Weekly Update
Dragon School Board - July 22, 2019
The race is on.....
The Boys and Girls Club was not awarded the 21st CLC grant, but we've met and found a way to fund the Mountainburg Boys and Girls Club After School program for the 2019-2020 year using our NSL match grant from this year plus previous year. These funds are restricted and can only be used for after school or tutoring and we need to spend the, We will have to put some additional NSL funds with it, but we can offer a meal, a snack, and quality programming to students ages 5-18 every day that school is in session from 3:30-6:30. The Club hires the staff and handles the program. Enrollment is in process!
PLC Institute
Gaining Deep Learning About PLC Work
What is a PLC?
In a PLC the entire staff engages in an ongoing collaborative process of collective inquiry with action research to achieve better results for their students. That means the district and the schools ensure time in the day for teachers to work in teams to answer the four questions of PLC:
- What do they need to learn?
- How will we know when they've learned it?
- How will we respond when they don't?
- How will we respond when they do?
Our mission, our fundamental purpose to exist, is to ensure all students learn at high levels. We must align all practices, procedures, and policies in light of that fundamental purpose.
Arkansas Department of Education (I don't remember their new name yet) is continuing to support PLC work in the state. Teams of ADE staff were in attendance at the PLC Institute and Secretary Key (formerly known as Commissioner) opened the session.
Solution Tree is bringing a PLC Institute to Little Rock in the summer of July 8-10, 2020. I have reserved seats. If you would like to attend as a board member and can commit these dates, please join us. Let me know and I will reserve the registration. This event will likely sell out in advance.
Progress to Date
In the 2019-2020 school year we introduced the concept of PLC work to the district. The faculty, although not always sure of how to do the work, embraced the concept and worked in teams to start identifying essential standards, create assessments, and look at results. We spent the fall building shared knowledge about this level of work, our mission, vision, and what we mean by terms such as essential standards, learning targets, I Can statements, common assessments, etc. We formed a Behavior Intervention Team to monitor grades, attendance, and behavior data. We spent the spring looking at structural changes, like the bell schedules, master schedule, team structures for revisions to improve our ability to meet and do the work. We restructured use of staff using current resources to provide support with a principal for Teaching and Learning, a Student Performance Specialist, and an instructional facilitator. The result of that work will be largely technical changes, with which we will begin the school year. This is all important work and it sets the stage for our next phase.
Looking Forward
In 2019-2020 our work will be to get real with the commitment to this level of work. In other words, the rubber hits the road. Tim Kight describes elite leadership systems using this formula:
- Leaders drive culture
- Culture drive behavior
- Behavior drives results
With technical updates ready, we will extend our focus into the culture of our organization. Leaders of the organization must be insanely clear about our values, behaviors, and desired outcomes. Our leaders and teachers will work in teams to build three systems:
#1 - Deliver the guaranteed and viable curriculum
#2 - Provide time and support
#3 - Install a culture that trains and motivates all
Our schedules, professional development, school improvement and use of district resources are aligning to support this work. The challenge this year will be to maintain the focus, avoid distractions, and respond effectively when resistance occurs.
I will be provide the board more information about each vital aspect of this work, and periodic updates on our progress.
As always, if you have any questions about this work, please shoot me a text or give me a call. My door is always open!
Saturday volunteers
Goodbye rock pit, Hello GaGa pit!
Middle school Gym Bleachers
Project Updates
We are on GO for the Joint Usage Agreement Grant (JUA) - The main project for this grant is to provide walking trails to connect the city park trails to the playground and provide more access to recreation for both the school and the community. Additional projects were to repair the court, revamp the swing areas, add fencing on the north east MS campus, and add signage about the trails. We've compared concrete and asphalt bids and found a way to get the project within budget. Original bids included a 2" asphalt resurface of the court, which added about $4,000 in materials. Instead the company will spot repair and level, reseal, and repaint the court. Trails will be 8' wide. Installation is scheduled for Aug 12.
MS volunteers have been working to add activities to the MS playground, replacing the rock pit with a GaGa Pit, adding shade canopies, a whiffle ball diamond, and team challenges.
The Community Recycle Program
The Mountainburg/Chester Recycle Program started a couple of years ago with an agreement between the City and the Chester to pay the bin fees. Each 20 yard co-mingle bin pick up fee is $125. The first pick up was about 6 months after bins were placed. As the community started using the bins the pick ups were about once every 3-4 months. When the school started actively recycling, bins are filling monthly. At this point the City and Chester have paid most of the amount of recycle fees budgeted for the year (City budgeted $1,000 and Chester approved $50 per month or $600). The school is paying the recycle bin fees for the remainder of the year, which is still much cheaper than waste dumpster fees. If we don't recycle we'll have to add more dumpsters at $300+ per monthly, and abandon our position that recycling is better for the community, the environment, and we should teach and model this environmentally responsible practice. I will monitor bin usage and work with City and Chester in an attempt to plan for next year's budget to split the costs throughout the year.
To assist with the MES recycle efforts, we've moved one co-mingle bin to MES. It is in the middle of the bus parking lot right now while gravel work is being done but will be placed at the east end of the building.
Abby Showl donated 4 water totes. We will use those frames to collect cardboard for Abilities Unlimited. They send a truck to Mountainburg Tuesdays and Fridays to collect cardboard from our cafeterias, Simmons, Neon Moon, City Hall, and The Pizza Den. If we can gain community assistance in putting broken down cardboard in the totes, we can help Abilities Unlimited, save space in the co-mingle bins for paper, plastic, and cans, and reduce recycle costs.
The Middle School gym bleachers have been repaired and painted. Mary Curd has deep cleaned the appliances in the FACS lab, stained the cabinets, and redecorated. It's gong to look really nice. Here's a listing of the summer projects to date:
MHS
- Interior hallways repainted from Old Main down to Agri
- Spirit quotes painted on walls
- Replace Sports Hall of Fame Display with more secure shelving
- Lab tables for science lab - Merritt
- Matched student desks for classroom - Burnett
- Matched student desks for classroom - McDonald
- FACS lab remodel - Curd
- Tables for Agri classroom - Hall
- Matched student desks for classroom - Harrell
- Tables and chairs for MHS Commons
- Distance Learning Computer Lab upgrade - wall mounted shelves, rewiring and new computers
- New carpet and countertop refinish for MHS Library
- Bookshelves installed in MHS Library (bought for $50 each from store closing fixture sale)
- Matched student desks for classroom - Pense
- Matched student desks for classroom - Blakney
- Matched student desks for classroom - Kannett
- Matched student desks for classroom - Dean
- Tables and chairs for teacher workroom
- Tables and chairs for MHS Team Room
- Matched student desks for classroom - ISD
- Tables for Lockhart
- Matched chairs for ALE
Cafeteria
- Tables with Stools for student seating in cafeteria
- Round tables and chairs for banquet seating in cafeteria
MS
- Playground walking trails added
- Court repair, reseal, and repainted
- Swing set safe zone with mulched
- Fencing on North East MS campus installed
- Playground rock retaining wall/pit removed
- Gaga Pit added
- Shade areas added
- Team challenge obstacles added
- Whiffle ball diamond added
- Matched student desks for classroom - Clark
- Matched student desks for classroom - Wasko
- Matched student desks for classroom - Shepherd
- Matched student desks for classroom - Graves
- Tables for Hamilton
- Tables for Sorensen
- Tables and chairs for MS Team Room
- Storage rooms cleared for learning centers
- Fitness and sensory activities for floors in 5th & 6th
- Bookshelves installed in MHS Library (bought for $50 each from store closing fixture sale)
MES
- Parking lot striping repainted
- Bus lot drainage and gravel work
Drainage
The recent heavy rains washed across the football field parking lot and made the cut in the gravel more of a ditch. The good news is that most of that water didn't go into the football fields. We are working with the City on possible tree removal of the big tree behind the visitor field house. The root ball is down in the ditch on Pecan Street and is pushing the ditch to cut under the road. Cost estimates to remove the tree are $1,000. I'm looking for other ways to get the tree removed. City plans to work on the ditch.
Other projects:
We are working on routine repairs and equipment failure issues. Lightening strike took out some cameras at MES. 10 intercoms failed and have to be replaced. We still can't get the storm sirens to consistently unlock the SafeRoom, however we have two remote radios and a base radio that do unlock the SafeRoom. I've made a new contact in the company who assures me he will get us some results. Following the one year walk through inspection of the SafeRoom several items were repaired, including seal on flooring, some door locks, and the drains on the fields. The AC unit had to be replaced in the MS Counseling Office.
Act 464 of 2019 creates an incentive for companies to provide solar power to schools and municipalities. I am investigating these options. Companies install and maintain the equipment, either on our land or their own, and guarantee a percentage of our power at a reduced rate. For example, we currently pay a average rate of .11 per kilowatt. We would get 80% of our power at a reduced rate, say .07 per kilowatt. The agreements are long term, 25-30 years in length. We make no investment, and get a guaranteed savings for a portion of our electricity. The company gets a 30% tax incentive. I'm researching, talking to facilities people and other superintendents. I will keep you posted.
We should learn if OG&E is approved for the rebate program this month or next and proceed with the LED bulb conversions to improve lighting quality and save electric costs. I don't want to say much about solar power until I maximize the OG&E rebates.
SAFETY
The CSSO team will meet with the Crawford County SWOT team to get to know each other and go through the buildings. The SWOT team has also set an evening time to drill in our buildings before school begins.
We have applied for federal funds to add cameras and recorders at MMS and MHS to extend the buzzer doors security systems and that is still pending.
We are Dragon Strong
Email: debbie.atwell@mountainburg.org
Website: www.mountainburg.org
Location: 129 Hwy 71 SW Mountainburg
Phone: (479)369-2121
Facebook: facebook.com/mountainburgps