Chats & Chews: Partnering for Success of Students with DisabilitiesLowndes Middle SchoolValdosta, Georgia National, state, and local standards have been established as foundations for what students should know and be able to do in core content areas. Lowndes Middle School administrators and faculty realized, however, that students attain these standards in different ways, at different times, and to different degrees of mastery. The school made an extra effort this year to partner with parents to ensure that students with disabilities made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) by establishing a parent-teacher program called Chats & Chews. More... Johnetta J. Henry, Teacher 229-834-4656 jhenry@lowndes.k12.ga.us Type 4 | Middle Grades | Achievement in Other Academic Areas |
Family Literacy BuildingCol. E. Brooke Lee Middle SchoolSilver Spring, Maryland Teamwork paid off at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School. When reading scores did not improve as much as the school staff had hoped, staff members formed study groups to look at the impact of poverty on student achievement and literacy development. Then the staff worked with the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) and other school teams to develop activities that would motivate students to read independently and include parents in the school learning community. This collaboration resulted in a yearlong program to build student literacy by involving families. More... L. Karen Greene Turner, Reading Specialist; Chairperson, Family Partnership Committee Type 4 | Middle Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Family Math NightConococheague Elementary SchoolHagerstown, Maryland Math is fun at Conococheague Elementary School’s annual Family Math Night. Students and their parents and other family members get together in the school cafeteria to play math games their teachers have made up. Each family takes home a copy of the teacher-created activities so children and adults can continue to practice math skills at home. In addition to the teachers’ games, the school also had a local teacher supply store selling math-related games. More... Sherry Everitts, Parent Partnership Coordinator 301-766-8102 everishe@wcboe.k12.md.us Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Math |
Lakeland Leader ProgramLakeland Elementary/Middle SchoolBaltimore, Maryland Good behavior pays off at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School. For practicing the trait of the month—respect or pride in their work, for example—students accumulate points given by teachers. The students with the most points each week win prizes, such as books or snacks, and the class that earns the most points each month is treated to a pizza or ice cream party. More... Emily Riggleman, School Social Worker 410-396-1406 eriggleman1@comcast.net Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Behavior |
Literacy Night with Dr. SeussHill Field Elementary SchoolClearfield, Utah Even with 95 percent of its students living in military families and half of its students moving in and out each year, Hill Field Elementary was able to attract someone for its literacy night that everyone recognized—Dr. Seuss! The school’s principal dressed up as the popular children’s author, accompanied by some of his favorite friends, the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, and Thing One and Thing Two, for a celebration of literacy and Dr. Seuss’s birthday. More... Loren Clark, Assistant Principal 801-402-2350 lsclark@dsdmail.net Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Lunch and LearnSherman Elementary SchoolEau Claire, Wisconsin Kindergarten parents at Sherman Elementary School are invited out to lunch three times each school year. It is not all leisure, however. They are expected to learn while they lunch and then practice what they learned. More... Dawn Marcott, Kindergarten Teacher 715-852-4843 dmarcott@ecasd.k12.wi.us Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Math for Families NightRolling Terrace Elementary SchoolTakoma Park, Maryland Pizza, performances, and puzzles filled the agenda at Math for Families Night at Rolling Terrace Elementary School. Family members got to see up close what their youngsters were learning in math class—and flex their brains with fractions and mental math. More... Carl Baskerville, Principal 301-431-7601 Carl_L_Baskerville@mcpsmd.org Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Math |
Parent-Child Book Discussion GroupWashington Junior High SchoolNaperville, Illinois “Spending an evening with my kids is always good,” said one parent from Washington Junior High School. The Parent-Child Book Discussion Group granted this parent and many others the opportunity to do just that. More... Dawn Neylon, 630-357-9415 neylon5@comcast.net Type 4 | Middle Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Reaching Out to Rideout Heath: Language Arts Activities To GoBryant Woods Elementary SchoolColumbia, Maryland This year, the Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) at Bryant Woods Elementary School worked hard to improve its students’ language arts skills by engaging families in home learning activities. While the ATP developed reading nights, the team realized that some of the ELL families living farthest from the school did not participate. So, the team decided to take its new literacy workshop on the road. More... Linda Hawthorne, Title I Teacher 410-313-6859 linda_hawthorne@hcpss.org Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Reading Extended Days and NightsRolling Terrace Elementary SchoolTakoma Park, Maryland Rolling Terrace Elementary has always strived to bring its diverse population of about 700 students together. The Reading Committee was looking for ideas to promote family involvement, especially among parents who are not native English speakers, as well as improve overall student achievement. Ultimately, the committee developed two programs to meet these goals. More... Carl Baskerville, Principal 301-431-7601 Carl_L_Baskerville@mcpsmd.org Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Reading Takes You PlacesIsaac Stevens Middle SchoolPasco, Washington Fiddle playing, s’mores, and a fireless campfire brought a new spark to Isaac Stevens Middle School’s recurring Family Reading Night. The literacy committee decided to give the night a new theme and plan interactive activities to fire up participants and attract new families. They decided on “Reading Takes You Places.” More... , Type 4 | Middle Grades | Reading and Literacy |
Reading—Using the NewspaperStrategic Learning InitiativesChicago, Illinois Helping a child learn at home can be entertaining and inexpensive. Just ask those adults who participated in “Reading—Using the Newspaper,” a workshop that reached more than 110 parents and other caregivers in Chicago schools. The workshop, one of more than a dozen offered annually by Strategic Learning Initiatives (SLI), emphasized the newspaper as an economical, ever-changing teaching tool offering many possibilities for learning—from improving alphabetizing skills to fostering storytelling. More... Cris Whitehead, Director of Parent Engagement 312-738-0022 cckkh@hotmail.com Type 4 | Organization | Reading and Literacy |
Science Sci-Fari AdventureNewtown Road Elementary SchoolVirginia Beach, Virginia On a hunt to raise science test scores, the Science Action Team at Newtown Road Elementary School set its sights on a way to build interest in science. After much brainstorming, the team hit upon the idea of a science discovery night. They decided to call it the Science Sci-Fari Adventure. More... Sharon Darling, Science Resource Teacher 757-473-5017 Sharon.darling@vbschools.com Type 4 | Elementary Grades | Science |
UBSCT Exam Practice PacketNorthridge High SchoolLayton, Utah Although Northridge High School did not join NNPS until February 2006, the school’s new Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) did not waste any time getting to work. The ATP and Northridge staff developed a take-home test-preparation packet for the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT). More... Kristen C. Davidson, Career and Technical Education Coordinator 801-402-8509 kdavidson@dsdmail.net Type 4 | High School | Achievement in Other Academic Areas |