The 2008-2009 school year brings with it our much anticipated, very first, High School Graduation! There is much to do and this Fall is proving to be a busy time for students, parents, and faculty alike.
We started this school year with a visit from the Western New York Consortium consisting of 17 local colleges in a mini-college fair atmosphere. Seniors had the opportunity to meet and talk with college representatives, discover program information and get on college mailing lists.
Shortly after our college fair, Oracle hosted a Fall College Night where Seniors and their families were invited to attend workshops highlighting "how colleges select students", "choosing a college major", "financial aid information", "visiting colleges", and an "overview of the SUNY system". This was a well-attended and informative night. Admission representatives from Niagara University, Buffalo State College, and Erie Community College were here to lend their expertise about the college process. Those who attended left with a better sense of the tasks at hand when planning a successful college transition.
Speaking of the college planning process, it wouldn't be the same without taking the PSAT and SAT. On Saturday (October 18th) the PSAT was administered for 10th and 11th grade students. This event was well attended and our students have commented on how they already feel better prepared for the time when they will take the "real" thing (the SAT!) Our Seniors will have the opportunity to take this important test for the second time on Saturday, November 1st.
I want to personally thank you for your support as your student takes on the challeges of navigating through the college preparatory process. When we work as a team everybody wins! Be sure to look for more information on upcoming events.
Diane Morgante
School Counselor
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
TerraNova Time!
Dear Parents,
On November 5th and 6th, 2008, your child will participate in the TerraNova Achievement Test. For those new to this type of assessment, the TerraNova is a standardized test designed to provide schools with the information they need to best help their students.
The areas being assessed will be Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics. The results of these tests will be used to analyze strengths and weaknesses, plan instruction based on results, plan for curriculum development, and to report progress to you, the parents.
To help your child prepare for the TerraNova, please ensure that on November 5th and 6th he or she:
Gets plenty of sleep the night before.
Eats a healthy breakfast.
Comes to school on time.
Thank you for the ongoing support and commitment to your child’s education. We look forward to another successful year of TerraNova testing.
Sincerely,
Joy Labarber
Curriculum Coordinator
On November 5th and 6th, 2008, your child will participate in the TerraNova Achievement Test. For those new to this type of assessment, the TerraNova is a standardized test designed to provide schools with the information they need to best help their students.
The areas being assessed will be Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics. The results of these tests will be used to analyze strengths and weaknesses, plan instruction based on results, plan for curriculum development, and to report progress to you, the parents.
To help your child prepare for the TerraNova, please ensure that on November 5th and 6th he or she:
Gets plenty of sleep the night before.
Eats a healthy breakfast.
Comes to school on time.
Thank you for the ongoing support and commitment to your child’s education. We look forward to another successful year of TerraNova testing.
Sincerely,
Joy Labarber
Curriculum Coordinator
Sunday, October 19, 2008
What We're Learing: Spanish 1
We have been busy these months in Spanish building a second language foundation and learning numbers 1-100, adjectives to describe our appearance and surroundings, and facts about where we live...all in Spanish!
In October, using a project-based approach, my classes studied the life and art of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter famous for her self-portraits and her heart-felt work. The project began with students learning about the details of Frida’s life and suffering, her marriage to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, and the politics and government of early 20th century Mexico.
The next step in our quest to understand Frida Kahlo's work was to create an “autorretrato” or self-portrait, describing characteristics of each student. Each student worked on a two-part writing assignment in Spanish, a drawing or self-portrait, and finally a written piece titled: “Frida Kahlo inspires me because…”
Following are some excerpts from the students' writing:
On the last day of the “Frida Kahlo” project, students made protest banners, and we marched on the street shouting in Spanish sayings like: “ Long Live the Revolution”; “Down with Imperialism”; “ The Town United, Never to be Defeated"; “Revolution or Death”; “No to Porfirio, Yes To Pancho.” The students' "protest" re-enacted a Mexican revolutionary march to promote community involvement when Mexico was struggling against foreign involvement that took power away from Mexican citizens. The students really enjoyed “taking it to the street!”
Stay tuned for news on the up-coming project for “El Dia de los Muertos” or “The Day of the Dead.” Students will build a cemetery and alters at Oracle!
Sincerely,
Amber Coriale
Spanish Teacher and Foreign Language Department Chair
In October, using a project-based approach, my classes studied the life and art of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter famous for her self-portraits and her heart-felt work. The project began with students learning about the details of Frida’s life and suffering, her marriage to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, and the politics and government of early 20th century Mexico.
The next step in our quest to understand Frida Kahlo's work was to create an “autorretrato” or self-portrait, describing characteristics of each student. Each student worked on a two-part writing assignment in Spanish, a drawing or self-portrait, and finally a written piece titled: “Frida Kahlo inspires me because…”
Following are some excerpts from the students' writing:
- Frida Kahlo inspires me because she’s not afraid to express herself. All her artwork is based on something. Her artwork comes from the heart and soul. She gives me the energy to get up and try something new, such as self-portraits. Art is a way to relieve and express yourself." - D. Thompson
- “Frida Kahlo inspires me because her art work shows how she feels and that is how I draw most of the time.” - D. Clemens
- “Frida Kahlo inspires me because she was a strong woman of color. She went through a lot of pain and still managed to move forward in life. She was determined to walk and not be in a wheel chair for the rest of her life.” - L. Love
- "Frida Kahlo inspires me because I believe whatever you like doing, you should keep doing it. Frida loved doing her art, and I love playing basketball. A lot of people admire her work because it was good! Even though she was hurt, she still decided to do work that she admired." - M. Williams
On the last day of the “Frida Kahlo” project, students made protest banners, and we marched on the street shouting in Spanish sayings like: “ Long Live the Revolution”; “Down with Imperialism”; “ The Town United, Never to be Defeated"; “Revolution or Death”; “No to Porfirio, Yes To Pancho.” The students' "protest" re-enacted a Mexican revolutionary march to promote community involvement when Mexico was struggling against foreign involvement that took power away from Mexican citizens. The students really enjoyed “taking it to the street!”Stay tuned for news on the up-coming project for “El Dia de los Muertos” or “The Day of the Dead.” Students will build a cemetery and alters at Oracle!
Sincerely,
Amber Coriale
Spanish Teacher and Foreign Language Department Chair
Friday, October 17, 2008
Oracle Teacher Honored as
Educator of the Year by the Western Region PTA!
At the beginning of this school year, I told our Oracle students that I knew we would have a great year...because we had hired the very best teachers for them. It's pretty rare, however, that any school leader is able to make such a claim and have it backed up!
On Thursday, October 16th, Mrs. Stephanie Owen, Oracle Charter School's Math Department Chair, was honored at an awards dinner as the Western Region PTA Jane Skrzypek Educator of the Year for 2008! Congratulations, Mrs. Owen!
I am honored to have Stephanie Owen as a member of such a talented and dedicated team of teachers. Mrs. Owen is a truly committed teacher who has been with Oracle Charter School since we opened in 2005. In that time, Mrs. Owen has been responsible for consistently outstanding student test scores and has established the kind of classroom that makes students feel challenged, supported, and valued.
As a charter school teacher, Mrs. Owen is called upon to go above and beyond the call of duty that many public school teachers answer. She is called upon routinely to extend her time and focus beyond the classroom. In addition to being a results-oriented teacher, Mrs. Owen coordinates Oracle's student council, leads our school's Spirit Day activities, and administers our school store.
Mrs. Owen dedicates herself to each student's success and opportunity and drives herself to deliver outstanding results. Within a difficult discipline, mathematics, Mrs. Owen engages students to learn, to apply the skills she has taught them, and to trust both her processes and her dedication to their learning. Oracle students are deeply committed to Mrs. Owen as well, proving once again that students feel valued when they are held to high standards and supported to achieve those standards.
Mrs. Owen makes math achievement possible for her students and for our school.
Congratulations! And Thank you, Mrs. Owen!
| Currently Teaching | Algebra, Math B, Pre-Calculus |
| Favorite Topic to Teach | Trigonometry |
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Gargoyles: A Sculptural Installation at OCS
Mr. Backes’ 3D Art students began the year with a group project based around large scale gargoyle creation. Students were tasked with forming effective, cooperative groups to design multiple two-dimensional sketches of possible gargoyles they would like to make. The groups were then introduced to small scale modeling clay building, where they transformed their sketch to a 3D model. Finally students used recycled materials from school shipments, including cardboard, Styrofoam, and newspaper to build full size medieval gargoyles.All gargoyles went through the long process of paper mache then were coated in all sorts of paint jobs. In the end we had almost a dozen detailed gargoyles menacing the art room.
Traditional gargoyles are grotesque figures that were used, especially during the middle ages, as decorative downspouts on buildings. As our first quarter spirit day approaches, the gargoyles have taken positions around the building to both show off my students’ fantastic work and add to the fun of October.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Fulfilling the Promise of Public Education
"Education must be increasingly concerned about the fullest development of all children and youth, and it will be the responsibility of the schools to seek learning conditions which will enable each individual to reach the highest level of learning possible." - Benjamin Bloom
Embedded into the language of the charter schools movement, we see references to a sense of "urgency" that should infuse quality education and challenge poor school performance. That sense of urgency is clearly reflected in the quote above from Benjamin Bloom which calls educators to enable the "highest level of learning possible" in order to maximize the growth and potential of all students.
But what does this call to raise the level of learning actually mean? Benjamin Bloom developed a Hierarchy of Learning Objectives, which you can see in the graphic to the right. When students learn, they must begin at the lower levels to acquire new material. This is basic education. Quality education happens when we extend students' learning up this pyramid and invite them to take a risk with their new knowledge, to bring together new ideas with their own experiences ... to become actively engaged critical thinkers and writers.
When students learn in school, their knowledge and comprehension of new material forms the foundation of their learning. Once students are able to recall information and state their understanding, they can move on to higher levels of learning where they apply their knowledge in a new context, analyze information by breaking it down into parts, synthesize information by making connections between ideas, personal experiences, lessons, or content areas, and evaluate information by making judgments based on evaluative criteria.
In my walks through Oracle's classrooms, I have been able to see students:
Knowing the importance of education that pushes students to use higher-order thinking skills, please talk with your students at home about the kinds of work they are able to do in Oracle classrooms. Use the Bloom's Wheel below to ask about the kinds of activities and the kinds of work products their teachers are assigning, and talk to them about the big ideas that they're exploring in school!
Embedded into the language of the charter schools movement, we see references to a sense of "urgency" that should infuse quality education and challenge poor school performance. That sense of urgency is clearly reflected in the quote above from Benjamin Bloom which calls educators to enable the "highest level of learning possible" in order to maximize the growth and potential of all students.
But what does this call to raise the level of learning actually mean? Benjamin Bloom developed a Hierarchy of Learning Objectives, which you can see in the graphic to the right. When students learn, they must begin at the lower levels to acquire new material. This is basic education. Quality education happens when we extend students' learning up this pyramid and invite them to take a risk with their new knowledge, to bring together new ideas with their own experiences ... to become actively engaged critical thinkers and writers.
When students learn in school, their knowledge and comprehension of new material forms the foundation of their learning. Once students are able to recall information and state their understanding, they can move on to higher levels of learning where they apply their knowledge in a new context, analyze information by breaking it down into parts, synthesize information by making connections between ideas, personal experiences, lessons, or content areas, and evaluate information by making judgments based on evaluative criteria.
In my walks through Oracle's classrooms, I have been able to see students:
- demonstrate comprehension of chemical and physical changes,
- apply their understanding of perspective to original Boom Town drawings,
- analyze story structure using plot maps,
- synthesize their understanding of the presidential candidates' platforms and political issues through in-character debates,
- evaluate character and motive through a mock trial of the Big Bad Wolf.
Knowing the importance of education that pushes students to use higher-order thinking skills, please talk with your students at home about the kinds of work they are able to do in Oracle classrooms. Use the Bloom's Wheel below to ask about the kinds of activities and the kinds of work products their teachers are assigning, and talk to them about the big ideas that they're exploring in school!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Come Join the Oracle PTA!
Oracle's PTA hosted its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 30th. We're off to a good start, but our start will be stronger with your input and involvement!
We would like to hear from you regarding the timing and organization of PTA meetings. Tell us about the kind of programs that Oracle's PTA can run to help make the Oracle Charter School community, already a first-class learning atmosphere, an even better one.
Please take our survey. You will need to print the survey from your browser window, fill it out, and return your completed form to your child's Advisor!
We would like to hear from you regarding the timing and organization of PTA meetings. Tell us about the kind of programs that Oracle's PTA can run to help make the Oracle Charter School community, already a first-class learning atmosphere, an even better one.
Please take our survey. You will need to print the survey from your browser window, fill it out, and return your completed form to your child's Advisor!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Earned Early Release
This year at Oracle Charter School, we have restructured our bell schedules within the hours of our regular school day (8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) to allow seven regular periods of instruction followed by an 8th period of academic intervention or enrichment. Students whose current average is over 70% in all core classes and who have satisfactorily completed all of their academic work may earn early release from school at 2:20 p.m.
Students whose current average is below 70% in any core class or who have not satisfactorily completed all of their work will be assigned to flexible groups during 8th period so Oracle teachers can work to support them and help them to master skills and information. Oracle’s 8th period will not keep your student in school for a longer school day. Regular release will still be at 3:00 p.m. Students will be assigned to 8th period groups on a weekly basis so that they and you are able to plan ahead. Please note that if your student earns early release for the following week, you will be notified with an automated IRIS alert phone call. If your student does not earn early release and is assigned to an 8th period group, you will receive no phone call.
We are excited about the ability to support students’ specific academic needs that this 8th period / Earned Early Release program brings to our Oracle teaching staff. If you have any questions about Earned Early Release or about your student’s progress reports, please contact the school at 362-3188.
Students whose current average is below 70% in any core class or who have not satisfactorily completed all of their work will be assigned to flexible groups during 8th period so Oracle teachers can work to support them and help them to master skills and information. Oracle’s 8th period will not keep your student in school for a longer school day. Regular release will still be at 3:00 p.m. Students will be assigned to 8th period groups on a weekly basis so that they and you are able to plan ahead. Please note that if your student earns early release for the following week, you will be notified with an automated IRIS alert phone call. If your student does not earn early release and is assigned to an 8th period group, you will receive no phone call.
We are excited about the ability to support students’ specific academic needs that this 8th period / Earned Early Release program brings to our Oracle teaching staff. If you have any questions about Earned Early Release or about your student’s progress reports, please contact the school at 362-3188.
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