November 3, 2022
Issue #8
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Message from Deputy Superintendent of Academics
Dr. Marion Smith Jr.
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| Hello, Colleagues!
Quarter 2 of this school year is in full swing and with all that we have experienced as an SLPS and StL community over the past week, I remind each of you to take care of self; allow yourself permission to do or not do what is needed at this moment to focus on wellness. Let’s all take a collective deep breath, exhale and reflect on all we have experienced and continue to do for our over 19,000 PK-12 scholars. THANK YOU to each of you for your continued adaptive leadership, grace and flexibility as we embrace this transformative learning and teaching moment together.
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Kasserian Ingera?
(And How Are The Children?)
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I offer a message I shared last school year around this time in an Academic Office Newsletter because it captures what is ‘top of mind’ for me right now.
And How Are the Children?
Among the many fabled and accomplished tribes of Africa, no tribe was considered to have more warriors more fearsome and intelligent than the mighty Masai. It’s often surprising then, to learn the traditional greeting passed among the Masai warriors, “Kasserian Ingera,” one would always say to each other. And what it meant was, “And how are the children?”
It is still the traditional greeting of the Masai, acknowledging the high value the Masai placed on the children’s well-being. Even warriors with no children of their own would always give the traditional answer, “All the children are well.” This meant that peace and safety prevail; the priorities of protecting the young and the powerless are in place; that the Masai people had not forgotten their reason for being, their proper function, and their responsibility.
“All the children are well” means life is good. It means the daily struggles of existence, even among those poor and less fortunate, include the proper care of the young and defenseless.
As I reflect on my time in SLPS, since starting as your new Deputy Superintendent of Academics in late July 2021, I wonder how it might impact our consciousness of our own children’s welfare, if we took to greeting each other with the same question daily: “And how are the children?”
I wonder if we heard that greeting passed along to each other a dozen times a day, whether it would begin to make a difference in the reality of how children are thought of and cared for. I wonder what it would be like if every adult among us—parents, caregivers, and non-parents alike—felt an equal weight of personal responsibility for the daily care and protection of all the children in our classrooms, schools and school district. I wonder whether we could truly say without hesitation, “The children are well. Yes, all the children are well.”
So, I ask you, “Kasserian Ingera?”
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Did You Know? Bringing Awareness This Month
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National Native American Heritage Month | National Native American Month started off as an effort to get a day of appreciation and acknowledgment for the unique contributions made by the first Americans for the growth and establishment of the United States. Dr. Arthur C. Parker was one of the first supporters of having an American Indian Day. He was a Seneca Indian and the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York. The first time American Indian Day was declared was in May 1916. In 1990, a joint resolution was approved by President George H.W. Bush, which called for November to be named National American Heritage Month. Declarations like these have been issued since 1994, such as Native American Heritage Month and National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Click HERE for additional information and resources.
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National Career Development Month| Established by the National Career Development Agency, the month long awareness campaign encourages career development professionals to celebrate career development. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) provides professional development, publications, standards, and advocacy to practitioners and educators who inspire and empower individuals to achieve their career and life goals. Click HERE for additional information and resources.
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National Family Literacy Month | National Family Literacy Month is a month when families are encouraged to read together. Educational statistics show that one in four U.S. children will grow up without learning to read. Similar statistics demonstrate that children in the third grade without a proficient reading level are four times more likely to drop out of school. So how can caregivers help? The answer: Get to reading! Click HERE for additional information and resources.
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Cognitive Coaching Leadership Cohort
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Every leader is a coach! To continue to support this shift in our thinking and our actions about the work of leadership, and in efforts to create a common language, common understanding and common practices as we coach for impact, the inaugural Cognitive Coaching Leadership Cohort is scheduled to complete sessions 5-8 of this training series by the end of the academic school year. If you are a school-based leader or central office leader and are interested in participating in the next Cognitive Coaching Leadership Cohort, send an e-mail to Dr. Latisha Smith (Latisha.Smith@slps.org). Learn more about Cognitive Coaching HERE.
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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’
- Use multiple sources of data (qualitative, quantitative and perceptual) to inform decision-making
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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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"There are currently many efficient schools; there are a number of effective schools; there are very few that are significant.” – D. Glines & K. Long
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Network Spotlight: Learning Network 1
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Woodward Career Academy Family Fall Festival
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The Woodward Re-Design Team came up with the idea to create an opportunity for our families to obtain additional community resources while participating in Parent Teacher Conferences. So, we had our first Family Fall Festival which included the following vendors: YMCA, SMART-gun lock safety, College Kids, Southwest Food Service, Worlds Finest Chocolate, and Andoro and Son’s Pizza.
The vendors shared information about their programs and offered different incentives for families. We also conducted our Panorama survey. We had four laptops set up so that parents could complete the survey while at the festival. Students were able to take home books and enter a raffle for various prizes. We also utilized this time to get immunization records updated for students. Our Family Fall Festival yielded an increase in parent participation to 64%. This is the highest percentage that we have had. We are now planning for our Spring Family Fall Festival, which promises to be even bigger!
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Fire Prevention and Safety Awareness Month @ Oak Hill Elementary
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October was Fire Prevention and Safety Awareness Month. Oak Hill welcomed our neighborhood St. Louis City Fire Fighters who shared important fire safety tips during an all-school assembly. Students got to explore the various tools that firefighters use, and every student got a chance to tour the inside of the firetruck. Oak Hill students enjoyed learning about fire safety and the very important job that firefighters have to keep everyone in the community safe.
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Fall Festival @ Hickey Elementary
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Hickey Elementary scholars earned a fall festival by exhibiting our core values of being responsible, respectful, and safe. Scholars earned points daily to reach their goal. On Monday, October 31st, the scholars played carnival games, ate cotton candy, and received prizes for their merits. We even had visitors from central office join in on the fun! We look forward to continuing our trend of developing responsible, respectful, and safe scholars through our PBIS initiatives.
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Teamwork Makes The Dream Work @ Hickey Elementary
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Hickey Elementary staff members meet in daily huddles to set intentions regarding academic, cultural, and operational gaps at the school. Throughout the week, the huddles are structured:
Monday: Mindful Mondays- Staff members engage in mindful activities to prepare for the work week.
Tuesday thru Thursday: Staff members engage in professional learning to close instructional gaps.
Friday: Impact/Celebration Meetings- Staff members discuss the impact of “the work” for the instructional week and celebrate one another in a shout-out circle.
This week, Hickey staff members used this professional learning space to unpack the CFA #2 assessments. Staff members analyzed the assessment data to create two teacher actions for the 2nd quarter.
“Our leadership team (Principal and AIC) share and model multiple teaching strategies during our morning meetings. We are then encouraged to put the strategies into practice. I feel like I’ve learned a lot of techniques to keep my scholars engaged.”
-Hickey Elementary Teacher (Panorama Survey, Spring 2022)
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Lights On @ HamiltonElementary
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The After School Program at Hamilton Elementary participated in the LIGHTS ON Celebration by showcasing the talents of its Afterschool students.
The Basketball Club, coached by Mr. Rodney Dunn, showed us it’s warm up routine and basketball skills.
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The Cheer Club, coached by Ms. Pettis, wowed us with their pep-filled cheer routines!
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The Health and Beauty Club, led by Ms. S. Brown, showed us what they learned and taught us a few styling skills. The Arts and Crafts Club, led by Ms. Vanderford, has been busy with all their crafts and projects.
The Book Club, led by Ms. Henry, shared some fun riddles and jokes with us, and hosted a round of Hangman.
Students, teachers and parents played board games together and closed out the evening with a flashlight event. Students and parents enjoyed loads of fun at the LIGHTS ON Celebration 2022.
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Subject Area Spotlight: Math
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What Are The Mathematical Practices And Why Are They Important?
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The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important “processes and proficiencies” with longstanding importance in mathematics education. The first of these are the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) process standards of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and connections. The second are the strands of mathematical proficiency specified in the National Research Council’s report 'Adding It Up': adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding (comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations), procedural fluency (skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately), and productive disposition (habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one’s own efficacy).
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Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- Model with mathematics.
- Use appropriate tools strategically.
- Attend to precision.
- Look for and make use of structure.
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
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Connecting the Standards for Mathematical Practice to the Standards for Mathematical Content
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The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe ways in which developing student practitioners of the discipline of mathematics increasingly ought to engage with the subject matter as they grow in mathematical maturity and expertise throughout the elementary, middle and high school years. Designers of curricula, assessments, and professional development should all attend to the need to connect the mathematical practices to mathematical content in mathematics instruction.
The Standards for Mathematical Content are a balanced combination of procedure and understanding. Expectations that begin with the word “understand” are often especially good opportunities to connect the practices to the content. Students who lack understanding of a topic may rely on procedures too heavily. Without a flexible base from which to work, they may be less likely to consider analogous problems, represent problems coherently, justify conclusions, apply the mathematics to practical situations, use technology mindfully to work with the mathematics, explain the mathematics accurately to other students, step back for an overview, or deviate from a known procedure to find a shortcut. In short, a lack of understanding effectively prevents a student from engaging in the mathematical practices.
Taken from NCTM/NCSM
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Department Spotlight: Early Childhood Education
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Please join the Early Childhood Education Department in welcoming Linda Smith as the new Early Childhood Education Coordinator. Mrs. Smith is an ECE expert and former SLPS Pre-K Teacher. She is passionate about social emotional learning, developmentally appropriate practice and learning through play. Mrs. Smith is looking forward to assisting teachers with creating meaningful learning experiences for young learners. She can be contacted at Linda.Smith@slps.org or 314-331-6113.
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The DRDP Assessment Tool is designed for teachers to observe, document, and reflect on the learning, development, and progress of children. The assessment results are intended to be used by the teacher to plan instruction for individual children and groups of children and to guide continuous program improvement. The SLPS Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department uses this tool as the kindergarten readiness indicator for the Pre-Kindergarten Program. Pre-K educators have until November 4, 2022 to enter, rate and submit all DRDP assessment data for Fall 2022.
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The ECE Dept has updated communication methods. ECE educators can expect to receive weekly messaging about ECE updates, information and helpful tips in the new ECE Monday Memo. This communication will be sent via email to pre-k staff across the district. The first edition of the Monday Memo distributed on 10/31 can be found HERE. There is also a new and improved TEAMS page. This virtual platform is a reference for educators to obtain district forms and to exchange ideas.
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The Early Childhood Education Department has two amazing evidence-based Early Childhood Parent Programs: Parent/Infant Interaction Program (PIIP) and Parents As Teachers Program (PAT). The PIIP's primary goal is to provide support and educational services for parenting students. This goal is accomplished through the successful administration of its seven components: CRIB Early Childhood Center, Male Involvement Component (MIC), PIIP Tracking System, Prenatal Literacy and Adolescent Nurturing (PLAN), Project CORE (Challenging Opportunities, Resources Experiences) and Project Redirection. Each component provides a specific focus designed to address the variety of needs of this student population. Teen parents attending Vashon or Roosevelt High Schools with a child 6 weeks – 5 years old can access these services.
The PAT Program is a community-based program servicing children from age six months to kindergarten entry. The goals of the program are to:
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- Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parent practices
- Provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues
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Prevent child abuse and neglect
- Increase children’s school readiness and success.
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The program is implemented through four components:
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- Weekly/Bi-weekly Private Visits
- Bi-Weekly Group Connections
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Annual Developmental Screenings
- Resource Connections
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Referrals to community agencies are available based on need, and written materials are provided on numerous developmental topics, including the exciting new brain research.
For more guidance, please contact Dr. Samantha March, Director of Early Childhood Education - Samantha.March@slps.org
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Department Spotlight: English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
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This year, ELL Family Engagement opportunities center around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). Each event creates a shared learning experience for ELL scholars and their families, intentionally integrates content and language, and builds a sense of community.
During district-wide professional development days in September and October, the ESOL Department hosted ELL Create and Tell. ELL scholars and families created original art using Model Magic and presented their creation by posting a video on a Padlet. Various linguistic supports were in place to facilitate language development and help build linguistic confidence of our scholars.
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ELL Create & Tell, September 23, 2022
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Click Here to find the schedule of ELL Family Engagement events for 2022-2023 school year. Flyers are available in Arabic, Bosnian, Dari, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese, and English. Please help promote these exciting opportunities with ELL scholars and families at your school.
For more information about ELL parent engagement, please contact Tuyet Nguyen, Bilingual Parent Specialist at Tuyet.Nguyen@slps.org
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We are excited to continue to recognize our bilingual scholars in St. Louis Public Schools. Please note that it is time for our scholars to start working on their Seal of Biliteracy applications and Pathways to Biliteracy game boards. Encourage them to review award requirements and complete the application packet. Click Here to access the application packet.
About the Seal of Biliteracy
The Seal of Biliteracy recognizes graduating seniors who demonstrate proficiency in English and any of the world’s languages. Native English speakers studying a foreign language as well as English language learners acquiring English and maintaining their native language are eligible for this award. The award becomes part of the student’s transcript. It can benefit students when applying to certain Missouri universities and when applying for jobs at certain Missouri businesses.
About Pathways to Biliteracy
To encourage students to become biliterate and attain proficiency in English and any of the world’s languages, there are 2 Pathways to Biliteracy awards: Emerging Bilingual (available to students completing PreK-4) and Developing Bilingual (available to students completing 5th and 8th grades).
For more information about the Seal of Biliteracy and Pathways to Biliteracy, please contact Aniko Harrier, Coordinator Special Area, ESOL at Aniko.Harrier@slps.org
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Having trouble finding the SLPS Language Access website to support your interpretation and translation needs? A direct link to the Language Access page has been added to your Managed Bookmarks folder. Click to open your Managed Bookmarks folder and select SLPS Language Access.
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SLPS Library of Translated Documents and Forms
To support you in ensuring meaningful communication with ELL families, many district documents and forms have been translated and are available to all district staff. Click Here to access SLPS Library of Translated Documents and Forms. You will need to log in with your district credentials to access this resource.
Recently, the following documents have been added to the SLPS Library of Translated Documents and Forms:
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- Here Comes the Bus (available in Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese)
- Parent Right to Know (available in Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese)
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As you start preparing for the upcoming parent-teacher conferences, remember that report card translations are also available.
When using translated documents, it is recommended to send an English copy along with a translation.
For more information about language access, please contact Fatima Rhodes, Translator/Interpreter (Arabic & French) at Fatime.Rhodes@slps.org
For more guidance, please contact Dr. Alla Gonzalez Del Castillo, Director of ESOL Bilingual Migrant Program - Alla.GonzalezDelCastillo@slps.org
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Curriculum Specialists:
- Dr. Esther Palsenberger, Elementary ELA, 314-779-5939
- Judine Keplar, Secondary ELA, 314-532-6427
- Zehra Khan, Secondary Math, 314-532-3574
- J. Carrie Launius, Elementary Science, 314-934-5258
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Dr. Valentina Bumbu, Secondary Science, 573-544-6835
- Dr. Glenn Barnes, Social Studies, 314-934-5267
- 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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