Central Learning Community News
The Heart of Fulton County Schools
September 2014
Elementary Schools
Hamilton Holmes
Volunteers from Mount Vernon Presbytarian School came to H.E. Holmes Elementary for their Annual Helping Hands Day, a day set aside in honor of September 11th.
H. E. Holmes Elementary 1st and 2nd grade TAG students created art work to show the organisms, plant life and geographical features of the different ocean zones.
Conley Hills
Our year is off to a Cubstastic start! Students at Conley Hills are motivated and excited about reaching their academic goals. The first Academic Pep Rally featured guest appearances by the Math Fairy, Literacy Angel, Media Fairy, and First in Math Fun Captains. Prizes were awarded to the top students in First in Math.
Mt. Olive
The Mount Olive students and staff are honoring the College Park Fire and Police Dept. this week as we celebrate our community heroes on Patriots Day. The community service workers and first responders in College Park have been tremendously supportive to Mount Olive staff and students since we moved into the new (temporary) school. Not only have they responded quickly when we needed them for an emergency, but they visit us regularly to greet children and parents, walk the halls and do safety checks. These are fantastic people and their outpouring of time, energy and protection is greatly appreciated.
High Point
We have started our Learning Tuesdays which happen each month to help move our teachers towards the Exemplary level in TKES. Our first Learning Tuesday took a closer look at the Differentiation and Academically Challenging standards in TKES. Our teachers spent an afternoon showing what they know, participating in a Text Rendering experience, discussing the “look fors” as well as watching videos for the two standards. The following day, teachers spent their common planning time observing other teachers in these two critical areas using a checklist from the GADOE. There were great discussions and a better understanding of the TKES process was formed.
Parklane
Ronald McDonald presents “Book Time” to students of Parklane Elementary School. Ronald emphasizes how fun reading can be and how it can open up the opportunity to explore and investigate the world through books. He is supporting our initiative to improve literacy across the curriculum.
Hapeville
Hapeville Elementary School invited all parents, grandparents, school business partners, ,and community members to Bring Adults to School Day, August 29. Hundreds of adults spent the morning with the principal, Jennifer Couch, and toured the school with 5th grade student leaders. The goal of Bring Adults to School Day is to increase partnership between Hapeville Elementary and the Hapeville community and help all students reach the school’s new vision and mission. Encouraging adults to see the school day, with teachers and students working and learning together, is just one step toward increased partnership.
The Vision of Hapeville Elementary School is that our students will be confident, self-motivated lifelong learners who display strong character and interpersonal skills.
The Mission of Hapeville Elementary School is to provide a safe nurturing environment where students are confident in questioning and demonstrating an understanding of their past, present, and future world. Our mission can only be accomplished through a partnership including all faculty, students, parents, and the local and larger community.
Spalding Drive
With Spalding Drive’s focus on STEM content areas, the grand opening of the new STEM lab is coming soon! Also, as part of our RFF, we held our first early release day for professional development for all staff members. The faculty was able to choose from 14 different technology workshops which included using interactive white boards for effective instruction, managing your Outlook Calendar, using of Activotes for ongoing, formative assessments, use of iPads and document cameras for effective student engagement and learning, and many of the teachers received their own iPad for classroom use! All training was provided for the staff by Spalding Drive faculty! There was something for everyone and on every level of technology knowledge! Look for more tweeting from SDC soon!
Woodland
Professional Development Day at Woodland Elementary
Woodland's amazing teachers and staff were engaged in their first of four STEAM professional learning opportunities on August 29th, led by their STEM Coordinator, Angela Ergle. STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. While the students had an early start to their holiday, the teachers were busy collaborating in grade level groups in an effort to integrate their grade level curricula. Mrs. Ergle stated, “By integrating our curricula, we will have a basis for creating engaging, relevant, and real world based STEAM lessons.” Woodland Elementary is on its way to obtaining STEAM certification.
Oak Knoll
Oak Knoll Is STEAMed Up!!
Oak Knoll is proud to announce their STEAM initiative which encourages higher order thinking through exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics to two groups of students based on academic performance and CCRPI results. The students went to the High Museum of Art to see the Dream Car exhibit and learn about the innovative vision, design, and engineering of vehicles from the 1930s until now. Students had an opportunity to build a stationary model car while at the exhibit. The culminating activity at the school was to build a model car that would travel at least a foot. Interested students will be able to build a totally remote controlled car by the end of the year.
Ison Springs
At Ison Springs Elementary School, our teachers are utilizing project-based learning to provide their students with opportunities to gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge. The first grade team began this PBL work with the collaboration of the Chichetekelo School of Arts and Science whose goal is to provide affordable education to all economically- disadvantaged children across the Republic of Zambia.
Upon discussing some of the elements of Project Based Learning with their students, the team initiated a conversation about community needs - content aligned to their Social Studies curriculum. The conversation was followed by viewing a video of a school in Zambia which gave students an opportunity to discuss needs within that learning community. Students brainstormed ways they could raise money to get much-needed supplies to the students in Zambia, including doing a talent show, dance-off, or selling something they did not need or want. “What about crayons that are broken?” a student chimed in. “We usually just throw those away.” And wallah…a potential solution was born! The students determined that they would melt old crayons in order to create new ones to sell and raise money for the students in a school in Zambia. The ISES community is excited to see and experience the PBL-learning occurring in the first grade and across our school!
Ms. Henderson’s assembly line of peelers, sorters, baggers, and poster-makers are hard at work to support their goal of raising money for students in a Zambian school.)
Lake Forest
Lake Forest is Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
Lake Forest is participating in the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables program this year and each student is receiving fresh fruits and vegetables three times a week. The fresh fruits and vegetable program (FFVP) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service and provides all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables. The goal is to expand the variety of fruits and vegetables, increase children’s consumption of these and impact their overall future health. They have already had plouts, honeydew, and heirloom tomatoes.
This month Lake Forest was also the recipient of a full subscription to Reflex Math for our EIP math students. Reflex math is an online program that helps promote fact fluency, support all tiers of intervention, and is an individualized support system for each student. The program helps to target students who are just beginning learning basic operation as well as helps offer support and extended practice for those students who have fallen behind in their fluency.
Lastly, on September 11th, the 7th grade students from Mount Vernon Presbyterian came and read to the 1st and 2nd graders at Lake Forest. This was a great time for Lake Forest students to learn from older students in our community; and provided a meaningful and fun experience for the middle school students to give back to younger students. All of these events together have helped Lake Forest to be healthy, wealthy, and wise this past month.
Dunwoody Springs
Dunwoody Springs’ Teaching Ambassador Creates and opportunity for Fulton County voices to be heard at the National level
On Tuesday, September 9th, Dunwoody Springs Elementary School hosted a US Department of Education Roundtable discussion about a hot topic in education today – testing.
Patrice Dawkins-Jackson currently serves as TAG teacher at Dunwoody Springs and is also a Teaching Ambassador for the US DOE. She is currently serving a second term in this role.
She and two other National Teaching Ambassadors conducted this Roundtable as a part of Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s Back to School Bus Tour.
Mrs. Dawkins Jackson and her colleagues’ role at the DOE is to conduct outreach and collaborate with offices to provide perspective which informs policy at the federal level.
Several teachers across the district and district-level office staff members were invited to participate in the group discussions. As TESTING is indeed a hot button issue at the DOE, the Secretary requested specific feedback about how testing is impacting instruction, innovation, students and the teaching profession. The feedback gathered from roundtables is provide directly to Secretary Duncan and senior staff. The Teacher Ambassador Fellows will present these findings electronically as well as in a quarterly meeting with the Secretary and senior staff in Washington, DC.
Middle Schools
Woodland MS
Woodland Middle School is proud to announce, for the 2nd year in a row, it is a finalist in the Georgia STEM Day Activity award. The award is sponsored by the Technology Association of Georgia. The winner is announced in Savannah on September 26th. Woodland MS students created Rubber Band Powered Cars
Paul D. West
On Thursday, September 4, 2014 Paul D. West Middle School held its Junior Beta Club induction ceremony. This ceremony recognized twenty- five students and was the first Junior Beta Club at Paul D. West since 2008. The purpose of the National Beta Club shall be to promote the ideals of academic achievement, character, service and leadership among elementary and secondary school students.
Achievement
Recognizing and honoring high academic achievement
Character
Preparing young people for life and empowering them to be successful
Leadership
Developing the leaders of tomorrow
Service
Demonstrating our motto: Let Us Lead by Serving Others
Ridgeview
RCS celebrates COMMUNITY!
Ridgeview Charter School, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, continues with its yearlong celebration of community as small student groups craft their own definition of community. As students explore just what community means to each of them, they will also begin their school wide reading of Seedfolks to celebrate community. ALL group definitions are on display in the main hallway of Ridgeview Charter School. Students identify “sharing, caring, and togetherness” as main elements of successful communities and of their community at RCS!
High Schools
McClarin HS
McClarin Success Academy hosted its first Lunch and Learn of the year on August 28th from 12:30pm until 2:00pm. Students had the opportunity to receive individualized attention on the benefits of attending a technical college and the programs of study that were available at the institution.
TriCities
The Creativity Flows At TCHS
In Ms. Bussey’s Drawing & Painting class at Tri-Cities High School students work on their self-portraits. The students work in graphite and Prismacolor and are tasked with setting up their own photo shoot to yield an interesting composition. They work in the style of Chuck Close to do gridded self-portraits.
North Springs
The North Springs' Spartan Drum Line, Cheerleaders and Divas were a huge hit at Woodland Elementary's recent pep rally to kick off their Sandy Springs Sprint.
This 5K Race on Saturday, September 27th will begin and end at North Springs and is Woodland's newest fundraiser. Go Spartans! Go Wildcats!
Riverwood
Riverwood Football is off to a 3-0 start and the Girls XC team have the Number 1 and 2 runners in the State in 5A. Anna Hayden and Elizabeth Graves, respectively
The Central Learning Community
Email: griffind1@fultonschools.org
Website: www.fultonschools.org
Location: 786 Cleveland Ave. SW Atlanta, GA
Phone: 404-763-6804