Jacqueline Kasprowski, principal of Cardinal Newman School On Thursday, May 8, 2008, the Cardinal faithful joined the principal and faculty of Cardinal Newman School in the gymnasium to hear Jacqueline Kasprowski report on the past year's achievements and outline a plan for the future.

After a word of prayer, Kasprowski reviewed the triumphs and challenges of the current school year which included successful implementation of collegiate block scheduling and a revamped streamlined registration process. The registration is complete for school year 2008- 09 to the point that there is already a waiting list for some grade levels.

Overall enrollment has risen to the point the school has added another administrator. Wanda Briley will assume responsibilities for teacher training and coordination next year.

In addition to the major initiatives, Cardinal Newman has revamped the discipline policy and athletic handbooks and initiated mandatory study halls for students falling to a D or F in any subject. The staff is analyzing its exams with an eye toward adding more critical thinking questions at the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis levels and relying less on rote knowledge level questions.

The faculty will continue with these efforts and complete more in- service for teaching using block

scheduling and Understanding

by Design. Kasprowski praised her faculty and staff for their Herculean efforts and proceeded to shine a light on new things to come in 2008- 09.

The grading scale is under review to bring it in line with that of other private schools and the other Catholic High School in S.C. Cardinal Newman students are currently on a seven point grading scale whereas their peers are using 10 point scales. Many Bs at Cardinal Newman are As at the other schools.

Student mentoring has been a huge success and will be expanded. Tardies have been excessive this school year, and the administration is looking at remedies for the problem. Cardinal Newman will be undergoing SACS review in the coming year, and the administration has set up surveys and studies to learn more about what is currently going on in the school and to plan for continued improvement.

Kasprowski drew applause when she announced that Cardinal Newman will have a new textbook company and a new school lunch provider for the 2008- 09 school year. The school's testing program will replace the NEDT with a computerized test which will yield instant national norm referenced results. She alo drew applause again when she announced a revision in the school's summer reading program.

Each faculty member has contributed his/her favorite book to a choice list and agreed to lead literature discussion groups on that book when the students return to school. Honors students will choose three books to read over the summer, and CP students will choose two. Sadly Kasprowski's favorite book, To Kill A

Mocking Bird will not be on the list because it is already taught as part of the curriculum later in the school year.

Typically, Kasprowski saved the best for last. She announced that the land on Farrow Road that had been purchased for athletic fields has been put up for sale and that a period of due diligence has begun on the Blue Cross Blue Shield property on Alpine Road. Blue Cross has agreed to sell the school up to 50 acres for a school site that includes school buildings, athletic fields, and facilities on a self- contained campus.

Currently, the administration is working with a team of architects and engineers to develop a site plan and working to complete phase one environmental study, a boundary line survey, and site survey for facilities layout. The period of due diligence ends June 30 at which time the school will take the proposed plans back to Blue Cross/ Blue Shield.

By the time the 2008- 09 school year begins, the Cardinal Newman Class of 2011 should know whether it will graduate from the old Cardinal Newman on Forest Drive or the new Cardinal Newman on Alpine Road. Either way, they will have received a world class education in the Catholic Tradition.