Blog Archives

May 28th, 2014

5/28/2014

On May 12 our school board voted unanimously to adopt a logo. The design includes a P and an S and the blue and red colors that connect you to our district.Surrounding the shield is laurel, a symbol of excellence, achievement and academics. The logo incorporates a traditional font style called Chaparral.

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of
Perry Township Schools

Planning for the 2014-15 school year is under way, and we look forward to our first day of school on July 29.
Over the next seven weeks of summer break, our focus is setting the stage for another productive school year. This begins in the classroom by hiring the best and brightest teachers, and these educators are provided training that offers them an understanding of what we expect from them.

The district has undergone many changes, and it is time to develop a brand for the school district. A brand is successful when every time it is viewed, you immediately think of that organization. This begins with developing a logo that not only symbolizes but reinforces the reputation of the organization.

Developing the right logo takes time and is hard work. During the spring of 2012 we began to design a new one for the district. The logo needed to be simple, reproducible and unique. On May 12 our school board voted unanimously to adopt a logo.

The design includes a P and an S and the blue and red colors that connect you to our district! Surrounding the shield is laurel, a symbol of excellence, achievement and academics. The logo incorporates a traditional font style called Chaparral.

The new logo will be formally introduced July 1 on publications, signs and communications. We are excited about the new logo, which marks a season of positive change and evolvement in our district.

Teachers will continue to improve their skills over the summer as they attend workshops that focus on digital lesson development. The use of digital resources interwoven throughout the instructional lesson is the ultimate goal. A few examples of digital content that reinforces the lesson content include streaming telecasts, video clips and real-time conversations with individuals from around the world.

In addition, workshops will include short presentations that showcase effective digital lessons and useful resources. Teachers in these sessions will spend time creating digital lessons to use in their classrooms. We are proud to have our own experts on staff to conduct these training sessions.

Teachers may also register for focused time to develop comprehensive libraries of digital content. Time will be available to review and discover the applications of various digital lessons that will be designed around math, science and language arts.

A new parent screen, Skyward, will be introduced in June. It is our student management software system, and it will make it easier for parents to see multiple children in their family all at once.

Repair and renovation projects at Southport High will continue over the summer. Terrazzo flooring, which seems to last forever, will be installed at both high schools. Amidst all of this activity, we will also conduct a comprehensive summer school program for more than 1,000 children.

Thank you for taking time to read my column every week. It seems that wherever I go on the Southside, someone mentions my article. I will begin writing again in about six weeks. Until then, go Cards and Falcons!

0 Comments

May 21st, 2014

5/21/2014

0 Comments

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of
Perry Township Schools

Are you aware that Perry Township Schools has a strong support organization known as the Perry Township Education Foundation, also referred to as PTEF?
Launched in 1994, the grant-awarding organization raises funds to support innovative programs to enhance learning.

Because teachers typically spend hundreds of their dollars to purchase materials and supplies for their classrooms, the grant awards are popular. Teachers submit project proposals for consideration and can receive grants up to $1,250.

Since the foundation’s inception, it has awarded more than $1 million, including $60,641 this year to 61 programs like iHeart for iPad, Running for a Reason, Jewelry for Charity and Launchpads for Success.
The foundation is in search of an executive director to provide leadership to the 17-member volunteer board of directors, which cares deeply about our schools and wants to support our teachers in their goal of meeting the needs of the children in their classrooms.

Candidates must possess close ties to Perry Township, be passionate about our schools, have a desire to support teachers, be outgoing, organized and able to set their own schedule and yet be flexible enough to make “in-flight” changes.

The director will serve as the face of PTEF and will be responsible for cultivating and growing relationships. The person is expected to maintain strong relationships with the superintendent, principals and staff of Perry Township Schools and the community.

Additionally, the director will be responsible coming up with new fundraising ideals while coordinating the existing ones: Koins 4 Kids, the annual golf outing, Running South and Art for the Heart.

The golf outing will be held in June at the Legends Golf Club in Franklin; Running South is a 10K, 5K and 1-mile run/walk held in honor of coach Tom Hathaway, and Art for the Heart is a silent auction that showcases art by students, staff and local artists.

Candidates interested in the position should submit their letter of interest, resume and references to perryeducationfoundation@gmail.com.

0 Comments

May 14th, 2014

5/14/2014

0 Comments

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of
Perry Township Schools

When I was in elementary school “a few years ago,” a school lunch consisted of powdered mashed potatoes, soggy green beans and something we called mystery meat.
Thank goodness times have changed!

Perry Township Schools follows a wellness policy that stipulates strict nutritional standards for foods sold to students. The objective is to promote student health through good nutritional selections.
Each day, 179 food service professionals work as a team to serve more than 4,700 breakfasts and 11,600 lunches. Chyrie Thompson serves as the director of food services.

Food safety is a serious matter, and we have standards above and beyond the requirements for schools. Every food service manager has completed the ServSafe Course and is a certified food handler. In addition, all other staff members must complete and pass a 10-hour course called Serving It Safe.

We watch our pennies closely in this program, and we participate in a competitive bid process for commodities such as milk, bread and paper products. Other food items are also purchased through a similar procedure. The price for meals next year reflects no change. The cost for breakfast is $1.40, $2.40 for elementary lunch and $2.50 for secondary lunch. Seventy percent of our students participate in the lunch program, and 90 percent of our middle schoolers do; that’s the highest rate in the district.

In addition, breakfast and snacks are provided at the schools participating in the intersession breaks, and breakfast and lunch are served at Baxter YMCA during the breaks.

Last year, more than 11,000 breakfasts and 57,000 lunches were prepared, delivered and served over the summer break at 27 locations, where any child age 18 and under could eat for free.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act of 2010 set the stage to re-engineer school meal programs. The changes are spread out over 10 years, and new criteria must be met annually.

Serving sizes of fruits and vegetables have increased. This past year, half of all grains on the menu were required to be whole grain. We made that change two years ago. Next year, all grains must be whole, and sodium amounts will be reduced. Calorie limits have been revised, which eliminates trans fats.
All menus must be certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Indiana Department of Education.
I talked with several students about the meals. A seventh-grader said, “I really like the fresh fruit, especially the watermelon and apples. The apples aren’t squishy or bruised.”
A high schooler commented, “I didn’t even realize the buns were whole grain – they taste good to me!”
Perry Township Schools is dedicated to meeting the academic, physical and emotional needs of the students placed under our care.
Clearly, our food service department plays a large role in the nutrition of our students. A morning breakfast, a hearty lunch and snacks in the late afternoon provide the energy needed throughout the rigorous school day.

0 Comments

May 07th, 2014

5/7/2014

0 Comments

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of
Perry Township Schools

As I write this, the majority of our children are immersed in taking achievement tests called ISTEP+. The statewide ISTEP+ window for Grades 3-8 opened April 28 and will close May 13. This portion of the test involves multiple-choice questions. Prior to this part of the exam, the students were administered writing prompts, open-ended questions and show-your-work math problems.

In Perry Township Schools, 6,350 students are taking the computerized version. All of these children are taking the ISTEP+ language arts and math assessments. The science test is administered to Grades 4 and 6, with the social studies assessment given to fifth- and seventh-graders.

A great deal of preparation is conducted by students, staff and parents before testing. There has been frequent communication to parents through emails, phone messages, website/social media postings and newsletters.

Basic everyday healthy habits are always emphasized. We all know that a well-rested mind and a hearty breakfast is a practice for doing well on any task. Arriving to school on time allows the student to mentally prepare for taking the test. Taking ISTEP+ can be stressful. A warm smile and supportive words from home sets the tone for a can-do approach.

Many activities were conducted in the schools to motivate our students before the testing. Local celebrities such as Boomer, the Pacers’ Mascot, and Jack Doyle of the Indianapolis Colts provided advice and tips for doing well on the test. These promotions keep spirits up and worries down!

The move to computerized testing has been accompanied with some frustration. Last year there were many problems associated with online testing because the technology was not ready for such an enormous task. This year, thus far, we have experienced few problems across the district.

Our testing program is going well due to a combination of factors. For example, our staff is staggering the test by administering the test to individual grade levels at different times throughout the school day.

Our students now understand how to log in to the test. Our administrators, computer technicians and proctors also maintain contact with one another online through a software program called TodaysMeet. Comments, questions and feedback are shared to quickly identify issues and solve problems.

Matt Willey, chief technology officer for the district, summarized the district’s testing experience quite well, “Our staff is doing an outstanding job of making sure the testing process is working smoothly for our students.”
Thank you parents and staff for all you do to support and prepare our students to be successful in school.

0 Comments

May 28th, 2014

May 21st, 2014

May 14th, 2014

May 07th, 2014

Archives

Categories