Keynotes
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Congratulations Jennifer Baratto!!!
Parkview Cluster Redistricting
The criteria for redistricting is current enrollment, existing identifiable boundaries, school locations, and student transportation.
The purpose of redistricting is to provide housing for the majority of students in standard classrooms, relieve overcrowding of schools, balance enrollment among schools, and when possible, minimize disruption of students.
As a member of the Arcado community you are invited to provide input on the proposed school boundary lines. Maps and School Boundary Input Forms are available on Gwinnett County Public Schools website, as well as our school website and front office.
Mr. Mozley is our school representative should you have questions.
REMINDER School Personnel Star Climate Survey
Georgia is one of the first U.S. states to include school climate as an indicator in its statewide accountability system. Along with a CCRPI score, each school will also receive a Financial Efficiency Rating and a School Climate Rating.
The School Climate Star Rating will be based on a scale of one to five stars. A rating of one star will indicate a low school climate score, while a rating of five stars will indicate a high school climate score.
All Staff, please complete this survey (see link below). This is a great opportunity to gain 5 stars for our school!!! Let's tell the world, or at least the state, how great we are!!!
Georgia Milestones Meeting for 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade teachers
Georgia Milestones Assessment Release
This letter is included in The Keys To Learning Special Edition going out to parents on Monday.
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Dear Gwinnett County Public Schools Parents and Guardians,
We anticipate the state will soon release system and school results from last year’s
administration of the Georgia Milestones Assessment which was taken in April of 2015. As you may remember, last spring was the first time our students took this new state assessment which took the place of the old Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) and High School End of Course Tests (EOCT). Here are a few things to know about these results…
- Previously, with the CRCT and EOCT, student achievement was reported in three categories of achievement (Does Not Meet, Meets, or Exceeds). The Milestones results will be reported using four categories of achievement (Beginning Learner, Developing Learner, Proficient Learner, and Distinguished Learner).
- Because the CRCT, EOCT, and Georgia Milestones are totally different tests, with different expectations and different scoring, you cannot compare scores between the tests.
- As the Georgia Milestones set higher expectations for student achievement, it is
likely that fewer students will achieve scores in the top achievement categories. This
does not mean that our students know less; it is simply a reflection that the achievement bar has been raised.
- As with any new assessment, we anticipate that scores will initially be lower than they will be in future years as students and teachers become more accustomed to the new test and its format.
- While system and school scores will be available initially, the school system has not received individual student reports. As soon as the district receives the individual student reports (possibly as late as the end of the semester) we will place this information in the Parent Portal. At that time, you will be able to go to your Parent Portal account to see your student(s) results.
Gwinnett County Public Schools is committed to providing students a quality education that helps them to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college and careers. Ensuring that parents and the public are informed about how well our students are doing is a key piece to that success. As a district, we are looking forward to reviewing last year’s Milestones results, digging into what they tell us about our students, their achievement, and what we can do to help students achieve at higher levels. Thank you for your continued support of our students, our schools, and GCPS.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Patterson
Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruct
Caught with “IT” by PBIS!
The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework focuses on both student and teacher behaviors. We will learn more about these as the PBIS training team (Justin Banks, Robin Finlayson, Jennifer Haynes, Allison Kenney, Kathy Spruiell, Laura Stafford, and Ginny Wages) rolls out several PBIS concepts over the coming months including our behavior matrix.
These classes were caught with “IT” over the last two weeks– exhibiting appropriate hallway behaviors transitioning throughout the building – Kathy Roger, Beth Rousseau
A big shout out to Kim Watts, Marcey Hobson, and Nancy Harrison who were outside their door greeting their students during morning arrival!
Who will PBIS catch next week?
Reiterating that the laminator is for school use
The laminator is for school use (Arcado) only. Laminating film is very expensive - $60 per roll.
If you use the laminator for your own personal use, you will be charged .15 (15 cents) per foot. That's pretty cheap, but it adds up. Please use the honor system and pay Joette any monies you owe for using the film. Also, you count per foot of film used, not per foot of the item you laminated as there is always a "waste" of about a foot when you first start.
Compliance with Fire Marshall Requirements
It is critical that we are in compliance with fire marshall regulations every day of the school year. Mr. David is our local school expert. If he informs us we need to take care of something then let's get it done quickly.
Thank you!
Holiday Season Guidelines
As the December holidays approach, the Anti-Defamation League -- one of the nation's premier organizations defending religious liberty -- know that many school districts are faced with difficult questions about how to appropriately acknowledge the December holidays. In an effort to help you comply with the United States Constitution and create a school environment that celebrates diversity by respecting differing points of view concerning religion, they offer the following suggestions.
General Rule: When a school does choose to acknowledge the December holidays, it is essential that the school must never appear to endorse religion over non-religion or one particular religious faith over another.
Public schools must remain free from activities that could involve religious coercion. Because of their young age, students are particularly impressionable and susceptible to pressure to conform to the beliefs of the majority. Schools must take care to avoid endorsing the beliefs, practices or traditions of the majority religion.
Schools must be careful not to cross the line between teaching about religious holidays (which is permitted) and celebrating religious holidays (which is not). Celebrating religious holidays in the form of religious worship or other practices is unconstitutional. Teaching about a holiday will be constitutional if it furthers a genuine secular program of education, is presented objectively, and does not have the effect of endorsing, advancing or inhibiting religion.
Special school events, assemblies, concerts and programs must be designed to further a secular and objective program of education and must not focus on any one religion or religious observance. Religious music or drama may be included in school events, but the reason for including that music or drama must be to advance a secular educational goal. Such events must not promote or denigrate any particular religion, serve as a religious celebration, or become a forum for religious devotion.
Religious symbols are not appropriate seasonal decorations in public schools. The classroom and school premises are the place where children spend the majority of their day. It is important that all students feel comfortable and accepted in their school. Symbols of religious holidays may make some students uncomfortable and unwelcome because their holidays and traditions are not represented or because they do not celebrate religious holidays at all.
In an effort to be ecumenical, it is not advisable to rely on information provided by a representative child of a minority religion. Students should not be put on the spot to explain their religious (or cultural) traditions. The student may feel uncomfortable and may not have enough information to be accurate. Moreover, by asking a student to be spokesperson for his/her religion, the teacher is sending a signal that the religion is too "exotic" for the teacher to understand. Finally, in certain cases, the teacher may be opening the door for proselytizing activity by the student, which must be avoided.
Remember: diversity includes religious diversity. In designing holiday programming it is essential to keep in mind that the children entrusted to your care likely have widely divergent religious points of view. The way you approach the December holidays will determine whether those children whose religious views fall outside of the majority's are made to feel welcome and comfortable in their school building or whether they will feel as if they do not belong.
Of course during non-curricular time, secondary school students may participate in student-led and student-initiated activities that acknowledge or celebrate the holidays on the same terms that they can participate in non-religious activity. School officials may neither discourage nor encourage participation in the event, nor should they be sending the message that the school endorses the event. School officials also have an obligation to ensure that students who are not inclined to participate are not coerced in any way by fellow students who are participating. Finally, school personnel cannot promote or participate in such events in their official capacities, although they may be present to monitor the event for compliance with school rules.