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Spotlight on Success
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Ridge Christian Academy celebrated School Choice Week by combining it
with Spirit Week. Kindergartner's rang the bell to welcome in the week. The upper grades dressed as nerds to say that
School Choice is the Smart Choice. They also celebrated parents with coffee and donuts that morning so parents could come in and talk while they waited for Awards to begin.
Many of them took the opportunity to complete the surveys. Principal Deborah Keaton says this was their highest parent attendance at any awards chapel ever!
Potter's House Academy
in Orlando is making great gains in partnering with parents!
At their parent/teacher conferences, a parent board was placed in each teacher's classroom. Parents were given sticky notes so they could write any comments, concerns, positives and negatives about the school. During the next staff meeting, the suggestions and comments were sorted into categories. The list is being used to strengthen areas needing improvement and continuing to support aspects that are working.
"Difficult" parents were asked to be in charge of making a Potters House Garden. The parents are extremely thrilled and are forming teams to raise funds for the garden.
A workshop night called "Connect" was used to provide mini-workshops to parents on topics such as: how to study at home, my child has A.D.D now what?, what's expected out of my child's planner, nutrition and education, etc. Workshops also focus on teaching parents how to use their online grading system.
During their 100th day celebration, parents worked together with the teachers (secretly) to create a celebration. With the help of parents, each classroom was decorated with streamers, balloons, and a banner; each teacher gave awards in the class. Students of all ages were excited!
As a result of the Success Partners Modules, Liberty Baptist in Sarasota has changed their Parent Teacher nights to Parent-Teacher Fellowship nights. Every nine weeks parents attend without their students. Principal Daniel Jackson notices the increased relationship, spirit, camaraderie among the families and staff.
Parents brought pot-luck to this meeting, since teachers brought food (Mexican Fiesta)to the previous meeting. Every parent brought food, came early- and every family came, with one third more people than the last meeting. Posted time was from 7-9 PM, but at 10:15 they still had
parents wanting to communicate.
Parents receive their child's report card, and have the honor of
giving it to their child before school the
next morning!
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Success Stories is brought to all educators in Success Partners to share the good news of parent partnerships and to recognize continuous improvement as educators grow in their appreciation of family engagement
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Recruit a School - Win a Kindle!
We are seeking other Step Up schools to join
Success Partners
 and reap the benefits of the "one-of-a-kind" professional development your school has been receiving!
All schools should have the chance to utilize the Student Learning Compact, set up their students in the Khan Academy, have easy access to resources for the Florida Standards, and build a powerful Parent Partnership Plan to help all students succeed!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
By contacting a few other schools and sharing what
Success Partners
offers and how it can help their school.
WHY SHOULD YOU HELP?
To have an impact on many other students from many
other schools and help to ensure their academic success.
WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU?
Other than the good feeling you will have in
helping others, for every school administrator you call we will
place your name in a drawing for a FREE KINDLE!!!!
(One entry for each school contacted).
2 EASY STEPS:
- Call an administrator (no emails please) of another school and explain the benefits of joining Success Partners.
- Contact your school coordinator and inform her or him of who you talked to and when.
That is all! We will do the rest and then enter your name for that FREE KINDLE!!!!!
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Excitement Builds for
May 10 Celebration Showcase
I wonder if inviting parents to 'parties', rather than meetings, will encourage more of them to attend and learn more about supporting their child's academic success? Will positive parent phone calls make a difference with my reluctant parents? What really works, and what tips can I learn from other educators?
For the answers to these questions and to learn other parent partnership ideas, please join us on
 | | Click the picture to watch the Celebration Showcase video |
Saturday, May 10th, 2014
at the 2nd Annual
Success Partners
Celebration Showcase!
A program book will be available with session themes, times and table areas for opportunities to learn from and with teachers and administrators across Florida, as Success Partners hosts a full day of learning at
Downey Christian School
10201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32817
FREE admission! FREE parking! 5 hours CEU credits!
Registration starts at 9:30 am, with
keynote speakers and sharing sessions
from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm!
WIN door prizes including
gift cards and Kindles!
Lunch will be available for purchase.
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CFGs Support
SLC Implementation
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It has now been two weeks since our last Train-the-Facilitator Winter Institute. A big focus of this training centered on the use of the Student Learning Compact (SLC): a web-based tool designed to promote increased communication between teachers, parents and students. Despite a few technological glitches that occurred during the SLC training, everyone left with a better understanding of and knowledge in the use of this tool. Administrators couldn't wait to show their staff, and found the significance of including this tool in their Parent-School Partnership Plan (PSPP). However, because we understand that everyone has a different comfort level with technology, we have organized Critical Friends Groups (CFGs) to further support schools beyond the institute training.
The purpose of a CFG is to support the school's delivery of specific modules while building collaboration with other schools and to provide professional development that translates into improved student success. This adult learning is accomplished through formal, ongoing interactions of small groups of schools, led by an OSL Coordinator. These groups, if engaging and effective, increase student learning, contribute to the participants' professional growth, and strengthen the school and the Success Partners cohort's capacity to function as learning communities.
Although the initial CFG meeting is intended for training each school's staff in the use of the SLC, which will occur during the month of February, it is our hope that continued support and collaboration between Success Partners schools extends beyond formalized meetings led by OSL Coordinators.
IMPORTANT: A SPECIAL NOTE TO ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHER LEADERS ABOUT SLC TRAINING:
If you are unable to attend one of the scheduled CFG meetings, it is your responsibility to ensure all your teachers are trained. It is critical that teachers have an opportunity to practice using the SLC so when the 2014-2015 school year begins, all schools are actively and efficiently using the communication tool. Remember, if you plan to train your staff on how to use the SLC, don't forget to contact your OSL Coordinator so she/he can email your teachers their usernames and passwords!
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