Fall 2005 - St. Charles Preparatory School

Student News
Tuckered out
St. Charles students feign exhaustion after completing
the 2005 Cardinal Scholarship Walk last spring. From
left — Geoff Thomas, Zach Zymslinski, Alex Deak,
Michael Shen, J.R. Unverzagt, and Sean Quinn.
student population donate that day. St.
Charles’ 49.8% edged out Columbus Torah
Academy’s 48%, and far outdistanced thirdplace
Bishop Hartley with 24.7%.
Mason credits the St. Charles students
who answered the call when the American
Red Cross visited the campus. Those who
contributed to the record 161 pints that
were collected included junior and senior
students, faculty members, and parents.
“Our goal was 160 pints,” Mason said,
“and we were successful in attaining this
goal! Several alums and their wives came
to donate. It is always a memorable day.
Hopefully, this day inspires our students to
continue donating the rest of their lives. All
of our donors truly gave the gift of life,”
Mason added. The next bloodmobile is
scheduled for March 30, 2006, from 8 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
Scholarship Walk
surpasses goal
The 22nd annual Cardinal Scholarship
Walk and Circus Day activities, sponsored
by the St. Charles Student Council, raised
more than $26,840 for the school’s general
scholarship fund. The goal had been to
raise $25,000 and students have collected
more than $108,000 in the last four years.
John O’Neil, student council moderator,
said the current economic conditions in
the United States and worldwide underscore
the need for St. Charles “to continue
to attract and support young men of
potential and to send them forth to impact
those conditions for the betterment of the
community at large.”
O’Neil said a number of scholarship
students annually attend St. Charles as a
result of the money raised by this campaign.
“These students could not otherwise
afford to attend St. Charles due to family
financial limitations. Past beneficiaries of
the drive include many of our most accomplished
community leaders, scholars,
athletes and artists,” he said.
Award winners,
spring 2005
3 share volunteerism award
Three students — Peter James, Jared
Wade, and Ryan Wolford – shared the 2005
Hamburger Volunteerism Award and its
$500 prize. Religion faculty members Jim
Paccioretti and Linda Haas nominated the
students in recognition of their outstanding
community service work.
Sponsor and namesake of this special
award is Timothy H. Hamburger, a 1984
St. Charles alumnus, who has dedicated
his volunteer service to the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society of America. Hamburger
established this award at St. Charles to
recognize graduating seniors who have
demonstrated outstanding service to their
fellow man.
Peter James devoted a great deal of
time to Shepherd’s Corner, a retreat center
run by the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary’s
of the Springs, and to Rock of Faith Baptist
Church. He also designed an after-school
program for students at Mansion Day
Grade School and tutored Cardinal studentathletes.
Jared Wade was instrumental in the
tutoring programs at three grade schools
Broadleigh Elementary School, St. Thomas
Grade School and All-Saints Academy.
Ryan Wolford has been tutoring
immigrants from Somalia, China and
Uzbekistan for several years, teaching
them to speak English. He also was
involved with Vacation Bible School for
Hispanics.
Volunteerism awardees
Recipients who shared the 2005 Timothy H. Hamburger
’84, Volunteerism Award are from left — 2005 graduates
Peter James, Jared Wade, and Ryan Wolford. With them
is faculty member Linda Haas.
100% Pass OGT; ; most at highest levels
Three years ago, the Ohio Board of Education adopted the new
Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) for English language arts, mathematics,
science and social studies. All students in the graduating
classes of 2007 (this year’s sophomores) were the first required to
take and pass all five tests as a graduation requirement.
According to recently released results from last year’s OGT,
St. Charles students performed at the highest levels of any school.
Moreover, St. Charles was one of only three schools in the entire
city to score a perfect 100% passing rate. (See attached chart).
But what’s hidden inside those results is even more telling.
Student scores were rated on a five-tiered scale: Advanced,
Accelerated, Proficient, Basic, and Limited. St. Charles students
not only passed the test, but in every area (reading, writing, math,
science, and social studies) at least 95% of them scored in the
highest two grading levels.
Principal Dominic J. Cavello said that St. Charles does not
teach directly to the OGT. However, in a note to parents, academic
14
dean Scott Pharion said St. Charles has taken several steps to
ensure its students are adequately prepared to pass the test. In
addition to modifications in curriculum, changes in course
schedules and content standard additions, St. Charles has created
a review schedule for all sophomores to enhance their preparation
for each of the OGT exams.
Two weeks in advance of the test, students receive an in-class
review of content for the two- week period leading to the exams.
The in-class instruction in the regular English, mathematics,
science and social studies classes focuses on review content for the
exams. Homework and quizzes given by teachers help students
practice the subject matter as well as the testing methods in each
discipline included on the OGT.
During exam week, sophomores follow a schedule that emphasizes
the exams exclusively. On each test day, students report to
their homerooms and then move to the multipurpose room for
testing. Lunch and a rest break are followed by a prepared intensive
review session for the next day’s exam presented by the core
discipline teacher(s).
St. Charles Preparatory School