Garden City, February 11, 2006: Saint Michael Catholic School students performed well on the latest Iowa standardized achievement tests. Compared with students around the nation, at every grade level St. Michael students scored better than most of their peers nationwide — they topped between 58 percent to 83 percent of other students. The average school score was 72 percent while the national norm is 50 percent.
St. Michael Catholic School uses the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) in order to compare student’s achievement in his/her grade across the nation. ITBS test students in grades two through eight.
“We are very proud of the accomplishments of all our students” says Sister Roberta Thoen, principal, “and they are being recognized for their hard work.” Three eighth grade students qualified for the South Carolina Junior Scholar’s Program. Luke Ellerbe, Kristen McCulloch and Shelby Stih scored over 50(raw score) on the PSAT test (a test usually taken by high school sophomores). Twelve fifth grade students have qualified for the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP). Those students are: William Austin, Dennis Coe, Katherine Davis, Caelan Di Capua, Michael Grabara, Geoffry Guyette, Paul Malarich, Travis Pierce, Ricky Singh, Ryan Sutton, Cameron Volpe and Sonia Wikoszewski. According to Thoen, “In order to qualify for TIP, a student must score 90% or above in language arts or math on the Iowa achievement test and we had many students qualify.”
The sixth grade at St. Michael’s participated in “The Stock Market Game” sponsored by the SC Council on Economic Education. A team consisting of Dory Ellerbe, Katie Eperson, Cooper Jones and Kaitlyn McBride placed twelfth in the nation out of two-hundred and eight teams, and placed fourth out of eighty-nine teams state wide.
Kyle Meyers, sixth grade teacher at St. Michael Catholic School, was nominated for a Disney Teaching Award which celebrates creativity and innovation in teaching methods. Winners will be announced in April. “We are Blessed with many wonderful teachers” says Thoen. “Kyle Meyers is indicative of the caliber of teachers on staff and the students are responding favorably — which speaks volumes.”
St. Michael Catholic School is open to children of any faith in grades Pre-K through eight and serves both Horry and Georgetown counties. Pre-registration for new school applicants is Monday, April 24 from 9 am – 3 pm.