Principal Tierney - Denver Elementary, Iowa

A February Note From Mrs. Tierney

2012-02-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

We have had several parents ask us what our favorite applications are for student use. For those of you that aren’t aware, applications are accessible to install on our iPads that we have within each classroom at Denver Elementary. Several of the “apps” are also compatible to install on other devices such as smart phones or another tablet device. With the knowledge that families are wanting to know which “apps” we like best, I thought it would be most relevant if we asked the students and teachers in each grade level what their favorite applications are. We will begin this month with Kindergarten and their favorite applications, which are listed below:
1. Monkey Math School Sunshine
2. SHOW ME
3. ABC Spelling Magic

A Note From Mrs. Tierney - November

2011-11-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

A NOTE FROM MRS. TIERNEY

You know you are in a high achieving school system when a third grade student says before school, “It’s so cold out here, you can see my carbon dioxide!”

Albert Einstein once said, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”

We, as educators, live in a system in which we are forced to rely on student achievement data as a predictor of our students’ and our school’s success. Denver Elementary consistently prevails as a high achieving school based on those assessments, as we consistently rank as one of the top achieving schools in the state of Iowa. This makes me very proud, especially because we work very hard as a school system, as a community, and as families to maintain high expectations so that we ensure that trend continues.

However, I will be the first to admit, it is so important for us at times to take a step back, and look at everything else that our students and teachers accomplish, that is not necessarily correlated within those high test scores. Teachers are preparing heavily for our Parent/Teacher Conferences next week. They have compiled mounds of data that they are prepared to share with you on your child’s report card and in a fifteen-minute conference. Most of that data will correlate to each child’s academic strengths and weaknesses, especially within the report card. What I hope you gain from the parent/teacher conference though, is a more detailed look at your child based on both academic data, but also, what we notice about your child that isn’t measured on an assessment.

For example, our student’s work hard to be Kids of Character, they practice daily being responsible, respectful, fair, trustworthy, caring, not to mention outstanding citizens. I must say that our students are some of the most incredible Kids of Character that I have ever witnessed. Character isn’t necessarily something we measure on a state assessment, but to me, we must celebrate our students’ achievements in this area, just as much as we celebrate high math, reading, or science scores. We must remember, that not everything that counts, can be counted!

Elementary Fundraiser Results

2011-10-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

We can’t thank our Denver Elementary students, parents, family and community members enough for their generous support of our Clubs Choice Fundraiser. Our profit from the sale was $15,500.

The profit from the fundraiser combined with the $15,000.00 donation from the KIDS group provides us the opportunity to purchase 30 IPADs for elementary classroom use. Our deployment of the iPads is set for November. The iPads will be used in the classroom setting to further enhance and differentiate learning. Teachers will be able to load numerous applications that will supplement all core subjects such as math and reading.

We are so fortunate to have a community that places such a high value on education and continues to financially support the educational needs and wants of our students and educators.

Please look forward to upcoming opportunities to share in our success as we offer future community friendly events, so that you too, may become familiar with our incredible use of technology, and how it positively impacts our students’ learning!

Educational Minute #1 - Intervention and Enrichment Time

2011-09-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

At Denver Elementary we strive to ensure that our focus is on learning, rather than teaching. We want to ensure that every student walks away with the skills necessary to be successful in our ever-changing global society upon leaving our system. One way we do that is by differentiating our instruction, specifically through a time that we have allocated within our master schedule this year, to allow for what we call, "Intervention and Enrichment Time". CLICK HERE to watch our very first "EDUCATIONAL MINUTE" video to learn more, and as always I as your principal, welcome any opportunity to speak further about ways in which we focus on learning!

My Best,

Mrs. Kim Tierney

2011-04-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

LISTEN TO YOUR READERS (ESPECIALLY YOUR AUNT)

So, a couple weeks ago, my sisters and I enjoyed an incredible day trip to Tanger Outlets and the Amana's with a few of my aunts, including my Aunt Judy. My aunts are a large part of who I am today, I have looked up to them in so many ways throughout my life!

When my Aunt Judy and I had a few minutes to chat, she said, "I read your blog, it's really neat.", I replied with, "Yeah....do you like it?" She said, "Yes, but I don't know if it's my eyes or your font, but I have a hard time reading it...."

I told her right there and then, that she brought up a good point, and that she would likely be the subject of a future post.

SO HERE YOU ARE, AUNT JUDITH! BECAUSE OF YOUR GREAT FEEDBACK, I HAVE REVERTED TO A MORE TRADITIONAL (LESS ATTRACTIVE AND FUN), BUT EASIER TO READ FONT! I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO ENJOY!

2011-04-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Denver Elementary Teachers Learn from the Author of Arthur!

On April 15, 2011, our staff had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 2011 Elementary Literacy and Reading Recovery Conference on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Our teachers were able to attend differentiated sessions pertaining to all facets of literacy. What made the day even more exciting is that our professional staff had the opportunity to learn from a great and FAMOUS author, Marc Brown, who is most well known for creating and writing about his famous character, Arthur.

He answered a question that we hear a lot as educators. "How can I get my child to read at home?" His answer was simple, he said, "Kids do what parents do, if you want your child to read, you have to model that."

I would also like to thank one of our very own parents, Mrs. Amy Lockhart for all the work that she did in preparing an outstanding conference and a great day of learning for educators all across Iowa. Amy is a member of the planning team and host school, Price Laboratory in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Denver is proud of you!

Our 4th Grade Team, Deb Little and Val Frey, also deserve a congratulations today for facilitating their own learning session, entitled, Closing the Gap and Raising the Bar! They did an incredible job of presenting, facilitating discussion, and sharing one of the many great initiatives evolving within Denver Elementary.

Third Grade teacher, Wendy Lohmann, chats with Marc Brown!

Mrs. Zaputil, Kindergarten teacher, with Mr. Brown.

Mrs. Curtis (2nd) and Mrs. Kirchoff (2nd) with Mr. Brown

Our very own, Jodie Victoria, posing for a photograph with the famous author

Did you know that Marc Brown, considers himself an artist, first and foremost?

His greatest inspiration, in school, was his art teacher!

April 2011

2011-04-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Four Teachers Hired to Join our Elementary Team

I am so excited to announce that with careful financial management by our Superintendent, Mrs. Kathy Enslin, we were able to interview and hire four new teachers at the elementary level. Grade level assignments have not yet been determined for these individuals, but we are excited that we will have three classroom sections within each grade level kindergarten through fifth.

The new teachers all come to Denver Elementary with experience. I will begin to touch on a few “fun facts” about each of our new professionals that will be joining our elementary team in August:

Brittanie Barnett

· Is currently completing her first year at Fairfield Community School District

· Is a 5^th Generation Wartburg Alum

· Lived in England while growing up until the 5^th Grade then moved to New Jersey, where her parents currently reside.

“Brittanie Is very well trained as a first year teacher, coming from Fairfield. Her training and experience blends very well with the direction that we are moving as a district. I am so excited to see Britannie’s positive influence and knowledge of educating children impact our students for years to come”

- Kim Tierney, Principal

Wendy Lohmann

· Has subbed for the Denver Community School District for the past 10 years.

· Has been a full-time classroom substitute for us in third grade since January 2011.

· Taught for four years full time in Illinois.

· Lives and remains active in the Denver Community with her husband, Craig and five children.

“Wendy is an exceptionally well-rounded person who will provide consistency for our students at the elementary level. Our students, staff, and community know and love her! Her positive attitude, experience, and incredible work-ethic made her an invaluable candidate for our open positions.”

- Kim Tierney, Principal

Michael Sullivan

· Has taught in four states, including Iowa, Arizona, Illinois, and Connecticut.

· Was Team Captain and Offensive MVP for his college football team

· Currently teaches first grade in Hudson, but throughout his five years of teaching experience has taught fifth grade and reading as well.

· Lead the development/revision of a standards-based report card within his grade level in Hudson

“Michael is a professional who comes to us with an incredible combination of education, experience, and many personal strengths. He comes VERY highly recommended, and I am very excited to see his strengths and knowledge put to use within our elementary.”

Kim Tierney, Principal

Stephanie Westendorf

· Has taught in the Waterloo school system for the past 4 years, including 4^th and 5^th Grades.

· Currently is the Team Leader for her grade level in Waterloo

· Is extensive professional training in several initiatives that fit very well within our system

· Volunteers to facilitate an After School Running Club in her school.

“Stephanie really stood out to us during the interview process. Her professional experiences, intelligence, and demeanor make her a perfect “fit” for our high expectations and standards of education here in Denver. I am so pleased with her extensive training, and her proven track record of focusing on learning and putting students first.”

Kim Tierney, Principal

Essential Outcomes

2011-03-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

At our most recent staff development on March 11, our elementary staff was able to collaborate and work to identify our essential outcomes for grades K-5 in the areas of English Language Arts and Math. I have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions including a picture of how we plan to progress in the future regarding this important work:

Essential Outcomes

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What are Essential Outcomes and skills?

Essential Outcomes are a subset of the complete list of standards within the Iowa Core Curriculum. They represent a vertically aligned “safety net” of indicators that our teaching professionals strive to ensure students’ learn prior to exiting each grade level. It is important to realize, however, that state law mandates that educators be bound to teach their students all the standards and indicators in their assigned grade level or department. Denver Elementary is not eliminating any standards, although we ARE clear on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions (that is the essential outcomes) that students will acquire as a result of each content area/grade level. To find a complete list of our Iowa Core Standards, please visit: http://www.corecurriculum.iowa.gov/

2. Why Essential Outcomes?

Essential outcomes provide a laser focus for us as a K-5 elementary system. We have prioritized our standards, based on the research that this type of system philosophy increases student achievement.

3. How did Denver Elementary staff select the Essential Outcomes?

Our teachers and administration worked together to prioritize our standards, based on three criteria:

1. Endurance – Does the standard provide value beyond a single test date?

2. Readiness For Next Level – Will the standard provide students with skills and knowledge necessary for success in the next grade or level of instruction?

3. Leverage – Will this standard provide knowledge and skills that will be of value in multiple disciplines?

4. How will Denver Elementary staff move forward, in successfully implementing and using the Essential Outcomes?

Denver Elementary teachers work within very high standards of excellence. Our system allows for collaborative time among elementary teachers (Professional Learning Communities) in order to focus on three guiding questions:

1. What do we want our students to learn?

2. How do we know students are learning?

3. What are we doing when students are/are not learning?

As we continue our important work, we will move forward by:

1. Sequencing essential outcomes for logical progression within each grade level

2. Developing Common “Formative” Assessments to go with standards

3. We will provide for Intervention and Enrichment opportunities based on data from assessments

4. We will strive to move toward a revised K-5 Standards Based Report Card by the 2012-13 school year

2011-03-05T03:36:00.000-08:00

MAKING TIME FOR IMPORTANT WORK

As we continue to grow within our Professional Learning Community (PLC) culture that we have developed at Denver Community School District, I am continually impressed by the conversations that I am having on a regular basis with grade level teams at the elementary level in terms of what our professionals are collaborating about. In our district, we reach to find the answers to the following three questions, each time we meet within our PLC: What do we want our students to learn? How do we know if they are learning? And finally, what are we doing if they are or are not learning? These three questions were derived from the work of DuFour and Eaker and many others, although to my knowledge Ralph Taylor introduced these questions in similar context as early as 1949.

Primarily, in my experience, a system that does not support this collaborative nature in terms of time allocation on a regular and consistent (weekly) basis will not reap the benefits of rich, meaningful, and focused conversations based on student achievement. In previous years, we offered sporadic, monthly, and even bi-monthly PLC meeting times, which at the foundational level, was valuable, although it wasn’t until this academic year, in which we MADE time within our schedule, in order to provide for WEEKLY collaboration of our PLC teams that we really are starting to see the true benefits. Ultimately, the focus of this time must always be around making data driven decisions, while also always focusing on our three driving questions.

This culture, over time, was made possible only because we had professionals on board that saw the importance of this quality time for themselves, their students, and their fellow colleagues. For example, our teacher-librarian has gone out of her way this school year to help mold this common time for our teachers. Next year however, we have created a schedule which steps away from tradition and towards innovation, as we modify our related arts schedule in order to create time for continued collaboration. We will also embed time for intervention and enrichment for our students, which will allow for the decisions that we make during our collaborative time to come to fruition with the help of other staff outside of the typical general education grade level team. This again, only happens if the system allows, which comes down to careful and methodical scheduling. For more information, I would encourage you to read the following article: http://www.allthingsplc.info/pdf/articles/make_time_for_collaboration.pdf

Our professionals have always put students first, though they are now at a point in which they understand the importance of consistency across a grade level, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. For example, our second grade team has been looking at data and making decisions about what effective strategies could be used to raise reading fluency across the grade level. Our kindergarten team, is collaborating about Changing their literacy Checkups (formative assessments) including the rate and timing of introducing the vowel sounds, specifically the short vowel sounds, in order to better meet their students’ needs. They also discussed the explicit nature of the mini-lessons in which they will be teaching across the grade level. Our fourth grade team just discussed the importance of “Intervention and Enrichment” time, and the value in having agreed upon essential outcomes in order to provide a “safety net” for our students.

The bottom line is that these rich, meaningful, student-centered conversations most often, do not happen when passing in the hallway, during a fifteen minute conversation prior to school, in an email, or even during a 25 minute common planning time. These conversations happen within a SYSTEM that allows for a minimum of one hour, in my opinion, of weekly collaborative time. I am so proud of our staff, and the commitment that they have made in making the most of a system that has provided an opportunity for consistency, collaboration, innovation, and data-driven decision-making.

Kim Tierney

Denver Elementary Principal

VIRTUAL TOURS OF OUR NEW ADDITION!!!!

2011-02-25T06:09:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for a virtual tour of the lower level of our new elementary addition.

Click HERE for a virtual tour of the upper level of our new elementary addition.

The Importance of the School-Family Connection

2011-02-17T08:36:00.000-08:00

A Note From Mrs. Tierney

The Importance of the School-Family Connection

Conference time is such a busy, although rewarding time for educators. What I appreciate most about conferences is the opportunity to make that connection between students and their parents or guardians. Conferences attendance is highly encouraged, and I am proud to report that our family participation was very high once again, at 98.1% involvement. Thank you and congratulations!!!

It is a known fact, that our teachers’ work tirelessly to communicate each child’s progress to families during conferences, however more importantly we strive, as an educational organization, to maintain ongoing communication efforts between home and school on a more regular basis. Our expectations are very high at Denver Elementary in terms of regular and ongoing communication. Educational researchers, Henderson and Mapp (2002), prove a statistically significant relationship between family involvement and benefits for students, one of which is improved academic achievement. Walberg and paik (2004), found that “learning is enhanced when schools encourage parents to stimulate their child’s intellectual achievement, such examples include having conversations with their child about school happenings, monitoring television viewing, and providing opportunities for their child to learn life skills.”

If ongoing communication is so important, how exactly does Denver encourage high levels of communication at our elementary school? Here are a few of our most significant examples:

· -3^rd through 5^th grade students are all expected to bring home and return their assignment notebook each evening.

· Newsletters to families are expected to arrive home each week, one time a month from the office, one time from the related arts staff (art, music, physical education, and media), and a minimum of twice per month from the classroom teacher of your child.

· Regular communication regarding a child that is struggling academically or behaviorally is expected.

· Open communication, meaning that parents are guardians are encouraged to stop in; contact a teacher by phone before or after school and/or by email is highly encouraged.

· Back to school night, Family Fun Night, The Art Show, Music Concerts, and of course Parent-Teacher Conferences are extremely important opportunities to make connections between school and home.

· Kids of Character Office Referrals recognize students that are showing outstanding character on a regular basis, going above and beyond what is expected.

· Office referrals regarding a child not following our character expectations require contact from the principal to families.

· Mrs. Tierney has a blog that you can follow for regular updates regarding our students and school: http://principaltierney.blogspot.com/

· Our District-wide newsletter is printed in The Denver Forum once monthly which communicates happenings district-wide, which includes a portion dedicated to elementary.

· All teachers have a Website, Blog, or Wikispace dedicated to ongoing communication efforts.

As you can verify, based on the examples provided, the school-family connection is a very high priority for us, and if there is a time in which you feel that communication is lacking, please let us know. We welcome any opportunities to continue to grow as we continuously strive for high levels of student achievement.

Henderson, A.T., & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools.

Walberg, H.J., & Paik, S.J. (2004). Effective general practices. In G. Cawelti (Ed.), Handbook of research on improving student achievement (3^rd ed., pp.25-28). Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service.

Most Sincerely,

Mrs. Kim Tierney

Denver Elementary Principal

Elementary Addition/Middle School Renovation

2011-01-31T21:02:00.000-08:00

Below are the architectural drawings of our new elementary addition, expected to be complete in August 2011! The lower level addition, which will house our Kindergarten and Preschool classrooms, is the first image. The second drawing depicts the upper level addition which will be the "learning hub" for our 4th and 5th Grade students. (Click on either drawing for a closer view)

2011-01-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

Consistently Doing What Is BEST for KIDS and

How Professional Development Provides the Means to Get Us There!

Kim Tierney, Denver Elementary Principal

We at Denver Community Schools pride ourselves in doing what is BEST for kids. We pride ourselves in consistently performing at high levels in all facets of education. One of the main reasons I moved to this community was due to the reputation that this school district has in terms of academic success, rigor, and the overall assumption that this community produces well-rounded young adults. My opinion has only been proven stronger during my three years here.

I am so proud to work with the teachers that are currently part of our K-12 system. Our professionals consistently find ways of supporting students and helping them to the next level, regardless of where our students begin, and regardless of what it takes to get them there. Professionalism, collaboration, continued learning, and data-driven instructional decision-making is at the forefront of everything our teachers do……EVERYDAY!

In addition to the countless hours of learning our teachers take part in independently; they also spend an average of one day, every month, participating in “Professional Development”, which is led by our administration. Our most recent professional development (PD), on January 12, 2011, focused on four main areas: Technology, Olweus (Anti-Bullying), Iowa Core, and Professional Learning Communities. As I continue, I hope to provide you with a glimpse of what each of these areas entail.

Technology

Throughout each Professional Development opportunity, we further explore why keeping pace with technology and staying relevant to change is imperative to the success of learning in our district. This month, we learned more specifically about a new resource that we host internally, in order to create teacher/student web pages. Next month, we plan to have breakout sessions related to several technology resources that are virtually free, online, and easily accessible to our teachers and students.

Olweus

Olweus, is a bullying prevention program, and currently, there is a team of educators and community members that meet regularly during Professional Development to discuss this most researched and best-known bullying prevention program. As a team, we are discussing and planning exactly how we will successfully implement and introduce this whole-school program next fall. Our goals with this program include reducing any existing bullying problems, to prevent development of new bullying problems, and to promote better peer relations at school.

Iowa Core

In addition to the focus on technology and Olweus, we continue to focus on all facets of the Iowa Core during professional development. The Iowa Department of Education, adopted the National Common Core Standards for Mathematics and Reading/Language Arts on July 29, 2010. Since then, Iowa incorporated 15% of our “state standards”, thus creating the final version of what we now know to be “The Iowa Core”. It is important for us to stay up-to-date on the changes within our intended curriculum, so that is exactly what we spent time doing as a staff. We learned where our current benchmarks overlap, and where within the Iowa Core, we need to pay further attention. This is an effort that never ends for our school system, as curriculum is constantly evolving. We must consistently look at our intended curriculum, our enacted curriculum, and also our assessed curriculum, in order to remain cutting edge.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Finally, after technology, Olweus, and The Iowa Core, we turn our attention to Professional Learning communities (PLCs) during Professional Development time. PLCs are the “vehicle” we use in order to continue our focus on learning. Our teachers have created professional goals, each having a strict focus on student achievement. They consistently look at our intended curriculum within ALL content areas, and decipher where our students need more support. This past summer a group of educators from our district attended the Professional Learning Community (PLC) Conference, held in Minneapolis, those members now make up our PLC Leadership Team. At this conference, we learned that we must continue to grow as a “cohesive school, organized into interdependent collaborative teams, united by a shared purpose, shared vision, collective commitments, and shared goals”.

It will continue to be our job as a leadership team, to introduce all teachers K-12 to the essential components of an effective PLC culture, and I must boast, that we are making progress! For example, there are several grade levels that meet regularly to discuss grade level data, to create common assessments, and to discuss what they can do to better support all students regardless of where they fall on the learning continuum. During these collaborative opportunities, teachers brainstorm ways to change their current instruction to support more differentiation through small group work. For example, several teachers incorporate “The Daily Five”, which allows for the smaller group work to take place in the areas of reading and math. Several grade level teams are implementing what they are calling “Intervention and Enrichment” time into their classrooms. This is where they change or differentiate their instruction based on smaller groups of students, which correlates to the data collected within the skill area. Other teachers such as our reading specialists, our special education teachers, and even our teacher/librarian help those teachers in order to support SMALLER GROUP SIZES. This is so POWERFUL and GREAT FOR KIDS! Our teacher’s constant collaboration and refinement of the characteristics of effective instruction are a token of our school’s success.

In closing, I want to reiterate the great educational institution that DENVER is, and will continue to be. I am SO VERY proud to be part of this educational system, and feel that our teachers and administrators always have and will continue to do what is best for students. Professional Development opportunities within this district are so important for each of us as educators in order to continue learning and challenging ourselves. It is our shared responsibility to continue to ask tough questions and seek to find solutions collaboratively, in order to prepare our young people so that they may be globally competitive far into the 21^st Century.

Fairness

2010-11-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

FAIRNESS AT DENVER ELEMENTARY

This month’s focus trait at Denver Elementary is FAIRNESS! The third grade taught us, during an assembly at the beginning of November, what it means to be FAIR. Our third graders organized Wartburg student-athletes to visit our school and speak to us about fairness! While all traits are important, we would like you to especially emphasize the importance of fairness at home. The following expectations closely align to the Fairness trait:

• Play by the rules.

• Take turns and share.

• Be open-minded. Listen to others.

• Don’t take advantage of others.

• Don’t blame others carelessly.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME

· When you hear, “It’s not fair!” ask your child to define what is unfair about the situation. Usually when you hear this, it means your child didn’t receive something he/she thinks was deserved or an expectation hasn’t been met-whether real or imagined.

· Discuss the question “Does fair mean equal?” with your child. Talk about situations in school, home or the community where the answers may sometimes be “yes” and sometimes “no”.

· Set family goals. Have each member of the family complete the following sentence and post it where it will serve as a reminder: I will show fairness by: ______________________.

PARENTS CAN PROMOTE FAIRNESS

· Create a democratic family environment by providing opportunities for each family member to provide input on appropriate family topics and decisions.

· Embrace the uniqueness of each family member without making comparisons of specific areas of competence.

· Consistently apply pre-determined rules. Make expectations clear and predictable.

· Advocate and help others who are impacted by adversity.

· Involve children in developing rules they are to follow.

FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

The Key to Fairness: Pre-established rules, consistently applied.

“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

2010-11-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

What Kind of Learner Are You?

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT!!

BOOK IT! PARENT SURVEY

2010-11-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE FOR BOOK IT! PARENT SURVEY!

RESULTS ARE IN....

100% of the parents in attendance at the November K.I.D.S group meeting voted on moving forward with the BOOKIT! program. We will begin next fall!

Fall Conference Attendance

2010-10-28T07:58:00.001-07:00

Fall Conference Attendance - Way to Go!!!

Fall Conference Attendance was 99.7 percent! Thank you parents and teachers for your continued commitment to our very important partnership. It is so imperative that we communicate regularly and work together in the best interest of our children! When we work together the students benefit!

2010-10-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Another NEW Mobile Laptop Cart For Elementary

For the second year in a row, a full mobile laptop cart, consisting of 25 MacBooks will be rolling into Denver Elementary soon, thanks to our parent organization (K.I.D.S. - Keep Improving Denver Schools), a local Heidemann Grant, and also our Denver Elementary Fundraising efforts.

We want to make certain that technology is less about "going to technology", and more about making technology part of everyday learning and exploration, which will increase levels of creativity, innovation, and systemic thinking. Having mobile laptop computers more available to teachers to utilize within their current rigorous curriculum, will only enhance the amount of enthusiasm toward learning, which has an inevitable correlation, most often to the retention of essential concepts and skills within our subject areas, including reading, math, science, and language usage.

The bottom line is that with more computers, our students will have a greater number of experiences with technology, which will allow for further integration of our 21^st century skills, including technology literacy. This integration will better prepare our students to live and work in a globally competitive and ever-changing 21^st Century world.

What Helps Students' Learn?

2010-09-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

We as an elementary school staff have shifted our thinking from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. In order to accomplish this, we take several measures into account to assure that

students are learning. One thing that we do, is to obtain foundational evidence at the start of

the year, which allows for us to meet the students where they are academically, and move them forward, learning, ourselves, how each child can be most favorably supported.

As we know, it takes a team of parents, educators, and the community working together to truly make learning a priority; therefore, I will share with you, several things that can be done at home, to help students learn. The work of Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey of Vanderbilt University presented a model at a conference that I attended, that suggests a model that includes parental supports that impact student learning. An adaptation of her work follows:

2010-08-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Watch our 2010-2011 Back To School Video

DENVER ELEMENTARY STAFF

2010-08-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

OUR AWESOME 2010-2011 DENVER ELEMENTARY STAFF!

August Letter to Families

2010-08-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

August 7, 2010

Greetings Denver Elementary Families,

I hope this letter finds you refreshed after a great summer with your children….or perhaps, you might be more refreshed after a few weeks when your child/children return to school and a routine becomes commonplace once again. At any rate, we staff members are excited to welcome the students back for another exciting school year full of rigorous and relevant learning, challenges, and fun!

We welcome this school year with a lot of change, as we embark on our theme, “Building upon the past, creating a promising future”. The most obvious reason for this theme is clearly our recent groundbreaking on our building project, which will inevitably transform the current 3-12 site, into a PK-12 site, eliminating the use of the current K-2 building as it is today. We plan project completion to occur in August of next year, and we will begin the 2011/2012 school year with all students on one site.

To prepare for this change, starting this school year, busses will be dropping 3-12 students off and picking 3-12 students up on the East side of our 3-12 campus on Fairview street. Third through Eighth grade parent drop off will continue to exist on the south end of our campus on Lincoln Street. K-2 traffic patterns will remain the same. But we do ask for ONE WAY drop off and pick up before and after school, running north on S. Russell Street, and East after school on E. Franklin Street. We believe that these changes will be what are best to keep our students safe and to keep traffic flowing. WE ASK THAT PARENTS PLEASE AVOID PICKING YOUR CHILDREN UP AND DROPPING THEM OFF ACROSS THE STREET OPPOSITE OUR ONE-WAY TRAFFIC FLOW AT EVERY LOCATION. THIS IS FOR YOUR CHILD’S SAFETY! (A map and a more detailed (perhaps less confusing) explanation of the 3-12 changes will be shared online, within the Denver Forum, and provided to you along with this letter.)

Another profound reason for choosing our theme this year is that we continue to build upon our outstanding curriculum, by adding an extensive adoption of the National Common Core Curriculum that will align with our state based Iowa Core Curriculum. Our staff will work extensively this year during professional development on matching rigorous content based teaching and learning to that of common formative assessments while also incorporating technology.

Our teachers have spent days upon hours this summer reflecting and refining their professional practice and many have spent days outside of our district attending professional learning opportunities. We are so fortunate to have the dedicated professionals that we do, working in our school organization here in Denver.

This school year, you will see many changes in staff arrangement and placement. We feel that we have the right people in the right places to make this school year parallel to no other. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure rich growth and learning for every child!

With anticipation and enthusiasm I welcome you again, to what is expected to be a fantastic school year, where we continue our work of “Building upon the past and creating a promising future”.

Most Sincerely,

Kimberly J. Tierney

Mrs. Kim J. Tierney

Elementary Principal

2010-08-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

TACKLING OUR TOUGHEST CHALLENGES!

Every summer, through my continued learning, something is brought to my attention through a book that I read, a conference that I attended, et cetera, that will make me a better leader.

This summer there were several things that struck a cord with me, and challenged me to change my thinking, but there was one chapter within a book that I read, entitled, Fierce Conversations, by Susan Scott, that offered a tool that I feel will make future challenges that are brought to me on a nearly daily basis, easier.

Burnout is a fact of life, in the field of education. I don’t feel it yet, and refuse to let it bite me as I continue in this work. Burnout happens, according to Scott, because we are trying to solve the same problems over and over and over.

I was pressed to think of those most often recurring and pressing issues both personally and professionally. I started to reflect on how those problems/issues are brought to my attention by both students and teachers on a regular basis. To be honest, I love this part of my job, it is satisfying for me to help others solve the challenges that they face. That is one reason why I consider myself a leader, and one more reason why I love my job as an elementary principal.

I challenge you to think about how you might use this form within your school or organization, maybe even your personal life. Think about how you might use this with your teachers, colleagues, your students, or even your spouse. I hope to use this form within our Building Facilitator Team meetings. I feel that this will allow all struggles and challenges to be heard by each member of our leadership team, and we can collaboratively and collectively take a look at some pressing issues, and come to a consensus on the most fitting conclusion for us as an organization. I will also recommend that teachers use this format, when presenting more prevailing struggles to me individually as well.

PRESENTING THE ISSUE (Fierce Conversations, Scott)

THE ISSUE IS:

(Be concise. In one or two sentences, get to the heart of the problem. Is it a concern, challenge, opportunity, or recurring problem that is becoming more troublesome?)

IT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE:

(What’s at stake? How does this affect dollars, income, people, products, services, customers, family, timing, the future, student learning, relationships, or other relevant factors? What is the future impact if the issue is not resolved?)

MY IDEAL OUTCOME IS:

(What specific results do I want?)

RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

(Summarize with bulleted points: How, when, why, and where did the issue start? Who are the key players? Which forces are at work? What is the issues current status?)

WHAT I HAVE DONE UP TO THIS POINT:

(What have I done so far? What options am I considering?)

THE HELP I WANT FROM THE GROUP IS:

(What results do I want from the group? For example, alternative solutions, confidence regarding the right decision, identification of consequences, where to find more information, critique of the current plan.)

Denver Elementary Office Referrals by Month for the 09-10 School Year

2010-06-15T13:30:00.001-07:00

You can see that as the year progressed, we either got better at inputting our office referral data, or our office referrals increased substantially as the year passed (probably a little of both, to be honest). This data will be interesting to compare from year to year as we look for trends, and the data will also allow us to identify time periods in which we need to develop proactive plans in order to decrease referrals.

Awesome Summer Vacation - Funny Animation

2010-06-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

June - What Does an Elementary Principal Do During the Summer, Anyway?

2010-06-15T10:30:00.001-07:00

The hallways are barren, the classrooms empty, lengthy phone conversations rare….what in the world does an elementary principal do during the summer anyway?

Most people have a belief that summer means three months of vacation for an elementary principal….while time is definitely more flexible, this is not only a time for me to reflect on the past year, but also a time for me to prepare for the upcoming year. Summer for me, is predominately consumed by the managerial, paperwork tasks that are required for a smooth running school year. I won’t lie to you though; there is more time for my family, a week long vacation, and an occasional long weekend or two.

Let me give you an indication (in list form) of what I have been up to, and what I intend to complete this summer:

1. Create a BLOG to communicate with community, school board, and staff
2. Update WIKI page
3. Project Easier/Beds Report to the State of Iowa (specifically testing data)
4. Create a Substitute Handbook
5. Create Schedules (Related Arts, Late Start, Early Out, Duties, etc.)
6. Review Committees for next school year
7. Update Staff Handbook
8. Update Family Handbook
9. Finalize Teacher Evaluations, plan for next year’s evaluations
10. File all existing year’s documents
11. Work with secretary to organize and purchase all consumables, textbooks, etc. for upcoming school year
12. Input Observation Survey data, review any trend lines
13. Plan for Professional Development for upcoming school year
- Assessment
- Anti-Bullying
- Curriculum Alignment
- Professional Learning Communities

14. Attend Professional Conferences:
- School Administrators of Iowa – August – 2 Days
- Character Counts – July – 2 Days
- E2T2 – June – 2 Days
- Principal Institute – June – 2 Days
- PLC Conference – August – 3 Days
- Olweus – July – 2 Days

15. Write letter to new students/families welcoming them to Denver Community Schools
16. Research best practice and innovations within content areas
17. Human Relations – Hiring, etc.
18. Finalize Classroom Rosters
19. CLEAN AND ORGANIZE OFFICE
20. Prepare communications for upcoming School Board meetings
21. Title 1 Application (Annually to obtain funds)
22. Write welcome back letter to students/families/staff
23. Book Study – Fierce Conversations
24. Work with area administrators to plan for Fall NICL Staff Development Day
25. Work with Cedar Falls/Waverly to plan for Fall Schmoker Staff Development Day
26. Contact Substitute Teachers – Plan for next school year
27. Work on Back to School In-service days – New Teacher Orientation
28. Update State ID’s for all new students including Kindergarten students for fall.
29. Plan Assemblies for Fall
30. Schedule Fire/Tornado Drills
31. Update Budget – Confirm with Business Manager
32. Finalize Iowa Core Implementation Plan – Submit to State for approval
33. Professional Reading:
--Fierce Conversations - Susan Scott
--Assessment for Learning
--Teaching for Deep Comprehension – Dorn
--Motivating and Inspiring Teachers - Whitacker

Whew…..so there you have it, a list of the larger items on my agenda for this summer. This laundry list emulates a lot of what I manage during the school year, but is less “intense” if you will, because I am not trying to get into classrooms to observe students' learning, I'm not disciplining kids (except for my own), and I'm not communicating with families, students, and staff as often.

I must admit as well, that I find time to rejuvenate and prepare myself mentally by taking my daughter to the pool and vacationing in Minnesota and Chicago, so that I can enthusiastically welcome students and staff in August!

Have a GREAT summer ( I know I will)!

Mrs. Tierney