Waterford Street School

School Improvement Plan FY08-FY10

Executive Summary

Waterford Street School Mission Statement
We will foster the full development of each child’s intellectual, creative, and physical capabilities

and educate the child to live effectively and cooperatively with others.

Waterford Street School (WSS) is the educational foundation for the City of Gardner. WSS houses the entire Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten program. In addition to the Early Childhood Program, WSS supports two thirds of the First and Second Grade Classrooms. WSS is about celebrating and serving the community. Parental involvement is encouraged at WSS with an active Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and volunteerism. Every opportunity to collaborate with parents is appreciated because we both have the same intention – the educational success of the children. The WSS High Five encourages positive student behavior focusing on safety, courtesy, respect, responsibility and honesty. In order to ensure high academic standards and a safe school, WSS respects each teacher’s right to teach and each learner’s right to learn.

WSS aligns the curriculum with federal, state and local guidelines and frameworks. Our Integrated Pre-Kindergarten program collaborates closely with Gardner Community Partnership for Children (CPC). Currently, our Pre-Kindergarten is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and we are applying to be accredited in our Kindergarten program. WSS has Title 1 services, English Language Learner (ELL) support, an Early Reading Intervention (ERI) program and other reading and math supports such as the Tier 2 and 3 designations for students who are not making adequate yearly progress (AYP). Assessment drives the curriculum at WSS. The data collected through formalized math/reading tests like the DIBELS, Star Reading/Math, Grade tests, etc. and systematic teacher assessments are analyzed to encourage the most effective teaching and learning practices in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The Harcourt reading program has been very beneficial to the ELA success of our students.

WSS experienced financial reduction in the FY08 budget. The fiscal picture for Gardner Public Schools for FY08 is reflective of the negative Massachusetts State budget and rising operational costs. Also, many of the families that are part of WSS face economic challenges. WSS is committed to doing the best with the resources available. This improvement plan incorporates the 3 unattained goals from the former plan into the present global list of 8 goals and objectives. These aforementioned 8 areas are the NAEYC organizational sections for the program portfolio. The concerns for improvement were derived by conversations with the WSS Council, administration, faculty, staff, parents and community persons. Furthermore, these concerns are congruent with request presented to the finance committee for the FY08 budget process. This plan is for the next 3 years and the Council on an annual basis will provide updates.

WSS School Council

Paul Guerin – Principal

Robin Janhunen – Grade 2 Teacher

Gail Riley – Grade 1 Teacher

Colleen Gikis – Kindergarten Teacher

Paris Henderson – Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Patrick Ballentine – Parent of Kindergarten student and former WSS student

Andrew Brooks – Parent of Kindergarten and Grade 2 student

Jennifer Susen-Roy – Parent of Grade 1 student

Lisa Shepard – Parent of Kindergarten student

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Community Relations

• Secure a member of the community to be on the WSS School Council. Currently, there is no community representation on the School Council. The Council will explore avenues to get a community representative.
• Increase volunteers in the classroom and at other events. There is interest among the faculty to have more community support in the classroom for example from local businesspersons to people who live in the Gardner High Rise.
• Encourage local business support for fundraising activities for the PTO.
• Raise the understanding of the good work that occurs at WSS everyday through the news outlets and other forms of communication.

Objective: Encourage the greater Gardner community to participate in the WSS community. The school must reach out to the community for their support.

Goal 2: Curriculum and Assessment

• Provide a 90-minute uninterrupted reading block for Grade One and Two in order to ensure effective teaching practice.
• Utilize a consistent math program in order to standardize practices and vocabulary.
• Screen all incoming students who transfer into the district after the start of school to place them appropriately.
• Organize and maintain a reading closet as an ELA resource for teachers.
• Add Harcourt Reading series to Pre-Kindergarten program.

Objective: Use assessment to drive the curriculum. The school must carefully look at what it is doing and how effective is it.

Goal 3: Employees

• Increase the ESP coverage @ WSS. Reinstate 100 percent ESP coverage in the Kindergarten program. Provide 100 percent ESP coverage in Grade One and 50 percent coverage in Grade Two.
• Reinstate the library position because the library has been closed since FY06.
• Add an additional Grade One and Grade Two teacher in order to reduce class sizes.
• Reinstate 2 tutors and teacher for Tier 2 and 3 supports.
• Increase ELL staffing in order to best assist those students who are learning English.
• Increase the music teacher’s time to provide music to Pre-Kindergarten.
• Add a 52-week secretary in order to handle all of the summer activities at WSS.
• Support our new teachers through mentoring program and departmental/administrative support.

Objective: Provide the appropriate staffing @WSS as funded by the district. The school must preserve a student’s right to learn and teacher’s right to teach.

Goal 4: Facilities

• Renovate and expand the current facility because it is deemed most in need of repair in the district by the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE). Appropriate changes should be made in the mean time to update the school especially in the area of nursing, plumbing and electrical services.
• Add a technologically appropriate school-wide safety infrastructure.

Objective: Provide the appropriate and safe environment for our students. The school must consider state funding for a major renovation.

Goal 5: Families and Children

• Add a home visit component to the Integrated Pre-Kindergarten.
• Establish a home-school liaison to serve our entire community.
• Provide a monthly opportunity for the PTO to bring families into the school for events at no charge for entertainment and education.

Objective: Develop strong relationships with our families. The school should support the good work that families are doing and assist them in times of need. We are both here for the same reason – the success of our students and their children.

Goal 6: Legal Policies of the District

• Provide free full day Kindergarten to all children in Gardner. Research shows full-day Kindergarten is more beneficial to children than a half-day model.
• Eliminate tuition for Pre-Kindergarten program.

Objective: Find alternative sources of funding for tuition removal. The school, in keeping with the philosophy of public schools, should be free for all students and adequate to their learning needs.

Goal 7: Improvement Plans of the School

• Reconstruct this plan every three years and submit yearly reviews by the School Council.
• Offer meaningful professional development opportunities for all staff. These opportunities should be included for all staff at WSS. Departments should coordinate their efforts and attend a training to enrich their practice and build departmental community.
• Fund professional development in differentiated instruction and materials in order to create classroom environments that meet the needs of all learners including more centers.

Objective: Aim for high standards and have a game plan to get there. The school must allow and support opportunities at the same time monitoring itself.

Goal 8: Organizational Procedures of the School

• Increase the visibility of SPED teachers in the general education rooms by moving to more inclusion model classrooms.
• Revitalize our common bonding around the WSS High Five. This system encourages positive student behavior focusing on safety, courtesy, respect, responsibility and honesty.
• Complete the NAEYC accreditation process and maintain this status in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten because grants for Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten funding depend on NAEYC accreditation.
• Add before school academic support system by allowing extra SuccessMaker time in the computer lab to help with reading and math. Also, create an after school program to focus on academics, physical fitness and socialization.

Objective: Support meaningful programs in the school to build values and sound academics. The school should focus on encouraging good behavior.