School Administrator’s Report                       2006

 

“Community” is a term that means different things, depending on one’s perspective.  At Dummerston School, our definition of community includes faculty, staff and students as well as parents and community members.  We are fortunate in many ways that our school community is small enough to be considered truly “local” yet large enough to offer students the types of learning opportunities needed to meet the demands of high school and beyond. 

 

Action Planning is our means to continuous school improvement. It focuses the school community on tangible, measurable goals that enable us to make quantifiable educational decisions. While the national conversation about student achievement often focuses narrowly on students’ abilities to perform well on standardized tests, we continue to define achievement in ways that are meaningful to parents and the community we represent.  Generally, the information that we compile and the history that we store reflects our work on ensuring that our curriculum is aligned to the grade expectation and gaps are addressed in a timely manner.  Most importantly we use on going classroom assessment to make sure our students are learning what we are teaching.  This year’s Action Plan will use yearly information and assessment data to determine our efforts in the following performance areas:

 

×     Technology

×     Equity and diversity

×     School safety

×     Instructional strategies that raise the performance standards for all students

×     Enrichment opportunities

×     Community engagement

 

Our on-going work with Thinking Maps is an example of a professional development initiative that was encouraged by our Action Planning work and links several of our Action Planning goals.  Thinking Maps gives all of our students and teachers (K-8) a common “visual” language for fundamental thinking processes such as comparing and contrasting, sequencing, classifying and cause-effect reasoning. 

 

As with all public schools in Vermont, Dummerston School must work to meet its “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) indicators set forth by the state and measured by state assessment results in Reading, Math and Writing.  The table below provides an overview of the numbers of students at each grade level who met or exceeded the standard on the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Achievement

NECAP RESULTS

Fall 2005

 

Grade Level

Subject

Area

Number of students

Proficient/

Proficient with Distinction

3

Reading

20

15

3

Math

20

12

4

Reading

13

12

4

Math

13

11

5

Reading

14

12

5

Math

14

10

5

Writing

14

10

6

Reading

18

15

6

Math

18

15

7

Reading

26

14

7

Math

26

10

8

Reading

20

16

8

Math

20

17

8

Writing

20

17

 

 

The Dummerston School Student Council is a wonderful asset to our school. The officers and representatives-at-large work hard to boost school spirit, fundraise for charities and promote the accomplishments of all our students.  This year’s Student Council Officers are:  President-Kara Piergentili, Vice President-Tracy Evans, Secretary-Toni Butler and Treasurer-Michelle Reffi.

 

Eighth graders are busy planning their transition to ninth grade, their end-of-the-year class trip and graduation!  This year’s Eighth Grade Class Officers and Committee Chairpersons are:  President-Katy Annis, Vice President-Travis Elliott-Knaggs, Secretary-Amy Murphy and Treasurer-Maureen Spicer.  The Committee Chairs this year are Jen Butts-Yearbook Editor, Max Oriabse-Dance Chair and Landis Field-Photography Editor. 

 

Parent and community participation is thriving at Dummerston School. These extra hands and helpers play essential roles in the development of our students. Many opportunities are available to strengthen the ties between home, school and the community in general. The following are some of the services provided through the support of volunteers during the 2006 school year: 

 

×     The Scholastic Book Fair

×     Parent Teacher Friend Organization (PTFO)

×     The Friends of the Library

×     Environmental Learning for the Future (ELF)

×     The Winter Activities Program

×     Teacher/Staff Appreciation Breakfast

×     Classroom volunteers

×     Extra Curricular transportation

 

The PTFO is instrumental in providing leadership to coordinate many of the above-mentioned activities. Dummerston School enjoys tremendous parent participation.  Whether you are a seasoned volunteer or just thinking about becoming a volunteer,

few charitable experiences are more rewarding than those involving children.  We would like to give a special thanks to the trustees of the Miller Fund and the Community Chest.  Each year, the Miller Fund answers our requests for students and families in need and the Community Chest provides valuable financial support to programs such as ELF, the Winter Activities Program and to our Library for books. 

 

Our work to promote high standards for learning and achievement and our ability to provide quality educational programs to the children and families of Dummerston School is made possible through the support of all members of this remarkable community.  We remain grateful for your unending support and we continue to welcome your participation in our school community.

 

Respectfully,

 

Jo Carol Ratti, Principal