Lighthouse Corner Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence
Updates from Blue Ribbon
Schools of Excellence Inside The Blueprint of Excellence Network of Best Practices Newsletter
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Spotlight On...J.W. Killam Elementary School
Wolgast and the educational 2012 Reading Public School District Spring Institute Site Visit
community of Pioneer Trail Middle
School for becoming a Blue Ribbon
Lighthouse School - Febuary 6th, Blueprint for Educational Excellence National Spring Institute
2012!
Register by Feb. 15th: Rates Expire!!
Early Registration: Team of Four or More: $125 per person
! ! 2 for 1- Until Feb. 15th: $199
! ! 2 for 1- Feb. 16-Mar. 15th: $229
We look forward to having your ! ! 2 for 1- Mar. 16-Apr. 12th: $298
community as a member of the
Blueprint of Excellence Network of
Educators!
Latest Updates of the Spotlight On... Site Visit School
2012 Spring Institute
J.W. Killam School
What: 2-Day Professional 333 Charles Street
Development Institute Reading, MA 01867
(781)-942-9176
When: April 12th -13th, 2012
Principal: Cathy Giles
Who Should Attend:
This conference is perfect for teachers,
principals, superintendents and/or A T.R.R.F.C.C. Place to Be!
college students thinking about a career
in education and for educators seeking
implementations of the latest
instructional strategies.
It is our mission that our school community is to be a place where everyone belongs,
everyone achieves at their personal best, and where everyone’s accomplishments are
Complimentary Continental celebrated!
Breakfast & Lunch both days
J.W. Killam Elementary School was named a
Keynote Speakers:
2006 Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School!
• Dr. David Walsh
• Mr. Warren Phillips
Registration:
Reading Public School District Spring Institute ’12
2-for-1 Rates - will expire!
Individual Registration: $149 per
Team of Four: $125 per
All Call for Presenters:
Do you have a fabulous program or best practice in
education that you would like to share with the
rest of the world? Be a Blue Ribbon Presenter!
Complete the online Concurrent Session Form or
Download the form and submit to
info@blueribbonschools.com
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Newsletter | Volume 2, Number 18 | February 2012
Best Practices at J.W. Killam Elementary School - Spring Institute Site Visit School
We believe in the importance of educating the
“Character Counts” Education
WHOLE child by teaching our students about
the following essential life skills:
We are fortunate to have
exceptional grade-level Trustworthiness
teams of highly qualified Responsibility
educators to work with our Respect
students using the following:
Fairness
Curriculum & Instruction Caring
We teach grade-level Citizenship
standards using Bucket Filling
components of the
following: A
T.R.R.F.C.C.
• Everyday Mathematics Program Place to Be!
How Full is Your Bucket?
• “Fundations” Phonics Program
• CAFÉ/Daily 5 We Make Learning Fun!
• Science & Technology for
Children
Differentiated Instruction For our Students:
• !
• Life Skills Training •PTO Enrichment Programs
• Open Circle (Examples: North Shore Music Theater,
• Fine and Performing Arts Harvard Museum, N.E Aquarium)
• Physical Education •Understanding Disabilities
• The J.W. Killam Elementary •Character Education School Meetings
School is a Title One School •Student Service Squad
•After-School Enrichment Classes
(KOALA)
Enhancing Learning with •Learning Fair
Technology •Chorus
•Book Fairs
• Lap top computer lab
• Full Internet Access and Interactive
SMART Boards
• United Streaming Media !
For Families and Communities Read more
• Family Activity Nights about J.W. Killam
• Parent Education Workshops Elementary
on page 4.
Ways to Get Involved:
• Parent Teacher Organization
• Service Squad
• Volunteer for a variety of school activities
• Volunteer to assist in our media center
A T.R.R.F.C.C. Place to Be! Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
2! Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Newsletter | Volume 2, Number 18 | February 2012
Spring Institute Site Visit Information
BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
SPRING Institute ’12
School Site Visit BY Level
Superintendent Dr. John Doherty (L)
Visit www.blueribbonschools.com/conferences
for the latest information regarding the Spring Institute
Reading Memorial High
School prepares students to develop essential skills and
abilities for the 21st century. With an enrollment of 1260
students in grades 9-12, a faculty of over 100 professionals,
and state of the art facilities and technological resources,
students enjoy learning in student centered environments,
featuring such initiatives as project based learning, online
learning opportunities, senior projects, a Bring Your Own
Device pilot, and much more. Student learning is advanced
in inclusive classroom environments through co-teaching,
differentiated course content, and personalized support
structures including Freshman Advisory, Upper Connections,
and a Math Resource Center. Beyond the classroom, rich co-
April 12-13th - Two-Day Professional Development Institute curricular options abound, including prolific performance
Host School Site: Reading Memorial High School groups, sports teams, and dedicated community servants,
Select for More Information or Register Today! enabling all students to pursue talents and passions. RMHS
is proud to showcase a rich learning community.
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Newsletter | Volume 2, Number 18 | February 2012" 3
Reading Public School District Spring Institute - Site Visits
viewing of our daily news show Killam their bucket-filling behaviors such as
News Live! (a student centered webcam trustworthiness, respectfulness,
broadcast) After a brief welcome and responsibility, fairness and caring citizens
introduction from some of our staff members (T.R.R.F.C.C.).
and parent organization chairs, you will
tour our school to see 21st Century teaching We are especially proud of our Curriculum
and learning in action! and Instruction and Weekly Grade Level
We are fortunate to have exceptional Data Meetings. Although our
grade-level teams of highly-qualified Differentiated Learning Team will be in the
educators who use research-based classrooms team teaching, you will have a
If you would like to see a "bucket-filling" chance to meet with principal Cathy Giles
educational practices to support our students
school and meet lots of T.R.R.F.C.C. students to hear about these incredible professional
as they learn to demonstrate their
and staff members, then J.W. Killam learning communities and how the staff
knowledge in alignment with their learning
Elementary is the place for you! Our 60 collects, analyzes, and uses this Tiered
style and preferred multiple intelligences. If
member faculty and staff make our home-like Instruction Model (TIM) data to drive all
you’re lucky, you may even see a group of
decorated school a place where learning is future instruction. We are proud of our
students doing a variety of brain-based
fun for our 450 students each and every day. Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School and we
exercises to help stimulate their learning.
Our newly developed mission is that our welcome you to come and visit. Cameras
Current standards-based curriculum and and Questions are welcome, of course!
school is a T.R.R.F.C.C. (trustworthy,
instructional practices such as, Everyday
respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and good
Mathematics, Fundations phonics, the Daily
citizens) place where everyone belongs,
Five/CAFÉ model, Tiered Instruction Model
where everyone achieves at their personal
(TIM), guided reading, Multiple Intelligence
best and where everyone’s accomplishments
Theory and Open Circle are integrated as
are celebrated!
a key components of curriculum.
Upon entering our school, members of our
Through the use of our bucket-filling
student service squad will greet and lead you
philosophy, which is based on the books
to our dining hall, which was recently named
How Full is Your Bucket and Have You Filled
by our students, The Kids’ Café, for a quick
a Bucket Today? our students will model
Birch Meadow The Birch Meadow Elementary School Coolidge Middle School is characterized by
Elementary School motto, “Learn, Achieve, Believe a shared mission and vision, an
TOGETHER” voted on by the students, staff organizational structure of collaborative
and parents, sets the stage for a great teams, a continuous striving to improve,
learning environment. As a 2011 Blue and annual self-assessment to examine
Ribbon Lighthouse Award winner, Birch results.! The school focuses on integrating
Meadow features SMARTboards in every technology and 21st century skills across
classroom, computers on wheels, staff wikis the curriculum, effectively addressing the
and blogs, digital photo story displays, a behavioral health needs of young
computer lab with SMARTboard, a parent adolescents, and adopting best practices
! resource center, flip video images of events, for meeting students’ diverse learning styles
student and professional art work displays, —while at the same time providing a
wireless access points, assistive technology, successful inclusionary experience for a
language-based classrooms and hands-on learning opportunities. The daily instructional variety of special needs. Teamwork is the
program at Birch Meadow includes a Tiered Instructional Model for our 1st and 2nd grade cornerstone of Coolidge’s culture, and
students, guided reading instruction in grades K – 5, 21st century learning experiences, facilitating strong communication among all
Fundations Reading, Everyday Mathematics and block scheduling. the school’s stakeholders is also a constant
goal of the school.
4! Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Newsletter | Volume 2, Number 18 | February 2012
Best Practices
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence
2011 Award Recipients
2011 Blueprint for Excellence National Conference
Lighthouse Awards Banquet
Congratulations to each school for their efforts and participation in the
Blueprint for Excellence School Improvement Model.
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Newsletter | Volume 2, Number 18 | February 2012! 7
Blueprint for Excellence School Improvement Model
The Blueprint for Excellence can help your school determine how well
it is doing in nine areas of critical performance that research says
leads to educational excellence.
This comprehensive school assessment can guide the creation of a
school-wide action plan that includes measurable student achievement
and, potentially, can result in the honor of receiving the Blue Ribbon
Lighthouse School Award, which celebrates schools that excel in all
nine performance areas.
The Blueprint for Excellence is the brainchild of Blue Ribbon Schools of
Excellence, Inc., an organization of seasoned education professionals
with many years of experience in identifying schools of excellence for
federal agencies at the national level. These individuals have
dedicated their lives to immersing themselves in the finest quality
research on school excellence.
Their understanding of the components that accumulate to form a
first-class, high performing school has led them to create a
challenging, online self evaluation tool that schools can use to
compare their practices to the very best — to identify their strengths
and weaknesses.
What’s Happening at Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence
Upcoming Events
April 12-13, 2012 - Blueprint for Excellence Spring Institute, Reading, Massachusetts - Registration is Live
December 4-8, 2012 - Blueprint for Excellence Conference, Walt Disney World, Florida - Registration is Live
For 2011 National Conference Review Information- How is your school really doing?
Visit EduPlanet or Facebook for Photo Gallery & Blueprint for Excellence School Improvement Process
Presentation Handouts How to become a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Professional Development Course Offerings
Stay Connected to the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Network
8! Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Newsletter | Volume 2, Number 18 | February 2012