Improving Our Environments!

Over the past week or so home improvement stores have been buzzing with business, selling flowers, bushes, decorative mulch and yard tools. Our friends and neighbors are doing their best to rake, shovel and trim their yards into shape. Today on a visit to my son’s house, he shared with me all he had done to clean up his yard. While we were looking at his yard, the neighbors were digging up sod to put in a new patio and his other neighbors were trimming their trees. Why are all of us working on our yards? It is because we take pride in our environments.

In much the same way, Columbia School District is working to improve the appearance of our schools through the Bond Issue projects. Working with Granger Construction Management and Kingscott Architects, Columbia School District bond committees have structured this summer’s emphasis to be at the middle and elementary school campus. While all of the schools will get new roofs this summer, the majority of the improvements will take place in Brooklyn at Columbia Middle and Elementary Schools.

Teachers and administrators met with design representatives from Kingscott to develop plans for the improvements on the inside of the schools. After hours and hours of planning, the Kingscott design architects have put together plans for both Columbia Elementary and Middle Schools. The designs for Columbia Central High School and Options High School are due to be finished in the next couple of weeks. Community members will have an opportunity to review the plans at the next Facility Improvement Team meeting on May 20th in the Community Room at Columbia Central High School.

It is an exciting time to be a Golden Eagle! Our planning for improvements to our schools is beginning to happen. Please join us as we continue to plan and work towards positive changes to our students’ learning environments! If you have questions, please email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 5175926641.

We Have Great Teachers & Staff Members!

This week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week in the Columbia School District and in schools across the country. The Columbia School District teachers and staff work hard to instill a love for learning in our students. They work to provide learning activities for our smallest children in preschool to our high school seniors who are actively engaged in determining whether to take a step towards college or careers. They are concerned with the well-being of our students. Our teachers teach with courage and vision challenging students to do their best and become life-long learners. The teachers are patient and support students as they work together through cooperative learning and problem solving activities.

Teaching is an important profession. Columbia School District has a host of great teachers who dedicate their lives to raising the knowledge level of their students. Our teachers arrive each morning with an enthusiasm for learning and a readiness to be attentive to the needs of their students.

Our staff members are adept at providing educational assistance for our students. The learning environment of our students includes tutoring, administrative assistance, helpful custodians, and food service support. The commitment of our teachers and staff members comes with a diligence to strive for excellence in the education of our students.

Columbia School District teachers and staff members are committed to securing a bright future for our students. Over the years our teachers and staff members caring attitude and nurturing spirit has increased the success rate of our students. If you have a chance to stop by a classroom please show your appreciation to your child’s teacher. Take an opportunity to say “Thank you!” in gratitude to the teachers and staff of their genuine support of student learning. Columbia Schools are a Great Place to Learn!

Columbia School District Administrative Assistants Are The Best!

Columbia School District has many wonderful, helpful, cheerful people in our organization. Since this is administrative professional’s week, I would like to introduce you to five very wonderful people who make Columbia Schools special. Ann Dyjach is the administrative assistant to the superintendent and the Board of Education. Ann has worked in the district for 24 years. She began subbing for secretaries and aides throughout the district. Her favorite thing about her job is talking to people and helping them. She loves the versatility and doing so many different things each day. When talking to her about the district she always talks about how much she likes the students. Just ask any of the students and they will tell you that she has a secret stash of candy that she keeps just for them!

At Columbia Elementary School the administrative assistant is Lori Hunter. She is the first person our parents and staff members see when they walk into the office. Her pleasant demeanor is reassuring to parents of ill children and teachers who need some support. Lori Hunter has worked for the Columbia School District for almost 16 years. She told me, “I enjoy working for Columbia School District because of the small community. Over the years I have developed sincere relationships with students and families across the district.” She continued by saying, “I have the best job!!! In what working environment can you receive so much love every single day? I adore all the hugs that I receive in a day. The students at CES are the best. They are kind and respectable. I am so blessed to work with a group of amazing teachers, staff and the best Principal ever!!” One thing is evident to anyone who sees Lori work with children; she exhibits a loving caring spirit to all!

Parents who call over to Columbia Middle School have the pleasure of speaking with Monika Cook. Although this is her first year as the administrative assistant, she has worked for the district as the ABC room aide. She enjoys working with parents, students and teachers. Her pleasant smile and easy going manner helps put even new students at ease. We are pleased to have Monika in the office at Columbia Middle School.

A fixture at Columbia Options High School is Jeanne Meinka. Her cheerful smile and nurturing demeanor is positive for students and staff. She has been with Columbia School District 29 Years, the last 26 working with Columbia Option High School students. When I asked her how she liked her position at Columbia Options High School, she said, “I like working with and watching the alternative students grow and change their attitude about learning. I love to inspire them so that can be whatever they desire to do if we build confidence in each one of them. She continued by saying that, “Encouragement is the key to most all things: Educations, sports and life.”

At Columbia Central High School we have the dynamic duo: Lana Lakin and Debbie Russell! Lana joined the high school staff over Christmas break. While it has been a whirl-wind experience getting into the swing of the high school office area, she finds it very rewarding working with the students. If she can lend a listening ear and offer any encouragement to better their day that is her reward. Students appreciate her calm demeanor and helpful assistance when they are in need.

When students think of Debbie Russell, they think of her quick smile and laugh. After working for the Columbia School District for 22 years, she still enjoys her job. She said, “I like a lot of things about Columbia Schools but my favorite is the students. My husband and I moved to this community in 1979, my children all graduated from Columbia Central High School, I have seen a lot of changes to this community and district and I’m very proud to be a part of the Columbia family.”

Talented Students at Columbia!

Columbia School District students come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. While most of us were enjoying Spring Break, Sophe Stahl wrestled her way to Second Place in the Women’s National Wrestling Tournament in Oklahoma City. This week Ryan Adams and Ashleigh Shay were named by the Jackson Citizen Patriot as some of the best high school basketball players in the Jackson area. Sophe, Ryan, and Ashleigh are only two of Columbia’s very talented students.

This week many of our fourth through twelfth grade students will decide to “join” the Circus of the Kids. This activity gives our students an opportunity to build their self-esteem, develop new skills and explore the world of performance. Much like the “Circus of the Stars” Circus of the Kids trains the performers through rigorous practice sessions over a short period of time. Our students began on Monday and will give their first performance next week, ending with a final performance on Sunday, April 27th at 2 pm in the Columbia Central High School gymnasium.

Last year’s performers had the opportunity to execute trapeze stunts, scarf and rope tricks, do acrobatics on the mini tramp, eat fire and balance on giant balls. Other students experienced success in juggling, hula hooping tricks, and performing as the Mistress of the Ring.

The Circus of the Kids began in 1982 and has included over 500,000 children from across the United States in the performances. Last year was the first time they had worked with Columbia School District students. The Circus of the Kids gives the students an opportunity to learn how to take steps to improve their persistence and resolve. The students learn their activities through a special blend of exercise, skill building and camaraderie. Many of the techniques they use to help train the students transfer into the classroom or onto the playing field.

Include the Circus of the Kids in your plans next week. You will be amazed by our students as they participate this great activity. If you have questions about Columbia School District or one of our many successful programs, please email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 5175926641.

Learning About the English Language Arts Common Core Standards

This is part three in a three part series describing the Common Core Standards. In part one I discussed that the word “common” means we have a common goal and will use common language. However, we will not be lock-step with other schools across the country and the curriculums we use to accomplish our goals under the Common Core Standards will be individualized to our students and their needs.

In part two of this series, I discussed the math standards and in this third part, I will describe the English Language Arts (ELA) Standards, which are structured differently than the math standards. Jennifer Fox, Jackson County Intermediate School District Curriculum Consultant, said that the shift to the Common Core standards “represent the shifting of necessary skills over time through societal demands.” These standards focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language strands.

Students are learning to read and understand more non-fiction through lessons that focus on locating evidence in the text to help them ground their thinking about a piece of literature. For example, rather than simply reading a book, taking a test over the book, then moving on to the next book, teachers tie literature together by relating one book to another. Because text complexity is an important aspect of reading which will help students to develop a deeper comprehension, Mrs. Dagenais, Columbia Middle School ELA teacher, is having her students to complete cycles of reading and then writing their reflections, then repeating the cycle. The cycles help students gain a deeper comprehension. She also said that she emphasizes “supporting the reflections with evidence from the text.” She teams with the science and social studies teachers to have her students complete at least one writing piece.

The literacy standards require students to integrate technology and digital resources with writing. Our first graders in Mrs. Hawkins class at Columbia Elementary School are using the Story Bird website to produce blogs and satisfy the standard which says, “Use technology, including internet, to produce and publish writing, and to interact and collaborate with others.” She commented by saying that she “can use this site to post private notes to my students about their writing and that family members may also comment on their child’s writing.” She added that her “students can go home, sign on to the blog, read and comment on other students work.” Mrs. Hawkins feels that by blogging, “it is a great way to collaborate and the kids are so excited to hear what someone other than their teacher has to say about their writing!” By using technology students will learn the strengths and weaknesses of different technological tools and know which one will work the best as they complete tasks in the future.

Mrs. Hawkins students are also working on the standard which says, “Write routinely over extended and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences.” Mrs. Hawkins says that her “students will most likely communicate with their audiences primarily through the internet or text. They are much more comfortable with a tablet and stylus than a pencil and paper.” In this way they are being prepared for both college and career. She commented that “allowing them multiple options for writing provides more opportunities to find a form of writing that really connect to.” 

When moving from grade to grade students are expected to accomplish the standards, review and reuse the ELA skills and techniques they reached in earlier grades, then progress onto the future standards. Mrs. Schmidt, an ELA teacher at Columbia Middle School said that, “The beautiful thing about teaching ELA is that many, many standards are incorporated into one unit by writing an argument piece.” For example, she relates that her “students will learn how to locate and interpret credible research, formulate an argument and support both sides of the issue, demonstrate proper citation, write in MLA format and present in class. This extended unit incorporates many standards from speaking and listening, reading informational text, and writing standards from Common Core standards.”

If you have questions regarding Columbia School District, please call me at 5175926641 or email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org.

Understanding the Math Common Core Standards

This column is the second in a three-part look at Common Core Standards. While the first article focused on a general overview of Common Core, this column takes a closer look at Math Standards and part-three will review English Language Arts Standards.

Many of us remember “New Math” or even “Basic Math.” While Common Core is, for most of us, a new way of thinking about math, it is not the same as “New Math.” Experts in Common Core often refer to this way of thinking as inquiry-based, which is designed to promote a deeper understanding of math.

Over a decade ago I heard Michigan State University professor William Schmidt, one of the authors of the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) speak on the fact that the math curriculum in the United States was “a mile wide and an inch deep.” He compared our curriculum and all of the things we expect students to learn to the curriculum in other countries, who at the time were doing better that the U.S. was on international math tests. It was amazing to see the charts and graphs and then begin to understand that something had to be done to assist our students learn math in a much deeper way.

The result of many conversations, lectures, research projects and meetings with top mathematicians from across the country is the Common Core Standards. The Standards provide students with the understanding and expertise students will need to be successful in their life after school, such as in college, trade school or in their work place. Students learn to justify why a particular mathematical statement is true, rather than simply memorizing many math facts. Even though the correct answer is very important, the Common Core Standards allows students to figure out how to solve a problem, and then asks the student what mathematical imperative or method was followed to solve the problem. The journey a student takes to solve a problem is just as important as the final answer.

Over the past year our teachers at Columbia Elementary and Columbia Middle School have spent a great deal of time working through the Common Core Standards. Recently, one of the first grade teachers told me that her students love math and ask if they can expand math time. One example she used was that when her first graders were working on learning about fractions, they use play dough or clay. They are able to touch and feel the size differences in the fractions as they work on a deeper understanding of fractions. After each exercise, they reflect and discuss their understanding of what they learned.

In another example, teachers use tactile objects called manipulatives to figure out multiplication. They may use blocks to form a multiplication problem like 3 x 4. They could use 3+3+3+3 or 4+4+4; they could arrange the blocks into a rectangle with three rows of four or four rows of three. Some students may have three groups of four or four groups of three. Students may also use visual objects such as graphs, lines, and circles to help solve a problem. When watching our teachers work with students during their math lessons, they may have students in groups sitting at desks, sorting and arranging manipulatives that may be eaten like fruit loops, or sitting in a group on the floor working to solve a problem together.

Our children are excited about this new way of learning math, but they may still have questions. One of my friends watches her grandchildren after school. She recently told me that sometimes she cannot help the youngest boy who is a kindergartner. When she gets stuck, she calls over the fourth grader, who understands the new Common Core Standards and he gets to be the expert. In addition to a new way of solving some of the problems, there is new terminology that comes with the Common Core Standards. If your child or grandchild is using math terms that are foreign to you, be sure and email your child’s teacher and they will help by giving you the definition and an example.

If you are interested in learning about Columbia School District or the programs we provide to our students, please email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

Learning About Common Core Standards

As a parent or grandparent of a school-aged child you have probably heard of the new “Common Core Standards.” To help students become successful in the increasingly prevalent global economy after they graduate from high school, the Common Core Standards provide the same high standards and academic platform for every child across the county.

Initially designed by teachers and researchers and adopted in 2010, the Common Core Standards for language arts and mathematics are now being voluntarily used in forty-five states. While the standards set forth objectives and goals, Common Core is not a curriculum. These standards translate into learning strategies that seem quite different from the traditional curricular activities that existed when we were in school.

The integration of technology through the Common Core Standards is integral to enhancing your child’s learning environment and becoming successful in a 21st Century technologically advanced world. Teachers will use various forms of technology as a platform for student learning. For example, recently a group of students created webpages that incorporated and applied academic knowledge about the 13 Colonies. The students used research strategies, combined with writing and editing text, along with knowledge of basic webpage design to integrate the information into a cohesive format which they shared with their peers.

When using Common Core Standards, teachers use their extensive knowledge of math and language arts to develop lesson plans and adapt instructional strategies best suited to increase learning activities that will benefit their students. The standards teach our children to use analytical strategies to deeply understand and apply their learning. Students will use critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to collaborate with each other academically. Some of the settings for academic discussion strategies your child’s teachers will use include one-on-one, small group, student presentation and whole class learning activities. The students will work to integrate, implement and assess informational sources using logical reasoning strategies to broaden their base of understanding.

While Common Core Standards do not include science or social studies, the Next Generation Science Standards are available and are being used in much the same way as our teachers are using the Common Core Standards for language arts and mathematics. The language arts standards address many of the goals and objectives used in a social studies classroom.

As the Columbia School District continues to implement the Common Core Standards into our curriculum, please feel free to clarify any questions by speaking with or emailing your child’s teacher or principal. The new standards will help your child be competitive with other children across the country. If you have any questions regarding the Columbia School District, please call 5175926641 or email me at pam.campbell@myeagles.org.