Keeping “The Work” of the Academic Office Front and Center
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The WHY of our work for School Year 22-23:
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To develop and/or deepen the habits of mind and adaptive leadership moves critical to disrupt and dismantle inequities in our systems, practices, policies and procedures so each scholar thrives.
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The WHAT of our work for School Year 22-23:
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Strengthen the *instructional core, so each scholar has access and targeted supports to achieve Standards and to engage in deeper learning through the ‘Key 3’
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Use multiple sources of data (qualitative, quantitative and perceptual) to inform decision-making
- Apply “best we know right now practices” to educate the Whole Child
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*teachers’ knowledge and skills; scholars’ engagement in their own learning; academically challenging content
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The HOW of our work for School Year 22-23:
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- (Re)Frame our individual and collective thinking:
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For more information, please contact Dr. Marion Smith Jr., Deputy Superintendent of Academics– Marion.SmithJr@slps.org
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Subject Area Spotlight: Science
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For elementary, take time to review the science and engineering practices. They are:
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- Ask Questions
- Develop and Use Models
- Plan and Carry out Investigations
- Analyze and Interpret Data
- Use Mathematics and Computational Thinking
- Construct Explanations
- Engage in Argument from Evidence - including dialogue
- Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information
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Every tested standard will ask students to do one of the practices. Students should know how to make a claim and give evidence to support their claim. Teachers can review by using the materials in the Science Team’s folder.
For middle and high school, please review the IBD documents:
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Celebrating Women in Science
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In honor or Women’s History Month, take a moment to share some of the women who have made great contributions to our world of science. To name a few:
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- Ada Lovelace – First computer programmer
- Grace Hopper - Pioneering computer programmer and one of the first women to achieve a PhD in mathematics
- Jane Goodall – Primatologist who changed our understanding of chimpanzees
- Katherine Johnson – Mathematician at NASA
- Mae Jemison – First African-American woman to travel in space
- Marie Maynard Daly – Chemist who studied the heart and first African American woman to in a PhD in chemistry
- Patricia Bath – Chemist who invented the Laserphaco probe for cataract surgery
- Rosalind Franklin – Contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA
- Ruth Smith Lloyd – First African-American woman to get a doctorate in anatomy
- Sally Ride – first American woman to fly in space
- Wangari Maathai – First woman in Africa to earn a PhD, and focused on environmental conservation
- Zaha Hadid – First woman architect to win the most prestigious award for their work
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STEM at Weldon Spring Site: You and your class or group can enjoy the Weldon Spring Site and interpretive center in Missouri. If you’re interested in visiting, please review their new education curriculum postcard and submit an education program application by emailing the contact below. The new interpretive center opened in spring 2022 with new and updated programming to match the beautiful, state-of-the-art facility. They continue to offer high-quality STEM and historical programming aligned with Missouri Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The interpretive center has multiple AV-supported classrooms, an auditorium, a gallery with new site displays, and an outdoor classroom is opening later in 2023.
If you are interested in scheduling a 2023 summer program, please contact them as soon as possible — reservations fill up fast! If you are interested in scheduling a fieldtrip, outreach, or virtual program in fall 2023 or after, please apply by these dates:
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- Applications received within the application window will be equally considered. Group leaders can expect confirmation about 10 business days after the application due date.
- Applications received after the due date will be considered on a first come, first served basis, depending on available dates.
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STEM Summer Camp at SLU for HS Students
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SLU's School of Science and Engineering offers numerous summer programs for high school students to connect with our engineering, aviation and science programs this summer!
Please spread the word and encourage your students to apply for a camp or two. Click on the camp title to visit the camp webpage. Camp applications are due March 19 and admittance decisions will be sent in April. Questions? Please reach out to us at sseoutreach@slu.edu.
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FREE EdCampSTL Unconference for Science Educators!
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Introducing EDCAMPSTL: the must-attend unconference of 2023! Join on April 1st at The Armory, the innovative event space that's taking St. Louis by storm. At EDCAMPSTL, you'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded educators, share your ideas, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry. As an unconference, EDCAMPSTL is unlike any other event you've attended. There are no set schedules, no keynote speakers, and no pre-determined topics. Instead, our agenda is created by the attendees themselves, allowing for an organic, collaborative, and engaging learning experience. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or educational professional, you'll find something to inspire you at EDCAMPSTLRegister for FREE HERE.
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For more information, please contact Dr. Valentina Bumbu, Secondary Science Curriculum Specialist - Valentina.Bumbu@slps.org
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Department Spotlight: English To Speakers Of Other Languages
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On February 17, 2023, the ESOL Office hosted the ELL Science Hour. Over 220 participants came to explore various science topics including motion, magnets, matter, etc. Bilingual Science Leads guided scholars and families as they engaged in science explorations.
Scholars and families participated in the Chain Reaction Challenge by building a course using ramps, pendulums, and hammers to get a ball to the goal. They had an opportunity to huddle over a microscope to explore the tiny world of animal and plant cells. Another popular activity was the Circuit Games, where families learned about electricity, power, wires, motors, and switches. Many ELL scholars constructed their own volcano with a Bilingual Science Lead who had firsthand experience of witnessing Mount Nyiragongo’s eruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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ELL Reading Club- Books and Blankets
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Did you know that the ESOL program hosts an ELL Reading Club called Books and Blankets for ELLs in grades PreK-5? Eight teachers host a book club with 25 ELLs. That’s 360 ELLs developing their joy of reading and building their home multicultural libraries each year! Scholars receive 9 books to build their home library, a book bin, and a blanket. Teachers meet weekly with their book clubs via Teams outside of school hours. During the book club meetings, teachers engage scholars in a read-aloud lesson, book discussions, and modeling reading skills along the way.
Here’s what participants have to say about their experiences with the ELL Reading Club- Books and Blankets:
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- “I want to do it again! It made reading fun and I liked when the teacher read to us. My favorite book was The Proudest Blue.” (ELL scholar from Laclede).
- “I want to thank you and the school for such a fun experience for Mia. Reading club was a big help since she is still struggling with reading. I have seen it help her discover new words and she loved it! Thank you for your time and patience. Hopefully we can have another book club again.” (ELL Parent from Buder).
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“My student was thrilled to participate in the book club program. She reminded me every Wednesday that she needed to bring her iPad home with her-she never forgot! She also told me about each of the books that she was reading and how three or four of them connected to her culture! This is a great program.” (Classroom teacher at Stix).
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“The Books and Blankets program is a wonderful addition to our quest for our students to read at grade level. The books chosen are spectacular and should be included in every school library and home. It brings me great joy to see our children improving their reading ability.” (Principal at Mann).
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Co-teaching for ELLs is one of the ESOL instructional models used in St. Louis Public Schools to facilitate ELL scholar success. This year, the ESOL Office offered several Co-teaching for ELLs Training Pathways to ensure that educators working with ELL scholars who qualify for the co-teaching instructional model have several ways to engage in co-teaching training.
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All educators trained in Co-Teaching for ELLs received co-teaching badges, which they proudly display in their e-mail signature line.
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Pre-K Registration Support for ELL Families
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ELL families in need of language access support during the Pre-K registration process should be referred to the ESOL Office to complete Pre-K registration. The ESOL team will continue to collaborate with the ECE team to support ELL families in all district schools.
For more information, please contact Danyel Rhodes, ECE Data/Clerk at Danyel.Rhodes@slps.org and Diana Marin, Translator/Interpreter at Diana.Marin@slps.org
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New Spotlight: MTSS Corner
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Shifting the Framework: “Resource Mapping and Resource Matching”
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The Academic Office has been providing the outline for MTSS and the shift from RTI. As previously stated, part of MTSS is to create infrastructures that build capacity. One way to build capacity is a process called Resource Mapping. School leadership teams look at all the resources they have access to such as personnel, materials, and space in efforts to create equity based practices for each tier. This term is identified by ‘Mining the System,’ or taking a deep dive into the availability, flexibility, and usefulness of each resource. When school teams are meeting, a suggestions is to create a digital organizer or use chart paper to capture the resources for these following categories:
Personnel:
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- The team looks at certified and non- certified staff and lists work experiences, talents, skills, and interests as human resources.
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All staff may be considered a resource that can support each scholar.
- Include all stakeholders and community support personnel.
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- List current and supplemental curriculum materials/ resources for each content area and explain how the materials are used.
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Identify resources that can be used across the tiers and are specific for each tier.
- Include all data sources that have been analyzed and used for decision- making purposes.
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- List rooms that are being used and the purpose of the rooms.
- Create a map of all the rooms that are available.
- Consider all areas that can be used for scholar support.
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After the team has completed the Resource Mapping discussions, the next step is Resource Matching. This process combines Data Analysis and Planning with Resource Mapping. Using a Resource Matching Tool helps organize and prioritize the needs of the scholars with the resources that the school has outlined. A vital piece to ensure that equity practices are happening at each tier is Progress Monitoring. Constantly revisiting the data and the protocols that are in place is essential as the needs of each scholar changes. Below is an example of a Resource Matching Tool.
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In efforts to build upon the equitable practices in our district, a professional development opportunity is available. Part of the development includes but is not limited to analysis of Standard Based Grading Data and identifying tiered support for scholars in each content area. If you are interested in this Professional Development Opportunity, please visit the link below.
https://forms.office.com/r/i2pDxKfXcK
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As we continue the transition to the MTSS framework, it is important to remember the ‘Why, What, and How of MTSS.” Below is a one pager to support our collective work moving forward.
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For more information regarding MTSS and resources for each tier, please contact Ravetta Jackson, MTSS Specialist - Ravetta.Jackson@slps.org
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Camp SLPS 2023 will be held from Monday, June 5th through Friday, June 30th at sites across Saint Louis Public Schools (no summer learning on Monday, June 19th in recognition of Juneteenth holiday).
Staffing Update
Staff selections for Camp SLPS 2023 are now in progress! We appreciate your patience and will be announcing staff selections on a rolling basis for anyone who applied prior to the application deadline beginning very soon.
Registration for students is now available!
Please register online at https://www.slps.org/summer or use the QR codes below! A list of site assignments is also posted on the SLPS website. Be sure to use the published list to confirm with families where their child will be attending Camp SLPS this summer!
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Rising 9th Grade Credit Opportunity
This year, students who have successfully completed 8th grade and will be 9th grade students in the 2023-2024 school year have an opportunity to earn high school academic credit by successfully completing Camp SLPS 2023!
Summer programming for rising 9th grade students will focus on readiness in ELA and Math and will be held at the following sites:
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- AESM- Students from Lyon, Long & AESM
- Carr Lane- Students from Gateway, Laclede, Pamoja, Yeatman & Carr Lane
- Carnahan- Students from Busch, Compton Drew & McKinley
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Students and families can sign up for Camp SLPS using the QR code!
High School Enrichment
This year, high school students who are not seeking credit recovery are eligible to take elective courses as part of Camp SLPS 2023! High school students may select from the following options this summer (pending interest and demand for courses):
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- IT & Cybersecurity Summer Academy (2 credits)
- Students earn 2 credits- one for the coursework in June and one for the internship component through July
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There is a separate application process for this program
- Limited to 50 students
- Geared towards rising sophomore/junior students
- Pre-AP Language (.5 credit)
- Students who are registered for AP Language for the Fall 2023 semester
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- Pre-AP Literature (.5 credit)
- Students who are registered for AP Literature for the Fall 2023 semester
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- Pre-AP Calculus (.5 credit)
- Students who are registered for AP Calculus for the Fall 2023 semester
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- Pre-AP Statistics (.5 credit)
- Students who registered for AP Statistics for the Fall 2023 semester
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- Health (.5 credit) + Personal Finance (.5 credit)
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High school courses will be held at McKinley High School and Clyde C. Miller Career Academy. Students and families who are interested should sign up using the registration QR code!
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St. Louis Digital Humanities Showcase
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St. Louis Digital Humanities Network, a network of faculty and scholars working together to make digital humanities education more accessible and visible in the greater St. Louis region is organizing an online event for April 18th, the St. Louis Digital Humanities Showcase. Students (graduate, undergraduate, and high school) throughout the region are invited to present at the showcase on work they have done in the digital humanities.
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“Digital humanities” refers to approaches to humanistic learning (such as Social Studies, English, or other languages) that rely upon digital technologies, as well as the study of digital technologies themselves from the perspective of the humanities. Digital humanities projects include (but are not limited to) such activities as textual analysis, data visualization, mapping, and the development of online editions and exhibits.
Contributions can take the form of 5-minute lightning talks or 15-minute presentations. Participants will pre-record their presentations, and event facilitators will share the recordings with all attendees prior to April 18th. Presenters will participate in live Q&A sessions on the day of the event via Zoom.
Students interested in participating in the showcase should submit abstracts via the link above by March 27th, 2023. A link for submitting recorded presentations (due April 10th) will be provided at a later date.
Questions? Email Dr. Geremy Carnes (DHShowcase@lindenwood.edu).
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Character Plus - Champions for Character
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The 2023 Champions of Character Program is open for application. This program recognizes schools who engage in service learning activities. Three schools will be recognized with Cardinals tickets, on-field recognition, and a banner for their school. The application process is easy (click here to apply). The application deadline is March 25th.
Champions of Character Website Information
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Curriculum Specialists:
- Dr. Esther Palsenberger, Elementary ELA, 314-779-5939
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Judine Keplar, Secondary ELA, 314-532-6427
- Zehra Khan, Secondary Math, 314-532-3574
- J. Carrie Launius, Elementary Science, 314-934-5258
- Dr. Valentina Bumbu, Secondary Science, 573-544-6835
- Dr. Glenn Barnes, Social Studies, 314-934-5267
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John Grapperhaus, Visual Arts, 314-934-5320
- Kaye Harrelson, Performing Arts, 314-934-5445
- Dr. Taresa Wright-Fraser, Elementary Math, 314-943-5266
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