Hall-Dale School District

Hall-Dale Middle/High School
Communications Cohort Meeting
April 6, 2010
7:00 - 7:45AM

Members Present:  Leanne Bond, Diane Smith, Kendra Guiou, Chris Chamberlain and Steve Lavoie

I. Purpose/Structure of the Group
- To open and maintain lines of communication between parents and school regarding ongoing efforts to implement a standards-based, student centered educational environment.
- Structure of the group:  5 parents (some with students at multiple levels in Hall-Dale Schools), 2 teachers, and members of the HDMS/HS Administrative Team (Principal, Assistant Principals, Guidance Director as needed).
- 3 parents have responded that they are willing to be involved and can make most if not all of scheduled meetings.  2 parents have yet to respond and will be contacted again.
- Minutes of meetings will be posted on both the middle school and high school websites within 24 hours of each meeting.
- An agenda will be provided to members of the cohort prior to each meeting.

II. Strategic Plan
- A draft of a strategic plan is being developed and will be shared with the superintendent and faculty by April 9.
- Once shared with superintendent and faculty, it will be posted on both the middle school and high school website.

III. Freshman Meetings
- Regular meetings with the freshman class have been scheduled and each will have specific topics to be discussed.
- First meeting topics are:
1. Results of the most recent honor roll.
2. Work ethic/behavior:  how to make them count and how they affect student motivation.

IV. Professional Development
- All upcoming Wednesday afternoons are dedicated to staff development relating to implementation of standards.
- Current discussion of the group known as 9SIT and its role in supporting teachers in the upcoming year of implementation.
- Recent discussion is that 9SIT may be more effective if they serve as mentors to small groups of faculty organized around content areas with others assigned as needed.  9SIT should continue to meet as a whole group in order to maintain consistency.
- Upcoming Early Release Day on 5/19 is being planned with multiple sessions designed to meet faculty needs around standards, utilizing Infinite Campus as an effective communications tool, and others TBD.

V. Other
- The group had a discussion regarding offering students and teachers opportunity for ‘safe feedback’.  Students and teachers could have a way to ask specific questions regarding implementation of standards based reporting, etc. that would offer anonymity.  Questions could then be given to 9SIT, or some other group, for consideration in terms of professional development needs.
- Grading guide feedback was discussed.  Some parents have a draft of the Parent/student Grading guide and have feedback to offer.  How can that be done effectively?  Also discussed was should there be different guides based on each target audience:  incoming 6th graders, freshmen and next year’s sophomores.
- An intervention committee of teachers for both middle and high school has been established with the charge of examining current interventions in place, what changes are needed and what new interventions are possible.  A timeline for recommendations is in place. 
- Some parents may not know what interventions are available and currently in place such as after school hours when all teachers are available for students to access.  Is there a need for a structured learning lab at the high school similar to what exists at the middle school?

To: Parents and Students, Grades 6 - 9
From:Steve Lavoie, Principal
Date: March 4, 2010
RE: Honor Roll

Over the course of the last school year and the first trimester of the current school year, it has become apparent to me that the method currently being used to determine honor roll status and recognition is problematic.  The honor roll in past years was extraordinarily long.  We now have an honor roll that is extraordinarily short and it is not clear to parents and students how to achieve this recognition.  In addition, it is based on a percentage of content standards assessed that are at a ‘proficient with distinction’ level, 25% for honors and 50% for high honors.  This method of calculating honor roll has created some unintended weighting.  Appropriately so, different classes have a different number of standards that are assessed during any given trimester.  The end result is that courses are weighted mathematically so that some courses have much more impact on whether or not a student achieves honor roll status.

The way in which honor roll is calculated is in a regulation of the school board policy. Changing a board policy is a time consuming process that literally takes months of revision and readings at the board level.  It is clear that an adjusted method of calculating honor roll is needed now.  The new method is described below and is considered a pilot for this school year.

In order to be on either honor roll, a student still must achieve all 3s, proficient on all content standards assessed as well as work ethic and behavior.  All content standards in any course will then be averaged to determine a ‘course GPA’.  Those course GPAs will then be averaged to determine a trimester standards based grade point average (SBGPA).  In order to make honor roll, a student SBGPA must be at least 3.0.  In order to make the high honor roll, a student SBGPA must be at least 3.33. Courses that are AP and Honors at the high school level or considered to be ‘advanced’ at the middle school will be weighted by a factor of 1.05.  This method is consistent with how these classes are weighted for transcript purposes at the high school.

It is my hope that this method will result in an honor roll that is calculated fairly and that parents and students have a clear understanding of how our honor roll is determined.

March 8, 2010

Dear Parents/guardians of Students at Hall-Dale Middle School:

This letter is in follow up to my letter of August 26, 2009 in which I informed you that the Maine Department of Education had identified Hall-Dale Middle School as a Continuous Improvement Priority School (CIPS) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  As part of the CIPS process, Hall-Dale Middle School is required to establish a School Improvement Team, which in turn, developed a School Improvement Plan.

The School Improvement Team includes myself, Assistant Principal Blayne Frost, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Chris Chamberlain, parent Hilary Nickles and teachers Angela Moody and Dan Crocker.  Over the course of the past several months, the team has written and revised our School Improvement Plan and we have just been notified that it has been accepted by the Maine Department of Education.  The enclosed plan is comprehensive and puts in place steps that will help us address areas of student performance.

The results from the fall administration of the New England Comprehensive Assessment Program (NECAP) have been released.  I am pleased to inform you that students at HDMS performed well, with 70% of students being proficient in reading and 65% of students being proficient in math.  As of this date, we have not been notified by the Department of Education if HDMS has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the guidelines established by NCLB.

My thanks go to the members of our School Improvement Team for their continued efforts in support of Hall-Dale Middle School.  If you have questions about any part of the School Improvement Plan please let me know.

Sincerely,

Steven P. Lavoie
Principal

Attachment: Hall-Dale_MS_CIPS_plan.pdf

Grade_6_Newsletter.pdf
Grade_7_Newsletter.pdf
Grade_8_Newsletter_.pdf

The 6th graders at Hall-Dale Middle School are raising money to attend an environmental education program at Chewonki.  Please consider purchasing some “Hall-Dale” items and at the same time help the 6th grade class.

Items will have the name “Hall-Dale” embroidered/screen printed as well as the Bulldog.  Please specify name/initials in the table below if you want your order personalized.  Select items will be on display at the Middle School and photos of the items can be viewed on the Hall-Dale website at http://www.halldale.org. 

Orders must be received no later than November 20th Please make checks payable to Hall-Dale Middle School and return orders and prepayment to the Middle School office.  Items will be ready before Christmas. 

Please use the attached form to place your order.

Thank you!

DEAR PARENTS,

Beginning this Thursday, October 1, we will be administering the New England Common Assessment Program. This test is replacing the yearly MEA testing we’re all familiar with. The testing program will run daily through October 22. Students will be given one test per day until their grade level assessment is complete.
NECAP testing is very important from several points of view. It provides a way of evaluating our school as a whole and making changes in teaching that may benefit our students. NECAP scores are also used under the No Child Left Behind Act to determine our status as a school needing or not needing improvement. Individual student scores go in permanent folders and are used as one way of determining student needs and course placements.

Please note the following reminders:

Encourage your children to attend school regularly throughout the days of testing, unless they become ill. Missing a test puts your child at a distinct disadvantage because all tests missed must be made up once the student returns to school.

Make them aware of the importance of trying hard. Encourage them to do their best throughout NECAP testing.

Get them to bed early, so they’ll be rested and ready for testing.

Be sure they eat breakfast at home or get a breakfast here at school. Well-fed children are the best test takers.

We will provide snacks for all students who test at mid-morning.

Thank you for your support in this important assessment process!

Please join us at our open House on Thursday, September 24, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Meet teachers and hear about:

• Standards-based Reporting
• Classroom Expectations
• Improbing Student Sucesss
• Chewonki Experience (Gr 6)
• Challenger Program
• Camp Kieve (Grade 8)
• And More!

We’ll begin in the theater and then visit classrooms!

We look forward to seeing you!

HALL-DALE MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
97-111 Maple St.
Farmingdale, ME 04344
207-622-6211

Steven P. Lavoie, Principal
Donald Ferrara, Assistant Principal
Blayne Frost, Assistant Principal

Greg Henderson, Director of Guidance
Tim Johnson, Athletic Director

August 26, 2009

Dear Parents/Guardians of Students at Hall-Dale Middle School,

I am writing to inform you that the Maine Department of Education has identified Hall-Dale Middle School as a Continuous Improvement Priority School (CIPS) under the No Child Left Behind Act. This letter will describe the reason for this identification, the school choice option parents have for their children and our plans for improved performance for all children.

In January 2002 President Bush signed an education law called No Child Left Behind. The long-range goal of NCLB is that every child will be proficient in core areas of study according to state standards. For Maine, those standards are described in the Maine Learning Results and proficiency is measured by the Maine Educational Assessment. Schools must meet the annual state target for all required subgroups.  Because our students with disabilities subgroup has not met the state target in mathematics on the MEA for two consecutive years, we have been identified as a Continuous Improvement Priority School.

Math performance for this identification is determined by the percent of students in the school year who met the proficiency standard on the MEA. In 2008-2009, 17% of our students with disabilities subgroup met that standard, which is below Maine’s state target of 50 %.  The school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) information will be made public, along with the status of other Maine schools, in the near future.  Hall-Dale Middle School’s Whole School Proficiency Rates of 75% in reading and 57% in math have exceeded Maine’s state target in both reading (58%) and math (50%).  Proficiency rates are the percentages of students who met/exceeded the performance standards on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA).

Our school’s short-term goal is for our school to make AYP this year and our long-term goal is to have all of our students proficient in reading/math. Our detailed plans for improvement will be available in the school office or please contact the school if you would like us to mail you a copy.

The teachers of Hall-Dale Middle School and I have made program improvements including establishing Title I services and we invite you to help in planning the next steps of our program for this year and the future. If you are interested in helping in this effort please call me. Even if you cannot join us in our planning, you can help your child by supporting their academic work at home and encouraging them to always do their best in school.

Because Hall-Dale Middle School has been identified as a Continuous Improvement Priority School, the No Child Left Behind law provides the option for parents to choose another school in this district.  Within RSU #2, there are 2 middle schools available for choice: Richmond Middle School and Monmouth Middle School.  For comparison purposes, I have listed below the Whole School Proficiency Rates for reading and math at Hall-Dale, Richmond and Monmouth Middle Schools. More information will be available when the state AYP results are released.

Hall-Dale MS Reading:  75% Math:  57%
Richmond MS Reading:  71% Math:  42%
Monmouth MS Reading:  73% Math:  49%

If you would like further information related to school choice, please contact me by Friday September 11, 2009. The deadline for NCLB transfer requests is September 18, 2009.
In addition to offering school choice, Hall-Dale Middle School is also required by NCLB to provide Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to qualifying students.  Services in the form of tutoring by qualified and approved individuals/groups will be offered at district expense to those students identified as economically disadvantaged (those who qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch status).  More information on this opportunity will be made available at a later date.

Thank you for your continued support of our efforts at Hall-Dale Middle School.

Sincerely,

Steven P. Lavoie
Principal

Printable version

HALL-DALE MIDDLE SCHOOL
6th Grade Supply List
2009-2010

Math:
A 1” binder with filler paper
Marbleback composition book
1 Subject Notebook (cheap, spiral bound kind)
Sharpened Pencils! NO PENS OF ANY KIND.

For Reading, last year we had
A Two-Pocket Folder
A chapter book
3 Subject Notebook
Sharpened Pencils!

Science:
A 3 subject notebook
Pencils
Ruler (metric or both)
Sharpened Pencils!

Social Studies:
folder
2 fine tip black pens
3 subject notebook
Sharpened Pencils!

Language Arts:
3-ring binder
filler paper
labels to separate sections in binder
thesaurus
Sharpened Pencils!

1 box of any kind of facial tissues

Hall-Dale Middle School 2009-2010
7th Grade Supply List

Required Materials

Three 2”  3-ring binders, with dividers, for math, reading/writing and science/social studies.

Loose-leaf paper or spiral notebooks for binders

Blue or black pens

Pencils

Ruler

Optional Materials

pen/thumb drive to use with Gr. 7 laptop

calculator for math

markers/colored pencils

pencil box or pencil pocket for notebook

paper reinforcements

erasers

1 box of any kind of facial tissues

Hall-Dale Middle School 2009-2010 8th Grade Supply List

A personal reading book is required in ALL classes in case you have completed class work ahead of time. 

Math:

School will be providing a 2” - three ring binder. Student will need plenty of loose-leafed notebook paper, a protractor, 12” ruler with metric on the other side, erasers, and folders. Students should provide pencils. A calculator will be helpful in both math and science class (a basic four function calculator with a square root key, will suffice, which are around $10.00).
Science:

Pencils, pens, 1 inch – 3-ring binder with paper, colored pencils, and highlighters.
Social Studies:

Pens, pencils, 2 inch –  3-ring binder with paper (colored pencils are optional but very helpful)
Language Arts:

2 inch – 3-ring binder with paper, dividers for the notebook, writing folders, pens, & pencils
Reading:
2 inch – 3-ring binder with paper, Marbleback composition book, dictionary & thesaurus (used in both writing and reading), pens, pencils, & colored pencils. 

1 box of any kind of facial tissues

Grade Six

High Honors:

Clio Barr
Nicole Pelletier
Eva Shepherd
Greta Thiele
Ayedn Young
Jacob Young

Honors:

Luke Armentrout
Spencer Buck
Nathaniel Crocker
Samuel Day
Molly French
Morgan Rush
Nathaniel Stahlnecker
Eli Trask
Emma Wilson

Grade 7

High Honors:

Erin Ballew
Emily Loisel
Steven Longfellow

Honors:

Nicholas Benner
Kyrie Johnson
Emily Maynard
Maura Stottler
Amara Truman

Grade 8

High Honors:

Evelyn Allen
Laura Allen
Sarah Dean
Hannah Perry
Laura MacDonald

Honors:

Carly Beaudoin
Harry Cheung
Michelle Pelletier
Derek Vigue