The Academy Design Team has been hard at work since January developing a framework and timeline for the implementation of Academies at Kapa’a High School. The plans have been morphed and refined at each stage as we learn more from outside experts about best practices associated with implementing Academies. The team will be presenting the draft framework to the faculty on Wednesday, September 14th with the hopes of getting input and support from teachers. The framework will be refined based on teacher input and then presented to parents and potential industry, government and education partners over the next several weeks for more input and support. As the Academy Design Team would love to be able to respond effectively to any faculty questions about Academies, they are asking that you please send any burning questions to Lisa Mireles via Lotus Notes by Tuesday 9/13/11 at noon. Your Academy Design Team currently includes co-chairs Janis Gowan and Evan Costa; David Mireles, Denise Asher, Andrew Oda, Kelly Bailey, Carleen Haneberg, Chanelle Quinones, Lillian Wadahara, Todd Barcial, Todd Harrison, Kara Kitamura, Robyn Keawe, Kimberlee Stuart, Guy Ho, Colonel Bob Levoit, Beth Pemberton, Emmi Masumura, Lisa Mireles and Crystal Rowe. Please thank these colleagues for their hard work and dedication as they have attended numerous extra meetings, planning days and workshops in order to learn more how to best implement the Academy model for our students.
At Wednesday's, Sept. 14th PLC session, faculty will be divided into two groups. Assigned groups will be meeting in either the Band or Chorus room as presenters will be rotating. Teachers will be informed where they are to report early next week. Besides the Academies, will be addressing intervention strategies and pleased to have colleagues Tara Bonilla and Jim Cox volunteer to share. Attached is our school's intervention flow chart and ask that you read this as it aligns with the Department's Comprehensive Student Support Services (CSSS) intervention process.
Thanks to the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) grant we will be giving all of our 9th, 10th and 11th graders the PSAT test on Wednesday, Oct. 12. The testing will begin 1st period and run until lunch. There will be no morning recess that day. The seniors will be attending an assembly in the gym regarding senior project, graduation, senior contract, Jostens cap & gown and other fun stuff. All teachers and staff will be assigned either to the gym or to a classroom to test students. Because there will be no preps through this time, teachers will be released at 1:35 that day. There will be a full faculty training session on Monday, Sept. 26th in place of department meetings in order to prepare all of our teachers for their roll on Oct. 12, 2011.
Attached a revised calendar for September that reflects changes in allowing early release for both the Sept. 26th faculty PSAT training and Sept. 27th Open House
A reminder that the "My Courses and Anchor Standards for Writing" template are due to Beth Pemberton this week. You may submit as a department, HUI and/or individually. Administration will spend week of Oct. 3rd reviewing and making an alignment tied to teachers' syllabus.
Finally I want to revisit our "true north" as an educational institutio n . Our recent breakout groups on Wednesday, September 7th addressing struggling students and interventions was very revealing. Want to thank everyone who came together so that we are proactive in supporting and minimizing failures. These types of conversations must continue as part of our professional practice. Special thanks to our counselors for their facilitation and planned follow-up. Kudos to SSC, Doris Morioka Fulks and her clerk, Sheila Saiki for compiling the data and getting the information out. As professionals, we know the learning challenges that our students face and the importance to adjust/change to ensure that "ALL" students show growth. The inevitable truth is that when a student fails, we hold ourselves accountable as laying blame only on the student, parent, etc. is much too easy.....the education of every student must and will always be a collaborative process. Thank you for being life-long learners, professionals open to change/growth and truly supporting each other for the sake of our students.
Weekly Calendar:
Monday, September 12th: Principal @SLC consortium meeting - Oahu
Wednesday, September 14th: PLC group meetings 1:45 p.m. (Band and Chorus rooms)
Friday, September 16th: School-wide evacuation drill to Mahelona
Have a great week!
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