San Bruno CA: SBPSD's Superintendent Dec 1 2016 Update - Part 2 of 2

This is part 2 of 2 – Part 1 can be found at: http://patch.com/california/sanbruno/san-bruno-ca-sbpsds-superintendent-dec-1-2015-update-part-1

So, with all that brain growth and activity taking place at such an early age- how can you help develop your child’s mind to its fullest potential? We learn first through our senses. Our first learning experiences are in response to touch, sight, and sound. Reading to your child in any language as well as engaging them in conversation will help your child grow and develop their brains. In the Student Services section of this newsletter, Ellen Merritt, the Director of Student Services references some work we are doing with our staff’s around DOK- or Depth of Knowledge. You can support this work at home using some of these conversation starters- You can use them yourself to ‘model’ your thinking process and set an example as well as engage your child in a conversation by asking them to fill in the blanks.

· Make a prediction- I think that…. because….

· Ask a question- Why do you think that…what makes you think that

· Clarify something- Now I understand because…at first I thought…. based on…. But now I think …because of …

· Make a comment-This is good because …I don’t like that because…

· Make a connection- This reminds me of …because…, This is different because….

· Summarize- I wanted …but now I … because

All of these conversation starters ask the thinker to recall information, analyze it and then report it out in a different way- This is a higher demand than just tell me about your day questions which just ask for simple recall. Instead you can ask, “Tell me the best part of your day and what made it the best part- or tell me about something you learned today and how it connects to what you thought before?” Their answers will also give you some insight into how your child thinks and how they are processing the world around them. An added benefit is it gives your child practice in more complex thinking as well as a feeling of being valued because you are asking them about their thoughts and feelings which is very rewarding and builds self-worth and confidence. So next time you are stuck in traffic, or have a moment- start a conversation- your child’s mind will thank you.

Kim Harper, Director Curriculum and Instruction

Student Services

In 2014, Michael Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education, reported that “ too many of the 6.5 million children and youth with disabilities in this country leave high school without the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in a 21st century, global economy. While the vast majority of students in special education do not have significant cognitive impairments that prohibit them from learning rigorous academic content, fewer than 10 percent of eighth graders with disabilities are proficient in reading and math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Too often, students’ educational opportunities are limited by low expectations. We must do better”.

In the past, the Department of Education has focused mainly on whether states were meeting the procedural requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In 2013, 41 states, including California, met criterion. Now the focus is on improving student results. When student success data using multiple measures was incorporated into the procedural compliance data, only 18 states met criterion.

To this end, Special Education Staff in the San Bruno Park School District have begun participating in trainings both in procedural compliance as well as in how to improve student performance.

For procedural compliance, which is important to preserve the rights of students and parents, ongoing trainings in observing timelines and writing IEPs is required. Karen Breslow, Program Coordinator for the San Mateo County SELPA, presented a two part training in November to Special Education Staff. Areas covered included an update on writing comprehensive IEPs, note taking during IEP meetings.

To improve student performance, Ms. Breslow reviewed with Special Education Staff how to write IEP goals for educational benefit. Kim Harper, Director of Curriculum, and I have presented the first two sessions of ongoing staff training regarding how to teach students using a Depth of Knowledge (DOK) format. DOK is a scale, or continuum, of cognitive demand. The simplest, level one, requires a student to recall of information. The highest, level four, requires a student to investigate and process multiple parameters of a problem over time and produce a multi-step, cross curricular project. By modifying the content material, the highest DOK level of teaching is appropriate for any student age and developmental level. For younger students or those with significant cognitive impairments, planning a fruit salad, making a shopping list and figuring out how to get to the market, buying the food in specific quantities, and cutting and serving the food on a well set table, can be comparable in complexity to developing a business model using research on supply and demand, local resources, and making predictions of success using mathematical graphs or a developing a multi-media presentation.

Ellen Merritt, Director of Student Services & Special Education

Human Resources

The state of California is facing an extreme shortage of teachers and substitutes. As you may be aware, SBPSD is feeling that shortage too. We would like to encourage our families and community members to let us know if you know of anyone who has a teaching credential or has the qualifications necessary to be a substitute teacher. We will pay the fee necessary for individuals to take the CBEST test and also the fee necessary to file with the State for the credential to substitute. Please call Jennifer Peponis at the district office if you know of someone who may be qualified or interested! Our schools NEED them.

Thank you, Jennifer Peponis & Cecille Mendiola

Dollars and Sense!

Student Attendance

Good Attendance is vital to student success in school. Regular school Attendance is of utmost importance if a child is to achieve his or her full potential! Furthermore, the State only funds the school when your child actually attends school.

Here are a few Attendance facts:

• Attendance is taken daily for each student.

• If the student is enrolled but did not attend, the district will not receive funding

• District funding is based on the Average Daily Attendance

• Last Year San Bruno Park had an ADA rate of 95.5%

• Our goal is to have an ADA Rate of 97% or higher

• On average, each enrolled pupil missed 8 days of the 180 day school year, last year.

• 1/2 % of ADA rate is about $100,000.

Attendance Initiatives in SBPSD

• Hire and Train Parent Liaisons at each school to do outreach with families

• Reinstate Wellness Committee to look at programs and support for students the areas of health and nutrition

• Investigate expansion of breakfast program at all schools and the dinner program at one school

• Attendance incentive programs being piloted at selected sites

• Developing parent/school compacts that urge parents to plan vacations on non-school days

• Training on mini-SARBs (School Attendance Review Boards) at the local level so each school site can do outreach sooner with families of students who are habitually late or absent

SBPSD has a goal to achieve a 97% Attendance Rate

So far, for the 2015-16 school year we are at 97% ADA. Let’s keep it there!

Thank you,

Sean McGinn, CBO

Student Nutrition

The months of October and November were placed under the sign of celebration! Our spooky Halloween menu, served from nicely decorated kitchens, brought us the highest participation in hot lunches ever! We also revived the Thanksgiving tradition by serving turkey and gravy with mashed potatoes and a special treat before the Thanksgiving break.

As 2015 draws to a close, we have started work on our new menus for 2016. We will offer a four week cycle menu that will change every three months. We will eliminate some items that students do not particularly like and will also introduce new foods each month. We will conduct tasting events of new items offered by our vendors, which will be fun. Stay tuned!

Thank you,

Fran DuBost, Student Nutrition Services

Tech as a Learning Tool

Televised Board Meetings: Thanks to Al Johnson, Rob Miguel & the crew at San Bruno Cable, the first stage of work has been completed in bringing our televised board meetings to Parkside, rather that continuing the use of the Crestmoor site. The cable crew installed new fiber optic cable on the Parkside campus to support the video feed and work continues on the endpoint connections. This project should be completed in time for the March televised meeting. We are grateful to San Bruno Cable for their ongoing support and partnership.

Thank you,

Don Hopkins,

Network Manager

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Robert Riechel

SanBrunoPatch.Robert@Yahoo.com

http://SanBrunoPatch.com

Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

Source Credit: San Bruno Park School Superintendent Cheryl Olson

www.RelayForLife.org/SanBrunoCA