HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU Issue 5 2 H Hornet News ECHS@DSU March 2015 dream BIG dreams School Choice Lottery The Early College High School (ECHS) at Delaware State University held its first School Choice Lottery on January 30, 2015. There were 132 student names in the lottery with only 117 spots available. The names were drawn in a blind public lottery. Board member, Dr. Rebecca Fox-Lykens and Department of Education representative Debbie Stover assisted Dr. Coffield and Ms. Smith. The only preference that was applied was the sibling preference. Those chosen through the random lottery have until March 20, 2015 to make their final decision to attend ECHS. At that time, any available seats will be offered to students on the waitlist. Dr. Coffield spoke about National School Choice Week and distributed yellow neck scarves to all children in attendance. Participants in National School Choice believe that parents should be empowered to choose the best educational environments for their children. One size does not fit all when it comes to most things, including education. National School Choice Week provides an opportunity to speak out about the importance of and the need for effective education options for our children. IN THIS ISSUE guest Ms. Candy Young as our keynote speaker. Ms. Young is a former track and field Olympian and junior world record holder. The focus for January’s recognition was Most st Improved Student: 1 semester. Miss Angelina Rios and Mr. Kemuel Harding were selected by the teachers as the most improved students in the first semester. The PBS recognition for February will be: Being Prepared for Class Every Day (*dress code, ID, school supplies). Honor Roll students were also called up to be recognized for their hard work and accomplishments. ECHS Honor Roll distinction is for students who earn a grade point average of between 3.5 – 4.0. Merit Roll is for students who earn grade point averages between a 3.0- 3.499. ECHS Spring Break, Summer Bridge and more. Page 2 PTSA News The ECHS@DSU PTSA is looking to fill positions on the board. Your help is needed for an upcoming fundraiser and to help with a spring dance. Page 5 Smarter Balanced Assessment Parent letter and sample items Page 6 Join the PBS Effort! If you or your company/organization would like to donate a prize for our PBS program or become a member of the PBS Committee, please contact Ms. Thompson at: [email protected] or call 302.678.3247 (ECHS). Positive Behavior Support (PBS) The Early College High School (ECHS) Positive Behavior Supports Program is off to a great start this semester. The school held a PBS Assembly on January 29 with special Calendar Reminders PBS Winners: Olivia Libby, Alvin West, Kameela Lowther and Gerica Arganosa. HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 2 Calendar Reminders The 2015 ECHS@DSU Spring Break will be March 7 – March 15. The 3rd Marking Period will close on Friday, March 20th. There will be no school during the Spring term on the following in-service days: March 25 April 8 and 22 Mark your calendars for the 2015 SUMMER BRIDGE: June 22-July 24, Monday through Friday 2 HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 3 News from Nurse Krieger Family Meals: Recipe for a Healthy Weight? Could family meals be the key to keeping weight in check? University of Minnesota researchers studied 2000-plus teenagers for a decade to identify factors contributing to later weight gain. Among their findings, teens who ate one to five meals a week with their families were 10% less likely (than those who rarely or never did) to be overweight or obese as adults. The likely reason: they typically ate healthier fare. Plus, sitting down together gave families time to catch up and bond, providing a supportive environment and giving children the ability to regulate their own eating behaviors into their day-to-day lives. It’s not enough to just eat together; parents and kids must connect with one another. They see what their parents do and follow in their footsteps. Try having the family disconnect from the world for 30 minutes while you eat dinner. You can actually have conversations. Other keys include keeping meals positive. Don’t bring up homework or other touchy subjects while eating. Obesity ups the risk of asthma, diabetes, heart/lung conditions, and many other conditions. The best way to stay trim is to eat right, exercise and enjoy nice family meals. For more information on staying healthy, visit the CDC website and search healthful lifestyle. Join the ECHS Parent Advisory Council! Parent Advisory Council (PAC): Third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the ECHS@DSU. Join us to learn about and provide input on Parent Involvement, Title I, School Improvement, Programs of Study and much more. Learn about Title I and be part of the communication process between parents, teachers, and school administrators. The PAC will meet monthly to discuss issues of importance to the entire school community and is a representative body that provides the perspective of parents to the ECHS administration through regular communication with the school leader. Meeting dates: March 16, April 20 3 HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 4 PHOTO GALLERY 4 HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 5 The ECHS@DSU is seeking parent volunteers to serve on several committees: Safety Committee, Title I Parent Advisory Committee, Discipline Committee, and Perkins Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education. Please contact Dr. Coffield: [email protected] for more information The Early College High School Parent, Teacher, Student Association (PTSA) The Early College High School at Delaware State University is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age or Vietnam Era veteran's status in employment or its programs and activities. The Early College High School will not discriminate against any student in the admissions process because of race, creed, color, sex, disability, national origin or because a student's school district of residence has a per student local expenditure lower than another student seeking admission. Inquiries regarding compliance with this policy may be directed to the Director of the Early College High School at 302.678.ECHS (3247). The Early College High School @ Delaware State University has a vibrant PTSA. from the Earlymakes Collegethe High Schoolwork! at Delaware State University Charter Teamwork dream Volunteers are the heart andApplication soul of a PTSA. ECHS warmly welcomes and appreciates volunteers on campus. We are looking forward to some wonderful events in 2015! The ECHS PTSA meets on the third Monday of each month in the school atrium area at th 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held on March 16 . We are seeking volunteers for executive offices that have recently been vacated. We are looking to fill the Treasurer and Secretary offices. Please email Danielle Watson, PTSA president, as soon as possible for more information if you are interested in serving as a PTSA officer. The school recently received a very generous donation from the Dover Air Force Base Library. We now have books to begin our library at ECHS! We are looking for volunteers to help us unpack the books and place them on the shelves. If you are interested in joining the fun please email Mrs. Watson. The PTSA currently has three committees: Dance Committee, Fundraising Committee, and Recruitment Committee. Dance Committee Dr. Coffield is looking for parent volunteers to help plan and chaperone a Spring Formal Dance for the Class of 2018. Funds from this dance will be given to the Class of 2018 for their class events such as class field trips, senior prom, senior dinner and other class activities. Recruitment Committee th Parents of incoming freshman for the 2015-2016 school year have until March 20 to accept or decline the invitation to attend ECHS. Our recruitment efforts must continue to ensure we have a sufficient wait-list from which to draw if students who were th selected in the lottery held on January 30 decline. Parents who are interested in helping with recruitment efforts should contact Mrs. Danielle Watson for more information. Fundraising Committee The PTSA is planning to hold an indoor yard sale as the next fundraiser. Table spaces will be sold for a fee. Volunteers are needed to help with set up and tear down. Information about the event and how to reserve a table will be sent out soon. If you are able to assist, please contact Mrs. Watson. FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Mrs. Danielle Watson, PTSA President EMAIL [email protected] or 5 [email protected] PHONE: (302) 674-6261 HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU Issue 5 2 Smarter Balanced Assessment- Parent Information Dear Families, During the past few years our public school educators raised their expectations for our students and worked hard to get them ready for the challenges of college and the jobs of the future. Students are being asked to write more, think deeply about what they’re reading and solve more complex problems in mathematics. Now, it’s time to check in on their progress. This spring, students will take new state assessments in mathematics and English language arts. These tests are different from those they have taken in the past. But the tests won’t seem unfamiliar to our students because the questions will be similar to the work they are already doing in class. I’m writing to make sure that you understand how the tests are different, how they improve on previous state tests and how the results will help our educators continue to fine-tune their teaching. A few key points: In 2010, Delaware joined more than 40 other states in adopting what are known as the Common Core State Standards, which set clear, consistent and rigorous learning goals for students at each grade in English language arts and mathematics. The states voluntarily worked together on these standards, which are designed to get students ready to succeed at whatever they choose to do after high school. The new Smarter English Language Arts and Smarter Mathematics assessments allow students to show how well they have learned the standards for their grade. The tests ask them to write short answers, complete interesting multi-step tasks and explain their thinking. The previous assessment was given up to three times a year, but the Smarter test is only required to be given once a year. We will schedule testing in short sessions between March 10 and June 4 for grades 3 to 8 and April 13 and June 4 for grade 11. Your school will communicate your child’s testing days to you directly. Your child’s teacher or school may decide to give shorter tests during the year to gauge progress. No one gets excited about taking a test. But we know that these tests, which Delaware educators helped create, will provide information that will help our teachers better understand your child’s learning needs. They also will give you a reliable, meaningful, objective measure of how your child is doing compared to other students in the district, the state and the nation. Enclosed please find more information on the tests and how you can help your child at home. Thank you for your continued support as we work together on behalf of your child. Sincerely, Dr. Judi L. Coffield, Director HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 7 Smarter Balanced Assessment- Parent Information Smarter Assessments 101: What You Need to Know How are the Smarter English language arts and Smarter math assessments an improvement upon previous exams? ANNUAL: The previous assessments were given as many as three times each year. Schools are required to give the new assessments only once each spring. But your child’s teacher or school may decide to give students shorter interim assessments during the year to gauge their progress in specific content areas or they can decide to give the entire exam in either subject more than once. MORE QUESTION TYPES: The previous assessment was almost all multiple-choice questions. The Smarter assessments provide students the opportunity to showcase how they think critically and problem solve through items that allow the student to explain answers and show deeper knowledge that are more like what their teachers use on a day-to-day basis (examples on reverse page). How do these tests help educators? MEANINGFUL RESULTS: Delaware educators say these exams are more valuable tools for teachers because they provide a better assessment of student thinking and understanding. INSTRUCTIONAL IMPACT: The results of the annual test and the shorter interim assessments help educators by identifying areas where students are struggling so they can adjust instruction to reteach needed content and skills. What else do I need to know? SCORE REPORTS: The Smarter assessments require written responses that must be scored individually by people trained to judge them objectively. This process takes longer than it does for a computer to score multiple-choice tests. So families will receive score reports from the state in late July that will include detailed information on their children’s scores, what they mean and how families can support their children’s learning at home. EXPECTED RESULTS: Because the Smarter assessments are testing higher-level skills and understanding, we expect students to find them more challenging. We know fewer students will be proficient on this test than on the DCAS. That does not mean students are learning less. Instead, it indicates that Delaware public schools are expecting more from students and the assessment is designed to measure how many are reaching the new bar For a detailed calendar, which includes other tests your child may be required to take, go to www.doe.k12.de.us and click on Assessment and then DeSSA. For Spanish translation, go to www.DelExcels.org 7 HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 8 Smarter Balanced Assessment- Parent Information Example: Mathematics Grade 4 Example: English Language Arts Grade 11 For more information on how to help your child at home and a link to practice exams go to: 8 www.DelExcels.org. HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 9 ECHS@DSU Board of Directors Dr. Alton Thompson | President [email protected] Dr. Rebecca Fox-Lykens |Secretary [email protected] Dr. Teresa Hardee | Treasurer [email protected] Dr. John Austin [email protected] Ms. Joan Engle [email protected] Ms. Lois Hobbs [email protected] Dr. Marshá Horton [email protected] Charles S. McDowell, Esq. [email protected] Dr. Stephanie Wright [email protected] Mrs. Danielle Watson [email protected] Mrs. Grace Parfitt [email protected] Dr. Bob Martin [email protected] Dr. Robert Dayton [email protected] School Board Responsibilities 1. Research-based curriculum and instructional strategies, to particularly include the curriculum and instructional strategies of the proposed educational program. 2. Business management, including but not limited to accounting and finance. 3. Personnel Management. 4. Diversity issues, including but not limited to outreach, student recruitment, and instruction. 5. At-risk populations and children with disabilities, including but not limited to students eligible for special education and related services. 6. School operations, including but not limited to facilities management. The ECHS Board of Directors meets on the third Thursday of each month at 5:15 p.m. in the Early College High School atrium. All are welcome to attend. The next meeting will be held on March 5, 2015. The 2015 meeting dates are: March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18, July (no meeting), August 20 For Information About School Delays and Closings: Early College High School website: http://echs.desu.edu/ ECHS facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/echs.desu DOE school closing website: http://schoolclosings.delaware.gov/ Local news outlets Messages will also be sent out via our alert system. Please ensure your contact information including phone numbers and email addresses are up to date. Flu: Time to Give it a Shot! Source: CDC Did you get your flu shot yet? If not – it should be at the top of your to-do list. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends nearly everyone six months and older get a flu shot. It’s especially important for vulnerable populations – the very young, people 65 and older, pregnant women and those with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart and lung disease as well as weakened immune systems. But the healthiest among us need it, too. Flu activity in the U.S. tends to pick up in the fall and peak between January and March. But the risk can last through May. Remember: You need a flu shot every year. Other tips to prevent getting and spreading the flu: Wash hands frequently Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your arm when you sneeze (not your hand) Steer clear of people who are sick 9 Stay home if you feel sick or have a fever If you think you have the flu, see a health care provider HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 10 Mission The mission of Early College High School at Delaware State University is to provide highly motivated students with a curriculum concentrating on science, technology, engineering, and math that is integrated with the relevant curriculum at Delaware State University such that all students graduate with one to two years of college credits, preparing them for completion of a four-year college program. The school shall provide a safe, caring, and nurturing environment that develops the academic and social skills and personal character traits necessary for successful college completion, with a special focus on first-generation and other underrepresented college attendees. Vision Early College High School at Delaware State University will be a nationally recognized early college, STEM-focused high school that increases access to higher education and produces students who have the expectations and skills to make a significant impact in the global community. Goals and Educational Objectives The goals and educational objectives of the Early College High School at Delaware State University are: 1 1. To provide each and every student with the necessary Habits of Mind for approaching new learning challenges with the following mindsets, outlooks and intellectual processes: Open-minded, flexible thinking Listening with curiosity; seeking understanding Persistence in the face of challenges A focus on the long and broad view Seeking, listening to, and valuing diverse perspectives and approaches Intellectual risk-taking Seeking to understand how one thing connects to and intersects with another Artistic sensibility Considering the ethical implications of questions, problems, and novel situations Exhibiting a healthy skepticism Analyzing the critical assumptions behind any line of reasoning Applying past knowledge to new situations Humility; the ability to express joy at the success of others st 2. To develop students 21 century skills in order to survive and thrive in a complex connected world, which include: Possessing a deep, rich knowledge of core content areas and the ability to see connections among the disciplines Self-motivation and self-direction Exercising thoughtful social and cross-cultural skills Evaluating text and images for purpose and understanding Accessing, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing and applying information Communicating (orally, in writing, digitally, and non-verbally) with clarity and precision in ways that are appropriate to the venue, audience and media Using creativity and innovation to solve problems Working effectively with others; being a contributing team member Employing effective time management and organizational skills 1 Throughout history, people have concerned themselves with the transmission of shared values, attitudes, and skills from one generation to the next. Similarly, there are certain thinking skills associated with science, mathematics, and technology that young people need to develop during their school years. Taken together, these values, attitudes, and skills can be thought of as “habits of mind,” because they all relate to a person’s outlook on knowledge, learning, and ways of thinking and acting. Adapted from Chapter 12: Habits of Mind, www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/online/chap.12.htm 10 HORNET NEWS ECHS@DSU | Issue 5 Hornet News ECHS@DSU 1570 N du Pont Highway Dover, DE 19901 11 Teacher and Staff Contact Information Mr. Barry Young [email protected] Science Mr. Michael Sanchez [email protected] Math Mrs. Grace Parfitt [email protected] English Mr. Robert Grimm [email protected] Social Studies Mrs. Alyssa Wright [email protected] STEM Mr. Michael Roscoe [email protected] Guidance Counselor Ms. Kate Krieger [email protected] Nurse Ms. Kizzi Smith [email protected] Operations Manager Dr. Judi Coffield [email protected] or Director [email protected] FOR MORE INFORMATION Dr. Judi L. Coffield, Director 1570 N. du Pont Highway Dover, DE 19901 www.echs.desu.edu 11 Contact Info [email protected] 302.678.ECHS | 3247
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