SDPD presentation on student safety

On Thursday, February 21, we were fortunate enough to have a visit from Officer Tousely from the San Diego Police Juvenile Services Team. Officer Tousely gave a talk to our students on staying safe in the neighborhood, especially when going to/from school.

While the presentation was geared towards middle school students, and included several real-life scenarios for students to address, Officer Tousely also provided a list of safety tips for parents.

The following in an excerpt from the parent safety tips sheet:
1) Avoid clothing and toys with your child's name on them.
2) Create an environment in which your child feels free talking to you.
3) Keep an up-to-date color photography of your child, along with a medical and dental history; have your child fingerprinted.
4) Always accompany your child on door-to-door activities.
5) Point out safe places for your child to go if need be, such as a school, church, library, or store.
6) Always accompany young children to the restroom in a public place.

Here are some tips older students can use to stay safe:
1) Tell parents where you are at all times; leave a written or voice message at home
2) Never hitchhike
3) Avoid shortcuts through empty parks, fields, alleys.
4) Run home or to the nearest public place and yell if being followed.
5) Learn to recognize suspicious behavior
6)Remember a description of the person or vehicle if being followed/harassed; write the plate number in the dirt if nothing else is available
7) If attacked for money or belongings, give these items up immediately rather than risking injury

Middle School Language Fair

On Wednesday, February 13 AEACMS held our first Middle School Language Fair. Featuring offerings from the German and Spanish courses, the fair celebrated the central role that foreign languages play at our school. There were several skits presented all in German, as well as an overview of German cuisine, complete with samples for the audience. The Spanish 3 group presented their custom costume projects, and even modeled their creations onstage.

Thanks to Frau Paulsen, Frau Ronke, Frau Schafer and Senora Burnham for organizing this event. The rumor is that we'll have a similar language celebration some time in June of this year. Stay tuned...

Language Objectives Provide Clear Road Map

Ms. Clinton provides individualized instruction to 7th grade math students.



As part of the SIOP model for English Language Development, all middle school teachers are expected to post not only the California content standards that are driving their instruction, but specific language objectives as well. These language objectives are discrete skills related to language but also embedded within the various content areas. They are intended to guide students before, during, and after the lesson so that all students know what they are expected to learn.

According to Ms. Krueger (ELD Coordinator for AEA elementary and middle school programs), "In order to meet the needs of all students, differentiated instruction is necessary. The SIOP model serves as a guide for developing differentiated lessons. Differentiated instruction involves all students working towards the same objective, yet in different ways. The SIOP model also incorporates Language Objectives. Teachers must maintain high, yet reasonable expectations for student output based on the lesson content and language objectives. Clearly written and stated objectives are needed to provide a road map for both the students and the teacher. Guiding the teaching and the learning are the content objectives identifying what students should know and be able to do.. Teachers need to think about how language will be used in the lesson as a vehicle to make the content more comprehensible while allowing opportunity for the development of academic English."

Ms. Clinton (7th grade math) is particularly enthusiastic about incorporating language objectives into her planning and teaching. She has noticed a marked difference in the way her students approach their learning. Rather than asking, "What are we doing today?" they know to refer to the specific language objectives throughout the lesson. At the conclusion of every lesson, Ms. Clinton has her students review the language objectives in peer groups, as well as in writing. "I tell my students that writing is an important skill, even in math class," says Ms. Clinton, who is in her second year at AEACMS. "The language objectives have been an effective way to guide what is happening in my classroom and for the students to know exactly what is expected of them."

The next time you are in an AEACMS classroom, and especially in Ms. Clinton's classroom, keep an eye out for the language objective listing.

Artist-in-Residence program explores the Middle Ages

The AEACMS Artist-in-Residence program continues to promote creativity while deepening students' understanding of social studies standards. Seventh graders are exploring the Middle Ages, which explains the sudden proliferation of menacing (but friendly) gargoyles on display in the art room. Also in keeping with this curricular theme, students are creating their family coat of arms (more photos soon!) Eighth graders have been working on their study of the human form in motion, as evidenced by the many dynamic shapes (fashioned of colored wire) dancing across the classroom shelves.

Focus on the Classroom: Differentiated Math Instruction

I recently read an interesting article by Blackely on differentiated instruction entitled Finding Lost Children Through Differentiated Instruction (ASCD Education Update January 2003, Vol. 45, Number 1) The author cites noted educator Carol Ann Tomlinson in her discussion of the importance of differentiated instruction:

"What the research shows...is that, if the brain is to work at its optimum level and if children are to achieve, they must have moderately challenging work—"relative to the learner"—available to them. Work in the classroom must provide an appropriate challenge for each student. "When challenges and skills are in balance," Tomlinson concluded, all students can participate in learning and find that they belong in the classroom."

At AEACMS, the teaching staff is committed to differentiating instruction so that all students are appropriately challenged as they work towards mastery of standards. Please read Ms. Culbertson's (6th grade math) account of the rewards of differentiating instruction:

Why differentiating instruction?
A classroom perspective by Sylvia Culbertson
February, 2008

Developing an instructional plan that will be challenging, enlightening, and intriguing to students of different abilities, and still maintain a sense of community within the classroom, is always in the back of my mind. Differentiating instruction so that the needs of advanced and gifted students are met seemed like an avenue to implement project based learning. I wanted these students to be involved in educational experiences that are challenging and appropriate to their needs and achievement levels.



Who should participate in the projects?
There were two criteria in the selection process of these students: 1) a score of 88% or higher on NWEA MAP tests; 2) a consistent 90% or higher score on all classroom assessments.
The students I picked always get their work done quickly and seek further assignments or direction. Secondly, they ask probing questions that tend to differ from their classmates in depth of understanding and frequency. Finally, they have interests in areas that are unusual or more like the interests of older students. These students potentially differ from their classmates on three key dimensions: (1) the pace at which they learn; (2) the depth of their understanding; and (3) the interests that they hold.

How does it work?
The project based learning (PBL) I am following has a goal of engaging students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks. Evidence shows that PBL enhances the quality of learning and leads to higher-level cognitive development through students' engagement with complex, novel problems. It is also clear that PBL teaches students complex processes and procedures such as planning and communicating.



My goals for these students are as following:
* Recognize students' capability to do important work by putting them at the center of the learning process.
* Require the use of essential tools and skills for learning, such as self-management, and project management.
* Specify products that solve problems, explain dilemmas, or present information generated through investigation, research, or reasoning.
* Include multiple products that permit frequent feedback and consistent opportunities for students to learn from experience.
* Use performance-based assessments that communicate high expectations, present rigorous challenges, and require a range of skills and knowledge.
* Encourage collaboration in some form, either through small groups, student-led presentations, or whole-class evaluations of project results.
* Encourage the development of habits of mind associated with lifelong learning, and personal success
* Integrate curriculum areas and thematic instruction.
* Assess performance on content and skills using criteria similar to those in the work world, thus encouraging accountability, goal setting, and improved performance.
* Create positive communication and collaborative relationships among diverse groups of students.

How is it going?
So far students have been responding very positively to these projects, but as every challenging opportunity this also is a learning process being molded and evolving with every step.
Some of the students have gone above and beyond the required tasks, but it also happened that one of the students got frustrated with the amount of group work and independence the work required. I asked her to come back and join our class discussions and assignments instead. By the end of the lesson this student felt like she understood the content of the assignment based on what I was teaching to the class and she wanted to rejoin her group the next day.
I truly enjoy seeing the excitement that the students show when they come up with a solution or an end product by themselves. Some of them come up to me towards the end of the class and want to present their findings to the rest of the class which clearly shows their level of engagement. I have also heard some students proudly tell others that “ We are basically teaching ourselves! Isn’t this cool?”

First Semester Report Cards

First semester report cards will be mailed to parents on February 8.  Please keep an eye out for these important documents.

If you do not receive a report card in the mail by February 15, please contact the front office.