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Unfortunately, Kennett has the dubious distinction of having the highest drop-out rate in NH based on 2005-2006 statistics: 7% !
The MWV School to Career Partnership Board and our schools are actively working on this problem, but we need your feedback and help to make a change! Please contact us if you want to be part of the solution.
What is the Partnership doing this year to impact the Drop-Out Rate?
1. Research has shown that parental involvement is directly associated with student achievement, so we have tried to get more parents involved at all levels.
We initiated a new parent resource website: www.forparentssake.com.
New Parent Welcoming Program: The Parent Welcomer Program has started up in each school. All our 20 welcomers have made phone calls to new parents, including incoming kindergarten parents and have been introduced at school functions. They are letting parents know about our website and school/community resources. Contact your school guidance department to join in or to contact one of the welcomers.
Parent Classes: We are running ongoing parenting classes and workshops throughout the community, in partnership with local agencies.
Upcoming :
March 14 5 week series called Raising Great Kids at John Fuller School 6:30pm
April 4 at 6:30pm Super Nanny at Conway Elementary School
This winter and spring. Lunch and Learn Workshops at local businesses
May 2 Health Fair with Community Resources
Intensive Parent Involvement Grants: The Parent Information Center, Concord has received a five year grant to work with NH schools to help implement successful and parental involvement policies and programs. They were able to fund 5 intensive programs. I helped to have 2 of our area schools be picked for this program: Conway Elementary School and the KA Brett School.On Jan.11 and 25, staff at the newly funded Parent Information and Resource Center through PIC met with the principals and teams at the Brett School and at Conway Elementary School to initiate a comprehensive survey to all faculty and parents to assess the level of parent involvement and program needs in their schools. PIC will also continue to do more training and programs for our parents this winter and spring.
2. Staff Development Training has been an essential component to effecting the Drop-Out Rate.
So far this year we have organized 7 staff development sessions on issues ranging from bullying and harassment, working with socially challenging behaviors, how to communicate with parents, and helping to effectively transition middle school youth.
3. Community Involvement is Critical to Change: The Gates Report and other national data confirm that students need more relevance and more connections!
Community Respect and Respect Gets Respect Theme
About 100 professionals turned out for our second Valley Outreach forum at the Red Jacket. All of area schools are working to reduce bullying and harassment among their students. Pine Tree and Brett "graduated" from PBIS and now Madison School has adopted the program. Valley Outreach and School to Career are now pushing that this theme becomes community-wide. We have made decals with our Theme and are circulating them throughout the Valley.
We are also actively recruiting nominations for our 4 Respect Awards: Take a Stand Award; Respect for Youth Award; Family Friendly Business Award Youth Friendly Business Award.All recipients will be acknowledged on
March 21 Valley Outreach After Hours at the Red Jacket Mt. View.
Work Based Learning and relevant education through business partnerships.
Cheryl Furtado has done an incredible job this semester engaging kids to think about their futures. Among her activities are:
A strong career unit in the Freshmen health classes in which the students do interest inventories, develop a portfolio and formulate their 4 year High School plan;
Additional resume work in several other High School classes;
Administration of the ASVAB and ACCUPLACER exams to Juniors and Seniors;
Coaching 4 special education students in her Bridges to Work program around work related skills such as how to get and keep jobs;
Supporting 41 students in the work based learning program for a total of 104.5+ credits. Cheryl helps students find internships, and guides them through the process which includes portfolios.
4 Summer Career Camps for Middle School Youth:
Construction Camp, Earth Force, CSI Camp, and the Technology Camp all involve strong collaborative partnerships with community agencies and businesses.
4. Other Direct involvement and programming for youth
I am working with other County professionals on a new county wide Juvenile Justice Prevention Grant and have facilitated 3 forums to get input from teachers, parents, agency professionals and the community at large as to needs. In September after our strategic plan is completed we hope for additional funding to support needed programs.
We are progressing with our Tourism Academy initiative which will lead to a new course at the Red Jacket next fall
April 12Trades Day
Equity and Bullying Prevention programming, including peer education and focus groups.
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"Daniel Pink claims that the nature of the workplace is changing yet again, and that power will soon shift to people who have strong right-brain qualities (that is, aesthetics, feeling, and creativity). 