SMA Middles States Update!!! MSA- CESS Committee Recommends Full Accreditation!!!!

SMA Middles States Update!!! MSA- CESS Committee Recommends Full Accreditation!!!! Greetings!!! Our faculty and staff along with Father DiIorio and our business manager Mrs. Brown assembled yesterday in a special meeting to receive the preliminary report from the Middle States Team Chair, Mr. Bill Stevens. I am extremely happy to announce that Mr. Stevens reported that the Middle States Team recommends Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic School receive full accreditation!!! This is a tremendous accomplishment for our school and validates all the progress we have made over the years. Our partnership with you our wonderful parents/guardians has paid many dividends for our children. Mr. Stevens also commended on our great SMA family atmosphere, one of the best he has witnessed in over forty years of observations and our very strong academic program. He also commented on our fabulous team of dedicated teachers and staff which he noticed “knows everyone by name”. He discussed his interviews and casual conversations with parents who stated they are very happy and said they “feel valued here”. One parent told him “St Mike’s is like heaven on earth.” He also praised the sound financial work of the rectory: Father DiIorio and Mrs. Brown. A full official written report from MS CESS will be coming soon. Congrats to all!!! I especially want to thank our two internal coordinators Mrs. “O” and Mrs. Viola for directing the “Excellence By Design” self-study and Mrs. Anderson for her technical digital assistance. As a thank you for everyone’s hard work Father DiIorio has declared a Pastor’s holiday for Monday, December 21 and our Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D. Archbishop of Philadelphia is giving us a day off as a thank you for our hard work reopening the Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (See attached letter) so we are choosing Tuesday, December 22. The Christmas holidays will begin at the 3:00 on December 18. This will give us two weeks off and everyone a well-deserved rest to enjoy and celebrate Jesus’s birth and this Christmas season. Thank you so much! It is my pleasure serving as your principal of such a fine school and parish! God’s light, Mr. “D". WHAT IS MIDDLE STATES? MIDDLE STATES Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, a worldwide leader in accreditation and continuous school improvement. Middle States accreditation is a multifaceted evaluation process that schools and school systems voluntarily use to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of research-based performance standards. The 12 Middle States Standards for Accreditation are: mission; governance and leadership; school improvement planning; finances; facilities; school organization and staff; health and safety; educational program; assessment and evidence of student learning; student services; student life and activities, and information resources. The accreditation process begins with a self-study that is conducted by the school or school system and requires input from school leaders, teachers, parents and students. Following the self-study, a team of volunteer educators from Middle States member schools conducts a peer review visit. “The Middle States accreditation process supports schools in developing a strategic plan for the future that is built upon continuous school improvement,” said Lisa Marie McCauley, Ed.D., president of the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. “Middle States accredited schools should be commended for their commitment to collaboration, growth and advancing student achievement.” About Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) Based in Philadelphia, the Middle States Association is the worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement. For over 130 years, Middle States has been helping school leaders establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development and advance student achievement. With more than 2,500 accredited schools and school systems in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and in over 110 countries, MSA-CESS is proud of its continuing legacy and its ongoing innovations to meet the challenges of improving education in the 21st century. For more information visit www.msa-cess.org.