Kindergarten leading the way in learning

Wow! Wow! Wow is all I have to say right now.  I meant to share this with you over the weekend, but here it is Wednesday as I sit down to write my thoughts down about my time in Kindergarten on Friday afternoon.  I was able to "teach" down in Ms. Garris's Kindergarten classroom and I had the time of my life!  Our kindergarten students are amazing and I wanted to take a moment to share their work in the learning and teaching process with you.  The objective for the lesson was retelling a story to include the correct sequence, characters and setting.  Students were able to verbally communicate the story elements and did so with excitement as they shared knee to knee, elbow to elbow with a partner.  Additionally, students moved into a writing piece which asked them to express their opinion!  Have you talked with a 5 or 6 year old lately?  Well, let me tell you that they have an opinion and want to tell you all about what they like or don't like! The Common Core curriculum asks that the kindergartener not only share their opinion, but then justify or support their opinion.  The students in Ms. Garris's class wrote about whether or not they likes cats or dogs and then were able to brainstorm and write one to five reasons to support their opinion.  Every child was communicating in written form following a conventions rubric (first word in a sentence starts with a capital letter, punctuation at the end of the sentence, spacing in between each word) independently!  To top it all off students were drawing a picture to support thier writing.  Many students added details to their pictures to support their opinion, i.e. I like dogs be coz they like to fech.  (then a dog with a ball). Congratulations to all of the students in Ms. Garris's class for the wonderful learning and progress they have made this year so far! (A picture to be added soon.)

Parents Are Connected (PAC) Night Coming!

Calling all Kindergarten through Second grade parents: We have a night planned just for you. Join us on January 24th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. to learn about critical grade level skills and how you can support your child at home.  Each grade level will present information on a learning concept or skill and you and your child will have the opportunity to participate in a learning activity.  Childcare will be provided for non-school age children by our teachers.  We will also be providing refreshments for you as well.  This is our second Parents Are Connected Night and we would love to have great participation from our school community.  Please return your RSVP to your child's teacher by January 15th so that we can estimate our order for refreshments. 

Middle School Open Houses

Do you have a rising sixth grader? If so please be sure you checked your student assignment strip that was sent home with students this past Friday (tracks 1-3). Rising sixth grade placements are based on the base address in the new student assignment plan. There is an opportunity to apply for alternative calendars, magnet schools or seek a transfer during the magnet application window or the transfer period window. Middle schools are holding Open House over the next two months. Watch our school website, my blog and the WCPSS site for more information. One upcoming open house is this Tuesday evening at Holly Grove Middle School from 5:30-7:30 p.m. You will have an opportunity to meet administrators, tour the building, talk with elective and core teachers, and learn about additional academic opportunities and clubs. However, just in case you're not able to attend on January 8th, there will be additional mini-tours on Thursday afternoons starting at 2 PM from January 10th through February 7th. If you wish to attend, please call 919-567-4160.

A Yearbook of BRES Memories

This past Friday we sent home order forms for the 2012-13 yearbook. We once again used Lifetouch as our yearbook provider. This will be the second year we will offer all color pages that vibrantly capture school memories. You can order by sending back the paper order form or by visiting YBPay.lifetouch.com using order ID code: 10585213. The cost is $15.00. Last year we "sold out" so please send in your orders early if you want a yearbook.

Just a few reminders...

Trailblazer Families,

Just a few reminders for next week:

• Monday, January 7th:  Kindergarten Pre-enrollment for the 2013-2014 school year.  We are ready for you in our PLT room.  Please sign in at the Office and we will direct you to the PLT room.  Please review the paperwork items required for pre-enrollment in my previous blog from last week.
• Thursday, January 10th:  Come celebrate our students who have demonstrated the character traits of Kindness and Integrity.  These students were nominated by their homerooms for displaying these qualities consistently at school.  We will begin the celebration immediately following a brief PTA meeting at 6:00 p.m.   Please join us in the multipurpose room for our General PTA meeting where we will be reviewing and voting on  the proposed budget and moving into our Character Celebration. 
• Backpack Buddies will resume next week! 
• Banks Boomers Chorus Group is taking a break after a positive and productive fall season.  Ms. Loftin will update her blog with information regarding the Spring semester and the work of the Boomers.

I also want to thank you for all of your positive feedback, emails and thoughts related to our school security and our student and staff safety.  We have never felt more appreciated!  The upcoming PTA newsletter will feature a front page article from me regarding our changes in the front office and our reinforcement of visitor check in & out procedures, as well as the protection of our instructional time with students.  Please take a few moments to read the article when it comes out in student folders.  Please let me know if you have any questions about our school safety and security procedures.  Additionally, I have updated the blog and the school website with this information.  We are fortunate to have such a positive community of parents and families that are so supportive of our school.

Until the next blog, Mrs. Graf

Student Assignment Update and Kindergarten Registration

The student assignment plan is moving forward and that means you need to know about Kindergarten Registration and upcoming dates for Magnet School applications and transfer periods. 

Here is information that is currently posted on the WCPSS Student Assignment webpage.  Please call the Front Office if you have any questions.

In order to attend kindergarten, children must be 5 years old on or before August 31 of the current school year. In accordance with state law, gifted children who are age 4 by April 16 also will be considered for admission.

Enroll for the 2013-14 school year

Enrollment and registration is not yet open for the 2013-14 school year. Rising Kindergarteners can pre-enroll beginning Jan. 7, 2013 at their assigned base school. Parents can sign up to receive an email with the latest events and news.

Enrollment locations for the 2012-13 school year

• The base school assigned to your address
  To view the school assigned to your address, visit http://www.wcpss.net/preview. Our school directory provides basic information, highlights, bus routes and test results for each school.
  
• Office of Student Assignment
  Crossroads 1, 5625 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC 27518
  (919) 431-7333 | studentassignment@wcpss.net
  The office is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Effective January 2, 2013, our office will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  
• The Center for International Enrollment
  For children whose primary language in not English
  Crossroads 1, 5625 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC 27518
  (919) 431-7404 | CIE@wcpss.net

Items required for registration

• Parent/legal guardian photo ID
• Proof of residence in the form of a current electric, city gas or city water bill, signed lease agreement or closing statement in the name of the parent(s) or court-appointed guardian with a closing date within 45 days. Telephone, cable television bills and driver's licenses do not qualify.
• A certified copy of the child's birth certificate, which can be obtained from the county or state health department where the child was born.

Additional items required after assignment

• An updated immunization record. Medical evidence of immunizations must be submitted. For a list of all required immunizations, visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
  If you do not have a certified immunization record, contact your physician or the Wake County Human Services. A new series of shots can be administered. If a record of completed immunizations is not received after 30 days, the principal is required by law to suspend the child from school on the 31st day until evidence of immunizations is presented.
• A completed Kindergarten Health Assessment. North Carolina law requires that a kindergarten health assessment be completed on or before the first day of school before a child can enter kindergarten. The health assessment must be completed no more than 12 months prior to the date of entry. Physical examination forms are available at Wake County schools, area doctors' offices or at the Wake County Health Department. Parents whose children do not have a regular physician can get health assessments and immunizations through the Wake County Health Department. First-time appointments should call (919) 250-3947.
• If coming from another school system, a completed Discipline Status Enrollment form is required.

Information regarding the Student Assignment Plan including "Grandfathering" into your current school and the Magnet Application period and the Transfer Request Period is below:

The Wake County Board of Education has adopted a Student Assignment Plan for the 2013-14 school year. Effective immediately, every student will be assigned to a school based on his or her home address. To offer continued stability for families, the plan includes minimal reassignments, as well as the opportunity for students to “grandfather,” or stay with their current schools if they are happy there.

About the Student Assignment Plan

Students are assigned to a base school based on their residential address. Each Wake County address has been assigned an elementary, middle and high school known as the base school. Students are automatically assigned to their base school upon enrollment. Transportation is provided to a student's base school.

• To view the school assigned to your address, visit http://www.wcpss.net/preview
• Watch a video
• Review the FAQs
• Download a brochure

Selection Priorities

Ideally, students participating in an application process will be provided with their first-choice school. School capacity, however, may limit every student from receiving their first choice. If this occurs, selection priorities will be applied. Review the order of selection priorities. >

Grandfathering in your current school

Students may opt to stay in their current schools with their current level of district transportation providing no change of address through their grade span. Students who wish to stay in their current schools do not need to do anything. The only exception – students assigned to new schools Richland Creek ES, Rolesville MS, and Rolesville HS may choose to remain at their current schools only if they provide their own transportation. Students who choose this option must request to grandfather during the First Transfer Application Period between Feb. 18 - Mar. 1, 2013.

Rising 6th and 9th graders

Rising 6th and 9th graders will be assigned to their base schools. Students who want to remain in their current feeder pattern under the 2012-13 Choice Plan can apply to do so during the First Transfer Application Period.

Rising Kindergarteners

Rising Kindergarteners can pre-enroll beginning Jan. 7, 2013 at their assigned base school. Kindergarteners must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31. Learn more. >

Important dates

JAN 2-7 | INITIAL NOTICE SENT
Students enrolled in a WCPSS school will receive an Initial Notice of School Assignment. This notice grandfathers students at their current schools with their current transportation (unless
assigned to a new school) and assigns rising 6th and 9th graders to their base schools.
JAN 7-14 | BASE DECLARATION PERIODStudents who are not currently attending their base school may request to be assigned there during this period. These students will have a guaranteed seat for the new school year unless that school is fully capped. Notifications will be distributed on Jan. 21
JAN 14-25 | MAGNET AND APPLICATION SCHOOLS PERIODMagnet, Early College and Leadership applications for all students can be submitted. Rising 6th or 9th graders enrolled in a magnet school must apply in order to be selected for the next magnet level. Notifications will be distributed on Feb. 8
FEB 18 – MAR 1 | FIRST TRANSFER APPLICATION PERIOD
Families that want to request assignment to their calendar option school (transportation provided), or to another school (no transportation provided) may submit a request during this period. There is no appeal process during this period. Notifications will be distributed on Mar. 8
MAY 1 | SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS DISTRIBUTED
Families will receive your Official Notice of School Assignment for 2013-14.
MAY 1 – MAY 15 | FINAL TRANSFER APPLICATION PERIOD
Families that want to request an assignment change based on individual circumstances may submit a request during this application period. Transfer requests denied by staff during this application period may be appealed to the Board of Education.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities can participate in the Base Declaration, Magnet, First Transfer and Final Transfer processes. Students with disabilities who are served in regional programs will have school assignments based on their program needs as defined by their individual education plans (IEP). Contact Special Education at (919) 431-7334 for more information.

Wait list

A wait list will be maintained for students who are capped out of their base school, and for students who participate in the transfer or application periods (for calendar option or magnet/early college/leadership academies) and don’t get selected for their first choice schools.

Incoming siblings

Sibling priority is applied for transitioning grades (K, 6, 9) during application periods and guarantees assignment to an older sibling’s school. A secondary priority applies to non-entry grade siblings during application periods

Magnet and application schools

The magnet school application period will open in January 2013. The address-look up tool is available for interested parents. You can look up your magnet options here. The deadline to apply online for the Early College or Leadership Academy schools has passed. Please contact those schools directly for more information.

All of this information can be found at the following link:  http://www.wcpss.net/parents/student-assignment/2013-14.html. 

Please call the school at 919-890-7333 or email me at cgraf1@wcpss.net with any questions.  :) Mrs. Graf

 

 

 

Happy New Year from BRES!

Happy New Year Trailblazer Students and Families!  January is time to begin anew, make new year resolutions, reflect upon the year behind us and set our sights on the many wonderful opportunities that the New Year may hold for us.  Here at Banks we will continue our work in professional learning teams and our school improvement processes all in support of making gains towards high levels of student academic success and narrowing the achievement gap.

We will be reviewing midyear data at our January staff meeting.  We will consider the areas where our students have made gains and growth, as well as look at areas that need additional support.  Our grade levels will begin to plan for Team Time.  If you are new family to Banks this year, you are in for a treat with Team Time.  Team Time is a sacred time dedicated to the enrichment and remediation of skills for students.  Grade levels will collaborate to identify student needs and plan activities for students to strengthen and deepen learning.  Students may move into and out of classes on the grade level for instruction.  This allows students to receive specific and direct instruction.  Teachers will use student academic data to determine flexible, short term learning groups.  Watch the Principal's Blog for more information regarding Team Time.

The New Year is also a time for refocus.  The mission of Banks Road Elementary is to create a positive and collaborative learning community where students are prepared for success in the 21st Century.  This mission is alive and well at Banks on a daily basis.  If you haven't had the opportunity to volunteer in the classroom or attend an after school activity yet this year, please consider coming into the school this semester.  Each classroom offers a distinct learning community where students are engaged in learning activities that embeds the value intrinsic learning, the integration of technology into instruction and student learning activities, as well as the communication skills our students need to effectively share their thinking and learning outcomes.  We will continue to maintain the focus of our school mission in all that we do on a daily basis here at Banks.

Our school improvement goals will continued to be addressed by our committee groups bi-monthly and monthly depending on the committee.  Our student achievement goal is to show 3-5% increase in growth with a focus on Limited English Proficient (LEP), Black and Students with Disabilities (SWD) as measured by the end of grade test.   Additionally, BRES has a math goal where all subgroups of students will show a 5% increase in growth and all subgroups of students will meet their Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO's) as measured by the end of grade test.

Quarter 1 Data in Review gave our staff a starting point for instruction and directed the collective work we must do as a school to increase the reading skills of our students.  Reading proficiency and math proficiency data was collected from report card data.  We have compared report card proficiency scores along with the initial administration of the Case benchmark testing provided by the district. The Case benchmark tests are similar in nature to the end of grade tests students will take in June.  It measures both objectives that have been taught and some objectives that have not been taught in the classroom.  The Case benchmark tests are aligned with the new Common Core curriculum both in content and language. 

Quarter 1 Report Card Proficiency for Reading is as follows:
Kindergarten and First Grade do not receive first quarter report cards.   Mid-year data is coming shortly for these two grades.

Second Grade:  Report card proficiency fell at 64.9% in Reading
Third Grade:  Report card proficiency fell at 69.7% in Reading
Fourth Grade:  Report card proficiency fell at 55.2% in Reading
Fifth Grade:  Report card proficiency fell at 76.0% in Reading
Composite Reading Proficiency based on the Report Card Data: 66.0%

Comparison to the Initial Administration of the Reading Case Benchmark Test

Second Grade:  Case is not administered in the Fall, but was administered in the Winter. Data coming soon.
Third Grade:  Initial Case score fell at 57.6%
Fourth Grade:  Initial Case score fell at 70.0%
Fifth Grade: Initial Case score fell at 81.1%
Composite Reading Case Benchmark Data: 69.1%

Quarter 1 Report card proficiency for Math is as follows:
Kindergarten and First Grade do not receive first quarter report cards.   Mid-year report card proficiency data is coming shortly for these two grades.

Second Grade:  Report card proficiency fell at 79.7%
Third Grade: Report card proficiency fell at 74.6%
Fourth Grade:  Report card proficiency fell at 74.6%
Fifth Grade: Report card proficiency fell at 85.7%
Composite Math Proficiency based on the Report Card Data:  78.4%

Comparison to the Initial Administration of the Math Case Benchmark Test

Second Grade:  Case is not administered in the Fall, but was administered in the Winter.  Data coming soon.
Third Grade:  Initial Case score fell at 59.7%
Fourth Grade:  Initial Case score fell at 88.4%
Fifth Grade:  Initial Case score fell at 79.3%
Composite Math Case Benchmark Data: 75.8%

Although the scores themselves are not representative to the actual score history of BRES achievement data, the trend of higher math scores in comparison to reading is apparent when comparing our past EOG scores.  Math scores are traditionally higher than our reading scores.  Knowing what we know about our data and getting to know our students for this new school year in first quarter coupled with the initial Case Benchmark data and report card data, teachers made plans of how to increase the reading support for our students.  Additionally, the staff participated in the first several sessions of staff development focused on Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP.)  I have shared information about SIOP with you before in the blog :).  Teachers have already implemented recommendations for using "I can" statements in the classroom when presenting materials, directly teaching academic vocabulary and supporting student understanding by building background knowledge.  Furthermore, the staff has participated in additional training on the Common Core curriculum. 

We are working diligently here at BRES to ensure high academic achievement and will continue to do so into the New Year.  We appreciate your partnership in the educational journey this school year.  Happy New Year! Mrs. Graf