A Publication of the Spencer Van Etten Central School District May 24, 2007 Superintendent’s Notes Each year, as we approach the end of June, we spend time seriously reflecting on our progress, our problems, and our plans for improvement. There is obviously always room for improvement and we are never satisfied with the status quo. We know that our curriculum has been insufficient in several areas and we are working diligently to improve this. One early sign of success was our overall improvement in mathematical graphing at the lower grade levels. We did not have this covered sufficiently in our curriculum and it showed. This year we fixed the shortfall and the performance greatly increased. We will continue to improve our curriculum, our teaching techniques, and our student support activities. However, there are many things over which we have limited or no control. There was a study done, I believe it was in the 1930’s, called the 80-20 study. It determined that 80% of what impacts on student learning and success happens outside of school and only 20% happens at school. It is this 80% with which we continue to struggle. We have many students who come to school without the readiness to learn. We have others whose attention is on more pressing issues like hunger, fear, neglect, and health that have their origins outside of school. Yet we try daily to overcome these issues and help students concentrate, learn, and succeed. It is our calling and we will continue to strive to see that all students have the best possible opportunity for success. However, these other problems are real and will not go away easily or soon. I believe that the following article redacted from Education Week helps to put this into perspective. Public Rhetoric, Responsibility, and Public Schools There are vital relationships between rhetoric and policy in a democratic society, and I fear that current rhetoric about public education does not serve us well. Consider three recent reports: “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” “America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future,” and “Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce.” Each report argues that our nation is in peril because our educational institutions are failing to prepare workers who can compete with those in other nations. With logic derived from economics, they insist that despite nearly 25 years of sustained efforts at improvement, according to these documents, the public schools have failed both the children and the nation they are meant to serve. Is that true? I think not, despite the evidence I have alluded to. I think the true story is not that our schools have failed us. It is rather that we, as a society, have failed our schools. We have failed our schools because we have asked them to the impossible. We have asked schools to educate children who come to school bearing all the problems of society. Some come to school not knowing where they will sleep that night. Some come to school from homes without responsible adult care. We offer these children milk and cereal when they arrive at school, but after that we expect their teachers to hold their attention so they can learn. I am not talking about children who have well-educated, involved, caring parents. They generally come to school “ready to learn.” We could choose to ensure that all children came to school in that way. But we do not.
Transcript
A Publication of the Spencer Van Etten Central School District May 24, 2007
Superintendent’s Notes Each year, as we approach the end of June, we spend time seriously reflecting on our progress, our
problems, and our plans for improvement. There is obviously always room for improvement and we are
never satisfied with the status quo. We know that our curriculum has been insufficient in several areas
and we are working diligently to improve this. One early sign of success was our overall improvement
in mathematical graphing at the lower grade levels. We did not have this covered sufficiently in our
curriculum and it showed. This year we fixed the shortfall and the performance greatly increased. We
will continue to improve our curriculum, our teaching techniques, and our student support activities.
However, there are many things over which we have limited or no control. There was a study done, I
believe it was in the 1930’s, called the 80-20 study. It determined that 80% of what impacts on
student learning and success happens outside of school and only 20% happens at school. It is this 80%
with which we continue to struggle. We have many students who come to school without the readiness
to learn. We have others whose attention is on more pressing issues like hunger, fear, neglect, and
health that have their origins outside of school. Yet we try daily to overcome these issues and help
students concentrate, learn, and succeed. It is our calling and we will continue to strive to see that all
students have the best possible opportunity for success. However, these other problems are real and
will not go away easily or soon. I believe that the following article redacted from Education Week
helps to put this into perspective.
Public Rhetoric, Responsibility, and Public Schools
There are vital relationships between rhetoric and policy in a democratic society, and I fear that
current rhetoric about public education does not serve us well. Consider three recent reports: “Rising
Above the Gathering Storm,” “America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future,”
and “Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American
Workforce.” Each report argues that our nation is in peril because our educational institutions are failing
to prepare workers who can compete with those in other nations. With logic derived from economics,
they insist that despite nearly 25 years of sustained efforts at improvement, according to these
documents, the public schools have failed both the children and the nation they are meant to serve. Is
that true? I think not, despite the evidence I have alluded to.
I think the true story is not that our schools have failed us. It is rather that we, as a
society, have failed our schools. We have failed our schools because we have asked them to the
impossible. We have asked schools to educate children who come to school bearing all the problems of
society. Some come to school not knowing where they will sleep that night. Some come to school from
homes without responsible adult care. We offer these children milk and cereal when they arrive at
school, but after that we expect their teachers to hold their attention so they can learn. I am not
talking about children who have well-educated, involved, caring parents. They generally come to school
“ready to learn.” We could choose to ensure that all children came to school in that way. But we do not.
We do not provide decent health care, housing, and/or safety for a significant number of those who
attend our public schools. It is hardly surprising, then, that many youngsters do not thrive in school.
Society has failed to provide the minimal public services that public schools need in order to serve all
children well. Schools exist in a social context, and that context has a powerful limiting effect on what
adults can accomplish with and for children. Let me be very clear. I do not think the failure of our
society to provide these things justifies school failure. I am very aware that by pointing to the
social failures that surround our schools, I may be accused of excusing low expectations, poor teaching,
or incompetent school leadership. This is not true. My point is simply that schools exist in a social
environment that has a powerful effect on what adults can accomplish with and for children.
There are several reasons why we emphasize school failure without giving equal emphasis to the
social failures that surround these schools. Policy reports are styled for the media. They are designed to
win headlines because headlines can bring influence. They tell us we are in peril, even if a more
accurate interpretation would suggest that, if we are in peril, it is owing to the social choices we have
made, and not because public schools are failing to accomplish all that they should. I am skeptical of
much current policy rhetoric for a reason. Most education policy reflects ways of thinking derived from
economics. The model for school success focuses on costs and benefits. If you spend X dollars, and
teachers have Y hours of training, you should get Z outputs. But education does not work that way.
Anyone who has taught or observed classrooms closely realizes that.
What, then, is to be done? We must find ways to stir more profound debate concerning what
should and should not be private. What do we, as a society, owe to all children? What should we allow
families to do for or to their children without intrusion from the state? I do not have a quick, easy
solution to the priorities that have led us to accept the delegation of our public responsibilities to other
people. But I am convinced that a first step toward a solution lies in recognizing that we have
misdiagnosed the problem. To repeat: If public schools are failing, it is not their failure, but our
own. If we can acknowledge that, perhaps then we can muster the social imagination and will needed
to reorient public rhetoric, reinvigorate public responsibility, and renew public commitments to public
education. Prof. Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, History of American Education, Harvard University
As an entire school community, we can and must work to overcome the barriers facing our
children as they strive to learn, grow, and succeed. While society as a whole, through our governmental
organizations, has the overreaching responsibility for addressing public needs, it is clearly the local
schools and communities that are on the front lines of this battle. Clearly, only by dedicating ourselves
to working together can we hope to make any meaningful impact on these critical concerns. We
continue to look to you for your support and assistance as we fight the good fight on behalf of our
children.
Have a Great Week!
Steve Schoonmaker
The Art/Social Studies Connections are Alive and Well
at S-VE Elementary School! Artist-in-Residence, Annemarie Zwack, has been working with the 4th graders at the Spencer-Van Etten Elementary School. The Arts in Education Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes is providing the funding necessary to create an opportunity for our children to connect what they are learning during social studies to quilt design. The children studied about some of the people, places, and events happening in our country during the 1800s--with a special focus on the state of New York. Each child then decided on which topic they would like to "take to a quilt square." The process was amazing. Children needed to decide on an illustration, sketch a design, decide on colors, materials, and textures, and then transfer all these amazing decisions to an 11-inch square piece of fabric! Our goals? Children will finish their squares and see them pieced together and displayed as a glorious quilt in our 4th grade entryway. Fourth graders will also write about the squares, the experiences, and the people, places and events they have studied. It's been an exciting adventure, and we are so thankful for the positive learning opportunity! We hope to have the quilt on display before the end of the school year, please plan to stop by to see it!
Mrs. Zwack "talks aloud" as she places a few finished squares in a possible arrangement on the floor, helping the children understand that artists use their "inner voices" as they make decisions and discoveries, just as readers and writers exercise an inner voice as they read and write.
Chris Dhuy, Eliot Deppe, and Brandon Morgan are “huddled” to learn some amazing sewing strategies from “expert” Darrick Mathews
Katie Bunce, Cheyenne Else, Mina Cobb, Jordyn DeMont, and Megan Holman use their sketchbooks during Mrs. Zwack's drawing lesson.
Middle School News
Fifth grade Plans A New Schedule for 2007-08 After much discussion and considering the alternatives, we have made a decision that each of the four fifth grade teachers will “specialize” in one of the core subjects next year. This means that fifth graders will change classes for English Language Arts and social studies. Math, science, and technology will be taught by two teachers; one will concentrate on math, and the other will teach the more integrated math/science/technology (MST). We believe that this change will allow our fifth grade teachers to be more effective, as they work more intensively to give our fifth grade students the knowledge and skills that are essential. The federal law, No Child Left Behind, requires annual math and English Language Arts testing in grades three through eight. Fifth graders take New York State tests in three subjects (math, ELA, and social studies), which is more tests than sixth or seventh graders, By reorganizing the way we teach, we will have more consistent instruction. All fifth grade teachers will continue to emphasize literacy instruction, because it is essential that we teach reading, writing, speaking and listening in all subject areas.
What Eighth Grade Students Are Saying about the Washington, D. C. Trip “I enjoyed the trip because I learned a lot and I saw things that I will probably never see again, so I think that the trip was awesome….When my group was touring around we saw the Viet Name Memorial. In school we learned a little about the Viet Nam War and how many people fought in it. I never realized how many people died until I saw the Memorial. In Social Studies we learned about the Holocaust and in DC we went to the Holocaust Museum. When I went through the museum it made me realize how bad the
Holocaust really was. The most impressive thing I saw on the trip was the Jefferson Memorial. The architecture of the Memorial was amazing and the dome shaped top looked really cool from the inside. The statue inside the Memorial was also really amazing to look at….” Benjamin Beauchamp “I think that seeing all the monuments made me actually remember what we learned about before, and made me think more of it. Seeing all the Gettysburg battlefields made me want to learn a lot more about it. It was really sad hearing about what happened to all the people….The next time these subjects come up in school like the Gettysburg Battle, or anything about the presidents, I think it would be easier for me to learn because I learned so much more in Washington and Gettysburg.” Samantha Steiner
When we were walking through DC we got to see all the famous monuments, memorials, and museums. We got to see the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the reflecting pool, the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial, Holocaust Museum, White House, Capitol Building, Air and Space Museum, and much, much more. A new experience for me was eating in a place like the Union Station. It was the biggest place to eat, travel, and shop I have every seen… The most impressive things I learned on the trip was about the Washington Monument. I learned that the Washington Monument ran out of money half-way through the building, and building did not restart until 21 year later. The second thing I learned about it was that it sinks ¼ of an inch a year. It has sunk three feet since it was built. Rocky Stevens
Middle School Schedule for the Last Week of School
June 18th = Full Day of School
June 19th, 20th, 21st = ½ Days of School = 11:45 Dismissal June 21st = Last Day for Students
Luis Tapia - Medals
Jonathen Havens – Softball Throw Jonathen, Luis, Jeffrey, Sean, Mr. Miller, HeatherHeather, Heather, Mr. Gates, Ashley, & Mrs. McGee I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. Charlotte Bronte
We would like to congratulate all of our students that participated in the Special Olympics at Corning East High School on May 12th. Our students participated in the softball throw, 50 meter dash and 100 meter dash. JW, Sean, Luis, and Jonathen placed 2nd in the 4x100 relay. We are very proud of their accomplishments.
JUNE SPENCER-VAN ETTEN CENTRAL SCHOOL Have you filled out a free and reduced application?
Monday
Assorted Sandwich Salad Bar
Pizza
Tuesday
Assorted Sandwich Salad Bar
Pizza Green Beans
Wednesday
Assorted Sandwich Salad Bar
Pizza Corn
Thursday
Assorted Sandwich Salad Bar
Pizza Peas
Friday 6/1
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Pizza Italian Dunkers Turkey Wrap
Carrots
Monday 6/4
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Pizza Sloppy Joe
Mozz. sticks Peas
Tuesday 6/5
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Pizza Spaghetti/Meatsauce
Ham & Cheese Wrap
Green Beans
Wednesday 6/6
Assorted Sandwich
Salad Bar Pizza
Chicken Nuggets Bologna Sub
Corn
Thursday 6/7
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Pizza Nacho Cheese
Pizza Carrots
Friday 6/8
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Pizza Pork BBQ Rib
Fish/bun Parsley Potatoes
Monday 6/11
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Pizza Chicken Patty
Egg Salad Corn
Tuesday 6/12
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Pizza Hot Dog
Turkey Sub Baked Beans
Wednesday 6/13
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Thursday 6/14
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Friday 6/15
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Monday 6/18
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Tuesday 6/19
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Wednesday 6/20
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Thursday 6/21
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Friday 6/22
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Monday 6/25
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Tuesday 6/26
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Wednesday 6/27
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Thursday 6/28
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Friday 6/29
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Tossed Salad, Bread, Assorted Canned Fruit, Assorted Fresh Fruit, Assorted Juice, Milk available each day
