...where we present the most current personal missive from our Founder and Head of School, Ms. Barbara Porter. We never know what she is going to say, but it's always interesting, informative, and fun. And always delivered with her inimitable, Anglo-American flair!
As the 2008-2009 school year begins to wind down, we sit back and take stock. This year we maintained an enrollment of 380 students and 50 faculty members. We have been very happy with our full house!
Excellence Without Exclusivity
Keeping in line with our mission of “excellence without exclusivity,” we look at where our students stand academically compared with the national norms in education. Each year, our students are tested using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). At the end of last school year, our students on average were testing above grade level in each grade. For example our kindergarten students were academically at the same level of a first grade student in the middle of the school year. Our 8th grade students were academically at the same level of a twelfth grader. Broken down by grade:
St. Francis National Norm
Kindergarten - 1.5
1st grade - 2.4
2nd grade - 3.9
3rd grade - 5.2
4th grade - 6.4
5th grade - 8.3
6th grade - 8.5
7th grade - 11.7
8th grade - 12
We will post results from this year's ITBS tests as soon as they are available. Our students have just completed testing for this year.
St. Francis students can boast amazing achievements although 21% of our students are considered “special needs.” Over half of our “special needs” students are tutored in school by our Reading and Language Arts Learning Center. They receive extra help in reading, spelling, and written expression. Our school allows those students to be challenged at their level to the point of academic success. Many students with learning challenges achieve academic awards both at school and at the PSIA competitions. Why? Because they work hard. Don’t tell your child how smart he or she is - applaud their hard work.The Well Rounded Child
At St. Francis we believe that the best education is a well-rounded education. With this idea in mind, we offer a wide array of sports for our students. This year we had 5 volleyball teams, 3 flag football teams, and 6 basketball teams. In addition to our two full-time coaches, we brought in qualified coaches from our parent body, the University of Texas, and St. Edward’s University.
Beyond St. Francis
Where do St. Francis graduates go? They go to the best private and public schools throughout Central Texas. St. Francis graduates are now attending St. Michaels, St. Andrews, St. Stephens, Concordia Academy, Language Arts and Science Academy (LASA), McCallum Fine Arts Magnet, Austin High, Anderson High, Khabele School, the International Baccalaureate Program, and other fine schools throughout Austin.
The 2008-2009 School Year
Looking ahead to the future, our faculty has been trained in Singapore Math in order to add this program to our curriculum next year. We were reaccredited by the Texas Association of Accredited Private Schools (TAAPS) in October. In January St. Francis proudly hosted the TAAPS Conference, welcoming teachers and administrators throughout Texas.
Our faculty continues to work hard to meet the needs of a diverse student body. It is not easy to have different learning styles in one classroom, but our faculty members are dedicated and go above and beyond to ensuring that every student is successfully challenged at St. Francis.
St. Francis parents have volunteered countless hours in order to meet the needs of our school. We have had many opportunities to become involved in the success of St. Francis. Our School Board is a volunteer run board whose members are involved in virtually every aspect of dreaming for the future. This year’s committees have been:
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Development
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Scholarship
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Technology
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Finance
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Nominating
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Executive
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Facilities & Maintenance
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Strategic Planning
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School Physical Expansion
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Community Outreach
Joining one of these committees is a wonderful way to become involved at St. Francis.
I hope that each student, parent, and teacher has had, and will continue to have, a wonderful 2008-2009 school year!
