Change = Improvement

One of the things that you have heard me talk about and write about all year is the idea of constantly improving. Any organization not working to improve is in decline. When everything around you is changing there is no such thing as simply maintaining the status quo and holding your spot on top. Others will pass you by and the success that you were having quickly becomes a thing of the past. If you want positive results and continuous improvement you need to get creative, continue to evolve, and try different things.

So in an effort to improve the educational program that we offer our students, we have been exploring different ways to provide more support for all of our students. Our high school has used the practice of Interaction Time (IT) for many years now, and it has proven itself to be an effective way to give our students more time with teachers. Essentially, IT is a 30 minute period at the end of the day where students can meet with teachers for a variety of purposes.  This time could be used for students to connect with a teacher for a class that they missed due to an absence or music lesson, to make up a quiz or test, to complete a lab, or for an extension of the classroom experience. In addition, it would provide an opportunity for our students to access our computer labs and library. This is much more than working on homework or making up work, this is about improving how we support ALL of our students in a time of tremendous change in education. After working closely with the Director of Transportation on the logistics and presenting this information to the Board of Education last week, we are happy to tell you that we are ready to implement IT at the start of the 2013-14 school year.  Below is a series of FAQs on that will help you understand IT. Please keep in mind that the times are approximate until we solidify transportation schedules.  

What will the middle school hours be next year?

The day will begin at 7:35 a.m. and end at 2:10 p.m. Interaction Time will occur from 2:15-2:50 p.m. There will be two bus runs, at 2:10 and 2:50 p.m.

Will my children have to get up much earlier with the new start time?

Most students will have to be out and ready for the bus approximately 5-13 minutes earlier than this year.

Will some middle school students be riding buses with high school students?

Yes, depending on the bus route some Middle School students will be riding with High School students on both bus runs. There is often a perception that the behavior of older students will have a negative influence on the younger students on the bus and some parents have expressed an initial concern with having them ride together. First and foremost we have terrific high school students and generally have few issues on our High School bus runs. In addition, we currently have our parochial students (over 300) in grades K-12 ride the buses with High School students each day and we have not had any behavior or other problems with younger students riding with older students since combining those bus runs in 2008. The other piece to this that Elementary and Middle School parents are typically not aware of is how few High School students actually ride our buses.  On average we have 17 or fewer students riding any of our High School buses to or from school and our buses hold at least 55 students. The majority of our bus runs for next school year will be primarily Middle School students.

Will Interaction Time occur Monday-Friday?

Students will have IT on Tuesday-Friday.  On Mondays, IT will be used for staff development and faculty meeting purposes. Students who participate in modified sports, clubs, school musical, etc. will stay on Mondays and attend a supervised study hall until 2:50 p.m. at which time their practice or club will start.

How much instructional time was lost as a result of creating Interaction Time at the end of the day?

None. With careful planning and looking at scheduling and transportation in a different way we were able to maintain the current amount of teacher-student instructional time and make better use of some time that existed on the front end and during the school day.

We are excited about Interaction Time at the Middle School and all of the opportunities that come with it to better support and challenge our students. Please feel free to call or email me should you have any questions.

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

@Sdunhamwgms

487-4615

May Update

I won’t take the time to give any more attention to the New York State assessments. There has been enough conversation and debate about their value, lost instructional time to administer and score, their connection to the Common Core Learning Standards, how scores are tied to teacher and principal evaluation, parents and students making decisions to opt out, etc., etc., etc. While it is certainly a great topic to debate, all of the attention given to it over the last month put a great deal of stress and anxiety on our students; unintentional perhaps, but real nonetheless. We are extremely proud of how our students handled themselves during the assessments at the end of April. They approached the assessments with focus, determination and great effort. Our message was clear: they are an opportunity to show how much you have grown and learned over the course of the school year. All we asked was for them to do their best! It is the same message I gave to my oldest child who is in 3^rd grade at Stonehedge – do your best and forget the rest! (P90X reference that makes a lot of sense) With the assessments in the rearview mirror we move on and get back to business as usual.

It's Game Day! 

Our spring sports teams are now in full swing. It’s very special to see the hustle and bustle on any given afternoon of our student athletes grabbing their lacrosse sticks, gloves, lacing up their cleats and sneakers, and heading out to their respective practices. We are all WILDCATS and it is inspiring to see the excitement and enthusiasm in the classroom carry over to athletics and fine arts. The majority of our students are involved with either athletics or fine arts, and many of them are able to manage being involved in both. Being involved and connected is a big part of being a well-rounded individual and an important piece of being successful. 

Softball: ready to hit the road



Law Day Winners

Speaking of being successful, three of our students won awards as part of Law Day. Each year the Onondaga County Bar Association participates in Law Day, which is a nation-wide event aimed at making the public more aware of what those in the legal profession do.  This year's theme was: Realizing the Dream: Equality for All.  Alyssa Fiumara won first place for her poster which was entered in the Creative Freelance Contest, and Nicole Barrington and Michelle Cassidy tied for second place. All three girls are in Mrs. Vertigan's Studio in Art class and were honored at a ceremony at the courthouse May 2. Congratulations!!

May and June are going to fly by with a wide variety of concerts, games, and other end of the year activities. I will post much more frequently as we head into the home strech. Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff. As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Enjoy this terrific weather!

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

@Sdunhamwgms