Promises Kept Quarterly Magazine (Winter 2018)

Vol. 1

Issue 1

EXCELLENCE ACHIEVED

WINTER 2018

HOW ONE SCHOLAR ACED THE A.C.T. AND THE VILLAGE THAT SURROUNDS HIM

JOY EXPERIENCED

CELEBRATING A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

SCHOLARS FIRST

HOW LORAIN EDUCATORS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND

PKQ

PROMISES KEPT QUARTERLY THE LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 2

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS The start of each school year brings such promise and anticipation, this year was no exception.

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PROMISES KEPT Updates on The Lorain Promise and where the district is headed.

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TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW Trent Jackson achieved a perfect score on his ACT and has a Titan Village of supporters to thank for it.

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PROMISING NUMBERS The numbers that guide district decision making as well as some indicators of progress and points of pride.

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GARFIELD GLOWS Saturdays mornings are for literacy at Garfield Elementary and the kids love it!

Promises Kept Quarterly (PKQ) is an official publication of Lorain City Schools (LCS). It is published seasonally by the Marketing and Communications (MAC) Team in the interest of LCS scholars and staff as well and the greater Lorain community. The PKQ serves as a companion to The Lorain Promise, the plan to transform the district and REDREAM POSSIBLE. Editors & Designers: Eric Bonzar.............................................ebonzar@loraincsd.org Sarah Egan-Reeves..................segan-reeves@loraincsd.org

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LHS recognizes the 152 scholars who earned straight A's in the first quarter.

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TITAN SPOTLIGHT Lorain City Schools is turning the spotlight on scholars, teachers, staff and alumni deserving of positive recognition.

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LARKMOOR LIGHTS UP Larkmoor Elementary is closing the achievement gap one scholar at a time.

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PROMISING COMMUNICATIONS How we get our messages out is as important as the messages themselves.

Copyright © 2018 by Lorain City Schools

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions PKQ,” at: info@lorainschools.org.

HONORING ACHIEVEMENTS

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C/B/S The Community-Business-Schools Partnership works to bring Titans together to benefit scholars.

PKQ | WINTER 2018

2

BACK TO SCHOOL

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS August 22, 2018 marked the beginning of a new school year, as we continue to re-imagine the possibilities for each and every scholar within the district. These first three months of school have shown progress in the district's promise to scholars, parents and the community with academic development and growth apparent throughout our 14 schools. This year the district kicked off the school year with new traditions like its Back to School the Extravaganza; experienced joy with teachers and staff as we all gathered together for a yearly convocation to celebrate the promise of a new year; and even embarked on new collaborations which brought high school schoolers and educators closer together with the Core Values Conference. In addition, the district has enlisted the talents of its Marketing and Communications (MAC) Team to showcase some of the many accomplishments achieved by scholars and staff, within the district's first-ever published magazine, The PKQ (Promises Kept Quarterly). So sit back, relax, and experience the same joy each of us have, and will continue to, as we fulfill The Lorain Promise . And thank you, for being a part of our Titan Family.

PROMISES KEPT

MAKING PROGRESS & TRANSFORMING THE DISTRICT In the Spring of 2018 The Lorain Promise —the document that outlines the realities faced by Lorain City Schools and the ambitious plan for its transformation was released. We want all of our scholars to dream big. The Lorain Promise organizes the plans for improvement into five commitments.

COMMITMENT 1: SUPPORT THE WHOLE CHILD BEGINNING AT BIRTH Removing barriers between families and schools is central to Commitment 1.

Increased efforts have been made to further develop our bilingual support in communications to our families, including offering instant translations of town hall meetings. The Family Office hosted a Family University event in October in which topics of interest were presented in an effort to teach families about what their scholars are learning and how they are progressing.

The district has continued monthly Community/Business/Schools (CBS) partnership meetings (See page 24) and has focused on concrete actions the community can implement to support schools and scholars. Focusing on scholar health and daily attendance remains central to the district's mission.

We have seen an increase in daily consumption of breakfast and lunch, and the Mercy Health Clinic continues to provide free and low cost immunizations and healthcare.

COMMITMENT 2: INVEST IN OUR EARLY SCHOLARS The district has invested heavily in enhancing and supporting our pre-kindergarten (pre-k) program in all of our elementary buildings. All pre-k classrooms were fully enrolled prior to the first day of school. Our pre-k program is free of charge and staffed by wonderful licensed teachers. As of October 2018 seven out of the 10 pre-k buildings have received a five out of five star rating in the State of Ohio's Step Up to Quality rating. The remaining three are on target to reach five out of five by the beginning of the next school year. Strengthening our literacy and numeracy instruction is key to Commitment 2 and careful attention and time has been devoted to this during early release/teacher professional learning days.

COMMITMENT 3: PROMOTE EQUITY Equity centers with providing a learning environment where all students can achieve great things regardless of race, income or prior achievement. The district has worked to better co-ordinate its wraparound services to provide supports, like school clothes and transportation, to students in need.

All scholars in grades 6-12 were provided with a laptop computer for use in school, and at home, and a near 1:1 (scholar : device) ratio is present in grades 2-5.

PKQ | WINTER 5

Teacher self-reflection and enhancing

Identifying and recognizing great teachers

culturally relevant instruction has been and

began in August 2018 with the district's first

will continue to be a goal of district

Collaborative Conversation Dinner. Thirty-

professional learning opportunities. A

six teachers, whose scholars achieved great

restorative practice approach has been

gains, were invited to share their keys to

incorporated into the fabric of many

success.

classrooms as a climate and culture system that proactively builds and strengthens

COMMITMENT 5: PREPARE SCHOLARS FOR

relationships and community between

THE WORLD OF TOMORROW

scholars and staff, and also addresses and

In the coming months public meetings will

averts unwanted behavior.

begin to discuss the creation of

COMMITMENT 4: CREATE SCHOOLS WHERE ADULTS AND SCHOLARS THRIVE

specialized academies at Lorain High School. scholars, staff and community over the next

The district released The Lorain Way in June

two years we will establish STEM (Science,

2018. A document that clearly lays out the

Technology, Engineering & Math), Arts and

shared expectations and our planned

Media, Civic Engagement and Social Justice

approach for success. By using a combination

Academies. Additionally we will continue to

of scholar progress scores and classroom

expand our Early College Academy offerings.

observations, school leaders and teachers have collaborative conversations about the learning process.

Guided by the collective voices of our

PKQ | WINTER 2018

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1:1 DEVICE PROGRAM

REMOVING BARRIERS TO EXCELLENCE

In an effort to provide the necessary tools to achieve academic success the district issued a new

laptop computer to every scholar in grades 6-12. Laptops are for the scholars to use at school and at home. District CEO David Hardy Jr. remarked, “It’s been a very, very joyful experience for our kids, and we’re excited to equip them with the resources that are necessary for them to compete globally,” In addition to laptops, over 200 mobile hot-spots will be provided to scholars thanks to Sprint's 1 Million Project.

A Tough ACT To Follow Eric Bonzar-Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Trent Jackson is the real deal.

And he has the test scores to prove it.

When it comes to college readiness and the preparation behind it, there is no bigger benchmark than the ACT. So much that even reaching a composite score of nine points above the national average of 20 on the test, out of a possible 36, could mean you’d find yourself on the outside looking in when it comes prestigious schools such as Duke, Stanford and MIT. But for Trent, worrying about who will accept him after high school, and who will prepare him for life after college, has become an afterthought.

Even with more than a year left in his high school career.

For the 16-year-old junior, the drive to compete at the highest level has always been ingrained in him.

Whether it be on the soccer field, or in the classroom, Jackson has always accepted the challenge placed before him by others, and ran with it.

And he’s always done it in an almost blasé kind of way.

Even when it comes to taking the most important test a high-schooler can take.

“It began in Vore’s class,” Trent said. “It was a class full of juniors and seniors, and I was only a sophomore at the time. They were trying to prepare for the ACT, because it’s a big deal, I guess,” he added with a grin.

In the weeks leading up to the test, Trent said he spent his down time as an intern at locallybased Nordson Corp. surfing the internet for practice tests.

When he wasn’t working with the 3D modeling program Solidworks, Trent was perfecting his knowledge of English, math, science and reading—the four areas that are measured when taking the test.

With the test in the bag, and the results in hand, Trent said he was as surprised as many would be if they had scored flawlessly on such a prestigious assessment.

And rightfully so.

Trent Jackson and pre-calculus teacher Stacey Vore have created a bond that extends well beyond the classroom. Vore speaks highly of the junior, noting "He is going to bring attention to this building.”

In 2017, more than 2 million students, nationally, took the test.

Of those, some 2,700 of them scored perfectly; putting them in the top ONE-TENTH of 1 percent of all test-takers in the nation.

A significantly solid accomplishment that seemed to even take the laid-back scholar by surprise.

“I felt like I was going to do pretty good, but I was not expecting to get a 36,” he said. “Even after the test, when I found out, I thought it was a mistake.”

But make no mistake about it, Trent’s score may be a rarity amongst test-takers across the country, but it definitely wasn’t a fluke.

Pre-calculus teacher Stacey Vore is sure of it.

“With Trent, from the minute I met him, to when I first met his mom at conferences I said ‘he’s the real deal.’”

Quite a compliment coming from a professional educator who, herself, scored a 28 on the test the first time she took it; a 30 the second; and pushed herself to improve on that score when the stark reality set in that it wasn’t high enough in the eyes of Miami of Ohio, where she wanted to attend.

“Trent’s just as competitive as I am, so I knew I could push him,” she said of her protégé.

From that initial introduction, Vore has forecasted high expectations for Trent.

Whether he wants or aspires to achieve them, he’s destined to accomplish great things on an academic stage.

“He is going to be our National Merit semifinalist. He is going to bring attention to this building,” Vore said. “I recognized the talent, and I challenged him.”

As he transitioned from sophomore to junior, Trent stepped up to the challenge, scoring 36 in math; 36 in English; 36 in reading and a 35 in science on the ACT. A feat not surprising to his parents Shanna and Terry Jackson Sr. Trent’s father recalled his son reading a lot at a very young age. And not just the typical books you’d see a young child grasping in their small hands, but thick novels set aside for the most advanced of readers.

All at the age of 7.

“That gave me a good indication that he was going to be intelligent,” Jackson said of his son.

Trent Jackson holds the resolution he received, Oct. 15, from Lorain City Council. The junior was recognized and commended for his perfect ACT score.

As far as Trent’s competitive nature, Jackson couldn’t help but chuckle when asked when that all started for his son. Ever since he was able to throw and kick a ball, competition became a part of Trent's life.

“That was branded in him,” Jackson said.

“I’ve been known to be slightly competitive, so that’s probably a learned behavior."

Academically, Jackson said his son has always had the drive within himself to succeed.

Studying hard has come second nature to Trent as his enjoyment to learn and curiosity for the new has always been a part of him.

Personally, Jackson said during his time in school, he excelled in math and English, and his wife was good at everything, so seeing his son succeed academically brings him a sense of pride knowing Trent has taken a bit of both his parents’ intellectual abilities along with him.

And that’s why Jackson said he was happy, but not surprised when he was told the news.

“I kind of expected it, myself,” Jackson said with a laugh. “Nobody believes me when I say that.”

Jackson said he never doubted that his son could get a perfect score on the test. The amount of study time put in, and the amount of effort he showed while prepping for the test was the same admirable traits his son has shown since he was a kid.

“I never let him win as a kid. He always had to earn it,” he said.

Shanna Jackson said she is extremely proud of her son’s academic accomplishments and attributes Vore and engineering instructor William Bogan’s guidance with her son’s success.

From College Credit Plus, to the engineering program, Shanna says each instructor and adviser has been helpful and supportive throughout her son’s high school career.

“I’m very lucky to have them,” Shanna said.

“They’ve pushed him and pushed him, and sent him in the right direction. It has just worked out wonderfully.”

Guidance and direction has been something that has pushed Trent to achieve perfection as a high schooler, but it’s not the first time he has set the bar academically, his mother said. As an eighth-grader, Trent scored perfectly on a state algebra test and perfectly on a state geometry test in ninth. By doing so, it allowed him to by-pass a class and land directly in Vore’s during his sophomore year.

A union of mathematical minds that would change the course of history for the young scholar.

Trent Jackson received a resolution, Oct. 15, from Lorain City Council. The junior was recognized and commended for his perfect ACT score.

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Beyond that, Trent says he anticipates taking the SAT, applying for a NASA internship and visiting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—the top engineering program in the country.

Trent Jackson shakes hands with Mayor Chase Ritenauer during a Lorain City Council meeting, Oct. 15. The junior was recognized and commended for his perfect ACT score.

“He would teach himself trigonometry when he was in third grade,” Shanna said. “He just gets it.”

For both Shanna and Terry, the ultimate goal for their son is a unified one. Both agree they want their son to succeed at whatever it is he chooses to do with his future; not feel pressured in doing it and enjoy his time as a kid, and what remains of his high school career.

But most of all, they both want Trent to continue doing whatever he chooses to do with a smile on his face.

“We just want him to be happy,” his mother and father said.

A leader board outside of Vore's class recognizes the highest ACT score test-takers.

Trent sits at the top with a 36.

Although he was compositely perfect his first time around, the up-and-coming senior will get a chance to improve on that science score. In February, Trent will once again take the ACT, but this time around, it will be state mandated as an end of course exam.

With a 36 already in the books, Trent can decline reporting the results of the test, but he is not shying away from working to hit 36s across the board.

Trent holds a 3D-printed cube, with his initials, in teacher William Bogan's engineering classroom, Sept. 20. The junior plans to study engineering in college.

Next school year, fans of the phenom can see that competitive nature in action as he hits the soccer field for one last season. But be aware, things will more than likely look a little bit different. Trent says he and Coach Rick Dimmachia have discussed cashing in his number 24 soccer jersey for a more accurate numerical representation of his passion for success: 36.

“He’s (Dimmachia) the one who suggested it,” Trent said. “He was like ‘hey, we should make your number 36 next year.’ I was like ‘That would be awesome!’”

Trent Jackson is recognized during a ceremony, Nov. 1. Trent (pictured with his mother Shanna) was also named the first inductee in the Lorain City Schools' Academic Hall of Fame.

Homecoming O CTO BER

5TH,

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The Lorain City Schools’ Family Office held a fun and informative morning session of Family University on October 27. Building off the best practices of last year’s Titan Family Fun Fests and Parent University, this event offered activities and information to families in an effort to help them better support their scholars’ education.

Family University

PROMISING NUMBERS

Lorain City Schools is centered around people but it is fueled by data. Here are some important figures that guide district decision making as well as some indicators of progress and points of pride.

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SCHOOL BUILDINGS

6,511*

K-12 SCHOLARS

471 TEACHERS 53 BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS

2,524 K-8 SCHOLARS WHO ARE PICKED UP FROM 803 BUS STOPS EVERY DAY.

91%

PERCENTAGE OF K-8 SCHOLARS WHO EAT SCHOOL LUNCH EVERYDAY.

1,020

HOURS OF INSTRUCTION PER SCHOOL YEAR.

*Scholars currently enrolled in a LCS school as of 12/3/2018 Total district enrollment including children who attend other schools due to open enrollment or are in alternative educational settings is 7,950 as of 12/3/2018. This does not include children who attend charter schools.

PKQ | WINTER 2018

75%

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2,920

INCREASE LCS PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS AWARDED 5 OUT OF 5 STARS IN THE OHIO STEP UP TO QUALITY RATING SYSTEM.

LAPTOPS DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOLARS

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COMMUNITY MEETINGS HELD

BY CEO DAVID HARDY JR. SINCE AUGUST 2018 SCHOLARS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY OR EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT

450

237,000

52%

POSITIVE SCHOLAR BEHAVIOR POINTS LOGGED

INCREASE IN LHS SENIORS ON TRACK TO GRADUATE WITH AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN 2019; 52 IN 2018 AND 79 EXPECTED IN 2019

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LHS JUNIOR, TRENT JACKSON'S PERFECT SCORE ON THE A.C.T.

LHS SCHOLARS WHO SCORED HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE ON THE A.C.T.

58%

DECREASE IN ADMINISTRATOR ABSENCES*

47 *Percentage changes are based on 2017-18 and 2018-19 1st quarter data sets.

GARFIELD GLOWS SATURDAY MORNINGS ARE FOR LITERACY NOT CARTOONS

It’s an unseasonably cold Saturday morning in October, but inside Garfield Elementary the hallway is serving as a hot dance floor. Several scholars and their Dean of Academics, Staci McDaniel are getting their sillies out with some line dances before getting to work. It does not feel like a tutoring session it feels like like…fun! For eight consecutive Saturdays McDaniel and other teachers offered learning sessions to prepare scholars for the fall reading assessments.

A combination of direct instruction, partner work, computer games, snacks and dancing kept the scholars coming back week after week.

McDaniel is new to Lorain and when asked how she liked her year so far she responded, “I feel so fortunate to be in such a great district and school! I love, love, love my job!” She quickly turned the focus to the scholars, teachers and families of Garfield and the hard work and dedication she sees every day. “I love that we have moms like Jenna's who walked in the rain last week because she wanted Jenna to learn” said McDaniel.

PKQ | WINTER

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The sessions were intended for 3rd graders but the need was greater than first anticipated.

McDaniel added, “People think I'm nuts for teaching on Saturday but when you've had a handful of 5th graders ask you to help them improve their reading, how can you say no?”

Catherine Bell—a parent of two of the scholars who regularly attended the sessions—was in awe of the energy and dedication the Garfield staff demonstrate toward scholars. “I really thank Ms. McDaniel for making these sessions available. My kids ask to come…on a Saturday,” said Bell.

When asked if she thought the sessions were making an impact on her kids she said, “My kids are talking about reading and are more confident in reading.” Garfield teachers Susan Brelo and Beth McKinney also lent a hand at the Saturday sessions.

Megan Young, turnaround principal of Garfield Elementary said of McDaniel, “When I interviewed Staci, I knew she was something special. She goes above and beyond to help our Garfield staff and scholars!

McDaniel can’t wait to see how the students did on the assessment and knows this is an ongoing process, but she was happy to be able to spend dedicated time with scholars who needed the help. When asked what motivates her on daily basis she responded, “It's all about the kids!”

3rd GRADE'S A CHARM Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a program to identify students from kindergarten through grade 3 that are behind in reading. The State of Ohio requires a reading assessment of all 3rd graders in the fall so that those students can receive interventions and support before the end of the school year.

A'S ACROSS THE BOARD TAKING PRIDE IN FIRST QUARTER ACHIEVEMENTS

"Find your passion, and never forget where you came from."

Those were the words echoed through the Lorain High School cafeteria and into the memories of 152 scholars on an early November morning.

During a brief breakfast and recognition ceremony, the high school’s executive director Daniel Garvey recognized each one for their scholastic achievement of straight A’s during the first quarter of the school year.

On behalf of the entire leadership team, Garvey acknowledged the scholars’ academic accomplishments, and noted how extremely proud he, and his team were of them.

“I hope you will see what an exclusive group this is,” Garvey said. “Less than 1 percent of LHS students are sitting in this room today. You have set yourself apart not only because of your straight A’s, but rather your actions which led to this result: planning ahead, participating in class, studying, asking for help when you needed it and going above and beyond.”

Garvey said the morning’s celebration was a moment he and his administrators live for and one that reminded him and his team of why their jobs are so special.

“Thank you for exemplifying what ‘expect excellence’ truly means,” he added.

Apart from Garvey’s accolades, scholars were showered with words of encouragement and praise from Neighborhood Alliance program coordinator and Lorain City Schools alumna Kaitlyn Gonzalez, and 30-year educator Stacey Vore.

PKQ | WINTER

Gonzalez, who graduated from Lorain High School in 2013, and currently runs the Rising Titans Collaborative—which focuses on kindergarten readiness for all children in Lorain— praised the scholars for their accomplishments and those who have made significant strides in their academic growth.

“You are all awesome examples of the greatness that comes from the school, which we clearly need more of, and I know you all will continue to succeed like I believe you can,” she told them.

During her speech, Vore touched on her bi-racial background, growing up in the southern-most part of the state, and her struggles growing up a poor farmer’s daughter during a time where social and racial bigotry was commonplace.

“I know what it is to be poor,” Vore emphatically shared with the room. “I know about outhouses and coal bins. I also know about neighbors taking care of each other because we often had to.”

30-year educator Stacey Vore serves as keynote speaker, Nov. 16.

Kaitlyn Gonzalez

Despite her economic and social struggles as a child, Vore said she never used either as a reason to make excuses or give up. Upon graduating from the University of Miami, Ohio, Vore vowed never to return to southern Ohio, but rather head north, to the city of Lorain. A place, she says, which comes with many of the same challenges she saw as a child.

Vore assured scholars, no matter the obstacle they may face in their own lives, none is too large to hold them back from achieving success. Financial woes, transportation struggles, nor lack of support should hold them down, but rather inspire them to overcome adversity. As it is adversity that makes one a stronger person, she said.

“I say to you, don’t let the circumstances of your childhood hold you back from achieving your dreams,” Vore said to the roomful of scholars.

“Find your passion. And never forget where you came from.”

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BRIGHT LIGHTS Lorain City Schools is turning the spotlight on Titan scholars, teachers, staff and alumni that deserve some positive recognition. Here are some of our first recipients of the TITAN SPOTLIGHT.

KRIS BODEN

PARAPRO, HELEN STEINER RICE ELEMENTARY

CREATIVE, CALM, THOUGHTFUL "Mrs. Kris experiences joy with our students every single day. She is always up for the challenge of finding a unique way to connect to each and every student that she works with. She takes pride in her work and consistently finds the best ways to put the scholars first.

Having her in the classroom is a true asset to the students here at Helen Steiner Rice!"

Nominated By Miranda McCaughley, Teacher Helen Steiner Rice Elementary

YAYRALIZ LLANES SCHOLAR, SOUTHVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

PROUD, HARD-WORKING, KIND "Yayraliz is the epitome of a scholar. Even though she is learning English, she never lets that stop her from trying her ultimate best on all assignments. She enjoys the challenge of a new language and never gives up when work becomes hard. Also, she is the first scholar to give a student a pencil or lend a helping hand. Yayraliz always asks me how I am doing and says hello and goodbye everyday. She takes pride in her work and her learning at Southview!"

Nominated By Margo Bell, Teacher Southview Middle School

PKQ | WINTER

SHIRLEY CONWAY CLEANER, LCS ADMIN BUILDING

CHEERFUL, DILIGENT, HELPFUL "Shirley always has a smile on her face and she greets everyone by name. She takes immense pride in her work. You never know if she is having a bad day. I often stay late to make sure I can see her and 'hi.'

Thank you Shirley for keeping our offices so fresh and so clean, clean!"

Nominated By Jay Nimene, District Administrator

SAMUEL CLARK STUDENT, LORAIN HIGH SCHOOL

KIND, HARD-WORKING, LEADER

MEGAN TALIANO TEACHER, LORAIN HIGH SCHOOL

PROFESSIONAL, CARING, COMPASSIONATE "She has impacted my son's senior year.

Very respectful and caring individual."

Nominated By Elizabeth Aponte , Parent

"I am nominating Samuel because he always comes to class in such a great mood. He welcomes not just his friends, but ALL peers at the door when they come in. Whether it be a high five, a handshake, or a simple smile and hello, Samuel makes all scholars feel welcomed! Not only does he collaborate with integrity, but he also expects excellence with all of his classwork. He participates regularly while making everyone laugh, but also works hard on assignments and turns in nothing but his best work. Samuel ensures that he and his peers, along with myself, are experiencing joy in the classroom on a daily basis."

Nominated By Amanda Buchs , Teacher Lorain High School

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PKQ | WINTER

UPHILL BOTH WAYS BIKE AND WALK TO SCHOOL DAYS SURROUND SCHOLARS IN SAFETY In collaboration with Lorain County Public Health, Bike and Walk to School days were enjoyed by scholars throughout the district. The events were held to promote a healthy, fun, and safe way to make sure scholars get to school on time every day, get the recommended daily amount of physical activity to stay healthy and learn safety skills for life by respecting the rules of the road and staying safer in their travels.

MAKING POSITIVE MOVES

LARKMOOR CLOSES ACHIEVEMENT GAP ONE SCHOLAR AT A TIME

Consistency and continuous movement; that’s how one moves the needle in a positive direction on the state’s school report card.

In September, the Ohio Department of Education released its report cards to schools across Ohio.

Here in Lorain, every school across the district was shown the work that lies ahead for each of them, but many were reminded of the positive growth taking place in their buildings, through the uptick in their grades.

For Larkmoor Elementary School, that progress is evident not only on paper (the school received an A in Gap Closing from the state), but also in person as you walk the school’s hallways with Turnaround Principal Chantelle Lewis.

“Everything here is fluid,” Lewis said as she pushed her mobile workstation up and down the hallways of the building’s first and second floors; checking in on each classroom as she simultaneously poked away at the keys of her laptop, working to finalize the building’s monthly newsletter.

During her rounds, Lewis conceded that the highs do come with periodic lows. But by adapting to those setbacks by pushing forward every day, and limiting the lows to few and far between, success she and her team have seen over the years, continues to grow amongst scholars.

“We are always moving,” Lewis said. “You just don’t have time for discipline.”

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PKQ | WINTER

Stepping out of the box of traditional elementary education that primarily kept scholars anchored to one desk and one classroom for the duration of the day, Larkmoor’s scholars have adapted to a more mature style of learning, Lewis said. Now, much like at the middle and high school level, scholars move throughout the hallways and classrooms, learning from different teachers in different environments. A model that Lewis says is beneficial to both scholars who are proficient in course work, and ones who need extra resources to get there.

By moving scholars from one classroom to another, throughout the day, educators are able to prevent kids who are extremely gifted from getting bored when they become stagnant and unchallenged, Lewis said. On the other side of the spectrum, changing the scenery for scholars who may struggle with material and understanding, helps to prevent them from reacting by lashing out in frustration. By constantly shifting the environment, and the learning, it gives them time to catch their breath and feel refreshed by new experiences, the turnaround principal explained.

“You have scholars constantly moving, you have staff constantly moving, and that keeps them stimulated,” Lewis said. “I think that is something that is needed in urban education.”

But Lewis said don’t just take her word for it.

Fifth-grader Israel Bush (right, foreground) works on an assignment with his fellow classmates.

Fifth-grader Israel Bush is testament to a working system and tangible proof of its success, Lewis said. The 10year-old, aspiring “Youtuber” came to Larkmoor five years ago, as a kindergartner. Ironically, Israel’s first step into Larkmoor was just around the same time as Lewis’ when she first started as its building principal in 2013.

A man of few words, Israel did convey that he enjoys the challenges he’s faced during his time at the elementary school. He added that no matter how challenging, or difficult the material may be to understand, there is always a teacher who is committed to putting in the extra time with him to assure he gets it. Israel said his teachers’ dedication to his education has him feeling a lot smarter than when he started as a kindergartner, and definitely prepared to enter middle school next year.

As the bell rang and Israel prepared to navigate his way through a sea of his fellow scholars, and on to his next class, he shared some parting words for the younger scholars, and those who may be thinking about attending school at Larkmoor.

“It’s really fun,” he said. “And the teachers help you with your work, if you need help.”

Although humbled by Israel’s words and the high mark on the state report card, Lewis said she and her staff see no point of slowing down. Although the progress is commendable, Larkmoor’s staff will continue to put their best foot forward, one step at a time, she said.

“This isn’t something that happens overnight.”

TELLING THE TITAN STORY

The new Marketing and Communications (MAC) Team got busy creating and improving the communications tools the district uses to relay important information and share the great things that are going on within our schools. Here are some of the ways we are providing information to the LCS community.

TITAN TOUCHPOINTS

CEO David Hardy Jr's monthly newsletter that provides updates on district initiatives and highlights the important work being done at the building level.

TITAN PRIDE WEEKLY

Weekly emailed newsletter that provides information on upcoming events and showcases what is going on around the district. To sign up for the mailing list please visit lorainschools.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS 70% of our survey respondents said that social media was how they stayed connected to what was going on in the district

OUR MOST POPULAR POST TO DATE! AUGUST 20, 2018

SINCE JUNE 5, 2018

1,205 NEW FOLLOWERS!

Thank you for being a

RIEND

-Classics

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C/B/S COMMUNITY BUSINESS SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP

Building on the momentum created during the 2017-18 school year, Lorain Community Business Schools (C/B/S) Partnership reconvened September 19, picking up where it left off just four short months ago.

During the first two months of the new school year, dozens have filled the Lorain High School Auditorium foyer, as they had done in months’ past. Many familiar faces from community organizations across the city of Lorain, school leadership members and scholars are once again gathering to reflect on garnered input designed to engage the community as it collaborates with the district and aligns itself with the philosophical concept "The Lorain Promise."

Intertwined with familiar faces have been those of many new ones, and with new faces comes new ideas, but what has stood true since CBS’ inception, and continues to do so, is the concept of collectively finding a way to promote positivity from within the district and spreading those messages across a much broader, community-led spectrum.

Through their collective thoughts, small breakout groups have presented their findings upon review of TNTP’s community reflections and recommendations and outlined ways to utilize community members and organizations to help rewrite the district narrative.

To do so, leadership has now been tasked with incorporating scholar voices to push initiatives and change the narrative created by outside entities who do not get an opportunity to traverse the hallways of the district’s 14 educational buildings.

By shifting focus of the narrative from the handful who are negatively impacting it, onto the thousands of scholars who are affecting the district and the community in a positive manner, the district has committed to re-connecting the community to the school—and vice versa—while creating tangible outcomes for all.

If you'd like to RSVP to the next CBS meeting email Marketing and Communications Coordinator Sarah Egan-Reeves at segan-reeves@loraincsd.org.

Lorain City Schools Administration 2601 Pole Ave. Lorain, OH 44052-4301 www.lorainschools.org FOLLOW US:Â