Testing Information for January

We are currently testing all of our students in grades 2-5 with the Star Reader Test before the holiday break.

During the week of January 11, 2009 the elementary will begin retesting all of the students in grades 2, 3, 4, & 5 with the NWEA Tests in reading and math. These results will help us evaluate our progress and it will help us decide what changes, if any, we must do in order for our students to reach their full potential during the 2009-10 school year. In addition, we will test all of our first graders with the NWEA tests.

We will do Dibels Testing during the week of January 18th and 25th. (The Dibels Test checks for - Initial Sounds Fluency, Letter Naming Fluency, Phonemic Segmentation Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency, Retell Fluency, and Word Use Fluency.)

By comparing the results of these tests we should have a good handle on the progress our students are making in reading. We will use this information to adjust the individual needs of our students for the rest of the year.

December 2009, Newsletter

It’s hard to believe that we are on the cusp of the holiday season. Where has the time gone?
I want to start my article by saying thank you. Thank you to all of the parents, staff and community members that played a role in getting the referendum passed. The staff and students are excited to start a new chapter in the Central Elementary School history books. Thank you for showing your support of our schools, students, and staff.
Mid January will signal the end of the second quarter. The half way mark if you will. At the mid-point of the year it is time to take a pulse on students learning. Not only will report cards be coming home, but we will embark on another round of NWEA testing, DIBELS testing and STAR Reading. All designed to help us pin point your child’s needs. I am very anxious to see the data that we collect from our students this time around for many reasons, but one very specific reason. The teachers have been working very hard this year under the direction of Jody Rodine to implement Guided Reading. Guided reading is a strategy that helps students become good readers. The teacher provides support for small groups of readers as they learn to use various reading strategies (context clues, letter and sound relationships, word structure,
and so forth). Although guided reading has been traditionally associated with primary grades it can be modified and used successfully in all grade levels. For example, older students may need to learn new strategies to understand how to read an information book in a way that is going to give them access to the information they are seeking.
Our teachers have been meeting every Wednesday morning at 7:oo AM since the beginning of the year with one goal in mind. Learn how to effectively use Guided Reading in their classrooms. From what I have seen and from what I have been hearing they are doing a great job of using this new tool to take students to new levels.
Be sure to keep your eye open for more information on how your child is doing. Once you know where they are I ask that you ask yourself the same question our teachers ask themselves. What can I do to take them to the next level?

End of Day

Dear Central Families,
Somewhere over the course of time we have lost track of time. As schedules sometimes go we got a little lax on our dismissal time. At the start of the school year we were dismissing students at 2:40. This was well ahead of the busses but we needed to line the kids up. Well, as the days went by we had students coming out earlier and earlier, and then it rained. The rain brought about some new ideas and a return to the original dismissal time of 2:50. Just like that we were back on track. I bring this up because if you pick up your child from school you should know they are in class till 2:50 and will not be released before then. I know you will understand and appreciate our effort to squeeze the most learning out of the day that we can. On the flipside, we have students being dropped off well before school starts. This is an issue because we do not have supervision for these students till 7:45. If you need to drop off your child before this time you can arrange a plan with Kids Company. Thanks for your understanding.

October 2, 2009 Raider Gazette 2

Dear Central Families,
We are 19 days into the new school and I am very happy with what I have seen. We have a great bunch of students, wonderful teachers and a very supportive community. Norwood Young America is a great place to be. Over the past few weeks your students have been working hard. Most of them have done DIBELS testing and also NWEA. We use the data from these tests to find out where your child is in comparison to their peers and also the data is used to drive instruction. Teachers strive day in and day out to teach for learning. Data makes this job easier. I am very pleased with their efforts. Have a great fall!
Sincerely,
Andrew L. Wilkins

A New Era Begins

Dear Students and Parents:
Welcome to Central Elementary School! The entire staff is looking forward with enthusiasm and anticipation to the new school year. We have a wonderful group of caring and dedicated employees who set high expectations for themselves and our students daily. Our district Mission, Vision, and Beliefs guide all that we do to educate our students. We are eager to work with you and your child in providing a meaningful learning experience. We encourage parents to become involved in their child's education. Stop in to visit the classroom and meet your child's teachers.
Your child is receiving a Parent/Student Handbook that contains the policies and procedures of the elementary school. They are a result of a concerted effort on the part of staff and the administration and will be an aid in helping you adjust and become an integral part of the elementary school. Upon reading the handbook, please contact me if you have any questions.
The ultimate goal of education is to help each student become a contributing member of our society. By developing a strong work ethic and accepting responsibility and accountability for their actions, students will prepare themselves for their role in the world of tomorrow. Students are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities to help them realize this goal. Remember, your success in school as well as life will be directly proportional to your efforts.
Central Elementary is a wonderful place for students to learn and grow. We have a terrific community of parents and businesses that provide support for all of our activities. As principal, I look forward each day to greeting our students and visiting their classrooms for I know "Focused Teaching and Focused Learning" will occur.

Have a great year!

Thank you!

As most everyone knows by now, I am leaving Chamberlain to return to my home in New Market, MN effective June 30th. I have been offered the position of elementary school principal in Norwood Young America, which is a short drive from my home. I want to thank everyone in Chamberlain for making my time here unforgettable. The relationships that I have developed will last me a lifetime. Thank you.

At all costs!

"Get the ball in the hole. Some way or other, just get it in the hole. The things about golf is that your worst mistakes can be good, too. If I miss a green by 50 yards but manage to get up and down, that's when the guy who hits it on the green and two-putts really knows I'm there."

-Anthony Kim

What a great analogy. I love golf and all of the metaphors to life and education it gives me. Get the ball in the hole. Just do it! Get er' done. They all mean pretty much the same thing. It might not be pretty, but the end result is all that matters.

As good today as yesterday

Here is a learning philosophy that is as pertinent today as it was in the 5th-century BCE. "If you tell me, I will listen. If you show me, I will see. But if you let me experience, I will learn." -Lao-Tse

"Life is a long preparation for something that never happens."

-W B Yeats

Emergency Plan

Today we had yet another snow day here in Chamberlain, SD. Over the past few months we have let out school early because of the weather and each time we do so I am amazed at how many students are left at school. When this happens we get on the phone and call a parent or family member immediately. Most of the time someone is there in no time to pick them up. Occasionally we have a student that doesn't know what to do and we can not contact anyone. What amazes me even more is when we get students dropped off at school on days when school is cancelled. This morning I had two boys dropped off and their ride drove away. I ran outside to stop them but they were long gone. I brought the students into my office and proceeded to call home and every other number I could find. Through a very labor intensive process I was able to get someone to come and pick the students up. This should never happen.

Always make sure you have a way for your child to contact you. Things can and do come up. Be prepared with a plan and make sure the school has your latest contact information. This is for the safety of your child.

Give It Your All!

The Power of Full Engagement, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. Loehr and Scwartz contend that to get the most from any experience, you must be totally committed to and engaged in that experience. Forget multitasking. If you focus all of your energy on one task at a time, you'll be more effective at every task you take on. Think about this next time you are in a meeting, checking e-mail, reading the newspaper, and writing up your grocery list. If you got to be there, BE THERE!

January Birthdays!!!

Birthday Breakfast Bunch...

At the end of every month we celebrate all of the birthdays from that month by having doughnuts and juice. This initiative has been a huge success with students and staff alike. The one thing that I have learned is that elementary age kids will not eat a doughnut unless it has frosting and sprinkles of some sort on it.

Spring Conferences

Spring conferences will be held on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 from 2:30 - 8:30 p.m. Parents are encouraged to come in between now and then to sign up for a conference slot. If you can not make it in, please e-mail or call your child's teacher for assistance with scheduling. I hope to see you all there.

No Name Calling Week

January 26th - 30th was No Name Calling Week at CES. The week was filled with activities to promote no-name calling and to bring awareness to this serious issue. Thursday we did a wrap-up activity called "Cub Kudos." Students and staff were invited to write a special message to another person and post it on the board. These messages will remain posted through conferences.

Experiences mold the child

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the high school when the Twins Caravan stopped by. I won't bore you with all of the details, but Tony Oliva was part of the entourage that stopped by. Now if you don't know Tony it doesn't matter because what he is famous for is not important. What is important is what I saw. Tony is from Cuba. Tony is dark skinned. Tony has a heavy accent that can be hard to follow. I realized as I listened to him speak that this may very well be the first time any of the students in grades 7-12 have seen a Cuban. This also may be the first time they have had to concentrate on what was being said as to not miss a word. Tony only answered a few questions, but he had me hanging on every word. He is such an interesting person and has so much life experiences to share. I am glad that the students of CHS were able to experience this moment even if it was brief. I am sure that Tony will left a lasting impression. I would like to think that he spawned enough interest that some students went home that night and did a little research on this man and his home country. It is experiences like this that spawn imagination and help children develop dreams and imagine places outside of home. Never miss an opportunity to try new experiences, they may just have a lasting effect on you.

No Name Calling Week

January 26th - 30th has been designated No Name Calling Week. More information can be found at www.nonamecallingweek.org

Words hurt. More than that, they have the power to make students feel unsafe to the point where they are no longer able to perform in school or conduct normal lives.

"No sticks. No stones. NO DISSING!"

Out to Lunch Readers

Out to Lunch Readers is a reading incentive program to promote reading in school. All students are eligible to take part in the program, all they need is to have a teacher drop their name in the fishbowl. Students that are drawn are invited too have lunch with Principal Wilkins on the last Friday of the month.

Historic Day

"If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you make progress."

--Barack Obama, 2005

PTO

Tonight we had our third PTO meeting of the school year. We had a great showing from the teachers, and a not so great showing from the parents. In recent months I have played with the times and tried to recruit parents through various modes. Now I am adding my blogspot to the list. I am pleading for parental support. The PTO needs parental support to make the organization flow. The work that needs to be done is minimal and the meetings rarely last more than a half hour. If anyone has suggestions on how I can get more parental support I am all ears.

I am looking for a few good parents that are willing to work with me and the outstanding teachers of CES to make this place a great envrionment for our kids. Please contact me if you would like to be a part of this important group.

LIVESTRONG

WHATEVER YOUR 100% LOOKS LIKE, GIVE IT.

New Year's Resolution

It's 2009!!! What are you going to change? Here is a few items on my list:



1. Drink more water and less soda.

2. Continue to find the motivation to get up each morning and put on those running shoes.

3. Eat less fast food.

4. Be a better person in all aspects of my life.



My list, like most people's, centers on improvements in the areas of health and wellness.



Here's to a great new year.

Why Blog?

If you go to the following link you will find a great article on blogging and how it is forging new links with students and parents.

http://www.star-telegram.com/arlington_news/v-print/story/1114745.html

Maybe it is time to jump on the latest bandwagon and see where it leads.