Campus Connections
January 14, 2018
Message from Jeff and Yolanda
This week we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was killed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968. King went to Memphis to support African American garbage workers and to gain recognition for their union. Dr. King was a crusader for civil rights and economic and social justice for all. In addition to building bridges between the civil rights and labor movements, Dr. King recognized the importance of education and frequently spoke on the matter. Below is an excerpt from a speech he gave in May 1964:
…The richest nation on Earth has never allocated enough resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige our work justifies. We squander funds on highways, on the frenetic pursuit of recreation, on the overabundance of overkill armament, but we pauperize education.”
He was right on point that sufficient resources are not allocated to our educational institutions. A group of students will be representing LWTC/LWTHS at the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade on Monday. Please feel free to share what you are doing in your classroom to honor him.
Speaking of education, Lorenzo Walker Technical High School (LWTHS) received great news this past week as the graduation rate was released for the 2016-2017 school year. We had a graduation rate of 99.3% for our most recent cohort of graduates resulting in the highest rate in CCPS. This success is one that should be shared and celebrated by all staff members not just those at LWTHS as a result of the concerted effort to provide all of our students with a student centric learning environment.
The interconnected nature of our campuses and willingness of all staff to go above and beyond expectations provides our students with a learning environment where they want to succeed and be at school every day. A few of the key components that play into the outstanding graduation rate:
- Daily, personal phone calls are placed to any student that is absent by Mrs. Medal at the high school. The high school has had the highest attendance over the last several years.
- Students "at-risk" are discussed and action plans developed during grade level team meetings, leadership meetings, and department meetings at the high school.
- All programs at LWTC provide students with an opportunity to develop college and career skills that are high interest and hands-on.
- Student Success Plans are developed for students that are falling behind in their technical area and followed up on (often daily) by Ms. Crete.
- The school counselors at the high school (Abby Lambley, Jonah Nicosia, and Marisol Fernandez) are tracking student grades and meeting daily with students to ensure their success.
- Teachers going above and beyond to help students.
There are many other initiatives not mentioned that provide our students with the type of environment they want to attend each day and that ensure student success. It is the relationships and student centric focus that continues to draw our students to school each day and our collaborative determination to see our high school students cross the stage at graduation which results in the highest graduation rate in Collier County Public Schools.
Coaches' Corner: Games for all learners
All of us love games. The thrill of winning stays with us long after the game is done. However, the stress of competition can sometimes be too much for many learners. Marsha Tate shared with us that the brain learns best in a low stress environment. This has cause me to pause and re-examine the ways in which we are using some games in our classrooms. I believe that with minor modifications, we can remove or at best relieve some of the stress for our learners.
Below are a few suggestions on working with technology and online resources in your classroom. If you are not familiar with these games, hyperlinks are provided for you to try it out.
Love seeing my name on the top of the list as earning the most points! Yes! Miss a question and I sink to the bottom and off the screen.
There is an alternative to the group activity called “Challenge”. You create a link and students can enter on their own. They can play multiple time and see their own progress. They can see other students as well. However, they work on the activity in their own personal space and time.
Get with my team the Water Buffalos, gather around and collaborate on the answers. Quick, quick, the Dolphins are ALMOST FINISHED, AHHHHHH!
Simple calming effect to remove the display of all the team progress. The game will still end when the first team finishes. However, the students will be less stressed by the competition and potentially more focused on the content.
This simple web resource is great for individual practice. It is very low stress with the student having the ability to see their progress. It is available for Math, Science, Geography and Spanish. Check it out!
Keep Calm and Game on!
Wellness Corner
Last year, we had the “Fab Five” team join the Slim Down Challenge that Collier County school district was promoting through the corporate Wellness program HealthyWage. Teams of 5 were competing to lose weight over 12 weeks to win more than $12,000 in cash prizes. Khris Betten-Jutasi, Marie Coleman, Donna Lang, Lisa Perez and Rose Whippo were the “Fab Five!” Excitingly, the “Fab Five” team won 1st Place out of all the teams in Collier County! Plus, they took 10th place overall with a weight loss percentage of 9.52%! Way to Go!!!
Weight loss should be FUN! Social dieting, financial incentives, long term success are what the HealthyWage experts research. A Brown University study concluded that social networks and teamwork play a significant role in enhancing weight loss outcomes. I would have to agree that losing weight or just simply exercising with friends makes meeting your health goal that much easier. Check out some HealthyWage Reviews and look for a challenge to join @ https://www.healthywage.com/why-it-works/
Coming up next week on January 17th, we are holding our very own BIGGEST Loser Contest! See flier below. Get ready for some friendly competition!
Wellness check part 2
Healthy Living Challenge:
· For those of you competing in the Healthy Living (aka Biggest Loser) Challenge, please enter your starting weight and number of employees in the google doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jMeBkxPG0SFWnEi4tsCiHlpvJbXca4ycn0laFwVx96w/edit#gid=2099525914
· Unless I hear from you, let’s plan for an 8-week challenge from 1/15/18 – 3/9/18 J
· Best of luck to all and remember the winning school will get one annual gym membership to give to a deserving employee!
Staff Wellness Ideas - If you are still looking for some staff ideas for your 2017-18 staff goal, here are some ideas:
· Get a group together to attend VegFest (http://www.swflvegfest.org/)
o If you want to take it to the next level, take pics of food bought and what you made and share the recipes
· Join a Blue Zones Walking Moai – the next launch is 1/18/18 at 6:00 pm at Sugden Park (https://southwestflorida.bluezonesproject.com/)
· Please feel free to send us what ideas you have and are doing at your schools if you haven’t entered them in the google doc yet
Staff and Student of the Month for January
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
Happening
On Monday January 15th:
- NHS meeting
On Tuesday January 16th:
- Religious Freedom Day in Mustang Alley during lunch.
- Laws of Life luncheon from 10:00-11:30 in Dining room A and B.
- Green Club meeting
- LWTHS Team meeting from 2:00-2:35
- SAC meeting from 5:30-6:30 in Formal dining room
On Wednesday January 17th:
- LWTHS Support Staff Meeting 1:30 in principal's conference room
- Greater Naples Leadership Collier will be on campus throughout the day.
On Thursday January 18th:
- Herff Jones will be in for cap and gown orders during lunch in the High school lobby.
- Department meetings from 2:00-2:30
On Friday January 19th:
- LWTC and LWTHS Office staff meeting-customer service training (two sessions from 7:30-8:30 and from 9:00-10:00.
Kudos to . . .
- The 11th and 12th grade team who planned and executed an extremely popular Kona Ice Quarter 2 PBS reward for students who met the goal.
- Tara Barr, Diana Childs and Steve Parnell who participated in a very valuable Professional Development with all of the Biology teachers in Collier County. They came away with great ideas and plans to support student growth during the 2nd semester.
- Katie Sullivan, Paul Holiman, Luann Pike andEnrique Medellin for attending and networking at the EdCamp District Event for new teachers.
- Margot Dagher and Karla Hernandez for decorating and getting the food for the PowderPuff Celebration breakfast.
- Jack Izibicki, Kim Chinery, Tim Hall, Armando Padilla, Paul Holimon, Chris Fowler, John Mazzarella, Cindy Emanuel, and Sam Greeen for giving up thier Saturday to volunteer at the Antique Car Show fundraiser at the Beach House Assisted Living facility.
Antique Car Show Fundraiser
We are so grateful to have a faculty who demonstrate their support for our students both on and off campus. In addition to inviting many new and returning faces to our upcoming Fly In Cruise In event on 2/3, we also had an opportunity to invite many new people from the local community to our technical programs, as well as our adult and community education programs.
Happy Birthday!
1/19 Rosemarie Whippo