Cradled in rural northeastern Indiana is one of the finest Catholic schools in the state. St. Louis Academy, located on Lincoln Highway East, has been giving children and teens a solid educational foundation since 1915.
St. Louis Academy, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade, welcomes new families and keeps the spirit of tradition alive for families who have been part of the community for generations.
At St. Louis Academy people come first. Our student-centered approach to teaching is distinguished by: personal attention, parent involvement, dedicated staff and Christian values in all subjects.
At St. Louis Academy we understand family life in the 21st century.
Come meet our family
Exciting opportunities await your family at St. Louis Academy. You can arrange to meet the members of our school family and see our facilities by calling (260) 749-5815.
School History
Under Construction
Academics With A Plus
At St. Louis Academy we believe in preparing students for a lifetime of learning by building a strong foundation in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Our math and science classes blend hands-on activities and creative problem solving skills with more traditional classroom techniques.
Each student's academic experience is enhanced by regular instruction in:
* Art
* Computer training
* Classroom music physical education
* Liturgical music religious education
St. Louis students do well historically on the ISTEP test. As of Fall 2008, the ISTEP passing rate for St. Louis was 95%. Eighth grade achieved 100% pass rate, number one of all non-public schools in the state in 2000. Our third grade achieved the same honor in 2001.
In addition to technology available in the school's computer lab, St. Louis students have access to computers in their classrooms. Visits to museums, historical sites and nature preserves also supplement the academic program at St. Louis Academy.
Our teachers, fully certified by the State of Indiana, add to the strength of our curriculum. With an average of 12 years of teaching experience, our faculty renews its commitment to exemplary teaching each year.
Every Student Counts
St. Louis Academy operates as a family. With fewer than 110 students, our average class size is 17. Because of our small size and personal approach to instruction, each student benefits from individual attention in the classroom.
Another distinctive feature of St. Louis Academy is the warm spirit of cooperation among school, staff, parents, alumni and parishioners. Volunteers assist school employees on a daily basis in helping students reach their full potential.
The school board and the Home and School Association (HASA) also provide an opportunity for parents to become involved.
* Christ-centered teaching
* Our Catholic tradition sets the tone for every aspect of learning at St. Louis Academy. From the way students are taught to treat one another to their community service projects, St. Louis students embrace the Catholic faith throughout the school day.
* Daily religion lessons
* Traditional daily prayers
* Weekly liturgies
* Celebration of Christian feast days
* Traditions marking church seasons
* Involvement in daily parish life
Accreditation
St. Louis Academy is fully accredited through June, 2010. All textbooks and course materials are adopted to meet state as well as diocesan standards of excellence. Students receive instruction in the basic academic subjects. Music, physical education, art and computer instruction are also important components. Religious education, the fundamental core of the curriculum, meets both diocesan criteria and St. Louis Parish enrichments.
Administration, Faculty and Staff
Fr. Stephen E. Colchin, Pastor
Ms. Cheryl Whitaker, Principal
Ms. Anita Bowers, Secretary
Ms. Vanessa Diller, Kindergarten
Ms. Sue Rost, First and Second Grades
Ms. Jenna Corson, Third and Fourth Grades
Ms. Sarah Carvey, Fifth and Sixth Grades
Mr. Brent Tubbs, Seventh and Eighth Grades
Ms. Rita Brueggeman, Teachers' Aide
Ms. Cindy Givens, Art Instructor
Miss Vanessa Liggett, Music Instructor
Ms. Rachelle Burkhead, Physical Education
Ms. Janice Robbins, Cafeteria Manager
Ms. Ellen Oberley, Librarian
Ms. Kelly Hamman, School Nurse
2010-2011 Home and School Association Officers
Ms. Pam Berning, President
Ms. Melissa Fielden, Vice President
Ms. Jenny Wyss, Secretary
Ms. Nicole Voglewede, Treasurer
2010-2011 School Board
Mrs. Margaret Witham, President
Mrs. Rebecca Whitman
Mrs. Tracey Jacquay
Mr. Phyllis Stuerzenberger
Mrs. Jennie Van Horn
St. Louis Athletic Director
Mrs. Devonna Davis
Vision Statement
The vision of St. Louis Academy is to provide a Christ-centered education as a foundation for life. All students will be challenged to reach their potential academically, socially, and spiritually.
Mission Statement
All stakeholders have an interest in our vision. We will provide the method, process, and procedures necessary to challenge our students academically, socially, and spiritually. A system of evaluation and revision for academics will be in place to assure that our vision remains at the center of our work.
Academically
Mastery of grade level skills by 85%
Follow the Indiana State Standards
Enhance learning beyond the classroom
Develop inquiry skills through problem solving
Utilize “Best Practices”
Participate in Professional Development
Academically we will evaluate and revise through...
Indiana Reading Assessment ? Earobics
Plato
I-Step
Baselines
Standard and non-standard assessment
Socially
Working together to accomplish tasks
Participate in community involved activities
Offer extra-curricular activities
Socially we will evaluate and revise through...
Conduct grade
Spiritually
Set a foundation for future growth in religious faith so that students will enjoy a personal relationship with God throughout their lives
Help students demonstrate their understanding of the gospel values in their
everyday activities.
Develop the student’s sense of belonging to a Christian community
Develop student participation in the many forms of worship.
Biblical Pronunciation
Ever wonder how to pronounce those names in the Bible? Then this is the site for you.
Calendar
The purpose of this calendar is to assist you with planning appointments and vacations. School Hours are 8:15 to 2:50, with an early release on Wednesdays at 2:25.
August 2010
/
16
first day of school
/
18
first mass
/
19
bus service starts
/
23
Mass, Back-to-School night and HASA mtg., 6-8 pm
/
24
Coaches meeting (for both schools) at St. Rose , 6:30 pm
/
25
St. Louis Feast Day donuts after mass in school cafeteria
/
30
Mass
September
1
Early dismissal starts on Wednesdays, 2:20 pm
/
3
First Friday Mass
/
6
Labor Day, no school
/
8
Mass: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
13
Mass; School board @ 6:30 pm
/
15
Birthday Mass for August and Sept.
/
15-18
Rummage Sale (HASA)
/
20
Mass; Confessions; Pizza Hut night and skating party 6-8:30
/
21
picture day
/
22
Mass; Confessions
/
27
Mass
/
29
Mass
October
1
First Friday Mass; Children’s Holy Hour Exposition diocesan wide
/
4
Mass
/
6
Mass
/
9
Square Dance (HASA)
10
Bishop Rhoades here to celebrate Mass; family picnic & games
/
11
Mass
/
13
October birthday Mass
/
15
End of Q1
18
Mass
/
20
Mass
/
21
Grandparents’ Day with lunch and program afterward
/
22
Grade cards
/
24
Trick or Trunk; coffee & donuts (HASA)
/
25
Mass; Conferences 3-7
/
26
Conferences 3-7
/
27
Mass
28
No school, teachers at INPEC conference
/
29
No school, teachers at INPEC conference
November
1
All Schools’ Mass @ Grand Wayne Center TBD
/
2
HASA mtg. 6:30
/
3
Mass, 4th grade saints day
/
5
First Friday Mass; no EACS school or bus today
/
8
Mass
10
Mass
/
12
No bus or EACS school, records day
/
15
Mass; Confessions; Pizza Hut night and skating party, 6-8:30
/
17
Mass; November birthdays; Confessions
/
21
SLB Ham & Turkey Dinner/Festival
/
22
Mass
/
23
2nd grade meeting for reconciliation @ 6:30
/
24
Mass, 1/2 day for students (staff curriculum workshop)
/
25
No school, Thanksgiving
/
26
No school Thanksgiving break
/
28
coffee & donuts (HASA)
29
Mass; First Reconciliation @ 6:30 pm
December
1
Mass
/
3
First Friday Mass
/
4-5
Home Party Expo (TBD tentative HASA)
/
6
Mass; Geography Bee @ 12:45
/
8
Mass; December birthdays
/
13
Mass
/
15
Mass
/
17
Last day before Christmas Break; HASA Christmas lunch; End of Q2
January
3
Back to school; Mass
/
5
Mass
/
7
First Friday Mass; Report cards
/
8
Square Dance
/
10
Mass; Spelling Bee @ 12:45
/
12
Mass
/
17
MLK day: Yes school; Mass
/
19
Mass; January birthdays
/
24
Mass
/
25
Pizza Hut night and skating party, 6-8:30
/
26
Mass
30
Student mass for Catholic Schools’ Week (Jan 30 - Feb 4); coffee & donuts after mass (HASA)
31
Mass
February
1
Mass
/
4
First Friday Mass
/
7
Mass
/
9
Mass; February birthdays
/
12
Square dance (HASA)
/
14
Mass; Valentine’s Day
/
15
HASA mtg. 6:30
/
16
Mass
/
18
First round speech
/
21
School TBD (possible snow makeup day)
/
23
Mass
/
27
coffee & donuts (HASA)
/
28
Mass; ISTEP begins (Feb. 28 - Mach 10)
March (Open House & registration dates TBD)
2
Mass (ISTEP continues until March 10)
/
4
First Friday Mass; End of Q3; Fish Fry (HASA)
/
7
Mass
/
9
Ash Wednesday
/
10
Grade Cards
/
11
No school (Staff ICF Day @ Bishop Dwenger); School Carnival TBD
/
14
Mass; 2nd round speech
/
16
All Schools at Notre Dame for Pueri Cantores Festival with mass at 2 or 3 pm, TBD
/
17
St. Patrick’s Day
/
21
Mass
/
23
Mass: March birthdays
/
27
coffee & donuts (HASA)
/
28
Mass
/
30
Mass
April
1
First Friday Mass; 1/2 day for students (staff curriculum workshop)
/
4-8
Spring Break
/
11
Mass
/
13
Mass: April birthdays; Speech Final @ 6:30 pm
13-16
Rummage Sale (HASA)
/
18
Mass (Holy Week)
/
19
Second grade retreat, 3-5; HASA mtg. 6:30
/
20
Mass
/
21
Holy Thursday
22
Good Friday, No School possible snow makeup day (Father said if we have school, students may do Stations/Rosary at church, or parents may pick them up for service at St. Rose). No bus service.
25
Mass; ISTEP 2nd half begins (April 25 - May 4)
/
27
Mass
May
1
First Communion at SLB, 10:15 Mass
/
2
Mass (ISTEP continues)
/
4
Mass
/
6
First Friday Mass; May crowning
8
Mother’s Day
/
9
Mass
/
11
Mass: May birthdays
/
16
Mass
/
18
Mass
/
23
Mass
/
25
Mass
/
26
Tentative last day, provided there are no snow days
/
30
No School: Memorial Day
Graduation is tentatively set for the 22nd or the 29th. Students in the 8th grade will need to return to complete the 180 day state requirement as needed. No dates set for the 7th and 8th grade trip yet. No date set for 8th grade graduate liturgy at the Cathedral. No field trip dates yet. See monthly school calendars for updates as they are sent home.
St. Louis Academy Alumni
Alumni Support Appeal
Support from alumni and friends is more important now than ever with the rising cost of education. Consider investing in the future by making a tax-deductible donation to the St. Louis Academy Alumni Appeal.
Please consider calculating your support based on the year you graduated from SLA. For example, if you graduated in 1957, you may wish to contribute $1,957.00, $195.70 or $19.57.
Our Alumni list is just half completed. Please assist us in compiling and maintaining our records by notifying our Alumni Coordinator of any address changes or missed graduates.
Scrip is a fund raising program that allows nonprofit organizations like St. Louis Academy to raise thousands of dollars at no extra cost to its families and supporters.
How Does Scrip Work?
Each week the school buys gift certificates (scrips) at discounts from grocery, restaurant, retail, drug, department, and specialty stores all over the United States. A percentage discount is given to us at the time of purchase. We then resell the Scrip to you, the school families and other parish members, at full face value and realize substantial profits. These profits are then passed directly on to you in the form of tuition assistance. St. Louis is one of the only schools in the diocese that gives directly back to its school families. Each quarter you will see 75% of your families profit deducted right off of your tuition statement.
SCRIP is not a fundraiser like raffle tickets, selling candy or magazines. SCRIP can be referred to as "shopping cart fundraising". Your family can produce revenue by making purchases you would make anyway. Groceries, clothing, toys, gifts, and gasoline can be purchased with SCRIP. Studies show that a school of our size can easily spend nearly one million dollars per year on these essentials. If we can use SCRIP for these purchases, we can raise as much as $15,000 PROFIT per year for our families--- without spending an additional penny. It is crazy not to!
That is why we are asking EACH of the families in our school to try SCRIP. Then, the key is, to incorporate it into your budget and spending habits on a permanent basis. Once you start, it can become easy to support the generous merchants in our area who give us these deep discounts by shopping with SCRIP. There is no reason St. Louis should not take full advantage of this program. NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO START!
Where Can I Get Scrip?
SCRIP is available in the parish office from 8:00 a.m. - noon each weekday, after both weekend masses in the cry room, and/or by sending in an order form with your child each Friday. You simply fill out the order form and pay with cash or make your check payable to ST. LOUIS SCRIP. We encourage and welcome your participation. If you have further questions on just how SCRIP works, now is the time to ask!
Thank you for your support of our school. In September, we will begin the technology project. Our computers will be wiped of illegal software and new software installed; computers and internet capability will be added to the library/media center; and four new staff members’ computers will be reconfigured. Many of you have offered money in assisting with any upgrade and I am currently researching information and costs associated with cable in the classroom, laptop computers and projectors for the classrooms as well as Smartboards. I will share my information as it becomes available. I plan on visiting several schools that currently use these modes of technology in order to discuss funding as well as any problems that may be encountered during installation. Their feedback is very important in any decision that is made.
One of the many ways to help fund the school in addition to your generous donations, is to shop with various retailers who return a portion of your purchase amount to our school. If you are aware of any other retailers who should be added to the following list, please contact me at 749-5815. The following is a brief list of retailers and our school account number, which should be given at checkout or material that may be sent to the office:
Office Depot – school #70037121
Target – school #6642 (you must sign up at Target for the REDcard, Target Visa Card, Target Credit Card or Target Check Card). You may also designate our school as your school of choice when shopping on-line at Target.com. We currently have 17 cardholders listed and Target has given us back $1792.48 since we started the program.
Meijer Community Rewards – school #107013. If your card does not start with 465007 or 4650008, you need to update it. You can open a new account at the store or go on-line at Meijer Rewards
Tyson Project A+ - Save Project A+ labels off the box or bag of Tyson products. Send into the office like you do for “box tops” and we receive .24 cents per Tyson label.
Box Tops for Education: Save box tops off a variety of food items (list available from school office) and send to the office. We receive .10 to .30 cents for each box top.
Campbell’s Soup Labels: Save the label from any Campbell’s product and the school receives points towards educational supplies.
Also, I recently nominated our school for a $25,000 grant through Henkel Helps, which is the parent company of Purex, Dial,Renuzit, etc. I ask that all of you also go to this website and nominate our school for a technology upgrade. The 10 schools the company chooses as finalists will then be listed online for public voting.
ISTEPs are scheduled to begin the week of September 15. Please make sure your child receives enough sleep as well as a good breakfast, particularly during testing dates. We also ask that you try to avoid any absences or doctor appointments as much as possible in order to maintain continuity and structure for your child.
Finally, there is a joint parent meeting between St. Louis and St. Joe Hessen Cassel on September 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the 8th grade classroom at Hessen Cassel regarding the 8th grade (our 7th and 8th grades) class trip to Washington, DC. We will be meeting with K & K Tours who will explain the trip and payment plan. I will meet with the 7th and 8th grade parents of St. Louis Academy students prior to that meeting; however, I have not scheduled a date yet.
In Christ’s Love
Ms. Layton
August 2008 News
ST. LOUIS BESANCON ACADEMY
THE POWER OF T.E.A.M.
TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE!!!
Dear School Families, Parishioners and Community:
Welcome Back!!!! We have started off the school year in race-like fashion. All of the teachers prepared newsletters and some even called parents to provide needed information in preparation for the first day. I hope you feel as blessed as I do to have and work with such thoughtful people. The staff at St. Louis truly loves teaching and it has been refreshing to see the enthusiasm they have displayed in preparing for the school year. Back-to-school night is scheduled for September 4, from 6:30-8:00. Please meet in the cafeteria/school basement.
To the parishioners and community members who do not have a student attending St. Louis Academy, I want to extend an invitation to volunteer or visit. We would love to give you the opportunity to share your gifts and talents with us. Keep in mind that the school is a mission of the church and we hope you support us as you would any mission.
Our focus and theme this year is “The Deposit of Faith.” Christ entrusted the Deposit of Faith to the first apostles, who in turn have passed it down to us through the ages. It is comprised of scripture and tradition. Students will focus on not only scripture in their daily classes, but also on the traditions we hold dear to our church. Along that thought, our St. Louis feast day is Monday, August 25; however, we will celebrate it on Tuesday, August 26, with mass and doughnuts afterwards at school.
We will be doing a birthday mass usually on the first Tuesday of the month unless there are obstacles on the calendar. Since kindergarten is not at school on Tuesday, we will celebrate with them on a Thursday during their birthday month to recognize them in a special way.
Another positive note is that the school received a Sylvan Dell reading grant for online eBooks. This grant allows teachers to use approximately 35-45 online books at no cost to help teach math and science curriculum. The books can also be translated into Spanish text so you may find your student picking up some foreign language words! They are suitable for grades K-2.
Finally, we are in the process of some major computer software and operating system work in the computer lab. The plan also includes computers for the library/media center and books to teach computer curriculum to students. This is a fairly costly project which needs to be accomplished in order to keep our students marketable in today’s world, as well as legalize the systems we will be using to protect us from liability. If you would like to make
a donation to this project, please contact Fr. Steve or me. Please continue to pray for us. We appreciate all you do to help
us succeed!
