Dear friends & family,
Today’s newsletter is the last of the year, as well as the conclusion of my first year at Waitsfield Elementary School. It has been a pleasure getting to know you all and working with the wonderful kids of this community. While establishing relationships and understanding the school were my primary goals for the year, there is quite a bit that has been accomplished this year as well. To name a few:
· Redesign of grade configurations to better match grade level expectations and coordinate local curriculum;
· An artist residency (Empty Bowls) that incorporated the theme of community service into a hands-on experience with clay and pottery-making;
· Development of a schedule and service model to improve service delivery and access, through improved coordination, consistency and availability of early interventions, for students with identified needs;
· Curriculum and local assessment development work in the areas of literacy, science and math;
· Staff work to bring further consistency of expectations around behavior and discipline;
· Development and passing of a budget that resulted in a 2% decrease from prior year;
· Development of a capital improvement budget that addresses long-range needs of the facility;
· Development of an Action Plan, bringing focus upon the work to be done by the school over the coming year;
· Achievement, in our preschool program, of five star (the highest rating) evaluation from STARS (Step-Ahead Recognition System);
· Procurement of various grants including building renovations ($49,500), the establishment of an adult/child mentoring program to commence next year ($4,250), School Garden ($450);
· Delivery of H1N1 vaccination to over 150 individuals.
· Hiring of two classroom teachers.
This work was all done on top of the daily business of delivering a high quality educational experience to each student who walks through the school door each day. At the beginning of this past year, President Barak Obama delivered an “opening day of school” speech intended for classrooms around the country. He spoke to students of their responsibility that every child has to discover what he or she is good at, what he or she could offer. Budgets, action plans and grade configurations should all be only a means that help us effectively get to the most important job we have as parents, teachers and a community—helping our children develop to be the best they can be. I look forward to continuing to grow, with the Waitsfield School, in achieving this overarching goal and thank you for the opportunity to do so.
Have a wonderful summer, all!
Respectfully,
Kaiya
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES at W.E.S.
Paraeducator/ Teacher’s Assistant We are seeking a motivated individual to provide small group and individual instructional support to a variety of students in our prek-6th grade school. The position follows school hours (7:30- 2:30) M,T,Th, and F. Candidates must be enthusiastic, collaborative, flexible and enjoy kids. Experience in education, particularly in providing literacy and/or math, preferred. Associate’s degree or equivalent needed. Submit letter of application, resume and three references to Kaiya Korb, 3951 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT05673. Interested parties may also apply through SchoolSpring.
Construction, Painting Waitsfield Elementary is currently seeking bids for painting and some construction work to be done in the building over the summer. If interested, please contact Kaiya Korb or Joe Robinson for further information.
School Garden Steward and Mentor (High school student): Want to play in the dirt this summer-- and get compensated to do so? Seeking two responsible 14 - 18 yr olds who can take a lead responsibility for caring for Waitsfield School garden for a 5 week period over this summer. Responsibilities include supervising a few younger students, as well as directly working in the garden, to make sure weeds are kept at bay and the crops are growing. Garden care responsibilities to include watering, weeding, monitoring for crop pests/disease, and communicating with School Garden coordinators. Reliability, self-motivation, and interest to mentor younger students required. Estimated 3 hours of work/week. Some gardening experience required. Work will be rewarded with compensation (a gas card from VG? visa gift card? gift certificate to iTunes -- your choice!) with a cash equivalency of $10/hour.
Gardening Assistants (5th/6th grade students): Want to play in the dirt this summer-- and get compensated to do so? Seeking responsible 5th and 6th grade students to work in our school garden over the summer. You must commit to at least 2 weeks. Responsibilities include weeding and other work to keep the crops going. Work will be supervised by a high school student and parent volunteer. Estimated 3 hours of work/week. Compensation, which will be rewarded in the form of a gift (such as a gift certificate) will be equivalent to $6/hour.
For further information, or to apply for these employment opportunities, please contact Kaiya Korb, W.E.S. Principal, at 496-3643, kaiyakorb@gmail.com
2010-2011 Budget Powerpoint Presentation
The Waitsfield Ways
