Special points of interest: Inside this issue: Happy New Year! 1 Spotlight on the Williams Family! Be Cool Pack The School & Attendance Highlights

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1 Volume 2 Issue 5 January 2015 Special points of interest: Dates to Remember Parent Engagement TIPS Principals Matter! Student Work January s School Menus! Inside this issue: Happy New Year! 1 Spotlight on the Williams Family! Be Cool Pack The School & Attendance Highlights Spotlight on J. Winthrop and Discovery Schools Principals Matter! 4 Bravo Mr. S. Williams 5 Brown Bag It Thursdays 5 Dates to Remember After writing a research project on Justice Sonia Sotomayor in March of 2014, Toli Williams' family was invited to meet her in Washington, D.C. by an aunt who just happens to know her personally. The Williams family spent the day with the Justice, watching Duke Ellington s rendition of the Nutcracker at the Strathmore Theater with the Justice, followed by a dinner at the aunt s house. They were also invited to the US Supreme Court, where they heard two oral arguments, went on a tour of the Courthouse and met the Justice in her chambers. Justice Sotomayor arranged for a skype call to their fellow classmates (Mrs. Papp s and Mrs. Steeves classes) back at MCM, where students had an opportunity to ask 6 questions of Mrs. Sotomayor.

2 Be Cool Pack The School Top 3 Elementary Schools With The Highest December Attendance Multi-Cultural Magnet % Classical Studies Magnet Academy % Park City Magnet % Top 2 High Schools With The Highest First December Attendance Fairchild Wheeler- I.T. & Software Engineering Magnet % Fairchild Wheeler - Zoology & Biotechnology Research Magnet % Page 2 Be Cool Pack The School" Campaign At the Columbus Annex, students will be recognized for December Perfect Attendance with Certificates of Accomplishments on January 22nd. Congratulations to Ms. Morantus grade one they earned a special snack for having the highest percent of students in school and in uniform for the month of December. Who will win next month? Bryant School Perfect Attendance Recognition! Each month Bryant students Pre-K - 6 with PERFECT ATTENDANCE receive a certificate. Last month 162 students were the recipients of the highly coveted honor! The 4th grade students at Edison School coming to school on time each and every day with the hope that their class will win the monthly contest so their teacher Mr. Sharkey will have to wear the crown throughout the school day! He has been the winner two months in a row! Thanks for being a great team player Mr. Sharkey!

3 Page 3 The Morning Mile at John Winthrop! Since September of this year, many students at John Winthrop have been jump-starting their school day at the Morning Mile. The program takes place every day from 7:50-8:20 am at the soccer field behind the North Branch library (unless there is snow or rain below 50 degrees). All students, staff, family and friends are welcomed and encouraged to join. When describing the Morning Mile, it is near impossible to do so without mentioning the awe-inspiring Richard Zou. Richard is in 4th grade and has run over 125 miles before school this year. He runs at least three miles a day with a constant smile on his face. Other Morning Mile Maniacs that can be found running with Richard include Savaughn Marina and Trevor White. Come out and run with us! This program is run by volunteers and help is still needed on Tuesday and Friday mornings. If you re interested in helping out, please contact me at wlenz@ bridgeportedu.net or come by and chat at the Morning Mile! Mr. W. Lenz, 6th Grade Teacher/John Winthrop School Each design created with recycled materials focused on a STEM Theme!

4 Page 4 The staff at Columbus-Annex School would like to give a BIG SHOUT OUT! to Weston Middle School for donating toys to Columbus Annex students making their holiday brighter! Our Kid Power Tutors for donating over 500 books to our classroom libraries! Brownie Troop# Middle Brook of Trumbull for donating hats and gloves! Ludlow High School Honor Society for their book donations! Also, Congratulations to the Columbus - Annex Grant Writing Team for receiving funding for 10 Chrome Books to support student achievement! WAY to GO TEAM! Mary Beth Williamson, Assistant Principal The Annual Family Winter Craft Night held at Edison School was attended by over 186 children and parents. That is a record for this winter event! Jackie Simmons, Principal At Dunbar, parents are welcome to join the principal for the monthly for Coffee Call. Together the parents and principal enjoy pastries and coffee while they are engaged in talks about upcoming calendar events, parent workshops and classes. In addition there is an opportunity provided to answer any questions or concerns. Alyshia Perrin, Interim Principal Enrichment Showcase at J. J. Curiale School! The 4th Enrichment Showcase was held at the school on December 18th. As part of the school s Turnaround Plan they have used school-wide enrichment as one way to get students more excited about learning. School-wide enrichment means we have more trips and activities than most other schools in Bridgeport. Another component of school-wide enrichment is Enrichment Clusters for grades 3 8. Enrichment clusters are classes that are outside of the usual reading, writing and math. Enrichment Clusters have classes like jewelry-making, Japanese culture, ballet, school newspaper, acting, basketball, etc. The Enrichment Clusters learn about their topics and each student is expected to produce an artifact or performance. December 18th was a celebration of the work the students did and a showcase of their performances. It was an exciting event! Brett Gustafson, Principal A school-wide Food Drive was held in November at HHMS. They are very excited to announce the approximately 850 items were collected for the Universal Outreach Food Pantry. The 1st grade classrooms collected 247 items which Made up 4% of the entire total! Congratulations HHMS you nearly doubled the school population to feed those in need! Francine Carbone, Principal PBIS was kicked off in an assembly at Park City Magnet School on November 26th. It included presentations from each grade level as to what the name of their Panda mascot should be. Each grade level had the opportunity to create a performance. Ms. Maguire, the principal dressed as Super Panda and was led into the gym by the Park City Magnet School Color Guard. After the assembly, everyone voted and the school community is pleased to announce their panda's name which is Super PC Panda! Therese Maguire, Principal

5 Page 5 School Closed January 6th - Three Kings Day Exec DPAC Meeting - January 8th 5:30-8:00 Nutrition Center Committee Meeting - January 11:30 am School Closed January 19th - Martin L. King Day District PAC Meeting - January Blackham School 5:30-8:00 Action Plans for the school year must be a collaborative effort in every school. As soon as they are completed they must be shared with the SGC. Your Home School Coordinator can help facilitate the process in your school. Check out the NNPS publications that they can share with you and remember to go to the NNPS site for great ideas! (login code: NNPSmem13) Ask your HSC or contact Dolores Mason for details or assistance! Congratulations to P. L. Dunbar Teacher Mr. Sloan Williams! Mr. Williams was chosen as one of the five CT State Finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. The Samsung staff was amazed by the quality of entries that they received this year and applaud his dedication to inspiring his students, improving our local community and fostering STEM education in P. L. Dunbar school. Out of the more than 3,100 applications, Mr. Sloan was chosen as one of the five best in Connecticut. As a finalist, he was awarded with two Samsung Galaxy Tabs to assist him with classroom instruction! He also received one select self-paced teacher development course from PBS Teacher Line!

6 Volume 2 Edicion 5 enero 2015 Puntos especiales de interés: Fechas para Recordar CONSEJOS para participacion de los padres Los directores cuentan! Trabajos de Estudiantes Menú de Almuerzo de enero! En esta edición: Feliz Año Nuevo! 1 Enfoque en la Familia Williams! Be Cool Pack The School & Attendance Highlights Enfoque en las escuelas Winthrop y Discovery Los Directores Cuentan! 4 Aplausos al Sr. S. Williams 5 Brown Bag It Thursdays 5 Fechas para Recordar Tras escribir un proyecto de investigación sobre la Sra. Juez Sonia Sotomayor en marzo de 2014, la familia Toli Williams fue invitada a reunirse con ella en Washington, DC por una tía que casualmente la conoce en persona. La familia Williams pasó el día con la Sra. Juez viendo la versión de Duke Ellington del Nutcracker en el Teatro Strathmore con la Sr. Justicia, seguida de una cena en la casa de la tía. También fueron invitados a la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos, donde escucharon dos argumentos orales, fueron a una gira por la Corte y se encontraron con la Sra. Juez en su despacho. La Juez Sotomayor, organizó una llamada por Skype a los compañeros de clase de las niñas de la escuela Multicultural Los estudiantes de la clase de las Sra. Papp y la Sra. Steeve tuvieron la oportunidad de hacerle 6 preguntas a la señora Sotomayor.

7 Be Cool Pack The School Las 3 Escuelas Primarias Con Mejor Asistencia en el mes de diciembre Multicultural Magnet % Classical Studies Magnet Academy % Park City Magnet % Las2 Escuelas Secundarias Con Mejor Asistencia en el mes de diciembre Fairchild Wheeler - I.T. & Software Engineering Magnet % Fairchild Wheeler - Zoology & Biotechnology Research Magnet % Pagina 2 Campaña de "Be Cool Pack School" En las escuela Columbus Annex los estudiantes serán reconocidos por Asistencia Perfecta en diciembre con Certificados de logros el 22 de enero. Felicitaciones a la clase de primer grado de la Sra Morantus. Ellos se ganaron una merienda especial por tener el mayor porcentaje de estudiantes en la escuela y con uniforme para el mes de diciembre. Quién ganará el próximo mes? Reconocimiento de Asistencia Perfecta en la escuela Bryant! Cada mes los estudiantes de la escuela Bryant Pre-K - 6 que tienen asistencia perfecta reciben un certificado. El mes pasado, 162 estudiantes fueron los recipientes de este honor! A los estudiantes de cuarto grado de la Escuela Edison les encanta venir a la escuela a tiempo todos los días con la esperanza de que su clase va a ganar el concurso mensual por lo que su maestro, el Sr. Sharkey tendrá que llevar la corona durante el día escolar! Él ha sido el ganador por los últimos dos meses! Gracias por ser un gran "jugador Sr. Sharkey!

8 Pagina 3 La Milla de la mañana en las escuela John Winthrop! Desde septiembre de este año, muchos estudiantes en la escuela John Winthrop han estado poniendo en marcha su día escolar en la Milla de la mañana. El programa se lleva a cabo todos los días de 7:50-8:20 de la mañana en el campo de soccer detrás de la biblioteca North Branch (a menos que haya nieve o lluvia y este debajo de 50 grados). Todo el personal, estudiantes, familiares y amigos son bienvenidos a participar. Cuando se describe la Milla de la mañana, es casi imposible hacerlo sin mencionar el inspirador Richard Zou. Richard está en cuarto grado y ha corrido más de 125 kilómetros antes de que empezara las clases este año. Él corre al menos tres kilómetros al día con una sonrisa constante en su cara. Otros que se pueden encontrar corriendo con Rich son Savaughn Marina y Trevor White. Vengan a correr con nosotros! Este programa está dirigido por voluntarios y todavia se necesita ayuda los martes y viernes por la mañana. Si usted está interesado en ayudar, por favor comuníquese conmigo al wlenz@ bridgeportedu.net o venga a charlar en la Milla de la mañana! Sr. W. Lenz, profesor del sexto grado / John Winthrop School Cada diseño fue creado con materials reclados enfocados en el Tema STEM!

9 Pagina 4 El personal de la Escuela Columbus-Annex quiere darle las gracias a la Escuela Secundaria Weston por la donación de juguetes a sus alumnos! A los tutores de Kid Power por la donación de más de 500 libros para las bibliotecas de salónes de clases! A la Brownie Troop # Middle Brook de Trumbull por donar sombreros y guantes! A la Escuela Secundaria de Ludlow por sus donaciones de libros! También, Felicitaciones al Equipo de Escritura de donanciones de Columbus Annex por la recepción de fondos para 10 Libros Chrome para apoyar el logro de los estudiante! Mary Beth Williamson, Sub-directora La escuela Edison tuvo una Noche Familiar de Artesanía y asistieron más de 186 niños y padres. Eso es un récord para este evento! Jackie Simmons-Directora En la escuela Dunbar, los padres están invitados a unirse al Director para el mensual para "Café de llamadas Mensual". Juntos, los padres y el director disfrutan pastelería y café mientras están ocupados en conversaciones acerca de próximos eventos del calendario, talleres para padres y clases. Además hay una oportunidad proporcionada para responder a cualquier pregunta o preocupación. Alyshia Perrin, Directora Interina Exhibición de Enriquecimiento en La Escuela Curiale! La 4ta Exhibición de Enriquecimiento se celebró en la escuela el 18 de diciembre. Como parte del plan de cambio de la escuela que han utilizado el enriquecimiento de toda la escuela como una forma de llegar a los estudiantes más entusiasmados por aprender. De toda la escuela el enriquecimiento significa que tenemos más viajes y actividades que la mayoría de otras escuelas de Bridgeport. Otro componente de enriquecimiento de toda la escuela es de grupos de los grados 3-8. Grupos de enriquecimiento son las clases que se encuentran fuera de la habitual lectura, escritura y matemáticas. Grupos de enriquecimiento tienen clases como la fabricación de joyas, la cultura japonesa, el ballet, el periódico de la escuela, actuación, baloncesto, etc. Estos grupos aprenden sobre esos temas y cada estudiante se espera que produzca un artefacto o una actuación. El 18 de diciembre fue una celebración del trabajo que los estudiantes hicieron y una función de sus actuaciones. Fue un evento muy emocionante! Brett Gustafson, Directora La escuela de High Horizons Magnet llevó a cabo Una Campaña de Recolectar Alimentos en noviembre. Ellos están muy contentos en anunciar que recolectaron 850 articulos de comida para el Universal Outreach Food Pantry. Los salones de 1er grado recogieron 247 artículos que fueron por 4% de la totalidad. Felicidades! Francine Carbone, Directora PBIS se inició en una asamblea en la Escuela Park City Magnet el 26 de noviembre. Se incluyó presentaciones de cada grado en cuanto a lo que debe ser el nombre de su mascota Panda. Cada grado tiene la oportunidad de crear una actuación. La Principal Sra. Maguire, vestida como Super Panda fue llevada al gimnasio por la Guardia de Color de la escuela. Después de la asamblea, todos votaron y la escuela y comunidad se complació en anunciar el nombre de su mascota que es Super PC Panda! Teresa Maguire, Directora

10 Pagina 5 Escuela Cerrada- 6 de enero - Día de Reyes Reunión ejecutiva del concilio de padres - 8 de enero 5:30-8: 00 Reunión del Comité de Centro de Nutrición - 12 de 11:30 am Escuela Cerrada- 19 de enero - Martin L. King Day Los Planes de Acción para el año escolar deben ser un esfuerzo de colaboración en todas las escuelas. En cuanto se hayan completado, deben ser compartidos con el SGC. Su Coordinador de Escuela puede ayudar a facilitar el proceso en su escuela. Eche un vistazo a las publicaciones NNPS que puedan compartir con usted y recuerde ir al sitio NNPS para grandes ideas! (login code: NNPSmem13) Pregúntele a su Cordinadora de escuela o contacte Dolores Mason para obtener más información o confirmar su asistencia. Felicitaciones al Professor Sloan William de la Escuela Dunbar! El Sr. Williams fue elegido como uno de los cinco finalistas del Estado de CT en el concurso de Samsung Resuelva para el Mañana. El personal de Samsung fue sorprendido por la calidad de los trabajos que han recibido este año y aplauden su dedicación a inspirar a sus alumnos, mejorando nuestra comunidad local y el fomento de la educación STEM en la escuela P.L. Dunbar. De las más de 3100 solicitudes, el Sr. Sloan fue elegido como uno de los cinco mejores en Connecticut. Como finalista, fue galardonado con dos Samsung Galaxy Tabs para que le ayuden con la instrucción en el salón! También recibió un curso de desarrollo docente de la Línea Profesor PBS!

11 Attendance Roundup Frost Elementary School Frostburg, Maryland When it comes to school attendance, absence neither makes a student s heart grow fonder, nor mind grow sharper. Faced with a drop in overall attendance during the first semester, school officials tapped the Partnership Action Team at Frost Elementary to activate the school community to increase the number of children in school every day. If the poor attendance, continued in the second semester, Frost Elementary was in danger of falling short of its Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) goal for attendance. In response, the team actively publicized the initiative among parents in a letter and in the Frost Elementary Newsletter. At a PTA meeting called to discuss test scores, the School Improvement Team addressed the attendance problem. Then, the PTA invited the Partnership Action Team chairs to present the school s plan for the remaining months of the school year. Starting in February, the action team put in place a set of incentives to re-prioritize regular attendance. The practice was reinforced very frequently and very visibly: every day, any class in which all students were present displayed a banner (designed by PTA members) that recognized their collective accomplishment. These classes were also acknowledged in the daily afternoon announcements. The class-level incentives showed, in a tangible way, how individual students affected shared goals for the class as well as the school. Students also were rewarded individually. In the daily announcements, children were informed of prizes they could receive for perfect monthly and quarterly attendance. Every month, any student who didn t miss a day earned a gift certificate for a free meal, donated by a local restaurant. All students with good quarterly attendance received a certificate, and those with perfect quarterly attendance also were invited to a popcorn party, with popcorn donated by AMC Theaters. Because the team successfully solicited donations with which to reward students, the program cost the school nothing to implement. Results were simple to evaluate and proved the program s success: between January and March, the overall attendance rate increased by 2%, with a 5% increase among students receiving free and reduced meals. As the end of the year approached, the school was no longer in danger of failing to meet its AYP goal for attendance. As a result, teachers were able to devote less time to make-up work and re-teaching concepts. The businesses who made donations were thanked and given visibility for their generosity. Parents were able to see the correlation between their children s attendance and their academic success. Of course, the students were encouraged to value responsibility, dependability, and dedication attributes of life-long learners and effective employees, reflected a Partnership Team member and teacher. Attendance Roundup served as a strong example of an important advantage of multitiered partnerships: when everyone contributes, everyone benefits. Lori Beeman Partnership Team / 5th Grade Teacher lori.beeman@acps.k12.md.us Behavior Type National Network of Partnership Schools Johns Hopkins University 41

12 Evening Advisement Northside High School Warner Robins, Georgia Northside High School saved two days of instructional time, involved parents in their children s academic decisions, and helped students stay on the path to graduation through their Evening Advisement program. This was a time for parents, teachers, and students to come together to discuss student progress and chart the students next steps toward a diploma. Evening Advisement took place over three evenings mid-way through the second semester, and involved great coordination in setting up 1,500 appointments, notifying parents of their appointments, organizing materials for teachers, and ensuring that the process ran smoothly on the appointment nights. The family involvement coordinator was a key player, especially in scheduling the 1,500 appointments. But all the work paid off. This spring nearly 1,100 parents 72 percent of the targeted population attended meetings, and the responses on an exit survey were overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. I have never felt so informed. Thanks, said the parent of a ninth-grader. This is GREAT. Please continue having this... good job, NHS, added another parent. To achieve such a good turnout, the school and its Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) started early to notify students and parents, and to publicize the meetings. Students first heard about registration meetings during the fall semester. Letters, with appointment times, went to parents in February, giving them plenty of notice. Parents also received reminder phone calls from teachers, and an announcement ran on the school marquee for about a month before the meetings. The advisement sessions provided an opportunity for parents and students to plan and schedule courses for the school year. An academic advisor met with each family to review the student s permanent record, test scores, and courses needed for a high school diploma. Then, together, they chose required and elective courses and sequences for the next year, and entered the courses into the registration system, which generated a report. The academic advisor also addressed other topics, such as discipline and extracurricular activities. The ATP was involved all along the way, with planning, training staff members, and securing supplies for the meetings and food for teachers meals on advisement nights. The impetus for this program was the previous registration process, which took two full school days. Parents feedback indicated that they wanted to be more involved with their teens in the decision-making process. The Evening Advisement also contributes to the overall school and district goal of having every student graduate. Noelle Respert Family & Community Involvement Coordinator noelle.respert@hcbe.net College and Careers Type National Network of Partnership Schools Johns Hopkins University 47

13 FAMILY FITNESS NIGHT TO FIGHT HEART DISEASE Whittier Elementary School Pasco, Washington Whittier Elementary School gives its students a head start on good health and their parents a heads-up about what it takes to get and stay healthy especially when it comes to combating heart disease and diabetes. The Whittier Family Fitness Night is an annual event where families exercise together, eat healthy snacks, and learn about disease prevention. Whittier decided to sponsor the fitness night after the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) members read about another school doing this in the National Network of Partnership Schools newsletter. Recognizing the increasing prevalence of obesity and the rising incidence of diabetes and heart disease, especially among the Hispanic population, the ATP wanted to raise awareness and provide information to students and their families. Whittier is home to many ethnic groups, but 94 percent of its population is Hispanic. The fitness night began with healthy snacks apples, pretzels, trail mix in the cafeteria. The main attractions, however, were six stations through which the children and adults circulated, receiving a stamp in their activity passport at each stop. Activities included dance, a putting green, hula hoops, jump ropes, a sack race, and basketball. New this year were the Dads vs. Students Soccer Games, with separate games for grades K 1, 2 3, and 4 5. The games were a big hit, with more than 60 dads and some moms joining the teams. After completing activities at all of the stations, students turned in their full passports to win soccer balls, jump ropes, and hula hoops. The grand prizes were a three-month family membership to a nearby athletic club and tickets to the area s Dust Devils baseball games. The messages about good health and disease prevention took many forms. A representative from the American Heart Association distributed literature and talked about nutrition and exercise. A nurse from a clinic that is the school s business partner checked blood pressures and distributed materials. Information about heart disease and exercise was posted throughout the cafeteria and gym. On the afternoon before Fitness Night, the Heart Association s representative spoke at a school-wide assembly about the importance of exercise, healthy eating, not smoking, and keeping your heart healthy from an early age. Nearly 250 adults and children, including a student group from another school, attended Fitness Night. To gauge the event s effectiveness, a bilingual team member interviewed parents, asking if the activity encouraged them to exercise more often, if they were willing to change habits to prevent heart disease, and what new information they gleaned from the program. Nearly all of those who were surveyed said that Fitness Night encouraged exercise and 86 percent said they would change a behavior to be healthier. Fitness Night, which took five months of planning, called on many community resources. Two of the school s major partners contributed $1500 for the expenses, which included snacks, sporting equipment for prizes, and T-shirts for the adult soccer players. Local businesses donated the grand prizes, and a hospital furnished some of the materials distributed to adults. High school students volunteered to supervise activities and exercise with children and adults. This was, indeed, a healthy community activity. Kim Lovelace ATP Co-Chairperson, School Nurse KLovelace@psd1.org HEALTH AND SAFETY Type National Network of Partnership Schools Johns Hopkins University 53

14 Multicultural Math-Literacy Night Shelton Park Elementary School Virginia Beach, Virginia China was the setting for this year s Multicultural Math-Literacy Night at Shelton Park Elementary. Students and their families enjoyed the sights, sounds, and tastes of the far-away land as they worked to build the students mathematics and literacy skills. The focal point of the event was an engaging tale, Grandfather Tang s Story, around which the school s mathematics and literacy coaches built the event to show families and community members different learning strategies using literature and practical math activities. This second annual cross-cultural evening helped Shelton Park to meet a lofty goal: By June of each academic year, 100 percent of students will increase their skills in reading, writing, and math equivalent to at least one year s academic growth. This goal is made more challenging because the school serves a large military population, meaning that there is high student mobility. Teachers and administrators are regularly familiarizing new students and their families with the curriculum and school goals. The multicultural night began with a general introduction to China and its history and a tasting of egg rolls, rice, and fortune cookies. Adults and children then went to assigned classrooms where the literacy activity began with a reading of Grandfather Tang s Story and an activity using question cubes that promoted discussion of the story. Participants were also able to take a brain break, a fun activity used to give students a few minutes away from the hard work of learning. Using a tangram, a Chinese puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, families worked to recreate characters from the story as part of the mathematics activity. The families of children in kindergarten through second grade identified and compared shapes; the group with older children discussed angles, fractions and congruency. I had fun learning with the kids, said one of the parents who attended. Can t wait until next year, added another. The school staff and administrators saw many benefits to the event, too. Parents had an opportunity to learn more about classroom practices and new learning strategies, and also were able to share questions and concerns. Teachers and administrators welcomed another positive way to open communication with families. The children seemed to enjoy showing parents and guardians what they had learned. The year before, the action team struggled with parents who signed up for multicultural night, but did not attend. To avoid that this year, the team gave a copy of the Grandfather Tang book to those families that pre-registered and attended. The action team is planning to do two similar activities next year one in fall and another in spring as Shelton Park continues to creatively work toward academic achievement for all of its students. Judith Middleton Kindergarten Teacher jtmiddle@vbschools.com Multicultural Awareness Type National Network of Partnership Schools Johns Hopkins University 61

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