Mrs. Mirrione’s Back to School Night 2016-17: Talking Points
- Welcome & Gratitude to Parents
- Introduction of Jennifer Ambrose, Director of Elementary Education
- Introduction of Sheila Cheney, PTO President
- My professional and personal background
Overarching goals:
- Every possible effort to create an elementary school experience that is positive, memorable, and impactful
- Laying a solid foundation as fervent scholars, confident leaders, and compassionate ethical citizens
Highlights Reel: LOOKING BACK, Last year’s School Goals were:
- Maximize effective implementation of new math program and integrate technology for instruction and assessments—through rigorous PD plan, continuous feedback loop
- OUTCOMES:
- PARCC Performance-consistently exceeded district average by as high as 10% and was the highest or 2nd highest performing school across all grades and both LA and Math
- Full school increase in student familiarity and comfort level in using technology across content areas: research, presentations, educational websites/games, google docs, google slides
- OUTCOMES:
- Increase parent communications
- OUTCOMES:
- Weekly Principal Letter
- Weekly Teacher Newsletters
- Open lines of communication for parent suggestions/feedback
- Beautification Committee & other venues for parent input (TOY)
- OUTCOMES:
- Begin beautification endeavors and enhance students’ learning & recreational experiences
- OUTCOMES:
- Lunch clubs, expand enrichment club types and offerings
- Playground addition, new blacktop, additional options for play
- New sidewalks, pavers, grass
- Inside: painted rooms, carpets, furniture, room signs, bulletin boards
- Teacher lounge/PD room/Parent meeting space
- OUTCOMES:
Theme for this Year: Setting the Gold Standard
- Elevate the academic rigor of our lessons, learning activities, and student projects by designing instruction that reflects higher order thinking skills
- Set higher, clearer academic expectations by increasing the inclusion of exceptional student samples, teacher models, and high caliber exemplars as instructional tools
- Increase the emphases on critical thinking skills and complex text analyses within our lessons, learning activities, student projects, and assessments
- Clearly articulate criteria for expected student learning outcomes and products by using scoring rubrics, self-assessment guides, student checklists, and explicit grading scales.
- INTENDED OUTCOMES:
- “Upping our game”, refining our teaching practices
- Deeper, more engaging studies & learning endeavors
- Empowering students to pursue and express their learning in a variety of progressive ways beyond traditional models
- Continue w/ PD: instructional coaches, monthly meetings, coaching, model lessons, continuous feedback loop
- Structural addition: SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, AND CITIZENSHIP committees tying back to:
- what do we already do to nurture students being the best version of themselves as scholars, leaders, and citizens
- how do we aim to extend, enhance our practice and opportunities in these areas?
- INTENDED OUTCOMES: Continue to build upon our beautification endeavors, academic enrichment offerings, leadership opportunities, character dev’t efforts, and philanthropic endeavors
STUDENT SAFETY: Arrival lane rules – please stay in the lane and do not pull out. Proceed through entire lane and exit at end.
Enjoy your evening getting to know your child’s teacher this year. I look forward to spending another year together and if ever needed, pls reach out.
