Bancroft Biz Buzz April Calendar

The Biz Buzz April meeting will be at the school on April 25. Stop in to hear what is happening around the community and have some biscuits and gravy or fruit.

B-R School Professional Development 2014-15

The B-R administration met this week with the Professional Development personnel at ESU2 to talk about needs for next year. We have five areas we are looking at.

1. School Improvement.
The school improvement committee (TJ Hilsinger, Breanna Beutler, Anita Bray, Michelle Hennig) collected school data and the staff looked at the data and identified strengths and areas for improvement. Staff input will be tabulated by the committee and the results will be shared with staff on April 16 following the early dismissal. The next step is for the staff to set goals for improvement.

Next year-  the staff will develop and implement action plans to address the school goals.

2. Technology.
- Continue to increase student use of computers in 7-12 classrooms.
- Start the process to convert from textbooks to digital books.
- Considering using IPad program, Discovery Education Science Techbook, for elementary Science curriculum.

3. Instruction.
- Continue Mastery Learning K-6 programs in Reading, Language and Spelling, and K-2 in Math, and Saxon Math in grades 3-Algebra.
- Grades 3-6 Science curriculum taught on IPads.

4. Data
- Implement the State Pilot Data Dashboard Project. Staff will meet in Professional Learning Communities/Data Teams to look at student data on a weekly/biweekly basis.

5. Response To Intervention. Three areas- Reading, Math and Behavior
Reading
K-6
Bancroft-Rosalie Elementary has decision rules in place for K-6 reading. We are one of the few schools in the state that have received tentative approval of their decision rules from the State RTI Consortium.
7-12
Continue to improve the coordination and transition from K-6 Reading and Language to 7-12 Reading and Language, use data to inform instruction, and identify interventions.

Math
K-6
Curriculum is in place, now we need to think about decision rules for K-6. The State RTI consortium is focused on reading, so we are on our own for this.
7-12
Using data data and identifying interventions.

Behavior
Positive Behavior Intervention Supports PBIS
We are a PBIS II school. Probably one more year at PBIS II depending on how staff surveys. Goal is to move to PBIS III level of implementation.

 

B-R alum mentioned in Omaha World Herald

Find out what B-R alum Blair Nelson is doing at Creighton University at the following link:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140402/NEWS/140409741/1688#creighton-students-help-kids-on-winnebago-reservation-map-their-college-paths

Kindergarten Roundup May 6 at 2:00 pm

Dear Kindergarten Parents or Guardians

The Bancroft-Rosalie Community School Kindergarten Round-up for the next year’s class will be Wednesday, May 6, 2014 at 2:00 pm in the Bancroft-Rosalie Kindergarten. You may enter the school from the main doorway.

Kindergarten is open to all students who will be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2014.  Parents are encouraged, but not required, to bring eligible children to Round-up activities. Students attending Bancroft-Rosalie Preschool will be in the Kindergarten Room at 2:00 pm.

We need the following on file in the school office:

1.     A completed  “Application for Student Admission” form.

2.     Your child’s birth certificate. (Requirement by State Law)

3.     An up to date “Immunization Record” card. (Requirement by State Law)

4.     A completed physical examination and vision screening.

Students attending the Bancroft-Rosalie Pre-school should already have these on file. We need to update our files if new immunizations were completed during the past year.

 New students should bring the forms to round-up.

Students living in the B-R school district may participate in Kindergarten Round-up even though their parents may not be planning to have them start school next fall or may be sending them to a different school.

Please feel free to call the school if you have any questions about Round-up activities, Bancroft-Rosalie School Office.  648-3336

NeSA Math testing schedule next week

NeSA State Mathematics Testing will take place next week April 7-11. Place make sure your students get plenty of rest the night before testing.

Tuesday and Wednesday April 8 and 9.

3rd grade 9:40-10:50
4th grade 10:50-Noon

Thursday and Friday April 10 and 11.

5th grade 9:40-10:50
6th grade 10:50-Noon

B-R receives $5000 Great Plains Grant for Engineering Education

Technology Education at Bancroft-Rosalie School will include more engineering skills thanks to a $5000 grant from Great Plains Communications. Mr. Hilsinger will be putting the new equipment to good use. The grant funds will be used to purchase a 3D printer, a 3D scanner, a Rotary Tool kit, a Machines kit, and supplies for building CO2 cars. The Introduction to Engineering portion of Technology Education will give students the opportunity to be creative and learn about design and manufacturing.

Report: Huge obstacles facing children of color in Nebraska, U.S.

A problem our state needs to deal with, but chooses not to take serious. This is reprinted from the Lincoln Journal article April 1, 2014. "For white kids, Nebraska provides a solid foundation for success and opportunity. But for black, Latino or Native American children in Nebraska, the odds against them are staggering, according to a Kids Count report, "Race for Results: Building a Path of Opportunity for All Children." In fact, kids of color in Nebraska fare poorer than many of their peers in other states. The report, released Tuesday, highlights the ongoing economic, educational, developmental and health disparities facing kids of color in America. While it’s hardly new news that black, Latino and Native American kids are disproportionately represented in statistics for those failing or dropping out of school, being unemployed or incarcerated, and growing up in poverty — there is an urgent need to reverse the historic trend, said Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which releases the Kids Count reports. By 2018, the majority of American kids will be of color. By 2030, people of color will represent the majority of the U.S. workforce. And by 2050, no single racial group will comprise a majority of the population, according to “Race for Results.” By continuing to fail these kids, the country is ultimately setting itself up for failure, the report indicated. The report calls for "an urgent, multi-sector approach" to developing solutions. In Nebraska, all kids of color face more barriers than the nation on average. That includes Asian-American children who as a whole outscore all racial groups in America, including whites, in well-being."