Campus Connections
February 11, 2018
Message from Jeff and Yolanda
In addition to February being CTE month, it is also Black History month. Please share what you are doing in your classrooms to celebrate. Phlebetomy/C.N.A. instructor Kami Greer has been celebrating Black History Month from the medical perspective this year by highlighting significant historical figures who have impacted the delivery of health care to all citizens of the United States. She is leading her students to a better understanding of the important contributions made and she shared the story on the first African American Women to earn a nursing license:
Mary Eliza Mahoney was born in Boston to freed slaves. Growing up she quickly recognized the importance of education and racial equality. Early in her teens she knew she wanted to be a nurse so she began working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. She held a variety of roles from janitor and cook, to wash woman and ultimately a nurses aide where she would hone her skills.
In 1878 Mahoney enrolled in the New England Hospital for Women and Children’s nursing program which one was of the first in the United States. It was an intense 16 month program and of the 42 enrolled students only 4 completed, including Mahoney. This completion made her the first African American woman to earn a nursing license in the country. Due to extreme discrimination, however, Mahoney chose to avoid public nursing and became a private nurse for mostly wealthy white families.
Staying active in the profession, Mahoney joined the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the Unites States and Canada in 1896, which later became known and the American Nurses Association. Still facing discrimination in this group of professional nurses, she realized their still needed to be representation for the African American nursing professionals. In 1908 she co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. At the first meeting, she gave an opening speech which spurred members to make her the national chaplain and give her lifetime membership.
From 1911-1912 she served as the director for the Howard Orphanage Asylum for black children in Kings Park, Long Island.
After 40 years she retired from the profession but continued to be a champion for women’s rights. After the ratification of the 19th amendment, Mahoney was one of the first women registered to vote in Boston.
In 1936 the NACGN honored her posthumously with an award titled the Mary Mahoney award which is awarded to nurses who promote integration in their field. The ANA posthumously honored her when they inducted her into their hall of fame in 1976. And finally, in 1993 she was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.
In 1973 Chi ETA Phi, the national African American sorority, erected a monument of her at her gravesite in Massachusetts’s. It still stands today to serve as a memory of her legacy and hard work to this profession.
Coaches' Corner - A field trip to Shark Valley or Are all my students on board?
Imaging that you are taking your class on a field trip. What is the success criteria for that experience? Imagine that you are teaching your class how to add fractions? What is the success criteria for that lesson? Both of these situations require a critical criteria for success. Let’s take of look at what those elements are for each activity.
The success of your trip is for you to depart with 20 students and to return with 20 students. In your math class, the learning target is for your students to be able to add fractions with uncommon denominators. In each of these situations, we can monitor students.
The field trip situation is black and white. Put 20 students on the bus, take 20 students off the bus at the location. Count the students every time you move from point A to point B. Put 20 students back on the bus and return to school. Each time, you are taking an exact head count. You call names, you count seats, you insure that every child in on board.
The math lesson will require that student can find a least common multiple, that they can convert fraction to a new form and finally that they can combine the new fractions. At each step, you will need to plan how you will monitor to student success and learning.
Here are some strategies that you can implement in your classroom to achieve a higher level of student understanding.
Checking for Understanding or Monitoring
Monitoring within your classroom is checking for evidence of desired student learning of critical content. Critical content comes from the Standards. Be sure to focus intently on the knowledge that the standard is requiring. Evidence – what is it that you want to see demonstrated? This activity needs to be PLANNED within your lesson at each chuck of learning.
Effective monitoring
The goal is quality monitoring for a quantity of students.
Low quality and low quantity is calling on students who raise their hand.
High quality and high quantity is planning a technique where students will demonstrate their learning. Here are some ideas that you can easily implement in your classroom.
1. Entrance or Exit tickets – efficient evidence from every student
2. Whiteboard responses – students can demonstrate their learning and quickly receive feedback
3. Shoulder Partners – ask students to explain, defend, instruct their shoulder partner. You can quickly circulate around the room monitor conversations for understanding.
4. Think-Pair-Square. Take this Kagan strategy to the next level by sharing with two pairs.
5. Self-Reflection – Ask students to rate themselves on the learning goal. Observe their responses and adjust your instruction based on this input. Student Friendly learning goals are perfect for this!
6. Web based resources – Utilize websites that quickly provide feedback. USATestprep is an excellent example. Create a Class Party where student can see their progress real-time.
The video clips below is a great example these strategies implemented in a high school setting.
Wellness
Looking for something really unique for your workout? Check out goat yoga -- yes -- you read correctly. A teacher group is now forming to try this barnyard workout with pygmy goats. Contact Kristy Meghreblian for LWTHS/ LWTC group details or read the link below for more information to go on your own.
Staff and Student of the Month for February
Please show your Lorenzo family spirit and vote in the links below for our Staff and Student of the Month. This is your opportunity to give kudos by nominating a staff member. Of those nominated, the leadership team will select a staff member and a student from each category to honor through a certificate and special lunch in the dining hall.
Nominating a Staff or Student of the month is quick and easy. Just click on the Padlet links. Type the name of the nominated staff or student in the "Title" portion of the Padlet and post and your reasoning in the body of the post.
- 9th grade student Link
- 10th grade student Link
- 11th grade student Link (both academic and dual enrollment students)
- 12th grade student Link (both academic and dual enrollment students)
- Career and Technical Education student link (adults only)
- Adult Education student link
Happenings
On Monday February 12th:
- Winter dance ticket sales starts Feb 5th-Feb 16th during lunch
- NHS meeting during lunch
On Tuesday February 13th:
- District staff (2) will be touring classrooms at LWTHS with administration from 8:00-11:30 to examine our school-wide element of Learning Goals and Scales and Tracking (monitoring) Student Progress
- Leadership meeting from 2:00-2:30-LWTHS
- Green Club meeting in Mrs. Barr's room during lunch
On Wednesday February 14th:
- Early release day
- PBS Event Planning committee-LWTHS
On Thursday February 15th:
- NHS and District staff tour LWTC
- Core Wellness Club facilitated program in 4-232 in Mrs. Neiman
- LWTHS Department meeting in the conference room at 2:00
- Field trip to Tin city with Mr. Meyers high school students from 7:30-10:30
On Friday February 16th:
- Office staff meeting/customer service training in 2-239
- Winter dance from 6:00-9:30
Kudos to . . .
- Dr. Becker and students for assisting in vaccinating over 150 pets
- Lindsey Simmons for organizing and putting on a very successful talent show for the students!
- To all teachers for helping to judge, attend, and promote the PBS Talent Show initiative. Thank you for supporting the students and fundraising efforts.
- Jonah Nicosia for gathering, printing and sharing the school-wide PBS data during our monthly PBS meetings.
- Marisol Fernandez for developing and scheduling our testing calendar and creating a test administration/proctor schedule for LWTHS.
- Margot Dagher for tracking down all of our DE and FLVS learning lab parent permission slips from our students.
Happy Birthday!
2/17 Donna Huprich