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Legacy's second semester is off to a roaring start! The school is buzzing with activity as scholars, teachers, and parents are focused on academic, intellectual, and personal growth and achievement.
Basketball Season Has Begun
Our girls and boys basketball teams — Legacy Lady Lions and Legacy Lions — have started their seasons. Check out this photo album to see them in action!
Our Primary Academic Leader
Liz Goss, Legacy's Primary Academic Leader, works on curriculum and instruction with pre-k to 2nd grade teachers, as well as the fine arts and physical education teachers. Liz is a founding Legacy teacher, until this year teaching in the 2nd grade.
Every day, Liz is busy observing in classrooms, planning professional development for teachers, and gathering resources to address teacher and classroom needs. We asked Liz a few questions:
How would you describe your role?
I am a thought partner for planning and a coach for best practices. I am very lucky to work closely with such a smart, dedicated group of teachers who share a common mission.
What are the most important things for a Legacy scholar to have accomplished/be able to do when he/she leaves the primary grades?
We hope every scholar leaves the primary grades with a solid foundation in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. In addition, and maybe even more importantly, we want each scholar to have internalized the belief that they are smart and become smarter each day through their hard work. We want our young scholars to ask questions about their world and to be ready to change the world.
What is your key initiative right now?
As a school, we have been working to have clear Mastery Objectives for each lesson, so the scholars will know exactly what is expected of them and the teacher is clear on the purpose of the lesson and ways to assess scholar learning. We are focusing on strengthening our planning, since it is the foundation of strong instruction.
At Legacy we know strong instruction is the key to closing the achievement gap and getting our scholars to college.
What is your favorite teaching memory?
I think I have a favorite memory of each scholar I have taught!
When my class went on a field trip to a pond, and while dipping in the pond for insects, one scholar looked up and said, "This is the best day of my life!" It was a pretty wonderful day for all of us when we saw learning in the context of the real world.
Another favorite memory is when a scholar reflected on the Underground Railroad unit. He wrote, "My ancestors must have been brave to have escaped and made it to freedom. It is teaching me that nothing can stop me." He articulated the depth to which curriculum can touch young learners' hearts and minds.
Scholars, Parents, and Teachers Set Goals for Scholar Success
Twice a year, each scholar meets with his or her parents and teachers to set new goals. Each scholar sets two goals: one academic and one social or emotional. Goal setting conferences take place in September and mid-January. This fall, 72% of families attended their scholar's goal setting conference; 87% of families attended report card pick-up.
Every participant in the conference has an important role. Scholars identify goals and the steps they will take to achieve these goals. Families explain how they will support these goals: a family may commit to reading more at home or extra multiplication practice on the weekends. Teachers explain how they will support the scholars' work toward their goals.
At the end of the conference, each family takes home a Goal Setting sheet. Families are encouraged to hang the sheet on the refrigerator and to discuss the goals weekly. Teachers also work to make goals public and memorable. Many display scholars' goals in the classroom. This year, a class made Chinese New Year lanterns inscribed with each scholar's goals. Another class displayed scholars' goals on a Martin Luther King-inspired bulletin board. Goals are living ideas, and scholars revisit them, often in weekly classroom goal reflection sheets.
Goal setting and academic progress are closely aligned. The goal setting conference in January happens during Q2 report card pick-up. A scholar struggling in math will set a math goal; a scholar having difficulty turning in homework will set a homework completion goal.
Here are some examples: |
