The new school year for fourth, fifth and sixth grade students at the Allen County Intermediate Center (ACIC) will feature new academic initiatives for students, new procedures for picking-up students, no-charge meals, a new teacher evaluation method, and a renewed effort to enhance communicate with parents.
New ACIC principal Shawn Holland—who comes to the school with 12 years of principal leadership at Rich Pond Elementary in Warren County under his belt---along with school administrators have already tweaked the daily schedule to help students have more opportunities to improve in academics.
“We have carved time into our schedule where every student in this building who needs extra help in reading and math will have time to get help,” Holland pointed out. “We have built a one-hour block of time at the end of the day for students who need intervention in reading and math. We have also built a 25-minute writing block into the schedule. You will see that every child has an increased focus in writing and time carved into the schedule for kids who need that extra help in reading and math.”
Students who do not need the extra time to work on reading or math will have enhanced opportunities as well.
“Those kids will be in extension classes; classes that may be of high interest or clubs or other activities,” Holland added. “If they are where they need to be on reading and math, we will have some type of extensions for them to do during that time. We will have a lot of opportunities with this. Every student will be doing something during this time.”
With safety and efficiency in mind, a change is coming this year for parents who pick-up students at the end of the school day.
“All children who are picked-up in the car-rider line will receive signs for cars that have the child’s name on it,” Holland explained. “Each family will be issued two tags. That will be their pass to pick their child up. They will have to show that tag when they come through the car-rider line. Otherwise, they will have to come in and pick up the child. We will have four pick-up stations and we’ll call the student to the station as their ride come through the line. But, they will have to have the sign in their car to pick the kids up. This process will increase safety and efficiency.”
Another change this year is that every student at the Intermediate Center will have the opportunity to eat breakfast and lunch at no charge to the student due to the school district’s participation in the US Department of Education’s Community Eligibility Provision Program. With breakfast available to the entire student body at the start of the day, the school has made a slight adjustment in their morning routine to allow students time to go through the lines to pick-up their breakfast. The school day will begin at 7:50 and the school will only have a morning meeting on Friday’s---not everyday, as was the case last year.
Also new to the school and teachers will be the start of the new statewide evaluation system for all teachers---the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES). Principal Holland will be evaluating the teachers under the new system---a system that will help teachers to better help educate students.
“The idea behind the new teacher evaluation system is to improve instructional practice,” Holland explained. “If you improve instructional practice, students will get a higher quality education. When you have improved teaching, you will have improved learning.”
Holland also encourages parents to become more involved this school year. The principal adds that he’s working on ways to better communicate with parents.
“I want our parents to be very involved,” Holland noted. “I want our parents to feel welcome when they come into the building. I want our communication from the school to the parents to increase, meaning electronic communication. If parents are involved, they will know what is going on at school. I would like to get to a point where a parent never walks in to this building and says, I didn’t know. If a parent knows what’s going on in the school, they are more apt to be able to help the kid study or get the resources the child needs. The school and parents have to be a partnership.”
Parents are asked to complete any and all paperwork at the start of the year---including listing an up-to-date email address, which will be used as school officials create an electronic database.
“Make sure as a parent that when their child brings home the information sheet, be sure to fill out the sheet thoroughly,” Holland said. “Make sure that if you have email that it’s correct and listed properly.”
Three new teachers will be in the building this fall. Brittany Rust will be the music educator for the school. Ashley Kirby and Brandon DeWitt will be working in the ECE (Exceptional Childhood Education) program.
This year the Intermediate Center will have Open Houses for each of the grades at the school. Fourth Grade Open House will be on Monday, July 28 from 5 until 7 p.m. with the Open House for fifth grade from 5 until 7 on Tuesday, July 29. Open House for sixth grade will be from 5 until 7 on Wednesday, July 30. Open house will be a come-and-go event during which students can meet teachers, learn about their classes, and meet the new principal.