https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw Potential human, economic, material, and social resources for Holy Rosary Academy for the purposes of strengthening student learning. en-us 2021-10-27 01:03:09 UTC 2025-12-08 17:18:06 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f30e.png annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849575032 As a private school, Holy Rosary Academy relies on tuition money, stakeholder donations, and grant money for school expansion. One monetary resource that has been advantageous to the school in recent years is grant money. Our administrators have put forth extensive time and energy into applying for grants. We received a significant grant this past year and were able to purchase new STEM and technology resources for the school, which have greatly shaped student learning and opportunities. Continuing to pursue grant money will be important for our school to continue enriching students' learning experiences.]]> 2021-10-27 22:31:49 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849575032 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849576819 Holy Rosary Academy often partners with the local Chick-fil-A restaurants for school fundraising. On special days, a percentage of the purchases tied to HRA become monetary donations to the school. Chick-fil-A has also offered discounted catering for faculty professional development days. They are a consistent community partner for our school.]]> 2021-10-27 22:33:21 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849576819 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849588133 Holy Rosary Academy is associated with/run by the Church of the Holy Rosary in Nashville, TN. The school's mission centers on values from the Catholic tradition, and this human resource helps to shape students' characters and moral compasses. Students attend mass weekly and learn directly from church personnel about Christian virtues and living a Christian life. The Church provides a First Communion program for 2nd graders at the school and a Confirmation program for 8th graders, which includes communication and collaboration with these students' parents on these significant landmarks in children's faith lives. The Church serves as a resource that supports the "Parenting" involvement type as outlined by Epstein (2018). ]]> 2021-10-27 22:42:08 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849588133 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849588393 The majority of 8th grade graduates from Holy Rosary Academy attend one of the two large Catholic high schools in Nashville: Father Ryan High School or John Paul II High School. Both schools have proved to be an essential social resource for Holy Rosary Academy. Students at both high schools have returned to HRA to visit, speak with 8th graders about their high school experiences, and help out with HRA's sports, recreational activities, and summer camps. Teachers from both high schools have assisted our school in various ways, particularly in our "specials" classes (band, music, art, etc.). Students at HRA often attend football games and basketball games at both high schools. There is a common community between our school and these high schools, and the long-term stakeholders have connections with both levels. Both high schools have also helped start-up curriculum and parent involvement programs at HRA. Knowing that our students and families will likely feed into their schools, these high schools are committed to supporting us and serving as a vital social resource to help us develop connections and progress in our programs.]]> 2021-10-27 22:42:22 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849588393 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849593383 Holy Rosary Academy offers a before- and after-school program called "Escape" for working parents. Parents can drop off their children at school as early as 6:30 am and pick up their children from school as late as 6:00 pm. During Escape, the children have some recreational time, but they also spend time completing schoolwork with the support of our Escape workers (teachers, assistant teachers, etc.). This program is essential for those parents who are working hard to provide for their children and to earn enough to pay for private schooling. The Escape program is a human resource that supports Epstein's (2018) "Learning at Home" type for those families who spend less time at home due to work schedules. Students can still receive homework support.]]> 2021-10-27 22:46:33 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849593383 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849593643 This year, our school acquired many new technological resources, including laptops and iPads in every classroom, Clear Touch Panels in every classroom, audio enhancement speakers/microphones for teachers, Q-Ball speakers for classroom games, Meeting Pro Owl cameras, and more. These resources have enhanced student learning in the classroom, but the next step involves educating parents on these resources and increasing opportunities for home use.

One recommendation I have for HRA is creating live, recorded workshops showcasing this new technology and providing demonstrations. This is especially important for the resources that students will eventually bring home, such as laptops and iPads for the use of Google Classroom, etc. Offering workshops on how to navigate these new devices and features will help to enrich our school's "Learning at Home" involvement (Epstein, 2018), as parents will have both the resources and the knowledge needed to continue enriched learning at home.]]> 2021-10-27 22:46:47 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849593643 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849606984 As Holy Rosary Academy accumulates more STEM resources, our objective is to eventually hire STEM specialists to serve as human resources for the school. Recently, our school obtained a significant grant that funded the purchase of STEM resources. Now, with so many amazing materials to work with, our administrators are aiming to hire a STEM specialist (or specialists) to lead STEM curriculum/instruction and to teach other educators how to do the same. 

Hiring a STEM specialist may also lead to opportunities for "Collaborating with the Community" (Epstein, 2018), as such a specialist may have strong connections with STEM professionals in the hire. This could lead to more school visits, demonstrations, and workshops. As our school expands in material resources, it is important that we also expand in human resources (knowledge) needed to utilize these materials. ]]> 2021-10-27 22:58:15 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849606984 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849609361 Holy Rosary Academy is located in Nashville, TN, otherwise known as "Music City." Our home has a rich history in music and artistry, and I recommend that HRA embrace this cultural feature and expose children to the art all around them. Visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Music, alongside other historical landmarks in the city, would enhance the school's collaboration with community members (Epstein, 2018). Additionally, identifying smaller, more local artists who could share their experiences with students, perform demonstrations, and teach mini lessons would be an excellent means of involving the community and enriching student learning with authentic, relevant, cultural experiences. ]]> 2021-10-27 23:00:15 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849609361 annakbrown https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849611198 One recommendation I have as an additional social resource for Holy Rosary Academy is the incorporation of social-emotional learning into students' curriculum. Some students at HRA utilize the school's counseling services, but the majority of students do not receive this type of daily or weekly support. Epstein (2018) contends that part of the "Parenting" involvement type involves informing families about child and adolescent development and providing them with resources and tools for navigating these years. I see this social resource as being two-fold: daily or weekly social-emotional curriculum for students, and social-emotional workshops for parents that align with what the students are learning during school. ]]> 2021-10-27 23:01:48 UTC https://padlet.com/annakbrown/xeyoht5s1dmjy7lw/wish/1849611198