Hawthorne Press Tribune The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - February 21, 2013 Inside Restore Station Fire Burn AreasHawthorne Middle School to Help This Issue Calendar...............................2 Classifieds ...........................2 Hawthorne Happenings......3 Legals ...............................6-7 Food ......................................8 Students Hawthorne Middle School are among the 10 southland middle and high schools whohave become champions for the environment via TreeByTree, a five-week social media campaign cosponsored Sports ...............................4-5 by TreePeople and Edison International on Facebook. TreeByTree allowed students from 17 schools to submit weekly photos of their school’s environmental activities. Daily voting across the Facebook community decided the 10 winners. In a series of sponsored field trips in March and April, each winning school will be able to bring 50 students to join in TreePeople’s multi-year effort to restore the fire-damaged Angeles National Forest ecosystem by planting native Jeffrey and Coulter pine seedlings. Photo courtesy of TreePeople. Eucalyptus Credits Collaboration for Exceptional Second Grade By Dylan Little every minute of every day to work together at the school took a minor dip, which she At the Hawthorne School Board’s latest and share with each other. They really want says might be related to the extra focus on meeting, Eucalyptus Elementary Principal all of the second grade to do well--not just math last year. “We did struggle in English Gretchen Janson shared the success of her their groups. language arts,” said Janson. “It could be second grade students and explained how Janson is helping to foster the collaborate that last year we placed more emphasis Weekend outperformed all other Hawthorne School allow full-time teachers to meet with coaches working on it.”on math and this year we are trying to bemore balanced. We are aware of it and arespirit not just in second grade, but at all gradelevels. She has brought in substitute teachers toher campus has achieved high scores inthat grade level. Eucalyptus’ second graders Forecast said the high scores in second grade should time for teachers to collaborate for two hours performance index and adequate yearlyIn order to make sure the school’s academicand share lessons. She has also created freeDistrict schools in every category. Janson last as this current class moves on to more every Friday by having students attend an progress goals, the teachers at Eucalyptus are challenging subjects in third grade and assembly to watch standards-based videos. taking a data-driven approach so that students Friday at Eucalyptus,” said Janson. “It speaks to the and share what works in the classroom is extra attention they need. Focusing on datanearing the edge of proficiency can get theCreating time for teachers to work togetherbeyond. “It really bodes well for the future Mostly strength in first and third grades and now we important to Janson. also helps teachers from getting discouraged have a strong second grade as well.” “This is really critical. I see the values of by the ever-increasing goals created by No Cloudy According to Janson one reason the second getting teachers to collaborate,” said Janson. Child left Behind. 62˚/49˚ grade instructors are excelling is because of “For those two hours, that’s teacher sacred “We’ve made it very manageable for their laser-like focus on teaching what the time. They are working with the math coach teachers,” said Janson. “When you look at standards dictate and not getting distracted or the literacy coach and focusing in. They No Child Left Behind expectations, we are by topics they might prefer to teach. “They know that time is guaranteed. They don’t nearing that 100 point where they expect really focus in on the most critical skills,” have to worry about that time being taken 100 percent of our students to be proficient Saturday said Janson. “This grade level really took away from them. They don’t have to worry or advanced. Sometimes it can be a little Partly that are the most critical according to the care of them.” we can’t do it.’ But when you really lookdefeating to teachers and they think, ‘Oh,about what their students are doing. We taketo heart the CST blueprint and the things Cloudy California Department of Education. They Another strength was the growing number at our safe harbor targets and you look at 63˚/50˚ they don’t spend a lot of time on dinosaurs math, especially in the English Learner and there, teachers can see that it might just bethe calculations and see what it takes to getof students testing proficient or advanced inmight really like dinosaurs and fossils, but and fossils because they are not the things African-American subgroups. Janson said that four or five students they need to improve that are going to be assessed.” collaboration with the site math coach and to get there.” In addition to their focus on state standards, additional intervention support were instrumental Along with all the collaboration, standards- Sunday Eucalyptus’ second grade teachers share in achieving these gains. “Our focus on math based teacher and data analysis, Janson Sunny challenges. “Our second grade teachers are focus and we saw great success in math.” students are excited to learn is key to improvingbelieves that creating an environment wherewas clear,” said Janson. “We made math ourthere successes and work together on their 66˚/50˚ highly collaborative,” said Janson. “They are While Eucalyptus has succeeded with its academic performance. “Building a positive a well-oiled machine. They share everything. second grade and math programs, not all of school environment and having students They spend their lunches talking about Janson’s presentation was good news. She excited to be there is very important for instruction and about plans. They spend mentioned that English language arts scores student achievement,” said Janson. •
Hawthorne 02_21_13
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