Independence and Responsibility

Schools are places where students learn a lot of different things.  Recently, I have been noticing how much of the work we do is about building independence and the responsibility that goes along with it.  In kindergarten, children learn to select and stick with an activity during choice time.  In lower grades, teachers make sure that classrooms are set up in a way that builds independence – materials are labeled and accessible, schedules of the day are posted and reviewed, and children are encouraged to try to solve social problems on their own before reaching out to an adult for help. By middle school, students are increasingly responsible for keeping track of their calendars of due dates and tests. They are also coached on communicating with their teachers about areas of difficulty. (Teachers will reach out to students if there is a need, but we are coaching students to advocate for themselves.) 

Our students are building independence and responsibility for themselves in a lot of different ways.  At the same time, we want them to take on responsibility for the community. One way we do this is to have KP duty at lunch.  Each lunch period, homerooms or classes are responsible for making sure that garbage is put away, tables wiped down and floor swept.  Our students do this fairly well.  There are skills we need to teach such as how to wring out a wet cloth and wipe down tables (note: holding a dripping cloth between thumb and fore finger and waving it vaguely in the direction of a table isn’t so effective!)  In addition to this really basic skill, we are also teaching the students to be more aware of how they leave a communal space -- wrappers and milk cartons need to be tossed, a school of goldfish crackers shouldn’t be left swimming on the floor under the table, splashed milk should be wiped up.  Students are mostly pretty good about this, though, at times we need to do some familial nagging to get the job done. 

Recently, I have been having conversations with some teachers and parents that reference the importance of building independence.  As grown ups, we can be conflicted about how to strike a balance between encouraging independence and responsibility and taking care of our children.  Some of this conflict arises out of the constant press for time. Parents will carry backpacks in order to get out of the house on time for school.  Teachers and lunch staff will wipe down tables because another group of kids is coming into the lunchroom and we need to get moving.  We also often worry about their sense of self.  By helping them to solve social problems or do homework on their own, the more confident they will become.

Helping our children become independent and responsible is one of the most important ways we can help them become successful adults. 

Communicating About Student Progress

This year, we are modifying how we communicate about student progress.  This is partly in response to parents who have voiced concerns that receiving first report cards in January is late.  It is also because of the new format for report cards.  Last year was the first year that we used official DOE report cards for all students.  While we aren't crazy about the report card format and phrasing of the benchmarks, we are required to use it as it is a new mandate from New York State.  

We will be sending home three report cards this year. (Middle school students will not get progress reports in October. Instead, we are sending home an initial report card.  When calculating final grades in June, teachers will take student growth into consideration.) 

The first report card will go out just before parent teacher conferences in November. (Our teachers have voted to have the first conference day on November 10 from 12:30 to 7:30.  This is different information than that posted on other DOE calendars.)  This report card will provide baseline data and will provide a foundation for conversations about student learning during conferences.  We can also use this first report card to set goals for students so that we can work together to to better support student learning.  

The second report card will go out in March just before our spring parent teacher conferences.  The final report card will go home at the end of the school year.  

We believe that by sending home three reports of progress, parents and students will have a clearer sense of student learning in relation to the Common Core standards.  As always, if you have any questions about your child's learning, you should reach out to the teachers.  

Strong communication is bi-directional.  We want to communicate with you and we value your thoughts and feedback.  It is my hope that increasing the number of report cards to parents is responsive to your concerns. By working together, we make our school stronger and provide a better learning experience for our children.