Vine Street School

                              Highlights 2016-2017

 

 

Academic Excellence

• Staff assessed students on reading proficiency using the F & P benchmark assessment.
  • The target for Spring proficiency based on a statistically significant increase from Fall proficiency rate was 70%. The school met that goal with an overall proficiency of 77%.
    • 96% of regular education students met the benchmark
    • 84% of regular education and resource room students met the benchmark
    • 77% of regular education and all special education students met the benchmark
• In mathematics, the school implemented the EnVision math program.
  • 82% of regular education students met the benchmark
  • 70% of regular education and resource room students met the benchmark
  • 67% of regular education and all special education students met the benchmark
• The school set a goal to increase the percentage of students achieving proficiency on the District Math Fact Fluency Assessment by a statistically significant margin. Our target was 38% which would demonstrate a statistically significant increase from the Spring 2016 proficiency rate of 34%. On the Spring Math Fact Fluency Assessment 43% of students demonstrated proficiency.
• All third grade students participated in the MEA assessments in Reading, Math and English.
• Staff encouraged students to read outside of school through several reading Challenges. Some challenges focused on reading across genres, some focused on building stamina, and some focused on having students respond to reading by evaluating the text and/or responding in writing.
• Many students took the Principal’s Challenge in math fact fluency. These students took the opportunity to try their mastery of the end of year math fact fluency assessment for their grade. 26 students achieved this goal. 4 students went on to practice and take the assessment for the next year’s grade—and did it! 1 student was able to master the end-of-year math fact fluency for the grade two years above his! Congratulations to all!

Professional Excellence

• At the school level, professional development was focused on implementation of Ready Gen, refining our mathematical instruction, and implementing Words Their Way. Staff attended 3 staff meetings per month. Principal Silk and Literacy Coach Curtis generally led the staff meetings.

• Staff participated in grade level professional development meetings with Literacy Coach Curtis once a month.

• Staff participated in grade level reading Response to Intervention meetings once a month led by Literacy Coach Curtis. At each meeting the team discussed students who were not meeting expected benchmarks. The team identified, using data, a specific skill for the teacher to address, strategies to use for instruction and set a goal for improvement to be reviewed at the next monthly meeting.

• Staff participated in grade level Math Response to Intervention meetings approximately every six weeks led by Principal Silk. Teachers used data from an analysis of assessments and daily work to determine skills in need of remediation. The team identified strategies for instruction and set a goal to be reviewed at the next meeting.

• Mrs. Timms continued taking courses in special education to become fully certified as a special education teacher.

• Mrs. Perrow completed 2 courses in her program to become fully certified as an early elementary teacher.

• Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Dorman, Mrs. Dionne and Mrs. Clark took advantage of a professional development opportunity offered by the district’s literacy coaches on Words Their Way.

• Principal Silk attended the National Mathematics Coaching Conference hosted by the University of Farmington.

• Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Sherry attended a workshop on Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions.

• Principal Silk and Literacy Coach Curtis attended a UM special event, Writers are Readers with Lester Laminak

• Speech Pathologist Alaimo attended the Five Point Scale Conference and the Quarterly Fluency Scale Discussion.

• Literacy Coach Curtis attended the MPCL special events Writing with Laura Robb and Teaching for Transfer with Linda Dorn.

• Literacy Coach Curtis and Title I teacher Julie Bishop attended monthly Reading Recovery Continuing Professional Development sessions.

• Literacy Coach Curtis attended MCPL Literacy Coaching Continued Professional Development sessions.

• PE instructor Pangburn attended the Maine Association for Health PE, Recreation and Dance conference.

• Mrs. Timms attended a workshop on Behavior Data in the Education Setting

• All special education staff attended district meetings led by Assistant Director Ganglfinger.

• Principal Silk and third grade teachers, Mrs. Gilpin and Mrs. Douglas, served on a district team to create plans for implementing STEMscopes into the third grade classrooms.

• Principal Silk and teachers Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Dionne will attend summer sessions to create plans for implementing STEMscopes into first and second grade classrooms.

• Mrs. Gilpin will represent the Vine Street School at the district summer session designed to standardize the Downeast to Bangor unit.

• Principal Silk, Literacy Coach Curtis, Guidance Counselor Morris and Teachers Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Dionne, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Douglas and Mrs. Timms comprised the SCC team.

• Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Dionne regularly attended PTO meetings to represent staff.

• Mrs. Clark served on the Teacher Advisory Committee

• School secretary Mrs. Robertson and teachers Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Perrow and Mrs. Sherry served on the school’s social committee.

• Mrs. Marta Robbins, formerly of JFDS, stepped in to substitute for the vacant art position. She did a fantastic job filling this role. She agreed to continue her original commitment of six weeks by becoming a long-term substitute.

• The custodial team works all year to keep the building safe and clean. This year Mr. Whitney reclaimed the flower garden around the flagpole. It looks great!

 

Quality Instructional Programs

• Staff implemented the Ready Gen Reading series as the core reading program.
• Students studied math using the EnVision Math materials
• Teachers used Words Their Way as the core spelling program.
• K-2 classes completed the District science units on water.
• The third grade began using STEMscopes as an inquiry-based approach to science. The Scopes used this year were Life Cycles of Plants, Weather, Electric and Magnetic Forces and Objects and Motion.
• Literacy took on a new dimension this year with the return of the dramatic arts to Vine Street. Students gave two presentations. The first was a readers’ theatre version of Chris Van Dusen’s book The Circus Ship. The second was a full-length play Beauty is a Beast. The author of Beauty is a Beast, D.M. Larson granted permission for the school to perform the play free of charge.
• Again this year, third grade students under the direction of music teacher Ann Small entertained families and community members at two events-the Winter Concert held at the Vine Street School and the All-City Concert held at BHS.
• Kindergarten classes study traditions that are part of our culture as part of Maine’s Learning Results. The culminating activity for a study of Thanksgiving is a feast that students help prepare of dishes commonly associated with the holiday.

Environment for Success

• The new playground installation was completed just in time for the start of the school year. Superintendent Webb cut the red ribbon during Open House on August 29^th, officially opening the new playground. Many students and their families were present for the ceremony and the children wasted no time checking out the new equipment. The swings, lower monkey bars and corkscrew slide were the favorites.
• The school began a Walking School Bus Program in April. Using funds supplied through a grant from the Maine Bicycle Coalition in conjunction with Maine CDC and the Maine Department of Transportation, Ms. Deidre Johnson was hired to coordinate the program. Ms. Johnson did a fantastic job implementing this program. Close to 20 students participated regularly in the program with 9 parent volunteers. Guest walkers included: UM football players/coaches, Bangor Fire Department and Bangor Savings Bank.
• Community School allows staff to offer students an extended day to focus on academics and enrichment. This year, sessions were offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teachers recommended students for additional assistance in literacy and math. Teachers and staff provided tutoring for these students.  Additionally, enrichment clubs were offered. Students chose from diverse offerings such as PE Club, Chromebook Club, STEM club, and drama.
• The BSD challenged each school to find ways to demonstrate our Core Values for a week entitled Kindness Week. The Vine Street School built a chain comprised of paper loops–each representing an act of kindness by a student or staff member. The colorful chain looped around the building.
• The staff chose the book Have Your Filled A Bucket Today? as an anchor text to help students understand the importance their words and actions have on others. Developing kindness in children is achieved through purposeful, sustained instruction, practice, modeling and reinforcement. The school worked on this goal all year.
• The week before April vacation, the Vine Street School implemented a project called International Week to help students learn about different cultures and to keep their minds and bodies engaged the week before summer break.
• Thanks to a grant from the Barbara Bush Foundation, the school was able to implement the Trendsetters Program. This literacy initiative provided the opportunity for students from JFDS to come to Vine each Tuesday to read with selected first and second graders.
• Vine Street initiated leadership clubs this year to allow third grade students to practice leadership skills and to give back to their school community. Leadership clubs included recess and cafeteria helpers, equipment managers and maintenance assistants.
• Literacy Coach Curtis planned a Literacy PEAK Night for students and their families. The evening opened with second graders performing a Readers’ Theatre version of Chris Van Dusen’s book, The Circus Ship. There was a short presentation for parents on how they could help their children become better readers and then families had the opportunity to experience reading across several genres.
• Title I teacher Julie Bishop planned the Math PEAK Night. Following a musical introduction by staff, families visited classrooms where teachers showed how board games can be used at home to build math fact fluency and teach math strategies.
• All students and staff participated in math activities throughout the month during March Math Madness.
• On 9-11 the Vine Street School had an assembly to honor our first responders and military personnel.
• Just prior to Veteran’s Day, the JFDS chorus joined Vine Street students in paying honor to our nation’s veterans.
• The Friday before Memorial Day, classroom teachers spent time helping students understand the meaning behind the solemn holiday.
• The Vine Street School joined the BSD in celebrating Bangor Day. On this day, we all show our support of our school and our city by wearing the school colors of cardinal and white. We give back by collecting donations for a local food bank.
• The Vine Street PTO is a very active group that meets monthly to support the school’s students. Through fundraising, the group is able to help support the district’s mission of Academic Excellence for All. Additionally, the PTO offers opportunities for families and staff to come together in fun activities.
• Several community groups partnered with the Vine Street School to support our mission of Academic Excellence for All including: Bangor Police Department, Bangor Fire Department, Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine, Bangor Public Health and Community Services, Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, Bangor Public Library, Barbara Bush Foundation, Rotary Club of Bangor, Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Bangor Savings Bank, UM Football, Maine CDC and Maine DOT.
• Social Worker Becky Tower coordinated with the Good Shepherd Food Bank to provide a weekly meal to 11 Vine Street School families through the Backpack program.
• Winterfest was held the week prior to the February break. Snow days wreaked a little havoc on the school’s plans, but students rallied to participate in a Favorite Character Day, Hats and Shades Day, School Pride Day and the 100^th Day of School celebration.
• Thanks to a grant from the Minsky Foundation and the PTO, the school was able to bring a visiting artist to the school. All students were able to participate in classes that focused on the technique of print making.
• A goal of the SCC team is to strengthen relationships between Vine Street School students and students from other Bangor Schools. There are several opportunities throughout the year for students from different schools to meet. This year the JFDS chorus and orchestra performed at the school, BHS JOTC officiated at an assembly, volunteers from several schools assisted at school events, students received free passes to a Bangor High School sporting event and BHS seniors marched through the school during a graduation march.
• Maintaining a building built in 1951 means being vigilant in completing repairs and necessary renovations. This year the school had several projects completed over the summer including: a reclamation of green space between the library and the kindergarten wing. Removing tar and replacing it with grass helped alleviate issues with spring rains. Bathrooms in the kindergarten room were renovated, the gymnasium floor was replaced and the roof over the main wing of the building was replaced.
• Head Custodian, Chris Whitney, worked with the City Forester to add a tree to the newly reclaimed green space outside the library. Mr. Whitney wrote a lesson about the life cycle of an avocado and worked with grade 2 teachers to teach it to students. Students worked with Mr. Whitney and the city forester to plant to tree and to learn more about how to care for the tree during its life cycle. The Bangor City Council recognized these efforts with a proclamation in April.
• Transitions are difficult. To help ease the third graders’ concerns over moving into Fairmount, several actions steps are initiated including: sharing a guidance counselor between the two schools, having Fairmount special educators attend IEP meetings at Vine and step up days at Fairmount for third graders and one for their parents as well! Additionally meetings are held between the two building principals, the guidance counselors and third grade teachers and special education teams to consider how to continue to best serve the needs of the students.