Red Ball Jets

I'm dating myself with this one......

The start of every school year gets me thinking back to my youth and getting ready for that first day of school.  Buying the school supplies.  The new lunch box and thermos.  And those new gym shoes!  I remember when I was in elementary we were required to have shoes just for Physical Education. Our "gym" shoes.  And there was nothing like having a pair of Red Ball Jets! 

Every kid wanted a pair of Red Ball Jets because of the advertisement. It showed kids leaping over wagons, hurtling tall bushes and outrunning big dogs. I still remember the tagline: “Red Ball Jets. They make you run faster and jump higher.” The shoes had supernatural powers. I had to have a pair!  The anticipation of school starting grew exponentially at thought of getting wear these shoes in gym class. I was going to be so cool!

Now I get to prepare for the start of school from a whole different vantage point, but no less exciting.  This school year marks our first as Alta-Aurelia Community Schools.  Ever since the start of the whole grade sharing, we have called ourselves Alta-Aurelia but in reality, there was no legal entity or school district named "Alta-Aurelia."  There was the Alta Community School District and the Aurelia Community School District. The two separate districts had simply agreed to share students and activities. 

Now, as of July 1st, we are Alta-Aurelia Community School District. A new, legal entity. Pretty exciting!  Not as flashy as a new pair of gym shoes, or a new backpack, or the latest trapper-keeper, but exciting none the less.  A big pat on the back goes to all involved in making this a smooth transition. Students, staff, parents, and school board members.  

From the very beginning of the sharing, the positives have far outweighed the few nay-sayers.  And even though, unlike the Red Ball Jet ad, we can't proclaim that this new school district will make us more successful, or provide a better education. But we can confidently state that the new opportunities this new reorganization allows for are only limited by ourselves and our imaginations.

I am looking forward to a great start of a new school year and the great start of a new, outstanding school district.  It's a great day to be an Alta-Aurelia Warrior!

Simple Ways to Improve Your Child's Reading Over the Summer

The end of a school year doesn't have to necessarily mean an end to learning and nothing is more important to academic achievement than being a good reader.

Over the summer months, parents can provide the one-on-one time and attention that will lead their children to success in reading. Below are a few fun and effective ways that you can try at home to help your children become better readers over the summer months. Implementing even a few of these ideas will have a positive impact on your child's education.

Set aside a regular time, each day, to read to your children.

Studies show that regularly reading out loud to children will produce gains in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and the decoding of words. No matter your child's age, it will increase their desire to read independently. 

Surround your child with age-appropriate reading material.

Children with available reading materials at home score higher on student achievement tests. Encourage your kids to read by having a large supply of books and magazines at their reading level. Put the reading materials in cars, bathrooms, bedrooms, family rooms, and even by the TV.  Books are less expensive than toys or video games and the pay off later in life is much larger.

Start at a family reading time.

Establish a daily time when everyone in the family reads together silently. Seeing you read will inspire your children to read. Just 15 minutes of each day is sufficient to increase a child's reading fluency.

Encourage a wide variety of reading activities.
Make reading an integral part of your children's lives. Have them read menus, roadside signs, game directions, weather reports, movie time listings, sports scores, and other practical everyday information. Also, make sure they always have something to read in their spare time such as waiting for appointments or riding in a car.

Show enthusiasm for your children's reading

How you react to your child's reading has a great influence on how hard they will try to become good readers. Be sure to give them genuine praise for their efforts.

Develop a library habit.

Take your children to the library every few weeks to borrow new reading materials. IT'S FREE! The library also offers summer programs for children of all ages that may appeal to your children and further increase their interest in reading.

It's Crunch Time for Iowa Public Schools!

Maybe you have been following the news in Iowa on the private school voucher bill (HSB 651), which they are calling Education Savings Accounts to deflect some of the criticism.  The bill passed through subcommittee on Tuesday and has been passed on to the House Education Committee. 

Private schools in Iowa have a very organized lobby right now and the few are making a louder noise.  We are also seeing more Representatives and Senators in Iowa sending their children to private school or homeschooling, than in the past so there is more sympathy for this discussion.

Please, contact your local House Representatives and/or Senators on this issue.  When you do so, remember to thank them for their work and always be respectful by beginning your email with Honorable Representative_________, or Honorable Senator_________.  It never does any good to attack or be negative. These are people elected to represent us on "The Hill" and they truly want to do a good job.  And it's a tough job, so express your respect for their work whenever you contact them.

Below are some talking points that I believe have some merit and are being supported by the Public School lobbying groups:

• $52 million of all our tax money already goes to support non-public education for various reasons. (private school transportation costs, private school textbooks, tuition and textbook tax credit, etc..just to name a few) 

• Special Educations services, AEA media services, and other AEA services that are going to support private schools are publicly funded. 

• Students participating in Competent Private Instruction can utilize the publicly funded Iowa Connections Academy and Iowa Virtual Academy.

• Home School Assistance Programs are publicly funded through local school districts. 

• Iowa public education has the 8th best education in the nation and rank #1 in high school graduation rates based on US News and World Report rankings. Yet we rank 40th in public school funding.

• If revenue is reduced through vouchers or private school savings credits, where will it be made up?  Through further reduced or restricted public school and AEA funding.

• Taxpayer rules and transparency must follow the child. Public schools are funded by Iowa taxpayers, whether they have children attending school or not. Taxpayers have the right to expect those who choose to accept public funding follow the same rules and transparency required of public schools.

• Iowa performs better than any state with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs, also known as vouchers). Governor Reynolds cited data with Iowa ranked 8th in the nation in education. The 6 states with ESAs rank between 21st and 49th. Why would we follow down a failed path? 

• ESAs do not address rural Iowans concerns. More than 76,000 Iowa students have NO private school option in their county to even use an ESA. They can't afford to have tax dollars taken away from their community schools to fund choice in other areas. 

Most Iowans just want to improve their community schools and prepare their children to work in a world that looks less like the one in which they grew up.  I highly doubt that the majority in the state want to see this bill passed. Unfortunately, many are probably not aware of the negative impact it will have because the bill's name does not indicate it's true purpose which is to divert public tax dollars to private entities.

I have been in conversation and will continue to hold conversations with our local Reps and Senators but if they hear from teachers, parents and board members it is far more impactful.  And the more contacts they get, the more it raises their awareness and right now the private school supporters are flooding some of them with contacts.  Public school supporters need to take up that same tactic, now.

Feel free to copy and paste any of the above info or re-word it for your own use. You can locate your local Representative or Senators and their contact information at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find

I suggest emailing your Representative or Senator, as it only takes a few minutes.  If you would like to call them, the House and Senate Switchboard is (515) 281-3221 If you call just ask for your senator or representative.

Give the Gift of Reading to Children This Christmas!

The single most important thing that a parent can do to help their child acquire language, prepare their child for school, and instill a love of learning in their child, is to

read to them. Many people do not fully understand the enormous, positive impact that this simple act has on the life of a child. 

When someone reads to a child, they are exposing that child to more than just the words on the page; they are demonstrating proper speech patterns, the basics of how a book is read (i.e., from left to right, top to bottom, etc.), and the excitement that reading can bring. While learning to read occurs throughout the school years, preparing children to read before they start school is better than helping them catch up later. Pre-reading skills, such as reading from left to right, turning pages as you read, and understanding that letters make the words that make up stories, are critical for children to learn prior to their first day of school.

In addition to planting the language seed and preparing a child for school, reading aloud to a child may do something even more important, instill a life-long love of learning and create a bond between the child and the individual who is reading to them. When a child is being read to, there are no other distractions that are taking that adult's attention away. In today’s world where everyone is reachable at all times, it is rare for a child to have time where they are the priority and nothing else matters. 

Reading to a child is a great way to connect with your child and build a bond around learning. One way to do that is to select books that are enjoyable to both the parent and the child. Try reading books that you remember from your childhood. These books can bring back positive memories that you can then pass on to your child while reading. If you are excited about reading to your child, your child will be excited to listen. The more you do it, the easier and more fun it will become. Soon it will be part of your daily routine and it will be the easiest and most fun way to prepare your child for their future.

With all of the information available pointing to the general importance of reading to children, what are some specific recommendations? As long as the reader and listener are interested in what is being read, it doesn't matter what the book is. Even picture books and language in simple children’s books will enhance a child's learning and vocabulary because of the conversations between the parent and the child which take place around books and stories. Some of the best books to read to children are rhyming books because they help emphasize patterns of sounds that are helpful to the child when they begin to sound out words and letters. The greatest and longest lasting benefits have been shown in children who are read to three or more times a week.

Reading to a child can make learning and achieving in school easier. So, with the holidays coming up, instead of a buying new toy that may be played with only a few times, buy them a book that you used to love as a child and read it to them. You will have fun, create a wonderful bond, and help them learn all at the same time.

"Tornado Safe Room"

Most of our readers have probably seen articles in the newspaper, or on TV news, about the "Grand Opening" of the tornado safe room in Alta.  This event was held on December 15th to celebrate the school taking possession of the building after the substantial completion date.  I have had the privilege of being a part of a number of building projects and remodeling projects in schools and this is the first one that was actually "substantially complete" on the originally scheduled date.  This is in large part to the great work of our architect (WWA), the general contractor (L&L Builders) and all of the sub-contractors working together as a team.  

"Substantially complete" does not mean totally done.  There are a few items left to compete.  The newly remodeled elementary office is totally complete and we have begun the process of moving in.  Elementary office operations and the newly constructed main entrance will be in use immediately after the Christmas break.  The procedure for entrance into the building remains the same as before construction.  Visitors (after the beginning of the school day) will need to push the intercom button to the left of the door to request entrance.

One part that the school has not yet taken possession (at the time of writing this article) is the preschool space.  The finish work on the floor was not accepted by the owner (the school), and work to correct it has been scheduled to begin January 2nd. 

Originally, the plan was to relocate the preschool over the holiday break, but that will be put on hold until that work on the flooring is completed and formally accepted.  It is entirely possible that the preschool will remain in its current location for the remainder of the school year, at this point, with the final move taking place over the summer.  Not what we had hoped for, but in my mind, that facility is going to stand for many years after most of us are gone.  It is more important that it is completed to our intended specifications rather than rushing to get moved in.  Overall, the work has been impressive and all parties have been great to work with on this exciting addition to our school system!

Filling Their Backpacks

John Dewey said, "Education is not preparation for life. Education is life."

     There are few professions where you can see the impact of your work so vividly. There aren't many jobs where hero, friend and mentor are part of the job description. There are few careers that have such a lasting impact on an entire generation.

     I like teaching. I like learning about teaching. And I especially like reading others' teaching philosophies. I love it when teachers select analogies, such as, “teaching is like lighting a bonfire”, or “teaching is like giving students wings”, that explain, instruct and inspire.

     For me, teaching is a little like stuffing a backpack. You know the ones I mean, the heavy-duty, oversize backpacks that students shoulder down the halls of our schools. In these metaphorical backpacks, students carry with them the knowledge and skills they will need for their journey through life. When students enter our classrooms, their backpacks have already been partially filled by families, life experiences and other instructors. The backpacks are deep and sometimes it's hard to see what they are carrying in there.

     Through our teaching, we attempt to place items in our student' backpacks. All children do not arrive to school with a backpack full of the same experiences, nor are they all equally full. When students first enter our classrooms, we must determine what is in the backpack and begin filling from there. We add the foundations of language, reading, mathematics, the mechanics of writing and skill development. We pack in sharing and caring, character development, listening skills.  Art, music and physical wellness are placed in the pack as well.

     By this time, the students' backpacks are pretty full, but we're not done yet. Our next job is to expand their backpacks so that more will fit in them. We do this by asking them to analyze, question and think.

     As children grow and mature, we ask them to look at what is in their backpacks and apply the items to real world situations. Sometimes, we can actually see their backpacks grow during class as they experience new ways of thinking about an issue. And sometimes students have to discard something from the bottom of their backpacks that has lain there, unexamined, for many years to make room for a new idea.

     The good thing about stuffing a backpack is that it’s a lot of fun!  We also know that as soon as students are out of our sight, they dump things out of the backpack to lighten the load. With these characteristics in mind, we can't just force items into the backpack. We have to get students to want to carry our backpack stuffers around. So we try new things in teaching. What do students discard?  How can we get items to stick around longer in the backpack?  Will this exercise expand that backpack or not? Mistakes are okay, because we can always try again. In addition, we find that the students might not notice how heavy the backpack has become if the stuffing process is interesting and even entertaining.

     As students move through our school system, eventually they leave us. Hopefully, they take with them backpacks that are full of all the tools they need for a fulfilling life. Our sincere desire is that they journey farther than we have, see more, and achieve more. And somewhere along the way, they'll pull something out of their backpacks and think of a teacher who placed it there.

Preparing for Parent/Teacher Conferences: A Few Helpful Tips for Parents

As a school administrator, I’ve seen and been involved with a lot of different parent-teacher conferences. Teachers are encouraged to contact parents for both positive and negative reasons and nothing replaces a face-to-face conversation.  In my experience, often times parents are uncomfortable in a parent/teacher conference setting.  Most want to be a positive and productive part the discussion, but are unsure how to approach the meeting.  Below, are a few tips that will help you navigate your child’s parent-teacher conference and make it a more positive experience.

Know who your child’s teachers are. This one seems fairly simple and straight forward, yet there are parents that are unsure about whom their children’s teachers are.  This is somewhat understandable with children changing grade levels and new staff being hired over the summer.  It is important for parents to get to know their children’s teachers. Many teachers send home weekly newsletters in elementary, and all teachers are to have a teacher page on the school’s website. These are places to start to get to know the teachers prior to that first parent/teacher conference.

Don’t drop in unexpected. Teachers are professionals, just like doctors, lawyers, ect... Unfortunately, they are not often given the same privileges or courtesies. If a teacher has an opportunity to prepare for the meeting, it will make the actual conference go much more smoothly. This is why we have scheduled parent/teacher conferences throughout the school year. This way parents and teachers can have uninterrupted time to talk about your child’s education and progress. If, for some reason you were unable to schedule a time for your child’s parent/teacher conference, please contact the office and the building secretary can help you set one up.  Our goal is always 100% attendance.  It is that important to us as a school district.

Encourage your child to take ownership. Nothing is more detrimental to a conference than to have discussions about parent and teacher responsibilities without discussing the child’s responsibilities. I look at learning as a triangle: it cannot be complete without all three—the teacher, the parent(s), and the child—doing their part. The habits that children establish in school will follow them into college and beyond.

Don’t focus solely on the grade. Straight A’s seem ideal, but the letter grade may not reflect whether or not your child is getting everything out of school that he or she can. Is there something more they can be accomplishing?  It is possible (and we see this often) that a student who experiences academic success early in school will begin to “coast”, or assume that school is easy for them. As they approach intermediate grades and middle school, this can create a lackluster set of study habits.  Additionally, if your child is having some difficulty in a class, you need to evaluate whether or not they’re still learning the material.  Just because a student has a low grade (or a grade lower than you want to expect) doesn’t mean they aren’t learning anything; they may just be struggling with a particular type of assignment in the class.  Have that discussion with the teacher, whether they are getting all A’s or having some struggles, “Is my child learning the material?” and “Is my child progressing (showing improvement)?”

Hold the teacher accountable for grading procedures. If a student earns a certain grade, the teacher should be able to explain why the student received what they did. Make sure to ask about the grading rubric for the class so that the teacher can explain the breakdown of what those grades mean. A student may have 15 perfect grades, but if they are all homework, that will only take the student so far until they reach quizzes and tests. Most classes now are not graded solely based points, or percentages. Showing competency on grade level standards also factor in quite often now. 

Don’t reach out to the principal until you talk to the teacher. If you call the principal about an issue in class, one of the first questions to come up will be, “Have you spoken with the teacher?”  Until this happens, nothing of merit will come from the conversation. Make sure to communicate with the teacher first, particularly with regard to grading and behavior. There’s often no need to involve the principal. Additionally, don’t be alarmed if a teacher asks for the principal to be present during a conference, particularly if the teacher is less experienced.

Keep the meeting about your child. A parent-teacher conference is intended to be about your child, and how they are doing in class. The topic needs to stay on that. The conversations sometimes begin to veer off course and become about another student, or unrelated issues outside of school. If this occurs, either the teacher or the parent should politely redirect the conversation back to how your child is doing in school.

Don’t share too much personal information in the conversation. Because of the nature of teaching, teachers are privy to more information about a child than most. However, this should not be a license to share everything you have to say about your child’s life outside of school, another parent, family issues, gossip, or other non-relevant information.  Keep the information you share centered on your child.  If the information you are sharing is pertinent medical, academic, or social information, then the teacher may be able to use that information to help your child be more successful in class.

Teachers understand that you are looking out for your child.  They want you to be confident in their classroom expertise and in their ability to encourage learning and growth.  By using these tips, I hope you can positively shape your next parent-teacher conference and give your children the best opportunity for success.

Reorganization Passed! ... Now What?

On Tuesday, September 12^th, the reorganization vote for the Alta Community School District and the Aurelia Community School District passed by very wide margins.  The support was more than we had expected and truly inspiring.  This was a historic day that will mark the beginning of the newly formed Alta-Aurelia Community School District.  The new school district is slated to begin, officially, on July 1^st 2018.  So, what happens now?

For the users (students, parents, staff) very little changes.  The new district will function, systemically, just as it has through whole grade sharing.  No grade level assignments will change in the near future, nor building assignments.  We felt it very important for the students, parents and staff to maintain that consistency that has, for the most part, functioned very well over the past six years.

When we first started whole grade sharing, we took a systems approach in most everything we did.  We aligned curriculum together, purchased and adopted new materials together when needed. We set academic and student achievement goals together. We planned and brought elementary students together for field trips/pep rally’s/special events. We held all of our professional development together. We maintained the same budgeting practices, and ordered supplies/materials together.  All of this was to meet two goals. First, it enabled both school districts to become more efficient financially and educationally.  Second, to make the transition from elementary (which were separate) to middle school and high school as seamless as possible socially and academically for our students.  We also now believe that it was this systems thinking approach that has helped ease the transition from whole grade sharing to reorganization for our communities and patrons.

Moving forward, the following are some of the things (but probably not all) that need to occur between the vote passing and the start of the next school year:

• ·         New 7 member Alta-Aurelia School Board will be formed from existing Alta and Aurelia board members. This will be reduced to 5 board members prior to the start of the new school year.
• ·         Appoint an acting superintendent, acting school board secretary, and school attorney
• ·         Align and develop school board policies by first examining the existing Alta and Aurelia board policies
• ·         Written descriptions of the new boundaries of the school district need to be filed with the county auditors office of each county
• ·         Reorganization of real estate records
• ·         Align faculty and support staff salaries and benefits
• ·         Combine budgets, revenues and expenses
• ·         Official notification to Iowa Department of Management
• ·         Official notification to Iowa Department of Education
• ·         Consolidating special levies
• ·         New identification lettering on all buses and small vehicles
• ·         Combining or closing bank accounts
• ·         Possible issuance of a new tax I.D. number

This is not an all-encompassing list but it shows that there is a great deal to complete between now and July 1^st for the new board.  This is an exciting time to be a Warrior!