Dear Panther Faculty, Staff & Community Members
The start of school has flown by! It's hard to believe that conferences, Thanksgiving and the winter season are right around the corner!
I am pleased to share with you the latest updates from our MCL Subcommittees, who each conducted their first meetings of the school year in October. Thank you to those who serve on a committee and share your thoughts and insights with our team. Your feedback is appreciated and important to our continued journey to Mass Customized Learning.
It is also my privilege to share with you the two, finished MCL videos we showed on Opening Day 2017. These are just one of the ways we are sharing our story, through the voices of our learners and teachers, with our families and the community. Please take a moment to view and share any feedback you have with me directly via email
here.
If you have any questions or concerns, or comments, about the information contained in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best wishes for a happy and productive November! Thank you for your continued dedication, innovation and commitment to our learners.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Snell, Superintendent
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MCL Core Team Update
Subcommittees will be incorporated into each building this year
 Learners, learning facilitators, parents, Leadership Team Members, and Board Members were part of the district level 2015-2016 Mass Customized Learning Subcommittees (i.e. Human Element, Learner Work, Structures, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, and Technology). The MCL Subcommittees provided a forum for all members to collaborate, analyze, and advocate. The outgrowth of the subcommittees' work yielded additional staff development days for 2016-2017, development of the K-12 public relations learner groups, promotion of district-wide incorporation of Mastery Learning, Skyward/Schoology staff development, and exploration and expansion of vertical teaming.
In 2016-2017, the MCL Subcommittees were incorporated into each building in addition to the existing district level committees. Ideas were shared from buildings to district committees, as well as district committees to building levels.
This year,
2017-2018 MCL Subcommittees continue to include principals, teachers, support staff, students, School Board members, parents and community members. Each committee has met once this year, and will meet three more times before summer 2018. For an update on each committee's efforts, as well as a look at the goals which they will work toward this school year, please read the updates included below.
If you would like to serve on a committee or have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Robert Grove, Assistant Superintendent, at
[email protected].
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The Human Element Subcommittee Update
Chair: Scott Livingston, Assistant Principal, North Hills Elementary
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Backpacks filled with items for those in need at North Hills Elementary School are ready for delivery through the Panther Pack Program. |
The Human Element Subcommittee held its first meeting October 19, 2017.
Highlights included are included, below.
- Panther Pathways Teacher Ben Phillips shared information about the Panther Pathways Program for learners in Grades K-4.
- Customizing learning for learners who struggle with behavior / social emotional
- Whole child focus in safe environment
- Behavior - self regulations
- Social / Emotional - therapist through TW Ponessa
- Academic
- School Counselor Angela Kessel shared information about the Panther Pack Program
- North Hills Elementary School has partnered with South Western School District, Mt. Zion UCC and Central Penn Food Bank to provide backpacks of food for students' families in need.
- The first distribution date was 10/13/17
- 153 recipients received backpacks
- Committee members shared a recap of Human Element meetings and work conducted throughout the past year and reviewed this year's goals, which include the following:
- Relationships
- The Whole Learner
- Personal Learning Networks
The Human Element Subcommittee will meet again on December 14, 2017.
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The Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Subcommittee Update
Chair: Diane Grondin, Principal, Stony Brook Elementary School
 The Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Subcommittee met October 17, 2017.
During the meeting, CIA members participated in a brainstorming activity to define areas of strength and opportunities for growth in Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment throughout the District. The highlights are listed below.
- Curriculum (What We Teach)
- Strengths: Updated curriculum & learning progressions
- Growth: Defining mastery
- Instruction (How We Teach)
- Strengths: Choices given to our learners
- Growth: Implementation of new curriculums and learning opportunities
- Assessment (How We Assess)
- Strengths: Variety of assessments given at each level
- Growth: Common assessments
The areas of growth will be the focus for this year's CIA committee.
Teachers will have the opportunity to discuss how they can work together to create the
Ideal Learning Experience
for every learner at every level.
The CIA Subcommittee will meet next on December 12, 2017.
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The Learner Work Subcommittee Update
Chair: Heather Dick, Assistant Principal, Hayshire Elementary
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Stony Brook's "Ripples" are one of the district's Student-Led Public Relations agencies based at the primary level. |
The Learner Work Subcommittee met October 18, 2017. The following are highlights from the meeting.
- Julie Randall Romig shared the CYSD District Wide Communication Plan and focus on sharing highlights that make us #CYSDProud on social media and the District and School websites.
- Plan in place for district and for individual schools
- Plan in place for daily, weekly, monthly and annual
- Committee members reviewed the student-run PR Agencies, including "The Current" and "The Ripples."
- Committee members discussed how we are sharing and how we collect data on who we reach.
- Distribution of "You Got It!" E-news for students at all levels
- Members of High School, Hayshire & Stony Brook Elementary shared student-run PR updates with the team
- Developing the Central Learner Agency was a topic of discussion and focused on
- Learner Resumes being created at all learner levels
- Voice and Choice for learners to show their mastery of the content
- Grade level groups continued working to translate Learner Agency into learner friendly language.
The Learner Work Subcommittee will meet next on December 13, 2017.
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The Structures Subcommittee Update
Chair: Kelly Harper, Assistant Principal, Roundtown Elementary
 The Structures Subcommittee met in September and October to discuss committee goals focusing on three areas, (Included in picture, at right).
The committee has also adopted a new meeting format that includes time for research. Various research groups have been formed to investigate best practices surrounding the three committee goals.
Information about goals:
- Time, Pace, Space, Place (When learning takes place, How much time is required for learning, and Where learning and instruction take place): The committee is investigating the school year calendar and daily start times.
- Structures to Support Learner Linearity (Planning Time and Common Planning to support learners running at their own pace): The committee is focusing on the best ways to plan for MCL in the classroom as well as the best ways to plan for individuals.
- Learning Options (Variety of types of courses and classroom options available to learners): The committee is developing a list of appropriate learning options K-12 as well as identifying the differences between learning options and classroom options).
For the 2017-2018 school year, a new classroom structure will be offered at the elementary level. Multi-age classrooms are being opened at North Hills, Sinking Springs, Stony Brook, and Roundtown. These classes will include a total mix of learners from two grade levels. One of the benefits of a multi-age classroom includes the building of relationships between the learners as well as the learners and learning facilitator. Learners in a multi-age classroom have the same learning facilitator for two years.
The committee will meet again on November 15, 2017.
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The Technology Subcommittee Update
Chair: Gerald Eisner, Assistant Principal, Central York High School
 The Technology Subcommittee met September 19, 2017. The following are the highlights from the meeting:
The committee plans to discuss the following items at the next meeting:
- SAMR development
- Demonstration/review of Career Cruising (A possible E-Portfolio Provider) and
- An update on SIS, LMS, GPS
The committee will next meet on December 12, 2017.
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Did You Know?
- 53 Schools or Districts have visited and toured Central York schools to learn more about Mass Customized Learning!
- The NEW Ideal Learning Experience graphic may be viewed and downloaded here.
- Learn more about how schools can help create "future-ready" learners in this article by Will Richardson.
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Want to learn more about the idea of a "Growth Mindset" Check out this video.
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What's Next
- Stay tuned for your next MCL Update in January 2017.
- If you'd like to learn more, please email Mr. Grove.
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