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MY STORY, MY VOICE

Springs’ students, parents, teachers, and staff, we want to hear from you! Use your voice and share your story as part of our “My Story, My Voice” series. There is so much wisdom and joy to share among our community members and we invite you to share your experiences.

This month we hear from Springs parent and staff member, Amber Zielinski and her daughter, Ashley (12th grade) as they share their experience with the CITE program and the importance of exploring your interests.

Your turn! How can you submit YOUR story for our site?

There are many stories to tell and general categories include:

Testimonials-how Springs made a difference.
What matters to you?
What did you do to have a great summer vacation?
What did you learn during the pandemic?
What brings you joy?
Have you solved a problem working with your child or with your class?
What has touched your heart over the years?
How have your students/children taught you lessons?
How have you used your voice for change?
What lessons have you learned in life?
Why is it important to advocate for your students? For school choice?
What's important to you? It could be as simple as "I found a way to improve my child’s focus.”

There are many ways to share your story and remember, everyone loves practical tips that we can use right away. Check out the following guidelines and please share your stories. Submit a written story with optional photo (no more than one page in length)

Send an audio clip with optional photo (3 minutes max)
Send a short video (3 minutes max)

We will edit all formats and are happy to help polish up your story! Your voice matters!

My Story, My Voice - Submission Form

ASK THE EXPERTS

In this monthly column, parents and teachers can submit questions and our experts will answer them!

Use your VOICE and submit a question for a future column by filling out THIS FORM.

Maureen Roye, Director of CITE, answers your questions about Springs' Career Internship Technical Education (CITE) program.

When can my student start taking CTE courses?

CTE (Career Technical Education) courses are available to start in 9th grade. CTE follows the POP Calendar; each course includes 3 Opts, and each course starts on Sprint 1 or Sprint 4.

What's a CTE Completer?

A CTE Completer is a student who has completed both courses in a CTE pathway with a grade of C- or better.

How does my CTE student earn a CTE Academic Honor Cord for graduation?

The student completes both courses in a CTE pathway with a combined g.p.a of at least 3.0 AND they complete 120 hours in EWEE 1 or 2 or GWEE 1 or 2.

My CTE student is enrolled in an articulated course; how do they get college credit?

First, they must meet the college's course and final grade requirement - this must be accomplished during the same school year the course was initially attempted. Second, they must get into the CATEMA reporting system so the CTE teacher can recommend college credit. This requires the student to apply to the college to receive a College ID.

Laura Banda, Director of Assessment and Accountability answers your questions about preparing students for the CAASPP test.

How can I help my child prepare for CAASPP testing?

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, CAASPP has a wonderful resource, Starting Smarter that provides reading and math tools and information. Family and school partnerships are key to your child’s success. Given the disruptions to learning over the past year, it is more important than ever for parents and guardians to have a complete picture of where your child is academically and how the pandemic impacted their learning. In addition to report card grades, class tests, and your own observations of your child’s learning over the past year, the site helps you to use score reports to better understand your child’s strengths and areas for improvement.

What are the Smarter Balanced Assessments?

The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are part of the state testing system called the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress or CAASPP. The CAASPP System is designed to promote high-quality teaching and learning by giving information to teachers, students, and their families about what students know and can do. This information is just one piece in understanding a student’s readiness for college and career. Enclosed is a Smarter Balanced parent resource guide.

SPEAKING THE SPRINGS WAY

Things we say and things we don't say at Springs. This month our focus is on words we say when talking about CURRICULUM.

BHAGs: Our Superintendent writes Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals annually which we focus on as an entire school community. Goals are written in the areas of math, literacy, and college and career. This year’s goals are:

Reading: Every student will be a strong reader by the end of 4th grade.

Math: All students will be ready for HS Math by the end of 8th grade

High School Literacy: All students will graduate ready for College English.

College and Career: All students will graduate college and career ready.

C3 stands for Courageous Conversation Committees. These are Springs committees that work to support the Big Hairy Audacious Goals of our Superintendent in Reading, Math, High School Literacy, and indicators for College and Career. The committees have created Springs Non-Negotiables in these areas for our students as well as providing intentional supports in instructional methods.

Committees include:

C3R: Primary Reading
C3L: Literacy (reading and writing) for high school
C3M: Math
C3I: College and Career Indicators

Curriculum Maps are used by teachers for planning instruction for each content area by weeks, months, and/or themes. Each map includes I CAN!s, skills to be learned, assessments, and opportunities for personalization.

Pacing Guides are created by Springs for every grade-level and list the I CAN!s which should be focused on for the year and are aligned with Milestone and state testing.

Healthy Choices Menu: Springs created a menu of healthy curriculum options for K-8 homeschool families to choose from to ensure that they have a balanced curriculum that covers all core academic areas.

Work Maps - Students use Work Maps to plan, track, and reflect on their learning each week. Based on their goals, they plan what activities to complete each day. They write about each activity that they did. Then, they reflect by checking-in on their progress and determining whether or not they met their goal and what additional support is needed from the teacher.

Learning Plan - The Learning Plan (LP) is a collaborative lesson plan for Springs homeschool students written by the Education Specialist, with help from the parent, explaining: WHAT will be taught (eg. concepts, skills, etc.), HOW it will be taught (eg. read from text, worksheets, hands-on activity, etc.), and HOW it will be assessed (eg. summative test, student demonstration, etc.)There are ten Learning Periods during the school year (5 each semester) and a Learning Plan is written for each Learning Period. Five learning areas are covered in each Learning Plan: Language Arts, Math, History, Science, and Electives. Each Learning Plan will also list a specific measurable goal for the student. This should be something the student can accomplish in 1-2 months and then a new goal should be created. Goal Status: Each Learning Plan will also indicate whether or not the goal "has been met" or is "in progress."

Math Path - At Springs Charter Schools, families have a wide variety of curriculum and resources to choose from for their child’s math program. A child’s math program, resources and supports are what we at Springs call their “Math Path.” ALL 4th-8th grade students in Springs’ Homeschool Program are on the Math Path. There are four Math Path options based on student needs and qualifying factors.

Parent Choice Pathway
Parent Supported Pathway

Targeted Support Pathway
Strategic Support Pathway

POPs (Personalized Learning Options) is the Springs high school program. Traditional schools let schedules dictate and students typically take six classes per semester. At Springs, we let choice and personalization lead the way. The academic year is divided into six 26-day sprints. Students concentrate on three high school courses at a time and choose four OPTS (options) during each sprint based on different areas of interest.

Springs develops the whole child. In addition to academic standards, we have our Graduate Learner Outcomes (GLOs). I CAN! is also an acronym for the outcomes we want for our graduates… I - Independent Learner, C - Capable Communicator, A - Analytical Thinker, N - Noteworthy Citizen. Each contains Habits of Success which are 21st century skills which will ensure our learners are prepared to have a positive impact within the communities they touch. We want Independent Learners who are self-aware, persistent, and responsible. We want Analytical Thinkers who reflect, apply tools, and come up with solutions to problems. We want Capable Communicators who can communicate clearly, respect diversity, and communicate with care and compassion. Lastly, we want Noteworthy Citizens who can collaborate and contribute to the community.

WHY IS FEEDBACK SO IMPORTANT?

ONE MINUTE WATCH!

Here's a fantastic way for teachers and parents to ensure that children are on task for each day's independent work. This DO NOW strategy is practical and puts the ownership of the learning directly in each student's hands. It also provides a quick and meaningful check-in conference for children to ensure they're prioritizing correctly. It's easy to watch this and implement immediately.

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