UDSD Summer Series: Q&A with Fort Washington Elementary Principal William Del Collo

While Upper Dublin students and residents have been enjoying their summer, employees in the Upper Dublin School District have been preparing for the new school year. This Q&A is the first of a series that will ask Upper Dublin principals what their schools and staff have been up to over the summer, and what parents need to know for fall.

Upper Dublin Patch: Summer is more than half way over, advertisements for backpacks are starting to appear, and that means school is just around the corner. What's new for fall?

Principal William Del Collo:

• Schoolwide theme for 2011-2012: Hooked on Learning:  The FISH Philosophy
• No Place for Hate – Year 3
• Action-based Learning Lab
• Response to Intervention - RTII in grades K-5
• Recess before lunch for all grades K to 5
• Expand our new vegetable garden initiative

UDP: A lot of students and parents don't spend a great deal of time thinking about school over the summer. However, administrators are working year round. What have your school's employees been working on this summer?

WDC:

• Our Faculty Handbook and Student Data Handbook will now be online for the first time for our staff when they return in the fall.  This will eliminate hours and hours of secretarial work from our support staff and be a great tool for our teachers and educational assistants
• Scheduling – Weekly Collaboration Time for each grade level, Four Day Rotation, RTII, lunch, specials, etc.
• Reviewing data – PSSA’s
• Planning for RTII & Action Based Learning

UDP: Unfortunately, the buzz word around public education these days is "budget." What's happened to yours, and how do you think that is going to translate to the students' education?

WDC: It has fostered an awareness of the need to find cost-saving ways to do what we have been doing in the past.

UDP: In the past year, we've seen a lot of public debate on nutrition education and school lunches at the district school board meetings. Where does nutrition rank as a priority for your school, and have any initiatives recently been introduced?

WDC: Our vegetable garden that is totally planned and organized by our students. We incorporate science, math, health, nutrition, and history in this initiative. A gift from a FWES parent’s foundation and a partnership with Primex has been responsible for this exciting initiative. [We are also instituting] Recess Before Lunch.

UDP: Fort Washington Elementary School is known for its success, particularly in achieving the highest standardized test scores of the four district elementary schools. To what is this success owed?

WDC: Highly motivated and dedicated teachers, support staff, students and parents.

UDP: How do you, as principal, keep open communication with teachers, staff, and parents?

WDC:

• Open door policy
• Weekly Listserv to Parents – “By George”
• Weekly Newsletter to the staff – “By George”
• Return emails and phone calls the same day

Check back with Upper Dublin Patch as we present Q&As with all of the district's principals.