July 2015
Karen’s Corner
Great Expectations for the Upcoming School Year!
The signs of major growth at School Lane are becoming more visible as our staff, and also many of our vendors, continue planning and preparing for the start of the 2015-16 school year. In less than a month, students will be returning to find facility improvements, new and more rigorous curriculums as well as teachers and staff eager to guide them to new heights of academic achievement.
Our high school will open in the same location as last school year, but with the addition of a 10th grade. Architect Bernie Elias, owner of the Elias Organization in Huntingdon Valley, is drawing up the plans and specifications for renovations at our new two-building International Baccalaureate (IB) Campus scheduled to open for the 2016-17 school year.
Changes to our curriculum implemented over the summer include new reading programs for Grades 4-8 and Algebra I for Grade 8.
“Expeditionary Learning” for Grades 4-6 and“The Reader’s Journey” for Grades 7-8 are reading programs based on Common Core Standards for language arts and align with IB expectations for rigorous curriculum. Full novel engagement is a highlight of both programs.
Since our incoming 8thgrade students demonstrate exceptional math skills last school year, we are confident in their abilities to begin their math journey in Algebra I to prepare for the high-level IB mathematics classes that will be presented to them in 11th and 12th grades.
The administration team also has been working on a professional development plan for our teachers. This year’s theme will be “Data that Drives Instruction.” Use of standardized test data and presentations on how to use classroom data to examine students’ work will be included in the first professional development days in August and throughout the school year. Our goal is to provide useful tools and up-to-date information to enable teachers to more precisely tailor their instruction to the academic needs of their students.
We are very excited about our focus for the year, and we expect to continue making instructional changes to attain high levels of academic achievement throughout all of our grades and the entire school year!
Current Enrollment: 1,089
All number grades are at their current capacity of 100 students except for Grade 2 with 99 students, Grade 9 with 97 students and Grade 10 with 68 students.
Kindergarten has 125 pupils.
2015-16 Waiting Lists: 364
Kindergarten: 107
Grades 1-8 total: 257
9th Grade: 0
10th Grade: 0
High School Report
Excitement is growing for the upcoming school year at the high school, which will have nearly twice as many students and classrooms as last school year because of the addition of Grade 10.
All staff positions, including teachers for the 10thgrade classes, were filled as quickly as possible to prevent the most talented applicants from accepting other positions first. Teachers are working with the administration to develop the Grade 10 curriculum. The physical space for the high school also is being increased to accommodate the addition of 10th grade. As students continue to enroll, the scheduling and class rosters will be updated.
GradesK-5 Report
Class lists and schedules have been finalized to help get the school year off to a smooth start. Professional development for the teaching staff will focus on the use of math groups and aligning K-3 math instruction with standards. Another focus will be responsive classroom techniques, which will help teachers start the year with a welcoming community atmosphere and established routines to build success as the school year progresses.
Grades 6-8 Report
Grade-level supply lists for parents have been updated and final adjustments are being made to the classroom rosters.Teacher development will continue to focus on consistent and effective practices that increase student growth and achievement through quality classroom instructional practices, teacher accountability, adherence to high academic standards and teamwork.
Learning Support
The number of students eligible for Special Education services continues to grow, with 102 students expected to receive services in the upcoming school year compared to 90 last school year. The number of English as a Second Language or ESL students remains at 54.Professional development for special education teachers in Grades K-4 will be provided on Functional Behavioral Assessment, a method to collect and review data to identify and prevent disruptive and inappropriate social behaviors. The introduction of guided math centers will allow students to work at their own pace and teachers to work with students as individuals or in small groups. A partnership also is being developed with BookShare, an organization that provides free reading materials to students with disabilities. The online service provides audio and enlarged text copies of books and periodicals.
Upcoming Events and Closings:
- Aug. 24: First day of classes
- Sept. 7: Closed for Labor Day
- Sept. 14: Closed for Rosh Hashanah
- Sept. 23: Closed for Yom Kippur
- Sept. 24: Closed for Eid al-Adha
Board of Trustees Meetings
- Aug. 27: Regular meeting, 7 p.m.