A School Improvement Council (SIC) is an advisory body to the principal and school. State law requires that every K- 12 public school have an SIC that includes:

• At least two parents elected by parents.

• At least two teachers elected by teachers.

• Community members who do not have children enrolled at the school, appointed by the principal.

• The principal and other ex-officio members.

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Thank you, Fun Run Sponsors:

Dr. Epps Orthodontist

Warren Norman Company

Miller/Dixon Orthodontics

Burn Boot Camp

Camp Canaan

Krause Renovations

Franklin Pharmaceutical Consulting

Kidcreate Studio

This is our second year serving gifted and talented students by area of gift. Meaning, children qualified as gifted in mathematics receive the majority of their minutes in advanced mathematics instruction while children qualified as gifted in reading receive the majority of their minutes in advanced reading instruction. Children qualified as gifted in both reading and mathematics are served thoroughly in both areas.

This increased differentiation benefits the students in two major ways. Foremost, twice exceptional students receive the gifted curriculum in the area in which they have demonstrated readiness for it. This allows them to be in their homerooms for grade level, or below grade level intervention, in the area that they need. A second benefit is for students that are gifted in both areas. They are not sacrificing minutes in one area to get served in the other. This group is receiving about 60% more instruction in each of the areas mathematics and reading.

Additionally, each grade level cohort meets for another hour each week to build community and problem solving skills. We focus on critical and creative thinking skills independent from mathematics and reading content. This benefits children that have qualified via nonverbal identification. It is often hard to reach nonverbal gifted children in traditional mathematics or reading classes and this schedule allows us to do just that.

Data is supporting that this type of service increases scores for the majority of GT identified students on state and MAP testing.

“The Pirate’s Way Motor Learning Lab” is used to provide students the opportunity to fill the gaps left from deficiencies in their early developmental years. It also benefits all students by allowing them the chance to connect cognitive skills with psychomotor skills. The lab uses cross-lateralization activities to assist with reading left to right. It also offers many balance activities to assist with spatial orientation, which helps the students in sorting words, letters, shapes, numbers, etc. on a page. Teachers are given time slots for them to bring their entire class to practice reading while working in the stations. Teachers can also identify students who need extra support in filling the developmental gaps, which creates more pathways in the brain and aids in learning new information. These identified students will have a volunteer assist them in the stations at certain times throughout the week. Fitness components are addressed as students work on Flexibility, Cardio-Respiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength and Endurance. Therefore, students will be able to improve their overall health as well as making connections in the brain.

This year during their 20 minute Physical Education classes, students had an emphasis on the Health-Related Fitness Components (Cardio-Respiratory Endurance, Body Composition, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance and Flexibility) so the skill-related lessons also had a focus on fitness. This is in addition to their weekly 45 minute Physical Education classes.

This year we have established a beginning of the year kick off, brochure to hand out to all parents, a coin reward system in special area, snack cart on Fridays, and Golden Cup in the cafeteria. The PBIS team continues to look for ways to help create a more positive atmosphere here at India Hook and will continue to improve each year.