School Attendance Matters (Part Four)

We have taken a couple of days off from posting due to the power outages in our area, specifically at our school.  Had this been a school day, this would have been one of the special circumstances that would have constituted an excused absence.  

Before we discuss attendance, I'd like to thank all of the men and women of Alabama Power who have spent the last several days making repairs around our state and specifically at our school.  Thank you for your and your families' sacrifices!

In today's post, we will look at a small section of the attendance policy, but a very important one to your student's grade in his or her classroom.  That is the policy on MAKE-UP WORK.  The updated section in the Code of Student Conduct states:

Makeup Work

A student may only make up work that is missed due to an excused absence.  Makeup work must be completed as soon as possible after the student returns to school but not later than three (3) days after returning unless specific arrangements have been made by the teacher.  When a student is out for an extended length of time, the student should collect, complete, and turn in work weekly unless the nature of the absence prevents the student from doing schoolwork during that time.  It shall be the responsibility of the student or student’s parent (s) or custodian(s) to arrange with each teacher to make up work.  A teacher may require the student to make up work after school hours, in which case advance notice will be given to allow to the student to arrange necessary transportation.  

In my time as a teacher and administrator, I have seen this policy changed several times from three days, to a reasonable amount of time based on the absence and assignment, and back to three days.  I've seen the district's data management system be locked so that a grade for missing work for an unexcused could not be entered by the teacher, and I've seen it unlocked so the teacher could enter the grade.  Let's talk about the policy and how Corner Middle School will administer it.

In the first sentence, the Code says that make-up work may be submitted only when the absence is excused.  Families, this is why it is SO IMPORTANT that you submit a written excuse to the school in a timely fashion when your child is absent.  Work that is not made up and submitted to the teacher will impact your child's grade.

Now, we realize that there is a difference in learning and grading.  We want our students to learn.  Not everyone is wired like me, but I would always encourage work that is missed to be made up regardless of whether a grade is assigned or not.  Yes. I can already hear, "Well, I'm not making them do the work if they aren't getting a grade for it."  

School work should be a part of a lesson plan designed by the teacher to help your student master standards that will grow them for work or study in a real world long after middle school.  We all should work together to promote our students' learning for life in the world to come.

The Code defines the timeline for submitting make-up work.  It uses "as soon as possible" upon return and  "not later than three (3) days" after returning to school.  That standard is the basis for what our teachers will follow. However, the policy also gives a teacher the latitude to work with students individually based on their circumstances.  This is why good communication between the family and the school is so important. 

For students who are absent over extended number of days, families can make arrangements with us to collect make-up work that can be done at home so the student does not get too far behind. After a student has been absent for THREE consecutive days, we will collect work in the office upon the request of the family.   The policy in our Corner Middle School Student-Parent Handbook states:  

Calls to the school to request make-up work for absent students must be received before 8:30 A.M. so that teachers will have time to prepare the assignments.  Assignments may be requested by telephone only for a student who has been or will be absent for more than three days.  Materials requested in this manner should be picked up in the office between 2:30 and 3:00 P.M.  For an absence of less than three days, please contact a classmate or the teacher upon the student’s return to school.

Finally, while we rarely request this of our students and families, a teacher does reserve the right to request that make up missed work outside of school hours.  This usually occurs when a student has gotten so far behind that the deficit impacts his or her opportunity for promotion.  In this case, advanced notice will be given to the family so that transportation is not an issue.

It is vital to the success of the student that he or she makes up missed work following an absence.  Please remember that make-up work for a grade is permissible with and EXCUSED absence.  So families . . . please make it a priority for yourself in 2018-2019 that you submit an excuse to allow your student to make up missed classwork, homework, projects, and tests.

In our next blog post we will discuss three major points of emphasis to the Code:

1. Attendance and Participation in Extracurricular Activities/Sports
2. Failure Due to Excessive Absences
3. Attendance and Driver's Licenses

School Attendance Matters (Part Three)

As we continue our series, Attendance Matters, we'd like to take a quick look at the section of the new attendance policy that is oftentimes a source of confusion for our families at Corner Middle School.  That is what exactly constitutes a "permissible absence."  The Jefferson County Code of Student Conduct for 2018-2019 states:

Permissible Absences

Absences may be excused for the following reasons:

1. Student illness;

2. Inclement weather which make it dangerous to attend school;

3. Legal quarantine;

4. Death in the immediate family;

5. Emergency conditions as determined by the principal or superintendent;

6. Absence to observe traditional religious holiday of local, national, or international origin when verified by the student’s minister or religious leader.

Any other absence not falling into the categories listed above or otherwise excused by the principal or superintendent or his or her designee will be deemed unexcused.

At one time, I thought this was pretty clear.  That's when I learned that people interpret this section very different from me.  I suppose that as "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," the interpretation of these reasons is subject to the person looking for the excused absence. 

As I have stated multiple times, we understand that illness is going to occur.  However, when a student has 30+ days absent due to "illness," it may be time to see more than the nurse practitioner at six different after-hours clinics.  Flu season is not a 10 month event.

Am I encouraging you to send a sick child to school.  No.  But they are students and oftentimes, they don't want to come to school.  Remember this guy?

While this is a lighthearted example of the problem, this happens.  So, requiring a seven day mental health break on a Carnival Cruise does not constitute student illness.  The other absence categories are related to special or unforeseen circumstances, and we work with families as these incidents arise.  

The Code of Student Conduct goes on to say: 

For each absence, a parent or custodian must provide an excuse within three (3) days of return to school following the absence.  Failure to furnish such an excuse results in the child being considered truant for each day of the absence (Alabama Administrative Code, §290-3-1-.02(7) (c). An excuse must include a signed, written statement from the parent or physician stating the reason for the absence and must include the student’s name and the date(s) of the absence(s).

One day I'm going to do a book on some of the excuses we see for student absences.  Families, please take moment upon your child's return to write his or her excuse with the information listed above.  And please note, the excuse must be submitted no later than THREE DAYS after the student's return to school following the absence.

The last part of this section states:

An absence will be considered unexcused under any of the following circumstances:

1. Failure to provide an excuse based on a reason described above within three (3) days of return to school.  For purposes of this three (3) day period, the day the student returns to school will count as the first (1^st) day.
2. Absence for any reason other than the excusable absences as listed above except in special circumstances as determined by the principal, superintendent, or his or her designee. 
3. Absences for any reason as explained in a parent note after seven (7) days have been excused by parent note during the school year.  Only seven (7) days per school year may be excused by parent note.  Any absences thereafter will be unexcused unless excused by a physician’s note or by permission of the principal.

Item numbers 2 and 3 may require some clarification. At Corner Middle School, you have SEVEN parent notes that will be excused by the school.  You can use those seven days for any reason you'd like.  But once you have used those seven days that can be excused with a parent note, they are gone.  You should use them judiciously.  I will discuss make up work related to this topic in tomorrow's blog post.

Before I even give an example, I am going to ask that you carefully consider planning extended travel when school is in session.  Again, there are 190 days in the calendar when your students are not in school.  But if you plan a Disney World trip during school, we will excuse up to seven days if your student does not or has not already exceeded the seven day parent note policy.  Church youth trips are not major religious holidays.  Participation in travel sports.  They fall under this category, too.

After three days of writing, I realize there is much to consider.  There is more to discuss the remainder of the week.  That is why we feel it is important enough to get this information out there for our families to see.

I will be happy to answer questions for anyone wishing to call me at the school at 205-379-3230 or e-mail me at mmanning@jefcoed.com.  Please check in for tomorrow's Attendance Matters post on make-up work.

I

School Attendance Matters (Part Two)

I really love this image because for so many adults, it would be true! For the students in our schools today, they could replace the word "Facebook" with Snapchat, Instagram, or some other social media platform that they use regularly and it would also be just as accurate. 

Everyday, like clockwork, people are on their phones or devices checking their accounts for updated information, snappy memes, good recipes, the latest gossip, checking on family and friends, or even reading the Corner Middle School blog (smile).  Most would get perfect attendance.  Oh! How I wish we could find consistent ways to make everyday at school that important!

In yesterday's blog post, we announced that we are putting procedures in place this year to work to decrease chronic absenteeism at Corner Middle School.  The plan is to spend some time up front communicating the policy and the school procedures to help our families UNDERSTAND the importance of regular school attendance, as well as sharing the consequences for chronic absenteeism and/or tardies.  During the year, we will put practices in place that will help us monitor student absences more closely and communicate more quickly to parents of at-risk students.  In addition, we are looking at incentive-based activities for students with excellent attendance.

Today, we will begin our look at the newly drafted attendance policy that will appear in the Jefferson County Code of Student Conduct for the 2018-2019 school year.  Our blog this week will break the new policy down into its sections to discuss key phrases and how it applies to the students and their family.  We will move around to discuss the sections as they fit into the conversation and not how they appear in the policy.

The opening to the new attendance policy on page 22 states:

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

The Jefferson County Board of Education believes that regular and punctual attendance is essential to a student’s academic success, in addition to being required by state law.  Regular and punctual attendance is the responsibility of both the parent and student.  Regular and punctual attendance at school includes arriving at school on time and remaining for the entire school day unless an excuse is provided to school officials.

Jefferson County Schools, like all public schools in the state of Alabama, are evaluated, in part, on student attendance.  Specifically, each school is measured by the number of students who are chronically absent.  Under the current state definition, a student is chronically absent when missing school fifteen (15) or more days during a school year for any reason.  Therefore, a student should be present at school everyday except when absence is absolutely necessary.

In the opening sentence, we are told that attendance is "essential to a student's academic success."  We discussed that in yesterday's blog and already know that to be true.  However, it goes on to say that regular and punctual attendance is "required by state law."  I'm not sure most folks really understand or think about that. In Section 16-28-12 of the Code of Alabama 1975, our state law sets guidelines for student enrollment and attendance, consequences for families that fail to follow the guidelines, and consequences for the student whose family does not see that he or she comes to school.  For more information about the Code, go to this website, click on Title 16 and then Chapter 28.

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/coatoc.htm

No one here at CMS wants to refer a student and his/her family to Early Warning with the Jefferson County Family Court, but it is the law.  We enforce our attendance policy to do what is right by the STUDENT who we so desperately want to see each of the 175 short days we have him or her in class.

To avoid this, we send out periodic letters as reminders to the families of students that are generated by Chalkable to help us inform you of your student's unexcused absence status to help you monitor their attendance.  Some folks do not like these letters.  Again, they are a reminder to help you keep up with the days absent.  We also give families their student's Chalkable PIN that allows them to access information that includes attendance at any point in the school year.  It is the responsibility of the student and the family to keep up with their attendance.  

Personally, I hate appearing before a magistrate or judge in court to discuss these matters.  It is an uncomfortable setting for me and most of all for the student.  I'd much rather be at school with our students and teachers watching great things happen in the classroom.  But it is part of my responsibility as the principal.  I have had families ask me, "You don't REALLY go to court with a family, do you?"  There are families who will verify that I do it, especially when the absences are so out of hand that I believe the student's academic success or personal well-being are at-risk.

Yesterday's blog discussed the state report card and the definition of "chronic absenteeism."  Instead of rehashing that in today's post, we will simply share this graphic:

Parents . . . Families . . . Teachers . . . On a monthly basis, we really don't have a lot of instructional time to lose with our students.  Twenty-eight days TOTAL over a two-month period as the first semester ends.  Fifteen total days out of 31 as the the third quarter ends and the fourth quarter begins.  Consider this . . . two days absent a month is 20 absences a year.  That is so much instructional time missed.

In 2018-2019, we want our school staff, our students, and our families to value each instructional day as a gift.  Again, we understand that illness occurs and that special or unforeseen circumstances arise. Please help your students and their teachers by going ahead and looking at the district's calendar for the year.  It can be found at THIS LINK.  I also sent a color copy home in your end-of-the-year report card.  Begin to make plans for vacations, appointments, and other activities on non-instructional days.  It can be done!   I would LOVE to give out 460 perfect attendance awards at the end of the upcoming school year.  This past year I gave out only four.

Thank you so much for taking the journey with us regarding the importance of school attendance in our blog.  Part Three of our Attendance Matters series continues on Wednesday.  Tomorrow's installation will clarify excused vs. unexcused absences and what constitutes each.  If you have questions, feel free to call us at the school at 205-379-3230 or e-mail me at mmanning@jefcoed.com.

School Attendance Matters (Part One)

Last year, the Alabama State Department of Education issued its first "School Report Card" for each public school in the state.  For middle schools like ours, the report card is divided into three sections:

• Student Academic Proficiency
• Student Academic Growth
• School Attendance

Corner Middle School received a B on its report card (Bagley Elementary received an A, and Corner High School received a B) based on 2016-2017 data.  The scores in our feeder pattern were good, but as we know we can always get better.  We are constantly working on our academic proficiency.  However, one of the other factors as to why our school  received a B was our school attendance rate. I believe if we were all truly reflective, we can improve on student and teacher attendance alike to address both areas in which we can grow.

The attendance rate is more than just a number, however.  The attendance rate of any school is very important because that school's students are more likely to succeed academically when they attend school on a regular basis.  It is challenging for any teacher and his/her class to build skills and master standards if large numbers of students are frequently absent from school.  

In addition to falling behind academically, students who are not in school on a regular basis are more likely to experience discipline issues, not participate in extracurricular or co-curricular activities, and experience social problems upon their return.

It also impacts you and your community financially.  Realtors sites like Zillow and Realtor.com (as well as many others) use these school statistics in their ratings of neighborhoods.  They can attract (or detract from) persons looking to purchase a home in a given area or bringing businesses to an area.  

Students who are chronically absent tend to struggle on the ACT in high school due to gaps in learning.  This hits your wallet directly because the higher the ACT score, the more money your student will qualify for academically for college.  The higher the score, the fewer the remedial classes your student has to take in the first years of college for which you have to pay, but for which they will receive no credit.

Consider this information . . .

There are 365 days in a standard calendar year.  Students go to school for 175 of those days.  That means they have 190 days in which they are not in school.  Those 175 days matter to us! Do we understand that illness happens?  Yes.  Do we understand that sometimes circumstances arise that cannot be avoided?  Yes.  However, when we do school attendance math, those days should be the exception rather than the rule.

The data from the state report card for 2016-2017 looks like this . . .

We own our performance data and look to improve it every day. But attendance in 2017-2018 did not improve.  In fact, we believe our attendance data will impact us more heavily with the upcoming state report card.  The State of Alabama defines "chronic absenteeism" as such time a student has 15 or more absences.  This past school year, 79 out of 460 students met that standard.  That is 17.2% of our student body who are chronically absent. (They fall into the yellow or red categories.)  When almost one out of every five students is chronically absent, it is time for us to work together to make a change.

Therefore, we are kicking off a plan that we hope will help us improve our attendance in 2018-2019 in order to better serve our students and their families.  That plan begins with understanding the attendance policy.  This week, I will break down the new attendance policy that we sent home in the end of year report cards.  Jefferson County has "beefed up" the policy district wide to help all schools address the alarming trend of students not coming to school. We will spotlight specific sections of the policy that are in the board approved Jefferson County Code of Student Conduct for the 2018-2019 school year each day this week.

It is our hope that understanding the policy and the impact of chronic absenteeism on your student, school, and community will help us navigate the waters of absences, tardies, and make-up work as we sail in to a new year at Corner Middle School!  Part Two of our Attendance Matters series continues tomorrow.

The Answer to the Summer's Most Popular Question Has Come!

For many school teachers, one of the milestones to which they look forward is when they can get into their classrooms during the summer to begin setting up for the new school year.  Some begin asking as early as the first week of summer.  Others have the routine down very well and wait a little longer.  New teachers to the school want to get in them to plan as soon as possible.  Then there are those who put a roller and brush in their (or their family's) hand and want to paint before setting up the room for day one with kids.

Regardless, the magic moment has come at Corner Middle School.  The floors are waxed and ready to go.  If you saw the earlier blog on the chaos of summer, you saw pictures of the hall floors piled high with furniture, computers, equipment, textbooks, materials, and boxes.  Now the halls look like this . . .


These pictures are the answer to the question that administrators and teachers across Jefferson County ask one another in the month of June.  "Are the floors done yet?"  The completion of the floors usually signal for us a midpoint in the summer and that the teachers and kids will return sooner than we think.

We are blessed with great teachers here at Corner Middle who want things to be just right for the first day of school.  So now, the teachers (and once again, teacher families), administrators, and custodial staff begin the process of sorting through stacks of furniture, boxes, and other materials that are in the wrong place, painting, purging unnecessary items, bringing in new textbooks and workbooks, creating bulletin boards and systems of organization, and planning.

Something that most folks find hard to believe is that getting a classroom ready for the opening of school and setting up the classroom environment is something that teachers put a great deal of thought and time into.  Each year, most teachers start with a fresh theme specific for that year.  They hit Wal Mart, Target, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Fred's looking for those things that will fit just right into classroom for the day one in August.

I had a personal routine as a teacher that I followed each summer prior to the opening of school in order to get the room ready.  When I taught English, I would sit in every desk in my classroom to see what the student would or would not see.  Then I rearranged and did it again until I thought I had it.  I needed to see it from their point of view.

And it isn't just the classrooms.  Several have asked to see what the office looks like after the stained and ancient carpet had been removed and the new floor put down.  Well.  Here it is!

 

  

The floors look SO GOOD!  We are still working to get everything moved back into the school office so that we can conduct normal business such as interviews, student enrollment, and welcoming guests.  That work is coming along well.

The administration, faculty, and staff would like to thank Royce Ingram and his team of workers with Perfection Commercial Floor Refinishing for the hard work and great service they provide to our school each year in helping us bring our teachers and kids back to school with shiny floors and this year, a great new office floor!

So teachers . . . the answer is you can have your classrooms back on Monday, June 25th.  We will see you soon!

A New Box of Tools, a Fork In the Road, & the Path That Will Make All the Difference

Most of us are familiar with the quote, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." In education (and daily life!), we are often presented with this quandary. Most of us can easily identify an area in which we can improve, but after that is where we get lost. Sometimes, the options we could potentially try are overwhelming, sometimes there's a lack of strategies or resources to address the problems we face, and sometimes just the fear of the unknown is enough to prevent us from trying anything at all. What's the best way? Is one way more reliable or trustworthy? Has anybody else tried this? Is this really going to do what we want it to do? When will we have time to do this? What happens if it doesn't work? What happens if it DOES work, what next?

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Corner Middle School was one of ten Jefferson County schools awarded a portion of a $1.1 million dollar grant funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Today, we began preparatory work for our Network Improvement Community (NIC) to identify and address mathematics problems we face in our individual schools. As I sat in a room full of educators, administrators, instructional coaches, and support staff, I was in awe of the privilege it was to be selected to participate in this endeavor. I kept thinking to myself, "Out of all the districts in the United States, Jefferson County was chosen, and out of all the schools in Jefferson County, Corner Middle School & Corner High School were two of the schools trusted to begin researching potential ways to help our students become the best mathematicians they can be." WOW!

Today, we experienced "Improvement Science 101". Through what we now know as a PDSA cycle (Plan-Do-Study-Act), we will begin identifying the individualized mathematical needs of our students, planning specific ways to address those needs, trying them out and collecting very thorough data in the process, studying what worked/didn't work, and acting from there. It is basically a framework for educators to really hone in on what we do, how it affects student growth in mathematics, and keep track of what works and doesn't work, all the while having access to specialized resources and groups of people with which we will collaborate. THIS IS NOT ANOTHER INITIATIVE! THIS IS NOT ANOTHER WAY TO DO MATH! This is a tool, a "network", that we will use to make sure our kids continue to get the best possible math instruction. It's what I truly believe will push us from being GOOD to GREAT!

During our session today, we got to try out the initial process in a non-mathematical way when we were faced with the problem of determining what US coin would spin the longest. It might sound silly, but it was the perfect activity for us to quickly work through the cycle behind improvement science in a relaxed way. We made predictions, tested them, changed the variables involved, re-tested them, and kept cycling through this process until we figured out what coin would spin the longest and the various factors that influenced just how long we could get it to spin. We tested it in small groups, made notes of everything we did, then worked in larger groups to share ideas and findings. As teachers, these are things most of us do on a daily basis in our classrooms. We have a finger on the pulse of learning and adjust our instruction minute to minute, day to day, in order to meet the needs of our students. Sometimes what works for one group doesn't work for another. Sometimes we have a great idea that works well but we fail to document it or share it with others so we can ALL see improved mathematical practices and growth. Sometimes we've tried everything we can think of and still aren't seeing the desired results. The PDSA cycle and framework will give us a more consistent structure for reviewing what works and what doesn't work on the classroom level, the school level, the feeder pattern level, and in our larger NIC groups.

I am so excited for what the future holds for our students at CMS, CHS, and throughout Jefferson County. Some of our middle and high school students have already heard that we get to participate in this process and they are pretty fired up! To quote one student: "This is amazing! Corner is amazing!" And I have to agree! It's no secret...anybody who knows me knows that I truly believe that we get to teach the best students on the planet, so it only makes sense that they deserve the best instruction and resources on the planet! We should always want that for them, and be willing to work towards that for them. It will be hard work, but it will definitely be worth it. I cannot wait to see our students grow, improve, and realize their potential as learners of mathematics.

Mrs. Rouse

Corner High's CTA Helps CMS Students Build Skills and Make Memories in Aladdin Jr.

Like so many educators, I am blessed to be able to keep up with so many amazing former students with whom I have worked from Corner, Bagley, Gresham, Erwin, and Warrior on Facebook. My personal rule for being "friends" on Facebook is that once you have graduated, "friend" me anytime.  I would be honored.

Being able to see where they've traveled, how their families have grown, what they've gone on to do are just of the pieces of news that bring educators joy after their students move on "to the real world."

From time to time, a post stands out to me as it relates to the young people with whom we currently work.  An example of such a post was on Facebook yesterday.  The post in the photo is about CHS Class of 2014 alumnus, Seth Burgess.

Seth is a very talented student, musician, and actor who was able to hone his craft with the Corner Theatre Academy.  He is currently performing in Theatre Downtown's production of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Through the hard work of Mike Putman and Debra Reeser, students at Corner High School like Seth have been given opportunities to work on the stage as performers and/or behind the scene on the technical side of the program.  They've earned scholarships, winning job opportunities, and developing many skills applicable to work and life in general.

This week, current CTA teacher/director, Megan Garner and her students at Corner High School, are wrapping up two weeks of CTA Summer Youth Camp.  During this time they have prepared students from Corner Middle School and Bagley Elementary to perform Aladdin Jr. this Thursday and Friday night in the CHS auditorium at 7:00 P.M.

Our CMS students have spent a week and a half already learning more than just putting on a play.  They have learned essential communication skills, team/community building skills, and confidence as they prepare to perform in front of family, friends, and the community.

Please go to www.cornertheatre.org or the Corner Theatre Academy's Facebook page to get more information on the shows and how you can support the students and their work.  If you'd like more information on how you can see Seth and his fellow castmates at Theatre Downtown, go to www.theatredowntown.org.

I look forward to seeing the show this weekend, and as I watch, I will wonder, "Is there a Linc Hand, Noah Holcomb, Seth Burgess, or one of a dozen more CHS graduates who've gone on to perform after high school on that stage right now?"

I encourage you to come and celebrate these amazing young people and the CTA's work this weekend!

Corner Middle School UCA Cheer Camp June 2018 at the University of Alabama

This past week, Mrs. Christy Griffin and I had the pleasure of attending the UCA Cheer Camp Bama II.  As we are currently without a cheer coach, we happily practiced with the girls the month of June and escorted them to camp for four days.

During those four days, the girls were introduced to sideline cheers, dances, half time cheers, new stunts, and pep rally ideas.  Each day, the girls would follow a schedule where they learned new material, practiced new material, attended private coaching with the UCA staff, and performed for evaluations.

On the first day, the girls were escorted by their amazing parents who decorated their room, fed them, encouraged them, and loved on them before camp even began.  The girls had a wonderful time that first day learning the ins and outs of cheer camp life.  That night we had our first team meeting where we went over the camp’s full day schedule.

The first full day (day two) was an adjustment for the cheerleaders.  They were introduced to A LOT of new material with only a short amount of time to practice.  There was frustration.  There was disappointment.  There were frowns and even a few tears.  After encouraging the girls and reminding them of their talents, they quickly bounced back that evening and the next day.

Day two also resulted in a lot of hard work from these girls.  Every time we made them practice, they never complained.  We could tell they only wanted to get better.  And better they were getting.  We told them what to correct, and they corrected it.  We could see the transformation of this young, green squad slowly changing into a squad of confidence and ability.

Day three brought tiredness and sleepy eyes, but it did not stop these girls.  They continued to work hard; they were determined to improve and win.  Their dedication and determination were inspirational to us.  They let loose and had fun at the UCA Space Jam-themed pep rally.  The girls enjoyed dressing Mrs. Griffin up in her “space gear”, and we all had a good laugh watching her be paraded around in her silly getup!  We practiced one last time that night, and the girls were competition ready.  We were determined to go to bed early that night, but a fire alarm sent us outside the dorms for a 20-minute wait.  After receiving the all clear, we headed back up to get some sleep.

Day four was competition day.  The girls were super tired from the last three days, and they were extremely nervous.  We were set to go second in each of the four competitions: rally routine, sideline cheer, band dance, and half time cheer.  As we were warming up and practicing, we could see the anxiety in their faces.

But when it was time to perform, they nailed it!  All their hard work had paid off, and they knew it.  We racked up several awards during our days at camp.

Red ribbon in sideline
Gold ribbon in rally routine (best you can get)
Gold ribbon in half time cheer (best you can get)
Pin it Forward recipient Kamryn Bonds for showing positivity and sportsmanship
Day two spirit stick
Day three spirit stick
1st place trophy for rally routine
2nd place trophy for sideline
2nd place trophy for cheer
2nd place trophy for game day overall routine (band dance, sideline, and cheer)

Let me say this...this is a HUGE accomplishment.  These girls brought home ALL of these awards when some schools went home with just 3 ribbons.  These ribbons, trophies, and recognitions speak volumes about how talented, dedicated, and determined these girls are.

Lastly, I can’t say enough of how extremely proud Mrs. Griffin and I are of these girls.  Six of them walked in knowing very little about middle school cheerleading, but they walked out looking like a veteran squad.  Our four returners were excellent leaders in helping to guide and encourage their fellow squad members in learning the routines and cheers.  Our four returners battled anxiety to tryout for All-American Cheerleader, and they were amazing.  This camp brought these 10 girls together in a way that will only help them to be successful during this cheer season.

Before I stop writing, I must give a HUGE thank you to our principal Mr. Manning and our wonderful, supportive parents.  We truly couldn’t have done all of this without your trust, love, and support.  We appreciate it more than you could know.

Although we are not coaching them this season, we are excited to see what they will accomplish.  We are always going to be there to encourage them and “cheer” them on!

Mrs. Little

Corner Middle School a Part of $1.1 Million Grant Study

Corner Middle School began work today with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the Jefferson County Board of Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction as part of a $1.1 million dollar grant study in our district (sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) designed to improve math instruction and student achievement in the selected schools.

In May, teachers in the math department at CMS conducted research and in-depth data analysis on curricular areas they felt require greater focus to help us better serve the students in our math classes in grades 5-8. They then wrote and submitted the grant application to Jefcoed and SREB to be a part of the study.

As one of ten schools selected by SREB, Corner Middle School math teachers will participate in a Network Improvement Community (NIC) study and throughout the school year, engage in a series of PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles to identify areas of growth specific to the needs of CMS learners, and receive funding for training and resources to assist in accomplishing their goals.

School administrators and district specialists were trained by SREB today, exploring the tools and the processes of improvement science, and administrators and math teachers from the school will be trained tomorrow as they work toward addressing individual school needs.

Over the course of the 2018-2019 school year, we plan to share more with our students, families, and community telling you what we've learned for the NIC, how we will apply it, and how we have grown and changed as a result.

Thank you to math teachers Rebekah Myers, Victoria Harris, Rachel Latham, and Jennifer Rouse for taking the time to conduct the research, write and then apply for the winning grant, and your commitment to improving student learning at our school and in our district!  We are proud of your hard work!

The other Jefferson County Schools chosen to participate in the SREB's NIC Grant study are Bragg Middle School, Irondale Middle School, Erwin Middle School, Minor Middle School, Minor High School, Gardendale High School,  Corner High School, Oak Grove High School, and Shades Valley High School. We look forward to learning with and from each of these outstanding schools!

We Love Our SROs and Their Commitment to Kids!

Too often in today's world, social media and mass media paint an unflattering picture of law enforcement based on the poor decisions made by a few within their ranks across the nation.  I am here to tell you that we are very grateful for our School Resource Officers (SROs) in Jefferson County Schools.

Most families and community members see them supervising at the ball games, talk to them as they handle issues within or outside of the school, or observe them dealing with traffic around the schools.  My friends, they are so much more!  Let me give you one example. 

Each summer for the last several years, the SRO Division of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has sponsored a NYPUM program here at our school.  If you have ever driven by the school and seen dirt bikes on the baseball field and wondered what was going on, that is a picture of committed law enforcement officials working to grow young people outside of the classroom setting.

NYPUM is the National Youth Project Using Minibikes.  The program sponsored by our SROs is led by deputies who are fully trained and certified by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.  The program combines the incentive of riding dirt bikes and a love for outdoor activity with the opportunity to be mentored by outstanding law enforcement officials.

The multi-week program offers boys and girls the opportunity to build character, overcome adversity, and learn to ride dirt bikes in a safe and structured environment.  The partnership between the student, the family, the school, and the SROs encourages good grades, good behavior, good attendance, and skill development on the NYPUM course.

At one time, SROs were most prominently associated with the D.A.R.E. program in our schools (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), working to help them steer clear of drug use. They work with students on a daily basis, however, in so many day-to-day encounters encouraging positive decision making, and developing good character, in addition to ensuring our students and staff are able to come to school in a safe learning environment.

Over the past several years the NYPUM program at Corner Middle School has seen significant growth with many parents expressing interest in their students participating in the summer months.  As opposed to previous years, the SROs leading the program have committed to two full groups at the school.  The two groups of eight meet on Mondays and Wednesdays to participate.  Several NYPUM participants are completing their second and third year of the program and act as models and leaders for first-year participants.  The NYPUM program is also held at other school campuses across the Jefferson County School District.

We would like to thank our School Resource Officer, Deputy Steven Drake, and all of the other deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department who are committed to leading this program and teaching another generation of young people self-discipline, character, and overcoming adversity in such a fun program!  

If you are interested in your student participating in the NYPUM program next summer, please contact the school office in May for more information.

Dad . . . One of Our Greatest Teachers

On this this special day, I would like to wish all of the dads, grandads, uncles, big brothers, or anyone else who fills the role of DAD in the life of one or more of our students, a very happy Father's Day 2018!  Dads (and moms) should be one of our very first and very best teachers.  Anyone who knows my father, Henry Manning, knows what a great father and great teacher looks like.

From instilling a work ethic to loving young people to serving others, I have learned so many lessons from him.  Retiring from Sloss Industries after more than 35 years to come and work at Bagley, my dad has left a legacy of love and respect with the students and staff at our feeder pattern elementary. 

Students who have come here ask me if I am kin to Mr. Henry, the man with the peppermints.  They tell me what a good man he is . . . how much he cared about them when they thought others didn't, how he made them behave and make better choices, how he encouraged them, and how he gave them responsibility that made them feel important.

Yes.  That sounds like my dad.  He is a great teacher.  He has forgotten more than I will ever know, and I have three college degrees.  He can fix almost anything.  He is stubbornly unable to quit, sit down, rest . . . even when he needs to.  He wants what is best for his family and that includes his school family.

It is true that in the trades of Mr. Mannings (I taught and coached there for seven years), Bagley Elementary has THE BEST Mr. Manning there now.  I don't think I will find a single soul that would disagree with that.

So . . . to all you DADS out there . . . thank you for being great teachers to the young men and women in our schools!   To round this out, below is a Twitter thread posted today by New York Jets quarterback, Josh McCown.  Follow it from top to bottom.  It illustrates today's blog topic perfectly!

Josh McCown‏Verified account @JoshMcCown12

Just got through standing in line at the grocery store. As the clerk scanned items and passed them to the young man to bag they began to pile up because he wasn’t bagging them as quickly as the clerked preferred.

2:07 PM - 17 Jun 2018

• 1,421 Retweets
• 5,253 Likes
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75 replies1,421 retweets5,253 likes

 

 

 

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1. New conversation
   Josh McCown‏Verified account @JoshMcCown12 2h2 hours ago
   The kid working the bags was a special needs young man with a million dollar smiled named Zach. He was happily taking our items, sometimes one bag per item and loading them in the cart. The clerks frustration grew but Zach slowly but surely got better with each bag.
   4 replies137 retweets1,156 likes
    
    
    
   Josh McCown‏Verified account @JoshMcCown12 2h2 hours ago
   As my wife and I patiently waited it was clear why Zach’s bagging had picked up speed. About fifteen feet over my shoulder stood a middle aged man sharing a similar infectious smile as Zach.
   3 replies131 retweets1,106 likes
    
    
    
   Josh McCown‏Verified account @JoshMcCown12 2h2 hours ago
   He stood there as any parent would with great joy on his face encouraging Zach with each item he picked up. It was the perfect picture of what being a father is all about.
   2 replies137 retweets1,309 likes
    
    
    
   Josh McCown‏Verified account @JoshMcCown12 2h2 hours ago
   On fathers day instead of being at home laying around getting to have the day to himself, he’s standing at the grocery store cheering on his son because his son needed him there. I’m thankful for this man because it showed what true love from a father is all about.
   8 replies217 retweets2,727 likes
    
    
    
   Josh McCown‏Verified account @JoshMcCown12 2h2 hours ago
   I want to say thanks to my DAD for being there and cheering me on all these years. To all the fathers out there Happy Fathers Day!