"Every Student Career and College Ready"
Your source for information on what is going on in our school academically, and what teachers are doing to help make our school #1.
Teacher Leaders Angela Feaman and Janice Jamison have been really moving. October was a very busy month. Lots of exciting things were happening with students, teachers and parents.
Benchmarks have begun!! The first Benchmark was given during the month of October. Once again, Miller Career Academy scored higher than the St. Louis Public Schools District in all areas except one. Graphs were made and distributed to all teachers who attended the Ruby Payne opening workshop. Graphs will be displayed in all classrooms, all Teacher Resource Rooms, the Teachers Lounge, hallways, the Professional Learning Communities Room, and in office areas. Parents were also given the information of results of the First Benchmark at the Parent Panel. We are very proud of the work our parents, teachers and students are doing to ensure academic excellence here at Miller.
Three Career Academy students won the school wide National Vocabulary Championship and went on to compete in the City-wide competition. They were given an Award Certificate from the School and had their pictures taken. Their pictures can be seen on the first floor bulletin board for all to see. This event was a collaborative effort that included St. Louis Public Schools, Charter Communications, the Princeton Review, and Sharpie. Students competed in a game show format and were given the opportunity to interact with other students across the District. All participants received a National Vocabulary Championship Book Bag filled with educational items such as dictionaries, Sharpie markers, an NVC desk calendar, beauty products, and a Flex Hybrid Notebook binder. We are very proud of our NVC Academic Team. Teacher Leader Janice Jamison was the NVC Coach.
Prior to Parent Conference Day, a Parent Panel was held with each of the content area teachers during Professional Development. Parents and teachers had a chance to ask questions, receive answers, give expectations, propose suggestions, and simply have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with teachers and parents. This provided a very open experience for all involved and generated the TEAM effort of parents, teachers and students working together for academic achievement. Parents participating were: Ms. Peppers, (PTO President), Mr. Smith, Ms. King (Parent University Liaison), Ms. Stewart (District Office), Ms. Sims, Ms. Hodges and Ms. Jones, (PTO Vice President). All parents represented were members of the Career Academy PTO. Teachers of the Related Arts and Career Technology were also in attendance. We are very proud to have them on our team and together we will make a positive difference in our students. Parents were given certificates for their participation and a gift bag of Team Effort goodies. (see photos in attachment)
The School Performance Team also met. Bill Schicht, District Office Coordinator of SPT, met with Teacher Leaders, Administrators, Related Arts teachers, and others, as part of a continuation of a process that was begun last school year. The purpose of this team is to review data and provide information and strategies that will increase academic instruction in our school. More than 70 students at Miller scored at or above Proficiency on the 2005-2006 MAP test. Much of that improvement is due to the extra effort put forth by teachers and administrators to provide extra assistance to students prior to testing. Communication Arts had the Dream Team, Science and Math had Academic Camps that provided strategies for improvement. Again, we are so proud of the work being done by all TEAM members at Miller.
Meanwhile, Miller Teachers began their video/book series on “A Framework for Understanding Poverty”. Each week during the month of November teachers will meet, discuss, share, and study the book by Ruby K. Payne, and view the videos that correspond with the chapters. The first session was an Overview of the Key Points of Poverty. The second session will involve Resources and actual case studies that we will make decisions based on information given. Collaborating and discussing helps to open the doors of communication and understanding of all those concerned. The Related Arts and Career Technology teachers have also joined us in these presentations.
Miller operates with the TEAM effort always at the forefront. Mr. Warmack, our principal, and Mr. Koprowski, members of the Administrative Team, were in both the sessions of Parent Panels and the “Framework for Understanding Poverty” series. Our administrators are definitely leading by example. In addition, our Custodial Team made sure that all tables were clean, floors vacuumed, and the room presentable for Professional Development. Our slogan has become:
Miller Parents + Miller Staff = Successful Miller Students.
“Every Student Career and College Ready”
Janice Jamison, Teacher Leader of Communication Arts and Social Studies
Angela Feaman, Teacher Leader of Mathematics and Science
