Jefferson School Pursuing Academic Excellence
Valerie Capitulo-Saide is excited to be starting another school year. Jefferson Primary School’s fourth year principal has developed plans to continue the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning across every academic discipline.
Mrs. Capitulo-Saide’s goals include a variety of initiatives that are all designed to encourage the academic, social and emotional growth of students ranging from kindergarten through fourth grade.
The principal intends to continue a school-wide study and implementation of English language arts Common Core learning standards and the associated curriculum that goes with them.
“Students in grades K-4 will engage in rich and rigorous evidence based conversations about text and utilize these key details to answer questions about texts in written form,” Mrs. Capitulo-Saide said. “K-4 classroom teachers will study and implement Engage-NY math modules. Students will be expected to have speed and accuracy with simple calculations. Teachers will structure 60 minutes of class time and/or homework time for students to memorize, through repetition, core functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts so that they are more able to understand and manipulate more complex concepts.”
Jefferson teachers will also be studying and implementing “explicit vocabulary instruction” in English, math, science and social studies. The goal is to increase students’ academic vocabulary in these academic disciplines.
Mrs. Capitulo-Saide said teachers hope to see K-4 students demonstrating “an increase in reading fluency in addition to an increase in their independent reading level.”
Jefferson teachers will be conferencing with individual students and creating differentiated reading goals to target individual student proficiencies.
“Teachers will meet regularly with students to discuss the progress of their reading goals,” Mrs. Capitulo-Saide said. “Strategic plans will be developed to increase student’s fluency and improve their independent reading levels. Students will be able to articulate their reading goals and share their plans to achieve those goals.”
Jefferson’s principal also hopes to strengthen home-school communication and further increase parent engagement “to involve and inform parents and families as essential partners in helping students achieve college and career readiness,” Mrs. Capitulo-Saide said.
Several recent initiatives will continue in the 2015/16 school year, including the Jefferson Jaguars fourth grade leadership team. With the guidance support of the school psychologist and two classroom teachers, participants “will learn about the qualities found in strong leaders and how they can infuse these skills into their own lives,” Mrs. Capitulo-Saide said. “The team will participate in several school and community outreach activities throughout the school year that will allow the students to utilize the skills they will learn.”
Fourth graders will also participate in the GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) program. “The goal of the program is to prevent youth violence while developing positive relationships between criminal justice professionals and youth during their early developmental years,” Mrs. Capitulo-Saide explained. “Certified criminal justice professionals will teach our fourth graders how to practice developing positive solutions when faced with tough decisions.” Participants in the program will receive a certificate of completion during a “graduation” ceremony.
Mrs. Capitulo-Saide also plans to continue hosting Coffee and Conversation sessions with parent “in order to communicate the school-wide goals with particular attention to the implementation of the Common Core learning standards and use of data to inform instruction,” she said.
There’s something else new on tap for Jefferson students this year. “We plan to teach them a patriotic song each month aligned our positive interventions and supports school-wide plan,” Mrs. Capitulo-Saide said. “Each month, the teachers and I plan to recognize exemplary students that demonstrate safety, responsibility and respect at a SPOT assembly.”