Some of your colleagues have taken the opportunity to share some "small wonders" that have occurred recently in their schools. This newsletter column spotlights those happenings

 

SHARING PARENT EXPERTISE SCHOOL-TO-SCHOOL

Deb Hardye and Liz McNeff, Cornerstone Parent Representatives from Freedman Elementary School, a new Foundation School in Springfield, Massachusetts, shared their expertise with Linda Zajchowski, Parent Representative from Balliet School on October 25, 2006.  They shared information about the ways they support their own children’s learning, how they support families in their school through activities such as Family Fun Fridays, and shared resources and helpful advice.   Cornerstone Associate for Parent and Community Engagement, Sara Schwabacher, was invited to support them in this role.  She modeled a literacy leadership workshop they could provide to new Parent Leaders on reading aloud to support specific learning goals.  Each participant selected a children’s book and practiced how they might model reading it aloud to a group for a particular purpose.  The day was a success.  Principal Gloria Williams suggested as a possible next step inviting parents from the Partner Schools to attend some of the Freedman parent/child literacy events.

   

   

 

RIPPLES FROM SUMMER INSTITUTE CONTINUE…..
AT RIGDON ROAD ELEMENTARY, MUSCOGEE, GA

LESSON STUDY:
This lesson was the culmination of several days of collaboration of the Muscogee Coaches. They were inspired to do the Lesson Study after the Summer Institute, and the Stamford coaches’ collaboration stimulated this action.

 

 

 

---From Principal Sheila Brock at Downtown Elementary School in Muscogee County, GA:

My staff is amazed at the difference in the writing in our building since we became involved with Cornerstone two years ago.  I wish each
of you could walk the halls and see authentic, meaningful writing done by
students who used to strain to put pen to paper!

This morning my assistant principal came to me and said six students were late to class.  I asked her "why?"  She said, "They were reading the walls and
could not stop, so they were late!"  What a nice problem to have!  We
appreciate all you have taught me and my staff. 

 

Here are some wonderful hall displays that we have in our school (Downtown Elementary). This year we are working and focusing on the comprehension strategies along with many other things. At this time of the school year we have focused on schema, visualizing, questioning, and soon we will begin focusing on inferring.  Each time we focus on a strategy our principal Sheila Brock purchases a hard back copy of a wonderful piece of literature for each class to help teach the strategy. We then put up hall displays using the book to show what we have done in our classrooms using the literature and comprehension strategy.  It is amazing to see how our teachers take the book and do so many wonderful things using the strategy with the book.

Andrea Lewis
Coach
Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy
Muscogee County