The Shared Decision Making Committee (SDMC) met this afternoon.  See attachment for notes from the meeting.

 Please email me at susanmcconn@comcast.net if you have any questions at all about the meeting or any other matter.

Thanks so much!

 Susan McConn

PTO President

I was unable to attend the meeting last night with the Lanier administrators but spoke with Ms. McGah and picked up some information they had left.  If you are interested in Lanier, I'd strongly encourage you to pick up the brochures they left with Ms. McGah.  They are very informative.  You can find them on the top of the bookcase in the waiting area by the office.  There are some extra Grady brochures there as well.  

A few things I picked up from reading the brochure and visiting with Renee:

 Sidney Lanier Middle School is located at 2600 Woodhead St. near lower Westheimer/Montrose area.  There are students who attend Lanier because they are zoned to it and also students who attend because it is a Vanguard Magnet/International school (2/3 of Lanier students are in the Vanguard program).  There are approximately 1300 students who attend Lanier.  Lanier is also the only middle school in HISD to have an IB program at the middle school level.  Lanier feeds into Lamar HS which uses the IB curriculum for qualified students so having it at the middle school level is good training.  According to the brochure, "The IB program aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.  The program integrates the school's curriculum of eight subject groups to focus on the individual student."

The Vanguard program at Lanier differs from that of Grady in that it is magnet program vs. a neighborhood one.  This means that applications for the program are less fluid and students who are not eligible for Vanguard will not be placed in a Vanguard class.  At Grady, if a non-Vanguard student happens to excel at a certain subject or just has the means to succeed in a Vanguard class even though he didn't test into it, Grady administrators will place the child in a Vanguard class.  This does not happen at Lanier.  

Like Grady, Lanier offers high-school credit for Algebra I and Spanish I.  Lanier MS also offers high school credit for Speech and Debate and AP Spanish (this means that middle school students can actually receive college credit  with a score of a 3 to 5 on the AP exam).

Lanier, being the size that it is, is able to offer a large array of extracurricular activities, sports, clubs etc.  Again, I encourage you to pick up their brochure if you are interested because they really do have an impressive selection with high achievement and awards from several of their teams, clubs, etc.

Lanier has a Guidance Support Group which consists of 8th greaters selected by peers and teachers as classroom leaders.  "These leaders' present lessons on character education, tolerance, peer pressure, as well as time management and study skills.  (They) also give back by participating" in several community events and service projects. 

"Lanier MS offers students a program of education based on challenging standards, creativity and flexibility.  Cluster grouping is central to the school's philosophy of building communities of learners.  Each grade is organized into three clusters with faculty members from language arts, science, math and cultural studies.  Cluster teachers guide and nurture students along a path of educational experiences designed to help them develop to their highest potential."

Both Lanier and Grady employ block scheduling which allows for less time changing classes and more classroom instruction.  Under this schedule, students 4 90-minute classes every other day.  At Grady, students attend all of their classes on Monday for a shorter amount of time in order to get assignments for the week etc.  At Lanier, students attend all of their classes on Wednesday and are then dismissed early for teacher planning and training.

Again, if you have any questions, I encourage you to pick up the brochures at school.  I have an extra copy too if anyone wants to see mine.

 Thanks so much!

susan

 I wanted to post my notes from this morning's Parent Teacher Focus Group which featured Gretchen Kaspar Hoffman, Grady MS Principal and Linda Riehl, Instructional/Title 1 Coordinator.  I missed the first 5 minutes of the meeting (long line at Starbucks!) but after speaking with others who were there the whole time, I think these are complete.  See below:

Ms. Kaspar-Hoffman and Ms. Riehl distributed a Grady brochure, a Vanguard/GT brochure, a sample application for Vanguard GT Programs and a two-paged information sheet with academic, elective, sports, enrichment and club offerings at Grady as well as contact information for the Grady administration.  The other side of the information sheet provided answers to the top ten most common questions about Grady MS.  (Note:  Both sides of this document are attached at the bottom of this blog).

 Ms. Riehl explained that all fifth grade parents need to complete a Vanguard application for their child if they are interested in participating in the Vanguard program at Grady.  Parents should complete this application even if their child is currently enrolled in the Vanguard program at Briargrove.   Parents will receive a packet in the Wednesday folders next week including the application. If parents complete the front page of the application by the Friday before the winter break and turn them into Ms. McGah, she will gather the other information requested on the form.  If parents miss the Winter Break deadline, they will be responsible for gathering the requested information and turning it in to the Grady office.

 Ms. Kaspar Hoffman explained that while Grady MS has flexibility on when Vanguard applications are completed, it helps school administration to plan for next year if they can get the information early.  The goal is to have each student's schedule ready when he or she attends Gator Camp (G Camp)--a fun, relaxed orientation for students held in early August.  Students attending G Camp can see where each of their classes are, learn how to navigate the school and learn about the routines and procedures at Grady prior to school starting so that teachers can focus on academics beginning on the very first day of school. 

Ms. McGah asked Tammy Hiskey, mother of two Grady students, to speak about her experience at Grady.  Ms. Hiskey stated that her sixth-grade daughters have had a wonderful experience at Grady.  They are happy, safe and know all of the teachers.  Because of the small size of Grady, all of the teachers at the school know them too.  Her children have had lots of extra-curricular opportunities including Student Council and Odyssey of the Mind.  They are eager to try out for some of the sports teams which they will be able to do beginning in 7th grade.  They have tutorials with their teachers during the day which enables them to clarify questions they may have in a very timely manner.  She noted that Grady is half the size of Briargrove which gives the school a wonderful, small feel.

Ms. Kaspar -Hoffman added that with a school the size of Grady, it is easy to be responsive to input from students and parents.  An example she gave was the Theater Arts program--new to Grady this year.  The program is a direct result of students and parents requesting such a program.  Ms. Kaspar-Hoffman was able to hire a Theater Arts teacher and acquire a US Department of Education grant which provides a partnership between the Grady Theater Arts program and the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Symphony.  Students from Grady attended an opera and were visited by a docent a few days prior who explained what the opera was about, explained opera etiquette and provided other information to enhance the students' experience. 

 Renee McGah also spoke of Grady's personal touch and the cohesiveness that exist between teachers, staff and students on campus.  She advised 5th Grade parents to check her blog for a schedule of 7 breakfasts that Ms. Kaspar-Hoffman will have with the 5th Graders in the next few months in order to answer their questions about Grady.  She told the parents that Ms. Kaspar-Hoffman also reads to 2 classes every month in grades K-5.  She remarked on how accessible Ms. Kaspar-Hoffman and Ms. Riehl are and how accessible the deans are as well. 

 Debi Russell added that the benefit to attending a middle school campus versus a public K-8 school is that public K-8 schools are spread too thinly to offer the traditional extracurricular activities that one associates with middle school.   She agreed with the other speakers that the size of Grady gives it an advantage.  The administration and faculty know the children well enough to steer them in the right direction, to help them choose the right classes and the right extracurricular activities that suit their needs and abilities.

Ms. McGah asked how many of last year's 5th graders from Briargrove currently attend Grady.  Ms. Kasper-Hoffman replied that 74 out of 125 are at Grady.  She also noted that several students that attended Briargrove but then went elsewhere for 6th grade have returned to Grady for 7th grade.  She assured parents that Grady will continue to offer all of its current selection of classes and extracurricular activities even while under construction next year.  The plans call for a school that would hold 800 students (still small by HISD standards).  A school that size would allow Grady to offer an additional language besides Spanish and afford the school other similar opportunities which it cannot now offer due to its size. 

Ms. Kasper-Hoffman explained to the parents that each student has advisory one day a week.  (From the brochure): "Advisory is a 30 minute period of time in which a group of approximately 16 students meet with their advisor every Monday.  During this time they have structured activities, including Drop Everything and Read, Character Education, Study Skills and Team-Building.  Every professional on campus (including Ms. Kasper-Hoffman, Ms. Riehl, the deans, the nurse etc.) has a group."  One of the ideas Ms. Kasper-Hoffman's group came up with recently was to host a Halloween social in order to raise money for eighth grade week, a week at the end of the year that gives the eighth graders an opportunity to celebrate the end of middle school through various fun activities.  The President and the VP of the Student Council also sit on the SDMC at Grady and share students' ideas with the faculty and administration.

Ms. McGah asked what parents should do if they want a tour of Grady.  Ms. Kasper-Hoffman stated that the school was being torn down in June but that a tour would still be beneficial because parents can see the students and teachers at work.  Ann Cochran asked for an outline of the plans for renovation.  Ms. Kasper-Hoffman said that construction will occur in two phases.  Phase One entails demolishing the brick structure seen from San Felipe and replacing it with a two-story structure that will house a theater with a stage, foreign language labs, a large art room, administrative offices and science labs.  Phase Two will focus on classrooms and the library.  The hope is that the construction on Phase Two will begin immediately after Phase One is complete, however funding for Phase Two has not been granted at this time.  Currently Grady is housed in some classrooms in the brick structure along with 23 t-buildings.  Ms. K-H assured parents that the middle school experience would not change, even amid construction. She has not seen any mock-ups of the new building yet but will release them as soon as she receives them.  Ms. Riehl said that the website ms.houstonisd.org/gradyms is a great way to access current information regarding anything having to do with the school.

 Leah Eknoyan asked where students go after leaving Grady MS.  Ms. K-H said Lamar, Westside and Lee are all popular and a smattering of students also attend schools such as HSPVA, DeBakey, Challenge Early College, a few private schools.  Ms. Riehl remarked that much effort by the administrators is put into finding the right high school for each graduating 8th grader, helping with student records, helping parents know how to apply etc. Janet Taylor, parent of two former Grady students, said that the transition for her children from Grady to Lamar was seamless.  Ms. Kasper-Hoffman added that Lamar, Lee, Westside and Bellaire administrators love to get Grady students at their schools because they are very well-prepared.

 Ann Cochran asked for an explanation of the difference between Pre-AP classes and Vanguard classes.  Ms. Kasper-Hoffman stated that there are two sets of curriculum: 1)Vanguard and 2)On level.  The Vanguard curriculum is the same one used district-wide and is designed to prepare students for AP classes when they're in high school-- so the name given to the classes with the Vanguard curriculum is Pre-AP.  Students without the GT or Vanguard designation may be in classes that use the Vanguard curriculum if the school administrators feel that that is the right spot for them.  Students may be in some Pre-AP/Vanguard classes in some subjects and other "on-level" classes in other subjects depending on their strengths in certain areas.   .   There are two classes offered at Grady which actually issue high school credit depending on the grade received in said classes.  They are Algebra I and Spanish.  SO Grady, being a neighborhood Vanguard school has an advantage over Vanguard magnet schools like Lanier and Rogers in that Lanier and Rogers can offer the pre-AP classes only to Vanguard students, while Grady can offer them to other students that might not have the GT designation but can still hold their own in Pre-AP classes.  They also have more leeway with application deadlines than strict magnet schools and can move students mid-year between pre-AP/Vanguard and on-level classes depending on the students' needs.  (Lanier and Rogers could move a child mid-year from a Vanguard class to an on-level class but not vice versa).

Ms. Kasper-Hoffman reiterated to the fifth grade parents that invitations would be issued soon for the breakfasts with the fifth graders and Ms. Kasper-Hoffman.  This is a forum for students to speak freely with Ms. K-H without parental influence.  She told the parents that she gets many candid questions at these meetings that usually center around what the food tastes like, what the locker rooms look like etc. rather than curriculum questions.  Students will receive the invitations in their Wednesday folder next week.

Ms. McGah and Ms. Russell thanked Ms. Kasper-Hoffman and Ms. Riehl for speaking and the meeting came to a close.

 The Grady information and Questions and Answer sheets are attached to this blog for your information.

Please email me at susanmcconn@comcast.net if you have questions or clarifications about these notes or any other PTO related matter.  Thanks so much!

Susan McConn

PTO President

*Note* Students must wear Awards Sticker for school administrators to know who you are. 

Check back soon for next contest details on the Box Tops page!

I had the pleasure of attending the Literacy Meeting for the parents in the Library at  7:15am on Monday morning.  Ami Hill (formerly Johnson) gave a great presentation concerning how reading is taught at Briargrove.  Many of the same applications are used for math, science and social studies too.  Be sure and check out the attachment which consists of Ami's fabulous presentation.  You can email her with any questions or feel free to contact me as well.  There is a page which lists all the reading levels.  Unless your child is in kindergarten and has not yet been tested, he/she should know what level of reader he/she is.  That information can be used when checking books out of the Library.  Ms. Hill has copies of a chart in the library showing how the alphabetical reading levels correspond to the old AR books on the back of the library books.  Again, after reviewing the attachment, please feel free to contact Ms. Hill at ajohns31@houstonisd.org with more questions.  NOTE:  I've attached the file in pdf format but also have it available in ppt.  Let me know if you need that version.  Ms. Hill also has hard copies that she can send home with your student.

Thanks so much!

Susan McConn

PTO President

To find out more information go to the 5th Grade Patriot Day page at www.bgroadrunners.org/patriotsday

Our 2nd box top contest ended and the winner is  Ms. Hoyts class with 1357 box tops!

We just shipped off 20,355 box tops and are expecting a check from Box Tops for Education for $2090 in December. Thanks for sending in your box tops!  

We had 39 students bring in 50 box tops to win a Free Dress day - more information to be going out this week. 

Please keep saving your boxtops we will be announcing a new contest soon!

For a list of the top 21 classes and how much they collected, go to the Briargrove Box Tops page.

BOOK FAIR IS COMING!  Gear up to read around the world.  Destination Book Fair travels to Briargrove Elementary the week of November 16th.  An amazing selection of books is headed our way!  At the Book Fair, you will find the latest and finest titles for kids, as well as books of interest for parents.  In addition to adventurous readers, we are looking for parent volunteers to help make this a smooth journey.  Please contact  Christina@themaneros.com to sign up.  More details to come! 

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION:  Thank you for sending in all your box tops.  Our second contest ended today.  We will be announcing a new contest soon so keep saving your box tops.  Please register on www.btfe.com/passion to sign up and receive information about box tops.  Briargrove receives 50 cents for each person registered.  If you shop Marketplace through the Box Top website, a portion of your sale will be automatically donated to Briargrove.  Email your sign up confirmation or your marketplace confirmation to the coordinators and the box top dollars will be added to your students total for the contests.  Thank you for all your support.  Box top coordinators:  Kathleen Haley (Kathleen.haley@sbcglobal.net)
and Pam Miller (kpmiller.family@yahoo.com).     

CARNIVAL!  YEEHAW!  The Roadrunner Roundup Carnival was a huge success.  The weather was beautiful and the vittles were hot!  Thank you to all of the families, friends, and faculty for coming out to support our school.  Many thanks go out to our neighborhood sponsors, family underwriters and the many volunteers who make the carnival possible.  You make Briargrove the great school that it is!  And if you didn’t get to dunk our new principle, Debi Russell, at the dunk tank….there’s always next year! 

A Texas-sized thank you to our Carnival Gals, Stacey Coneley, Courtney Mitchell and Melinda Prewett for rounding up our herd last Saturday for a boot-scootin’, dosey doin’ good time!!  Your steadiness in the saddle made for a smooth, fun event that raised thousands of dollars for our Briargrove students.  Hang up your hats and turn out the light girls-you did a GREAT job!

DADS CLUB:  Thanks to all who volunteered to man the haunted house and grill and to those who sold raffle tickets for the carnival!  The raffle alone raised over $25,000 for the school!  Great work! 

DIRECTORY: The 2009-2010 Directories are here!  Purchase yours today for $10.  You may pay by credit card online in the school store or send cash or checks (made payable to Briargrove PTO) to the front office.  Include your child’s name, grade and teacher with your payment.  Directories will be delivered to your child to bring home.  Please contact Kenze Beyer (kenze.beyer@transwestern.net) or Annie Pangle (anniepangle@yahoo.com) with any questions.

GRADY NEWS!    The Grady Gator Basketball season begins soon!  Come cheer for the girls’ team on November 12th at 5pm in the Grady Gym.  The boys’ team will be participating in a basketball tournament the weekend of Friday, the 13th.  Come out and show your support.  Go to www.houstonisd.org/GradyMS/Basketball  for the complete schedule.  Go GATORS!

HOUSE AND GROUNDS ALERT!  Come one, come all!  Make your mark on the BG wall!  We need your help to paint tiles to complete the corner tile frame project at San Felipe and Briarmead.  What a great way to have fun and have your artwork on display for years to come!  Please visit the Mad Potter at 1341 South Voss and let them know you want to paint a tile for Briargrove Elementary.  The tile is $5 plus the painting cost.  Visit www.madpotter.com for details on their Halloween special and other free painting days. 

SAVE THE DATE!!  Briargrove Spring Party – Reunion Roundup!  We’ll be rounding up Briargrove friends, neighbors and alumni to join us at the Firehouse Saloon on February 27^th to celebrate and raise money for our beautiful school that benefits everyone in the area!  If you know someone who might like to receive an invitation to attend or possibly make a donation, please forward it to Blake Kunetka at bkunetka1@comcast.net.

LOST AND FOUND:  All lost and found articles that remain unclaimed on Monday, November 2, will be donated to a local charity.  Please stop by and look for your children’s lost and unlabeled lunch boxes, sweaters, jackets and other items in our Lost and Found cabinet in the front office before November 2!

LUNCH MONEY INFORMATION:  Did you know that you can check your student’s cafeteria account balance and purchases, make secure online payments and receive low balance email messages by going to www.parentonline.net ?  Even if you are not making online payments on your student’s cafeteria account, you can still register your student and obtain this information.  You will need your child’s student ID #, which you will find on his/her report card, (report cards are being sent home on November 4), or by calling the front office.

PARENT LITERACY MEETING:  Monday, November 2^nd at 7:15a.m.  Ami Johnson will discuss how teachers are teaching literacy at Briargrove!  Topics will include Guided Reading and Work stations!  For more information, contact, Ami Johnson at AJOHNS31@houstonisd.org

PATRIOT DAY IS COMING!  Family and friends are invited to enjoy “An Afternoon of Recitations and Dancing” at 1:30pm, Thursday November 5th in the cafeteria as part of the Fifth Grade Patriot’s Day Celebration.  The students will have spent the day participating in numerous colonial activities culminating in an evening reception.  The students will be arriving in shifts at the home of Rick and Susan McConn.  They will receive an invitation from their teacher indicating their time of arrival to witness additional colonial people and activities.  Remember that all students must be in costume.  Check with Ms. Klusener if you have any costume questions.  Any parent that is available to help and be willing to wear a costume should contact Janet Taylor at tntjbt@sbcglobal.net. 

SHARPIE ALERT!  If your child’s name is on his/her belongings, it is returned to his/her teacher’s mailbox! 

TRAFFIC AND SAFETY:  Reminder to parents that there is no stopping/dropping off kids on Briar Ridge in the morning, you must go through front or back carpool, and no left or right turn off San Felipe onto Briarmead  from 7:30-8:00 and 3:00-3:30. 

VANGUARD NEWS:  All 5th and Kindergarten students will take the NNAT2 on Tuesday, November 3rd!  There will be a Parent/Teacher Focus Meeting on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00am and 6:00pm.  The 9:00am Guest Speaker is Linda Reihl—Vanguard Coordinator at Grady Middle School,  and the 6:00pm Guest Speaker is Brenda Pederson—Vanguard Coordinator at Lanier Middle School. 

There will be a parent information meeting for all parents interested in applying to the Vanguard Program for the 2010-2011 school year on Monday, November 30th.  Procedures, timelines, expectations and applications will be available at that time.  The meeting will be at 9:00am and 6:00pm. 

YEARBOOK PICTURES NEEDED!  Briargrove Yearbook needs BG Photos – did you attend a BG field trip and take photos?  Yearbook would like a copy!  Have you attended BG class or school functions and taken pictures?  Yearbook wants a copy!  Any Briargrove activity that you have attended and photographed we would love a copy of your photos.  Zip and email to Cynthia@championhousing.com OR clearly label, grade and name of function and drop a disc off at the Yearbook Mailbox in the office.

To find out more information go to the 5th Grade Patriot Day page at www.bgroadrunners.org/patriotsday

The much anticipated Patriots' Day is next Thursday, November 5.  If you are able to dress in colonial costume and help our students in their activities, please email Janet Taylor at tntjbt@sbcglobal.net  If you are not able to help, make plans to come at 1:30 for "An Afternoon of Recitations and Dancing" in the cafeteria.

Your child received an invitation for the evening reception in their Wednesday Folder.  If you are able to bake the special Colonial Style Cookies, let Janet know and she will send you the recipe.  Everything will be a replica of authentic colonial times, from the candlelit home to the people they here.  It promises to be a wonderful experience.

To find out more information go to the 5th Grade Patriot Day page at www.bgroadrunners.org/patriotsday