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Classroom Strategies
Increased student achievement is the
goal of every teacher at Gardiner Elementary. Within the classrooms,
teachers use whole group and small group instruction, cooperative
learning groups, learning centers, individualized instruction, and
computer technology to help students achieve success in all academic
areas. In addition to the district-adopted textbooks and programs,
Gardiner incorporates current educational research-based practices.
Some of these include, for vocabulary development: Text Talk, PWIM
(Picture Word Induction Model), and for math instruction: Math Problem
Solving strategies. These are presented within the Wichita Reading
(uninterrupted teaching time: 120 minutes), and Math (uninterrupted
teaching time: 90 minutes) Models. We are an EMA (Elementary Math
Academy) school and teachers learn best math teaching practices monthly
from the math curriculum department. As a Reading First school, our
teachers receive reading research based instruction regularly by the on
site Reading First Literacy Coach. The uninterrupted teaching time was
increased from 90 to 120 minutes due to the Reading First Grant.
Reading First
Gardiner is currently involved in the
Reading First Grant. This grant is a focused reading program that uses
proven research based teaching methods that include phonemic awareness,
phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. This grant provides
three additional staff members: Literacy Coach, Assessment Specialist
and Literacy Intervention Specialist. The Literacy Coach provides
ongoing individual and building based staff development and models
proven research based teaching methods. The Assessment Specialist tests
all K-3rd grade students once every nine weeks using the
DIBELS and various other assessments in reading and provides the
teachers with data received from the assessments. She also provides
intervention to K-3rd grade students when she is not testing.
The Literacy Intervention Specialist provides intervention to K-3rd
grade students who are at risk. Interventions for these small groups are
focused on the skill area where the DIBELS assessment shows them as “at
risk”.
Title I
To assist and support
classroom teachers, Gardiner has one full-time Instructional Coach and
one full-time instructional paraprofessional for Lightspan instruction.
The Instructional Coach provides research based teaching strategies
staff development to the Gardiner classroom staff. Staff development is
also provided by the Instructional Coach so that the entire staff is
knowledgeable about current strategies and new assessment updates. The
Title I paraprofessional supports the classroom teachers by providing
one-on-one and small group instruction for students using Lightspan
technology.
PAC for Home Learning (Lightspan)
Several years ago,
Gardiner submitted an Educational Excellence Grant to the state of
Kansas that focused on providing technology into the home learning
environment by means of a Sony PlayStation for every family. This
created a crucial link in the home-school connection. The students
receive Lightspan instruction during the school day and then the CDs are
taken home to extend the learning day.
Interrelated Classroom
Gardiner offers two
full-time interrelated teachers and three paraprofessionals for those
students with special needs. The teachers aid in the development and
implementation of Individualized Education Programs. They use
one-to-one and small group instruction, computer technology,
manipulatives, and teacher-made activities to aid in meeting each
child's goals. They also provide support for the regular education
classrooms which allows for the mainstreaming of students. All
interrelated students receive class-within-a-class instruction and
support for reading only. This provides students with grade level
instruction that is modified to meet the needs of the individual
students according to their Individual Education Plan. Students with
placements of Behavior Disorders, Specific Learning Disabilities,
Educable Mentally Retarded, Other Health Impaired, and Speech-Language
are serviced in the interrelated room.
Speech-Language
A speech-language
pathologist is assigned to Gardiner for four and one-half days each
week. The clinician is responsible for screening students regarding
speech-language needs upon request of the classroom teachers and/or
parents. The clinician tests students who are referred to the child
study team for evaluation of possible concerns regarding articulation,
language, voice, or fluency. Students who qualify for speech or language
services are served either in the interrelated room, or are brought into
the speech room for more intensive therapy. Quarterly reports and
Individualized Education Programs report the progress of the students. A
yearly conference is held with parents of each speech-language student.
Bilingual/ESOL Program
The goal of this
program is to ensure that non-native speakers of English learn the
knowledge and skills needed to be a productive member of our society.
Our ESOL program involves many types of programs of support for your
child such as Class-Within-a-Class, Pull-Out, Para-educator Support and
Endorsed Teacher/Consulting depending on need. These programs are
designed to meet the child’s individual needs by building on their
strengths, working with District and ESOL standards and reviewing their
progress on a regular basis.
Parent Involvement Worker
The Parent Involvement
Worker plans and facilitates academic workshops and support activities
for parents, focusing on families of students with the greatest academic
need or targeted students. Parents are encouraged to become involved in
the education of their child by attending academic workshops. The PIW
plans and assists with facilitating parent involvement professional
development for school staff. She also, collaborates and coordinates
with the Instructional Coach, school support staff, other parent
involvement staff, Parent Teacher Resources staff, Site Council and
Parent Teacher Organization leaders, volunteer coordinators, community
organizations and agencies. Parents are informed about volunteer
opportunities, school functions, and tutoring times. The PIW offers
home reinforcement activities to promote continuous learning at home and
open communication paths between parents and teachers. Workshops are
provided on parenting skills and educational strategies. The PIW also
helps parents to overcome barriers that prevent participation, but most
importantly, helps to create a partnership between home and school.
Business Partnerships
Several local
businesses have contributed products, coupons, special offers, and in
some cases, time from their employees. These include, Dick’s Sporting
Goods, Timberline Steakhouse, Toys-R-Us, Bicycle X-Change Shop, Cici’s
Pizza, Johnny Carino’s, Engine House, Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits,
Famous Dave’s BBQ, Applebee’s, Abuelo’s, E B Games, Papa John’s Pizza,
Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Outback Steak House, and On the Border Mexican
Grill, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Braum’s, and Wendy’s.
Character Education/Second Step
Students are taught
specific social skills to help them in their daily interactions with
people. The counselor goes into the classroom once a week teaching the
Second Step program. Some of the skills taught include: following
directions, appropriately requesting teacher attention, accepting no for
an answer, accepting criticism, greeting others, and making a request.
The full-time Counselor and Social Worker provide intervention support
for children who are having difficulties in demonstrating the social
skills that are taught in the classroom.
Counselor
The counselor at
Gardiner has many programs to assist students during the year. There
are whole group, small group, and individual lessons for all students.
The counselor uses a variety of resources to help students think of ways
to solve their problems and make wise choices. Stories may be read to
present problems that children can explore and discuss. The counselor
is also a part of the child study team and is an integral part of
providing intervention support for students.
Social Worker
The social worker at
Gardiner aids in student training of life and social skills, and is
instrumental in the evaluation of special needs students. The social
worker works with small groups of students teaching strategies they can
use to improve anger management, attendance, and social skills that help
to improve student achievement and motivation. The social worker is a
member of the child study team and helps evaluate special needs
children. The social worker is an integral part of the Second Step
program, providing intervention support for students. The social worker
also helps provide students with necessary clothing and school supplies
through the Operation School Bell program.
Campus Connections
This program is
specially designed for those students from grades K-12 who qualify for
community based mental health services due to behavioral or emotional
difficulties that may prevent them from achieving school and social
success. This is a joint effort among USD 259, COMCARE of Sedgwick
County, and Family Consultation Service. We know that youth who are
emotionally and psychologically healthy will perform better in all areas
of their lives. A variety of services are available depending upon the
level of individual student needs. These services are provided in the
home, school and community and include comprehensive, individualized
assessments, consultations with parents and teachers, classroom
observation and intervention, individual, group, and family therapy,
referrals to other community resources, individualized planning and
interventions, parent support and information regarding education and
community resources.
Nurse
The nurse is available
at Gardiner five days a week. In addition to attending to daily student
health issues, the nurse is an integral part of the instructional team
at Gardiner. The nurse is responsible for assessing, developing, and
implementing health care plans for students based on identified chronic
and acute medical and educational needs. The nurse participates as a
member of the child study team. Health education is provided for all
students, families, and staff. She also has the responsibility for all
of the 504 plans and Crisis Management.
School Psychologist
The school
psychologist is available at Gardiner for two and one-half days each
week. The psychologist spends the majority of the time working with
other child study team members concerning comprehensive evaluations of
students who have been referred for testing. The psychologist's role as
a child study team member includes keeping minutes of the meetings,
testing students, coordinating the evaluations, and meeting with parents
and school staff to discuss testing results determining eligibility and
need for special education services. Part of the responsibilities
require that this person meet with the regular classroom teacher,
special education teacher, and the parents to develop an appropriate
Individual Education Plan for those students that qualify for special
education services. The psychologist also shares with parents and staff
information about a variety of educational issues and develop
interventions for students who are experiencing difficulties in the
classroom.
Pre-Kindergarten
Gardiner offers two
half-day classes of pre kindergarten, a morning session and an afternoon
session. Early childhood studies indicate that early intervention helps
children achieve higher academic standards as they progress through
school. Developmentally appropriate practices in the four areas of
development (cognitive, personal/social, fine motor, and gross motor
skills) are emphasized. Songs, fingerplays, and hands-on experiences
are used to instruct students in a supportive and nurturing environment.
All Day Kindergarten
Gardiner offers four classrooms of all day kindergarten. Research
indicates that early intervention helps lower socioeconomic children
achieve higher academic standards as they progress through school.
Developmentally appropriate practices in the four areas of development
(cognitive, personal, fine motor, and gross motor) are emphasized.
Having an all day program allows teachers to address math, writing,
reading, computer skills, music, physical education, and library, in
addition to social skills.
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
The Gardiner RIF
program is funded by the Downtown Rotary Club of Wichita. This program
allows children a chance to have their very own book. Three
distributions throughout the year allow Rotarians to come to our school
to read to the students and then parent volunteers give each student a
book. This has been a positive program that provides communication
between the school and the community.
Staff Development
Extensive professional
staff development opportunities are embedded within Gardiner’s day to
day activities. Through the leadership of the Gardiner Principal,
Instructional Coach, Campus Support Teacher, and the Literacy Coach,
Gardiner staff has a wealth of teaching experience to support them
across the curriculum. Each grade level participates in a day long
staff development tailored to their professional needs. They learn
research based best practices and have an opportunity to discuss latest
educational topics with their peers. While grade levels participate in
their day long staff development, our Thunderbird Team presents
standards based lessons to students within a thematic approach. The
Thunderbird Team meets regularly each month to prepare for upcoming days
spent with grade level students. Twice a month, staff participates in
before school meetings, one of which is presented by District personnel
on Sheltered Instruction strategies specifically targeting ESL students.
Teachers set quarterly SMART goals for their grade level. From those
goals, they have developed personal professional SQIS goals, to better
meet the needs of Gardiner students while engaging in professional
development most appropriate to their needs. Gardiner is fortunate in
having a committed Leadership Team who guides the staff in data
analysis. Gardiner was chosen to participate in Kagan Cooperative
Learning opportunities. A Kagan Cooperative Learning workbook was
purchased for each classroom teacher and several times throughout the
year staff will learn how to implement cooperative learning activities
in the classroom. This year, our Principal was able to arrange for an
additional 40 minutes planning per teacher. This additional time is
allowing teams to meet and discuss data, interventions, Tier 2 students,
as well as District initiatives.
Site Council
The Gardiner
Elementary Site Council is made up of parents, staff, community and
business members that meet once a month during the school year. The
Site Council serves as an advisory board on school issues introducing a
variety of ideas, views, cultures and backgrounds by the diverse members
of the group.
The Gardiner Site
Council discusses important, high-impact issues such as budget,
personnel, organization, planning and instruction.
Parent-Teacher-Student
Organization
The purpose of the
Gardiner Parent-Teacher-Student Organization is to work toward
developing a closer relationship between parents, teachers and
administrators to assure that each student reaches their maximum
potential in all aspects of school life. PTSO meets monthly.
Some of the ways PTSO
provides support to the school are through fundraising events, room
parents, a yearbook committee, parent night activities, skate parties, a
spring carnival, school parties, staff appreciation and volunteers.
Latchkey Program
The
Wichita YMCA offers a program for school age students before and after
school at the Gardiner campus. It offers a wide variety of activities
for students who need supervision on weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
and 4:10 p.m. to 6 p.m. The YMCA charges a fee for this service.
School Breakfast and Lunch
Programs
It is
widely known that a well-balanced breakfast and lunch have a positive
effect on children at school. Gardiner offers both for all students.
Free or reduced fees are available for the breakfast and lunch program,
if families qualify.
Librarian
Our full time librarian maintains library collection and checkout. She
helps with resources for teachers and teaches students to become
“independent library users.” Twice a year during conferences she
organizes a Scholastic book fair for our students and parents to visit
and purchase books.
Art
Gardiner has a four-tenths art instructor. Students learn about art
materials, art processes and art careers. Art instruction includes local
art information as well as art history. Students use lessons which
relate to math and science, tie to geography and social sciences, and
the environment.
Arts Partners
In 1998, The Arts Partners program was
introduced to the Wichita Public Schools. It is a scholarship program
for schools through which our finest local artists can work with our
public school students by presenting multiple arts to one classroom or
an assembly to support classroom learning goals through the use of a
variety of art-related mediums. Gardiner School has been part of this
program since its inception and has been privy to the finest artists and
musicians in Wichita and the surrounding area. Projects have varied
widely through the multi-talented presentations of everyone from mimes
and actors, through storytellers, musicians, sculptors, painters,
quiltmakers, and magicians, and even artists from Russia, Spain, Ireland
and Australia. Our students were even able to receive scholarships to
the Young Peoples Concerts, Old Cowtown Museum, and Wichita Children’s
Theater and Dance productions through our participation in this
matchless series of offerings. Our children have been so blessed and so
enriched by the numerous wonderful artists who have touched their lives
in so many beautiful ways. Thank you Arts Partners!!!
Physical Education
Gardiner has one full time and one two-tenths physical education
teachers. Physical education helps in the education of the whole child.
A healthy person is more ready to learn and focused on learning.
Movement is a basis for all we do. PE helps to improve responsibility
and reinforces many parts of education in the classroom.
PEP Grant
The PEP Grant received
by Wichita Public schools in the 2004-05 school has and will continue to
benefit Gardiner in many ways. In 2004-2005 Gardiner was able to order
much needed new equipment to better equip students in Physical Education
class and on the playground during recess. Gardiner also started
Fitnessgram testing to evaluate the fitness of our students, providing
information that will help to better suit P.E. class time to students
needs. In 2005-2006 Gardiner will not only be getting more new
equipment and continue testing but will be getting new activities for
recess time called Peaceful Playgrounds. Peaceful Playgrounds is a
program that uses concentric circles, rectangles, and various colored
shapes, carefully spaced and painted on the blacktop. In addition to
traditional games like hopscotch and four square, imagine an alphabet
grid, a number grid, and a skipping track. The success of the Peaceful
Playground program depends on five key principles:
- Marking the
playground with age appropriate games
- Teaching students
a consistent set of rules
- Teaching students
skills to solve conflict
- Providing
adequate equipment
- Consistent
expectations
Gardiner students will
not only be able to have more choices on the playground but will learn
new conflict resolution skills that are very important to life. Finally
thanks to the PEP Grant Gardiner students will have the opportunity to
sign up to walk on the “track” during lunch recess to set goals to walk
to different parts of the United States. Each student will choose their
city of choice and then find out how many laps it would take to arrive
at that city. Once a student reaches that city they receive an award.
The ultimate goal is to walk across the U.S. Students who don’t want to
walk or run will have the choice instead to play on recreation teams in
various activities such as 4 square, basketball, tetherball, or maybe
even soccer. With all the many choices Gardiner students will move more
and learn the importance of regular physical activity!
Vocal Music
Gardiner also, has a full time and a two-tenths vocal music teachers.
Music addresses the multiple intelligences and develops higher level
thinking skills. It can increase overall achievement in all academic
areas. Self-esteem and the ability to work in groups are enhanced
through music. In April of 2002 Gardiner purchased a Yamaha MIE keyboard
lab through community business donations, grants from Target and
fundraising activities. Research on the impact of the keyboard lab shows
significant improvement in the areas of academic achievement,
technology/computer skills, higher level thinking, work habits, and
learning skills.
Orchestra
Gardiner also offers the opportunity for fifth grade students to have a
hands-on experience of playing string instruments. The reading of notes
uses the same cognitive process as reading words. Reading rhythms
improves spatial reasoning skills. Students who are rhythmically skilled
also tend to better plan, sequence, and coordinate actions in their
daily lives. They are also more creative problem solvers.
YMCA STARS
The YMCA STARS program
is a free program offered by the YMCA. This program is designed to
provide a safe and fun way to enhance socialization between peers as
well as giving students an opportunity to get involved that may not
otherwise have the chance. Students participate in activities such as
swimming, soccer, baseball, handprint butterfly, volleyball and hockey.
Students are picked up every Thursday by the YMCA bus at 4:10 p.m. and
returned to the school building by 5:45 p.m.
Student Technology Leadership
Team
The Student Technology
Leadership Team is a wonderful opportunity for up to ten students to be
trained on the most up-to-date computer equipment. Students must be in
either the fourth or fifth grade, responsible in their schoolwork and
recommended by their teacher. Students must take a written test, be
interviewed by the Gardiner Technology Team and sign a Tech Team Code of
Conduct. The purpose of this program is to develop leadership skills
among our young students and increase their proficiency in operating
up-to-date technology equipment.
Technology
Gardiner Elementary is
fortunate to have available a wealth of technology to integrate into the
classrooms. Pre-Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade have
permanently mounted SmartBoards while Kindergarten, third grade, fourth
grade and fifth grade have SmartBoards available for checkout. Fourth
and fifth grades have palm pilots and the school has access to the
computer lab in the library, two wireless labs, digital still cameras,
and a digital video camera.
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