Executive Summary. East Side Elementary School

Transcription

1 West Point School District Mrs. Jacqueline G Gray, Principal 813 East Broad Street West Point, MS Document Generated On November 4, 2013

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5

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? East Side Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten is located near downtown West Point within the city limits. West Point is a small town that has a population of approximately 11,203 people. The West Point community is made up of 56.7% Black, 40.2% White, 0.9% Hispanic, 0.4% Asian, and 0.1% American Indian. The majority of the population, 78%, lives in an urban setting, while the remaining 22% live in a rural setting. The majority of the jobs in West Point are considered other occupational.west Point has a couple of grocery stores, a few convenient stores, and some fast food restaurants. West Point is located within 20 miles of three well known colleges which include East Mississippi Community College, Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women. East Side is the only public school for the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in the West Point School District. There are other prekindergarten and kindergarten classes in our community at daycares, ICS Head Start, private schools, and the county school. East Side Pre- Kindergarten and Kindergarten enrolls the most pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in Clay County. It is composed of 90 prekindergarten students, 272 kindergarten students, 23 highly qualified teachers, and 18 assistant teachers. The ethnicity of students includes 68.8% Black, 29.8% White, 1.1% Hispanic, and 0.8% Asian. There are 23 highly qualified teachers of which18.2% are Black and 81.8% are White, Three teachers have obtained National Board Certification. There are 18 assistant teachers of which 70.6% are Black and 29.4% are White. The biggest challenge associated with the West Point community is a high unemployment rate. We are currently experiencing a time where several of the larger industries in our area have closed or downsized. A high unemployment rate hurts the families in our community; therefore, the students are affected. Some students are not able to purchase needed school uniforms or school supplies because their parents are unemployed. We look forward to some relief in the high unemployment rate due to the new tire industry coming to West Point. Construction has already begun on the new tire industry, which will not only bring relief for jobs, but will also bring more families and students to our school district. The West Point community is proud to be a part of the Excel by 5 Coalition. This program is designed to help students excel by age 5 by assisting parents and caregivers with resources and services offered throughout our community. Excel by 5 is incorporated at every daycare facility and ICS in West Point as well as every school in Clay County including the city schools, county school, and private schools. West Point is also proud to have a partnership with East Mississippi Community College where every student that graduates from high school in Clay County has the opportunity to attend East Mississippi Community college at no cost for two years. This partnership is unique because EMCC offers technical programs that help prepare our students for upcoming jobs in the area including the new tire industry. Page 2

5 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. East Side Elementary Vision Statement All Students Will Be Successful East Side Elementary Mission Statement To teach our students the skills necessary for a lifetime of learning. Beliefs - We believe all students can be successful. - We believe students have a responsibility to actively participate in their own education. - We believe we can shape the character of our students. - We believe that we share the responsibility for providing a learning environment for our students with their parents and their community. The vision of the West Point School District is that "All Students Will Be Successful." At East Side Elementary we recite our vision statement each morning after the Pledge of Allegiance. We value this statement because it is the goal for all of our students in the West Point School District. During our daily instruction, we express our belief that all students can be successful by teaching the Reading/ Language, and Math program strategically. East Side is a child centered, experience-based program, providing a secure environment which assist all children to become self-confident, capable learners. We share high expectations for all our students. We will not accept anything less than their best work. The Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs are based upon knowledge of child development enabling students to reach their maximum potential. The programs are designed to provide students with a variety of experiences which afford them opportunities to develop academic, emotional, physical, and social skills Our mission at East Side Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten is to teach our students the skills necessary for a lifetime of learning. Therefore, we must set the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and to make a positive difference in the lives of children professionally supported through peer, teacher, and community members. Page 3

6 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. In and school year, we used DEBILS to assess Language. Our goal was that in the Spring of each year, 90% of our students would score in the low risk range for nonsense words fluency, letter naming fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, and first sounds fluency. We also used STEEP to assess math. Our goal in Math was that 80% of the students tested would score in the low risk range for number naming fluency. STEEP tested number naming fluency from 0-9. We met each goal. In we changed to DIAL4 to assess motor skills, concepts skills, language skills, social/emotional skills, and self- help skills. DIAL4 allows us to have an overall view of the total child. The results from this assessment allowed us to direct our instruction to meet the individual needs of all our students. Our goal was that by the Spring, 90% of students tested would score in the low risk range in Concept and Language areas as measured by DIAL4. We exceeded each goal. One of our most valued accomplishments is that we are part of a community based program called EXCEL By 5 that incorporates all the day care centers and ICS Head Start in Clay County. This program helps us by educating our parents and our community of the importance of early education. Because our community is a part of this coalition, the majority of our students are ready to learn by age 5 when they enter kindergarten. We first certified as an EXCEL by5 community in We just recertified in September of this year. Our areas of weakness were our rhyming skills in language and number relationships in concept. Our goal for the school year and years to come is for 85% of our students to score proficient in both areas. We also would like to find more ways to involve our parents in their child's learning. Page 4

7 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Our Bright Horizon Partner: Bancorp South Bank Dugan Nursing Home Mt. Hermon MB Church Mt. Olivet MB 4th District West Point Civitans West Point Eye Clinic Sonic. Special Programs/Services: Special Education Service: The Special Education teacher at East Side plans and provides learning experiences for students with disabilities in a variety of educational settings. The teacher creates a flexible environment that provides specialized instruction for students with disabilities, such that the students benefit from general education curriculum to the greatest extent possible when supported with supplemental aides, accommodation, and other needed supports. Speech Pathologist: East Side has a full-time Speech Pathologist. The Pathologist provides services and conducts evaluations in the areas of articulation, voice, fluency, and language. The services that are provided are based on individual needs. Students are referred to the speech pathologist through screenings and teacher referrals. Counseling Services: East Side has a part-time school counselor. The counselor provides valuable assistance to students through individual counseling upon request by parents, teachers, or the school principal. The counselor also provides services through classroom/group guidance once a week to all classes teaching and reinforcing positive behavior and social development. Physical Education In Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten physical education focuses on basic motor skills. In the first few weeks of class we teach and practice loco motor skills. Basic loco motor skills such as running, hopping, jumping, skipping, etc. are taught as a basis for teaching other movements. As the year progresses our skills adjust to more complex movements such as hop scotch, walking on balance beams, dribbling a ball while walking, etc. We also teach our kids about healthy living and healthy eating habits. We discuss making good lifestyle choices such as not smoking. Our goal for this school year is that every child leaves with a positive opinion and good memories of physical activity. Most of all, we want our students to be able to tell the difference between healthy and non-healthy food choices. Phonics - based reading program East Side adopted Journeys reading Program by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Journeys Core Reading Program is a researched based program that focuses on 5 Big Ideas in Reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This reading program also includes reading, writing, word study, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and handwriting with an integration of technology, science and social studies. Page 5

8 Thematic Units and Field Experiences Journeys reading program for kindergarten has Common Core-based instruction integrated into every unit. Each unit is organized into 6 thematic units. Within each thematic unit, are 6 lessons where students to learn through an in-depth study of one particular topic. All Stars All Stars is a special celebration held each month recognizing students that display exceptional behavior for the entire month. During the celebration students participate in a 30 minute fun activity with an East Side teacher and receive a book of choice. Birthday Bash At East Side we make every child's birthday special with a bi-monthly Birthday Bash, where the students who celebrate their birthdays in the respective month(s), participate in a special luncheon with the principal, Mrs. Gray. Book Buddies Book Buddies is a program that supports reading instruction in the classroom, where community volunteers visit East Side classrooms bimonthly and engage students in literacy based activities that assist in developing reading comprehension skills. Examples include asking and answering questions from a story, drawing favorite pictures of the stories etc. Reading Fair Each year students at East Side are encouraged to participate in the Annual Reading Fair. Students who participate in the Reading Fair will have the opportunity to share their favorite fictional book through a story board display. This is a home project that students complete with members of his/her family. Judges for the Reading Fair include members of the community such as retired teachers, parents, etc. All participants will receive a certificate of participation but only the 1st place winner will move on the next round of competition. Boo Parade The Boo Parade is a free, family, friend, and community Halloween themed parade. The parade features students and teachers from East Side Kindergarten, Oak Hill Academy, and the surrounding Daycare Centers. Other participants include the local police and fire department. As students celebrate community spirit and cultural diversity, parading the streets in their most innovative and hilarious costumes, Downtown merchants come out to show their support by cheering the students on. The parade ends at the Sally Kate Winters Park, where students receive coloring books and pencils as treats. Children's Community -Involvement activities East Side Participates in the Teach a Child to Save program sponsored by Bancorp South. The program teaches children about the importance of saving money. Each classroom participates in a thirty minute hands on activity with a member from the local Branch. All Students receive a coloring book and crayons on how to save money and offers free savings account to all students. Kid's Health Fair The 9th Annual Kid's Health Fair working together with NMMC and West Point School District. offer more than 15 booths for kids and parents on helping children from birth to age 5 are prepared for kindergarten. During the Kid's Fair children are offered free screenings for dental, hearing, vision, and weight. They also received fire truck and police car tours. Participants of the community included Community Counseling, DHS, West Point Library, Medicaid, Pilot Club ( helmet Safety) West Point Police Department, North Mississippi Wellness Center, Nutritionist, and the Clay County Health Department. Drug Awareness Parade East Side Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers and students participate in an annual Drug awareness parade for fight against drugs. Teachers and students march through the streets carrying colorful anti-drug banners. Downtown merchants show their support by cheering the students and teachers on as the march through the streets. Christmas Tree Decoration The City of West Point annually invites the students and teachers of East Side Pre-K and Kindergarten to participate in the Christmas tree decoration held at the Sally Kate Winters Park. Teachers walk their students to the tree with their hand-made Christmas ornaments. While there, students have the option of placing the ornaments on the bottom of the tree or take a ride to the top of the tree. Using a special bucket lifter, four students and a city worker ride to the top of the tree and students are assisted in placing their ornaments. Child Abuse Parade Page 6

9 April is recognized as CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH. In order to help expose this world-wide social and mental illness, students from East Side Pre -K and Kindergarten, parents, and teachers, wear blue and carrying posters with artwork share the theme of the year's parade: The children's parade is a collaborative effort with the Department of Human Services, the Sally Kate Winter Children and Family Services, and others with the West Point Fire Department's big engine leading the parade. Special costume characters greet the children and families including Clifford the Red Dog, Curious George, Tall Man in the Yellow Hat, Tweety Bird, and Rainbow the Clown. Girl Scouts Girl Scouts Heart of the South is in partnership with East Side Kindergarten implementing a monthly program during the school day. The girls that participate will have the opportunity to interact with a Girl Scout staff member once a month to focus on leadership and other character building activities. Page 7