Academic Services Newsletter
Issue 2
Good morning CCS Family,
This newsletter is meant to celebrate the great work of our staff. In a time of great uncertainty, one thing that has been certain is the tremendous efforts of our staff. We have been inspired by the work of the CCS team across the district and appreciate your great dedication to the students you serve. While most of the highlights are focused on the academic/instructional work completed by those who fall under academic services, the great people in this district work in many other departments and there is absolutely no way that successful learning could occur without the dedication of these amazing men and women, who serve in other capacities to offer instructional support.
Please continue to stay safe and well! Intentionally take care of yourself during this time and we will be so excited to see you in person again when we return to our buildings. You are important, you are capable and you are needed in this work!
Dr. Tracy Ocasio
Chief Academic Officer
Columbus City Schools
3700 S High St
Columbus, Ohio
614-365-8776
Cell: 484-818-1208
World Without Teachers
Impact of Teachers
-Warren Buffet
Office of Teaching & Learning
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (PK - K)
Polly Giffin, a PreK Early Childhood Education teacher at West Mound Elementary has been providing virtual instruction from her home in the space she created for her students. Ms. Giffin recognized the need to continue familiar classroom routines and structures during her remote learning sessions.
She states " I have been recording calendar time, mini-lessons and read-alouds to post to my YouTube channel, the Google site I created and to my Class Dojo Story." The strategy of providing familiar environmental resources, routines, and even tangibles such as a class pet or a plant can assist students to foster a connection to their classrooms from home. This can ease the transition and decrease the anxiety often felt by some early learners during this time of change. Please see the image for the space she created.
Thank you to The Early Childhood Education Teaching Team of Polly Giffin, Katie Weilbacher, Amy Brown!
Please direct questions to the following:
Ann F. Lockett, Division of ECE, Director - alockett@columbus.k12.oh.us
Elementary (1-5)
Jeanette Johnson, 2nd grade teacher at Berwick Elementary School, keeps in contact with her students through virtual circle time. I had the pleasure of joining her Friday Circle Time as a guest Reader. During circle time Ms. Johnson connects with her students, sets the stage for the day, provides direct instruction, journal prompts and gives students the opportunity to share what is going on in their world. Ms. Johnson is an example of CCS’s commitment and dedication to our students and families.
Please click on the image to view an example of a 2nd grade journal submission.
Please direct questions to the following:
Elementary:
Leslie Kelly, Director of Elementary Curriculum - lkelly@columbus.k12.oh.us
Secondary (6 - 12)
Matt Doran is the secondary social studies curriculum specialist for CCS. He has also been an adjunct university instructor. Matt holds degrees in History (B.A., summa cum laude) and Social Studies Education (M.Ed.), both from the Ohio State University. He has written an article about Influenza School Closures in 1918 and 1919. Please see the link below:
INFLUENZA SCHOOL CLOSURES IN COLUMBUS, 1918-1919
Spruce Run Has gone virtual. Please see the Newsletter linked below.
Spruce Run Environmental Center Newsletter
Please direct questions to the following:
Alyse Clark, Director of Secondary Curriculum - aclark2@columbus.k12.oh.us
Unified Arts & Electives
In the Unified Arts & Electives, teachers and students have been creating and sharing artistic work virtually. During this time of online instruction inspiration for new and innovative ways to create and share the arts can be found in homes, and in new and developing realities. Visit some of the shared creative arts expression of CCS students below.
Please direct questions to the following:
Dr. Betty Hill, Supervisor of Unified Arts K-12
ESL
The ESL Department is continuing to work with teachers, students and families making sure that the educational process continues for all English Learners during this unprecedented time.
Connecting with our English Learner families can pose a challenge not only from a language barrier standpoint, but also from students and families not having access to technology that our teachers use daily to communicate and instruct our students.
The good news is CCS has distributed chromebooks to over 2600 EL households. That number covers over 5000 students having access to technology in their home. The ESL Department continues to make phone calls home to students who have not been active online with their teachers using our Language Assistance Team to assist those students and families in obtaining technology to continue with the virtual learning process.
The ESL Department along with the fantastic teachers in our district will continue using every resource available to assure that each and every EL student has the support they need to continue learning through these unprecedented times.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to myself or Myra Talley in the ESL Department using the contact information below.
Michael Sain, ESL Director - msain2444@columbus.k12.oh.us
Myra Talley, ESL Supervisor - mtalley5678@columbus.k12.oh.us
Gifted & Talented
The Gifted & Talented Division has been able to continue access to the Primary Enrichment Thinking Skills (PETS) Program for students in participating schools. Primary Enrichment Specialists have created more than 30 online versions of the PETS lessons for teachers to use with their classes.
Each lesson set includes video instruction led by a PETS specialist, the related handouts for students to use for the activity, and in some cases, an interactive version of the handout that students can do online instead of printing at home. There are also extension activities for teachers to share with families and supplemental book lists with additional stories to use to reinforce the thinking skills taught in the lessons.
The PETS staff have been working collaboratively with their classroom teachers to incorporate these lessons into Google Classrooms and other digital platforms so students in the participating K, 1, and 2 classes still get instruction in these vital critical and creative thinking skills.
Site Link: https://sites.google.com/columbus.k12.oh.us/gifted-online-instruction
Please direct questions to the following:
Dr. Colleen Boyle, Director - cboyle@columbus.k12.oh.us
Professional Learning & Licensure
Please direct questions to the following:
Rhonda Rice, Director, Organizational Learning Professional Learning and Licensure
Office of Special Education & Student Support Services
Special Education
Mrs. Messer is an MD teacher at Georgian Heights. She has created a YouTube channel for her students and families to facilitate new learning! The videos are easy to access, familiar, and something students could complete with minimal support from their guardian. She has been posting the videos and a score sheet to her google classroom. The students/guardians are able to access the videos directly from YouTube or my google classroom.
Last week, the Special Education department also launched a stakeholder survey to teachers and related service providers. Results will guide future professional development and provide targeted support to families and staff! To further support staff and guardians, the Special Education website now has a Self-Care page with resources for how to balance work and home needs during these unprecedented times.
Please direct questions to the following:
Jill Lausch, Director of Special Education Administration and Policy jlausch@columbus.k12.oh.us
Kyra Schloenbach, Director of Academic Innovation & Related Services
Counseling Services
During this time of building closures, our school counselors have worked intentionally to figure out the best way to serve their school populations. Many of our school counselors have created specialized and robust resources for their individual schools. While the Columbus City Schools resource site boasts many need based resources, there are google classrooms and websites that are also listed on this electronic forum.
Please see a preview below of the multiple hyperlinks that exist on the resource site (https://sites.google.com/columbus.k12.oh.us/schoolcounselingsocialwork/home).
Please direct questions to the following:
Bill Mitchell, M.S.E, M.Ed, Supervisor of School Counseling/
Student Support Services
Social Emotional
The Office of Social-Emotional and Student Support Services has been excited to provide support to buildings related to the completion of the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) action plans. Our District PBIS Coordinators are also working hard to provide a PBIS LIVE series every Friday to provide tips and strategies to staff and a PBIS Tuesday series occurring every Tuesday in the month of May. We will continue to support buildings as they develop and enhance their PBIS framework in order to create a safe, structured and secure environment providing tiered supports and strengthening relationships.
Please direct questions to the following:
Cheryl Ward, Director, Social-Emotional and Student Support Services
Marvella Allen, Supervisor of PBIS
Office of College & Career Readiness
Career and Technical Education
Career - Tech continues to blaze the trail in providing excellent support for teachers. Career-Tech has arranged for teachers to attend two virtual professional development opportunities on May 6th. The professional development will focus on the enhancement of project based learning in classrooms that align with real world connections. The second professional development will share best practices for employability skills for students. Both of these professional developments are being piloted through SREB.
Career - Tech is in the planning stages of creating a pre-apprenticeship program with AEP for their linemen program. This pre-apprenticeship anticipated soft launch could happen this fall. The soft launch provides the initial communication about the program and AEP connecting with eighth and ninth graders through the local middle schools and high schools. The program is being discussed. The plan would include student pre-apprenticeship, internship, CCP credits, skill training, financial literacy, soft skills, and employability skills. Look forward to providing future up-dates on the programs progress.
Career - Tech will be launching its stakeholder surveys to school administration this week. The survey is part of the Perkins V Grant and will generate information for the local needs assessment data. Please be watching for this information in your emails. Career - Tech greatly appreciates the sharing of information through the survey and looks forward to reporting out on the information at the stakeholders' meeting.
Please direct questions to the following:
Celeste M. Lewis, Director Career and Technical Education
Virtual Credit Advancement Program (VCAP)
Sara Bibbee serves as the Full-Time VCAP Counselor for Columbus City Schools. She routinely works tirelessly with Counselors, Administration, Students and Parents from schools throughout the district to ensure the success of students enrolled in our Alternative Online Education Program.
Starting from day one of the pandemic, Mrs. Bibbee has been working around the clock with the VCAP Team to expand the offerings of Edmentum, not just to our VCAP students, but to all students throughout the district. Her work on the CCS Online Academy, assisted in bringing the new platform for online education to families throughout the city of Columbus.
During this time of crisis, Counselor Sara Bibbee has been invaluable with her enthusiasm and perseverance to find innovative ways to serve our students during these unprecedented times has been remarkable. “Thanks Sara!”
Please direct questions to the following:
Danielle E. Bomar, Ph.D., Supervisor of Alternative Education
Adult and Community Education
Adult and Community Education has offered a Practical Nursing Program for 66 years. During that time, students attended classes full-time and participated in Clinical experiences in health care facilities throughout Central Ohio. Our tried and true methods led to extremely successful results. Then COVID-19 hit Ohio. Clinical experiences were no longer available as the governor restricted our students from entering these facilities. In addition, we could no longer offer face-to-face classes for our students. Everything we had established over 66 years changed rapidly.
Enter, Health Occupations Administrator, Dr. Patricia Harris and her nursing staff. We held our last face-to-face class on Thursday March 12. By Monday, March 16, Patricia and her team were already providing high quality online classes. The incredibly quick turnaround allowed our students to continue to move forward in their pursuit to become Licensed Practical Nurses. Because of their quick action, we will be able to add 26 additional Practical Nurses to the workforce by the end of July. Our nursing staff has plans in place that will meet all state requirements, including virtual Clinical experiences, that will prepare these students for their chosen career.
What makes me so incredibly proud of Patricia and our teachers is the focus they have on putting our students’ needs first. For a staff that was very traditional in their instructional styles, they all quickly adapted to learn how to provide high-quality instruction in an online format. Patricia has been particularly impressive as she has provided tremendous support in terms of professional development and guidance for students and staff. While all district teachers are making this change, I do not think anyone was able to convert to the virtual format as quickly as the nursing staff. All of them should be commended.
Please direct questions to the following:
Edward O'Reilly, Director Adult Education and Workforce Development
Higher Education Partnerships
The Higher Education Partnerships Division continues to support student performance and experiences through partnerships that focus on collaboration. During this on unprecedented time our students have been supported by higher education institutions, building administrators, CCP adjuncts and school counselors with guiding principles that are rooted in flexibility and compassion to ensure that students are able to complete the spring semester.
College credit plus (CCP) students participated in zoom meetings to share personal stories, course updates, discuss assignments and most importantly just connect. The numerous updates from university partners were compiled in an online google document to ensure that CCP building contacts were able to advise students and families appropriately. Higher education partners collaborated by offering support to extend fall cohort program deadlines, offer virtual campus tours and connect with university offices.
I Know I Can collaborated with the department to ensure that all CCP students were equipped with reliable WiFi access and held virtual meetings with Senior to Sophomore students to provide continued college planning support. Together with our partners at Columbus State Community College we examined CCP data in response to the fall 2020 3.0 GPA criteria for student eligibility and submitted a recommendation that may allow more students the opportunity for fall participation.
Please direct questions to the following:
Tanya L. McClanahan, Supervisor, Higher Education Partnerships