Opening Staff Meeting 2007-08

Opening Staff Meeting 2007-08

Harold Martin School

Teaching The Whole Child

Welcome to New Staff

April Kent-Kindergarten Barbara Houldsworth-Preschool Kim Masinick-I.A. Meghan Ezen-I.A. Karen LaPage-I.A. Jackie Mellen-I.A. Carl Wood-Custodian Lukas Pouliot-Student Teacher with Kathy Forgiel, from

Keene State College. Toni Booth-Methods Student with Isobel Yonemura, from

New England College

Moving On

Of course, Becky and Lori Leigh Maynard Alayne Brandt Tracey Hughes Sean Asdot

American Pie revisited

Barley House Give-Away132 North Main St., Concord

• 5 free appetizer cards• $15 gift certificate

• Teacher Appreciation Night: Thursday, Sept. 20, 20% off dinner,

Improv Comedy Show at 8 PM

(Bring Pay Stub or ID)

The Whole ChildEducating Our Children in the 21st Century-from ASCD

Let’s ensure all of our children are– HEALTHY

• 1/3 of U.S. Youth are either obese or at the risk of becoming so.

– SAFE• 30% of US students rarely or never feel safe at school.

– ENGAGED• 7 in 10 dropouts say they weren’t inspired or motivated to work

hard; 66% would have worked harder if they were challenged more.

– SUPPORTED• Children need access to supported adults.

– CHALLENGED• We need to have a well rounded curriculum for our students.

From Comm. Lyonel Tracy

"We are seeing school after school in the Granite State focusing on what matters most—the documented progress of each student, personally, socially, physically, and academically."

ASCD Recommendations to Congress regarding NCLB• Adjust the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) model to

incorporate multiple measures of assessment, including growth models, formative assessments, grade point averages, student exhibitions, AP and IB courses, and portfolio assessments.

• Support the student-specific, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as the measure for the learning of students with disabilities, rather than a state assessment.

• (Full text at wholechildeducation.org)

Thoughts for the Year

We are Teaching The Whole Child despite pressure to do differently.– Potential change in Child Study– Focus on student work, with Portfolios.– Regular focus on school-wide celebration

(beginning with Jeff Warner on Tuesday)– Look for greater ways to involve all students

and encourage greater responsibility.

Facility Changes

HVAC Windows Carpeting Tiling Conference Room Music Room in the former 3A, Preschool right

here Parking Lot Oh yeah, the Learning Center too.

HAROLD MARTIN SCHOOL BUILDING GOALS 2007-08

GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES

Define and apply robust curriculum and instructional practices

1. Define more accurately our elementary school approach to writing instruction, revise our written writing curriculum and assist our teachers in improving their writing instruction.

• The Writing Committee will meet this year to direct all aspects of our approach to writing curriculum and instruction.• Professional Development will be offered to teachers, including a Book Club.




2. Continue to promote Understanding By Design and differentiated instruction as our philosophy and methodology for curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

•HMS will offer regular PD refresher sessions in UbD. •A workshop will be provided in UbD for new staff. •Every new unit developed this year will be completed in UbD format on TechPaths and one unit must be revised or designed brand new.•We will review all of our curriculum and utilize TechPaths to assess and revise. A priority (in addition to writing) is math, geography, spelling/phonics and handwriting.




3. Explore and implement new ways to provide enriching opportunities for children.

•Continue to advocate for an enrichment coordinator in our building. •Explore creative after school opportunities for children.•Utilize volunteers more effectively for enrichment purposes.



Define and apply relevant assessment practices

4. Identify practices to improve our school’s AYP status.

Develop a logical and comprehensive plan to deal with AYP, which will balance the need to lose the “distinction” while being practical about what changes we will have to make. This will include:

O Careful assessment of data to determine most significant areas of need.O Determine what professional development needs we have and implement necessary training.




5. Continue the digital portfolio project as a means to archive student work, better evaluate student progress, and to capture the result of learning at each stage while reflecting on work product.

•Focus on writing as the main new component to be included in portfolios.•Thanks to our digital portfolio grant that we received, we will “train trainers” and then present PD to the rest of the staff. •A long-range plan will be developed for our school and the district.




6. Expand the understanding and use of MAP testing in grades two and three.

•Make a concerted effort to include MAP testing within conversations on student work and progress•Continue training on how to best utilize MAP assessment data.




7. Consider revising the Child Study model to make it more effective in meeting the needs of our students.

•The Child Study Team is examining a model that meets with every classroom teacher regarding her entire class three times a year instead of a referral model. •The Team will take feedback from the staff and alter the Child Study process as appropriate.•This revision will allow us to have a better picture of all students and not just the ones who provide the greater challenge for teachers.



Refine our school culture for students and staff

8. Organize more opportunities for the school community to celebrate together.

Monthly assemblies will be held to showcase talent and build community among the entire school.



Refine our school culture for students and staff

9. Explore opportunities for greater student responsibility

•Re-examine the Student Council concept for third grade.•Train students to be tour guides for visitors and explore other leadership possibilities.



Refine our vision

10. Develop a Harold Martin School philosophy and guiding principles.

We will use staff meeting time to help write our philosophy and guiding principles.

Child Study Potential Changes

As a result of some discussions this summer from members of the Reading and Special Education Departments, we are looking at revising the Child Study system– This will give us the opportunity to look at all

students at various intervals throughout the year– We will still have a method for pre-referral-

emergency sort of things.

PD-teachers

This year we have 8 ER days and one full PD day. Two of the 8 days can be used for TEP work.

HMS PD WEB SITE: http://hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal/hmspd.html

Collaboration Day this Thursday-IA’s DO attend. Sept. 24/25

– Aspen Training, writing, AYP issues, Child Study, DP Nov. 6

– Curriculum Day (same as previous Jan. PD) Feb. 7, 8

– DP and perhaps Aspen March 24, 25

– More DP and perhaps AYP work June 5, 6

– End of the year collaboration

IA PD

The goal is to make half of the ER days available for IA PD

• Spectrum Disorders

• De-escalation techniques

• Special Ed 101 for new IA’s

• Data Collection Techniques

Digital Portfolios

We received a $1200 Competitive Grant for training at CACES. Members of our DP Committee will help train others this year.

Focus this year on writing Continue with reading videos Support in classrooms Greater focus on vision and where we go next . Training on portfolios in general.

Tuesdays at HMS

Staff Meetings as usual on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays-IA’s invited to go to the 1st of the month and will be paid

Second Tuesday of the month: committee meetings-Special Ed. Dept. Meetings.

PD offered every fourth Tuesday– New and non-tenured staff may have specific training.– There may be some mandatory fourth Tuesdays.

TEP

Certified staff must meet with Bill by the end of September. Come ready to talk about:

How you are utilizing UbD and Differentiated Instruction in your teaching.

We’ll review your curriculum plans for the year in the major subject areas.

Engage in regular TEP discussions– TEP Planning form– Goal form for every goal– IA’s: goal form– Be sure last year’s Annual Status Report was completed

IA’s meet with Bill by Oct. 1 with goals and at end of year

Health Topics

With Sheila Conley, R.N., School Nurse

TechTalk

With Karen Ezen, Computer Lab Manager

Food Service Chat

Bonnie Harlow, Food Service Director

Looking at Recess

Boundaries– In general students need to be where an adult can see

them.– Restricted areas:

• In front of last bat house by the circle• Behind the shed and behind the dumpsters• Behind the far side of the hill• Behind bushes next to the swings

– Shed• Keep shed door open-students must check with an adult to go

in to get equipment

HMS PLAYGROUND

Hill Swings

Playground Equipment

Tire Swings

Shed

Dumpster Pavement

Soccer field

stonewall

Bushes Larger bushes

First Day Stuff

Need a person to help get children in the right places. Reading/special education?

Bill needs to be both in the parking lot passing out flyers and at the playground area

Line up by class? Use signs for grade level. Attendance day one, using X2/Aspen

Schedule for the rest of the day

11:30 - 12:30 PM: Free Pizza Lunch 12:30 - 2:00 PM: X2 Training 2:00 - 3:00 PM: X2 Practice in Classroom

(Previously trained staff will be available to help those who need it.)– My gut feeling is that we’ll be done with X2

direct training by 1:15 or so and then the day is yours to practice X2 and the million other things you have to do for tomorrow.

Nuts and Bolts Open House on September 11, 6:30. We are now a Coca-Cola district Parking Lot

– Saw horses, please park in the row next to them– Preschool changes

NEC Practicum Students– 3.5 hrs per week for the fall semester.

Keep storage area/staff room clean-please pick up your stuff today so that we can be ready for the morning.

Check voice mail daily• Problems? See Betsy before Noon today.

HMS 50th anniversary Alert! Alert! No magic markers were delivered. We placed the order a few days ago.

Documents

Opening Staff Meeting 2007-08