The Panther

Newsletter Date:

November 1, 2023

Want to stay informed with what is happening at Patrick Henry all year? The PHMS PTO is selling wall calendars for the 2023-2024 school year! The goal of the calendar is to help inform families of all the amazing opportunities happening throughout the year. Each calendar is $15. The proceeds will be used to support the students and staff at Patrick Henry. PTO funds support the Panther Caring Closet, Panther Party, Staff Appreciation Week, Student Recognition, 8th Grade Party, dinner for the staff during conferences. Calendars are available for sale in the PHMS Office.

Please email patrickhenrypantherspto@gmail.com with any questions.

A special thank you to our calendar Sponsors: Baker Audiology, Brady Martz, Britza Performing Arts Studio, Central Bank, North Central Heart, Valvoline Instant Oil Change

November always brings about a season of gratitude and thanksgiving. It is a time for reflection of the things around us that we appreciate and love the most! At Patrick Henry we are especially grateful for our students, families, and our staff who all contribute to the overall success of our school!

World Kindness Day is on November 13th. In honor of this day we are asking our students and families to help show our appreciation and support for Teachers, Office Staff, Custodians, Lunch Service Workers, Education Assistants, Bus Drivers, or anyone else that dedicates their career to helping and educating our kids! We are encouraging all students and parents to help us celebrate World Kindness Day by writing uplifting notes to share with a staff member who has demonstrated kindness, or has gone the extra mile for you or your student. Our goal is to spread kindness and encourage each other despite staff shortages and the extra responsibilities that often fall on the shoulders of school staff. Students and parents can drop a note in the school office to be delivered to a particular staff member, send me an email with a message that could be shared (kim.sharping@k12.sd.us), or spread kindness in any way you that works for you! We would love to share all kindness messages with staff during the week of November 13th – 17th.

Thank you for your help in this fun and uplifting project, and for spreading kindness around the Patrick Henry Community! One kind act can change someone’s entire day!

Mrs. Sharping

If your child is going to be absent, please call the school (367-7639) prior to 8:40am. An absence must be reported either by note or phone in the day of the absence, or before if you know ahead of time. Absences can also be reported via voice mail outside of regular office hours. Students leaving during the day need to pick up a pass in the office by 9:00am and also check out with a parent/guardian at the office when leaving. If they come back during the school day, a pass from the front office needs to be issued in order for them to get back into the classroom. Student safety is the main concern and this procedure provides another check on a student’s absence.

Now you can complete your Back to School List in one place, before you arrive at Panther Preview!

Visit https://phmspanthers.ptboard.com/

PTBoard - Patrick Henry Middle School PTO

• Order Spirit Wear
• Order a Yearbook
• Order Chromebook Insurance
• Order School Pictures
• Apply for Free and Reduced Lunch
• Add Money to Lunch Accounts
• Review Bus Boundaries
• Read the PHMS Newsletter

PTO is currently seeking leadership for

Fundraising/Calendar Chair

Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs

8th Grade Party

Please let us know if you would like to get involved! Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, November15th from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. at PHMS. All are invited!

Tracy Weiss and Amber Edelen, Co-Presidents

patrickhenrypantherspto@gmail.com

Each student selected was invited to celebrate in the library during their pro time on October 20th.

PBL Academy Open Houses at JHS for any 8th grade family! For more information you can also check here https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/o/jhs/page/project-based-learning

We have three fantastic school counselors at Patrick Henry! Please click on the "Counselor Corner" button below to view the counselor's newsletter for this month that houses many helpful resources, social, emotional learning information and much more. This information is provided to help both students and parents navigate the middle school years!

Mrs. Briana Nelsen - 6th Grade

Mrs. Chelsea Timm - 7th Grade

Ms. Hannah Serck - 8th Grade

You can also access the counseling website by clicking the link right next to our counseling phone number!

Website: https://sites.google.com/k12.sd.us/phms-counseling/home
Phone: (605) 367-8443

All incoming 6th grade students, and any student enrolling in SFSD for the first time, must be up to date on vaccinations before the first day of school. Please see the attached document for the required vaccines.

Lunch and breakfast are available each day at school. If you believe your family may qualify for free or reduced lunch/breakfast, please click on the link below or scan the QR code to fill out the application. https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

If your child is going to be absent, please call the school (367-7639) prior to 8:40am. An absence must be reported either by note or phone in the day of the absence, or before if you know ahead of time. Absences can also be reported via voicemail outside of regular office hours. Students leaving during the day need to pick up a pass in the office by 9:00am and also check out with a parent/guardian at the office when leaving. If they come back during the school day, a pass from the front office needs to be issued in order for them to get back into the classroom.

After attendance is taken each morning, an automated call will go out to any family who has not notified the school regarding a student’s absence. Student safety is the main concern and this procedure provides another check on a student’s absence.

By Dr. Jane Stavem, Superintendent

It's been said that in order to know where you're going, you need to understand where you've been. In education, understanding where we've been is crucial to improving the educational experience for our students.

One area where we've seen significant changes over the years is in the way we report student proficiency. This evolution has prompted us to reflect on how far we've come and whether these changes are truly transformative or if they've simply shone a light on information that was previously hidden.

If you're like me, you may have fond memories of your school days. You might recall your classmates, teachers, and the unique experiences that shaped your education. But how much do you remember about standardized test scores and proficiency levels? Chances are, not much. In fact, many of us never had those scores reported publicly, and it makes you wonder: Has anything changed, or is it just that we now know about it thanks to the changes that began with the No Child Left Behind Act?

The No Child Left Behind Act, passed in 2001, was a significant turning point in education policy. It required schools to report student achievement data, disaggregated by various subgroups, including race and socioeconomic status. This marked a shift in transparency and accountability in our education system, but it also raised questions about whether the emphasis on standardized test scores was fair to both students and schools.

Before this era of transparency, we had a vague understanding of who the top performers were in our graduating class, and we had little information about those who were struggling. We might have known the valedictorian, the star athlete, or the class president, but we had little insight into the individual strengths and challenges of our peers. The idea of proficiency, in terms of standardized test scores, was rarely discussed openly.

I think about my own class of 26 graduates from our small Nebraska community. Here’s the breakdown of what could be determined as proficiency based on our post-high school enrollments and who received special education services:

• 8 students received special services and did not go to a program after high school - 31%

• 3 students went to a vocational school - 12%

• 6 students completed a four-year degree - 23%

• 9 students completed a post-baccalaureate degree program - 35%

All of them are gainfully employed, some of them were big surprises as successful adults, and nobody vilified my school district because a quarter of my class was struggling readers.

Fast forward to the present day, and the landscape of education looks quite different. Our focus on reporting student proficiency and holding schools accountable for their performance has increased significantly. We have embraced data-driven decision-making, which has both benefits and challenges. While this increased transparency has shed light on achievement gaps and prompted schools to address disparities, it has also raised concerns about the narrowing of curriculum and excessive testing.

In asking whether these changes have truly transformed education, it's important to consider the trade-offs. Are we now more aware of student proficiency because it's being measured more rigorously, or are we simply more attuned to it due to policy changes and headlines? Moreover, are we striking the right balance between a focus on accountability versus the holistic development of our students?

As we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of education, it's crucial to remember that proficiency scores are just one piece of the puzzle. We must also recognize and value the diverse talents, passions, and aspirations of our students. The well-rounded development of young minds is a complex endeavor, and standardized testing, while valuable for assessment benchmarking, should never be the sole measure of a student's potential or success.

The changes in reporting student proficiency have undoubtedly transformed our educational landscape for good and for bad, and the true impact lies in how we use this information to support our students and schools.

Let's continue to focus on a well-rounded education for all while valuing the talents and potential of each of our students. Some of them may surprise us along the way!

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to the Sioux Falls School District.

Website: http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/patrick-henry/students-parents
Location: 2200 South 5th Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-367-7639
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PanthersSF
Twitter: @PanthersSF