School Notes This Summer June 20, 2012
Happy First Day of Summer!
Building Flex Reminders:
Classroom Instruction That Works seminar at Zeman School (4900 South 52nd Street) beginning from 9-12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 26th. This counts for 3 hours of building flex and is a required activity for Randolph teachers. The other time to take this seminar will be September 6th from 4-7:00 p.m.
Do you want to do a TECHNOLOGY flex session related to CITW? Zeman and Randolph teachers can take this session. Sign up soon, as the session is filling up!
P00454 – (Flex-13/1.75) Using Technology with ´Classroom Instruction That Works´ 7/16/2012 9:00AM-10:45AM Zeman Elementary
An email from Kathy Miller, our painter:
“Chemo has been going well and we hope to get the cancer in remission at the end of 8 cycles which will be Aug. 10th. At that time we will do a CT Scan and hopefully I will be able to start a chemo maintenance program that will allow me to do a pill instead of the IV liquid that I do now. I continue to stay positive and it is support like your’s that helps me through it and for that I thank you.”
RESPONSES NEEDED FROM EACH TEAM, before July 1:
1. What subject is your homeroom?
First = Reading
Second = Math
Third = Math
Fourth = Reading?
Fifth = Writing/ Unit Studies
2. How many subject transitions will your students have during the day? What can you “partner” those transitions with—specials, lunch/recess, etc.?
3. What is your grade level’s schedule? (Please write out a sample with times.) Have you met all the required minutes for subjects?
4. Which teachers are leading Diff Math? Diff Lit?
See updated class lists on docushare!
(Randolph—class lists—each grade has at least one list that I think are homerooms.)
Deleted students who we know are moving/have moved.
Added students who have enrolled since May 24th.
Let me know if you have questions or concerns!
LOVE AND LOGIC MOMENT
There is everlasting JOY and downright FUN in handling kids’ mistakes with questions rather than recrimination. We never know whether those little souls are really listening to us while we’re talking. But when we ask questions in a non-witness-stand and curious manner, we lead them to think. Let’s look at a recent enjoyable example:
Two brothers, ages 8 and 6, were playing with bows and arrows and scooters here at our house the other day. Before leaving for home, their dad asked, “Did you boys put the arrows and bows and scooters away?” And they answered, “Yes.” However, when I looked in the barn after they left, they had thrown everything just out of sight, inside the door. What a mess! There was the target, still with arrows sticking out; there were the bows, still strung; there were the arrows, scattered all across the floor and the scooters were buried beneath the arrows and bows.
When something like this happens, so many parents could lecture, show frustration, punish, thereby encouraging resentment in the kids, and raising their own blood pressure in the process.
Instead, I sent the picture below via email, to their Love and Logic dad.
That evening he called the boys over to his office computer. “Hey, guys, I want to show you a picture. What do you think this is a picture of?”
He reported that both boys looked like stunned deer in the headlights! After a stuttering admission of the origin of the picture, the dad had fun asking other questions:
- Can you tell me seven things that are wrong with this picture?
- Do you think you’ll ever be able to use that equipment again, or do you think you might have shot your last arrow?
- If Dr. Cline cleans up your mess, do you think he’ll charge you for his time?
- Do you think a phone call of apology might save you some money, or increase your odds of ever shooting another arrow at his place?
- Etc.
Love and Logic parenting can be so darn much fun!
Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.
Dr. Foster Cline
One of your first tasks as a team will be to let me know of any textbook shortages you have.
| Grade | Number of students | Reading | Math | Health | Social Studies | Spelling | Other |
| K | |||||||
| 1 | 84 | ||||||
| 2 | 80 | ||||||
| 3 | 81 | ||||||
| 4 | 66 | ||||||
| 5 | 84 | 92 | 74 | 74 | 71 | ||
| Other |
5/25 Grade 5 needs 10 each Math and Health; 14 Social Studies. Ordered 6-18-12.
Our AUGUST schedule has been officially approved:
Tuesday, August 7 morning Building staff meeting (in the gym)
August 7 afternoon District staff development (various sites)
Wednesday, August 8 RANDOLPH TEACHERS WORK IN ROOMS
Thursday, August 9 RANDOLPH TEACHERS WORK IN ROOMS
Thursday, August 9 6:00-7:00 p.m. OPEN HOUSE
Friday, August 10 SIP/PLC and Pinnacle training (in our gym)
Monday, August 13 Teachers Work in their Classrooms
The Lincoln Board of Education met for a work session to discuss the preliminary 2012-13 budget on Tuesday evening, June 19, in the Bryan library media center at Hawthorne.
Preliminary LPS 2012-13 budget: Lowest tax levy in 40 years; no levy increase
The Lincoln Board of Education met in a work session Tuesday to begin discussion of a $330 million preliminary 2012-13 Lincoln Public Schools budget – a budget that would keep the total tax levy flat and marks the lowest levy in the past 40 years for the third consecutive year.
Due to anticipated increases in assessed property valuation for the community, the school district plans to pay for some additional staff to partially fund for student growth (staff that would be added across the school district). In the past five years LPS student enrollment has seen significant increases while the school district has not fully funded for that growth.
The last time the school district fully funded for growth was 2003-04, according to Marilyn Moore, associate superintendent for Instruction at LPS.
“This is my last chance to address you about the budget,” Moore said, referring to her retirement at the end of June, “and these are items that meet some very worthy needs in the schools.” When LPS principals heard there was a possibility of additional staffing, she said, “it’s amazing how happy we made them.”
School Board member Kathy Danek said she did not think the public recognized the cost of funding for the significant growth at LPS. “I want people to understand that we are growing rapidly and we’re trying our best to keep class sizes down….I’m pleased with this budget. I always wish we had more money to do additional things, but I believe we are meeting our basic needs.”
A few highlights of the proposed budget:
- About 55 percent of the LPS budget is funded by local property taxes, 35 percent with state funds (state aid and special education support), and the remainder with other local, state and federal resources according to Mark Shepard, associate superintendent for Business Affairs at LPS.
- More than half of the budget increases in the LPS budget cover negotiated salary contracts for LPS employees.
- Other budget increases will pay for: costs for operating the new Kloefkorn Elementary School, the new annex at Roper Elementary School, and the new kindergarten “link” or hallway at Belmont Elementary School and the Educare facility.
- The Legislature passed LB131 this past session to provide additional funding for special education in the state, allowing LPS to restore some of the reductions in special education expenditures.
- Critical items that were put on hold last year will be restored with some of the items being paid for utilizing the depreciation fund. Items placed on hold last year included: Technology, insurance fund transfer, implementation of curriculum, equipment purchases and annual maintenance contracted services.
A few numbers to highlight:
- The $330 million preliminary 2012-13 budget is only 2.86 percent higher than last year.
- The school district currently ranks 238th out of 251 school districts in Nebraska for per pupil spending (only 12 districts spend less per pupil than us). LPS spends $8,830 per pupil compared to the Nebraska average of $9,968.
- The budget calls for a slight increase in the General Fund tax levy to a level of $1.050, the full amount allowed by law – but also includes a small levy decrease in what is called the Qualified Capital Purpose Fund, which equals a flat levy.
- Under the preliminary budget local taxpayers will pay the very same property tax rate next year as they did this year. The owner of a $146,150 home – the average residential house in Lancaster County – would pay about $151.78 monthly in property taxes for LPS next school year (the same as this school year).
LPS will offer two Community Budget Forums in June:
- Tuesday, June 26, 5-6 p.m. Room 113 next to the City Council Chambers at the City County Building, 555 S. 10th St.
- Thursday, June 28, 7-8 p.m. at Mickle Middle School, 2500 N. 67th St.
The Lincoln Board of Education will also hold one more work sessions to discuss the budget: Tuesday, July 17, 6 p.m., Bryan Library Media Center at the Hawthorne Building, 300 S. 48th St. The public hearing on the 2012-2013 LPS budget is scheduled for 6-6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, August 14 in the City Council Chambers at the City County Building.
For more information about the Budget, go to: http://www.lps.org/about/budget/ – and scroll down to the Budget Work Session presentation.
**
What if your neighbor asks you about the LPS budget?
Here are some possible – talking points
1. Lincoln Public Schools has created a preliminary General Fund budget for the 2012-13 school year that meets the current obligations and needs of the school district.
2. Taking into consideration Lincoln’s taxpayers and the current economics of the community, the school district will keep the total tax levy flat – the lowest tax levy in the past 40 years for the third consecutive year.
3. Due to anticipated increases in assessed property valuation for the community, the school district plans to pay for some additional staff to partially fund for student growth. In the past five years LPS student enrollment has seen significant increases while the school district has not fully funded for that growth.
4. Critical items that were put on hold last year will be restored with some of the items being paid for utilizing the depreciation fund. Items placed on hold last year included: Technology, insurance fund transfer, implementation of curriculum, equipment purchases and annual maintenance contracted services.
5. The Legislature passed LB131 this past session to provide additional funding for special education in the state, allowing LPS to restore some of the reductions in special education expenditures.
6. A few numbers: The 2012-13 budget for LPS will total about $330 million: a 2.86 percent increase. The school district currently ranks 238th out of 251 school districts in Nebraska for per pupil spending (only 12 districts spend less per pupil than us).
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Our Randolph GET met on June 13th to plan our student management and logistics for 2012-13. The August 7th staff meeting will relate to these strategies and protocols. Complete notes will be published next week. Questions? Please let me know.
WB
6-20-12