Graham School

Explanation of the posts which follow

2007-09-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

This is a blog which I established during the 2005-2006 school year. Its audience consisted of the stakeholders of Graham School, a K-6 elementary school located in Talladega, AL.

While the blog is no longer being maintained, these posts serve as a model others may want to use as a tool to communicate with those in their buildings.

2006-05-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

Serving as Principal of Graham School these last 9 years has been a pleasure. This school and its students have a bright future.

All the best,
Frank Buck

Thanks 6th graders!

2006-05-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

During the Awards Day ceremony, our 6th graders from this year and last year presented the school with this lovely pair of iron planters.

Congratulations Mrs. Dyer!

2006-05-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

Melissa Dyer was named Principal for Graham School at today's Board of Education meeting. Mrs. Dyer came to Graham as a special education teacher and then served as Reading Specialist at Graham. She began her administrative career at Dixon Middle School where she oversaw the 6th grade program for our school system. She has served since then as Assistant Principal at Zora Ellis Jr. High.

Mrs. Dyer will do a great job. I wish her all of the best and pledge her my 100% support. I know that our parents, teachers, and students will do the same.

An interesting e-mail

2006-05-22T16:37:00.000-05:00

One of the really rewarding experiences during my administrative career has been serving as an “editorial advisor” for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. I am completing two years of a three-year commitment. On a regular basis, the 10 editorial advisors spread across the U.S. are asked to comment on articles in NAESP’s various publications, make suggestions for future publications, and write book reviews for publication in Principal magazine. In my case, I was asked to write an article on blogging. That article appeared in the Nov/Dec issue.

One afternoon, the following e-mail message came in:
From: editorialadvisors-bounces@naesp.net on behalf of Vanessa St. Gerard [vstgerard@naesp.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 12:53 PM
To: editorialadvisors@naesp.net
Subject: [Editorial Advisors] Submission for Nov/Dec Principal

Hello, everyone,

Lee Greene and I have a writing opportunity that we think both you and our readers will enjoy. The theme for the November/December issue of Principal is The 24-Hour Principal. In addition to our theme articles, we would like each of our editorial advisors to submit a short piece, describing a typical day.

Thanks.
Vanessa St. Gerard
Managing Editor, Publications
(703) 518-6252 (p)
(703) 548-6021 (f)
________
National Association of Elementary School Principals S
erving All Elementary and Middle Level Principals
1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
www.naesp.org

My first thought was simply to write about THAT day, complete with its highs and lows. That is exactly what I wound up doing. The post which follows is the piece submitted to the editors. They may shorten, do some re-writing, etc., but here is the original for you to get a sneak peek.

A "Typical Day" in the Life of a Principal

2006-05-22T16:33:00.000-05:00

During nine years as an elementary principal, the typical day is anything but typical. I come to school armed with a well-defined list of the tasks to accomplish over the course of the next week so that I can use any discretionary moment to move a step closer to accomplishing a goal. At the same time, I fully realize that one event may totally re-shape the focus for the day. Flexibility is the name of the game, and flexibility requires organization.

When I checked my e-mail on the afternoon of March 14, it included an e-mail inviting me to describe a typical day for the readers of Principal. I knew immediately the day I would choose would be the day I was living. The majority of the day had already passed, and therefore could not be contrived. Thinking back on the day to that point, it had included the elements of a “typical” day: the “checking off” of small tasks that lead to major accomplishments, opportunities for our students, unexpected annoyances, and equally unexpected good news.

This day begins at 4:30, and the first hour is spent getting me ready for school and getting two Shelties ready for their day at home. Mid-way through my 23-minute drive to work, I stop for breakfast at “DJ’s,” the Mom & Pop restaurant that is home to some of the best home-made biscuits I have ever put in my mouth.

One of our custodians normally opens the building, but he has arranged with me to be out today. After arriving at 6:30, and assuming the duties of unlocking the outside entrances and turning on a few lights, I greet a substitute custodian and give our guest a schedule of duties for the day. Handling e-mail and organizing the papers in today’s tickler file consume the remaining time before students start to arrive.

I visit the cafeteria where our very active breakfast program is in full swing. One of the teachers handling breakfast duty this week is an aspiring administer, and she is going to be an excellent principal. We visit regarding questions she has about the world of school administration.

The morning intercom announcements give me an opportunity to celebrate the good that needs to be recognized and share stories which motivate kids and present to them a picture of the kind of persons they can aspire to be. This month is both “Youth Art Month” and “Music in Our Schools Month.” Through the month, we display in our foyer works of art created by people our students know. Today, I point out that today’s painting is the work of custodian Bobby Givens. He has a work ethic that is every principal’s dream, and his artwork is truly an inspiration for everyone in our building. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, our entire student body sings the “Star-Spangled Banner” with accompaniment piped over the intercom. We have been doing this every morning during “Music in Our Schools Month.” The students do not know it yet, but each morning for the remainder of the school year, we will make the singing of patriotic songs a part of how we start our day.

The morning proves to be surprisingly free of interruptions, and I am able to move forward each of about a dozen projects. I call to my office one student who has been extremely lax in getting his work done. The brief talk is concluded with a stern statement that I will be checking with his teacher to see if there have been any more problems. Somehow, when students know the principal is going to be following up, the problem goes away.

Just when I am sure this day will be a quiet one, I learn that a first grade class has just been taken over by a swarm of termites! Who would have known that the “typical day” would include a frantic call to our pest control provider?

I accompany a student group to a performance of “America, We the People” at the Ritz Theater in downtown Talladega. While the very mention of our town makes most people think of the semi-annual NASCAR events, the staff at the Ritz never ceases to amaze me with the quality performances they bring to this town.

When I arrive back at school, I am greeted with a message that Honda has called and is donating $1,500 towards our “Young Author’s Day” project. This unexpected good news makes up for the termites! Since their arrival in northern Talladega County several years ago, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama has been a great supporter of our school.

I turn to check the latest e-mail messages and see one from NAESP with an invitation to write the account you are reading right now. I begin to jot down the major happenings to this point in the day and continue to do so for the remainder of the day.

My calendar includes viewing a webinar on the subject of using data. As I view the presentation, I use the time to sign a batch of checks and handle other miscellaneous paperwork. As the webinar ends, I take a call from Mark Rasco, a very supportive and visionary parent. He is heading up a brick project, allowing supporters of the school to purchase engraved bricks which will replace a portion of the sidewalk leading up to the school entrance. He and I discuss some of the details of the project.

The workday ends at 5:00, and tonight my wife and I enjoy a meal at the local Mexican restaurant. Tomorrow, another aspiring principal will be interviewing me for an administrative class project. I spend some time making notes to prepare for that interview while watching television and petting Shelties.

This day was a good one, and to be honest, most of them are. Our school has some of the best kids, best teachers, best parents you will find anywhere—and so does yours.

Awards Day

2006-05-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

Please join us for the Awards Day ceremony. The program will be held on Thursday, May 25 in Harwell Auditorium beginning at 8:30.

Sock Hop

2006-05-19T16:49:00.000-05:00

The Sock Hop is a tradition at Graham for the exiting class. Our 6th graders had a ball.

2006-05-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Pictures from Field Day

2006-05-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

The students had a great time at Field Day. Thanks to all of the parents who pitched in to make this a fun day for the kids.

Arts Camp for Kids

2006-05-19T15:58:00.000-05:00

Arts Camp for Kids will be held June 12-16 and is sponsored by the Heritage Hall Art Museum. The camp is open to students ages 7-13. Information and registration forms have been distributed to teachers. We also have additional forms in the school office.

Yagibushi

2006-05-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Our students had a wonderful time learning about the Japanese culture. The student body was treated to an entertaining performance by the Yagibushi Dancers from Maebashi, Japan. The group has as much fun learning about American culture as we did learning about theirs.

Scenes from Catfish Dinner

2006-05-15T13:44:00.000-05:00

Just a few shots from the Catfish Dinner. It was a wonderful end to a great day. The Young Author's Day was a huge success!

Cookie dough and coffee still available

2006-04-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

We have some cookie dough and cookie left and is available for sale. All of the cookie dough has been in the cooler since its arrival. As of last count, here is what is still on hand:

Cookies

Snickerdoodle-4 ($11)
Peanut Butter-1 ($11)
Sugar-2 ($11)
Triple Chocolate-4 ($13)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup-5 ($13)
White Chocolate Macadamia-2 ($13)

Coffee

Columbian-5 ($11)
Southern Roasted Pecan-1 ($11)

If you would like to purchase, please give your money to Mrs. Sorrell.

Talladega City Schools Foundation Banquet

2006-04-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

The Talladega City Schools Foundation will host a banquet on Monday, May 8 at 7:00PM. The banquet is being held at Shocco Springs Conference Center.

Tickets for the event are $12.50. We have some here at school. They may also be purchased from any Foundation Board Member.

Money raised by the Foundation goes directly back to our schools to fund projects across the system.

Young Authors at work

2006-04-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

Young Authors sitting outside sharing their creations.

2006-04-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

Our featured speaker, Charles Ghinga, motivates and gives the story behind some of his works.

2006-04-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

Young Author’s Day started with a blast. A group of students are being entertained by storyteller Libby Oglesby, librarian at Deer Park Elementary.

Poetry Alive

2006-04-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

Poetry Alive brings poems to life.

Daily Home Article

2006-04-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Daily Home for their coverage of Young Author's Day. Richard McVay wrote an outstanding front-page article in Friday's edition.

New info We ARE Dismissing (1:00)

2006-04-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

Parents,

We have just received word that we WILL be dismissing at 1:00 (Friday, April 7) due to the weather.

Young Author's Day Update

2006-04-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

We are able to extend the time for ordering dinners for the Catfish and Chicken Dinners through Monday, April 10. The food is being provided by Whisker’s, and all of our teachers say the food from there is wonderful!

Poetry Alive

2006-04-05T11:21:00.000-05:00

You are invited to join us for several other events that are a part of our Young Author’s Day celebration. On April 14, we will be entertained by Poetry Alive. This high-energy duo doesn't just read poetry, they perform it! They make poetry fun and inspire students to explore their own talents. Kindergarten and 1st grade will see the show at 9:00, grades 2 and 3 at 10:00, and grades 4-6 at 1:00. All shows be held in the lunchroom.

Visit from Author, Charles Ghigna

2006-04-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

On the morning of April 17, noted children’s author Charles Ghigna (pronounced GEEN-ya) will be here. Parents are invited to come and hear Mr. Ghigna during his presentation to the students. The schedule is:
9:00 4th-6th Grades 10:00 K-3rd Grades

In the afternoon, Mr. Ghigna will autograph books for the students who had purchased them. (All of the books were pre-ordered. There will not be any additional books on hand.) If you purchased a book and would like to be there to meet Mr. Ghigna, the schedule for the book signing is as follows:
12:00 Kindergarten and 1st Grade
12:45 2nd and 3rd Grade
1:30 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade

In addition, students will be involved in two other activities during the school day. Libby Ogelsby, librarian from Hoover’s Deer Valley Elementary, will entertain students with an enthralling story. At another time during the day, students will break off into small groups and share with their peers the books they have written.

Dinner & Room Visitation

2006-04-05T10:55:00.000-05:00

The evening is a time to enjoy the dinner and for you to see the books that your child and his or her friends have written! From 5:45-6:30, all of the classrooms will be open for parents to view the books Thanks to everyone who has made contributions to provided by The Society of 1904. The funding for all of the materials and activities surrounding Young Author’s Day came from that foundation. Many people say writing is a lost art. The Young Author's Day is a step in motivating our boys and girls to develop this crucial life skill.

Pediculosis Outreach Assistance Program

2006-04-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

FIRST Family Service Center in Talladega is implementing a Pediculosis Outreach Assistance Program. The service is absolutely free.

What services are offered?

Families will receive a tool kit to aid in the removal of lice
Families will be able to talk with a nurse who can explain more about lice, how to prevent re-infestation and how to cure current cases

Who may refer a family?

A teacher
DHR
Parents

What is the first step in getting assistance?

There is a form that may be completed by any school person or parent. You may pick one up at school or ask that one be sent home with your child.
Take the completed form to the address on the form. No appointment is necessary.

Catfish & Chicken Dinner

2006-03-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

Our Author's Day is fast approaching. One part of the festivities is a catfish & chicken dinner the evening of April 17! The students will receive a flyer in the Tuesday folder on which family and friends can place their orders. The flyers and money should be turned in by Friday, March 31.

New computers for lab

2006-03-24T14:25:00.000-06:00

A pleasant surprise awaited our students as they visited the computer lab just before spring break. The entire lab was outfitted with brand new Gateway computers. Funding was provided through our CSR grant, the same grant that purchased the PlayStations and educational CD-ROMs.

The computers that were in the lab have been placed in classrooms of teachers in grades K-3, giving those teachers an addition computer in the room to use with students.

Youth Art Month

2006-03-24T13:45:00.000-06:00

In addition to being "Music in Our Schools Month," March is also "Youth Art Month." Throughout the month, we have displayed in the lobby works of art created by people our students know. This post features twopaintings by Bobby Givens.

Playground Workday

2006-03-13T09:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the parents (and several students) who made our playground workday a success. As a result of Saturday's work:

Teachers have 2 nice benches where they can sit and supervise students during playtime.
We have 2 heavy-duty picnic tables located near the newer playground equipment.
We have a thicker pad of pea gravel covering the play area (over 19 tons more pea gravel)
The entrance to the school has been pressure-washed.
Flowers have been planted in front of the school and leaves raked and bagged.

We had a great group of parents turn out to make it all happen. Thanks to:
Brad Austin
Barry Baines
Andy Carden
John Cullimore
Graham Davis
Stephanie Dodgen
Jeb Fannin
Cheryl Ford
Mack Ford
Britt Parker
Jody Parker
Mark Rasco

Thanks also to the students who helped: Peyton, Grant, Paxton, and Tanya.

National Anthem Project and Music in Our Schools Month

2006-03-09T16:23:00.000-06:00

March is "Music in Our Schools Month" across America. This year's celebration is special because of an initiative called the "National Anthem Project."

According to a Harris Interactive Poll of 2,200 American men and women over the age 18, 60 percent do not know all the words to the National Anthem, and of those who do, 70 percent learned the anthem in school music classes. An ABC poll of teenagers found that 38 percent do not know the official name of the national anthem, 15 percent can sing it from memory, and less than 35 percent can name the author.

The National Anthem Project is all about changing those statistics. The project officially began in March 2005 and will culminate in 2007. At Graham, students have learned the words and music through their music classes. Fifth and sixth graders learned about the event which inspired the stirring words.

In celebration of "Music in Our Schools Month" and the "National Anthem Project," we have been including the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner at the conclusioin of our morning announcements. To hear the children's voices echo down the halls in unison supporting over our intercom by a full instrumental accompaniment is a thrilling sound!

If you wish, you may print a copy of the Star-Spangled Banner from here. You may also download recordings of the Star Spangled Banner.

Bound for the State Science Fair

2006-03-07T15:43:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Ryan, Tanya, Ariel, and Casey! All four were either 1st or 2nd place winners at the regional science fair. Their projects now advance to the state science fair. Their awards and categories are as follows:

Tanya - 1st place Zoology
Ryan - 1st place Earth Science
Ariel - 2nd place Health & Medicine
Casey - 2nd place Space Science

America, We the People

2006-03-06T13:52:00.000-06:00

Fourth and fifth-grade classes have been invited to attend a performance of "America, We the People." The program will take place on Tuesday, March 14 at 12:15.

This unique program designed to promote understanding of and respect for cultural and physical differences through the writings, language, music, and history of Americans.
Drama, music, dance and sign language are employed in this dramatic performance of American writers’ works: Walt WhitmanAbraham LincolnEmily DickinsonRobert FrostMartin Luther KingLangston HughesCarl Sandburg …and others.

Our thanks for George Culver and Antique Talladega for arranging this oportunity for our students free of charge.

Picture Day, Friday, March 17

2006-03-06T09:13:00.000-06:00

We will make spring pictures on Friday, March 17. Kindergarten cap & gown pictures will also be made the same day. There is no make-up for these pictures.

Feb. 20 is a School Day

2006-02-13T12:51:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that Monday, Feb. 20 will be a day of school. This day will be used as a make-up for the day missed due to Hurricane Katrina.

Mom, somebody stole my jacket!

2006-02-13T10:00:00.000-06:00

If your child has lost a jacket, hat, glove, scarf, or just about anything else, please remind him or her to take a look in our lost and found. At this point, we have two silver cans full of assorted items. Lost and Found is located in the Community Classroom (Go straight through the library.) right beside the School Store.

Many times, jackets are left on the playground, on the school bus, and sometimes even in restrooms. Checking Lost and Found often reunites the student with the lost item.

Skateboarders

2006-02-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

A recent article in the Daily Home outlined the problems we have experienced with skateboarders doing damage on our campus. This picture will give you a pretty good idea of what we are talking about. We can use your help here. If you see students skateboarding on our campus, please use your judgment in saying something to them, saying something to the parents (if you know who they are), and if necessary calling the police.

I have personally witnessed skateboarders standing on and jumping on our benches, and have made calls to parents. If others are also making similar calls, I think we can put a stop to the problem.

Thanks to Mr. Givens for securing new boards to replace the broken ones, installing them, and painting them.

Baymobile

2006-02-07T16:38:00.000-06:00

Our students had a wonderful time at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab traveling “Baymobile.” Students from kindergarten through grade six had the opportunity to examine a vast array of marine life. Today’s motto was “Please Touch.”

The event was sponsored by the Alabama School for the Deaf. Special thanks to Dennis Gilliam (Reid’s dad, 2^nd grade) for including Graham School in this opportunity.

Congratulations to Mrs. Miles

2006-01-12T16:19:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Allison Miles! She has been selected as Graham School's "Teacher of the Year" and nominee to the Jacksonville State University Teacher Hall of Fame.

Catridges for Kids

2006-01-09T12:20:00.000-06:00

Just to let you know that sending in empty catridges pays off, we recently received a check for $218.50! Please continue to send empty cartridges from ink jet printer and laser printers as well as sending old cell phones.

Attendance for first semester

2006-01-06T08:04:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to these classes for having the 3 best attendance records to this point in the school year:

1. Mrs. Hare 98.15%

2. Mrs. Fannin 97.67%

3. Mrs. Hollingsworth 97.66%

Right now, we have 19 students who are still eligible for "Perfect Attendance" for the school year (no absences, no tardies, and no checkouts).

Graham Art Show

2005-12-12T10:45:00.000-06:00

Each year, the Alabama State Department of Education sponsors the "State Superintendent's Visual Arts Exhibit." Our local art show at Graham is the first step in that process. The best work from our school goes to the central office where it is judged amongst artwork from the other schools in our system. The best work at that level goes to Montgomery, where it will hang as part of the State Superintendent's Visual Arts Exhibit.

Pictured here is a collection of works by some of our 1st graders. As you scroll down the page, you will see the winners from each grade level. When posting student names, we use first names only to protect the privacy of our students. The work posted here may be viewed by others not only in Talladega, but also in other parts of the United States or other parts of the world.

We would like to thank Tommy Moorehead for serving as our judge. Those who know Tommy realize the great asset and resource he is for the children in our community. Thanks also to Connie Vickers, who served as Artist in Residence last spring and summer for our school system. She is returning for the spring as well. Each class has had either one or two lessons with Mrs. Vickers during December. She will rejoin us in January.

2005-12-12T10:44:00.000-06:00

The State Superintendent's Visual Arts Exhibit consists of two categories. The first is drawing/painting. You see here a collection created by one of the kindergarten classes. The other category is graphic arts/photography. Every Graham student who has participated in Writing to Read is familiar with graphic art. Mrs. Scroggins teaches the students to use a computer program to draw images on the screen. The students can later print them. You see also a group of 3rd grade black and white images created on the computer.

Drawing/Painting Winner for Kindergarten

2005-12-12T10:34:00.000-06:00

This forest scene was created by Peyton, and was judged best in kindergarten.

Drawing/Painting Winners for Grades 1 and 2

2005-12-12T10:22:00.000-06:00

Kaya's drawing of a mother holding her baby was judged best in 1st grade. Shay's painting of a girl jumping rope was our winner in 2nd grade.

Drawing/Painting Winners in Grades 3 and 4

2005-12-12T10:16:00.000-06:00

The depiction of the parrots is the creation of Allie Jo, our 3rd grade winner. In 4th grade, Cate Joseph's winter scene took 1st place.

Drawing/Painting Winners for Grades 5 and 6

2005-12-12T10:15:00.000-06:00

The charcoal drawing of the car was drawn by Peyton, our 5th grade winner. In 6th grade, 1st place went to Lauren for her drawing of a girl.

Graphic Arts/Photography Winners Grades 3 and 6

2005-12-12T10:05:00.001-06:00

Chelsey is the artist of the graphic art depicting the mountains, sun, and clouds. Her work was selected as the 1st place winner in 3rd grade. The photograph of the bridge was taken by Tanya, and is our 6th grade winner.

Graphic Arts Winners for Grades 1 and 2

2005-12-12T10:05:00.000-06:00

Dre created the graphic art show of the scene in the pumpkin patch. His work was chosen as the 1st place winner for 1st grade. Keyalia's design of a girl in a flower bed was judged as best in the 2nd grade.

E-mail regarding school dismissal

2005-11-28T15:21:00.000-06:00

The school administrative package that we use is constantly getting better. One feature added in the latest upgrade was the ability to send mass e-mails. That's a great feature to have when something like a school closing or early dismissal happens.

If you received an e-mail regarding the dismissal on Nov. 28, we obviously have a correct e-mail address for you. We had quite a few e-mails bounce back as being undeliverable, so I know there is some updating that needs to be done.

If we do not have a current e-mail address for you, please send that to us. Mrs. Sorrell's e-mail is: csorrell@mail.talladega-cs.net

We can add your e-mail address to your child's records so that you are included in any mass e-mails.

Dismissal due to weather

2005-11-28T10:48:00.000-06:00

Talladega City Schools will dismiss today at 1:00 due to predicted bad weather.

Blazer Animal Show

2005-11-25T14:08:00.000-06:00

The students always love the Blazer Animal Show. One of the new animals in this year's show was an albino python. The giant porcupine is always a favorite.

1st Grade Visits Barnyard

2005-11-25T13:58:00.000-06:00

Our 1st grade classes had a great time at the Barnyard. This event is sponsored each year by the Talladega High School FFA. Thanks to Allen Bice and his students for organizing the event.

Penny Drop benefits a worthy cause

2005-11-21T08:51:00.000-06:00

Much excitement surrounded the annual Auburn/Alabama Penny Drop. Auburn was the winner with $228.84 to Alabama's $173.69. The money will be donated to the Red Door Kitchen of Talladega to help with their efforts to feed needy families in our community. This was a competition where everyone was truly a winner!

The Penny Drop was a community service project sponsored by the Student Council.

Tryouts for Missoula Children's Theatre

2005-11-17T12:49:00.000-06:00

Auditions for the Missoula Children's Theatre will be Monday, November 28 beginning at 5:00 P.M. The auditions will be held at the Ritz Theatre. Children ages 5-13 are eligible.

Rehearsal will begin immediately following the auditions and will run throughout the week. The performances will be held on December 3 with shows at 3:00 and 7:00.

There is no fee to audition. There is a cost of $20 for those who are cast to help with the expenses related to the production.

This year's show will be an original musical adaptation of The Frog Prince. Traditionally, there has been a high interest among Graham students to audition, and we hope this year will be no different.

Pictures With Santa

2005-11-16T16:52:00.000-06:00

If you would like to purchase a "Pictures With Santa" package, the deadline to turn in the proof and payment is Monday, November 21. That will allow us to get the pictures in the mail before the Thanksgiving holidays. In turn, we will get the pictures back that much quicker.

Article in Principal Magazine

2005-11-15T08:10:00.000-06:00

I was flattered and appreciative that Mr. Messer talked at the Board meeting last night about my article from this month's Principal magazine. Principal is the flagship publication of the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

The article is intended to introduce principals to the concept of blogging and explain how a blog can be used as a communications tool. The article is presently being hosted on NAESP's website. You can read the full article by clicking here.

Red Ribbon Week

2005-10-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

Our kids have had a great time during Red Ribbon Week. Each day had a different theme:

Monday-Scarves or ties ("Tie down drugs")
Tuesday-Mismatched clothes ("Don' get mixed up with drugs")
Wednesday-Wear red (National "Wear Red" day)
Thursday-Crazy socks and sneakers ("Sock it to drugs"/"Don't let drugs sneak up on you")
Friday-Favorite team shirt ("Team up against drugs")

Thursday featured a visit by Devo and his partner, Ronny Jones. After many visits to Graham and surrounding schools to spread a message about staying drug free, Devo is officially retiring from active duty as a service dog.

Parental Involvement Plan

2005-10-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

One of the requirements of No Child Left Behind is that every school in America that receives Title I funding must develop a Parental Involvement Plan. That plan appears below. Each year, we update our overall Title I Schoolwide Plan. A copy is available in the library for any person who wishes to read it.

Graham School Parental Involvement Plan

Annual Meeting:

During August, Graham School holds its PTO Open House. Because this meeting traditionally attracts a larger number of parents than any other meeting during the year, we hold our annual meeting in conjunction with PTO Open House. To insure the largest turnout possible, we notify parents and students and encourage them to come through a number of avenues: 1) publication of the date in the student handbook; 2) publication of the date on the school’s online calendar; 3) a note sent home in the Tuesday folder for each child; and 4) a series of reminders over the school intercom which the principal composes and communicates to the student body.

During the meeting, the principal discusses the following topics:

Brief history and meaning of the Title I program
Explanation of what is meant by being a “Schoolwide Project”
How Title I funds are used
Importance of parental involvement and an explanation of several practices which contribute greatly to student success
Explanation of vehicles for communication between home and school
School-parent compact
Parent survey
Schoolwide plan

Flexible Schedule of Meetings

The faculty at Graham School has a strong belief in the importance of parental involvement. The school places an emphasis on scheduling meetings at a time when parents can attend. In addition to the annual meeting, Graham holds Lightspan parent orientations at several points in the year, also at night. Most meetings, however, are those designed to focus on the needs of a particular child. Teachers schedule these individual meetings with parents before school, during the teacher’s planning time, or after school. In addition, teachers speak with parents over the phone during the evening hours for those parents who are unable to come to the school at any of the times mentioned.

Involvement of Parents in Planning, Review, and Improvement of Title I Program

Graham School believes in involving parents in all aspects of the Title I program. The school maintains a PTO Board. This body of parents also serves as an advisory committee in various areas of school life. This body helps shape long-term goals for the school, such as needs for playground improvement, as well as academic goals, such as establishing an author’s day. Members of the PTO Board serve on the district textbook committee and provide input on the parental involvement plan and Schoolwide Title I Plan.

The school sends a survey to all parents annually. This survey covers a number of topics including the types of programs parents would like to see, relationships between parents and faculty, and areas where parents would like to assist with aspects of school life. In addition, the PTO actively recruits parental assistance in various committees. This recruitment is done through a letter which goes home in the Tuesday folder as well as an open sign-up at PTO Open House.

Timely Information About the Title I Program, the Curriculum, and Academic Assessments Used

The annual PTO Open House is the vehicle through which the school informs parents specifically about the Title I program. The school, however, feels that if administered properly, the Title I program works seamlessly with all other programs in the school. A parent may not realize that a particular program or improvement was brought about through Title I dollars. Instead, the parent simply realizes that her child is receiving a quality education, and that quality education is brought about by a number of forces acting in harmony.

The student handbook and newsletters from classroom teachers provide parents with a wealth of information on the nature of the curriculum, specific topics, and how parents can help at home. Throughout the year, a good working relationship between the classroom teacher and the parent provides a constant stream of healthy communication. One way in which that relationship is fostered is through a classroom visit during the PTO Open House. Parents see the classroom in which their children learn, meet and talk with the teacher, and view work samples produced in those early days of school. Parent conferences are encouraged throughout the year. The office encourages parents to bring concerns, as well as praise, first to the teacher so that teacher and parent can work together.

At Graham School, students are assessed frequently, and results are reported to parents on a weekly basis. The Tuesday folder is a vehicle used schoolwide to bring home all work completed during the week. Parents see not only the grades earned, but also the exact work samples so they can gain a better understanding of their child’s strengths and areas for growth.

Submission of Parent Concerns on the Schoolwide Plan

The Title I Schoolwide Plan is updated annually. Input is gathered both formally and informally throughout the year. The Building Leadership Team supplemented by two parents (who represent the body of all parents) comprises the body which drafts the plan. Parent concerns and comments gathered through survey results, individual comments and concerns presented to the principal, to the teacher, or to the PTO Board are examined and evaluated for inclusion in the plan. A copy of the completed plan is available in the library and parents are invited to examine it. Parents' concerns about the content of the plan are reviewed and taken into consideration as the plan is updated for the next year. As appropriate, concerns are forwarded to the central office.

School-Parent Compacts

During the first month of school each year, Graham School sends a School-Parent Compact to all homes. The compact outlines the responsibilities the school will assume, those the parent should assume, and those the child should assume. The school realizes that for maximum learning to happen, each part of the “three-legged stool” must be functioning at its best.

Once signed, the compacts are filed in the office. Graham School wants, however, to keep the essence of that compact “front and center” through the year. For this reason, the school summarized the compact in a bulleted list. That short list is laminated onto an inside pocket of the Tuesday folder. As teachers prepare the folder and as parents examine it with their children, they receive a weekly reminder of the essential aspects of the compact.

Building Teachers’ and Parents’ Capacity for Strong Parental Involvement

Graham School believes that strong parent involvement is an essential component to a good school, the following plans are enacted to enhance the involvement of parents:

Discuss with parents the need for their involvement at the PTO Open House.
Actively recruit parents to become involved in various aspects of school life during the day. Examples include volunteering in classroom, assisting with the Accelerated Reader Store, assisting with book fairs, and assisting with the production of music programs.
The school maintains ongoing communication with parents through teacher newsletters, letters from the principal, information in Tuesday folders, information students write in their planners, and inclusions on the school’s website.
Graham has instituted Lightspan Achieve Now with funds secured through a CSR grant. At several points in the year, the school conducts a parent orientation to guide parents in how they can be involved with this learning tool at home.
The school has found that inviting parents for lunch is an easy and effective way to bring parents into the building during the school day. Parents are encouraged to come at any time and have lunch with their children.

Participation of LEP Parents, Parents With Disabilities, and Parents of Migratory Children

Graham School, to the extent possible, provides accommodations to parents with limited English proficiency, disabilities, and parents of migratory children. Currently, we have no LEP parents. Graham School is a handicapped-accessible building. An elevator and bathrooms which are handicapped-accessible provide an environment which welcomes those with physical disabilities. Because of the unique location of the school to the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind, Graham routinely has students whose parents are hearing impaired. At larger gatherings, such as PTO Open House and Awards Day, the school secures an interpreter who translates the spoken word to American Sign Language. The school also secures an interpreter for any smaller meetings when a request for such services is made.

Graham Christmas Ornaments

2005-10-21T14:13:00.000-05:00

We have at school hand-painted glass Christmas ornaments. On the front side is a depiction of Graham School. On the back, the words "Merry Christmas" are painted bordered by holly leaves. These ornaments are left from last year's Centennial Celebration.

If you would like to purchase an ornament, they are $10. Checks can be made payable to "Graham School."

Course of Study Draft...Opportunity for Public Comments

2005-10-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

Part of the process of the adoption of any Course of Study in Alabama is making the draft available to the public and providing an opportunity for input. Revisions are made from that input before the document is presented to the Alabama State Board of Education for adoption.

This year, the Arts Education Course of Study is being drafted. Also, the Foreign Language Course of Study (which will now be called "Languages other than English") is being drafted. Of particular interest to those in our area is the proposed inclusion of American Sign Language as a language alongside Latin and Modern Languages.

The easiest way to examine these drafts is to download them from the Alabama State Department of Education website. You can go directly to the page where those drafts can be viewed here. You will see a list of links. The file names will be somewhat descriptive of the subject. For example, in arts education, you will see a link for music, another for dance, another for theater, and another for visual arts.

If you have comments, the easiest way to communicate those is to e-mail Mrs. Martha Donaldson at the Alabama State Department of Education. Her address is marthad@alsde.edu The deadline to submit public comments is October 31.

Class Pictures

2005-09-26T16:46:00.000-05:00

We have received a sample copy of the class pictures taken last week.

For students in grades K-3, we are sending an envelope home with every student. The envelope has blanks for the needed information, the amount of the picture, and how to make checks payable. If you would like to order, simply seal cash or check in the envelope and return it to the school.

For grades 4-6, we have additional envelopes in the office (but not enough to send one home with every student). If you would like to order a picture, the cost is $7. Checks should be payable to "Bill Miller Photography." You may send your cash or check and your teacher will give your child an envelope to complete with his or name, teacher, etc.

For all classes, a copy of the picture is posted in the classroom if you would like to see what it looks like before ordering. The deadline for ordering pictures is October 11.

Parental Involvement Policy for Talladega City Schools

2005-09-22T16:06:00.000-05:00

On Friday (Sept. 23), we will be sending home a short letter from Doug Campbell regarding a proposed parental involvement policy for the school system. In the letter, he invites your written input. This invitation extends through Sept. 29. You may send input to the central office or send it to the school and we will forward it. The letter states that the proposed policy is on file at the school. We are posting here to make it more easily accessible to more parents:

District Title I Parental Involvement Policy

The Talladega City Schools agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:

The Talladega City Schools will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children.

Consistent with section 1118, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school‑level parental involvement policies meet the requirements of section 1118(b) of the ESEA, and each include, as a component, a school‑parent compact consistent with section 1118(d) of the ESEA.

The Talladega City Schools will incorporate this district wide parental involvement policy into its LEA plan developed under section 1112 of the ESEA.

In carrying out the Title I, Part A parental involvement requirements, to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

If the LEA plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the State Department of Education.

The school district will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent, and will ensure that not less than 95 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.

The school district will be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement and expects that it’s Title I schools will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition:

Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two‑way,

and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring-

that parents play an integral role in assisting their child's learning;

that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's education at school;

that parents are full partners in their child's education and are included, as appropriate, in decision‑making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;

the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA

The Talladega City Schools will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development of its district-wide parental involvement plan under section 1112 of the ESEA:

· Use the district’s Federal Program Advisory Team ( At the current time there are six schools in the Title I Program and each school will have at least one parent representative. These parents will serve as a point of contact for parents, and will work with the local schools to ensure that parents receive information in a timely manner and have input into the development of this policy.)

· Have schools conduct surveys

The Talladega City Schools will take the following actions to involve parents in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESEA:

Encourage all schools to form PTAs or PTOs or other parent groups that can be used to respond to issues of interest to parents.
Require schools to provide parents with current information regarding school policies, and practices.
Require schools to provide parents with current information regarding students and school performance data. (solicit parent input and feedback).
Schools will train staff and parents to be collaborative partners (that share decision making in areas such as policy, curriculum, budget, school reform, school improvement and safety).

The Talladega City Schools will provide the following necessary coordination, technical assistance, and other support to assist Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance:

The Director of Federal Programs or his designee will work with Principals to provide over site, coordination of services, and technical assistance in the areas covered under this section.
When applicable the district will conduct workshops and/or provide in-service and other support at the request of Title I funded schools.
The District will use the coordination of funds to contract with a school interventionist and a parent family counselor.
The District will bring in state department resources on an as needed basis.
The district’s advisory team will be utilized as a resource to help review, monitor and discuss parent involvement issues.

The Talladega City Schools will coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies in Part A with parental involvement strategies under the following other programs: [ Title IV, Technology, Special Education, Gifted, and Head Start programs], by:

Using a Federal Program Advisory Team
Contracting with a school interventionist (liaison between home, school and outside agencies)
Employing a school nurse
Contracting with a licensed family counselor

The Talladega City Schools will take the following actions to conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parental involvement policy in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by parents in parental involvement activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parental involvement policy and activities to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of parents) its parental involvement policies.

A Survey or questionnaire will be administered as a part of the evaluation process. (Parents will be asked to participate in the evaluation.) The principal of each participating title one school will be responsible for data collection and the tabulation of results. The District’s Advisory Team will also be used to review the data collected and to provide feedback.

The Talladega City Schools will build the schools' and parent's capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic‑achievement, through the following activities specifically described below:

The school district will, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A schools, provide assistance to parents of children served by the school district or school, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described in this paragraph –

·the State's academic content standards,

·the State's student academic achievement standards,

·the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments, the requirements of Part A,

·how to monitor their child's progress, and

·how to work with educators

Schools will conduct workshop(s) on content standards, achievement and assessment as needed. Schools will be required to address these topics at one or more of the following events: PTA/PTO, Open House or Parent Conferences

The school district will, with the assistance of its schools, provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children's academic achievement, such as literacy training, and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement,

Publishing a Web Site
Establishing A family Resource Center
Budgeting funds at the school level for purchasing materials
Encourage PTOs or PTAs to offer workshops

The school district will, with the assistance of its schools and parents, educate its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools, by:

Provide collaborative partners training to teachers and staff with a focus on shared decision making in areas such as policy, curriculum, budget, school reform, school improvement and safety.

The school district will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children, by:

Contracting with a school interventionist (liaison between home, school and outside agencies)
Employing a school nurse
Contracting with a licensed family counselor
Distributing parenting information at parent-teacher conferences
Hosting awareness activities at school
Public Service Announcements via Newspaper and Radio

The school district will take the following actions to ensure that information related to the school and parent‑ programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand:

The District will use the state department’s online program to ensure that parents receive documents in the appropriate format.

PART III ADOPTION

This District Parental Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs, as evidenced by the district’s advisory team signature page on file.

This revised policy was adopted by the Talladega City Schools on ________________ and will be in effect for the period of three years. The school district will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on or before _______________.

Constitution Day

2005-09-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

Starting this year, every school is required to do some type of activity to celebrate "Constitution Day," which is September 17th of each year and commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. (Since the 17th was on a Saturday this year, we did our activity on Sept. 16.)

Our 5th & 6th graders worked on memorizing the Preamble. On Sept. 16, we were part of a nationwide unison recitation of the Preamble.

"School House Rock" has done a spot on the Preamble. The music can be found at
http://www.school-house-rock.com/Prea.html if you would like to listen to it at home.

Our flag was still there...and so is our Pledge

2005-09-15T07:33:00.000-05:00

Graham participated in a mass singing of the National Anthem yesterday as a part of the nationwide effort called "The National Anthem Project." At 9:00 in their respective time zones, schools across the country joined in the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner." We have the ability to plug a CD player into our intercom system, so the students all over the school were able to sing along with a full accompaniment.

On another note, there may be questions about a recent ruling in California and the impact it will have on our recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. In a word, the answer is "none." Here is the position of the Alabama State Department of Education:

Today's ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will have no impact on Alabama Public Schools. Until the U.S. Supreme Court rules differently, nothing regarding this matter will change in Alabama. Bottom Line: The Pledge of Allegiance can continue to be recited in Alabama Public Schools.

Community Coffee Promotion

2005-09-15T07:18:00.000-05:00

If you use Community Coffee products, the UPC codes can be exchanged for money for our school Community Coffee sells coffee and tea products, creamer, sugar, and coffee filters. They also sell under the names CC's and Private Reserve.

Community Coffee is donating a total of $50,000 to schools who have enrolled students from the victims of Katrina, of which our school is one. We will collect the UPC codes from these products through mid January.

We do not know an exact amount of how much each UPC code will be worth. That will depend on how many schools participate and how many UPC codes are collected. The company estimates we would receive around 15 per UPC code.

I called our local Food World, and they do stock this brand of coffee. Piggly Wiggly says they do not. I could not get a response from Wal-Mart, so that may or may not be a possibility.

To keep things simple from the standpoint of parents and teachers, if you do buy this particular brand and clip the UPC code, treat it just as you would the "Boxtops for Education." As those are collected from teachers, we will sort the General Mills Boxtops for Education from the Community Coffee UPC codes.

It's hard to tell just how much or how little a project like this will bring to the school. The program which Food World sponsored last year (which entailed going to a website and registering your grocery store card one time, with the school getting points each time you used the card) was quite fruitful. It provided a free overhead projector for a teacher whose projector badly needed replacing and a number of die-cuts that all teachers are able to use.

As always, thanks for support of Graham School!

The National Anthem Project

2005-09-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

According to a Harris Interactive Poll of 2,200 American men and women over the age 18, 60 percent do not know all the words to the National Anthem, and of those who do, 70 percent learned the anthem in school music classes. An ABC poll of teenagers found that 38 percent do not know the official name of the national anthem, 15 percent can sing it from memory, and less than 35 percent can name the author. The National Anthem Project is all about changing those statistics. The project officially began in March 2005 and will culminate in 2007.

At Graham, students are learning the words and music through their music classes. Fifth and sixth graders are learning about the event which inspired the stirring words, and are writing about their experiences through the eyes of Francis Scott Key.

To commemorate the anniversary of the writing of our National Anthem, on September 14, schools around the country will sing the Star Spangled Banner at 9:00 A.M. in their respective time zones. Our entire student body will be a part of this nationwide singing.

In addition to the copy of the words and music we are sending home in the September 6^th Tuesday folder, you may also print a copy from here. You may also download recordings of the Star Spangled Banner.

Patrick Crispen's Tourbus...a follow-up

2005-09-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I told you about Patrick Crispen and the wealth of practical computer-related information that he presents in terms people can understand. Today he sent a special addition of "Tourbus" focusing on Katrina. He provides links to sites about the Hurricane, about New Orleans, and about contributing to relief efforts.

Unfortunately, there are those people who attempt to use this emergency as a chance to pull off a scam. Patrick also provides some information about what to look for.

Here is the latest from "Tourbus":
---------------------------------
Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
Audience: Everyone
---------------------------------

As you already know by now, Hurricane Katrina struck the southeastern United States early Monday morning. Up to one million people are homeless and millions more are still without power. Experts predict the hurricane will likely become the worst natural disaster in United States history.

Every major news organization in the US and many others around the world is covering this developing story, and once again our friends at Yahoo Full Coverage are on top of the story. You can find their Hurricane Katrina page at

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Hurricanes_and_Tropical_Storms

This page is a collection of news articles from the AP and Reuters as well as from CNN, the Biloxi Sun Herald, the New Orleans Times- Picayune, and so on. In times of crisis, Yahoo's Full Coverage is always one of the first sites I visit.

Another helpful resource for information about Monday's hurricane and its aftermath is Wikipedia's Hurricane Katrina article at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina

A great deal of attention is also being paid to what's happening in New Orleans as we speak, and Wikipedia has a New Orleans page at

http://tinyurl.com/77exu

It is hard to look at the images from the American southeast and not want to do something to help the relief effort. The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency has a list of reputable agencies that desperately need your help:

http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/resources_katrina.shtm#donate

Every time there is a disaster, scam artists crawl out of the woodwork.
[See http://tinyurl.com/96c2t] The United States Federal Trade Commission has a free article on how to avoid becoming a victim of charity fraud:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/charity.htm

As long as you stick to the organizations on FEMA's page, you can feel safe that your donations are going to those who truly need it the most. And on a personal note, my thoughts and prayers go out everyone impacted by this storm, especially to my friends in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Patrick Crispen's Tourbus

2005-09-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

Patrick Cripsen is a name I am glad I know in the computer world. A graduate of the University of Alabama and currently working in California, I have had the pleasure of attending numerous one-hour workshops that Patrick has presented at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference. Patick's forte is the ability to take the complex, boil it down to what you really need to know, and give it to you in plain English.

Writing this post today comes on the heels of reading Patrick's latest issue of "Tourbus" a free newsletter that simply shows up in my e-mail every couple of weeks. This issue is especially for parents, which is why I thought you would be interested in reading this issue as well as subscribe to the newsletter. To subscribe, you simply go to http://www.TOURBUS.com

Patrick also has a website that is full of information practical information. The site includes PowerPoint presentations for each of the workshops he presents. That address is www.netsquirrel.com

Enjoy this issue of Tourbus:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

TOURBUS Volume 11, Number 09 -- 30 August 2005

Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com

Ask Bob Rankin -- http://AskBobRankin.com

[ For best results view this with a monospace font like Courier. ]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: BACK TO SCHOOL

If you're a parent, teacher, home-schooler, grandparent or a student you're gonna love this issue of TOURBUS. It's chock full of great sites with lesson plans, online reference tools and homework helpers!

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Teaching Resources

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NEW YORK TIMES LEARNING NETWORK - Created for students and teachers in grades 3 through 12, The Learning Network is a free news service that provides news summaries, quizzes, and even daily lesson plans.

NYT Learning Network - http://www.nytimes.com/learning

ONLINE LESSON PLANS - More than 2000 unique lesson plans which have been written and submitted to AskERIC (now called the Educator's Reference Desk) by teachers. If you have a great lesson plan you would like to share with educators all over the world, send it in.

A wonderful online resource since 1992.

AskEric/EDUREF - http://www.eduref.org

TEACHNET offers lesson plans, teaching tools, a daily teacher- oriented cartoon, and email lists for educators.

TeachNet - http://www.teachnet.com

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Reference Tools

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REFDESK - In a library, if you don't know where to look for a reference book, you go to the Reference Librarian. On the Internet, if you don't know where to look for answers, you go to Refdesk.com.

At first glance, the sheer amount of useful links on the Refdesk home page can be overwhelming. But it's really quite well organized and useful.

RefDesk - http://www.refdesk.com

LIBRARY SPOT - Convenient links to popular online Almanacs, Calculators, Dictionaries, Directories, Encyclopedias, Historic Documents, Quotations, Statistics, and Thesauri.

LibrarySpot - http://www.libraryspot.com

SURFING THE NET WITH KIDS - Barbara Feldman, syndicated newspaper columnist and mother, shares her vision of what's wonderful and educational on the Web for kids. She welcomes parents, kids, teens, grandparents, K-12 teachers, librarians and the incurably curious.

SurfNetKids - http://www.surfnetkids.com

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Homework Helpers

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HOMEWORK SPOT - A free homework information portal that features the very best K-12 homework-related sites. With the help of students, parents and teachers, their team of educators, librarians and journalists has scoured the Web to bring you the best resources for English, math, science, history, art, music, technology, foreign language, college prep, health, life skills, extracurricular activities and much more.

Homework Spot - http://www.homeworkspot.com

INFOPLEASE HOMEWORK CENTER - Find useful information by subject area, develop better writing, note-taking and study skills, and search through previous questions and answers from other students.

InfoPlease - http://www.infoplease.com/homework

THE KIDS ON THE WEB - This is an excellent site maintained as a labor of love by Internet luminary Brendan Kehoe. Kids on the Web has links for Homework Tools, Educational Sites and much more. You could spend days exploring all these links, and Brendan adds new ones every month.

Homework Tools - http://www.zen.org/~brendan/kids-homework.html

-------------------------------

Ask Bob For Free Tech Support

-------------------------------

Got a computer question? Ask Bob! Recent entries at AskBobRankin include "How Does a Virus Spread?" and "Is FTP Secure?" Also, my articles on "How to Buy a Computer" and "Making Windows XP Start Faster have been very popular.

AskBob - http://www.askbobrankin.com

Recent Stumpers in the AskBobRankin [Inbox] include "Firefox and Plugins", "Windows Cannot Open This File" and "Thunderbird is Slow".

With all due apologies in advance to Radio Shack... You got answers?

We got questions!

AskBob [Inbox] - http://www.askbobrankin.com/inbox

That's all for now, see you next time! -- Bob Rankin

=====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]===================

The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238

Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html

LowFat Linux -- http://www.LowFatLinux.com

The Savvy Consumer -- http://www.SavvyConsumer.org

Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the

Tourbus Website - http://www.TOURBUS.com ====================================================================

Families displaced by Katrina

2005-09-01T07:17:00.000-05:00

Katrina's wrath has been felt by so many people in such a wide variety of ways. Those displaced, and facing the realization of not being able to return home for months, have no place to send their children to school. Alabama is one of the states which is making clear that families who evacuated to Alabama are welcome in our schools.

If you know of families with school-aged children who are staying in our community as a result the evalcuation, please let them know that they are welcome here. The normal requirements of providing a birth certificate, proof of immunization, etc. are being waived statewide as these people simply have no more with them than the clothes on their backs.

Thanks for playground cleanup!

2005-08-30T15:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the following parents (and students) who helped with our clean-up days just vefore the start of our school year:
Andy Carden
John Cullimore
Graham Davis
Mark Rasco
Britt Parker & Paxton
Mike & Alicia Smith & Bailey
James Pressley
Tony Roberson

But I don’t know what write about…

2005-08-30T13:42:00.000-05:00

How many times do we hear this statement from students? Rick Shelton shared some insight into overcoming this problem with our 5^th graders in a lesson on “expository writing” (which is writing that explains something). Shelton had this suggestion for the students:

Make an “expert list.” This would be a list of topics where you are really good, have a good bit of knowledge, and you had a great interest.
When you are asked to write an expository piece, pick something from your expert list.
List three reasons why you like that subject. (“Because” is a pretty good starter.)
Write a paragraph about your first reason. Write another paragraph focusing on the second reason, and then another paragraph focusing on the third reason.

For most people (whether they are 9, 29, 89) getting started is the hardest part about writing. This simple technique is one that we all can use.

Rick Shelton spent a day with us this past week and conducted lessons on writing with classes from grades 3-6. During the next several weeks, he will be returning to spend a day at each of our elementary schools and junior high. Rick’s ability to relate to students through humor that gets their attention, and practical writing techniques which hold their attention, has him in demand all across Alabama and neighboring states as well.

In addition to the work he does in countless schools, Rick is the author of Write Where You Are and Hoggle’s Christmas.

School dismissal

2005-08-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

School will dismiss today at 2:00 due to predictions of bad weather.

2005-08-23T06:46:00.000-05:00

The “Lightspan Network” is a resource available to you right now from any computer with Internet access. Internet access could be at your home, a friend’s house, school, a public library, or any business that might let your child use their computer. Here is how to get into the Lightspan Network:

Go to www.lightspan.com

· The user name is Graham

· The password is Graham

· The district ID is Tall002

To view all of the Tools and Resources for families within the Lightspan Network:

· Click “Families” on the left side of the screen

· Click “Tools and Resources”

· Choose one of the many features

To access Learning Activities:

· Click on Families on the left side of the screen

· Click Learning Activities on the left side of the screen

· Choose Mathematics or Reading/Language Arts

· Click the grade range for the activity

· Select an activity from the list that appears. Find one that supports what your child is learning in school and play it together!

To access the Site Guide for Families or Students:

· Click “Site Guides”

· Click “Families or Students”

Each section provides helpful hints and ideas for using the Lightspan Network.

Family Focus on Learning

Family involvement is one of the most important factors in increasing student achievement. The Lightspan Network provides exciting learning activities, projects, and homework help to challenge and stimulate your child’s thinking. You’ll find resources that help you create an educational environment at home that nurtures and supports your child’s learning.

Note: The first time your child wants to do one of the activities on the Lightspan Network, he or she will need your help on one item. The activities require a program called “Shockwave” which may or may not be loaded on your computer. The first time you select an activity, if you do not have Shockwave, you will see a message. You will have the opportunity to download and install Shockwave. Just follow the on-screen instructions (basically a few mouse clicks). Shockwave will take about 10 minutes to download and install. After that process is complete, your child will be able to do any of the activities in the Lightspan Network.

Now that's dedication!

2005-08-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

A broken leg may stop some people, but not Lee Messer. Saturday afternoon, Mr. Messer could be seen cutting the grass in front of Ellis. (Note the crutches thrown in the back of the mower.) Now that's dedication!

Adequate Yearly Progress

2005-08-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

We made AYP!

Part of President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative is the concept of "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP). Each year, schools have goals which become more and more stringent each year. To make "Adequate Yearly Progress," a school must meet EVERY SINGLE GOAL. Missing even one goal means a school does not make "AYP." Furthermore, we are judged not just on our students as a whole. Each subgroup (white students, black students, paid lunch, free lunch, special education, etc.) must meet these goals.

While we are certainly proud of our students for their test scores, we never want to lose site of the real aim of being of why we are all in this business in the first place. School is about the joy of teaching and learning. If each of us does us (principal, teacher, parent, student) does our part to make learning the star, I hope the data will always take care of itself.

“Not everything that counts can be measured,
and not everything that can be measured, counts."
-Albert Einstein

Welcome Parents and Students!

2005-07-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a new school year at Graham. Technology in one form or another has been a major means of communication dating back to the invention of the telephone. What you are viewing now is called a "blog" (short for "web log") and is a tool gaining rapidly in popularity. Blogs are easy to construct and update. During the year, I look forward to sharing current events, upcoming events, and photos with you at this site.

You will notice on the right-hand side of the screen a link to our school calendar. You will also find a link to common documents, such as a list of the Accelerated Reader tests we have on hand.