The first two Brown Bag Enrichment Lunches for 4^th & 5^th graders are coming up soon!  Each of these is a one-time chance to meet with a volunteer presenter right here at school and learn about something interesting!

Tuesday, September 1^st

Mrs. Susan Korstanje (Kathleen’s mom and a published author) will come help

YOU WRITE STORIES

A creative writing workshop.  She’ll bring some fun exercises & ideas to help you write your own stories, how to get them published, and give you help getting started.

Friday, September 4^th

Mr. Bill Patton (Annie’s grandfather & well-read history buff)

Will come talk about

THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY IN OUR LIVES

He’ll tell you how Civil War General John Hunt Oley is connected to his own family and how interesting it can be to learn about history!

(if you want to read it, there is an article in the Herald-Dispatch on Aug 7 about Gen. Oley and can be found online)

Contact Grace to make a reservation (Southside students or children of presenters only)  and then bring your lunch to Mrs. Morehouse’s room during lunch & recess that day.  There is LIMITED SPACE.  You’ll get more info later!

We are taking signups (first come, first served, unless your child has already participated, then we will try to let everyone have a chance before getting “seconds”) for interested students to join an adult from the community with a special interest.  Each group will be small (only 15-20 students) and completely voluntary.  The children will decide which or if they wish to come.  The only cost is for the milk or lunch if your child gets that (it will go on their lunch bill, so free/reduced/regular ought to not be an issue).  The presenters are all volunteers!

Upcoming schedule:

Do you live in the Huntington area? Do you have a cool hobby, interest, talent that you would like to share with some self-selected elementary school children during a Brown Bag Enrichment Lunch this fall?? I am looking for people to spend 1 to 3 lunch hours at Southside Elementary in this volunteer program… Harmonica players (or other musicians), drama coaches (and other artists), geologists (and other science folks), architects, construction workers, poets, historians, police officers, storytellers.  People who know about dinosaurs or model trains or flower arranging or interior design.  Almost anyone with a skill or a hobby or a cool job or interesting information!

I am working out all the details and the schedule now… Comment or email me!

On the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, especially about brown-bag lunch enrichment:

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/ed_week_enrich.html

http://lmesem.org/newsletters/newsletter_oct2008.pdf

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/SEMR/ESJ%20SEM-R.pdf

AND, we could also have more read-aloud “Book Hooks”, possibly on different days for brown bag lunches?  The SEM-R program is about READING, specifically.  I have a separate book on that…

And I LOVE differentiated learning!

At this Renzulli model school, the kids have visitors or whatever come talk to them during brown bag lunch clusters.  This sounds like another doable thing.  right?  It’s gotta cost next to nothing, doesn’t take much time out of the regular day.  Just have to find people to come talk/show/demo and a space to put them with some kids.

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ToolsforSchools/sem.html

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/gifted/reading/theory/renzulli_e.php

I’m reading the Renzulli book right now.  Sounds good.  Three different “levels” of enrichment–level one easy (you provide them with lots of info and experiences);  level two more complicated but ought to be doable (group training activities–thinking & feeling processes);  group three is investigations into real problems–they do those on their own for something they are interested in.  He talks about the three interlocking circles of “above average  ability”, “creativity” and “task commitment”.  If you have a smart kid, or even a not so smart kid, they learn more when they are interested in what they are learning!  Shocker, huh?

Some of another of Renzulli’s book can be read online here.

In case you haven’t already subscribed to it.

Duke Gifted Letter

I was just reading an article about curriculum differentiation…

And an article on homeschooling gifted kids.

I go through this over and over again. I have smart kids. My husband and I were both smart kids. Even though I like our elementary school, I am not too thrilled about the lack of something being done to STRETCH and challenge my boys. I know that their regular classroom teachers are overburdened as it is, but they need something more. I could do it at home (and I do try), but when they come home from school they don’t much want me to make them do more. If there could be a way for them to be properly differentiated for at school, this would make me happier. They go to a gifted program, but that will really only last during elementary school (they are phasing it, I would say OUT, but the district claims it is going to be different) in another year or so. Plus, I have not found that the gifted program does much to encourage them to think more or more deeply.

The sermon that Pastor Paul gave this morning about things not happening because of a lack of resources but a lack of faith has gotten me all worked up again. About a different type of school. But I see walls and limits everywhere I look. Getting kids, getting teachers, getting space, worrying about scheduling and transportation. I have NOT homeschooled my kids. I think about it all the time. I don’t want them to miss out on some of the socialization they get there. Although, I admit, some of it I could do without, lol.

I am wondering, today (and I can also manage to talk myself out of it while I’m describing it!), if this is something that is doable. If you’ve been around me much over the last three years you know I really want to have a project-learning school for grade 6-12 in my town so I don’t have to send my kids to the big high school which I detest with the 70% graduation rate and very limited AP offerings (what is the point of a big school if it doesn’t offer more than a small school–which is how they convinced the taxpayers to build and consolidate??). But that is such a big thing to undertake. Made worse by the fact that there is no legislation in WV to allow charter schools. It would have to be private. I would not be able, in this economy, with everyone’s health insurance riding on their jobs, and their pensions, etc, to convince the really great public school teachers to come teach at it. Even if I had tons of money and could make it free.

Who would want to move their kids to a brand-new school with no track record? I keep wondering if there was a way to start it smaller. Could we start a one-day-a-week program that was basically a private-pull-out resource? Would we compete too much with the EAGLE school? Should I concentrate on that instead? Legally, parents can take their kids out of school to be homeschooled or tutored or whatever, even for just a few hours a week, and at our school the principal would let us without a big fight.

Could I find some sort of multi-age curriculum to allow kids to come someplace for one day in the week to do projects and thought-invoking and thought-provoking work?? Could we get kids to come? Would their parents be willing to pay a small fee to pay a “real” teacher?

I have tried the TAG program at school. I have tried doing after-school enrichment with a book/science club–which has been possibly worthwhile, but frustrating for me. I have had pipe dreams of schools. I have buildings in my head that will be available in a few months. I have lists of people who might be willing to give grant money.

If a one-day thing was successful, perhaps that could lead to a real school?

I need emotional support, lol!

I need kids & parents who would try it–they would not have to be “gifted” but they would need to be interested in learning and working and behaving well-enough that it wouldn’t be a child-care-prison job…

I am off to do research. Would love to hear from you about it.

Westest 2 sample questions By goodnessgraciouswv I complained to the CCBOE administration about them only having the sample test questions for the new Westest 2 available at fast food restaurants on the tray liners. They still don’t seem to get my issue with this, but sent me some of the questions. Not really the point, but, I will try to put them here for you, too.

Sample Westest 2 questions

FYI, these are also available online at http://westest.k12.wv.us/filelib.htm
I hope to find out from Dr. Smith if they are available in print somewhere locally for parents/public as well.

Thomas McChesney: Superintendent insults Highlawn community with his comments
February 19, 2009 @ 09:45 PM
The Herald-Dispatch
Comments about the Highlawn neighborhood made by Cabell County school Superintendent Bill Smith in a Feb. 12 article were insulting and disgraceful and illustrate that our Board of Education is completely out of touch with the community it serves.

Let me tell you about Highlawn. It’s filled with friendly people, affordable historic homes, parks and tree-lined streets. It’s convenient to schools and Marshall University, to entertainment and employment. It’s safe, walkable and a very desirable place to live.

The Highlawn Neighborhood Association brings neighbors together to reduce crime, fight litter, plant flowers and host community picnics. We’re partnering with the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District to upgrade two parks. We’re partnering with schools, businesses and churches to help the needy. We’re working on walking paths, public art and recycling. We are, in fact, creating a great neighborhood where people who desire a high quality of life can restore classic homes and be part of a real community.

I fail to understand why it’s so difficult for our public schools to work with the community when private schools seem to excel at it. They raise private money, use existing buildings and land, have increasing enrollment and high college-going rates. We believe that education is a shared responsibility and is of primary concern to our community. It should be a collaborative effort.

For two years, we tried to partner with the board to locate a middle school in Highlawn. We did so because we wanted to help create a school that would be an ideal educational environment for children and an asset to our community.

For two years the board ignored our offers to help and shunned our requests for consideration. From Mr. Smith’s comments, it’s now clear that board members did so because they have a complete disrespect for our community and disregard for the environment in which children, staff, teachers and administrators learn, work and play. That is a sad condition for a public servant.

Highlawn will continue on its path to be a great community again even without Enslow Middle School. I question whether our children will do as well.

Thomas McChesney is a resident of Huntington’s Highlawn neighborhood.

I am still upset about YESTERDAY’s “school news” where the Superintendent declared that the people in Highlawn who think keeping a neighborhood school could save their neighborhood are wrong.  Superintendent defends decision.  First off, what expertise does he have in this area?  Secondly, it is just rude.  He manages to slam any families who rent their homes at the same time, too.  And then the article goes on to say that plans are being made to re-utilize the Beverly Hill Middle School building for a consolidated Geneva Kent and Altizer Elementary.  I’ve heard this before, but it strikes me as ridiculous to claim, on the one hand, that the building is not sufficient for instructing middle school children (too dark and not built/planned to fit today’s curricula, is I believe how it has been put), while, on the other hand, it OUGHT to be used to house even younger kids (who, in my opinion, are better served, again, by maintaining their smaller, neighborhood schools).  Not to harp on the obesity issue again, but putting kids in a school they cannot possibly walk to, with possibly limited playground space (I’m not sure about the playground possibilities at BH, but I thought I’d heard complaints that it was landlocked, and it has been a middle school, where, typically CC does not have playgrounds or recess–even though middle school experts say they ought to) cannot help with the report from just a few days ago that our kids aren’t getting enough exercise or healthy food.

Then I get up today and find that the Herald Dispatch has even MORE lovely, depressing news for me.  On the Opinions page, of all places, is a nice big story about how the Miller school building has about one year to find a taker before it is demolished.  Editorial: Miller building has year to find new use or be demolished .  I cannot figure out how THIS is an OPINION, really, and how the HD editorial board has not mentioned the whole Highlawn/Enslow/BH thing recently.

I do not have any particular thing for the Miller building, but it is a LOVELY old building (high ceilings and hardwood floors, gorgeous windows on the stairwells…) and I did sort of dream that I could get it to be an alternative school.  If it is knocked down, not only is it a waste, but that will be one less wonderful venue for a different type of school in Huntington.  I would love to buy it myself to save it from destruction, but I doubt that I can find the funds to convince the school board that I would be able to maintain it.  We need some sort of a great entrepreneur type to help, because if we had a couple of shops or offices in the building, it could easily be a community-oriented building and house a school, too..  There is a gym with a stage, a kitchen, one “newer” part of the building with bathrooms and 6 classrooms, the older/main part of the building with the offices, 13 more classrooms, each with a sink and a coatroom and those high ceilings and hardwood floors, and a couple of smaller office-type rooms.  There are large bathrooms in the basement (with two of the classrooms and two large closets), on the main floor and the third floor there are half-baths located in two of the office-type rooms.  It is on 12th Ave and 7th St and only a couple of blocks from Ritter Park.

If you are the sort of person who knows what to do with a space like this, please email me  (if you want me involved, lol) or get in touch with someone at the BOE office!  Maybe the EAGLE would like to develop a real full-time building presence??