District and school performance scores were released by the Louisiana Department of Education on Thursday. The move to a significantly more rigorous state accountability formula prompted the state to provide districts and schools with two performance scores, one using the prior formula and one using the new more rigorous formula.

St. Mary’s 2018 District Performance Score (DPS) using the prior formula is 101, which demonstrates 1.3 points of growth from 2017 and a letter grade of “A." According to the new scale, schools and districts must attain a score of 90 to receive an “A” letter grade, which takes into consideration the increased proficiency testing standard and changes in the method used to calculate performance scores. St. Mary Parish’s DPS on the new formula is 81.9, equating to a “B” letter grade.

Despite the increased performance standards, St. Mary continues to outpace the state, whose performance score on the new formula is 76.1, equivalent to a 93 on the prior formula.

Superintendent Leonard Armato issued a statement of commendation to all schools for their daily commitment to educational excellence. “St. Mary Parish continues to show its ability to sustain exceptional growth and remain a top-performing school district in the state. The efforts of teachers, students, administrators, and instructional staff clearly illustrates a deep commitment to educational success. The release of 2018 performance data offers additional evidence of the devotion seen in our classrooms every day."

Details for schools can be found on each school's website:  About Our School | School Report Card | (click link) Read this on Louisianaschools.com

Complete Press Release (Accessible PDF)

As part of its regular meeting on Thursday, November 9, 2018, the St. Mary Parish School Board recognized and congratulated the following individuals:

• Student of the Month: Isabella Lodrigue, 12th Grade (Berwick High School)
• Student of the Month: Kiley Holmes, 12th Grade (Centerville High School)
• Student of the Month: Trista Melancon, 8th Grade (Morgan City Junior High School)

• Employee of the Month: Ms. Sharon Guidry, Secretary (Berwick High School)
• Employee of the Month: Ms. Monica Phillips, Special Education Paraprofessional (Centerville High School) (not pictured)
• Employee of the Month: Mr. Alvin Clay, Head Custodian (Morgan City Junior High School)

Congratulations to these outstanding St. Mary Parish students and employees.

In its search for a suitable replacement for the district's current financial, accounting, and human resources system, the St. Mary Parish School Board has issued a Request for Proposal for software that clearly demonstrates basic and advanced functions, including the ability to streamline and automate more tasks and improve reporting capabilities.

Responses are due by November 30, 2018.

From Dr. Bagwell: The district is pleased to announce the opening of session registration for our annual Professional Development Day on November 6, 2018. Sessions will primarily be held at Patterson Jr. High School, while a few sessions will take place at other locations.

• A searchable list of sessions is available in the Employees | Links section of this website.
• In same location, a printable program of events is also available. The program provides event details and indicates which sessions are mandatory for certain groups of teachers or paraprofessionals. 

The wide variety of sessions includes aspects of classroom instruction, technology integration, parent communication, and school safety, as well as other useful topics. Please feel free to email any of the presenters for questions or clarification about sessions

Registration for the event is now open in TRES. Since seating is limited in most sessions, registration on TRES is the only option for ensuring a seat. Assistance for signing into TRES can be found on our website: Employees | Employee Portals | TRES. 

Please note: Parking at PJHS is somewhat limited. Everyone is encouraged to carpool if possible. Because November 6 is also Election Day, parking in front of PJHS will be reserved for voters. School personnel will be parking on either side of the building and entering using the side entrances.

Additionally, lunch service will be available for purchase in advance. Please see your principal for more information.

As part of its regular meeting on Thursday, October 11, 2018, the St. Mary Parish School Board recognized and congratulated the following individuals:

• Student of the Month: Anya Montgomery, 5th Grade (W. P. Foster Elementary School)
• Student of the Month: Alicea Franklin, 5th Grade (J. B. Maitland Elementary School)

• Employee of the Month: Ms. Leona Guilbeaux, Head Custodian (W. P. Foster Elementary School)
• Employee of the Month: Ms. Connie LaCombe, Special Education Paraprofessional (J. B. Maitland Elementary School)

Congratulations to our outstanding St. Mary Parish students and employees.

Sperintendent Armato has invited district students to create hand-made Christmas tree ornaments unique to St. Mary Parish to help decorate the Christmas tree in the foyer of the Central Office Complex.  The ornaments should be delivered to the COC by Friday, November 16, 2018. The COC staff will decorate the district tree immediately following the Thanksgiving break. Mr. Armato extends his thanks in advance to all students who participate. 

Under the guidance of Dr. Bagwell, district staff members have put together a Professional Development Planning Document for Summer 2018 and the 2018-19 school year.  This document is a "living" document that will be updated during the year and can be used for your planning purposes. 

Users can download a copy for their own use from the document's location in Blackboard's St. Mary Parish Intranet site by following this path:  Professional Development | District Staff Development Links | Professional Development Planning Document (2018-19).  A direct link to the file's location can also be found in Announcements. 

Additional new items can be found on the District News Archive page.