January 4, 2016: Adult Learning in the WGSD

Good afternoon,

This past Monday, as district families were enjoying their last precious day with one another and 7-12th grade staff were putting the final touches on report cards, preschool through 6th grade staff had a day of professional development.  While the afternoon was dedicated to building level learning, during the morning all staff came together at Hixson in order to learn in community with one another.  There were a range of topics shared and discussed including use of Google tools, democratic learning, and methods for collecting and utilizing student data.  With the exception of two, each of the presenters was either a teacher or principal working in the WGSD!  "Thank you" to our presenters!

One of the many topics which generated quite a bit of buzz that morning and in the days that followed was Novel Engineering, a session led by Kristy Daniels-Jackson (district gifted coordinator), Santana Barns (Street Geeks Consulting), and Jared Arms (CEO of Klyar.IO, an Android App Development Company).  Inspired by children, Novel Engineering is a new approach to integrating literacy and engineering.  Children use stories and novels to create design questions and then engineer solutions. While the hands-on session was designed to help educators support learning for all students, the facilitators placed a particular influence on providing strategies for engaging male students of color in STEM-related activities.  See the pictures that follow:





Each child, Each day...John

WGSD in the News for Learning

Good afternoon,

I hope each of you is doing well and enjoying the milder weather we're having.

As you may have heard, yesterday President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which reauthorized the Elementary Secondary Education Act created approximately 50 years ago in support of equal opportunities for the country's students.  The passage of the ESSA signifies the end of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that was approved in 2002.  Once the "dust settles," I will provide some information regarding ESSA and it's impact and influence on all that we do in the Webster Groves School District.

In the meantime, here are two powerful videos which serve as samples of the amazing learning that happens across our great district!

Each child, Each day...John

Click here to view the Channel 4 News Story regarding a learning community at Hudson working to create an educational experience and space for students grounded in the concepts from the district's School for Today Report.

Highlights from the 3rd-5th grade music concert at Hudson.

Democratic Learning in the WGSD

Good afternoon,

As we continue to move toward the district's vision of creating opportunities for learners to "discover and pursue our (their) passions," it's important that autonomy be encouraged and present in the learning of both the children and adults in the WGSD.  Please enjoy the videos below that provide rich examples of what happens when teachers and administrators put trust in the students to guide their own learning and experiences.

Each child, Each day...John

The first WGHS LipDub!

Desmond Reichold, first year music teacher at Hudson, provides 3-5th grade students with the opportunity to design their performance.

Patrick Bommarito, Spanish teacher at WGHS, provides his Spanish V students with the opportunity to creatively express their feelings regarding a Spanish song (another example below).

I'm thankful for...

Good afternoon,

In the spirit of the season, I wanted to express my thankfulness for all the members of the WGSD learning community.  Each and every day, the district community puts children and their learning at the forefront of all that we do.  Staff members work tirelessly with families and community members to provide students with the space and opportunities to discover who they are and what they are uniquely suited to do in this world.  For our amazing students, staff, and district community, I'm thankful!

Each child, Each day...John

"Student Success" in the WGSD

Good evening,

Last week, I had the privilege to share a few district celebrations related to learning and achievement with our board of education.  Here is just a small sampling of those celebrations from the 14-15 school year:

• The district's Annual Performance Report (APR - state "report card") score is among the highest in the state.
• Our 11th grade students performed very well on the first ever ACT given to almost every 11th grader across the state during the school day.
• More students took an AP exam than at any time, and the average score earned (3.69) was also the highest in history.
• In 2009, 0 students took an AP science exam and in 2015 94 exams were taken.
• The percent of African-Americans taking a weighted class (ie: an advanced class such as AP) increased by 30% and was the highest in the school's history.
• The percent of students suspended decreased to approximately 3.5%.
• More science fair projects were completed by elementary students in 2015 than at any other time in recent history.

Here are some other celebrations from 14-15, most of which were highlighted at the board meeting:

A number of district staff members interested in experimenting with and/or currently implementing innovative practices are now gathering on a regular basis to collaborate and share.

 The WGHS Coffee Shop provides select high school students with the opportunity to learn vocational skills in a "real world" setting.

Children at the WAFC explore the concept of sound in their outdoor playscape.

 Mick Fumo shared with 3rd grade students how he uses creativity in his daily life as a chef at Cielo in the Four Seasons Hotel.  

WGHS band students were recently treated to a master class with the Kevin Eubanks Group (ie: The Tonight Show).  The band played, took questions, and asked a student drummer to join them in a session.

Each child, Each day...John

The WGSD....A Great Place to Learn!

Good afternoon,

In my role in the WGSD, I get to see students and staff engage in really powerful learning opportunities that are relevant, challenging, and rewarding.  Below is a "sampler" of some of what I've witnessed over the past two weeks.  All I can say is, "I wish my personal memories of school looked something like this!

Each child, Each day...John

3rd graders from Hudson collaborate with WGHS students to draft and create simple machines.

Hixson 8th grade students test water filters they made to determine if they are capable of filtering at least 200 ml of water in 30 minutes or less.

A Vietnam Veteran shares his story with high school students about being a Sentry Dog Handler during the War.

Check out this rhythm two 2nd grade students at Bristol created using Garage Band and then their own voices.

This Steger student is in the process of writing an excellent story about "a special place."

This 2nd grade student from Clark worked very hard to create a unique instrument as the children learned about sound.

Amazing Leaders at Avery Elementary

Good afternoon,

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours observing the wonderful learners at Avery in action!  Here are a few examples of what I witnessed:

• Children engaged in an exploration of colors and patterns on a SMARTboard.
• Adults in numerous classrooms and learning spaces intentionally placing themselves at eye level with children (many on the floor!) as they played a game, collaborated on a piece of writing, etc.
• A teacher facilitating a beautiful discussion with her children in which they contributed ideas for how they might redesign or contribute to their classroom in a way that supports their development as readers and writers.
• Children laughing and having fun as they played a game in physical education which supported their development with gross motor skills and elevated their heart rates at the same time.
• Children playing a game on an iPad that required them to demonstrate their understanding of angles.
• Children working in learning spaces designed just for them!

Also, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch Evelyn Linck, Mia Willis, and Sam Miller, along with Dr. Arnold, share about Avery's Leader in Me program with superintendents and school board members from around the state.  The children rightfully received numerous comments for not just their speaking skills, but their poise and courteous demeanors.  They truly were the highlight of the conference for many attending including myself!

Enjoy the clips and photos below, as they serve as a small but powerful sampling of the wonderful learners at Avery!

Each child, Each day...John