FROM WPS - PLEASE COMPLETE STRATEGIC PLAN SURVEY BY FRIDAY, APRIL 12TH

We encourage the entire community (including those who have already participated in our forums) to provide their input into the Wellesley Public Schools Vision and Strategic Plan by completing the online survey by Friday April 12th.  The survey is at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VNZ5LD5

For more information on the Strategic Planning process, please go to www.wellesley.k12.ma.us.

The Strategic Planning Advisory Committee greatly appreciates the Community's continued support for the Wellesley Public Schools.

What's Happening at Sprague this Week

Monday, February 25

7:00pm

 WPS Strategic Plan Public Meeting - Katherine L. Babson Jr. Auditorium @ WHS

Tuesday, February 26

6:30pm

 Sprague Mosaic Mural Grouting

WhenTue, February 26, 6:30pm – 9:30pm

more details»  copy to my calendar

Click here to sign up  to help finish the Mural before Open House Night on Mar. 7th

Wednesday, February 27

6:30pm

 Sprague Mosaic Mural Grouting
              Click here to sign up  to help finish the Mural before Open House Night on March 7th

WPS Strategic Planning Process - Sprague Parents Invited to Participate

Community Listening Forum Dates

• Monday, February 25th, at 7:00-8:30 p.m., Katherine L. Babson Jr. Auditorium @ WHS
• TUESDAY, March 5th at 7:00-8:30 p.m., Wakelin Room at the Wellesley Free Library
• NEW -- Friday, March 8th at 9:00-10:30 a.m., Wakelin Room at the Wellesley Free Library

Listening Forum Questions - Click here to download and respond

Strategic Planning Process - Click here for more information 

Sprague Parents: Attend one of three public meetings to provide input for WPS Strategic Plan

Dear Wellesley Community,

As part of my entry as the new Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools, I have met with scores of individuals and groups to better understand what’s working well and what needs to be addressed in our school system. It’s clear that the community wants to build on our successes while adapting to a future in which the college, career, and life opportunities for which we are preparing our students continue to evolve rapidly. Whether considering academic programs, long-term facilities needs, or plans for economic sustainability, we must develop a vision for the future that will guide our efforts in a coherent way.

With this in mind, the Wellesley Public School system has begun the process of developing a multi-year strategic plan to inform our work in the days ahead. The core of this effort will be focused on addressing three essential questions: What should all Wellesley students know and be able to do? What program(s) of instruction will best develop these competencies? How will we measure our success? Naturally, these questions are simply the starting point to what we hope will be a robust community conversation about the future of our school system.

For this work to be successful, community participation will be imperative. An Advisory Committee has been formed to manage this process and includes teachers, administrators, parents, and town officials. We are also inviting staff and members of the Wellesley community to attend one of three public meetings to provide early input into this process:

• Wednesday, February 13, 3-4:30 PM, Wellesley Middle School Auditorium
• Monday, February 25, 7-8:30 PM, Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Auditorium at Wellesley High School
• Wednesday, March 5, 7-8:30 PM, Wakelin Room, Wellesley Free Library

In addition to these community meetings, we will be convening specific focus groups and conducting a community-wide survey in late March. Our goal is to have a working draft of the strategic plan by early summer.

Among our greatest assets in Wellesley is an engaged community that demands much from its public schools but one that also provides exceptional support. Whether you have children in school or not, we invite the entire community to join us in charting a future path for the Wellesley Public Schools in the coming months.

David F. Lussier
Superintendent of Schools

Navigating the 1:1 Technology Initiative, is it right for Wellesley?

http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/

The Sprague PTO is having a second meeting, Wednesday January, 30 at 8:45am in the Sprague Cafeteria to further discuss the 1:1 Technology Proposal with Rob Ford, Director of Technology, WPS. We recently engaged parents/teachers in a questionnaire about the proposal. If you haven't had a chance to complete the questionnaire, please click here to do so. Your opinions/questions are welcome and appreciated.

For more information about the WPS Proposal and results from the Schofield pilot click here. 

To help us understand how devices are being used successful across the country we engaged with a school principal in Boyne City Michigan to talk about his results.  If you have a chance, please visit his blog below.  It was quite surprising to learn about the many benefits of embracing a 1:1 initiative.  

Listed below are highlights from a recent phone interview with Principal Fred Sitkins, a school principal in Boyne City Michigan.  His district is in its third year of using iPads 1:1 in 4th grade, and in its first year of using iPads 1:1 throughout their entire district at all grade levels, K-12. 
 
  (Principal Sitkins will be publishing his complete data at the end of the year.)

• Mid-year data is very encouraging. For the first time, K & 1st grades are ahead of the basic pre-literacy skills. Teachers are excited because they are well ahead of benchmarks. Many students have reached their end of year goals already.

• Children who struggle academically have a much harder time increasing their intervention level as the years go by. Their 4th grade class which is in their 3rd year of using 1:1 has increased their intervention level by 18% (mid-year) already. Typically it takes the whole year to see an increase of about 9% in intervention levels. 

• iPad learning has increased attention, participation and social collaboration. The iPad learning has “rescued” many students who had otherwise shutdown, which happens as early as the 2nd and 3rd grade. With the help of the Edmodo App, student participation in group and classroom discussions is at 100%. Children are fully engaged in learning.

• The staff at Boyne City Elementary is on board. So are the students. The principal says, “I’m amazed with the amount of time students are spending on critical thinking. Kids are working so much harder than ever before. Kindergartners are creating books and giving presentations. Who knew they could? Students are teaching fellow students.”

• Something they didn't realize early on was that the device could be set so kids who log on from home would be channeled through the school's firewall, so parents didn't have to apply the settings to their home firewalls. Apple can help with the configuration.  (WPS is proposing the device stays at school with all 5th graders next year and is considered for take home the following year.)

Please navigate to Principal Sitkins blog for many answers to questions, findings and resources about the success of their 1:1 iPad Initiative at the elementary school level.

http://www.ipadpd.com/index.html

For examples of how other schools around the world are using this technology, visit  http://www.apple.com/education/profiles/

A 1:1 technology initiative will only be successful in Wellesley if we have support from teachers, students and parents.

Thank you, Jean Walsh and Andrea Giroux
Sprague PTO Co-Presidents

1:1 Technology Pilot Program Proposed Expansion to ALL WPS 5th Grade Classrooms

In the fall of 2011, the district embarked on a 1:1 tablet pilot at the Schofield School. During the 2011-2012 school year, a tablet was assigned to each student in the pilot, and use of this technology was integrated into all aspects of the classroom curriculum. The results of this pilot were positive and the district is proposing an expansion of the pilot program to all 5th grade classrooms in the district for the 2013-2014 school year. Parents would have the option of either enrolling an existing iPad in the program or obtaining one through a "lease-to-own" option.

We encourage parents to learn more about the results of the Schofield pilot and the proposed expansion by visiting the WPS 1:1 Technology Pilot Program webpage (https://sites.google.com/a/apps.wellesley.k12.ma.us/wps-1-1-technology-pilot-program/) and by attending an informational meeting below.

Upcoming Meetings

In addition to recent presentations to the School Committee, Academic Council,  the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, and the Wellesley Education Foundation,  we are working with the Elementary school PTOs to schedule a series of meetings.  We hope you are able to join us at your school's meeting, or at our parent forum  on January 10th. Date                      Time  Meeting 1/10                 8:45am Upham PTO 1/10  7:00pm Parent Forum in the Wakelin Room Wellesley Free Library 1/11  8:45am Schofield PTO 1/14  7:00pm Sprague PTO 1/15 7:30pm Fiske PTO 1/16 8:45am Hunnewell PTO 1/18 8:45am Bates PTO TBD* TBD* Hardy PTO * Awaiting confirmation of date and time for the Hardy PTO meeting. Thank you! Rob Ford Director of Technology Wellesley Public Schools 781-446-6210 x4522 rob_ford@wellesley.k12.ma.us