INTEGRATED NEWS Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies January 6, 2006 LEAD TEACHER REPORT Dear families, Welcome back! We hope you are enjoying this unseasonably warm January. We have a few things to update you on. Open Enrollment The Open Enrollment period is passing quickly. If you have a younger sibling who will be entering BCSIS next year, please be sure to come to the office to fill out an Open Enrollment form very soon. The OE period ends January 20. Also, please continue to put the word out to families who are looking for schools next year. We typically are able to open spaces for nearly everyone who chooses our school, so parents shouldn't feel overwhelmed by the kindergarten and first grade wait lists. Please call the Open Enrollment office at 303-245-5900 with any questions. Report cards At the end of this month, you will be receiving your child's first report card. The new report contains no letter grades. It is more like a progress report than a traditional report card. We are aware that this is a big change from the type of communication you have received from the teachers in the past. The report cards are a district requirement that all schools must utilize starting this year. The teachers have identified several beneficial aspects of using the report. We want to share some of these benefits with you: * First, the report cards will be sent home in a sealed envelope in the Friday folders. The children will not see them directly. It will be your option to show your child their report card. We have heard from parents each year that they need more detailed information about their child's progress academically. We believe that this report offers a more thorough and detailed communication about each of the academic areas at school. * Since BCSIS is a public school, we hold children to all of the standards and benchmarks of BVSD. What makes us unique is that we use holistic, child-centered, and arts-focused strategies and practices to deliver our curriculum. The report cards are directly based on the standards and benchmarks of the district. This report has the potential of helping parents understand their child's academic progress in relation to children across the district at each grade level. * Many of the standards and benchmarks are based on rich learning and higher-level thinking skills. For example, in first grade the students are expected to identify and describe simple patterns by number, shape, size, rhythm, or color. They are also expected to write about topics from personal experience focusing on one idea and using simple details. These skills are consistent with our teachers' fundamental hopes for student learning at that age as well. In fifth grade reading, students are expected to use comprehension strategies to make comparisons, summarize text, synthesize information, draw inferences from text, and more. These skills are completely consistent with our school's beliefs about best-practice curriculum and quality learning. We invite you to talk with teachers and with the Leadership Team about the report card. If you have questions or ideas, we would love to hear from you. Teaching about diversity With Martin Luther King Day coming up on Monday, we thought it is a good time to share with you our school's philosophy and practices for teaching about diversity. Our goal is for the celebration and understanding of diversity, multicultural learning, and developing a world view, to be woven tightly throughout the entire year in all curriculum studies. For example, the second graders study heroes from all over the world and their contributions to society. Also, in fourth grade science, children learn about African American scientists and their contributions to science. From kindergarten to fifth grade, students participate in music, stories, dance, poetry, art, and architecture, building their awareness of and relationships with the many cultures and people with whom we share the world. Also, older students learn about historical movements and issues that affect society today. Our vision is to support children in their understanding of empathy and a diverse array of perspectives. We have assemblies which build on this understanding as well, such as Imagination Makers and Native American Dance. Teachers celebrate the work of Martin Luther King within our larger historical and diversity curriculum. Often this is done through reading books on his life, art projects, and drama. Children learn that his life was dedicated to working toward equal rights and opportunities for all people. Phil Katsampes and Sabine Smead Reminders cNotes from the Ed Council If you have a child who will be attending kindergarten at BCSIS in Fall '06, you must complete the open enrollment forms and submit them to the Open Enrollment Office by Jan 20. The purchase of grocery certificates has recently declined. All proceeds go directly into the playground improvement fund. Please take the extra step and stop by the school office to purchase your grocery certificates. The BCSIS Brown Bag Book Club The next book club will be held Friday January 13 from 12-1:30pm in the Conference Room. We will be discussing Rachael Kessler's The Soul Of Education. She delves into the world of supporting a child's spirit and soul in school while honoring the first amendment. Check out the Passageways website: www.passageways.org/index.html. Younger siblings welcome. Contact: Kimberly Zerbey, mamaberl@yahoo.com or 303-530-0627 if you plan to attend. Math Club The Math Club meets every Wednesday from 3:30-4:30pm in Erin's classroom. The coordinators plan the time with your children's needs in mind. Parents are welcome to stay or to pick up their children at 4:30pm. A snack is provided. NOTES FROM THE ED COUNCIL Ed council inquiry mines survey results Digging deeper into district survey results, BCSIS recently developed and conducted their own inhouse survey with the help of a local consulting firm, Technology and Management Solutions. Very initial results indicate that students are feeling overwhelmingly safe and positive at school. Over 90% of students so have indicated that they feel safe on the playground. These results are very encouraging. The wording of the survey was a problem, said Erin Koenig, co-chair of the Ed Council. The survey allowed students answers of only "yes," "no," and "I don't know" to statements about bullying, relationships with teachers, and other complex topics. "Our kids are literal and analytical," Phil Katsampes, lead teacher, said. "They need more middle ground for their answers." Because of the new findings, school leaders may go to the district and suggest changes to its survey design. A written report on the in-house work will be ready to view at the next council meeting, Wed., Feb. 8, 4-5:30pm in the library. Rumor mill grinds chances Switching gears, Katsampes asked parents to help reverse a rumor about BCSIS--the rumor that it's nearly impossible to get into the kindergarten program due to the lengthy wait list. Some visitors to the school this week said they believed acceptance was such a long shot that they might as well not put down BCSIS as their first choice on the open enrollment application. In the past, the best way to get in has been: (1) state BCSIS as the first choice and (2) hang on throughout the summer to hear word. Only a few families following this advice did not get into the kindergarten program this year, Katsampes said. The due date for open enrollment applications is Jan. 20. Please note BCSIS parents must submit applications for students' siblings whom they wish to begin attending the school in the fall. Report cards on the way For the first time, BCSIS students will begin receiving report cards. Expect to see one by the end of this month in a sealed envelope inside your child's Friday folder. Issuing report cards is a Boulder Valley School District requirement. The format of the card is the same as at other BVSD schools and is directly linked to the state standards and developmental benchmarks teachers use. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised," Koenig said to parents. "You'll get a lot of information from the reports." Parents, grandparents, friends donations add up Fundraising overall for the school looks good, although it may have stalled a bit, treasurers said. Forty-four percent of BCSIS families, or 101 families, have donated $21,370 during the school's largest fundraiser--the Full Participation campaign--which supports teachers’ projects and pays for supplies. A separate category for contributions from grandparents and family friends adds an impressive $3,724 more. Any dollar amount from a family constitutes participation and is very much appreciated, noted Kim Green, who spearheads the project. Opportunities to join in Everyone's invited to the BCSIS 10th anniversary planning committee meeting Thurs., Jan. 19, 3:45pm in Erin's 3rd grade classroom. Some ways to help: The committee needs burrito catering (budget of $600 plus free advertising at the celebration) and help in planning a viable community project commemorating the event. The celebration is set for Thurs., May 11, 4:30-6:30pm at the Rocky Mountain Theater for Kids, 5311 Western Ave. The school will set aside Fri., May 12, as a day for students to work on the community project or projects. * BCSIS needs a volunteer with a knack for speaking out to help market its grocery certificate program, which is bringing in a mere half of what it did at this time last year. You may buy grocery certificates at the front office or at a specially marked stand set up outside after school. Grocery stores give five percent of the total to BCSIS and the Boulder Bookstore kicks in a generous 20 percent. * The Ed Council is on the lookout for parents wanting to join the District Accountability Committee or the District Parent Council. The DPC volunteer would join a monthly roundtable discussion with Dr. George Garcia, superintendent of schools, and report news to the council. * Council treasurers seek volunteer writers to craft the thank you notes sent out to contributors. The meeting was attended by Anna Stewart, Erin Koenig, Teresa Southard, Ligia Bernardet, Diane Furuya, Marjorie Johnson, Graeme Aggett, Beth Parish, Robyn Lawrence, Kim Green, Jill Jenkins, Phil Katsampes, Jen O'Brien, Patrick West, Pam Stratton, Sara Benson, Cynthia Carosella and Julie Dolin. SEEING STUDENTS WITH "INVISIBLE" NEEDS By Anna Stewart In all of our neighborhoods and in most of our classrooms, there are students who look ‘normal’; often very bright, articulate and creative. They are also living with mental health issues, learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, AD/HD and other "invisible" disabilities. They receive services through special education. These kids are at high risk for substance abuse, depression, compounding disorders and suicide. We need to learn more about these kids and their families and develop more understanding, sensitivity and awareness. This is especially crucial for people with mental illnesses; the topic comes loaded with baggage--stigma, misinformation, blaming--which silences and divides families and professionals. * 50 percent of students receiving special education services through the public schools are identified as having learning disabilities (nearly 2.9 million students). * ADHD occurs in one of every 20 children. Over half of them have at least one other major childhood disorder such as oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorder, depression or bipolar disorder. * 12 percent of American children under the age of 18 have a diagnosable mental illness. How can the BVSD Special Education Parents as Mentors (PAM) program help? We help parents build a stronger network by providing support, information and resources to other parents within their schools as they navigate the special education system. When parents feel supported and informed, they are better parents and better collaborators on their student’s education team. Check out our website at www.bvsd.org/index_speical.asp. Your BCSIS PAM is Anna Stewart, and you can contact her at 303-4997681 or anna@motherhands.com. ROOTS AND SHOOTS RESUMES The first Roots & Shoots meeting of the year was held on January 9. The group collected trash on and around the school grounds. Heaps of trash and recyclables was collected and sorted as the members scrambled underneath shrubbery and even into the creek. A good number of tennis balls were collected to the delight of two dog owners. Due to the holidays in January, the next two meetings are scheduled for January 30 and February 6 from 3:30 to 5:00pm. Roots and Shoots welcomes all 2nd to 5th graders. Contact Kiley, Dawn or Suzanne for additional information. Out of the mouths of kindergartners... "When will I be old enough to go to Roots and Toots?" Contact Cynthia Carosella at cynthiacarosella@hotmail.com, 303-530-0627, or Nan McGinnis at mcginnisnancy@comcast.net, 303-440-3656, if you have information to be included in the newsletter. Comments and suggestions are welcome as well. <>