Remembering Cody

It is a sad time at GKMS as we lost one of our 6th grade students due to a medical related condition. Cody impressed everyone with his outgoing personality, inquisitive nature, and his desire to help others. We will miss him.

Individual Student Goals

"Testing, testing, testing. These schools do more testing than teaching!" It certainly may feel that way occasionally, but I assure everyone that working with kids is still the overriding priority in all we do. However, effective testing and monitoring can help us better meet student needs.

Over the past two weeks, each student participated in one MAP test in Reading and another in Math. Each test lasted from about 30 minutes to just over an hour for most students. More can be found out about MAP testing at the NWEA site: http://www.nwea.org/

So, what do we do with the data? The Friday, October 8th Teacher's Institute will be devoted to teachers analyzing EACH student's MAP data and constructing Individual Goal Sheets. Teachers will then conference with students, discuss / clarify goals, and begin the process of meeting them.

Timely data put into action with student input is an exciting step towards helping all kids improve and meet achievement goals. That is testing made worthwhile.

Curriculum Night 2010

Thanks go out again to all the families who attended our Curriculum Night. I received many positive comments again about the current format. It seems clear that parents appreciate the opportunity to learn about curriculum and meet teachers.

The only drawback I heard voiced concerned families attending for two or more children. We will continue to look for ways to improve the process for families in that position.

Please feel free to leave comments regarding your thought on the 2010 Curriculum Night and changes you would like to see made in the future. All comments will be shared with the School Improvement Team and Parent Council as we look ahead to next year.

Reading Comprehension

As many GKMS parents and students know, reading is a key skill to sustained success in almost any endeavor. The GKMS (and GK 424) Reading curriculum has evolved greatly over the past several years helping students succeed at a high rate. Students and teachers work daily on practicing and improving specific and targeted reading skills.

While reading an article on the Education Gateway site, I came across a few points worth reiterating with GKMS families:

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For both adults and children, reading comprehension involves not just understanding what we read but also adjusting to different kinds of reading material. As they progress, students will be able to read increasingly complex stories, understand much of what they read in newspapers, and adjust to different types of textbooks, from language arts to math.

A key to increasing reading comprehension is learning reading strategies. Encourage your child to:
• Use context clues
• Re-tell and summarize
• Employ prior knowledge
• Make predictions about "what happens next"
• Take notes or highlight important information
• Ask questions about content and vocabulary
• Discuss a book in class or at home
• Draw pictures, maps, and charts to illustrate what is read
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I encourage families to review reading strategies with students. Ask them which specific strategy they are currently addressing in class or to name a specific strategy that they find the most helpful.

Effective reading strategies truly have a lifelong, positive effect on our students.

Making AYP

GKMS has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as prescribed by No Child Left Behind and measured by achievement on ISAT testing. While our worth and success is measured by far more important things than a single state test, success still feels good and should be celebrated. Well done everyone!

Welcome Back!

I am looking forward to the new school year. As I met with all our teachers and some families in the days leading up to the 2010-2011 year, the anticipation experienced by all reminded me yet again why GKMS is a great place for kids, teachers, and families.

Whenever people ask me about our school, I always tell them about our great school climate. But, what makes a great school climate?

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, “a school with a positive school climate is a place where teachers, students, and parents feel welcomed and supported. It is a place where people come together not because they have to, but because they want to.” I believe that describes us.

Our staff truly loves their work. They come with a positive attitude seeking to continue to improve and become the best educators possible. Each day, they build connections with students and work tirelessly to help them achieve academically and personally.

Our kids 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 participate by consistently communicating through conferences, emails, checking Powerschool, the Assignment Connection, chaperoning field trips, and playing a role in school improvement.

GKMS 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 GKMS a place where kids enjoy life, grow, learn, and succeed.

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

Happy and Safe Summer

The 09-10 school year has come to a close. From my first years as an 8th grade teacher in Cicero, this has been a time of year for reflection. A lot of hard work by GKMS staff brought about a lot of learning. However, the staff's continual caring and work on the behalf of students has effected kids on a personal level.

Soon we continue the work of analyzing data and finding areas of strength and room for growth. We will seek improvement through enhanced curriculum, teaching methods, and educational opportunities. We will use data and research based programs to ensure the best possible educational opportunities for GKMS students.

Today, I am not analyzing data. Today, I am reflecting on the vast variety and vast number of challenges our nearly 500 students faced this year.

Some students struggle to find where they will "fit" in the approaching adult years. Being one big group of elementary aged kids suddenly doesn't seem to apply. Overnight, a large group of friends has turned into three or more entirely different cliques. Where do I fit in? Will I ever fit in?

Some families face very real financial hardships in these times. How will we pay for this or that? Why did my mom have to ask Mr. Lekkas to waive my sports fee? Our family has never done that before. Why do I have to wait for my dad's next check to get shoes? Why can't I get an ipod? For some families, these concerns extend to keeping the house or finding means to pay rent. Some kids are wondering why they have moved in to a relative's house.

Some kids are facing very real personal concerns with families. They are experiencing their parents splitting apart or new step parents for the first time. Some kids face abusive situations at home.

School is not a very high priority when other, more personal, issues flood over one's day.

In addition to all these things, middle school is a time where most kids experience change in their bodies and hormone levels they have never dealt with before.

As I reflect on the year I think about our staff. Are they reaching out to kids? Are they visible? Approachable? Know kids' names? Like kids? Care about kids? Build rapport? Am I in the halls enough? Is my office door open enough?

Then, I come to the biggest question of all: Does EVERY student know that at least one adult in this building cares about THEM?

Of course, I want that answer to be yes. In my heart, when I think about recognition plans like Extra Degree, Good News Cards, Cogs Cards, Clubs, Sports, I know ample programs are in place. In my heart, when I think about our assistant principal, social workers, teachers, assistants, lunch staff, custodial staff, and secretarial staff I know that our people do reach out to kids. I know that our staff does care about kids and likes working with them. They take their responsibility to kids seriously and enjoy being a part of GKMS.

As I reflect on this year, I know that the privileged of being GKMS Principal encompasses doing good work with dedicated people to help advance and inspire great kids.

As I reflect on all that was accomplished and all the help we provided for individual kids and families, 09-10 was a good year.

Enjoy the summer.