Principal's Coffee Blog

Coffee with the Principal Meeting Minutes - 2/28/12

2012-03-02T14:42:00.001-05:00

1. Parent asked question about how the GA exemptionfrom No Child Left Behind will affect students

a. Students will take CRCT this year, but next yearwill be taking a different end of year assessment test

b. Schools of Excellence terminology will changefor next year

c. Principal Matzkin discussed that sub groupqualifications will change from 40 students to 30 students

d. Principal Matzkin will bring more detailedinformation regarding the changes for next year to the next Principal’s Coffeemeeting

2. Parents asked about recent staffing changes

a. Principal Matzkin shared what she could

3. Parent asked about budget for next year

a. Principal Matzkin discussed that the budgetlooks stable for next year

b. Class sizes will stay the same for next year

4. Parents asked about 5^th grade readingand language arts curriculum for next year

a. After piloting new curriculum in areas thisyear, the county has decided not to invest in new text books for this approach

b. Fulton County Schools is considering movingtowards a literature based curriculum

c. Principal Matzkin discussed EIP (EarlyIntervention Program) curriculum that we are using and its success

d. Principal Matzkin discussed that she is visitingher former school, Midway Elementary School in Forsyth County with a few staffmembers and Assistant Principal Cheatham this week to meet with teachers whoare currently using a literature based approach, as well as instructionaltechnology, so that our staff can be exposed to this form of instruction andmove some of these practices into our school

5. Group discussed homework (both in quantity andin quality)

a. Parents felt that K-2 homework was at anappropriate level and relatively consistent with the parent/family handbook

b. Parents felt that, at least in certain grades,the homework load has been too high, as her student often has an hour, or more,of homework

i. Parents appreciated the teacher and CSTflexibility about being able to limit homework for their students, but theystill feel that students can become behind if they don’t do the full homeworkload and the students put a lot of pressure on themselves to finish everything

ii. Parents felt that organizing spelling listsalphabetically, and some other spelling activities weren’t the best use of thestudents time and might be able to be removed to help free up the students forother homework

c. Parent asked about Write Score assessmentresults

i. Principal Matzkin discussed the program, called Write Score, and some of the feedbackthat comes out of the assessment. Principal asked the parent to follow up withtheir teacher for more detailed information that she could receive regardingher student results. Principal discussed that the program is a diagnostic tooland used to provide data that can inform instruction

ii. Parent asked if teachers could share moredetails about the program and its results with parents

iii. CST will follow up with teachers to ensure thatinformation is being well communicated with students and parents

d. Principal discussed that the school willcontinue our work towards, and to continually improve upon, our schoolpractices to ensure all work is in the best interest of the students andreflects research based best practices. Regarding the quality of work, theschool is working toward ensuring our vision statement is in action in theclassroom, which will include areas, such as moving towards project based work,differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and including students in thedecision making process in demonstrating learning.

Outdoor Classroom Plans

2012-02-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

Click the linke below for a virtual view of our plans for an outdoor classroom.

Outdoor Classroom Virtual View

Notes from 1-12-12 Coffee

2012-01-13T15:49:00.000-05:00

The meeting began with Josh Keeling discussing the courtyard project layout. Josh Keeling from Southern Outdoor is the landscape architect that has been charged with creating the BFES courtyard design.

After presenting the layout, the following questions were asked.

1. What is the maintenance of the project?

a. Depends on the funding that is received. Asphalt and hard surfaces are maintenance free with little cleaning maybe once a year. Plants will need to be maintained. Prefer more draught tolerant plants. It is best to do the hard-scape first and then the landscape.

2. What is the oval space? Is the structure concrete and or raised?

a. It is patio space (concrete). It is not a raised structure. The goal is to define the shape more. The rectangle is the perimeter outline of the roof. The wood will need to be stained and maintenance is recommended up front with staining.

3. What is roof made out of? The maintenance of staining will not get parents to come out and do.

a. We discussed a roof shingle. You can go further with cedar shingle but will need more funding. Oil based staining is preferred. Stain is the best look versus painting. When you look at composite and steel, the cost goes up.

4. When the students are at recess, will they be allowed to access the courtyard?

a. No, the students will not have access to the courtyard during recess. The courtyard is designed for instructional use. Teachers are not able to monitor the students if they are in the courtyard. Teacher buy in will also be needed. Things may evolve and change over time.

Parents made various comments about the design. Overall they indicated that they liked the design and voiced concerns about various details. Josh indicated that some things will be phased in and parents should have a good feel once things are put in place and landscape is added. The concrete curbing will be the last piece to put in place. It can be removed. Josh indicated that there needs to be a defining place for edging (grass from beds). One parent indicated that it is her preference to have grass instead of the concrete. Josh indicated that having entire grass space will be neglected since a mower will not be able to access it with ease. Another parent liked the big rocks idea.

5. One parent asked if the green team could maintain the space. Another parent asked a different team could be created to maintain the area on a weekly basis. What about having a teacher to do it once a week?

a. PTA co-president said that it is hard to get parents to commit to come in. First grade wanted a garden but PTA was not able to get parents to come in for the first grade garden project.

6. Is it possible to hire an outside maintenance company to come in and maintain the area? Seasonal beds will be done by teachers and students.

7. How big will the ampitheatre be?

a. The ampitheatre was built when the school was originally constructed, so it is already in place in the courtyard.

The structure can not start until we have $25,000. Money is not coming in as anticipated. We need to put something in place so that they now that their money is being used. A 24x36 poster will be done and placed in the lobby of the school so parents can see what the project will look like.

Principal Matzkin indicated that upcoming programs will include some raised awareness for this project. Scott Holloway, the Foundation president indicated that, unless requested otherwise from the donor, 12% of foundation funds go to long term projects such as outdoor improvements. More communication from the BFES foundation will be forthcoming in order to inform parents about the needs and purpose of the foundation. Foundations members will be at all upcoming school events with the poster of our outdoor classroom and available to answer questions.

The group present indicated that the outdoor classroom structure should be built first. The Foundation has $12,000 already in the bank. An additional $13,000 needs to be raised for this phase of the project.

Outdoor Classroom Plans

2012-01-13T12:51:00.003-05:00

Below are the initial plans to transform our court yard into an outdoor classroom:

Click Image to Enlarge

December 20th Principal's Coffee Meeting Notes

2012-01-03T21:57:00.003-05:00

Principal’s Coffee started with follow up on past questions

· CST Patty Franklin shared spelling curriculum approach for each grade level

Principal Matzkin spoke about change in personnel in 2^nd grade

· We had a staff member resign mid-year

· Ashley Abraham, an experienced teacher who has been a long term substitute multiple times in our school, is the substitute in the classroom and has accepted the permanent position after interviews were held last week

Principal Matzkin spoke about changes that have happened and are going to happen in our school district, and the performance management initiative in Fulton County Schools

· The district is evolving the way that employees receive performance feedback

· Principal spoke about the difficult and shifting demands on all teaching staff in the county

· Principal spoke about perception surveys that have been utilized for both administrators at the school and district level

· Principal Matzkin shared basics of the Step2Achieve teacher assessment model

· Principal Matzkin discussed ways that the grade levels have been able to customize lesson planning tools for their specific use

· School has asked teachers to address 4 essential questions:

o What is it we expect the students to know?

o How will we know if the students understand it?

o What do we do when the students understand it?

o What do we do when the students don’t understand it?

· School is looking for a standards based classroom, which differentiates the instruction, and provides re-teaching and enrichment for students that are in need of it

· Discussed the increased accountability for staffs district-wide and the professional development that has been underway to help staff transition to new expectations

· Spoke about how reviewing student assessment and growth is a big component of the standards based classroom

· Parents asked about ways they could provide feedback to the school; Principal Matzkin encouraged the community to contact her with any concerns, and that it will be held in confidentiality

· Shared the FCS Learning Walk form with the group, which is an informal form that visiting district administrators would use when visiting the school

· Shared BFES walk-through form used for this year, based on Steps2Achieve, as well as rubrics that are used for the form

· Principal discussed how the evaluation form looks for growth over time, and is meant to help staff grow and set goals for their own personal growth

Common Core Standards was discussed by Principal and CST Patty Franklin

· Common Core will be implemented next year

· Common Core standards are aligned with standards in other states (48 currently use the common core standards), which is a shift from the current Georgia Performance Standards

· More information will be forthcoming regarding common core standards in Georgia, as the date approaches and more information is given to the school

Parent asked about learning more information about Community Meetings held by Katie Reeves

· Meetings are held by the elected area school board representative, Katie Reeves

· School will post more information about meetings and link to meeting notes on the school’s homepage

Parents asked about the Teacher of the Year process

· Principal and CST discussed the school-based process; nomination forms are returned by staff, followed by observations and interviews conducted by an LSAC member, the current Teacher of the Year, and a school administrator from a nearby school

Parents asked about ITBS test scoring and if the results were what was expected

· The school is continually processing the data

· We showed increases in all but two areas in 3^rd grade and increases in all areas for fifth grade

· The school has been happy with the continually strong test scores and their continual improvement but we still have room to grow

Parent asked about students changing classes for grammar and reading

· Standards are different for grammar and reading, and in 2nd grade, the teachers are transitioning classes between the two courses

· CST will follow up on other grade levels to find out what practices each grade level is putting in place

November 29th Principal's Coffee Meeting Notes

2011-11-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

1. Principal’s Coffee began with a plus/delta (+/∆) exercise to highlight areas that are going well, as well as areas that could be improved upon:

a. +

i. “Fulton County hired FANTASTIC new principals!”

ii. “My kids come home happy!”

iii. “Communication with homeroom teacher”

iv. “Find the teachers spending more time on individual attention”

v. “Parent/teacher communication”

vi. “Open communication (i.e. principal coffee), sense of community, feels like someone cares about my student”

vii. “All the ways we as parents are able to be involved and communicated with. Events, newsletters, coffees, etc.”

b. ∆

i. “Going into test prep mode - teaching to test”

ii. “Classrooms too crowded, desks too close => “Party atmosphere””

iii. “Too much emphasis on test scores and accelerated/advanced classes. Maybe some more fun?”

iv. “Short-staffed – too large of class size in 4^th grade (other grades?)”

v. “Would like to see more group projects incorporated into the classroom”

2. Large Class Sizes – discussed that it is our hope that class sizes can be brought down at some point, but due to county requirements and economic factors, they must be at their current size

a. Parent questioned having class load balancing between 4^th and 5^th grades

i. Something has been done; and we do look to load balance as much as possible

b. The school is looking to utilize auxiliary certified staff members to help in highly needed areas to support students

i. Principal Matzkin discussed reading program and EIP program and how it supports students who need that support

c. Parent asked about change in 4^th grade RELA curriculum (more novel study based work); parent is happy with the new curriculum

i. CST Patty Franklin discussed that the changes are in line with nation-wide changes; moving away from basil based to novel based work

3. Spelling Curriculum in School

a. Parent was hoping that student would have more spelling curriculum in school

i. Principal Matzkin discussed the different approaches to spelling and the supporting research

ii. We are looking to strive for a deeper holistic and integrated spelling strategy, rather than rote memorization; for instance, holding kids accountable for spelling within creative writing assignments

iii. Parent asked if we could include a vocab word of the day, or maybe common grammar mishaps (for ex. the difference between their and there), on the BBC announcements or daily scrolling announcements. The school will look into ways to incorporate this.

iv. Parent wanted to be sure that we weren’t merely testing different scenarios or approaches to spelling on students, rather than going with a unified solution

1. Principal Matzkin and CST Franklin spoke about our need to provide further consistency (especially in 4^th/5^th)

4. Writing Curriculum in School

a. CST Patty Franklin discussed WriteScore program (a writing program that provides scoring feedback to help teachers adjust instruction and monitor student growth)

b. Program has been well received by teachers, students and parents

5. Teaching to the Tests vs. Having More Fun Activities

a. Parents expressed differing views on whether there should be more stringent focus on the curriculum or more opportunities for fun activities. Principal Matzkin expressed our desire to balance these to provide the needed skills to our students, but also to ensure the students have a fantastic and fun experience in elementary school

b. Some recent examples of fun activities in the school include pumpkin math and the storybook forest, both of which are also tied to the curriculum

c. Principal Matzkin spoke about how we will look to continue to build a culture and community for the school, and we would like that to be a fun, and also academically focused, one

6. Principal Matzkin thanked parents for coming to the Principal’s Coffee and encouraged them to invite other parents to come that might have concerns they would like to bring up

Field trips for the Year

2011-11-14T16:56:00.000-05:00

Kdg trips – off campus to Cagle Dairy this fall, “in house” puppet program and “in house” animal program during second semester

1^st grade – two “in house” trips this year, one is a “famous American” guest speaker and the other one is

2^nd grade – “in house” trip with High Tech – High Touch in December (also looking at another “in house” activity for second semester)

3^rd grade - two “in house” field trips this year. A hands on lesson from “Diamond Dell” about rocks and minerals near the end of this semester and another Science extension lesson from “High Tech – High Touch” in the spring

4^th grade – one off campus trip to the Teaching Museum in Roswell in September and two “in house” guest speaker programs during second semester

5^th grade – one “in house” program to support Social Studies this fall and the off campus trip to Jekyll Island

Court Yard Task Force Updates

2011-11-14T15:56:00.001-05:00

The Courtyard Task Force met for the fourth time on November 9th. During this session, the Task Force looked at teacher needs and at Discovery Zone needs in order for the use of our outdoor learning space to be maximized. It was determined that electricity, a structure with a solid roof, and running water, and planting beds are all elements that are necessary in our overall plan.

We looked at photos of all of the sites that we visited and discussed pros and cons of a variety of features. Each task force member sketched their own idea of what they would like to see. Our landscape architect left with the sketches and will come to the next meeting with a rough plan to be certain he is on the right path.

The Fulton County Schools Charter System Draft & CNN News Story

2011-10-21T13:19:00.006-04:00

In response to parent questions about the proposed charter school system model that Fulton County is working towards, below is a draft of the charter system application:

Fulton County Schools Charter System Application Draft

Additionally, I shared an article from CNN with parents during the Principal's Coffee. In case you could not attend, here is a link to the article.

As always, please feel free to post comments or questions!

October 18th Principal's Coffee Meeting Notes

2011-10-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

Principal’s Coffee

October 18, 2011

Principal Matzkin opens meeting and asked - all attendees to introduce themselves

Principal Matzkin provided update on all grade level field trips

Kindergarten

Cagle’s Dairy Farm
Party Animals – Puppet show

1^st grade

Teaching Museum – Harriet Tubman

2^nd grade

High Touch High Tech

3^rd grade

Looking into various options

4^th grade

Teaching Museum
Son of the American Revolution – in house
Teaching Museum – in house

5^th grade

Jekyll Island
Battle of Bull Run reenactment – in house

Parent question - Where do the funds come from for the trips?

Principal Matzkin replied

That the parents pay for each trip it is voluntary donation
Parents are given itemized expenses
Charter busses can run up expenses…that’s why we have more in-house field trips

i. Parent thanked her for implemented field trips

Parent asked a question about what type of lesson plan teachers are required to have

Principal Matzkin shared that accountability in past was more on the administration, but is not moving more toward the teacher. She shared that teachers do a variety of planning including a combination of

· 7 step lesson plans

· Using assessments to differentiate instruction based on student needs

· Professional Learning Communities to support the planning of instruction based on data

Parent inquired about the co-teaching and how it works

Principal Matzkin gave a short explanation regarding co-teaching
Parent shared that a co-teaching module appears to be working smoothly and effectively
Another parent shared a positive experience with her 2^nd grade student in co-taught classes

Parent inquired about support for their on level child

Principal Matzkin shared about Extended Day starting second semester
This will help identify students needing help in grade 3 reading and grades 3 & 5 in math

Parent offered to provide extra school help in math one day a week

· Principal Matzkin suggested grade 3 – 5, the group agreed

· Principal Matzkin suggested having at least two other parents so that they could focus on a grade level

· Possibly implement this after the Thanksgiving holidays

Principal Matzkin asked if there were any thoughts on CNN article handout

Principal Matzkin
Parent commented that they do trust the teachers and that the teachers do have the best interest of the children in mind

Parent inquired about the upcoming Charter System

Principal Matzkin provided a brief explanation and directed the parents to Fulton County website

Courtyard Task Force Meeting Slide Show

2011-10-05T13:17:00.000-04:00

See below for the link to the slide show presented during the first Courtyard Task Force meeting. Feel free to post any questions/comments!

Courtyard Task Force Slide Show

Slide Show from the STAMP out Bullying Assembly with Jay Banks

2011-10-05T13:14:00.000-04:00

See below for the link to the slide show presented by Jay Banks during the parent session of his STAMP out bullying program.

STAMP out Bullying Slide Show

September 20th Principal's Coffee Meeting Notes

2011-09-23T11:15:00.003-04:00

September 20, 2011

8:00am-9:00am

Introductions of all parents and Principal Matzkin

1. Field trips---reported to parents after the concerns from last meeting in regards to no field trips, that most grades have now planned field trips that match curriculum.

2. Work Portfolios---2 kinds of portfolios; 1 art; 1 work samples. Art samples will be going home twice this year. Work samples will be sent home in May.

Art samples go into a laminated portfolio. Parent inquired to see if they could just send home without a folder. Principal Matzkin Explained that Art work will often get destroyed on the school bus ride home.

Another parent inquired to see if Art work is uploaded to the computer where it can be viewed. Principal Matzkin reported that this is something that the Art teacher is looking into it.

3. Parent Concern---Son is in split class with advanced and on level students in the same class. Mom expressed concern that the advanced level students are not being challenged in this model.

Answer---We are fortunate to be in a school system that does identify students as on, advance, and accelerated. Classes have combined levels due to class size constraints. Principal Matzkin explained that BFES is moving to standards based instruction model. Instruction is focused around what we do if student gets info and what we do if they don’t get it. Matzkin explained that standards based instruction is moving toward differentiated instruction for all students. Matzkin discussed that one of the new reading program that the county is piloting for potential adoption focuses on the individual reading levels of students.

4. Parent Question---Are home rooms split equally between on level, advanced, and accelerated?

Answer---Yes, the goal is to set up heterogeneous home rooms while keeping in mind parent letter requests and teacher recommendations.

5. Question---New Language Arts Curriculum concerns. Parents are questioning how grading is working in the pilot program in fifth grade.

Answer---5^th grade was selected to pilot the “Good Habits, Good Readers” program published by Pearson, at our school. All grade levels across the school system are piloting one of two reading programs in order for the county to decide which program to invest in. Teachers at BFES are doing individual reading assessments with each student. Additionally, for grades 3-5, in the area of writing, we are using Write Score, purchased with help of PTA, to do writing assessments which will be scored by individually trained scorers in order to provide consistent data for teachers in three writing genres Write Score also provides instructional resources based on group and individual needs.

Principal Matzkin explained that last year’s scores showed that we didn’t meet our School Goal of exceeding in Language Arts. Explained that there were still students exceeding, but we did not exceed as much as we set for our goal. With this in mind, we are analyzing our instructional materials and supplementing them as needed to ensure that all language arts standards are being taught and assessed.

6. Question---Spelling---Why don’t we have spelling tests in 5^th grade taking ELA 6^th grade?

Answer---Ms. Matzkin will be working with the CST’s to ensure consistency across the grade levels and to ascertain the County’s expectation. More to come on this topic.

7. Kudos for Dr. Cheatham---Parent said during TAG meeting she did a great job. Parent felt Dr. Cheatham did a great job supporting the parent stand point that instruction should always be happening and she felt support by Dr. Cheatham.

8. Question---TAG, what standards put students in TAG is it GA or Nationally.

Answer---The Talented and Gifted Program identifies gifted students based upon State Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.38. All Fulton County students are screened for the gifted program twice a year. If a student is referred for the gifted program, the school must gather information in the areas of multiple criteria: mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. Students must qualify in three of the four areas of multiple criteria in order to be eligible for gifted services.

Board Policy:

Book
District Policy
Section
I - Instructional Program
Title
Program for Intellectually Gifted
Number
IDDD
Status
Active
Legal
Last Revised
June 15, 2011
Last Reviewed
June 15, 2011

The Board of Education recognizes the special needs of intellectually gifted students requiring specialized educational experiences to promote the development and expression of their potential.

The Board directs the establishment of comprehensive services for intellectually gifted students. Students eligible for gifted services will experience curriculum that enriches, extends, and accelerates their learning in their areas of strength. The enriched curriculum developed specifically for gifted students is more in-depth and complex than the general education curriculum. Gifted students will develop advanced research, advanced communication, critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. The enriched curriculum will be delivered through appropriate delivery models implemented consistently throughout the School System.

Under the direction of the Superintendent or designee, criteria for screening, referral, identification, placement and continuation of services applicable to all intellectually gifted students will be established and maintained in accordance with Georgia Department of Education requirements outlined in Georgia Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.38.

Cross References:
Legal Reference:
Reference:        State Standards
Adopted Date:   03/10/1988
Revision Date:   07/12/1990
Scope Notes:    Criteria for screening, referral, identification and continuation of services may be found in The Talented and Gifted Services Procedures Manual.

Status: Current

9. Question----Parent expressed interest in what types of activities their students are doing in the regular classroom on TAG days.

Answer---Principal Matzkin explained that this is something that the school will be working on to make sure it is addressed and instruction will take place.

10. Question---What determines TAG eligibility for middle school?

Answer---Recommendations for middle school placements are primarily done by fifth grade teachers and are based on multiple criteria including ITBS, classroom grades, CRCT scores, acceleration testing, as well as other performance information that is available at the time recommendations are made.

11. Question---What is co-teaching and how is it working out? Is it in every classroom?

Answer---Students with disabilities are required to have least restrictive environments. The most LRE is the general classroom for students that are performing on grade level. Students with disabilities have individualized education plans to determine what their needs are, whether self-contained or general classroom with push-in (co-taught). In BFES classrooms with team taught teachers, you usually cannot tell which teacher is the lead. One teacher is special ed and that teacher has a case load and the other teacher is regular teacher. Special Ed teachers are by nature trained to differentiate for student ability. It is working well and becoming fluid and though it was not available on every grade level at BFES last year, this model has been in existence for many years and in practice at Summit Hill for several years.

12. SPLOST---Matzkin gave out power point presentation and discussed the importance and need to support SPLOST in order to continue the growth of the school district without the school going into debt. Vote day is November 8^th and ask that you all support SPLOST.

http://www.fultonschools.org/SPLOST4/Default.aspx

13. Question 5^th Grade Dance

Answer---Teachers met at the end of the year last year to discuss what went well and what didn’t work. Principal Matzkin explained that there will be a cook out/dance this year and a day that there will be a 5^th grade breakfast. A parent reported that she was concerned about a traditional school dance. Principal Matzkin explained that the cook out and dance will happen during the school day, outside, not a traditional school dance.

State of the School Address

2011-09-02T15:04:00.004-04:00

Below is a link to the State of the School Address slideshow, as seen during our recent Curriculum Nights.

Feel free to post any questions or comments you might have!

State of the School Address Slideshow

Student Work Folder Follow Up

2011-09-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

Student work folders will continue to be assembled throughout the year. This is typical at many Fulton County Schools. The work is used to assist teachers in preparing for parent conferences and shows growth across the school year. It has been determined, by our administartive team, that these folders will be available for parents to take home on Curriculum showcase nights.

Additionally, student portfolios that follow each student from year to year with a prescribed number of math and writing samples will continue. Discussion is still pending on whether these portfolios are archived or can be sent home at the end of fith grade.

Updates to yesterday's Coffee...

2011-08-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

1. Our resource officer was contacted as was the City of Milton. They will provide some sporadic coverage in the mornings and keep an eye on speeding. This morning an officer was present and reported no speeding was cited.

2. We have heard from several surrounding principals regarding field trips. Most schools in our area host in-house trips such as High Touch-High Tech and the Teaching Museum North, for example. This is in line with what we have been doing but the CST's will speak with their grade levels and have the teachers look into off site trips that support their standards.

3. The art teacher, Mrs. Murphy is going to work with the art committee to devise a plan to send home art work safely two times per year.

4. The student work collection portfolio is being revisited to redefine purpose and protocol.

August 23rd Principal Coffee Meeting Notes

2011-08-23T14:10:00.000-04:00

August 23, 2011

BFES Principal’s Coffee

The meeting began with Principal Matzkin introducing herself and providing some background information on her educational experiences as well as her maternal experiences with her children in elementary and high schools. Principal Matzkin also introduced the asst. principal Dr. Tresa Cheatham. Parents introduced themselves, their children’s grade level(s) and committee membership.

Principal Matzkin stated that meeting would be monthly in the morning. She shared a brief overview of curriculum night with a discussion on data and BFES comparison to other schools will be shared during curriculum night. Principal Matzkin shared her goals for BFES in becoming a platinum school with a focus on excellence in a professional learning culture that is focused on results.

The meeting began with parents jotting down hot topics and placing them on the parking lot. Hot topic items included

1. What do you do with an underperforming staff member in the school? Principal Matzkin reiterated the accountability piece that holds teachers accountable for student learning and student improvement. This process will take time and the development of teacher leaders will assist with teachers becoming more knowledge and confident in their work. A data support specialist will assist BFES with looking at data and making sound instructional decisions with a focus on improved student achievement. The second focus is on teacher evaluation. FCBOE is in the start up phase of STEP 2 Achieve. Principal Matzkin shared a focus on being visible in the classrooms and making incremental steps with teachers towards progress. This includes a push and pull back with more presence in the classrooms. Principal Matzkin shared teacher experiences with administration being present in the classroom and how this will assist teachers with the STEP 2 Achieve evaluation process.

2. What is the policy/concern if parents are having some concerns about a teacher? Parent can begin first with having some dialogue with the classroom teacher. If this does not work, conference with the curriculum support teacher if there are concerns with placements and or level. The assistant principal is also an avenue. Finally, if parents are not satisfied, Principal Matzkin has an open door policy where she is able to accommodate parents. The only issue is that she may not be able to see a parent immediately, but will make an effort to meet with the parent in a timely manner.

3. What happens with teachers who do not provide consistent communication with parents? Principal Matzkin will make sure that this is reiterated with staff in Thursday notes to staff about the importance of providing parents timely communication. Principal Matzkin also stated that parents must tell her when there is a breakdown in communication. At this point, individual conversations will be held with that teacher. Principal Matzkin also reiterated the continuous achievement process where the homeroom teacher is not the primary teacher of record. Several parents reported that third grade has done a great job with communicating with parents even though the students are in various classrooms. One parent shared her experience about the communication done in high school where all teachers are able to communicate with the parent.

4. A parent asked about when acceleration started? Principal Matzkin explained FCBOE continuous achievement process.

5. What is the policy on a teacher request change? Principal Matzkin stated that parents have an opportunity to complete a letter that talks about their child’s learning styles and needs prior to the time class lists are formed. Parents cannot request specific teachers. Once a child has been placed, if there is a level issue, this is a quick change with the CST. If there is a homeroom or classroom conflict, parents complete the placement request form and write down their concerns. Sometimes after the 10 day count, students are fine and parents’ anxieties subside. After the 10 day count, a placement team meeting will be scheduled if parents still have concerns. The committee will consist of the principal, AP, CST, counselor, and a teacher representative. The counselor will do a student observation focused on the area of concern. Parents will have 30 minutes to present their case. The principal will contact the parents once the committee has made a decision.

6. Who is responsible for the land between White Columns neighborhood and BFES? Principal Matzkin made several telephone calls and the builders and the school system stated that they did not own the property and is not responsible for the upkeep. One parent stated that the parent may need to contact GA DOT. She stated to start with the city of Milton first though.

7. Parent asked about policy on field trips. Principal Matzkin stated that she would check into this and see how the cost is being funded. Principal Matzkin also stated that she would check with neighboring schools and see how they handle field trips, how much money is need to support transportation and teachers will need to decide where they can go based on the standards and the curriculum. Logistic items like the number of students that can ride the bus, lunch procedures are also needs that will have to be taken into consideration. Parents can assist with the planning of the actual field trip after Principal Matzkin conducts more research. The information will be posted on the Principal’s Coffee’s Blog.

8. Why does BFES not have a crossing guard? The county came out and did an assessment and determined that BFES does not have a need for a crossing guard. A parent shared her experiences with the need for police presence and the history of who she was in touch with in the past. Principal Matzkin stated that she will contact the school resource officer to see if he can provide some assistance. The county police (Chief Harrell) can be contacted as well and asked if the presence of a police can be provided to assist with speeding. One parent stated that because the Birmingham Hwy is a state road and Junction 372 ; there is not a need for the change in 35mph speed limit. Principal Matzkin reiterated that she would call the county and have them relook at the traffic pattern for the school.

9. Has there been any feedback about the time frame for the posting of curriculum night? Principal Matzkin stated that teachers will be presenting the same information on two separate sessions for grades 2-5. She stated that some reflection will be done to assist with the planning of next year’s curriculum nights.

Principal Matzkin stated that she received some feedback from sneak-a-peek.

1. Teacher phone calls were positive; parents just wanted them earlier.

2. Parents want the various pages that need to be signed available on-line and that will be taken care of next year and scanned to the website.

3. Concerns with the time because some parents were not able to come to the morning session because of work obligations. This would be taken into consideration for next year.

One parent wanted to know if teachers could contact parents after the first week of school to just let them know how things are going. Some parents did receive a telephone call.

One parent wanted to know if 1^st-2^nd grade will take the CRCT. Principal Matzkin stated that as of right now, the state has not indicated that students in these grades will take the CRCT. Principal Matzkin stated that 1^st and 2^nd grade students did a mock CRCT that was provided by the county. One parent wanted to know if the information would be shared with parents. Principal Matzkin stated that the information is not really a valid testing instrument but they could contact the CST for their child’s scores if they want to know the results.

One parent wanted to know that if students’ portfolios can be given back to the students at the end of the year and not be thrown away. There were some concerns that the students’ information was not being shared with the upcoming teacher. Principal Matzkin stated that she would check into this and provide more information after checking with teachers. One parent stated that art projects should be returned and shared to the parents more. Principal Matzkin stated that the art is used for curriculum showcase night and parents were to take the art home. Principal Matzkin stated that there was a breakdown in communication with how the art work was to be given to parents, but she would have conversations with the art teacher and provide more feedback to the parents.

One parent wanted to know if Principal Matzkin kept personal files on students and families. Principal Matzkin stated that she only keeps information related to students with behavioral concerns for documentation purposes. She has a file for teachers related FCBOE policies and procedures and positive notes that have been written but there are no personal files for parents. She did state that she must adhere to FCBOE’s policies and procedures.

Principal Matzkin thanked the parents for their honest dialogue and reminded them to pick up the upcoming dates for the principal’s coffees. The meeting ended at 9:17 a.m.

Curriculum Showcase

2011-05-10T11:01:00.000-04:00

I hope that many of you have had the chance, or will have the chance this evening, to enjoy Birmingham Falls' Curriculum Showcase.

We have already hosted Kindergarten and 1st, 4th and 5th grades, and our final event, which will include 2nd and 3rd grades, will occur tonight. It has been a great opportunity to gather together and enjoy the fantastic curriculum based work that our students do every day. Additionally, we are officially unveiling our new mission and vision statements and the optional pizza supper has raised money for the Children's Miracle Network charity.

If you have any feedback regarding the mission and vision statements, or the Curriculum Showcase in general, please feel free to post it here!

Vision Task Force Meeting - 3/22/2011

2011-03-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

After receiving input from the Vision Task Force and the faculty and staff, we have selected the following as our mission statement:

Building the Foundation of Excellence for all Students.

Next up is our vision statement. We are going to be visiting the following questions when forming our vision:

What will be different in the world in 3-5 years because our school exists?

What role will our organization play in creating that difference?

Some things to keep in mind are:

The outcomes should be desirable for both the community and customers.

The team can write the statement as if they were in the future.

Typically, the vision is longer than the mission and may be several paragraphs long.

The Birmingham Falls Elementary Community envisions a school of excellence that…

· Supports and challenges students to reach their fullest potential

· Sets fair, realistic, clear, and attainable goals

· Provides a safe, secure, and friendly school environment

· Enhances cooperation between school, home, and community

· Encourages students to become passionate life-long learners, independent thinkers, and collaborative team members
· Integrates technology to equip students for the challenges of the 21^st century.

Please feel free to post any questions and/or comments that may help us in our creation of a vision statement!

Vision Task Force Meeting - 3/15/11

2011-03-16T10:51:00.000-04:00

Over the course of our first three Vision Task Force meetings, we have drafted our values, strategies and a few versions of our mission statement.

Next week we will make a final decision about our mission statement, and then draft our vision statement. To clarify the definition and purpose of the mission statement, I have taken some quotes out of the book that is guiding our work. The title of the book is: The Fieldstone Alliance Nonprofit Guide to Crafting Effective Mission and Vision Statements, by Emil Angelica.

“I believe that a good mission statement is a short, snappy statement of the purpose of the organization, capable of fitting at the bottom of the organization’s letterhead or business card. It should answer the question, “What good, for whom?”. Though brief, the mission statement must possess four important qualities: breadth, durability, challenge, and distinction. The mission statement must be broad because it is an umbrella statement that encompasses all of the organization’s programs and services.”

Following are the possible mission statements we have created. We are planning on deciding on the final statement after receiving feedback from the staff and community.

Mission statement options:

1. BFES is committed to providing quality education in a nurturing, safe environment to inspire life-long learners.

2. Building the Foundation of Excellence for all Students.

3. BFES is committed to providing an environment that prepares and empowers children to be well rounded citizens.

4. Birmingham Falls is a school community where children are challenged to learn, think, and grow to reach their full potential.

Please feel free to share any input you might have!

Auntie Anne's Pretzel Sale

2011-03-15T13:28:00.001-04:00

Thank you for your support to date with the Aunt Annie’s Pretzel fundraiser! I would like to take this opportunity to ask parents to make certain that their students do not approach persons they do not know for the purpose of selling orders. Safety first! J

The revenue from this fundraiser will help us make certain we have enough consumable items that start running low at this time of the year such as toner, copy paper, and miscellaneous custodial supplies. Additionally, funds brought in by fifth grade families will go to directly offset the cost of the end of year fifth grade activities.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me personally.

Vision Task Force Meeting - 3/8/11

2011-03-10T06:45:00.002-05:00

At Tuesday's Vision Task Force meeting, we defined the core values that we uphold.

Our core values are as follows:

Children have a community of learning that is supportive and challenging in order to reach their fullest potential
Staff and students have fair, realistic, clear, and attainable goals for all.
The school environment is safe, secure, and friendly
Cultivate cooperation between school, home, and community
Students become passionate life-long learners and thinkers

Additionally, here are responses from student council, regarding their input into what is important to them as students.

As always, comments/questions are welcome!

Principal's Coffee - 3/8/11

2011-03-09T20:07:00.002-05:00

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is likely a term or accronym that you've heard over the course of your child's academic career, but how well do you understand it?

We dived into the numbers that shape AYP and discussed what it means to the school and the community. Here is a link to the AYP PowerPoint that we used in our discussion.

Please feel free to post comments or questions!

Vision Task Force Meeting - 3/1/11

2011-03-02T13:00:00.005-05:00

On Tuesday, the Vision Task Force had it's first meeting. We discussed our evolution into a professional learning community and into standards based classrooms, and ways that it will make us a more focused and continually high-achieving school.

Here is a link to the PowerPoint shown at the meeting, and below is a video on professional learning communities that was shown.

Please leave any feedback or questions you might have, we look forward to hearing from you!

IXL Math

2011-02-24T12:30:00.001-05:00

Today's Inside Scoop contains information about our school's purchase of an annual subscription to IXL Math.

IXL Math is a Georgia standards based Math site, where students can visit for math practice and enrichment, both at school and from home. Students will be able to use their unique login to access the site and teachers will be able to utilize the resulting data to help inform instruction.

Both of these benefits coordinate with our movement towards the standards based classroom and professional learning communities.

Username and passwords will be communicated home to parents by teachers in the near future. Here is a quick start guide to help get your student(s) logged on and learning.

Let us know what you think about the new program!

PowerPoint Presentation from 2/8/11 Principal's Coffee

2011-02-14T07:45:00.004-05:00

Below is a link to the Standards Based Classroom/Professional Learning Community PowerPoint I presented at the February 8th Coffee with the Principal. It provides some framework information about where our classrooms, school and district are heading.

Links:

Standards Based Classroom/Professional Learning Community PowerPoint

Classroom of the Future Video:

Transforming a School into a PLC Video:

Feedback Please

2011-02-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

I had a great time at our first Principal Coffee on Tuesday! Please let me know if you found the meeting beneficial. Please share ideas you have to improve the format or content in the future.