Executive Summary. San Antonio Country Day Montessori School. Mrs. Betty Williams, Principal 4194 Jung Road San Antonio, TX 78247

Transcription

1 Mrs. Betty Williams, Principal 4194 Jung Road San Antonio, TX Document Generated On December 1, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 4 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 6 Additional Information 7

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Founded in 1983, the (CDMS) has a tradition of educating children for a lifetime. School Profile: The School is considered a medium sized private school, serving an average of 120 students. CDMS is located within the North East quadrant of San Antonio and begins its 32nd year in existence at this location. Our Montessori school is surrounded by housing subdivisions and within a ten mile radius, includes house values from $100,000 - $750,000. Many large businesses can be found in the area and include Pearson, Rackspace, Travelocity, Microsoft, Chase, Tesoro, Time Warner, Randolph Air Force Base, Clear Channel Communications, as well as numerous small businesses. While many homes have been built just north of the school within the last three years, the school has experienced a downward trend in enrollment. The independent public schools have claimed many of our Upper Elementary students where prior to that, students stayed at CDMS through the 5th or 6th grades. Four years ago, another Montessori School opened 2 miles north of Loop 1604 and claimed many families. Until that time, CDMS was the only Montessori School in the Northeast quadrant of the city. Students may be enrolled at age two if the child demonstrates readiness to attend school. The school educates students through 6th grade. Students come from diverse backgrounds: Caucasian, Hispanic, Pakistani, British, African American, Indian, Asian, Colombian, European. The staff is comprised of: Caucasian, Hispanic, Indian, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Single, and Married individuals. Community at Large: Our school community consists of two parents, single parents, professional, working class individuals, entrepreneurs, middle and upper middle class families, as well as people who value education, family, independence, responsibility, play as work of the child, and time with their child. Unique Features: The school boasts of its warm community. Long serving teachers and staff. Positive and fun environment. Knowledge of latest teaching techniques, methods and latest materials. Diversity in families and staff. Small class sizes. Experienced staff. Page 2

5 Excellent value for the cost of education. Working farmyard Consistently high student achievement Robotics Club Montessori Model United Nations yearly participant Working and productive Parent Teacher Organization Didactic materials help develop learning concepts for the students Students work from the concrete experiences before moving to the representative and abstract phases of learning. Challenges: Increasing enrollment and retention. Meeting the needs of students with learning differences. Redesign of our Summer Program to meet the needs of the community. Page 3

6 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Mission: is committed to promoting academic excellence and helping children build a foundation on which to realize their full potential. CDMS was founded to provide a rich and challenging Montessori environment for children, inspiring creativity, thought, expression, imagination, and scholarship. The school provides a safe and caring environment in which children can be successful and one that works in harmony with the development and nature of each child. In addition, we help each student develop written, oral, and spontaneous communications. We encourage and promote the development of confidence, independence, inner discipline, social, academic, and personal excellence. The ultimate goal for each is to become a responsible, thinking, contributing member of society. Vision Country Day Montessori School's vision is to provide an accepting, warm, encouraging, and motivating environment enriched with academic, social, emotional, and volitional opportunities for students ages 2-12 years. The school strives to be a model for others, administrators, educators, students, and families, and where all stakeholders are committed to the focus and main purpose of the school: students come first. We value: Diversity is important in teaching children to respect cultural differences, beliefs, traditions, and other aspects that make up our world; Children and the work each needs to do to create a positive, responsible, independent, citizen of excellent character and academic preparation; Parents and the roles and challenges they face in growing the child to an adult; Colleagues with whom we work every day with the collective goal of preparing ourselves and students for the greater good; Good stewards of the environment; and Greater San Antonio as an integral part of the education of our students as well as a resource. Core Beliefs: The school, the parent, and the child share equally in the education of the child. The students are inherently good and will learn to develop at their own individual rate and their own learning style. Respect: students/parents/colleagues/ and visitors shall be treated with the utmost of respect at all times and without fail. The child comes first and is foremost in mind in all school decisions. The purpose of the school is to provide a stress free, richly academic and socially appropriate environment where children 2-12 years may study, play, grow, and develop in an effort to become independent, responsible citizens who can contribute to the community, state, nation, or planet. The stress free CDMS culture can be found in classrooms, music, art, physical education programs, on the playground, within the Page 4

7 administration, and the Parent/Teacher Organization of the school. Students, staff, colleagues, and parents are expected to treat each other with the utmost of respect at all times. The Montessori method is founded on respect for the child. The adults surrounding the children, must model the respect and behavior expected from the students. Page 5

8 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Gates installed and improved security; Improvement of the outside of the Main Building; Primary Library created by former student; Montessori Compass - online reporting to parents; parent portal; and interactive messaging feature. Significant reduction in expenses without affecting student achievement; Upgrades to campus, playground, new equipment on playground, drinking fountain; Increased enrollment in Summer Program; Grass improved and installed in playground areas; Outdoor classroom construction begun; Addition of new wireless TV and laptop computers; Adoption of online calendars, Pipe Drive for enrollment process steps, and other administrative communication tools; Use of Google Docs for faculty input on important projects; Child Care Aware (NACCRA) and Child Care Services (CCS) tuition assistance accredited; Safety procedures updated; Website redesign, enhancement, and updating; New Montessori material for Pre Primary and Primary Shade canopy for outdoor sandbox Dedicated Art office for art teacher Remodeled and expansion of upstairs primary classroom to accommodate more accurate reflection of the Montessori classroom Purchase and Installation of new computers for elementary students' use. Improved the administration offices. Areas of Improvement During the Next 3 Years Complete the renovations of the Primary and Pre-primary classrooms; Complete the Outdoor Classroom; Install electronic access on our campus gates; Construct hydroponic gardens on the playground; Complete the grass upgrades to the front of the school and playground; Purchase of additional laptops to accomplish 1 computer for 2 people; Become Rising Star Accredited through the Child Care Services TX Workforce Commission Long Term Goal: Added space for Music and Art classes. Page 6

9 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. It is important to all of us that we provide a welcoming, warm, and academically rich environment for our students. The Montessori method facilitates a healthy school community because Dr. Montessori's belief in the goodness of the child, one's right to go to school in a free environment, and the right to be respected. When everyone in the environment respects each other, the child then can grow at his/her own rate and to one's full potential. Page 7