Dear Parents,
On behalf of
the Elementary School Faculty, I would like to welcome you to
the 2013-14 school year. I trust that you had a relaxing and enjoyable summer
and that you are your children are looking forward to another great school
year.
This will be a year of many
exciting changes. To begin with, we are happy to welcome the
following new teacher assistants and teachers to the elementary school:
Teacher Assistants: Divine
Oliva (PS 3), Shereen Russell (PS 4), Preethi Issac (Grade 2), Sinduja Suresh
(Grade 3), Nichelle Thibble (Grade 5), Monicka Davi (PS 4) and Sheena Thomas
(World Languages).
Teachers: George
Bach (Guidance), Anna Vanhorn (Grade 2), Daphne Francis (PS 3+), Ethan Katz
(Grade 3), Ben Knight (Grade 5), Danieta Morgan (Grade 5), Laura Waite (Grade
5), Amritha Thomas (LRC), Vigna C (PS 4+), Jeff Moore (PE), Kaye Bach (EAL),
Megha Radakrishnan (EAL), Joanne McHallum (Spanish) and Lily Clarke (intern).
Elementary School Handbook/Code of Conduct: Please take the time to read the Elementary School Handbook that you received this week. At the very back of the handbook, on page 51, is an acknowledgment page in which signatures are required to indicate the book has been read. We need a parent signature from each Pre-School to Grade 5 family. We ask that students who are in grade 3 and above sign as well. If you have more than once child in grades 3 to 5, have each child sign on the page. Parents may drop these forms off with Ms. Prisca in the Elementary Reception, or students can give to their homeroom teacher, no later then Friday, August 16.
Principal's Notes: At the end of every week I will provide an
update on the events taking place in the elementary school and share other
important information with the elementary school community. An email reminder
with this link will be sent to all parents each Friday. Please read these notes
carefully to stay informed about what is going on in the elementary school.
Your child's grade level teachers will keep you updated on news from the
classroom.
Questions
or Concerns: Please remember that if you have a question or concern about
any aspect of your child's educational experience, please contact the classroom
teacher first. In most cases, your question or concern will be resolved after speaking with the teacher. In the rare case that it is not,
please make an appointment to see the Assistant Principal. If your question or
concern remains unresolved at this level, please make an appointment to see the
Principal. You are also welcome to make an appointment to see a
Guidance Counselor.
Lost and Found: The lost and found has
been relocated to the area by the MC Café. There will be a sign by the old site
near the main entrance to direct you to the new site.
Enhancing Collaboration Within our Professional
Community: Research clearly shows that collaborative cultures lead to higher student achievement (Hoy, Tarter & Hoy, 2006). It is in meetings that teachers work together to enhance instructional practice and performance. All faculty and staff in the elementary school are members of a team, some in fact, are members of several teams. Therefore, it is vital that we engage in professional development activities that focus on team effectiveness.
Our work in this area actually began this past April when several of our teachers went to the NESA (Near East South Asia) Spring Educators Conference in Bangkok to attend a training called, "The Adaptive School: Developing and Facilitating Collaborative Groups" (Center for Adaptive Schools). These teachers had a fantastic experience and were very eager to share with us what they learned.
Prior to the first day of school, the elementary teachers participated in a workshop that focused on the “Seven Norms of Collaboration.” These norms are "essential capacities and skills needed for high-performing groups."(http://www.adaptiveschools.com/inventories.htm). These seven norms are: (1) Pausing, (2) Paraphrasing, (3) Posing questions (4) Putting ideas on the table (5) Paying attention to self and others (6) Providing data and (7) Presuming Positive Intentions. The overarching goal for changing the work culture to become more collaborative is to improve student learning.
Yesterday
in our elementary school section meeting, we shifted our focus from the
"Seven Norms of Collaboration" to "Developing and Facilitating
Collaborative Groups: Exploring Standards for Successful Meetings." There
are five standards for successful meetings: (1) Address only one topic at a
time (2) Use only one process at a time (3) Balance participation and make
meetings interactive (4) Use cognitive conflict productively and (5) Have
everyone understand and agree to meeting rules. When
these standards are met, meetings
will become more effective and efficient, and thus have a positive impact on students. "The more
successful groups are at getting important work done in meetings, the greater
their collective efficacy, a resource that is undeniably linked to student
success." (www.adaptiveschools.com)
Thank you to our teacher leaders Ms. Andrea, Ms. Jenna, Ms. Chris, Ms. McDonald and Ms. Kristina for leading these highly engaging sessions.
Next week, I will discuss how we have structured collaboration time in the elementary school.
Have a great weekend,
Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal