AdvancED External Review Team-Exit Report

Congratulations! We have successfully completed the AdvancED District Accreditation process, and the external review team has recommended the reaccreditation of the Newton County School System for the next five years!

The members of our external review team commented that we are doing great things in NCSS and the Lead Evaluator stated that he would have his children attend school in the Newton County School System “in a heartbeat!” The team began their visit Monday, March 24th with presentations, interviews of various groups, and

an extensive review of the artifacts collected as evidence of our work. On Tuesday, March 25th the team visited Mansfield and Rocky Plains Elementary Schools, Clements and Liberty Middle Schools, and Alcovy and Eastside High Schools. During the team’s school visits, they talked with school leaders, teachers, support staff, and students. The team spent most of their day visiting classrooms to conduct observations using the ELEOT (Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool). Wednesday, the team spent the day at the Board of Education finalizing their data and report. The “Exit Report” identified the following “Powerful Practices” to highlight our work:

NCSS has developed policies and procedures that provide clear operational direction for the effective administration and oversight of the system and its schools.

NCSS utilizes a structured process to recruit, employ, acclimate and retain staff that has the skills, knowledge, and commitment to the system’s mission and vision.

NCSS has unique partnerships with parents and other community stakeholders who support the vision and mission of the school system through meaningful participation in the education of children.

NCSS has made a commitment to providing technology at all levels and to support, manage, train, and use technology to improve the performance of students and staff members through the implementation of instructional technology in the classrooms.

The report identified the following required actions:

Develop and implement a rigorous, continuous program of professional learning that is aligned with the system’s vision and mission to ensure that all professional and support staff are adequately trained.

Design and implement a plan to ensure all professional and support staff members are trained to evaluate, analyze, interpret, and use data to further the mission and vision of the system.

The ratings of each of the ELEOT environments represent the excellent work of our teachers and students! The “meets the standard” rating is 3.0. The digital learning environment rating of 2.70 reflects that our students know how to use

technology, but to “meet the standard” our students must use technology to gather, evaluate, and/or use information for learning, to conduct research, solve problems, and/or create original works for learning, and to communicate and work collaboratively for learning (the rating scale is 1-4):

Equitable Learning Environment 3.04 High Expectations Environment 3.09 Supportive Learning Environment 3.51 Active Learning Environment 3.27 Progress Monitoring and Feedback Environment 3.60

Well-Managed Learning Environment 3.57 Digital Learning Environment 2.70

Thank you for all of your hard work, focus on continuous improvement, and dedication to our students, families, and community. We are well on our way to becoming THE BEST!

One of Marzano’s High Impact Strategies is

“Summarizing and Note-Taking.” According

to the research, students who utilize this

strategy are likely to experience gains in

their achievement of 34 percentile points. In

order to summarize and take notes,

students must be able to synthesize the

information they are taught. They must be

able to delete, substitute, and keep some

information. In order to determine what to

keep, substitute, and delete, students must

analyze information at a deep level. It’s

important that students are aware of the

explicit structure of information and that the

structure is an aid to summarizing. Students

should be required to summarize their

understanding throughout each lesson, and

they must practice effective note-taking.

Think-Pair-Share is a strategy that enables

students to rehearse their responses before

having to respond. At the link below, you

will find a document that identifies “Quick

Summarizing Strategies for Use in the

Classroom.” As you plan your next lesson,

be sure to plan for summarizing and

effective note-taking throughout the lesson.

http://www.christina.k12.de.us/literacylinks/

elemresources/lfs_resources/summarizing_

strategies.pdf

Summarizing and Note-Taking

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THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR

The purpose of the Science and Engineering Fair is to encourage all of Georgia's teachers and school districts to incorporate active science and engineering research into their classrooms in order to help students 1) develop a love for science, 2) learn to isolate important problems and to attack and solve these problems within the framework of organized, logical thought, careful research, and a detailed analysis of facts, and 3) showcase and celebrate their achievements. Students competed at the Griffin RESA Regional Science and Engineering Fair-many students will represent the Newton County School System at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair that began on March 27, 2014 at the University of Georgia. Students who progress from the state competition then move to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California, beginning on May 11 . Congratulations to each of our winners!

EDUCATION SUMMIT

The Newton County School System is reaching out to our community to demonstrate our continued commitment

to providing a high quality education and the development of a “college-going atmosphere”---each of us

plays an instrumental role in the process of educating our students. Parents, families, and members of the

community will have the opportunity to attend a variety of sessions designed to provide information regarding

support for our students. The Spring Education Summit will take place at Newton High School on April 19th

beginning at 9:30 am. If you are interested in leading a session at the April “Summit”, please contact

Mrs. Deena Sams at sams.deena@newton.k12.ga.us

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BAND

During March, both our high school and middle school band students participated in the 2014 Georgia All State Bands and Orchestras Program. During this event, our students have the opportunity to work with some of the very best clinicians and composers from across the country. The students who attend also work with the best instrumentalists in the state representing very talented band programs from other counties. As a result of this exposure, students become leaders in our programs.

LGPE

Large Group Performance Evaluations

(LGPE) assess bands and choruses.

Both are assessed by highly qualified

state adjudicators as to the level of

achievements the ensembles have

accomplished through their studies

and their classrooms and programs.

The ensembles receive grades that

assess tone, intonation, technique,

balance, and musicianship on three

selections that are from a state list

divided into six different performance

levels.

TOPIC HEADING FIVE

“Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying

music in schools, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich

their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.”

– Bill Clinton, Former President of the United States

MARCH IS MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our

Schools Month (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. MIOSM began as a

single statewide celebration in 1973, and has grown over the decades to encompass a day, then a week, and then in 1985 to become

a month long celebration of school music. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all

children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is an opportunity for music

teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community and to display the benefits school music

brings to students of all ages.

Thank you to our Band, Chorus, and Music teachers! We appreciate your collaboration, dedication, and continued efforts to

keep “music education” an important part of the work to educate “the whole child.” The arts help to ensure students are well

prepared to enter the world outside of school. Beyond school, students will face a world of work, culture, creative problem solving,

collaboration, and intellectual activity. The arts “round out” a complete education.

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Students selected to be in the Georgia All State Chorus Ensemble are among the most accomplished vocalists in the Georgia. The Georgia Music educators Association recognizes these musicians and provides an opportunity for them to work as an ensemble with some of the best clinicians and vocal teachers in the country. Students who audition for the Georgia All State Chorus have prepared, etudes, sight-reading, and passed a music theory exam. This accomplishment represents the highest recognition possible for individual student musicians in our state and will most likely result in college scholarship offers when they graduate and apply to the college or university of their choice.

CONGRATULATIONS to CLMS’s Josiah Webb and EHS’s Sam Potts and Jacob Smith!

Georgia Music Educators District IV

Honor Bands

These students were adjudicated by

blind audition for a place in the

Georgia Music Educators District IV

Honor Bands. Band students from

across the district prepared and

memorized many major scales and an

Etude. In addition the students had to

perform at sight a selection of music

that none of them had previously seen

before. Students earning a place in this

ensemble are among the most

accomplished instrumentalists in our

district.

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sodales velit, et scelerisque mi

CONGRATULATIONS to the following students who auditioned for a place in the Georgia Music Educators’ Honor Chorus. Students

earning a place in this ensemble are among the most accomplished vocalists in our district. CMS: Bailey Mitchell, Tyra Mitchell, Jafe Soignoli, Catgherine Soignoli, Bianca Coley, Cameron Welch, Timothy Maughon ICMS: Sahra Draper, Shelby Blevins, Trey Abercrombie, Josh Dean, Sueyen Chalmers, Lauren Baulkmon, Ava Teasley, Jasmine McClure, Ross Thompson, Matthew Swinson, Keyarra Bolden. CLMS: Josiah Webb, Tayana Lester, Jailaunna Brooks, Jamaya Boykin, Jainaba Drammeh, Davis Lewis, Javon Curry, Noble Pryor, Kendall Selmer. AHS: Chyan Tyalor, Shanereya Bowene, Adrianna Maxwell, Breeonna Sheedy, Keira Stakely, Aneissa Barrett, Tyren Frazier, Najee Jenkins, Dandre McIntyre, Loren Simon, Aliyah Langford, Georgianna Eubanks, Tanzania Horner.

The following students from Newton County Schools have been selected as members of the State of Georgia All

State Bands. These students have been chosen through a two-step blind audition process that began with thousands

of students from every district in Georgia. This accomplishment represents the highest recognition possible for

individual student musicians in our state and will most likely result in college scholarship offers when they graduate

and apply to the college or university of their choice. CONGRATULATIONS to CMS’s Bailey Peeples and

Chandler Parkman. ICMS’s Wesley Rains. EHS’s Kenney Harris and Reid Waters.

NHS’s Josh Harden and Hezekiah Rodgers.

Students earning a place in this ensemble are also among the most accomplished instrumentalists in our

district.

CONGRATULATIONS to the following students who were adjudicated by blind audition for a place in the Georgia Music Educators

District IV Honor Bands. Band students from across the district prepared and memorized many major scales and an Etude. In addition, the

students had to perform at sight a selection of music that none of them had previously seen. Students earning a place in this ensemble are

among the most accomplished instrumentalists in our district. CMS: Shelly Xu, Lauren Cumming, Gracie Miller, Cameryn Howeth, Auastin

Huffman, Jhalel Peoples, Gabby Martin, Brianna Lawrence, Stevauney Samuels, Bailey Peeples,Joshua Herron, Chandler Parkman,

Elashia Julien, Garrett Cotton, Mikayla Gholston ,Franklyn Jones, Hannah Robbins, Andy Li,Kalene Heilsesen, Shanna Jackson. LMS:

Tahli Viner, Norman Monte. ICMS: Elizabeth Baker, Katie Bryans, Wesley Rains. NCTS: Eli Vinson. EHS: Nick Anderson,

Devion Carter, Jacob Emerson, Katie Beth Fowler, Kenny Harris, Angel Li, Kelsey Meeler, Matthew Snyder, Reid Waters, Justin

Willims. NHS: John Harden, Hezekiah Rodgers, Walter James Wilson, Jonathan Reed.

DISTRICT IV HONORS CHORUS

ALL STATE CHORUS

DISTRICT IV HONOR BANDS

ALL STATE BAND

The Newton County School System's Strategic Plan can be found at the link below.

Take the time to review the plan!

http://www.newtoncountyschools.org/Portals/0/newtoncounty/main/documents/strategic%20plan/NCSS%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf

TWITTER HIGHLIGHTS

Students, teachers, and our community working to ensure our students are the

beneficiaries of a high quality, relevant, engaging education.

Check out Twitter- See for yourself! #NCSSBeTheBest

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