Dear Washburn Families,
I want to continue to provide information about changes that may impact the
programming we provide for students. In the December issue of our newsletter, I
shared that we have hired a new International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinator,
Dr. Linnea Swenson Tellekson. The purpose of this message is to clarify some of the
work Dr. Swenson Tellekson will be coordinating. In addition, I want to share
district work that will impact our courses.
Washburn is moving forward with MYP, (Middle Years Programme) and the
application for MYP candidacy status will be submitted by April 1, 2013. The 201314 school year is going to be our first year of MYP implementation. MYP requires
that the whole school participate. All staff members and students become part of
the culture of high expectations, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary learning. We’re
creating the conditions to bring about the curricular and cultural changes required
by the IB organization for the MYP framework. Ongoing collaboration with the
District around MYP and Focused Instruction has and will directly inform the
teaching and learning at the 9th and 10th grade levels. Washburn is working to
align 9 through 12th grade curriculum. We are building a shared understanding of
the high expectations to prepare student for success in 11th and 12th grade IB
courses. Dr. Swenson Tellekson’s expertise in the areas of professional development
and organizational structures and procedures will strengthen our application
process for MYP consideration, and further support our current
Diploma Programme (DP).
·
Our district is moving toward consistency in the labeling of all courses. As part
of this process it will establish clear titles and definition for accelerated courses
including Honors. We will transition from using “Honors for All” to “MYP for All” as
the framework to support rigorous academics for 9th and 10th graders at
Washburn.
·
For second semester in 9th and 10th grade we will continue the studentclustering and teacher-collaboration model that provides support and enrichment
within the English Language Arts and Social Studies courses.
·
The Biology and Physics teaching staff will continue to use Focused
Instruction, create flexible groups within the courses, and collaborate with
colleagues across the district. The teachers will use differentiation strategies
embedded in Focused Instruction. Through their PLCs (Professional Learning
Communities), teachers will use student data from the first semester to inform their
student grouping strategies to address and accommodate the needs for support
and/or enrichment.
We know our students come with a range of academic knowledge and skills. The
implementation of MYP will provide the framework for every student and staff
member to be involved in the learning and the teaching. MYP unit plans, as well as
focused instruction units, provide teachers with a range of curricular
recommendations, curricular strategies, and student activities that are based on
student needs.
In addition to our work for MYP authorization we will continue to:
·
Review data on current and incoming 9th graders to inform us how to better
understand student needs in the classroom. This information helps us develop the
master schedule and inform English Language Arts and Social Studies teachers of
specific support and enrichment that students need in their respective classes.
·
Group 9th and 10th graders in Advanced Algebra classes. This will allow more
comparable class sizes.
·
Continue to use focused instruction, create flexible groups within courses, and
collaborate with colleagues and district science leadership regarding Biology and
Physics Courses. The science teachers and school administrators will analyze the
data and make adjustments regarding the configuration of the classes as well as
instructional support.
·
Cluster, differentiate and provide professional development for teachers as
Focused Instruction expands into 10th grade.
·
Build robust teacher professional development structures for making learning
relevant and challenging for all learners
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Carol Markham-Cousins