LINCOLN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD PRESENTATION HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PATRICE HILTON, PRINCIPAL MARCH 6, 2012 We are so proud of our accomplishments at Hillcrest. We are certainly happy to have a B+ letter grade and an SPS of 118.4. Our key reason for success is teamwork. One of our teachers was quick to say that we have “high expectations for classroom teachers, students, custodians, cafeteria ladies, auxiliary teachers, and paraprofessionals from the very first day and continuing throughout the year.” I, as the principal, support each and every person at Hillcrest and am never too busy to listen to concerns and provide help as needed. It is most important to convey expectations early on for everyone. We work together as grade levels. Teachers, staff, and students are expected to do their work to the best of their ability. The following is a list of the ways each grade level meets student needs: KINDERGARTEN Kindergarten teachers incorporate the Six Star Sentence as a teaching tool for Morning Message or morning routine. This has been effective in developing the students’ journal writing and our new Being a Writer program. We are meeting individual student needs by working and reading in small groups. In Singapore Math the use of number bonds has helped the students find relationships in numbers and led us into addition. FIRST GRADE A variety of instructional strategies are used with first graders---Small groups for build words(nonsense and real words); A to Z level stories and readers’ theater; daily editing of word problems which includes grammar, spelling, and math. Sprints are used as 2-minute drills of math facts. Students work to complete more problems accurately than they did the day before. Daily Number Talk is a spiral review of all concepts related to a particular number….add that number to another number; take it away from another number; skip count by that number; show it with coins; show it in tally marks; show it in tens and ones; draw a picture with that number, etc. One of our classes includes Sp. Ed. inclusion kids and their teacher accompanies them to the first grade class. Both teachers are working together to improve test scores of the students in the class who are making D’s and F’s or those students who are labeled strategic or intensive as a result of DIBELS testing. The inclusion teacher is taking her students along with the struggling students in that 1 st grade class to a different testing area for “small group guided testing.” As a result, those test scores have risen and the scores of those students remaining in the classroom have also risen. This is attributed to the small groups and less distraction.
SECOND GRADE Second grade teachers plan as a grade level and stay together with the pacing of their lessons. Students use leveled readers which come with the basal reader; A to Z readers; and Accelerated Reading Program. Teachers instruct using small groups and incorporate technology into lessons. Instruction includes using the grammar and spelling which accompanies the basal reader, Daily Oral Language, Being a Writer, Singapore Math with manipulatives and games. Each class highlights a star student of the week. Classroom connection planners provide daily communication with parents. One of the second grade classes pairs with a Kindergarten class to read and do other activities. The 2 nd graders wrote stories for the Kindergarteners and also helped them with one of their Hundred Day activities. THIRD GRADE Third grade students work in small groups on key reading skills three days a week. During that time, the rest of the class is engaged in meaningful skills practice. They use Being a Writer four days a week. Students are encouraged to participate in Accelerated Reader and top AR point earners are recognized. In the intervention groups, students work on reading comprehension and fluency daily. Students practice math constructed response problems weekly. They do daily timed math facts tests and give homework/extra practice to those who need it. FOURTH GRADE Fourth grade students take weekly timed tests in multiplication and division and practice with flash cards. Words are displayed on a word wall; word meanings are discussed and use of the words is encouraged. Students work on constructed response questions. The classes use TIME FOR KIDS for current events, reading time lines, charts, tables, and constructed response questions. Students are encouraged to use time wisely by reading library books and taking AR tests. FIFTH GRADE In fifth grade, teachers also plan as a grade level. ELA instruction includes working in small groups; Accelerated Reader Program; Daily Language and Daily Oral Language; Being a Writer; and some use of Shurley sentences to cover some required skills. In Math, students use Daily Math Review, weekly timed math tests, and daily flashcard review. Instruction in Science and Social Studies includes Daily Geography questions and technology using United Streaming videos and BrainPop videos. SCHOOL-WIDE We have a morning assembly every day at 7:30. Students sit in a designated line by classes. During this time our routine includes the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; “A Hillcrest Hawk is…(life skills and character traits)”; Hillcrest Motto; and the Hillcrest Pledge. We talk about the Words of the Week and our Life Skill word of the week. At this time we recognize Honor Roll students; AR top point earners; Science and Social Studies Fair winners; Cross country results; Box Top winners; and anyone else who needs to be honored. We also do general announcements and announce the cafeteria menu for the day.
We do insist on appropriate behavior in each area of school—cafeteria, playground, halls, restrooms, etc. Students know the expectations and follow them. All adults in the buildings assist with guiding students to make good choices throughout the day. We also follow the dress code guidelines and encourage students to keep shirttails tucked in and shoes tied, etc. As mentioned, all grade levels work together every day, plan together as often as needed. This allows for consistency for our student instruction. We also have self-contained classes which allows for maximum use of instructional minutes. Parental involvement is something we are so proud to have at Hillcrest. Parents attend Open House and sign up for activities throughout the year. These activities include such things as Wednesday Lunch Duty, Christmas and Valentine parties, 3 rd Grade Louisiana Celebration, 4 th Grade White House Dinner, End of Year 5 th Grade Luncheon, etc. All of us believe that being organized, structured, prompt, and encouraging high expectations in and out of the classrooms contributes to the successes that we have accomplished at Hillcrest. When we expect the best, we feel that our students will rise to meet those expectations. As a faculty and staff, we love what we do, love the kids, and love coming to school. In the long run, our goal is to do the best we can to help our students. As one of our teachers so perfectly said, “We want to see our kids be successful. So we equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to do well even after they leave Hillcrest.”
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