Our Mission

2. Our Mission St. Croix Preparatory Academy will develop each student’s academic potential, personal character and leadershipqualities through an academically rigorous and content rich educational program grounded in a classical tradition.

3. Upper School Enrollment 2009-2010125 2010-11 165 2011-12 225 2012-13 282 2013-2014 325

4. Upper School Enrollment NOW Class of 2014 76 SENIORS Class of 201575 JUNIORS Class of 201690 SOPHOMORES Class of 201787 FRESHMAN

5. Upper School Class of 2014 76 SENIORS Class of 201575 JUNIORS Class of 201690 SOPHOMORES Class of 201787 FRESHMAN

6. Mission: Academic Potential Inspiring Great Thinkers It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.  ~Albert Einstein Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

7. College Admissions Expectations Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

8. College BoardAdvanced Placement Taking the courses is best preparation for success in college – better than getting a 3,4 or 5 on exam. Concurrent Enrollment where AP unavailable 13+ CB approved courses, 3 more on deck, all teachers have attended training or will be attending training 5 Yr trend summary handout

9. SCPA College Readiness by ACT Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

10. SCPA Class of 2015 Academic Proficiency Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

11. Testing Philosophy • Multiple measures on the dashboard: One of the dashboard gauges we watch • Test scores are still used as gatekeepers for student access to college entrance and course access…therefor student test prep benefits the student in the long run • Accountability? • Window Dressing • Standardized tests are are not always helpful for individual student diagnostics in curriculum

12. Mission Classical: Writing and Rhetoric to Communicate & Understand

13. Rhetoric Stage in the Classical Triviuum Students will learn how to communicate and defend their ideas and engage in classic persuaive argumentation. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”~Aristotle Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development Students will participate in Paideia Seminar in every one of their classrooms. "Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.“ ~Plato

14. Upper School Testing Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

15. Mission: Character Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think. Ralph Waldo Emerson Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

16. Carrying Out the Mission: Character • Plato believed children should be raised to fall in love with virtue • Advisory - why and what good character looks like • Service Requirements for all • Service opportunities for all that are not required • Expectations in class and through policies • Personal Conduct and modeling

17. Identify Model and Convey Traits • citizenship, • courage, • honesty, • integrity, • perseverance, • respect, • responsibility, • compassion, • self-control, and • service .

18. Advisory • Same 12-14 students each year • Starts with Daily Announcements • Helps us maintain the small school feel • Minimizes distractions from regular instructional day • Individualized weekly grade checks T-S demonstrate good habits and show we care • Weekly tutorials give students an opportunity to practice self advocacy • Weekly Service/Choice days give students a chance to practice leadership and community building

19. Advisory Weekly Schedule

21. Advisory Grades • Portfolio Assignments within each quarter from character and college prep work • End of Year Presentations • Service Hours • Pass/Fail • Required for Graduation

22. SCPA Service Hours Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

23. Activities and Club Participation of the SCPA Class of 2015 Two- Thirdsor 55 of SCPA’s ninth graders are involved in extracurricular activities, averaging two activities per students, including….. Inspiring Great Thinkers Archery, Football, Lacrosse, Ski Club, Soccer, Basketball , Cross Country,Tennis , Golf , Baseball, Volleyball, Track, Debate, Speech, Theatre, Band, Orchestra, Choir, Softball, Lego League Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

24. Our Mission St. Croix Preparatory Academy will develop each student’s academic potential, personal character and leadershipqualities through an academically rigorous and content rich educational program grounded in a classical tradition.

25. Leadership Inspiring Great Thinkers “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” John F. Kennedy Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

26. Student Engagement in Extra Curricular Activities is Important Involvement in extra curricular activities helps students be more successful in their school experience Colleges and future employers like to see that students are involved in their community and are well balanced; extra curriculars help to evidence this on the student record. Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

27. Nuts and Bolts

28. DIVISION MEETING SCHEDULE 2013-14(17 Meetings • Wednesday, September 11th Wednesday, February 12th • Wednesday, September 25th Wednesday, February 26th • Wednesday, October 9th Wednesday, March 12th • Wednesday, October 23rd Wednesday, April 2nd • Wednesday, November 6th Wednesday, April 16th • Wednesday, November 20th Wednesday, April 30th • Wednesday, December 11th Wednesday, May 14th • Wednesday, January 15th Wednesday, May 28th • Wednesday, January 29th

29. Early Release • For athletics: • Each Week you get a list from Rich • Football players assigned to study hall last period • Use Midterm Dates – Be proactive! • For every day jobs/activities: • By signed permission only, forms in US office • Students with Zero Hour = Automatic Early Release after Pd. 6…must leave campus with own transport

30. 2013-14 Bell Schedule

31. Important Emails • facilitiessupport@stcroixprep.org • techsupport@stcroixprep.org • purchaseorders@stcroixprep.org

32. What Not to To Wear: SCPA Student Edition • Uniform Guidelines • Modesty Guidelines • Spirit Wear Days • Non-Uniform Days • Coupon Days • Holidays • Bucket of Alternatives • Dates sent via invitation in outlook

33. Communication Protocol • If there is an issue, it should be directly dealt with person-to-person, face-to-face. • Therefor, I and the counseling staff direct students and parents to talk to teachers first before I will be involved with an issue. Most of the time, the issue resolves itself. • This should be the case when you have issues with each other and myself as well. I have an open door. I listen. Often times, when we hear one another’s perspectives, it clears the air completely or leads to a resolution in everyone’s better favor. Failure to share concerns and discuss worries and fears, will exacerbate the problems rather than resolve them and lead to errors in conclusions about how others must be thinking and what may happen and why things may be happening.

34. LOGOS • On the resource drive there is a SCPA Styleguide folder with the correct school logos (new navy and gold tones, Lion looking to the right). As you're creating documents/forms, updating documents, etc. please use the logos in that folder.  • We have a complete styleguide defining logos, colors and fonts nearing completion that we'll share with you soon. In the meantime, please know those logos are available and if you have any questions please let me know. • Thank you. • -Monica

35. Grass Kill and Chemicals • It appears staff members have been pouring chemicals and in the grass outside classrooms. The grass has been killed in these areas and will need to be replaced. • The practice of dumping chemicals into the grass after demonstrations and experiments will stop immediately. • Thank you for your attention in this matter. • Keith Potter • Facility Director • St. Croix Preparatory Academy • 4260 Stagecoach Trail N • Stillwater, MN 55082 • Direct dial 651-395-5907

36. The Wind • What my father means to me.” Ellie Davenport talked about how her dad has helped her cope with scoliosis and how she developed a web site for other girls with scoliosis (gotscoliosis.com). She added that through windsurfing together, her dad taught her to “adjust her sails”. Here’s an excerpt from her essay:
“Through windsurfing, he taught me how to get through hard times. When I was learning, I would get tired and bored; I wanted to quit. But he always said, “We are not leaving until the wind becomes your friend.” So we stayed. I complained. On more than one occasion, I got blown to the middle of the lake only to become stranded. Dad would sail out to me and sail us both back to shore; back to safety. No lectures, no guilt, just love. Finally, one day, I mastered how to use the sail, and the wind stopped being my adversary. It was my new best friend.

37. “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Michelangelo Inspiring Great Thinkers Through Academics, Leadership, and Character Development

38. Q-comp rubric usually does NOT factor into a termination decision. • Appraissal score may or may not be correlated with a termination for performance; it is dependent on the performance issue. • What IS always correlated is the progressive plan so the employee is aware of the situation and has time to and information to address their situation. This may be an area where we can discuss what additional resources to provide teachers who find themselves on a progressive plan.

39. Just to get everyone on the same page. Basics Mobile Lab 1 -32 11" MacBook Air Mobile Lab 2 -32 white MacBook Mobile Lab 3 -31 white MacBook Mobile Lab 4 -32 11" MacBook Air Locations Mobile Labs 2 and 4 are stored in the Middle School Lounge Mobile Labs 1 and 4 are stored in the Upper School Lab Room 223 New Wireless Printers All Mobile Labs have brand new wireless printers.  This means that students don't have to change wireless networks to print.  (All mobile lab computers/printers are on their own "SCPA-Student" network.)  All student labs will also be able to print to the big printers (student print code is 223) Labs Are Reserved With SCPA Google Calendar Go to www.google.com/a/stcroixprep.org.  You should see all 4 Mobile Labs (and the two computer labs)  If not, let me know. One Mobile Lab 3 Laptop Needs a New Battery I don't have time right now to get this fixed or replaced, but it's on my list. Let me know if you have any questions. Chad Olson Technology Coordinator St. Croix Preparatory Academy 4260 Stagecoach Trail North Stillwater, MN. 55082 651-395-5943 colson@stcroixprep.org

42. To Function Together as a Team

43. I will be direct but discreet when there is a performance issue. I will listen. I will coach. I will have an open door. I will not lower standards for you or students or your colleagues . I will want the best for the whole team. When there is enough growth to benefit reward for the students in a quick enough time (6-18 months) then I will be decisive.

44. Starting tomorrow, all teacher faculty requests for facilities and technology assistance should follow the process noted below: Facilities Requests. For facilities requests/assistance, send an email to facilitiessupport@stcroixprep.org.  The email should include your name, location needing service, a short explanation of the service needed, and the timeframe in which it is needed.  Facilities requests will be compiled by Carrie Hamm and communicated to Keith Potter for prioritization and completion.  Emergency requests will be communicated to Keith as quickly as possible.  Technology Requests. For technology requests/assistance, send an email to techsupport@stcroixprep.org.  The email should include your name, location needing service, a short explanation of the service needed, and the timeframe in which it is needed.  Technology requests will be compiled by Sara Bodin and communicated to Chad Olson for prioritization and completion.  Emergency requests will be communicated to Chad as quickly as possible.  Some of the reasons for this change are: ·         At times Keith and Chad are working on projects that prevent them from immediately responding to requests.  This process will ensure that Keith and Chad receive your request in a timely manner. ·         This process will assist in Keith and Chad in the prioritization of work, as well as efficiency in scheduling their work. ·         This process will assist us in determining the School’s overall strategy in addressing facilities and technology service needs. Thanks for your attention to this.  We appreciate it.

45. Remember tomorrow • Celebrate today • Pursue tomorrow • Why are we here? Provide a choice in education for academics character and leadership.

46. At Will Does not Mean At Risk

47. Year to Year Job Determination • Enrollment in total; in electives (try to notify in Spring; can change up or down over summer) • IF it is performance related, multi-step progressive plan model: • Informal, verbal redirection from the director (usually more than once in the form of coaching) • Explicit Verbal “Warning” • Explicit Written Warning • Written Performance plan for growth that is reviewed in HR with HR and the Director • Failure to meet goals of the performance plan in the set time frame will result in job termination

48. . • This year, Upper school enrollment is its largest ever at 325 students. We ended our year last year with 282 students which was our largest ever. This will be our fifth and largest graduating class ever. SCPA's first high school graduates ail graduate from college this year. • As of last week, all of our new teachers now are familiar with the adoption curve. They too can understand what is meant by the phrase, Upper school is almost across the chasm. Great work everyone! Welcome to the newbies! The students are coming back and bringing their friends AND they are telling them it is hard work here…but they say we care. I heard these sentiments about all of us in the 2013 graduation speeches as well.  • This is the spirit with which we teach, hold the students to high standards of character and conduct, as well as rigorous academic standards while showing them that we do it because we care. And it does not hurt to let them know we can have some fun while working hard.  • I look forward to touching base with each of you today! As I observe you working together, I am excited for the teaching our students will learn from this year!