From SPS School Beat
Here's a link to the SPS School Beat.
MathFest 2009
Thursday, November 12
5-8 p.m.
Rainier Community Center
4600 38th Ave. S.
- Seattle Public Schools’ elementary and K-8 schools will be closed from Monday, November 23 through Wednesday, November 25 for Parent-Teacher Conferences. This is the first year that all elementary and K-8 schools will be closed Districtwide for parent-teacher conferences. The new schedule will be less disruptive to student learning while also providing greater consistency and predictability for families.
- The High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE, formerly the WASL) for Science will be given this year for high school students on one day for 125 minutes. (This from the science alignement presentation to the Board.)
- Seattle Public Schools was awarded the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Tools for Schools” Indoor Air Quality Leadership Award for its commitment and use of resources to address indoor air-quality concerns and issues in schools. SPS was recognized for its prompt and consistent action when an indoor air-quality concern was discovered or brought to its attention.
- A total of 82 schools earned up to $2,925 each to be used for resource conservation projects as part of the Shared Savings Program. Now in its third year, the program rewards schools for reaching conservation goals and/or reducing their use of energy, water, and waste. Also, 58 schools reduced energy use in 2008-09 compared to the previous year, and 41 schools reduced water use.
- Explorations in Math is hosting a special outreach event called MathFest 2009 on November 12. The event is the organization's third annual celebration of elementary students and math, and is designed to celebrate the thousands of children with whom it has worked over the past six years, which includes hundreds of Seattle Public Schools students. Held in a carnival-like atmosphere, more than 750 students, teachers, parents and community members “play math” at MathFest. Students build their confidence in and enthusiasm for math, and see that the community supports their achievements. The event is free. Click here for registration or call 206-325-0774 for more information.
MathFest 2009
Thursday, November 12
5-8 p.m.
Rainier Community Center
4600 38th Ave. S.
Comments
Am I actually expected to believe the bold part above?
Pretty easy to see why confidence in government is non-existent these days ... when total BS is spewed out as truth.
If that was the basis for the award, the SPS needs to decline it.
But wait maybe the SPS can use it as evidence in their defense of the Firkin's lawsuit.
I can see it now:
No the feds said we did it all in a timely manner.... so we are innocent.
FYI- Some schools are now providing camp opportunities for that week, so working parents are not at a loss for something to do with their children.
Salmon Bay did middle school "student-led" conferences for the first time last year. It was great - they had compiled a portfolio of each kid's work and you sat down with your kid and they showed you what they were doing. The homeroom teacher was there for questions and other teachers had "open office hours" you could go talk to them. I appreciated having this at the middle school level.
Try the testimony in part 1 for 6/3/2009 at
http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/watchVideos.asp?program=schools
Minute 14 ...
It seems the district's inability to act properly in regard to air-quality has racked up about $300,000 in outside legal defense from Firkin's mold lawsuit.
WOW my confidence in EPA awards is now nil.
That said, I have no idea what it is like for everyone else. I would imagine you have to pay more money for aftercare because it is early dismissal.
Personally, I think it would be more effective to have one full day off instead of 3 two hour early dismissal days.
The School Beat announced that the Board will vote on the Levy package on Wed Nov 18 6-8pm.
Do you mind starting a new strand on the levy for a specific purpose?
The purpose would be
1) to find out if the people that read this blog like the idea of writing up a community-supported list of demands for the School Board, as prerequisite to getting signatoree support for the levy. The idea is to collect signatures of people who vow to vote against the levy unless the demands are met.
2) Find out demands the readers of/writers to the blog would want to see on the list.
I endeavor to put together such a list based on input from the community, and then get help to collect signatures. The more signatures we get, the more chance that the Board will comply with the demands.
The list of would only include highly justified and critical demands, such as (but would not necessarily be limited to) the following:
Requiring the Board to ammend the Seattle Public Schools Articles of Incorportaion with an irrevocable clause that
a) requires the Superintendent to uphold Board Policy,
b) prohibits the Superintendent from serving on the Board
c) makes the annual evaluation of the Superintendent and consideration of retention, pay raises, and bonuses contingent entirely upon the degree to which the Superintendent succeeded in fulfilling and upholding all Board policies, complying with Federal and state law and regulations, showing good moral judgment, and being appropriately responsive to concerns of students, parents, teachers, and staff.
d) prohibits the board from adopting new policies en mass [it appears that this is just want the current board is in the process of doing], and establishes some procedure for the Board to solicity public input and give such input due consideration in its deliberation over policy proposals.
Thank you.
My son is in K. I knew school would be closed thanksgiving week for conferences because I read the literature sent home at the beginning of the school year. We thought it would be a great chance to go away. What I did NOT know was that our teacher would post the sign-up sheet for conferences at the classroom door. As a working parent I very RARELY get to see the classroom door. So the first I knew about the sign-ups was a comment from our teacher in the weekly newsletter saying - 'some parents haven't signed up. Please make sure you do!' WOW. Yet another case where I feel like I am failing my child because I work outside the home and send him to before-and-after-school care. And now the only slots left are those on Wednesday. Joy. That aside - I prefer the 3-day closure even thought it costs me more $$ in the long run.
You should give that feedback to your child's teacher. Parent-teacher conference sign-up needs to be done in a way that is fair to all families.