1 / 25

Grade 5-6 Study Follow Up Committee

Grade 5-6 Study Follow Up Committee. May 27, 2008. "...no other age level has so clear and legitimate a claim to the designation of unique as does this period of transition between childhood and full-blown adolescence, roughly ages ten to fourteen" ( This We Believe (1992), p. 4). NMSA.

emelda
Télécharger la présentation

Grade 5-6 Study Follow Up Committee

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Grade 5-6 StudyFollow Up Committee May 27, 2008 "...no other age level has so clear and legitimate a claim to the designation of unique as does this period of transition between childhood and full-blown adolescence, roughly ages ten to fourteen" (This We Believe (1992), p. 4). NMSA

  2. Committee Membership Facilitator: • Ron Perrault Tootin’ Hills School Principal Committee Membership: • Ana Aguirre Elementary Schools World Language Teacher • Scott Baker Squadron Line School Assistant Principal • Janice Bell Tootin’ Hills School Grade 6 Teacher • George Blick Central School Head Custodian • Edward Boiczyk Tootin’ Hills School Grade 5 Teacher • Caron Carpenter Central School Grade 5 Teacher • Matt Curtis Squadron Line School Principal • Ginny Damseaux Squadron Line School School Psychologist • Eileen Eustis Simsbury High School Assistant Principal • Mary Glendening Henry James World Language Supervisor, 6-8 • Betsy Gunsalus CTC Director of Elementary Curriculum • Beth Hennessy Squadron Line School Literacy Coach • Meg Kraft Latimer Lane School Grade 5 Teacher • Joncia Lytwynec Simsbury Public Schools Director of Instructional Technology • Dennis Marolda Elementary Schools World Language Teacher • Grace Morris Latimer Lane School Principal • Dorothy Norman Simsbury Public Schools Supervisor of Special Education • Steven Petrella Latimer Lane School Grade 6 Teacher • Cynthia Rehm Simsbury High School Art Dept. Supervisor, K-12 • Martha Rouleau Henry James Science • Melanie Swider Latimer Lane/Tootin’ Hills Language Arts Consultant • Susan Zenick Latimer Lane Library Media Specialist Ad Hoc Members: • Diane Ullman Central Office Superintendent of Schools • Erin Murray Central Office Assistant Superintendent of Schools

  3. Original Grade 5-6 Study(2006-2007) • Teams of parents, teachers, and administrators toured several 5-6 buildings throughout Connecticut and interviewed staff to determine the feasibility of creating a similar school in Simsbury. • Conclusion of the study process was that the educational benefits were not compelling enough to disrupt our current K-6 structure. • Superintendent proposed that a committee of teachers and administrators further explore the educational benefits identified in the study in terms of feasibility, cost and impact within our current K-6 configuration.

  4. Grade 5-6 Study Follow Up Committee (2007-2008) • During the 2007-2008 school year a committee of volunteers was formed to carry out the superintendent's charge. • As a result of discussion surrounding the recommendations from the original 5-6 study group we identified four areas of study. Subcommittees were created to address each.

  5. Areas of Study • Opportunities for Social/Emotional Growth • Scheduling Within a Grade 5-6 Program • World Language • Tandem/Team Teaching

  6. Review of Middle Level Research • Prior to embarking on these investigations committee members reviewed relevant middle level research to ensure consistency with the Simsbury Public Schools Vision and Core Beliefs. • This step was essential to keep our work consistent with the goal of meeting the needs of our middle level students.

  7. Opportunities for Social/Emotional Growth Goal • To identify activities and opportunities that foster the social and emotional growth of the middle level child that align with our character education programs district-wide.

  8. Opportunities for Social/Emotional Growth • Expand Roles and Responsibilities of Student Councils • Develop Peer Mediation Programs • Develop Team Leadership Opportunities • Ensure Access to After-School and Extra-Curricular Activities • Coordinate Initiatives District Wide

  9. Scheduling Goal • To establish scheduling parameters to support the academic, social and emotional needs of the middle level student.

  10. Scheduling Parameters • Structure beginning/ending of school day to accommodate added instructional time/relationship building opportunities • Create uninterrupted blocks of instructional time (support services may be ‘pushed in’ during these time blocks)

  11. Scheduling Parameters (cont.) • Utilize before/after school hours for large music ensembles and other enrichment activities • Ensure common planning time exists for collaboration between teachers and support personnel

  12. World Language Goal • Expansion of Spanish into elementary grades. • This goal is supported by research and is aligned with our district core beliefs in preparing students for a global, interconnected society which will require facility with relationships, higher order thinking, technology and languages.

  13. World Language • Maintain Spanish in Grade 6. (90 min. weekly) • Expand Spanish into grade 5. (90 min. weekly) • Expand 7th grade Spanish to a full year course thereby completing Spanish II by the end of 8th grade • Expand World Language options in high school

  14. Tandem/Team Teaching Goals • To improve the quality of instruction through teacher specialization in subject areas and or units of study to develop expertise in increasingly complex content. • To better prepare our students for the demands of a middle school schedule. • To allow for more targeted professional development and an economy of materials.

  15. Tandem/Team Teaching Plan Grade 5 • Students organized on either a 2 or 3 teacher team • Teachers specialize in individual science units and students change classes as they progress through 4 science rotations. • Social Studies content integrated with reading and writing instruction at points throughout the year.

  16. Tandem/Team Teaching Plan Grade 6 • Students organized on teams of 2 or 3 teachers • On a 2 teacher team, one teacher specializes in math/science and the other specializes in writing/social studies • On a 3 teacher team one teacher specialize in math, one in science and one in social studies • In both circumstances students have a homeroom teacher responsible for all other areas of academic instruction

  17. Next Steps: 2008-2009 School Year • Teams/Tandems Implementation 08-09 • Using existing resources, begin implementing recommendations of Social/Emotional Growth Subcommittee at the building level • Apply currently viable scheduling parameters in development of 08-09 school schedules

  18. Requiring Further Review • Continue to evaluate the feasibility and impact of expanding world language in the elementary and middle grades • Explore the feasibility and impact of district coordination of social / emotional growth initiatives • Investigate the creation of a flexible period to be utilized within a six day cycle for academic support, enrichment, pull out instruction, world language, etc…

  19. Committee Membership Facilitator: • Ron Perrault Tootin’ Hills School Principal Committee Membership: • Ana Aguirre Elementary Schools World Language Teacher • Scott Baker Squadron Line School Assistant Principal • Janice Bell Tootin’ Hills School Grade 6 Teacher • George Blick Central School Head Custodian • Edward Boiczyk Tootin’ Hills School Grade 5 Teacher • Caron Carpenter Central School Grade 5 Teacher • Matt Curtis Squadron Line School Principal • Ginny Damseaux Squadron Line School School Psychologist • Eileen Eustis Simsbury High School Assistant Principal • Mary Glendening Henry James World Language Supervisor, 6-8 • Betsy Gunsalus CTC Director of Elementary Curriculum • Beth Hennessy Squadron Line School Literacy Coach • Meg Kraft Latimer Lane School Grade 5 Teacher • Joncia Lytwynec Simsbury Public Schools Director of Instructional Technology • Dennis Marolda Elementary Schools World Language Teacher • Grace Morris Latimer Lane School Principal • Dorothy Norman Simsbury Public Schools Supervisor of Special Education • Steven Petrella Latimer Lane School Grade 6 Teacher • Cynthia Rehm Simsbury High School Art Dept. Supervisor, K-12 • Martha Rouleau Henry James Science • Melanie Swider Latimer Lane/Tootin’ Hills Language Arts Consultant • Susan Zenick Latimer Lane Library Media Specialist Ad Hoc Members: • Diane Ullman Central Office Superintendent of Schools • Erin Murray Central Office Assistant Superintendent of Schools

  20. Appendix • 5th Grade Science/Social Studies Sequences • 5th Grade Sample Schedule • 6th Grade Sample Schedule

  21. 5th Grade Sequence Science Rotation / Social Studies Integration for a Team of 2 [Tariffville, 2 teachers from Squadron Line, Latimer 2 teams]

  22. 5th Grade Sequence Science Rotation / Social Studies Integration for a Team of 3 [Central, 3 teachers from Squadron Line, Tootin’ Hills]

  23. Grade 5 Sample Schedule

  24. Sample 6th Grade Schedule

  25. CEP’s 11 Principles of Character Education Programs • Principle 1 Promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.  • Principle 2 Defines "character" comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior. • Principle 3 Uses a comprehensive, intentional, proactive, and effective approach to character development. • Principle 4 Creates a caring school community.  • Principle 5 Provides students with opportunities for moral action. • Principle 6 Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed.  • Principle 7 Strives to foster students self motivation.  • Principle 8 Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community that shares responsibility for character education and attempts to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students. • Principle 9 Fosters shared moral leadership and long range support of the character education initiative. • Principle 10 Engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort.  • Principle 11 Evaluates the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character.

More Related