Thursday, March 31, 2011
Great Night to Be a Principal at KES
Tonight was a great night to be the principal at KES. We have successfully celebrated 4 days of spirit week with only tomorrow's PINK OUT pep rally left this week. It should be a lot of fun as teachers, administrators, and students will perform songs that should hopefully get them pumped up to take the test next week. We also have over 100 students who have taken all of the practice tests and passed. All of them will get to throw a water balloon at me tomorrow at the pep rally. Those were all great, but the best thing was getting the email that let me know that 3 of the 6 elementary Young Georgia Author winners for the county came from Kennedy Elementary School. Levi Jones is the county Kindergarten winner; Anna Bagwell is the county 3rd Grade winner; and Kate Thompson is the county 5th Grade winner. I am so proud of each of these students and all the teachers. It does not surprise me that we have that many winners though because they have all worked so hard to improve their writing. It was just a great night to be the principal at Kennedy Elementary. I love me job!
Monday, March 28, 2011
CRCT Only 1 Week Away!!
The CRCT Is Coming! By Ryan Butcher Principal The time of year is here that most of our students will take the CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests – grades 3 through 5). Below are the answers to some questions that you may have about it. When will these tests be administered? April 4th -8th (3rd, 4th and 5th Grades Only) What subjects will be tested? Reading, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies Why do the students need to take these tests? Georgia law requires a comprehensive assessment program of students’ educational achievement. Both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests are necessary in order to determine educational effectiveness since these tests provide different types of information about student achievement. What is the purpose of the CRCT? It is designed to measure student acquisition of the skills and knowledge described in Georgia’s Performance Standards (GPS). The information yielded on the CRCT serves the dual purpose of giving a diagnosis of individual student strengths and weaknesses as related to the instruction of the GPS and program evaluation to gauge the quality of education throughout Georgia. Can standardized tests alone determine a child’s placement in a classroom? NO! Paper and pencil tests give teachers only part of the picture of a child’s strengths and weaknesses. Teachers combine the results of many methods of assessments, such as observing students in the classroom and evaluating their day-to-day class work, to gain insights into the skills, abilities, and knowledge of a child. Standardized tests have limitations and are not perfect measures of what a student can or cannot do or of everything a student learns. Also, a child’s scores on a particular test may vary from day to day, depending on whether the child guesses, follows the directions carefully, takes the test seriously, and is comfortable in taking the test. How can I help my child do well on tests? It is important that you communicate with your child’s teacher often to monitor your child’s progress and find out what activities you can do at home to help your child. · Make sure your child does his/her homework. · Make sure your child is well rested and eats a well-balanced diet each day. · Have a variety of books and magazines at home to encourage your child’s curiosity. · Do not be overly anxious about test scores, but encourage your child to take tests seriously. · Do not judge your child on the basis of a simple test score.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tips for Getting Ready for the CRCT
As we get closer and closer to the CRCT on April 4th, I wanted to give you some hints that I found online http://www.ehow.com/how_2118577_help-child-ready-standardized-test.html to help prepare your children for the CRCT:
1. Motivate your child to study for the standardized test. Give encouragement to do better each time. Tell your child how important studying is to pass and get a good score on standardized tests. Continue to motivate, no matter what the results maybe, by giving your child praises. A child that feels loved would want to return that love by continuing to succeed in his studies.
2. Make time for study time. Make it a habit to check up on your child's studies regularly. Parental involvement as well as guidance is crucial to a child's success. Devote your time to teach your child. Do this after dinner or after doing the regular homework.
Track your child's progress in a time chart that you can log dates that you helped your child to study and what subjects you have studied. Divide the chart by the number of subjects then have a column for each one. Mark the calendar leading towards the actual testing day to know how much time you have left to get your child ready.
3 . Gather all the study materials that can help with your child's studies. Visit the library and borrow some books specifically for preparing for standardized tests. You can also buy some books if your library doesn't have the latest version. Gather other reference materials about the subjects that are being tested on.
4 .Find out your child's weakness and create a game plan to help your child improve on those. It maybe a good idea to focus your child's attention on his weak points or have your child spend extra time and effort to learn more about those that he has difficulty understanding.
5 .Offer help and explain the subjects to your child by giving practice samples. For example, in math, give more problem solving scenarios. Do them in a series and repeat them until your child understands the whole concept.
6 . Go online and sign up for review forums. There are also sites that offer sample tests which your child can practice on. You can also buy a DVD or audio CD that can offer practice reviews for standardized tests.
7 .Teach good study habits and techniques. Teach your child not to just memorize the answers. It is more important that your child really learns how to get to the answer to ensure that he gets the answers right no matter what the scenarios are.
8 .Ask pointers from teachers and other parents. Organize study sessions with other children's parents; they may have some information that would be beneficial to your child. Being in a study group will also teach your child to interact with other children.
9 .Hire a tutor for your child. There may come a time that you cannot provide adequate study pointers to your child, whether you are too busy or you also do not understand the subjects to be an effective tutor to your child. It is important to know when to ask for help. There are tutors that you can hire to teach your child after school. Don't forget to ask for references and do background checks. Check for referrals from your child's school. They may give a teacher's name that does this as a part-time job. There may also be available tutoring programs in schools that your child can participate in.
10 .Make sure that your child gets enough sleep so that your child is well rested and more alert when studying. Limit the hours of TV watching or playing videos. Feed your child healthy food, particularly those that are rich in protein.Read more: How to Help a Child Get Ready for a Standardized Test eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2118577_help-child-ready-standardized-test.html#ixzz1HBfsxJr1
1. Motivate your child to study for the standardized test. Give encouragement to do better each time. Tell your child how important studying is to pass and get a good score on standardized tests. Continue to motivate, no matter what the results maybe, by giving your child praises. A child that feels loved would want to return that love by continuing to succeed in his studies.
2. Make time for study time. Make it a habit to check up on your child's studies regularly. Parental involvement as well as guidance is crucial to a child's success. Devote your time to teach your child. Do this after dinner or after doing the regular homework.
Track your child's progress in a time chart that you can log dates that you helped your child to study and what subjects you have studied. Divide the chart by the number of subjects then have a column for each one. Mark the calendar leading towards the actual testing day to know how much time you have left to get your child ready.
3 . Gather all the study materials that can help with your child's studies. Visit the library and borrow some books specifically for preparing for standardized tests. You can also buy some books if your library doesn't have the latest version. Gather other reference materials about the subjects that are being tested on.
4 .Find out your child's weakness and create a game plan to help your child improve on those. It maybe a good idea to focus your child's attention on his weak points or have your child spend extra time and effort to learn more about those that he has difficulty understanding.
5 .Offer help and explain the subjects to your child by giving practice samples. For example, in math, give more problem solving scenarios. Do them in a series and repeat them until your child understands the whole concept.
6 . Go online and sign up for review forums. There are also sites that offer sample tests which your child can practice on. You can also buy a DVD or audio CD that can offer practice reviews for standardized tests.
7 .Teach good study habits and techniques. Teach your child not to just memorize the answers. It is more important that your child really learns how to get to the answer to ensure that he gets the answers right no matter what the scenarios are.
8 .Ask pointers from teachers and other parents. Organize study sessions with other children's parents; they may have some information that would be beneficial to your child. Being in a study group will also teach your child to interact with other children.
9 .Hire a tutor for your child. There may come a time that you cannot provide adequate study pointers to your child, whether you are too busy or you also do not understand the subjects to be an effective tutor to your child. It is important to know when to ask for help. There are tutors that you can hire to teach your child after school. Don't forget to ask for references and do background checks. Check for referrals from your child's school. They may give a teacher's name that does this as a part-time job. There may also be available tutoring programs in schools that your child can participate in.
10 .Make sure that your child gets enough sleep so that your child is well rested and more alert when studying. Limit the hours of TV watching or playing videos. Feed your child healthy food, particularly those that are rich in protein.Read more: How to Help a Child Get Ready for a Standardized Test eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2118577_help-child-ready-standardized-test.html#ixzz1HBfsxJr1
Monday, March 14, 2011
Only 3 More Weeks
It is hard to believe, but we are only 3 more weeks away from the CRCT. This year, we have set a very lofty goal of more than 94! That means more than 94% of our students will meet or exceed on the CRCT. While this goal is a lofty one, we really do feel that it is one that we can achieve will lots of hard work, dedication and belief! Our students are working hard each day. Not only are they paying attention to their teachers Essential Questions and standards, they are working hard on really focusing on the skills needed to be successful. They are also working hard to be prepared for the format of the questions that they will see on the CRCT in April. Kennedy students have taken over 5700 practice tests on georgiaoas.org and have spent thousands of hours on Classworks and over 700 hours on brainchild.com. They are really working hard to be ready. With this type of goal and the pressure to pass this test, your child might be dealing with some stress caused by this test. I encourage you to check out our newsletter found on our website: www.barrow.k12.ga.us/kes . It has strategies for students as well as parents to prepare your child for the test.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Storybook Night
This past Thursday night marked KES's third annual Storybook night. Storybook night is always done in conjunction with Mr. Frame's Spring Book Fair. This year we had around 100 people attend and it was a lot of fun. Kindergarten presented A Very Hungry Caterpillar, First Grade did Five Little Monkeys, Second Grade presented The Hat, Third Grade did Reading, Writing, and Little Red Riding Hood, Fourth and Fifth Grade presented their own version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and administration presented Cookies from Frog and Toad Together. It was a lot of fun.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Special Friends Program
Last night was Kennedy Elementary school's opportunity to recognize students at the monthly school board meeting. Below is what I said to recognize the students that work in our "Special Friends" Program.
Dr. Creel and members of the board, it is my honor to stand up here tonight and recognize some of Kennedy Elementary’s stand out students. The students we will be recognizing tonight are a part of a program that I am probably the most proud of at KES. My wife says I am so proud of this program because it was my idea. It was my idea and I did model it after a school that I previously worked at, but the reason why I am so proud of it is because of what the Kennedy Elementary teachers and these students have made out of that idea I had.
At KES, we have a higher population of students with special physical needs. These needs may be with walking, communicating, eating, or seeing, but these students still all CAN succeed in their own way with a little bit and sometimes a lot of patience, assistance and encouragement. That is where the students of the “Special Friends” program come into place. We have 22 typical aged peers that work with these students throughout the day. It may be helping them get from the bus to the classroom, or getting their morning routine of putting up their book bag and making their lunch choices through a communication switch, or reading to them when they need some comfort during the day.
This program was designed and created to give the students with the special physical needs the love and support that they needed to be successful, but this program has become much more for these “Special Friends”.
Everyone thinks that to be a success in life, you must be smart, dedicated, hardworking, and committed to being a success. Those are all important, but if you cannot be a person who appreciates differences in others and gets along with others no matter what, you will never be a true success. Truly successful people appreciate and respect people no matter what. That is what these students are learning as they work each day with our students and teachers. These students are learning to put others first and care about people. That is why I am so proud of them.
At KES, we teach on a daily basis to be Ready, Respectful and Responsible. I cannot think of any other students who exemplify that more than these. They have to be ready every day because someone is counting on them to make sure their daily routine is established. They have to be respectful because they see the struggles that these students face and now stand up for these students like they were their best friend or sibling. They also have to be responsible because while they are working in these classes in the morning or afternoon (and some of them even give up their own recess time to help) they still have to do the morning work that all the others are doing. That is why I am so proud!!!
Dr. Creel and members of the board, it is my honor to stand up here tonight and recognize some of Kennedy Elementary’s stand out students. The students we will be recognizing tonight are a part of a program that I am probably the most proud of at KES. My wife says I am so proud of this program because it was my idea. It was my idea and I did model it after a school that I previously worked at, but the reason why I am so proud of it is because of what the Kennedy Elementary teachers and these students have made out of that idea I had.
At KES, we have a higher population of students with special physical needs. These needs may be with walking, communicating, eating, or seeing, but these students still all CAN succeed in their own way with a little bit and sometimes a lot of patience, assistance and encouragement. That is where the students of the “Special Friends” program come into place. We have 22 typical aged peers that work with these students throughout the day. It may be helping them get from the bus to the classroom, or getting their morning routine of putting up their book bag and making their lunch choices through a communication switch, or reading to them when they need some comfort during the day.
This program was designed and created to give the students with the special physical needs the love and support that they needed to be successful, but this program has become much more for these “Special Friends”.
Everyone thinks that to be a success in life, you must be smart, dedicated, hardworking, and committed to being a success. Those are all important, but if you cannot be a person who appreciates differences in others and gets along with others no matter what, you will never be a true success. Truly successful people appreciate and respect people no matter what. That is what these students are learning as they work each day with our students and teachers. These students are learning to put others first and care about people. That is why I am so proud of them.
At KES, we teach on a daily basis to be Ready, Respectful and Responsible. I cannot think of any other students who exemplify that more than these. They have to be ready every day because someone is counting on them to make sure their daily routine is established. They have to be respectful because they see the struggles that these students face and now stand up for these students like they were their best friend or sibling. They also have to be responsible because while they are working in these classes in the morning or afternoon (and some of them even give up their own recess time to help) they still have to do the morning work that all the others are doing. That is why I am so proud!!!