Written by Jim McCall, Principal of Flint Lake Elementary
This past Monday night, I again had the privilege of attending “This Is Our Story” at Valparaiso High School and regaling in the festivities surrounding the art show and music concert. I was awestruck by the talent and effort displayed by the students and staff of Valparaiso Community Schools. An underlying theme to the evening is the relationship that is enjoyed between the community and the schools. Proud parents, invested community members, and esteemed faculty filled the gymnasium to support the students who were performing that evening. From elementary to high school, all of the students showed the audience the fruits of their remarkable labors. The dedication to the arts is an important component of any education, and it is most assuredly a hallmark of Valparaiso education.
“This Is Our Story” embodies the philosophy of VCS and Flint Lake Elementary School in particular. Our motto for the year is “Work hard, have fun, and be there for each other,” and we strive to live it every day. Our students and staff come to school each morning ready to work hard and improve every student. Teachers collaborate every Wednesday for an hour to analyze data and develop individual plans for every student, regardless of achievement level. Those plans are then executed throughout the week by the teachers as well as by our instructional aides through a variety of enrichment activities, including individual conferencing, small group instruction, and interactive computer software. Students are finding the value of their own efforts as they see tangible progress in their reading and math abilities.
Having fun should be a natural product of the hard work. We encourage our students to find joy in working hard by blending intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Our 5th grade reading challenge (“Read as Tall as Mr. McCall”) has students tracking their reading minutes outside of school, and it has resulted in over 145,000 minutes read by our 95 students in just two months! Other grade levels also utilize calendars, logs, and goal-setting to have students track their progress and seek continuous improvement in the areas of reading and math. Being there for each other extends beyond the daily interactions at the schoolhouse. Yes, good citizenship and CASS qualities are modeled and emphasized for all students; however, the importance of “community” is supported by the relationship between home and school. The constant two-way communication, grade level Bridges Math Nights, Flint Lake Family Nights, music concerts, and parent volunteers strengthen the bonds of our community, directly benefitting our students.
As noted author Diane Ravitch recently wrote, “We need to continue building the case about the importance of education, about the importance of having strong professionals, about the importance of having children ready to learn, about the importance of the family, about the importance of the community.” Together, we will give our students the skills necessary to achieve academically and socially, so that they may tackle any future challenges set before them.
VCS News
As part of the VCS Strategic Plan, a Whole Student Committee was formed, comprised of advisory leaders created within the strategic plan. The advisories are charged with providing leadership in researching and making recommendations for possible initiative implementation. A primary focus of the last meeting was to hear a status report from three top priority advisories: Response to Instruction (RtI), Literacy (IREAD), and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
Please click on the following link to access student-related community flyers: http://www.valpo.k12.in.us/Page/1019
VCS Standouts
The two nights of “This is Our Story” last week were outstanding. What a great demonstration of the musical talent our students possess. We are proud of our students and staff for their talent and dedication.
I recently completed listening sessions with parent groups and staff members at each of our schools. The sessions were very informative and provided an opportunity to hear concerns and answer questions. I greatly appreciate parents and staff members for sharing their thoughts.
Important Dates:
- December 20 Board Meeting
- December 22 Holiday Break Begins
- January 5 School Resumes