Winter Break December 21st-January 2nd

Winter break begins today for students at Banks Road Elementary School. Teachers and students finished the day full of smiles thinking about some well deserved time with family as they headed to the bus or carpool lanes yesterday to begin Winter Break.

Students on Tracks 2-4 have report cards to share with their parents for second quarter. Students may also be bringing home many crafts, work pieces or projects that were made this month as teachers incorporated global awareness into their instructional plans by exploring how different people and cultures celebrate holidays.

BRES will welcome students on Track 1-3 back on January 2nd, 2012.

On behalf of the teachers and staff at BRES, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you safe travels, time with family and happy holidays. Mrs. Graf

December brings a busy time of year

December is here! Along with the countdown to the new year, holiday shopping and spending time with your family, I want to take this time to remind you about the many wonderful activities that will happen here at school.

Our 4th and 5th Grade Chorus Ensemble will perform on Thursday, December 8th at 6:00 p.m. Please join us to hear a medley of holiday songs and learn about how many cultures celebrate the holiday season. The program is wonderful and you will be able to see first hand the talents of our students, the creativity of our specialist team (set, costumes and visual effects) and teacher volunteers who bring holiday songs, traditions and customs to life! The program conveys the vision of the program coordinator and musical director Mr. Capps.

Beginning December 12th we will be collecting books! New or gently used books can be brought to the school during carpool, in book bags or dropped off in the main office. BRES has partnered with the Kraft YMCA to collect books and deliver them in January to a community in need.

The PTA Board meeting is scheduled for the 13th at 6:30 p.m. We meet in the Media Center and anyone interested in attending is welcome.

Winter break is scheduled for Wednesday, December 21st through January 1st. Central services and schools will be closed for students during this time. We will welcome back students on Tracks 1-3 on Monday, January 2, 2012.

I hope your December begins as wonderful as it has here at BRES! Mrs. Graf

We are Thankful!

This week brings a shortened school week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. In walk throughs last week many classes were knee deep in culturally diverse activities, exploring different viewpoints of our history and learning about the beginnings of our nation.





We have WONDERFUL learning and teaching activities going on within our school walls each day. Each classroom has cultivated a unique family culture that supports learning for each and every student. Our teachers diligently work to plan these lessons and in depth learning opportunities.




I am thankful for the learning and teaching that takes place each day at Banks Road Elementary. Coupled with the high levels of learning here, we are surrounded by some of the finest support and supplemental staff in all of WCPSS! From our front office staff to our to our Specialist teachers, our staff is professional and dedicated to doing what is best for students. Again, we are truly thankful our school is wonderful place for students and thier families.

Student Assignment Plan Update

The new student assignment plan considers requests for stability, choice, proximity, and achievement. This week school assignment notifications will be sent home. Please read over the materials carefully and call the school or visit the WCPSS student assignment webpage if you have any questions.

Please see our homepage for a presentation that gives additional information about the student assignment process, how to exercise your choice in schools, and a time line for the school assignment process.

Quarterly Review Session a Success!

This past Wednesday Ms. Goodson and I held two sessions for parents to view the school data from first quarter. Parents were able to see proficiency levels for reading, math, writing and science for grades 2-5, school wide data and specific subgroups of students. The parents who attended both sessions asked insightful questions about Team Time, specific strategies that the school is implementing to make growth with students and about our vision for the school as we move forward into the year. It was a wonderful opportunity to share the wonderful things that are going on each day here at school. Thanks to all who attend the two parent data sessions. We look forward to presenting mid year data in January.

Schoolwide Planning is Underway

Good work comes from good people working hard! Our first transition meeting was a success. We reviewed the requirements for transitioning to a schoolwide program. We were able to complete the 2nd addendum called a Transition Plan. Our team broke into groups and brainstormed ways to provide a seamless transition for students at critical points in school such as pre-k to K, 2nd to 3rd and 5th to middle school. We took a realistic look at where we are with our literacy instruction and where we need to put our focus as we move into next year to support teachers in the classroom and to ensure effective literacy instruction for our students. Our parent representative offered valuable feedback and suggestions on how to engage various subgroups of parents to provide education opportunities that will work to improve the quality of life for our families in our community along with the academic success of our students. Our transition team work will surely benefit our school!

Banks Road transitions to Schoolwide Title I Program

Banks Road Elementary is eligible to provide Title I services to students in a "targeted model" this school year. Next year we are scheduled to implement a "schoolwide model." In September we were selected to begin to work through the schoolwide plan to support a smooth transition of services at BRES. A transition team has been created to develop the plan, complete the transition requirements and align the services to support the vision of the school program.

The transition team consists of administration, teacher representatives, central office representative from the Title I office and a parent representative. The team will meet formally and informally to complete the transition requirements.

Below is a brief description of the eligibility requirements and an outline of the work the transition team will complete this school year:

Title I schools with a free & reduced lunch population of more than 40% are eligible to move from targeted assistance to a school wide Title I model. In addition to the F&R requirement, schools must also commit to planning and revising the School Improvement Plan to address 10 required components:

• Comprehensive Needs Assessment


• Schoolwide reform strategies


• Instruction by highly qualified teachers (including teacher assistants)


• High-quality and ongoing professional development


• Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-need schools


• Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments


• Strategies to increase parental involvement


• Plans for assisting preschool students in the successful transition from early childhood programs to local elementary schoolwide programs


• Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty attaining proficiency receive effective and timely additional assistance


• Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs

The first scheduled meeting is Thursday, November 3 from 12:30-3:30. We are excited about this opportunity to support the literacy needs of our students.

Quarterly Review of Data

As promised, below is a review of student grades for our first quarter of the school year. The data indicates that we are starting the year strong with many students performing at or above grade level standards (level 3, 3* or 4 on report cards) in reading, math, writing, and science. Below is the data collected from first quarter report cards:

Kindergarten: Interim data coming soon!

First Grade: Interim data coming soon!

Second Grade: 80% of students performing at or above grade level in Reading
67% of students performing at or above grade level in Writing
89% of students performing at or above grade level in Math
89% of students performing at or above grade level in Science

Third Grade: 74% of students performing at or above grade level in Reading
69% of students performing at or above grade level in Writing
79% of students performing at or above grade level in Math
95% of students performing at or above grade level in Science

Fourth Grade: 78% of students performing at or above grade level in Reading
57% of students performing at or above grade level in Writing
76% of students performing at or above grade level in Math
90% of students performing at or above grade level in Science

Fifth Grade: 85% of students performing at or above grade level in Reading
82% of students performing at or above grade level in Writing
83% of students performing at or above grade level in Math
85% of students performing at or above grade level in Science

As a school our reading proficiency is 79% based on first quarter report cards. Our writing proficiency is 69% and our math proficiency is at 82%. Our students are mastering science concepts and skills at a 90% proficiency rate!

What does this data tells us at BRES? We are strong with our math and science instruction. Our students are confident with the math and science skills and are able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on assessments. While our literacy proficiency rates are solid, we know we can support more of our students in becoming proficient with reading and writing skills. Our school focus is on literacy instruction and reaching all of our children with solid, explicit and direct reading instruction. Our teachers are working hard in staff development sessions and professional learning teams to identify areas of student need and implement research based strategies to support an increase in reading an d writing proficiency as a school.

We are extremely proud of the work we are doing with children this school year. We can't wait to share additional data and how we are working to support all students here at Banks Road Elementary at our first quarterly review of data for parents on November 9th at 8:45 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the Media Center. Ms. Goodson and I will review the data more closely and share specifics about how the school is working to increase student achievement and continue to be a leader in blazing the trail to student success!

:) Mrs. Graf

Volunteer Information

Dear Trailblazer Families,

We want volunteers! We welcome parents and community members in volunteering here at Banks Road Elementary. In order to do so you must be a registered and approved volunteer. New volunteers need to register and agree to a criminal background check prior to engaging in volunteer work. Continuing volunteers must also register to reactivate their status as a volunteer no later than October 31, 2011. After October 31, 2011, individuals previously approved may not volunteer without a new criminal background check. Applicants may register at any WCPSS site through the intranet.

Registration Dates: You may register at any WCPSS school. The volunteer registration system will be open daily from July 1 through October 31, 2011 between 8:00am and 4:00pm. However, from November 7, 2011 through May 21, 2012 the volunteer system will open on Mondays only, between 8:00am and 4:00pm with the exception of holidays.

If you have any questions about volunteering, please call the school for additional information.

I look forward to seeing you volunteer! Mrs. Graf

Quarter 1 In Review

The first quarter of school has come and gone! Students and staff worked diligently learning and teaching the objectives and skills needed at all grade levels. As a staff we celebrated our successes of achieving High Growth and sustaining our School of Progress status at our first early release staff development session in July. Our school staff is motivated to make increased gains in student proficiency as we move through this school year.

We had our Open House in August and our first Title I PAC Night at the end of September. Both events had wonderful parent participation and we look forward to developing and hosting additional school wide events.

What's coming down the trail for Banks Road Elementary? More information to come about our first quarter report card proficiency data and the implementation of our school wide Team Time instructional strategy. Be on the look out for the next Principal's Desk posting :) Mrs. Graf

Coming to an end of another school year

The month of June is passing quickly. The staff and students were sad to see Dr. Creech leave, but understand that he has accepted a new position and wish him much luck in his new endeavors.

I joined the Banks Road staff on Monday and already feel at home. I am excited to support the school in completing this school year. We are looking forward to reviewing our second year of end of grade data and I will post our successes soon. I am certain that we will continue to blaze down the trail of success.

Third Quarter Successes

A review of student grades through the first three quarters of the year reveals a trend of an increasing number of students performing above grade level standards (level 3* and 4 on report cards) in reading. Below are data points supporting this trend.

—-Kindergarten- 44% of students are performing above grade level in reading

—-First grade- % of students below grade level in reading decreased by 8% during the quarter 3

—-Second grade-81% of students were at or above grade level in reading at the end of quarter 3

—-Third grade-The number of students performing at level 4 in reading and writing has tripled since quarter 1. At the end of the third quarter, 25% of students were above grade level in reading

—-Fourth grade-The % of students performing above grade level in reading has increased from 20% at the end of quarter 1 to 36% at the end of quarter 3

—-Fifth grade- The % of students performing above grade level in reading increased from 16% at the end of quarter 1 to 26% at the end of quarter 3

We are also very proud of the progress students are making as they strive to achieve grade level standards. For example, at midyear almost 50% of the students receiving supplemental Title 1/Intervention reading services had made at least 3 quarters of growth. They are on pace to make one and one half years of academic growth in one year!

Finally, an overall increase in reading achievement can be seen when we compare last year's data to this year's data. This is an exciting indicator that learning and teaching continues to improve at Banks Road Elementary!

Good Results Now Indicate Future Success

Earlier in the third quarter, our 3rd-5th grade students completed benchmark assessments in reading and math. Results are reported at the grade level and not the individual student level. The benchmark assessments give us an indication as to how grade levels may perform on End of Grade tests. The information also helps us determine which reading and math objectives we need to reinforce. The results for Banks Road are positive. According to the assessments, all three grade level have shown improvement in reading and math when compared to last year's End-of-Grade results. We have also seen a significant increase in performance on science assessments. These benchmark results are an indicator of improved student achievement at each grade level. Congratulations to our teachers and students! You have worked with great focus this year. The results support your efforts. We are looking forward to even more success!

A Data Trail to Success

As you may know, teachers track student progress with many different tools. Data walls are commonly used for this purpose. Data walls can be created electronically or with more traditional materials such as pocket charts and index cards. There are advantages to both methods. Data walls can illustrate progress of a grade level, class, and/or individual student over the course of a school year. Data walls really do represent a trail to success. Our kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers have created a data wall to track student reading achievement by quarterly benchmark. Check out the video to learn more.

Measuring Success

It is important at this time of year to take a look at how much our students have learned as well as how much more they are expected to learn before the end of the school year. There are several measures we can use to assess progress. I believe one of the most comprehensive indicators of how well students are performing is the report card. Report card grades are not based on an individual task, test, or assignment. Report card grades take into account many different assessments both authentic and standard. This allows students' grades to reflect their performance on a variety of assignments and assessments that are geared toward different learning styles. Providing students multiple ways and opportunities to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum also allows us to get an idea of the depth of a student's understanding of curriculum objectives.

A recent review of report card grades indicates that the number of students performing at or above grade level continues to increase. This has been a steady trend dating back to the second quarter of the 2009-2010 school year (the first time we were able to examine report card grades). Teachers' collaborative work of reviewing student data and improving instructional practices to meet student needs is making a difference! Students and parents deserve congratulations as well. The students' high level of engagement in learning at school and the support provided at home certainly have a positive impact on student learning. We are excited about the remainder of the school year and look forward to continued student progress and success.