MARSH CREEK SIXTH GRADE CENTER

1. Whole School Program Presentation MARSH CREEK SIXTH GRADE CENTER

2. The Vision • Goal 1: Warm and Welcoming Environment • Developmentally appropriate, comfortable and robust programs • Welcoming, Social-Advisory and Student Activities Committees • Goal 2: 21stCentury School • Not just technology, but emphasizes communication, collaboration and creativity • 21st Century, Signature Programs and Experiential EducationCommittees • Goal 3: Academically Challenging • Learner engagement, real-world, and rigor • 21stCentury, Signature Programs and Experiential Education Committees

3. Schools, Communities and Democracy • “People’s sense that they don’t own the schools is … a major problem for American democracy.”- David Mathews • “Public education isn't important because it serves the public, it is important because it creates the public." – Neil Postman

4. Last Spring • Discussions, research and developing this plan • Visits to Elementary Home and School Associations with focus areas and questions

5. Last Summer • Focus groups • Surveys • Planned Committee Meetings • Creating a Welcoming Environment • The 21stCentury Classroom • Social Development • Experiential Learning • Signature/Interdisciplinary Programs • Student Activities

6. Programs and Practices Meetings • Over 100 people participated in six committees • Parents, students, teachers, administrators and board members • Three meetings in October, January and March

7. The Meetings • What We Want; Don’t Want • Developed Ideas • Suggested Programs • Combined Committees from Six to Four

8. Goal 1: Welcoming and Social Advisory • Parents want to be involved • Formed committees with HSA officers on: • Communication • Regular emailed communication • Volunteer Opportunities • Signature Programs: Stream Study, Outdoor Education, Art Show ; Afterschool Clubs and Student Events

9. Welcoming and Social Advisory • Transitions • Keep the kids excited and informed • Student Presentations • Summer Transition Camps • Generate an interest • Emphasize team-building

10. Welcoming and Social Advisory • Advisory Period • 50 periods per year on block days • Dedicated to four pillars: • Student Achievement • Bullying Prevention • Social and Emotional Learning • Team Activities

11. Welcoming and Social Advisory • Student Achievement (14 days) • Organizational and Time Management • Technology Skills • Academic Advising • Extra Help • Benchmarking

12. Welcoming and Social Advisory • Bullying Prevention (12 days) • Olweus BPP – research-based • Emphasis on the bystander making bullying behavior unacceptable • Emphasis on preventing cyber-bullying and promoting good digital citizenship

13. Welcoming and Social Advisory • Social and Emotional Learning (10 days) • Team-building is the early focus • Problem solving in social situations • Effective communication • Resiliency becomes the focus later on in the year

14. Welcoming and Social Advisory • Team Activities (14 days) • Interest-based club days • Physical activity • Student recognition and celebration • Team meetings

15. Goal 1: Student Activities • No PIAA sports in sixth grade • No scheduled recess period • Desired ROBUST after school program • Wanted to appeal directly to the kids – ask them what they wanted

16. Student Activities • Interest-based clubs will occur on teams during Advisory Period • Afterschool activities, which include intramural sports, clubs and other student activities will occur from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on M-T-Th.

17. Student Activities • Art club • Drama club • Healthy living club • Woodworking club • Homework club • Book club • Science club • Sign language club • Foreign language club • Nature club • Community service learning club • Broadcasting/ newspaper club • Photography club • Computer club • Student council • Video games club • Yoga club • Exercise/dance club • Running club • Buddies club • Yearbook club • Student newspaper club • Dance club • Chess club • Buddy club • Martial arts club • Multicultural club • TV news club

18. Student Activities Some of Our Student-Volunteered Intramural Sports:

19. Student Activities School-wide Events • September - Quiz Bowl : Parents vs. Student • November – Family Movie Night • February – Student vs. Faculty Basketball game • April – Pizza/Bingo • Dances • October – Halloween Costume Party (directly after school) • May – Spring Dance (night) • Other Events • Talent Show (March??) • DMS/LMS field day. Last Full Day of school • May – Walk for Water

20. Student Activities • Special Days –one or two special days a month • School Colors – Friday August 29 • Crazy Sock • Hat • Hawaiian Shirt • Dress Up • Twin • Pajama • Sports Team • Crazy Hair • DMS/LMS colors (connected to field day, or done before) • Inside/Out Day

21. Before and After Care • The Lionville YMCA will provide a for-pay before and after care service M-F • Before Care will start at 7 am and end at 8:30 • After care will run from 3:30 pm to 6 pm • Information will be provided by the Y early this summer

22. Goals 2 and 3: Signature Programs and Experiential Education • Our Signature Programs will provide educational experiences for every student • They center on identity and environment or “Who” and “Where” they are • Our expectation is that every Marsh Creek student will participate to some degree in three experiences

23. Signature Programs and Experiential Education • Art and Identity Project • Outdoor Education • Guardians of the Brandywine

24. Art and Identity Project • A multidisciplinary project that involves Social Studies, Language Arts, IDIT and Art • Involves study of culture (SS) • Exploration of causes that are important to students (LA) • Writing about identity (LA) • Connecting a personal artwork that represents their identity to writing (IDIT)

25. Art and Identity • We will partner with the West Gallery, who will virtually and physically exhibit art, and require that students interact with artwork and it’s message

26. Art and Identity • Students will be required to write about their identity and tie it to their artwork • Students will also explore causes that are important to them in Literature

27. Art and Identity Culmination • An art exhibit will be held in November • A Ted X conference will coincide with the exhibit • Students artwork will be tied to a personal narration of their essay - linked by QR code • Local businesses can choose to exhibit student artwork in the community

28. Outdoor Education • Environmental awareness of our local surroundings is a signature theme of the school • Students will be placed on one of eight interdisciplinary teams • A focus on team-building will pervade interdisciplinary teams in the first semester

29. Outdoor Education • Each team will go on an overnight field trip in October • Paradise Farms (on Boot Road in Downingtown) • Lessons will center on team-building and Environmental Education

30. Guardians of the Brandywine • This project will occur mostly in the Spring • It will center on local water quality • Students will learn about contaminants that impact water in Science • They will learn about Geography and the importance of water to settlement in Social Studies • In Language Arts, readings will provide a background on environmental initiatives

31. Guardians of the Brandywine • Students will communicate with students in a different parts of the watershed - and in different parts of the world - who cannot easily access clean water • They will utilize writing and technology to propose educational or functional initiatives to preserve water quality

32. Guardians of the Brandywine • Physical Education will coordinate “Walk for Water” activity • Culminating activity will include a race on the trail • Students will present their projects

33. Goals 2 and 3: 21stCentury Education • Emphasis on three skills: • Communication • Collaboration • Creativity • Project Based Learning • Real world • Answers a “driving question” • Published or offered to a greater audience than the teacher

34. 21st Century Education • Progress from a pen and paper based to a more digital based learning environment • Students will be using iPad Airs • Schoology will our on-line Learning Management System (teachers and students can post work) • Students will use cloud-based media (like Google Apps) to collaborate and create

35. 21st Century Education • Integrated Digital Information Technology (IDIT) teachers will work with students in the academic areas to build technology skills • Observations of other 1:1 programs have led us to believe that students will be more engaged in their learning; we will be studying this as we move forward

36. Goals 2 and 3: New Curriculum and Delivery Models • Six new courses that teach the skills that our changing interconnected world is demanding • Emphasis on communication, creativity and healthy living

37. World Language • Introduction to French • Introduction to German • Introduction to Spanish • Utilizes Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) • Emphasis on understanding and speaking

38. Other Courses • Wellness • Integrated connection between Health and Physical Education • Engineering Inventions • Learn the engineering process through teams building inventions that will compete with other teams’ inventions • Integrated Digital Information Technology • Contextually within core and academic subjects

39. Goals 2 and 3: New Intervention Programs • Read 180, System 44 and Math 180 • Well-researched effective Reading and Mathematics programs designed to raise students to grade level and beyond • Math Plus • Level 2 Math class with extra periods taught by same teacher during the week to aid improved understanding of mathematical concepts