Fall/Winter 2008-09 Issue - Center Grove Community School ...

election 2008
welcome new board members
November 4, 2008 was a truly historical election day. In the
shadow of all the national excitement, Center Grove is fortunate
to have elected two dedicated community
members to our Board of School Trustees.
Welcome to Carole Tumey and John Steed, who
will take office on January 1, 2009. Both have
long standing connections to Center Grove, as
Tumey spent 40 years employed by the district as
a teacher, coach, and assistant athletics director.
She retired in 2003. Steed is a former school
board member, having served from 1993 until
2003.
Tumey and Steed will replace current board
member Jackie Ponder and President Matt
Carol S. Tumey
(Photo of Steed not available)
Shepherd who did not run for reelection. We want to thank both
Mrs. Ponder and Mr. Shepherd for their tireless dedication and
service to the Center Grove school board throughout
their terms, and we are confident that we can count
on their continued support and interest in our school
district after their official service is completed. Their
many contributions and valuable insight are such an
asset to our community, and we very much appreciate
the significant time and effort they have provided as
school board members.
According to school board policy, the annual Board
Organization Meeting will be held on or before January
15, 2009 to select officers.
The New 3 R’s, continued from page 3
create an environment where students achieve
at a higher level and rarely fall through the
cracks. Students in smaller schools are more
motivated, have higher attendance rates, feel
safer, and graduate and attend college in higher
numbers.”
Our goal at CGHS is for at least one
adult to know each student well. We want
student contact with adults to be positive
and encouraging. We don’t want our kids to
only hear, “Don’t do that,” from teachers and
administrators at school. To accomplish this
goal, our extensive research and observation
has led us to the recommendation of creating
smaller learning communities.
“The point about relationships
is that learning is
personal. When students
have strong, trusting
relationships with their
teachers, they work harder
and achieve more.”
– Willard Daggett
Our efforts to meet the “personal”
mandate began with the implementation of a
90-minute Instructional Resource Period, or
IRP. This worked exceptionally well for some
departments, but not for others.
To improve these efforts, mandatory study
hall for each student was implemented, and
IRP was replaced with a 30-minute STaR
(Students, Teachers and Relationships) period.
STaR classes are designed to be small, with
about 15-16 in this year’s freshman classes.
Three days a week, students have open STaR
periods, during which they can meet with
teachers to get help if they need it. Thursdays
are closed STaRs, allowing teachers and
students to work on relationships.
With the implementation of smaller
learning communities, students will likely
have a mixed grade level and/or interest based
advisory period. “This is where we believe
relationships will be nurtured, as adults learn
the aptitude, interests, and personalities of the
students in their communities,” said Mr. Buck.
Built in tutoring and mentoring opportunities
are also expected to result.
Upon this relational foundation, relevance
will then help to engage students in their
education by making real-world connections
like community service, service learning
projects, internships, and mentoring. We
will involve our community members and
businesses in the shift toward project and
problem based learning.
“The more students
understand how what they
are learning is relevant to
them, to their community,
or to the world at large;
the more motivated they
will be to learn.”
– Willard Daggett
This will start with New Tech High and
Early College, then the other SLC’s will follow
suit. This will allow students the opportunity
to collaborate, produce, and present to the
community and parents, thereby externalizing
the enemy, or placing the teacher on the same
side with the student.
Relationships and relevance will bring us
to the rigor piece; these engaged students will
be equipped to meet academic standards and
state requirements. We are also making sure
that students take the right test, the ACT or
the SAT. This will make our students college
eligible. By shifting from teaching to learning,
with teachers accountable to ensure the
students master the instruction, they will also
be college ready.
“We are gearing our
curriculum to make college
an option for every student…
by equipping kids with 21 st
Century Skills.”
– Paul Buck
At Indiana University, about 33,000
applications are made for 7,000 freshman slots.
According to Dr. Connelly in his book, College
Knowledge, “High schools do a good job of
making students college eligible, but a poor
job of making them college knowledgeable, or
ready.”
We want CGHS graduates to be as versatile
as possible, explains Mr. Buck. “We are gearing
our curriculum to make college an option
for every student, even those who don’t go
immediately following high school graduation.
By equipping kids with 21 st Century Skills,
whenever the light bulb comes on, they will be
ready to go back to school,” he said.
Page 7 Fall/Winter 2008-09