From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent
SLPS Partners with NUA to Close the Achievement Gap
St. Louis Public Schools is teaming up with the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) as part of the district’s ongoing efforts to bolster student performance. The partnership is supported by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The goal is to close the achievement gap and help children at all levels reach their full potential. Beginning in January, eleven schools will participate in this dynamic program.
As part of the SLPS initiative, NUA will coach teachers in specific instructional strategies that build on students’ strengths and knowledge in ways that connect them to the ideas and skills of the curriculum. NUA mentors will go into the schools to assess how each one is organized for instruction, examining the building’s educational environment and how resources are used for student instruction.
NUA has worked successfully in over twenty cities across the country, including Albany, Birmingham, New York City, Minneapolis, and Seattle. Their innovative approaches recognize that each school community faces distinct challenges, requiring proven models of instruction adapted to meet the needs of students.
Take the Challenge
Parents play a vital role in their child’s education; and we need to remind them that they are important partners to the district. As part of SLPS’s commitment to quality customer service, I am extending a challenge to each staff member to make a minimum of one positive parent contact each week. Let’s see the results!
“Gifted Guru” Visits SLPS
Renowned American educational psychologist, Dr. Joseph Renzulli, visited the St. Louis Public School District on Thursday, December 13. Considered one of the most influential authorities in the field of gifted education, Dr. Renzulli’s broadened conception of giftedness has been instrumental in changing educators’ views of intellectual talent. As part of his national tour, he and his colleagues shared new research and ideas with the district, including the benefits of technology. During his presentation, he spoke to principals about how they can best meet the needs of our gifted and talented students. He and his colleagues also visited the McKinley Ninth Grade Leadership Academy and met with assistant superintendents and the SLPS gifted education staff.
Dr. Renzulli is the director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, a federally funded program based at the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut. He is also the endowed chairman of the university’s Neag Center for Gifted Education & Talented Development.
“A Million Minutes by March”
SLPS is preparing to launch an exciting new reading initiative called “A Million Minutes by March.” The goal of this program will be to challenge our children to read outside of school. Parents will be encouraged to participate in the reading process with their children. We hope this will be a fun and easy way to encourage reading district-wide and at all grade levels. Watch for more details in the weeks to come.
Parenting Tips
Did you know that some foods can actually interfere with your child’s learning?
For example, too much sugar in a child’s diet may reduce his/her ability to concentrate and may impair his/her short term memory. Foods that contain caffeine, such as chocolate or cola drinks, can be overstimulating and keep a child from focusing on a task.
Studies have found that some children’s behavior worsens after they eat foods that contain certain ingredients. For instance, some children have sensitivity to milk or wheat. Food allergies can make your child uncomfortable and unable to concentrate. Artificial coloring found in some foods have also been found to cause some children to have attention or behavior problems.
If your child’s teacher has expressed concern about his/her behavior or lack of concentration, consider changing your child’s diet before turning to medication. A doctor or nutritionist will be able to help you make dietary changes. For more information, go to www.reading.org/downloads/parents/pb1054_nutrition.pdf.
New Link on SLPS Homepage
The district has added a link to the Cooperating School District’s Legislative Action Center on our home page. Through the Action Center, you can email state and federal representatives and senators, track congressional bills, etc. The link appears under the heading of Events and Calendar: CSD Legislative Action Center. Be an advocate for education!
Winter Safety Tips
This is the time of year when severe winter weather can greatly affect SLPS staff and families. The following information will help keep you safe during the winter months.
Indoor Safety
• If possible, stay indoors and dress warmly.
• Conserve fuel. Lower your thermostat to 65 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night.
• Close off unused rooms.
• Seal drafts from doors and windows.
Outdoor Safety
Babies, young children and the elderly are more at risk from the cold, and should be kept warm.
• Dress warmly. Wear loose-fitting, layered clothes. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water-repellent.
• Wear mittens rather than gloves; mittens are warmer.
• If you shovel snow, do stretching exercises to warm up. Take frequent breaks.
• Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extremely cold air.
• Avoid working too hard; it can strain your heart.
• Drink water and other fluids to avoid dehydration.
• Watch for signs of frostbite: feelings of “pins and needles” followed by numbness (no feeling). Skin may freeze hard and look white. When thawed out, skin is red and painful. Extreme frostbite may cause blisters or gangrene (black, dead tissue).
• Watch for signs of hypothermia (uncontrolled shivering, slow speech, memory loss, stumbling, sleepiness, extreme tiredness).
• If you think you have frostbite or hypothermia, do not eat or drink anything containing caffeine or alcohol – they can worsen your symptoms.
• Drink warm liquids that do not contain caffeine or alcohol. Alcoholic beverages cause your body to lose heat more quickly.
• Do not eat snow. It lowers your body temperature.
For additional information on winter weather preparedness and emergency measures, visit the CDC website: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter.
The safety tip is provided by Colonel Eugene E. Reece, Sr., Executive Director of the St. Louis Public Schools Department of Safety and Security.
Public Information – At Your Service!
In recent months, new faces have joined the Office of Public Information, and some staff members have assumed new responsibilities. You are invited to contact Public Information to share news or to ask questions. The department supports the superintendent and the district in media relations, internal communications, marketing, and community outreach.
Meet the staff:
Deborah Sistrunk, Media Relations Coordinator, 314-345-2254, deborah.sistrunk@slps.org
Kate Stewart, Marketing Coordinator, 314-345-4694, kate.stewart@slps.org
Karen Hylton, Community Outreach Coordinator, 314-345-4589, karen.hylton@slps.org
Eric Little, Communications Coordinator-Media, 314-345-2377, eric.little@slps.org
Robin Brown, Assistant, 314-345-2367, robin.brown@slps.org
“One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
- Maya Angelou
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