Between Holidays

We wish all our families a happy Thanksgiving.

As students return, the Holiday Season will be in full swing. Christmas plans, hectic schedules, and SNOW!!! At this busy and enjoyable time of the year, I remind parents that learning is still taking place. Reading, Math, Specials, and content area classes move forward over the next few weeks before Winter Break. Please do all you can to have your student continue to attend school regularly. A good breakfast at home, or utilizing our school breakfast program, is an important start for a great day.

Winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots are important to help children stay warm and allow them to participate in recess activities.

We look forward to making the most of the next month to help students excel.

Of Conferences and Thanksgiving...

“Mrs. Lekkas, he is like a diamond in the rough. The potential is there, but it just needs a little polishing.” I remember Mrs. Alm saying that to my mom at Fall conferences in second grade. The leafless tree branches were swinging in the wind on a cloudy, blustery day. I sat there looking out the window, hoping I wouldn’t get into trouble. The whole time wondering if my mom knew what potential meant…

As we turn the calendar to November, we come upon Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of all. Throughout my life, Thanksgiving has been a time of family. Though immigrants to the US, my parents always prepared a feast and hosted aunts, uncles, and cousins. Sure, there were some Greek recipes each year, but the staple remained turkey with stuffing, my mom’s sweet potatoes, and my aunt’s desserts.

Thanksgiving also holds a special place in my heart because it is the beginning of the holiday season. It is the first event of many more to follow, all enveloped with the “holiday season” feeling of cheer. Christmas decorating begins. The smell of snow is becoming present. The approaching new year and all its possibilities. All those things within arm’s reach as you gather with family around the Thanksgiving table. Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks and the potential for many great things to come.

The potential Mrs. Alm told my mother about is the same potential for us all to discuss for each of our students at conferences this month. It is vital that we take a look at data from MAP and AIMSWeb, analyze guided reading levels, and review all running records. It is just as important, that while we give thanks for these measured data points, we embrace that this is a time of potential. It is important that students, parents, and the entire school community all work together to help guide our students as they continue their educational path. Kids need to know that on a daily basis, their families and their teachers care about them doing the best they can: that they reach their potential.

I cannot guarantee that my mom could accurately define the word potential for you today. However, she 100% can tell you the story of the conference with Mrs. Alm. She will mime the process of polishing something in her hand while stretching out the words, “just needs a Lllitttllle polishing...”

As that conference ended, I thought Mrs. Alm was doing me a favor by not mentioning that I got caught throwing paper in the cafeteria the day before. Boy was I wrong. She wasn’t doing me a favor. She was purposefully recruiting my mom so that the two of them could conspire to force me to do my best for the next two years I was in her second and third grade looping class. Not a bad strategy, actually.

As we turn to November with conferences and the holiday season, we give thanks for all our great kids here at KES. We welcome parents to our building on conference day and any other day. We look forward to seeing you so that we may work together to problem solve, celebrate, and encourage students in ways that will help them reach their potential.

October at KES

I hope all our KES families have been enjoying the perfect fall weather!

The October 7th institute will be dedicated to teachers analyzing MAP scores and creating goal sheets for each student. Kids and teachers will then work together to learn with these goals in mind.

Boo! We look forward the fun of Halloween parties and the parade! Please look for an informative flyer coming home with your student listing all the details, times, and locations.

Assessment and Curriculum

KES just completed our first round of data team meetings. We used data from AIMSWeb, MAP, and Fountas & Pinnel. In short, we looked at assessment data from EVERY KES student. We are using this data to help ensure each student is being challenged and an individual and optimal level for success and growth. Please feel free to call or stop by the office with any questions. Thanks.

KES Open House

Thank you to all the families attending our open house. It was a great opportunity for all of us to see great student work, have fun talking, and take our chances with Mrs. Hale's obstacle course in the gym. What a great night.

9 - 11

I remember my first Fall as a principal. It was at the old middle school (now GES). I was a lot younger. I was eager to begin my new role in education. No longer a teacher, I was now a principal. And, it all changed.

I heard about a plane accidentally flying into the World Trade Center. Oh my. No time for that now, we need to do announcements. On my way to an administrator's meeting a little while later, I heard on the radio there was another direct hit. Certainly, this was not an accident. As the day went on, it was clear; our nation was under attack. It was time for that now.

Mixed feelings. I am responsible for this school. I have a pickup truck that I can fill with bottled water and drive to New York for the relief workers. I have young children at home. Where is my place right now?

My place was to stay at the middle school. To help families and children understand the events of the day. The repercussions of those events that would last into our nation's history.

Through the next few days and throughout the following decade, GKMS students learned about 9-11 and memorialized our nation's lost. In the early years we cried. As time went by, we learned.

Today, our Kingston Elementary School students will learn about an event that happened before they were born. But, they will learn. In every classroom, KES students will learn about the events of that September ten years ago. Although too young to fully comprehend the events of that day, our students will learn, and will learn to remember.

At all GK Schools - including KES - we remember. With respect.

Benchmarking and Curriculum

We are off to a great start here at KES assessing student progress and implementing differentiated instruction to meet each student's needs.

How do we go about doing this? It begins with gathering student specific data. We are completing AIMSWeb and Fountas Pinnell benchmarking this week. MAP testing will be completed next week.

What do all those letters mean?
We use AIMSWeb to assess all students two times per year for universal screening (early identification). Think of AIMSWeb benchmarking as a thermometer. For most students, their temperature is in the healthy range. If a student is having difficulty with reading, this will serve as an early indicator so that appropriate interventions can be put in place. Once identified, those students are progress monitored more frequently.

Fountas and Pinnell benchmarking is done one on one with your student and their teacher. The benchmark provides levels from A to Z that will allow your student to be appropriately challenged to maximize academic growth during Guided Reading.

MAP testing is used to assess all students twice a year. MAP scores provide achievement breakdowns in all areas of Reading and Math. Your child's teacher will have the data to pinpoint areas where your child excels and areas to address for ongoing improvement.


Too Much?
While all this sounds like a lot of time spent on testing, rest assured that students are away from class work very little. AIMSWeb is a three minute screening assessment. Fountas and Pinnell is approximately 15 minutes of one on one time with your child's teacher. MAP testing is approximately two hours of testing. Over the course of two weeks, each student will spend less than 2.5 hours working on these assessments.

The outcome is well worth the time investment. Within the first three weeks of school, teachers have three data points for your child. As they analyze this data, our staff can specifically target reading materials and student work to individual instructional level.

These assessments are an example of using data to tailor and individualize instruction. Add all this information to our caring, supportive, and child-centered staff and it is easy to see why Kingston Elementary School is such a great place for kids and families.

Please feel free to stop by the office or respond to this blog with any questions or comments.

Welcome Back!

I am very proud to be in the position to welcome our students and staff to KES and the 2011-2012 school year. As I meet with our teachers and so many great families, the anticipation experienced by all shows me that KES is a great place for kids, teachers, and families.

I have met teachers that love their work. They come with a positive attitude seeking to continue to improve and become the best educators possible. They are looking forward to building connections with students and working tirelessly to help them achieve academically and personally.

Our kids will know this. It is our goal that every student knows AT LEAST one adult in our building truly cares about them. Students who are connected learn and experience personal growth. They also have more fun.

Family involvement is also a key contributor to student success. Our parents can participate by consistently communicating through conferences, phone, emails, attending open house September 15th, playing a role in school improvement, and volunteering in a variety of ways.

KES is a great place because of all the people who care about being here every day. Our students, families, staff, aides, cooks, custodians, and others make KES a place where kids learn, enjoy life, grow, and succeed.

I look forward to doing my best to fulfill my role in helping to make all these great things happen.

As we come to a beginning...

Thanks to Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Todd, I have been learning more and more about curriculum and day to day life at KES.

I was also fortunate to join our future second graders at the first grade orientation. Mrs. Dudley told us all about the ABC's of Kingston Elementary School and we got to tour the building and meet teachers. It was very educational and a lot of fun!

Keep enjoying the summer; before you know it, we'll be back for a great 2011 - 2012 school year!

As we come to an end...

With all the talk of 8th grade promotion a week away and two weeks left for 6th and 7th, even I have to admit we are reaching the end of the 2010 - 2011 school year.

Many parents and staff have heard me say countless times that middle school is a process. The learning and maturation from 5th grade to becoming freshmen is not a light switch. It is not an event or occurrence. It is a process that takes a full three years. I also view a student's education from K-12 and beyond as a process encompassing countless educational and personal milestones.

At the same time, there is no denying the last day of school as an event. I remember a first day of summer vacation almost ten years ago. My middle son had his brand new RED gym shoes and the temporary "cornrows" in his hair (remember Allan Iverson) running down the hill towards the neighbor's house on a perfect summer day.

It is like I am standing there now. The smell of lilacs. The dark green grass. The cloudless, bright blue sky. The brand new red shoes. The blond, goofy looking hair. Blue shirt, red shorts. The group of kids yelling his name and jumping around as he got smaller and smaller in view running down that hill as fast as he possibly could. I really don't think it ever gets better than that. The whole summer was in front of him with endless possibilities, and second grade was a thought too far into the future for him to even try to conceive.

I guess we all remember that feeling. In education, it is important for us to finish the year on a strong note. To make sure that we lay the ground work for continued growth next year - when summer vacation does inevitably come to an end.

The staff at the middle school will be working with Mr. McPherson this summer to ensure gains in curriculum and staffing for next year. I will be working with Kingston Elementary staff to make sure we continue the gains made in recent years under the leadership of Mrs. Dudley.

As our students run off with all the promise of a full summer, we hope they thoroughly enjoy it. That they get to do all they would like. We know, when August comes around again, they will be recharged and ready to continue on their path in education. We will make every effort to ensure that they will be coming back to a quality school that is another year better and another step further in meeting their individual needs.

I wish all GK families a happy and safe summer making memories that will last a lifetime.



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It's Spring Again! A Time to Grow and a Time to Change

Yes, I know, next week's weather forecast hints at the possibility of snow. However, it is a beautiful Spring day today! With Spring Break upon us, I am declaring that Spring has sprung.

It is an excellent opportunity to recharge, regroup, and finish the year strong. There are months left of learning and great opportunities for our students. Middle school is a time of such great change. Our students that enter as a large group of elementary kids develop and change over the years. They become more individual. More independent. More discerning of likes and dislikes. More conscious of where and how they fit in. More aware of being accepted or disenfranchised. Sometimes with ease; sometimes with a lot of pain. It is a process. Sometimes it takes all three years. Sometimes more. Through it all, the kids usually figure it out with support from family, friends, and teachers.

The next thing you know, it is 8th grade promotion night, and I find myself talking with parents wondering where the time went.

It is the same this year. As I reflect on my 10 years at GKMS, I think of the great kids, parents, and staff I have reached out to and those who have helped me learn and grow. I think of the great progress we have made. I have been truly lucky and consider it a privileged to have been a part of this great school for so long.

As Spring brings about new growth and change, I am fortunate to have a new opportunity. Next year I will be the principal of Kingston Elementary School. While GKMS will continue to move forward with leadership from Mr. McPherson and the great staff, I will have the opportunity to learn from the excellent and hard working staff at KES. Often, I have heard Mrs. Dudley praise the effort and dedication to kids that the KES staff commits to on a daily basis. I look forward to learning from them and playing a role in the process of continued growth and improvement of this already excellent school.

ISAT Week is Here!

As some of you were surprised to read last year, I look forward to and welcome ISAT week. Of course there are some minor inconveniences to the schedule. And, there certainly are difficulties in conducting regular learning activities in shorter class periods.

However, for any inconveniences we may incur due to ISAT week, it brings with it great opportunity. Our students and teachers work hard all year to learn, grow, and create. ISAT week brings with it the opportunity to show that learning. Our students have the opportunity to prove that as individuals and as a group, we can succeed with kids from all over the state.

I look forward to a great week of giving our kids the chance to show what they know.

Mission Possible!

Along with Character Counts and our PBIS Behavior programs, GKMS students talk openly and participate in lessons designed to help create a Bully Free GKMS.

February’s lesson took place during the early release / conference days. Staff and students discussed the various aspects of what constitutes a bullying situation. Not all negative behaviors are bullying, however, many are.

Students then participated in various projects from an assignment menu visualizing and describing a Bully Free GKMS. There is no doubt in my mind that the combination of excellent parental support, a positive climate, education, and our great students all make a Bully Free school very possible.

Some "Tips" for Educators

There are many talented, creative, and dedicated professionals who devote their lives to helping kids learn and achieve. One of my favorites is Douglas Reeves. Below are his top tips to educators for helping to keep kids involved in learning.

We continue to work on strengthening these skills with GKMS staff and better serving our students' needs.

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Douglas Reeves’ Five Top Tips

to Improve Student Engagement

1) Choice - A recurring theme of the research on motivation is choice. This does not mean that students have the choice of whether to engage in the assigned work, but it does mean that effective teachers can provide choices of how students engage in the work. Every time students engage in a choice, they are making a wager that they are choosing wisely, and nobody likes to lose a bet. All of the remaining parts of this "Top Five" list are variations on the theme of choice.

2) Homework Menus - A Homework Menu creates a series of choices for students that will provide opportunities for proficiency for all students, while providing opportunities for challenge for those who are bored, and reinforcement and practice for students who are struggling. Some teachers create their Homework Menu in several columns, and students choose one or two problems (writing prompts, math problems, and so on) from each column. Not only does this strategy help to engage students, but it also provides valuable feedback for teachers based on the accuracy of the student work and the choices that students made.

3) Electronic Games - Using Macromedia Flash Professional 8 (free trial versions available at www.Adobe.com), one of Mr. Kane's 8th grade history students created his own electronic game. Built around the theme of freedom during Revolutionary times, the student-produced game first provided pictures and quotations from Founders, and then asked questions about this period of history. Players received immediate feedback, including the opportunity to learn more and change their answers. While many students also chose essays, posters, dramas, and other creative methods of completing the assignment, there's something about 8th grade boys and electronic games that seems to click.

4) Student-Generated Rubrics - Larry Ainsworth, author of Power Standards and many other publications, wrote Student Generated Rubrics, a book in which he demonstrates the power of students creating with clear and student-accessible language their expectations for performance. If you have ever had playground duty, you might have overheard students explaining the rules of a game to other students. In this context, students can be remarkably precise: You can go here, but you can't go there. You can do this but you can't do that. Equipped with such clear expectations, new students quickly learn the game. Why not capitalize on the ability of students to articulate expectations in the classroom? How much more clear might our rubrics and other expectations be if we took the time to have students express those expectations in a format and language that is clear to them? They might even use a combination of words, symbols, and pictures, knowing intuitively that not all of their classmates learn in the same way.

5) Engaging Scenarios - In the book and seminar series Making Standards Work, the first step of creating an effective standards-based classroom assessment is the creation of an engaging scenario. For example, before we assign a challenge to our students, we ask, "Why would anyone really need to know this? What real-life roles might our students play if they were using this information?" Science teachers in Alaska, for example, use simulations of the Exxon Valdez environmental disaster to help students develop language, math, science, and speaking skills as they engage in a court battle to represent the interests of Native Nations, local governments, tourist business owners, and many other stakeholders. Math teachers in Denver put students in the pilot's seat as they use real-world navigation problems to hone their rate/time/distance skills and their understanding of geometry. Speech teachers throughout the nation are using compelling scenarios ranging from domestic violence (the current Lincoln-Douglas debate topic) to concerns over the college early admissions process (the current Public Forum debate topic) in order to help students practice research, writing, and communication skills.

The New Year

Welcome back. I hope everyone enjoyed Winter Break and is recharged and ready to go.

Over the next week, I will be reviewing upcoming curriculum with staff and map our course of action for next three months. Our staff is working to continue to provide standards based curriculum in meaningful ways for our students.

We will also continue working with students as they mature and seek positive interactions with each other. Our students all benefit when we treat each other with respect.

I welcome parents to contact the school at any time to review curriculum goals, PBIS positive behaviors and expectations, and any other aspect of GKMS life. Only by working together can we continue to make GKMS a great place.