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.