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Cross disciplinary classes help make St. Francis Xavier a Blue Ribbon School
Kevin E. Brown
Medina, Ohio
Students at Medina's St. Francis Xavier School aren't at all surprised that their
school was one of only six Ohio private schools to receive a 2011 Blue Ribbon
School award for academic excellence from the U.S. Department of Education.
Teagan Webb, 13, and Alex Sheldon, also 13, only need to think back to a certain
Saturday about three years ago to find just one reason for the school's honor.
These now 8th grade students at St. Francis Xavier School recall their 5th grade
experience with a simulated emergency response exercise during which they were
part of a team that managed the logistics of a simulated evacuation for a Caribbean
island population suffering the aftermath of a volcano eruption and a hurricane.
It was a lot to handle for young students--and yet, Webb and Sheldon felt their
classroom work and learning experiences prepared them for the task.
The emergency response simulation, which used computer technology to link
the then St. Francis Xavier 5th graders to a central emergency response team
at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, is just one example of many
that shows how the school integrates technology and classroom learning into
the overall curriculum--and gives students opportunities to apply knowledge.
The students participating in the emergency simulation applied math and science
skills to predict subsequent weather events in the simulated natural disasters
exercise and they used communication and strategic planning skills to simulate
the movement of the Caribbean island population to safety and security. All of
this happened within a quick decision-making timeframe on that memorable Saturday,
explained Sandra Bevec, St. Francis Xavier principal.
This type of cross-discipline integration and application of knowledge is part
of the reason why St. Francis Xavier School was one of a total of 315 schools
nationwide to receive the 2011 Blue Ribbon School Award. Three other Cleveland
Diocesan schools were among the 2011 recipients of the award.
The Blue Ribbon School award honors public and private elementary, middle, and
high schools whose students attain and maintain high academic goals. During the
past 29 of the U.S. Department of Education giving the Blue Ribbon award, only
6,000 schools throughout the country have received it.
St. Francis Xavier emphasizes the real application of technology and knowledge,
explained Bevec. She also added that the school's overall academic achievement,
standardized testing score results, along with the integrated curriculum allowed
St. Francis Xavier, a pre-kindergarten through 8th grade school with slightly
more than 500 students, to apply for the award in the "high performing school"
category. Some Blue Ribbon schools apply and receive recognition based on significant
improvement and the narrowing of achievement gaps.
Mindy Woll, St. Francis Xavier librarian and 7th grade language arts teacher,
helped write the school's application for the Blue Ribbon award. Integration
was a theme running through the application, she explained. Not only the
integration of curriculum, as shown in the application of math skills, science
knowledge, applied technology and communication skills used in Webb and Sheldon's
emergency simulation exercise, but also a great deal of integration of input
from faculty and students went into the application, Woll stated. "It was
a group effort," she said. Writing the application took about year, Woll
added.
COURTESY ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL
Drew Musgrave, 14, an 8th grade student and president of the student council
credited the school's award to his teachers. "The teachers really prepare us
to do our best," he said. "They work with us in a way that makes you really
want to do well." Musgrave not only feels prepared, but also stated that the
teachers push and help the students to perform at higher levels. Musgrave said
that he is studying Algebra I this school year, which places him a year ahead
in his math level--and he credits his math teachers with helping achieve this
higher level of study.
The younger students at St. Francis Xavier also expressed similar feelings
about their school, their teachers, and the school's award. Seamus Oliver,
8, a 2nd grade student, said, "If it will help us, our teachers will do it."
Third grade students Alexandra Dillon, 8, and Anna Hamel, also 8, expressed
enthusiasm about their learning experiences in the classroom--especially how
their religion studies are incorporated into the curriculum.
"We get to pray every day and learn about God," Dillon said. Hamel, whose
favorite subject is science, said that she likes to learn about God's creation.
Bevec also credited the support of parents and the parish as key to the school's
and the students' success. She stated that the school would not have all of
its technological equipment without the support of the parents and parish.
"When we need new technology, we fund-raise," Bevec stated. The school has
been able to purchase smart boards for classrooms, has a 20-plus station computer
lab, laptops, and also purchased document cameras.
The document cameras, Woll explained, are those used on cooking shows. You
can get an overhead view of what is on a table, she said. These cameras are
used in the classroom to project science experiments, as well as text onto
a screen. It's all part of the school's integration of technology in the classroom,
Woll stated.
St. Francis Xavier celebrated the Blue Ribbon award with a celebratory Mass
in November. During the Mass, Father Tony Sejba, pastor of the parish, congratulated
the school on its honor, but added, "We do not rest." Striving for higher levels
of excellence is ongoing and part of the St. Francis Xavier culture.
After the Mass was completed the Blue Ribbon flag was raised in front of the
school to mark the achievement. The flag was given to St. Francis Xavier by
the U.S. Department of Education during the 2011 award ceremony in Washington,
D.C. The ceremony took place earlier in November. During the Mass, the students
also wore Blue Ribbon t-shirts to the Mass, Bevec said.
Bevec also shared that now, when she walks down the halls of the schools, she
frequently hears students saying, "Blue Power!" She added that students frequently
wear their 'Blue Ribbon' t-shirts. It's part of the students' school spirit,
she said.
Brown is a freelance writer.