Through the Classroom Door: February 2011
Scott McKenzie's Blog Page
A refreshing hop
Posted 2/28/2011 at 5:02:23 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
There’s something about attending spring art shows and concerts that puts an extra hop in my step. It’s simply a refreshing way to bring in a new season.
Middle School South hosts a band concert at 7:30 p.m. this evening and the high school band will perform at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.
The annual Groveport Madison School District Student Art Show begins on Tuesday and will run through most of the month at the Groveport Town Hall. A special reception will be held to honor the students whose art will be featured in the show from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 10. The show’s over on March 24.
All three events will highlight the significant accomplishments of our students and tireless efforts of staff. Also on full display at these showcases is well-rounded education.
I’ve discussed in this blog before the importance of creating a curriculum that promotes the education of the whole child and creates an environment conducive for 21st century learning.
A 21st century education is more than making sure we have the right technology. It’s also about putting a system in place that fosters academic, emotional, social and physical development. As parents and educators we are encouraging our children to learn at a broad level when we provide an opportunity to participate in band, choir and art.
Groveport Madison Junior High art teacher Melonie Cox will share at the reception that many of the projects the students have completed are cross-curricular and include benchmarks, indicators and standards from art and core academic subjects.
A post on the blog The Whole Child points to an increase in student achievement when the arts are included in schools. The site is sponsored by the ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and is one of the foremost respected organizations that researches 21st century learning.
This kind of data supports our mission in Groveport Madison and makes me especially proud because we are able to offer students a way to nurture their creative spirits. Participating in art and musical activities also helps children learn how to interact with others, develop creative problem-solving skills and share ideas in different ways.
When you hear the musical performances and look at the pieces on display at the art show, there’s evidence of much progress and development.
Watching children grow through these opportunities also puts a pretty big hop in my step. Join me this week, you’ll feel the energy too.
Mind candy or food for the soul
Posted 2/23/2011 at 4:59:38 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Reality TV is mind candy to be sure, but some shows aim to fix our waistlines.
I don’t watch TV much, but I hear folks in the office talking about shows like “Biggest Loser” and I’ve heard later this spring “Food Revolution” will return for its second season. I did a little poking around and found there are other weight-loss shows on smaller niche networks, like “Thintervention” or “Celebrity Fit Club,” that draw smaller crowds.
Whether a fan of reality TV or not, the massive following of these types of programs says something: Our society has a collective need to look trimmer and feel healthier.
While our children may not be fans of these weight-loss programs, many of you likely are. And since our children are facing an epidemic with a rise in childhood obesity and diabetes, it is our job to help right the path.
The proof is in the pudding. Study after study shows the waistlines of our nation’s children are expanding. One in every three children is overweight and, for the first time in recorded-history, these children could be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than ours, their parents.
To make the correlation to in school, the data show in general, the fitter a child the better the performance on tests and exams. Concentration levels and attention span also tend to be better. Children who are overweight tend to miss school 4 times as much as normal weight kids.
If you do get locked in to reality TV, pay attention to the tips provided along the way and share a few with your kids:
- Buy fresh vegetables and fruit instead of chips and cookies. Cut them into bite-sized pieces right away so they are readily available to eat when hunger strikes.
- Choose multi-grain breads instead of “white bread.”
- Start a workout routine. Include your children. Take regular walks and talk about the day. Share stories about your childhood if you need a conversation starter.
- Use smaller plates and bowls when you serve meals. You will be tempted to eat bigger portions when with a larger plate.
- Drink water... lots of it. Hunger is one of the first signs of dehydration. Your body needs fluid at this point, not food.
- Employ will power: Pick a grilled chicken sandwich over a cheeseburger and a baked potato instead of fries when push comes to shove and you find yourself -- and family -- in a fast food line.
I truly believe a healthy body builds a healthy mind. Whether you choose mind candy or food for the soul, here are a few more resources to share:
Reply Posts
Dear Nutrition Month,
Posted 2/24/2011 at 11:06:43 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
What a great idea for a blog topic. Thank you! -- Scott
Nutrition Month
Posted 2/23/2011 at 11:06:04 PM by [anonymous visitor]
March is National Nutrition Month
Could times be changing?
Posted 2/17/2011 at 5:05:04 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Change is not always easy and sometimes when we process the information at hand our thoughts get the better of us. All the “What ifs” start to get in the way ...
That seems to be the case as folks talk about what might happen if school start and stop times change.
A groundswell of chatter has crept into conversations this week as parents and staff ponder what the school day could look like if a shift is made.
Nothing has changed yet ... and nothing will change until the Board of Education takes action. There is not a plan in place and no recommendations have been made. In fact, as with other decisions that impact so many people, community input will be sought.
And speaking of input... I am impressed with the High School Student Council. The members heard about the potential time changes and almost immediately surveyed their peers. They have collected over 500 completed surveys and wish to attend the March board meeting to deliver a power point presentation to the Board concerning the time changes. The students have also agreed to meet with me and some of my staff to obtain a better understanding of the different sides of this issue -- and, I am really looking forward to working with these leaders.
With that said, here is what I can tell you about the discussions we have had about our daily schedule.
- All conversations about the school day are just that. We have discussed various scenarios of what a different schedule might look like, but no decision has been made.
- The community will be invited to share input through a survey to be posted on the district’s website and thoughts can also be shared via email. We welcome collaboration.
- If a change is to occur, it must be approved by the Board and would be implemented for the start of the 2011-12 school year. We would not make a change to the schedule midyear.
- Research and studying best practices guide all of our conversations. Based on the latest educational data that show adolescents and teens perform much better in school later in the morning and afternoon compared to younger students whose achievement excels in the morning, the district is considering an early start time for elementary students and a later arrival for secondary students.
- A schedule change could offset some transportation costs, helping to bridge a funding gap that will be created from reductions at the state level that could amount to $5.5 million. Some bus routes could be consolidated and times between drop-offs could be reduced, saving thousands of dollars.
- The Board will make a decision that is educationally sound and best for students. It’s target for deciding upon a plan is April 14.
We look forward to continuing our conversations and listening to community input. Sometimes, there is time for change but we won’t know until we’ve unturned discussed all the options.
Reply Posts
Dear Valid Point,
Posted 2/28/2011 at 7:48:57 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your insight. -Scott
valid point for start time changes
Posted 2/27/2011 at 7:47:44 AM by [anonymous visitor]
Change is always difficult. I know that the change of elementary school start time would require parents to rethink childcare, but it seems the benefit to both high school students as well as elementary students would outweigh the inconviences we as adults would face.
Dear School Start Times,
Posted 2/24/2011 at 11:05:35 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. We will consider them seriously as we process the information.
School Start Times
Posted 2/23/2011 at 11:03:47 PM by [anonymous visitor]
I definately support earlier start times for Elementary students. Peak performance for kids is earlier in the day. Younger kids are wiped out by the afternoon. They are more alert and learn better in the morning hours. Consider changing the school times as proposed.
Dear Changing Times?,
Posted 2/23/2011 at 10:03:40 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Thank you for sharing your questions and concerns. We value your input and will take your feedback to heart. We do have an important decision to make and there are a number of factors to consider. -- Scott
Changing Times?
Posted 2/18/2011 at 10:03:18 AM by [anonymous visitor]
My first thought on starting the elementary children earlier is it’s dark when the High School kids are picked up. In the winter the High Schools students walk to the bus stop in the dark @ 6:45 am. Is this something you want for children 10 and under? I think the answer is NO! Safety First!
You also have to consider the drop off time 2:20 pm for High School. You’ll find a lot of older children are home first and watch the younger elementary students. If the elementary drops of students first, who will be home? You will have young children home alone for a longer period of time, not safe! Considering the poverty issue in the district, I would not anticipate parents paying for daycare.
I believe most parents will not accept this change is a good idea. I also do not believe budget issues should be involved when we are speaking about the safety of our young children.
Another issue is the older children can participate in sports and it works well to have practice over at the time parents are getting out of work to pick them up. If the older children do not get dismissed until later in the day, that means practice will end later and dinner will be delayed. I would not want to eat dinner @7:00 pm.
The school times work, I vote NO on this change! You will still have the children who don’t do homework and still get in trouble at school; it would just be earlier in the day! The students have been performing better; our teachers have made a lot of progress. The district has made some good improvements, but I do not believe this is one. LEAVE IT BE!
Celebrating hope with a guiding light
Posted 2/14/2011 at 5:06:09 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
None of us have a crystal ball, though we all get caught wondering what the future may hold.
For some, it is more clear than it is for others. Those on a mission carve a path early on and plod forward in earnest, checking accomplishments along the way.
Others may stray -- and we recognize that fact. It happens.
The question for an educator becomes: How can we help those who’ve wandered get back on the right track?
While the answers vary by situation, we took steps to create the Cruiser Academy. We wanted to provide our students an opportunity to recover the credits they lost through their missteps.
The efforts are paying off and almost 200 students who thought they might not graduate or graduate on time are looking toward futures that have a brighter light.
The Columbus Dispatch featured the journey of one of our Cruiser Academy students in yesterday’s paper. James Randolph is 20 years old and on his way to graduating from high school. He hopes to enroll soon at Columbus State Community College in computer programming.
The Cruiser Academy is a blend of online and face-to-face instruction designed to help students meet their academic goals. Students are assessed prior to enrollment to determine proper placement within the program. The academy offers:
- Learning projects that serve the community
- Job skill development and job counseling
- Support for documented Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
- Counseling for career planning and post-secondary options
Cruiser Academy, under the leadership of Administrator Bill Young, was born from the efforts of a group of people who worked tirelessly to create the program. We owe so much to the Groveport Madison Board of Education and Cruiser Academy Board of Directors for opening doors to students who want to find a new path.
We also owe praise to those enrolled in the Academy -- and their families -- who have found the courage to embark on this journey. The road will be paved with challenges, but it offers a sense of hope to those who thought they’d stumbled too far.
Special moments
Posted 2/10/2011 at 5:06:28 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
In this chosen profession touching a child's life is reward in itself, yet sometimes can come back twofold.
There are children with whom we interact everyday who remind us not to take opportunities for granted. They are students who truly amplify why we serve as teachers. For them learning can come at a different pace, one so naturally their own.
In Groveport Madison, more than 17 percent of the student population has been designated with a disability. We do everything we can to meet their needs, and time and time again, without stop, they meet ours – some we didn’t even know we had.
We are blessed to serve students with varying abilities, and disabilities. And serve we do …
In fact, we were recently informed our district is in compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Each year, school districts are required to report progress on targets for some 20 required indicators as identified by the U.S. Department of Education.
The district was recognized for complying with and meeting the standard of timely evaluations. And, we are especially proud of meeting and exceeding the graduation rate and dropout measures for this group of students as required by the state of Ohio.
Our special education department is staffed with highly trained professionals who are dedicated to student progress in achievement and independence. All teachers and administrators are licensed or certified by the Ohio Department of Education and participate in various training opportunities to assure they receive and use updated knowledge of best practices as they work with their students.
We offer a wide spectrum of services to students with disabilities to those as young as 3 and those into adulthood at 22. We work with them within the district in classrooms through inclusion support and in specialized settings when needed.
The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio provides programs to students with multi-handicaps and other specialized needs, though we are able to offer many of their services in our buildings. Some students may receive assistance through programs offered in cooperation with the Franklin County Board of MRDD, too.
The special moments -- the ones where you know you have made a difference, but feel the impact they have made on you -- happen regardless of where the students are served. The impact is profound no matter what… and nearly impossible to forget.
~~~
Footnote:
More information about our services is available here. Information for parents of students with Disabilities is provided by the Ohio Department of Education in a helpful handbook.
Reply Posts
Words so true
Posted 2/12/2011 at 11:13:11 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
All children offer special insights. Thank you for your kind and supportive comments.
A child gift
Posted 2/11/2011 at 11:11:16 PM by [anonymous visitor]
Be it a special needs child or other children the rewards they offer is priceless. We all need to take time to cherish our children and to look at the world threw their eyes and you will learn things are not as bad as we think they are. A childs view it truly the reality of how the world is. Every child deserve a complete education in the school district in which they live.
More than just numbers
Posted 2/7/2011 at 5:07:05 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Numbers can help tell a story... And our community has a story to tell.
It is a story of sadness and triumph. It is a story with tears and one where so much joy is left to behold.
Yet it is a scary story and one that must be shared so those who help tell it can change its ending.
It it the story of poverty in our community and one I will help illustrate with a fair amount of numbers. It is a story to be told during a 7 p.m. summit tomorrow in collaboration with the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs at Groveport Elementary.
It's a story that will focus on a big number and not one not to boast about: 56.3 percent.
I will help tell a story where more than half of the students in the Groveport Madison Schools are economically disadvantaged, as measured by the Ohio Department of Education. With a country in such a deep economic crisis, it is a story that is likely to be met in time with even more sorrow.
The US Census Bureau reported that from 2005-2007, 12 percent of our residents were in poverty. Seventeen percent of related children under 18 were below the poverty level. Ten percent of all families and 27 percent of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level. And we believe that these percentages have to be larger now four years later.
In fact, data shared by kidshio.org show that student need has increased in 15 of 16 Franklin County school districts in the past five years. In Groveport Madison our disadvantaged rate has grown from 31 percent in that time.
We are in the midst of a battle we are not winning. Yet, there are small victories along the way.
We will come together Tuesday to tell our story and celebrate our successes. The Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs, whose mission is to connect people in crisis with resources and to promote cohesive households through community partnerships, was born from this tale.
We are implored to share as a community so we can all work to eradicate our problems. We are here to fight together, to grow together, to become stronger, to equip our community with the tools it needs to face adversity head on, to help those in need, to make a difference.
Groveport Madison Schools is here for the challenge. We know we have an awesome responsibility within our organization to close the achievement gap of economically disadvantaged students -- and we have shown progress. Our testing numbers show these students are meeting goals set forth by the state.
We work hard to study the impacts and what we can do as educators to help meet those needs. We know those who are impoverished tend to perform at lower levels than those who are from financially sound families.
While we would hope all children were born with the same innate abilities, some will face so many more challenges in life than those wriggling next to them in the hospital nursery. The issues often stem from a lack of adequate prenatal care.
Children who are at risk can exhibit limiting behaviors: delay in language development, limited ability to concentrate, difficulty reading, unpreparedness, high rates of absenteeism and/or truancy, aggressiveness and difficulty interacting with others.
While this is not true of all children who find themselves in poverty, and can certainly be seen in those who come from families who do not face financial challenges, they are warning signs to which we pay a great deal of attention. We want to fill in the gaps.
We take seriously our responsibility to provide an environment that helps tear down the walls, and we are committed to gathering outside of the school in settings like this so we can broaden the reach and cast a bigger safety net.
Researcher Karen M. Pellino sums so much research into this: A good education is often the only means of breaking the cycle of poverty for poor children. These children need an education that is founded in high standards and high expectations for all... to prevent decreased opportunity for higher education, which translates into less opportunity in life...
This is the power we can provide. This is the foundation we can build.
It may sound trite, but knowledge is power.... and there is power in numbers.
Curbing Cabin Fever
Posted 2/3/2011 at 5:07:41 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
When is the last time you got lost in a book?
A good read can take you on journeys as far as an imagination can go -- and is a sure fire way to add a little warmth to the doldrums of winter especially in a house with stir-crazy children.
You might generate a little heat by drumming up a lively discussion with your kids after reading the same book, like a family-style book club. Or, some might find some loving warmth by cozying up alongside a child with a book as the family winds down each night together.
Exercise for the mind is an added benefit, not to mention the great example you will be setting. Children who watch their parents read become more avid readers as they mature.
Even better, children who have read with their parents since babies and toddlerdom are far more prepared when entering school in kindergarten. Data from Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s largest family literacy organization, show that some children come to school with a knowledge of more than 20,000 words, while some know as few as 3,000.
RIF’s research suggests some 37 percent of children are not prepared to succeed in school because of their limited vocabulary and ability to read. While we make significant strides with the work we do with students at school, we cannot always close the gap. Support from parents in the home is crucial.
Discovering the best way to start a good routine with your younger children or encouraging your older ones can be as easy as chatting with teachers or visiting the library. I promise suggestions will be plentiful whether you are hunting for age-appropriate books or are trying to find ways to motivate those who show a lack of interest.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library -- named 2010 Library of the Year -- is an amazing resource. A treasure trove, the website is full of information from reading lists to online activities to programs hosted throughout the city. Go ahead, check it out!
This week’s weather is sure to have stoked the flames for anyone who may feel a little cooped up this time of year. Remember, a good book might just be the perfect escape without leaving the comfort of home.