Notes from April 18, 2011

Thanks Kris Woods, for providing notes from our meeting on the 18th. 

Opening

·         2 building campus with possible flexible coverage of administration between buildings and, in future, possible cross-over of students

Trends in Education

·         8^th grade algebra will now be a HS credit, would like to see more courses for HS credit in MS

·         Discussed two articles as small groups then sharing with large group concerning communication and real world/creativity for instructional planning along with data driven formative assessments

·         Ken Robinson video about the changing paradigm in education (video references the study in Break Point and Beyond about divergent thinking)

Teaming

·         2012-13 will see approx.  350-360 5^th graders at the school, necessitating 4 teams

·         Many questions began at this point:

o        What about 5^th graders being developmentally ready for transitions between classes?

o        Team structure: some teachers in group would like to see 4 man teams, some want 2 man teams – teaching to their strengths

o        How many teachers being brought in for 5^th grade?  Ideally 16 core teachers with the electives/specials/explores – looking at 5-7 explore class offerings

o        Concern about the writing program now in place at ES, will this continue as a separate class or be integrated in all core classes?  They seem to want a separate class.

o        Can there be a longer block of time for ELA?  Possibly have some subjects every other day

o        What is GREAT time, how is it used?

o        5^th grade teachers are generally teaming up for social studies and science instruction already

·         Advantages to a self-contained class or two man teaming

o        Get to know the students, students held more accountable for work (can do math when finished with science because the teacher knows that student needs to extra time, etc.), cross-curricular connections are easy to make and allows for transfer of skills to other classes since teaching all of them, flexible scheduling depending on topics and need for a longer science time and less social studies for example

·         Advantages to full teaming

o        Accountability of student work handled in team planning time, explanation of 90 minute planning for team plan/personal plan time, different eyes on students so see different perspectives of how to handle issues, students see different instructional styles, lessons grow as the day goes on with multiple class input changing the basic lesson by the fourth rendering

·         General layout of the new building

Compass/Decision Making

·         What are your non-negotiables?  Pairs, quads, eights to generate consensus lists of 5 items

·         My group of eight included all the following items that then were cropped:

o        --Grade level common planning time

o        --Dedicated literacy class/classes for writing and reading programs in place in addition to English

o        --Flexibly scheduled media program

o        --Consistent technology plan for adoption of equipment with professional learning

o        --Consistent behavior model in school – PBIS

o        Some sort on unstructured time each day/recess  (Question: is there a playground?)

o        Web presence for each team/class

o        Green environment for paperless classrooms as much as can to save paper/ink but also teach/model sustainable use practices for students

o        All teachers have their own rooms, no teachers on carts

o        Desk vs. tables in rooms, will this be teacher choice?

o        What is the storage in rooms?

o        Keep elective schedule as it now is in 6^th grade

·         Group 2 – 5 items

o        Team planning

o        Lit block (60-90 minutes daily) with literacy coach support

o        PBIS

o        A “Home Room” concept to start and end the day with same teacher/group of students for about 10 minutes

o        Brain Break Recess – 15 minute lunch/15 minute recess as finished.  Might allow for quicker lunch turnovers

o        Specialist schedule – all year schedule rather than 12 week blocks with changes

·         Group 3 – 5 items

o        PBIS/Counseling lessons/Whole community (all grade level community building opportunities)/Home room

o        Clubs and Intramurals and/or Recess

o        Teaching technology skills – how will it be done?  Currently in ES, classroom teacher has a “lab” time which they use to teach Word, PPT, etc., before a project in which they will use it.  Will an explore class address this, will the teachers teach the skills

o        Inclusion model?  Co-teaching

o        PE all year

Other Concerns – Post It activity

·         What if team members have different educational views? 

·         Team structures/teacher placement and selection.  Will there be an interview process?  Dr. Sexton said there had not been a plan for interviewing.

·         Subject areas getting equal importance/time/length of day

·         Daily schedule – what will it look like?

·         Start time, traffic flow, transportation

·         Accountability for student emotional welfare – who is responsible

·         How will staff become a cohesive group?  Get to know one another?

·         Opening media collection funding

·         Green school for teaching paperless for our 21^st century learners

·         Class sizes

·         Will there be professional development concerning the expected behaviors/developmental stages of 5^th and 6^th graders for those new to the age group?

·         Models of other schools with intermediate grades schools.  Norfolk opened a 5/6 school this year

Name the Building

·         Consider naming the campus rather than the buildings