WW Today 08-25-10
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August 25, 2010 Quote of the week: Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken. ~Bill Dodds District News: • Winton Woods City Schools used this year's convocation on Monday, August 16 as an opportunity to support staff members who have had critical health issues during the past year. "As a symbol of our united support for these individuals, we asked everyone to wear orange that day," said Communications Specialist Gina Burnett. "Being a citrus color, orange conjures up thoughts of vitamin C and good health as well as a 'Who Dey' attitude." The district also hosted a blood drive that day on behalf of Steve Mathews, the district's business manager, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. in the Winton Woods High School library. Wearing orange at Convocation are Winton Woods Primary South staff members (l-r) Lisa Middleman, Barb Wetzel, Michelle Ronan and Susan Doan. This year's convocation theme was "You Are a Hero In My Eyes" and honored those in the district who have taken an extra step to help out others and ensure a job gets done. • Winton Woods Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe and the members of the Board of Education have set one goal for the district for the 2010-2011: to attain an effective rating or better on the state report card. "Although the district improved its performance index from 86.9 to 88.3, reflecting an increase in aggregated individual scores, Winton Woods City Schools earned an overall rating of continuous improvement and did not meet AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)," said Nasbe. Official state report card ratings for Ohio schools will be released Friday, August 27. The district will host a public meeting on Tuesday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Winton Woods High School library to discuss the district's current rating, detail the steps that have been taken to date, and provide information about the additional steps that will be taken to address AYP. Nasbe's vision for the district, which she referred to as "E3" in her convocation speech to staff members, means all the district's energy will be expended on becoming excellent, effective, and engaging. "Excellent means doing your best at every task," said Nasbe. "Effective means doing what you say you will do, and engaging means involving our students in new and creative ways of learning." Nasbe said the goal demonstrates the district's commitment to providing a world-class education to each and every student and to faithfully following its academic improvement plan. "It’s a goal which says, 'We care,' to our students, our parents, and our community." Letters were recently sent to families with students at schools in the district which have been identified as “in need of improvement.” The law allows students to attend a similar publicly-funded school, charter school, community school or virtual school that has entered into a cooperative agreement with Winton Woods to accept students and is not in “School Improvement.” Since Winton Woods has no mutual cooperative agreements with publicly-funded school options for the 2010-2011 school year, parents were provided with a list of virtual schools in Ohio that are not in School Improvement. Additionally, students who have not met proficiency in reading and math are given first priority for Title I-funded tutoring services, or “supplemental educational services.” AYP is an accountability feature of the No Child Left Behind Act which requires all schools, districts and states to show that students are making adequate yearly progress in reading and mathematics. The act requires states to establish annual performance targets that will result in all students scoring at the proficient level on the state’s assessment by 2014. To make AYP, a school or district must have enough students in a student subgroup scoring proficient or above to meet or exceed the annual proficiency target. The school or district is required to meet the annual proficiency target for all students and for up to nine subgroups of students. Winton Woods had to meet eight of the ten subgroups which include: • all students • six racial/ethnic groups (American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, White, Other/Non-response) • students with disabilities • students with limited English proficiency • students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. While Winton Woods City Schools met AYP in seven of eight groups, it did not meet AYP for students with disabilities for three consecutive years, placing the district and its K-8 buildings in school improvement. Winton Woods does not meet the required number for the subgroups of American Indian and Asian/Pacific Islander. "Missing AYP for the third year in row, regardless of one’s views on No Child Left Behind, is very disappointing news," said Winton Woods Board of Education President Jack Lee. "Our district administration and staff have worked very hard to meet these federal targets and raise state school ratings Reaching an effective rating is the district's first step, and we are looking for extraordinary results from there." Local reports cards are available online at http://www.ode.state.oh.us/reportcard. • Four employees of Winton Woods City Schools were honored with Globe Awards at the district’s convocation on Monday, August 16 for their outstanding work in the district. Receiving awards were (l-r) Winton Woods Middle School Social Studies teacher Dave Clark, Custodial Supervisor Wayne Chinn, Winton Woods High School Principal Dr. Terri Holden, and Technology Support Technician Doug Bertram. “At last year’s convocation ceremony, we asked staff members to set goals that would support our district goals of increasing academic achievement, improving culture, and assuring fiscal stability,” said Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe. The district’s Administrative Leadership Team then nominated staff members from each classification —teachers, administrators, exempt and classified employees—who had met their goals. “From that list of nominees, I chose the person who most advanced our vision of cultivating a world class education and offering exemplary customer service,” said Nasbe. • Winton Woods City Schools welcomes four new principals and one new assistant principal for the 2010-2011school year. Pictured at a "Meet and Greet" event held this summer are: (l-r) new principals Kendell Dorsey (Winton Woods Elementary), Tonya Bray (Winton Woods Primary South), Katie Klei (Winton Woods Primary North), returning principal Dr. Terri Holden (Winton Woods High School), new principal Lisa Votaw (Winton Woods Middle) and new Assistant Principal Jeremy Day (Winton Woods Intermediate). Returning WWIS principal Tonya West Wright is not shown. • Cameron Park Elementary School in the Winton Woods School District will be open to the public one last time before the building is torn down. The building will be open to tour or take pictures on Thursday, September 2 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Cameron Park Elementary was closed three years ago when the Winton Woods District reconfigured its schools. The site will be sold to the City of Forest Park once the building is demolished. Cameron Park Elementary School is located at 626 Waycross Road in Forest Park. • Winton Woods City Schools will continue its commitment to Chinese language and culture education for its students during the 2010-2011 school year with the hiring of two Chinese teachers through the Chinese Hanban and College Board organizations. Molly Zhang (left) will teach at Winton Woods Middle and Intermediate Schools; Diana Liu will teach at Winton Woods Intermediate and Elementary Schools. They are pictured with Winton Woods Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe. Winton Woods High School News: • The fourth annual Winton Woods Music Boosters Rummage Sale on Saturday, July 31 raised over $1100 from booth rentals and sales of donated items and school equipment from Cameron Park Elementary, which is being demolished. All proceeds earned by the sale benefit music programs throughout the Winton Woods School District. Major items to be purchased during the 2010-2011 school year include a new sound shell for the high school stage and new orchestra uniforms to replace the current ones that are over 20 years old. "We appreciate the support of our parents and community members during this sale," said Music Booster President Tina Stewart (pictured far right with band student Elise Mills). "Without their help we would be able to purchase new outfits for our music groups, provide scholarships for our graduating seniors, help offset the cost of the high school's spring musical or help with counselors' expenses at band camp at Wright State University." • Winton Woods High School junior Katelyn Budke designed this year’s band camp t-shirt which highlights the decade of the 70s. The show is called "That 70s Show" and opens with senior Paul Davis on trumpet with the hit song "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas. Others songs include "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps, "Venus" by Shocking Blue, and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)" by Parliament. Budke is pictured with Winton Woods Band Director Dani Ashbrook. • The Winton Woods High School Marching Band held its annual band camp from July 26 - 31 at Wright State University. Awards presented for 2010 include: • Best Overall Freshmen - Ciarra Ruck and Adrian Rankin • Best Overall Sophomores - PJ Rideout and Jasmin Shaw • Best Overall Juniors - Austin Phelps, James Honaker and Tony Boateng • Best Overall Seniors