Skelly Elementary Community Night

1. Skelly Elementary Community Night Welcome!!! April 5, 2012 Skelly upper auditorium

2. Agenda Housekeeping Items Overview—Skelly Improvement Process Strategic Plan for 2012-2013 School Year Classroom Visits

3. Housekeeping Items • OCCT Testing April 10-14—Grades 3-6 How you can help… • Make sure students are here and on time every day • Ensure your student gets plenty of sleep • Talk about the importance of doing their Personal Best • Sign up to be a test monitor!!! • Last Day of School—May 18th • Summer School • Door Prize Drawings • Lost and Found

4. Skelly School Improvement Process 2011-2012 • BRIDGES Cohort in Fall 2011 • Blending Research, Instruction, and Data to Grow Effective Schools • Group of schools working together to improve student achievement. • Three Important Steps: • Developed a new VISION for Skelly • Developed a School Wide Instructional Focus Statement • Determined Best Practices to Implement • Staff participation in Professional Development

5. OUR VISION Our “dream” for Skelly—What we hope to be looking forward to the future… Our vision is to be a nationally recognized model for life-long learning with a focus on highly engaging academic rigor, continuous professional development, and community involvement.

6. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS What skill, if our students are able to be successful, will have the greatest impact in ALL grade levels, across ALL contents areas, for ALL students? What will give us the most “bang for our buck?” Staff worked together and unanimously agreed… …READING AND CONTENT COMPREHENSION!!!

7. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS STATEMENT The looong version… A community wide effort to have all Skelly students show growth in reading and content comprehension with the ability to demonstrate knowledge through written and oral expression, through the implementation of a common set of engaging BEST PRACTICES in reading and writing in all classes as measured by DIBELS, SRI, OCCT, WIDA, teacher-made assessments and school-wide writing assessments.

8. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS STATEMENT Which basically means… All Skelly students will show growth in reading and content comprehension with the ability to demonstrate understanding through speaking and writing.

9. INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS STATEMENT And in “KID-FRIENDLY” terms… Skelly Scholars… READ TO KNOW! READ TO GROW! READY TO SHOW!

10. BEST PRACTICES • Research-Based Teaching Strategies that Support our Instructional Focus • Started with 7…teachers worked collaboratively to determine top 3 to implement school-wide. • In EVERY class at EVERY grade and EVERY subject. THINKING MAPS ACADEMIC VOCABULARY COOPERATIVE LEARNING

11. THINKING MAPS Visual thinking tools that foster and encourage lifelong learning. Consists of eight maps that correspond with fundamental thinking processes. Maps are a "common visual language" for students in all subject areas (Grades K-12). Maps are used by Colleges and Universities Statewide *For more information, visit www.thinkingmaps.com

12. Planning for 2012-2013Priority Initiatives • Continue work to support our Vision, Instructional Focus, and Best Practices • Professional Development and Ongoing Implementation • Implementation of a Balanced Literacy Framework • Additional Information in Fall 2012 • Year 2 Implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) • Continue to strengthen teacher collaboration through Professional Learning Communities • Begin the journey of becoming a Community School

13. COMMUNITY SUPPORT • Art Rogers, Lead Pastor—Skelly Drive Baptist Church • Mentors • Tutors • Library Volunteers • Journal Readers • Read Across America Volunteers

14. Classroom Visits Learn more and see student work and examples of Thinking Maps See agenda for classroom assignments Have fun!!!