Eye of the Dragon
John Dewey Academy of Learning, December 2023
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the John Dewey Academy of Learning is to provide students
with a rigorous project-based curriculum and a safe, caring community in which to learn.
By developing the whole person - academically, professionally and personally -
JDAL will assist students in reaching their full potential.
Fireside Chat: Event Night Expectations
Staff and students are eagerly awaiting the first Event Night of the school year and can't wait for friends, family, and community members to witness the various types of learning that takes place in a project based environment.
With almost half of our students being new to JDAL this year, we have a lot of students who are just learning the PBL Gold Standard Process! Staff are excited for these students to experience their first Event Night. New students are almost always very nervous for this first opportunity to share their learning with the public, but are also very proud of themselves at the end of the night.
Even veteran project based learners can get anxious before an Event Night. This is perfectly normal for all students! Please encourage your student to build their confidence by practicing at home and ensuring their end products are polished and professional.
JDAL Staff also spend time in the days and weeks leading up to Event Night to review expectations with students and provide feedback on their progress so students can make improvements before the big night.
As a reminder, presenting at Event Night (3x/year) is required for all JDAL Students. This fulfills the "Public Product" aspect of the Gold Standard PBL we follow. Please click on the Gold Standard PBL image for more information about the elements of project based learning that are integrated and expected at JDAL.
We look forward to seeing all of you at Event Night December 14th from 5-6:30pm. Thank you for taking time to visit multiple students' projects and providing your feedback so students can continue to grow as project based learners.
With gratitude,
Ms. Jen + the JDAL Staff
IMPORTANT - Trimester 2 Schedule Changes!
One big change for this year was the addition of a more structured daily schedule. Although the ultimate goal is for students to reach a level of independent project based learning, the reality is that the majority of students at JDAL are still catching up from what we call "crisis schooling" during the global pandemic. Students and families expressed that they needed more support, so JDAL staff responded by creating a structured schedule with the addition of multi-discipline seminars with projects led by staff. Seminars were a highly popular mainstay at JDAL in the past, so we are excited for their return!
However, students and staff expressed concerns that the schedule for first trimester was too hectic and did not allow for enough time during seminars to dig into the learning targets. Students and staff also agreed that passing time was insufficient.
JDAL staff met to make changes to the schedule and surveyed students to help make some decisions about elements of the schedule. The following is the new daily schedule for JDAL students. School start and end times remain the same, but we extended each mod (class hour), thus eliminating one mod altogether.
Doors open and supervised breakfast available 8 - 8:30am Mon, Tue, Thur, and Fri.
On Wednesday, doors still open at 8am for supervised Personal Learning Time with breakfast served 9 - 9:30.
Mod 1 (8:30-9:10) - Advisory
Mod 2 (9:15 - 10:10) - PBL Series, Mid School Math, Algebra 1
Mod 3 (10:15 - 11:10)- PBL Series, Mid School Math, Algebra 1 or Seminar
Mod 4 - LUNCH
- 11:10- 11:35 - HS eats 1st
- 11:35 - 11:55 - MS eats 2nd
- Students have indoor or outdoor "recess" option when not eating.
Mod 5 (12 - 12:55) - Seminar, Intervention, or HS Math
Mod 6 (1 - 1:55)- Seminar, Intervention, or HS Math
Mod 7 (2 - 3:15) - PLT/Advisory
Dismissal is at 3:15 everyday of the week.
Welcome to Our New Staff Member - Ms. Tammy!
You may notice a new face in the halls at JDAL. Ms. Tammy has joined our team as a full-time Student Learning Advocate! She looks forward to building positive and productive relationships with students/families and leverage those relationships to fully engage students in the learning environment.
Some other aspects of the SLA Position:
•Collaborate with the school’s school counselor, social worker, psychologist, and advisors to provide preventive support and responsive assistance to all students who are experiencing personal, social, or academic difficulties as efficiently and effectively as possible.
•Advocate for individual students and systemic change whenever necessary to promote an environment more conducive to student achievement and well-being.
•Conduct home visits with school staff to communicate with parents, and develop collaborative partnerships with parents and community stakeholders that are designed to identify and respond to student needs and to increase attendance, enhance academic achievement, and student well-being.
•Be intimately aware of the school's mission and vision while actively supporting all student development, while consistently and enthusiastically promote the expectation of high achievement for all students.
Help Us Find Our Missing Chargers!
Last year the district provided each advisory area with 10 orange computer chargers in case student's computers lost charge. Unfortuantely, many of those chargers have gone missing! If you have one somewhere at home, or if one is found in a backpack, etc., please return it to the main office. Thank you!
As a reminder, students should charge their chromebooks at home and/or bring their chargers with them to school. Unfortuantely, we do not have enough extras to check out.
Upcoming Dates to Remember in December
December 14: Event Night #1, 5-6:30pm
December 19: Event Night MAKEUP DAY (If Needed)
December 25: WINTER RECESS BEGINS
January 1: LAST DAY OF WINTER RECESS (No School)
IMPORTANT LINKS
Parent Education Gateway - https://www.gbaps.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=484795&pageId=43812421
School Calendar- http://jdal.gbaps.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=571101
Infinite Campus Parent Portal- https://campus.gbaps.org/campus/portal/greenbay.jsp
Lunch Menu and Prices- http://gbaps.nutrislice.com/
Make sure to like or follow us on social media so you don't miss any updates!
facebook- www.facebook.com/gbapsjohndewey
instagram- www.instagram.com/gbapsjohndewey
Jen Agamaite, Principal
Email: jmagamaite@gbaps.org
Website: jdal.gbaps.org
Location: 701 Cherry Street, Green Bay, WI, USA
Phone: 920.272.7074
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gbapsJohnDewey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbapsjohndewey