Step Up For Students: Success Stories
Volume 5 Issue: 1                                                  August 2016
 
Your Mountain is Waiting!
As you read this short reflection, you are probably well on your way and starting your climb of the 2016-2017 school year mountain! Summer has officially come to an end, school supplies  are starting to disappear from the stores, and our bodies are quickly revolting to being  back on a schedule.
So, just take a few moments to reflect on what you accomplished this summer and count your blessings as you embark on your new journey. If you think long enough, your blessings will definitely outweigh your drawbacks and you will realize you have a clean slate. A fresh start, a new story to write, a new adventure in front of you, a new mountain to climb, a new chapter in your book, a new future to impact, and new goals to reach for. Everybody has something to be grateful for, no matter what you went through in the past few weeks. 
One of my favorite authors of all times puts it this way:
So, what are you waiting for? Get to it! Climb your mountain! Have your adventure! 
Touch a few lives with your influence this school year! 
And, never cease to remember that YOU ARE A TEACHER!
Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School in Miami is doing something right! 
The picture below was found in a room we trained in this summer.  It depicts students asking questions and teachers engaging students.  The artist even emphasized the importance of asking and engaging.  Our office is dedicate to helping you create a culture where teachers are engaging not only the student but also the parent.  This begs the question: "Are your parents asking questions and are you engaging your parents?" Have some conversation with your colleagues about this.

CONGRATULATIONS to Jose and Ampy Suarez, co-directors of
HOPE Ranch Learning Academy
 proud parents of the
2017 Florida 
Teacher of the Year !
Their daughter, Jessica Solano an educator at Highlands Grove Elementary School in Polk County, was just awarded this amazing recognition.  When you meet Jose and Ampy, it is not difficult at all to see why Jessica is the outstanding educator that she is today! 

KUDOS to HOPE Ranch Learning Academy http://www.hopeyouthranch.org/ in Pasco County for their many recognitions and initiatives!  HOPE Ranch is opening this school year with a variety of new initiatives that highlight their commitment to quantify, measure, celebrate and communicate continuous improvements in their students learning!   These new initiatives  include a Transitional Living Program to teach life skills, a Teaching Family Model that has been selected by the American Psychological Association as a model program for service delivery in child and family mental health, a J.P. Morgan Chase Social Skills APP,
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Pilot with Step Up For Students (SUFS) which will allow them to objectively quantify their students' current learning proficiency and build academic progress, the  SUFS Teaching and Learning Exchange (TLE) - a web-based interactive learning management system that will bridge communication between the parent, teacher and child, In -House Therapists for Speech, Language and OT services, and they will be participating with a UF research project called the Diagnositic Instrument for Morphology of Elementary Students (DIMES).  Jose and Ampy Suarez, Co-Directors will also be participating in the  SUFS  Success Partners  Network and Ampy has joined the  SUFS Master Leadership Academy ! 
 We are delighted to have such strong and enthusiastic leaders!
 
The leadership at this school clearly has a vision for their students and families which is why
HOPE Ranch Learning Academy was recently awarded the 2016 Overall Non-Profit of the Year and the 2016 Non-Profit of the Year in Education by the Tampa Bay Business Journal!  
If you ever needed a great school to reference, here is one of them!  Esformes Hebrew Academy in Ormond Beach has been implementing Success Partners over the last two school years.  They have been able to collaborate as a staff to get "out of the box" and have created several unique ways to engage their parents and surrounding community. They have developed and hosted several open house style events throughout their school year that were focused on parental engagement in the life of the school.  To start their year off, EHA hosted a Passport to Learning night, where parents and visitors were able to travel around the school to experience life in each classroom.  Teachers introduced attendees to what the students were learning, shared examples of student work, and gave practical tips to parents on how to help their student in each class.

The Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge - the no-coding-skills-needed contest that gives  middle and high school students a chance to bring their problem-solving app ideas to life - is now accepting new app ideas for the 2016-2017 competition. The fifth annual challenge invites students across the U.S. to gather teams, dream up ideas, and create concepts for mobile apps that could solve problems in their schools and communities.
The app challenge is open to teams representing non-profit organizations in addition to public, private and parochial schools, who compete for the ultimate prizes: free tablets for each team member, up to a $20,000 cash prize to support their school or organization, and the chance to turn their app ideas into real, working smartphone apps that will be made available for download. Students can submit ideas from now until midnight on Nov. 18, 2016, and the winners will be named in January and February 2017.
Click HERE for info on how to enter
Click to read the article

The unexpected summer surge has parents and educators buzzing about the potential for educational applications, and fretting about privacy and safety risks they'd prefer children to avoid. Educators say they see opportunities to capitalize on students' love for the game in the teaching of subjects like social studies, local history, math, mapping, and literacy.
"Pokémon Go is interdisciplinary in a way that's hard to obtain with other programs," said Jessica Torres, an assistant principal at Brook Avenue Elementary School in Waco, Texas. "I'm tired of seeing science in one area, reading in another area, math somewhere else."

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO REGISTER
The Teaching Channel is PACKED with videos and resources for teachers! Click the picture above to register for FREE. Click the picture below to access the most popular videos of 2016: 
Productive Struggle Number Talks; Finding the Main Idea; Exploring Chemical and Physical Changes in Science; New Teacher Survival Guide/ Classroom Management (and much more)
CLICK HERE TO WATCH TEACHING VIDEOS

Teaching and Learning Exchange (TLE)
Tips Corner
"How To"      Live    TLE Webinars!
 
Click on the date of choice to connect to the webinar topic of choice.
Please note, there are two different dates available for each webinar topic.
OR CUT and PASTE this link:
 
Login as a 'GUEST' and enter your name and school name ► click 'ENTER ROOM.' 
You will be directed to a textbox providing an overview on ►
'How to use Adobe Connect webinar system.'
Follow directions provided on the screen and wait for the presenter to begin the webinar.
 
Date
Time
Topic
3:30 ~ 4:30 PM
Getting Parents
Onboard with the TL E
3:30 ~ 4:30 PM
 
Getting Parents
Onboard with the TL E
 
3:30 ~ 4:30 PM
How to Print  Progress Reports
3:30 ~ 4:30 PM
How to Print  Progress Reports
 
3:30 ~ 4:30 PM
How to Print Report Cards
3:30 ~ 4:30 PM
How to Print  
Report Cards

**Webinars are recorded and can be accessed at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/ ► For Schools and Providers ►Office of Student Learning ► Teaching and Learning Exchange ►Webinars
Join the Success Partners Facebook group to stay up to date on the latest Success Partner news and events.
  1. Log In to Facebook
  2. Search "Success Partners-Step Up For Students"
  3. Click "Join Group"
Office of Student Learning Contacts