 |
|
|
|
Welcome to NCSE-News,
the first issue of the online newsletter! Schools have tended
to focus in recent years on achievement as their priority. The
National Center for School Engagement believes that if we espouse
a philosophy that all students can learn, then we need to devote
more attention to attachment to school and attendance at school.
NCSE launched a theory of change that integrates attendance,
attachment and achievement as the three essential ingredients
for school success. We began our work ten years ago focusing on
truancy and out-of- school youth. Over time we have gained a national
reputation in truancy reduction, but merely putting youth back
into seats in school where they are not attached and do not achieve
is insufficient. I hope all of you will join us as advocates for
school engagement. Please get involved in efforts to improve attendance,
develop caring school environments that are inviting to students
and their families, and support achievement for all students.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Strasburg Elementary school lobby is transformed
into a comfortable living room environment with small table groupings,
pillows, rugs, tiny lamps, soft music and
the ceiling lights turned off.
The Creating Conversations Series is
an example of a best practice in building school/community learning
partnerships. This monthly series was created by the faculty of
Strasburg Elementary School in Colorado as a result of several goal-setting
meetings in the summer and fall of 2004. Each monthly Conversation
Series spotlights a different topic of interest. The program
engages parents, students, teachers, and community members in conversations
that spark enthusiasm for learning.
Each get-together features interaction and take-home materials.
The focus is to actively engage participants in the topic of the
night instead of holding formal informational presentations. Families
go home with pamphlets, bookmarks, writing journals, games and computer
discs with encouragement to continue learning at home.
The first evening spotlighted Reading Aloud. The value
of reading aloud was covered briefly. Read aloud demonstrations
were provided and participants were given opportunities to read
aloud. Library books were available for reading aloud and for checkout.
The second event had the spotlight turned on An Evening of Writing.
The invitation included promises of simmering mugs of hot chocolate,
peppermint sticks, warm coffee cake and quiet conversations in a
cozy time of “sharing the pen”. Participants brought
their own mugs and settled in for an evening spent filling journals
with either old memories or new ones being made.
The spotlight for the third evening together lit up the art of play
with Game Night. Families, friends, and neighbors came to play,
relearn or teach their favorite games. There were door prizes for
everyone.
Visit our photo journal for addtional photos
of these events.
Future events will include a family math evening and an evening
in the computer lab. Activities will revisit an evening of writing,
trading mugs of hot chocolate for tall glasses of lemonade as writing
is encouraged all through the year.
Strasburg Elementary values developing ways for parents to share
in the planning and decision-making for the Conversation Series;
to have a true partnership this must happen. The hope is to create
genuine conversations. The spotlight has been turned on and the
future is bright.
Strasburg Elementary Game Night -- Mom
(Renee Little) and daughter (Justine) share a game of Jacks! Mom
used to play jacks as a young girl – her mother was a champion
player from whom she learned many tricks and enjoyed many great
competitions with her mom and cousins. Playing jacks with Justine
brought back a flood of wonderful memories to share. Mom is
still AMAZING. Justine did not know much about playing jacks or
that her mom was such a great player. Now Justine has found
a spot at home and is carrying on the mother-daughter tradition.
Read Aloud Night was Oct. 19, 2004, An
Evening of Writing was Nov. 30, 2004, and Game Night was January
20, 2005. For more information, contact: Joanne Brummel, Assistant
Principal, Strasburg Elementary jobrumm@yahoo.com |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOT TOPIC on the NCSE Listserv
Truancy and Chronic Illnesses and Health Problems was the HOT
TOPIC in March. NCSE listserv members exchanged tools and
information on documenting health-related absences. Listserv members
reviewed policies on excused absences and exchanged ideas on how
parents, communities, schools, and truancy programs staff can address
barriers to attendance when students have reoccurring health problems.
Join the Listserv today.
http://www.schoolengagement.org/join.html |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Fund Opportunities
and Resources
Department of Health and Human Services Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - Linking
Adolescents at Risk to Mental Health Services Grant Program.
Application due June 1, 2005.
http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2005
/nofa/sm05019_risk.aspx
Find & apply online for competitive grant
opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. http://www.grants.gov/
Centers for Disease Control –
Funding for school health programs. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/funding/index.htm
The NEA Foundation for Improvement in Education
- Grants to public school teachers, public school education support
professionals, and faculty and staff in public higher education
institutions for professional development and student achievement.
http://www.nfie.org/grants.htm
HP US Grants Program - Supports national
and regional programs and partnerships with focus on education.
http://grants.hp.com/us/education/index.html
http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/index.html |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Resources & Research
U.S. Department of Education - http://www.ed.gov
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention -
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
- Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds
of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to
find. The result of that work is the FREE website. http://www.ed.gov/free/index.html
National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University - This national organization
brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines
needed to study and combat abuse of all substances - alcohol, nicotine,
illegal drugs, prescription drugs, performance enhancing drugs -
in all sectors of society. http://www.casacolumbia.org
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
Judges - Offers a weekly newsletter about juvenile justice
from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. http://www.ncjrfcj.org/
Truancy Prevention, Empowering Students,
Schools and Communities - The Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free
Schools (OSDF), U.S. Department of Education, developed this Web
site to collect and disseminate truancy-related information and
resources. http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/truancy/index.html |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Conferences
and Trainings
The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
(OSDFS)
2005 National Conference - Tying it All Together: Comprehensive
Strategies for Safe and Drug-Free Schools - Washington, DC, August
15-17, 2005.
Visit http://www.osdfsnationalconference.org
for more information. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
NCSE
is an initiative of the
Colorado Foundation for
Families and Children
|
|
www.schoolengagement.org
To unsubscribe to our newsletter
please click here
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
