What is your favorite part of a new school year?
We would like to hear from you! Tell us about your favorite part of a new school year. Maybe it's the first piece of art your child brings home or maybe it's shopping for school supplies.
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This idea is active.Berkley Budget »
Berkley Budget
Add your commentRead the article in today's Detroit Free Press. Pay attention to the tenure issue. Tying it to teacher performance instead of service and masters degrees makes a lot of sense.
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Elementary Reading Curriculum
Add your commentGlad to hear that Berkley will be adopting the Reader's Workshop model for 2011/2012. Since this model focuses primarily on reading comprehension strategies, will the products(s) purchased also address phonics/word study instruction?
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This idea is active.Ideal Berkley Graduate »
One word - how would you measure it?
What do we want in our "ideal" Berkley graduate? Do we want them to be global citizens? Do we want them to have pride in their accomplishments? What do you want to see in the graduates from BHS? A few of our staff members have said they want students to be happy, confident, and intellectually curious. But how do we measure happiness? How do you know if a student is intellectually curious? The MEAP certainly won't ...more »
Add your commentWhat do we want in our "ideal" Berkley graduate? Do we want them to be global citizens? Do we want them to have pride in their accomplishments? What do you want to see in the graduates from BHS? A few of our staff members have said they want students to be happy, confident, and intellectually curious. But how do we measure happiness? How do you know if a student is intellectually curious? The MEAP certainly won't measure a student's ability to be a team player... So, to begin with, what do you want? Second, how should we measure it?
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This idea is active.Ideal Berkley Graduate »
Early Elementary Science Curriculum
Children are inherantly scientifically minded. They investigate and explore the things about which they are curious and attempt to gain more information in authentic ways. I wish the execution of our lower elementary science curriculum more reflected that natural impulse. Our young children should be making, doing and creating their way through the science curriculum, rather than listening and testing. It would help engage ...more »
1 commentChildren are inherantly scientifically minded. They investigate and explore the things about which they are curious and attempt to gain more information in authentic ways. I wish the execution of our lower elementary science curriculum more reflected that natural impulse. Our young children should be making, doing and creating their way through the science curriculum, rather than listening and testing. It would help engage those kinesthetic learners who may not be natural "readers" and "mathematicians" and provide opportunities for them to feel successful in the classroom. It may sound cliche, but I would like to see my child building and testing ramps, pullies and trebuchets during the unit on Simple Machines and building a model of the solar system and exploring it with a flashlight during the Astronomy unit. We must provide opportunities for our young children to meaningfully interact with the curriculum.
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Middle School Writing
2 commentsThe Grosse Pointe School District noticed a decline in their students writing abilities so they changed their language arts program. GP sixth graders now take two hours of language arts every day: one hour of fiction writing and one hour of non-fiction writing. This concept would be VERY unpopular with my daughter at Norup, however I think it would help her tremendously.
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This idea is active.Ideal Berkley Graduate »
Staff Engagement
Gallup, along with other organizations, have done considerable work on employee engagement leading to improved outcomes in the business world. Every business, workplace, school has staff (not just classroom teachers but especially classroom teachers/counselors who interact with our children) who are not "engaged". This means they might not have the will (for whatever reason) to connect with the children. This lack ...more »
1 commentGallup, along with other organizations, have done considerable work on employee engagement leading to improved outcomes in the business world.
Every business, workplace, school has staff (not just classroom teachers but especially classroom teachers/counselors who interact with our children) who are not "engaged". This means they might not have the will (for whatever reason) to connect with the children. This lack of engagement fosters poor achievement. Essentially if our teachers/staff are not engaged in their work, then how can we expect any improvement. I strongly believe that measuring staff engagement and then acting on areas of weakness will greatly enhance teacher effectiveness and thereby help ALL the children and the teachers. This however, takes leadership. Are you willing? (Providing of course you don't do this already. If you do this already, hearing the scores and what you are doing about it would be benefiical for parents.)
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Recognition of non sports achievements
3 commentsFor years, Mr. Youchang sent out a weekly email blast that highlighted the achievements of kids in sports. We need something similar for academic, arts, band, orchestra, club achievements to support our kids who achieve in these areas and help make it "cool".
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