District officials get first glimpse of Gordon Parks
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| Stephanie Stovall, principal of Gordon Parks Academy, right, gives media, district staff and Board of Education members a tour of her school currently under construction. |
Stephanie Stovall, principal of Gordon Parks Academy, district officials and Board of Education members toured the school currently under construction. Members of the media were invited to go along with the tour to see the progress. Even though there are still many things that need to be done, Gordon Parks Academy will be ready to open its doors to students in August.
“I’m excited about our school,” Stovall said. “It will be beautiful, colorful and I’m excited to see it filled with children.”
Gordon Parks Academy will be a neighborhood magnet with half of the seats reserved for neighborhood students who apply to attend; the other half will be for students across the district who apply through the magnet school program.
Stovall and assistant principal Jaime Hutchinson have been visiting schools and homes in the neighborhood to inform parents of the new school. There are also informational meetings about the school scheduled in February and March. Information can be found on the school’s website.
The district intends to apply for Gordon Parks Academy to be a primary years and middle years International Baccalaureate program. The curriculum will be delivered to all students who attend the school.
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Gordon Parks Academy will open in August 2008. Photos by Susan Arensman |
The school is being built near the new Boys and Girls Club and The Opportunity Project (TOPS) early childhood facility at 25th St. and Grove. Gordon Parks Academy is designed by Schaefer, Johnson, Cox and Frey Architecture and the contractor is Compton Construction Corporation. The $9.4 million, 80,000 square foot facility will be built to hold 600 students and will feature 29 general classrooms, an art room, two music rooms, a computer lab, library, parent involvement center and a multipurpose room that will also be a FEMA tornado safe room. The new school will also include a privately-managed clinic to provide medical and dental services to area children with needs.
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Choices Fair is February 26
The 19th annual Wichita Public Schools' Choices Fair will be held Tuesday, February 26, 5 – 8 p.m. at Century II Exhibition Hall. Representatives from magnet schools, elementary, middle and high schools, special programs and a variety of district offices will be available to visit with parents about the educational options they have for their children. The Choices Fair gives parents and students the opportunity for “one-stop shopping” to see which school or program best meets their child’s education needs. Magnet applications are available on the district's website.
There will be people available at the Choices Fair to answer questions about Superintendent Brooks' plan to end busing for desegregation that was approved by the Board of Education on Jan. 28. Priority magnet placement will be given to students who were bused for desegregation in the 2007-2008 school year, based on space availability. More information on the plan can be found here.
Click here for more information about the Choices Fair.
Six named Distinguished Classroom Teachers
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Front row left: Marcia Williamson, Rebecca Palacio, Kayla Grayson
Back row left: Christie Klein, Megan Parsons, Frances Johannsen
Photo by Susan Arensman |
The Wichita Public Schools is proud to announce the recipients of the 2008 Distinguished Classroom Teacher Awards in their respective categories.
Megan Parsons, kindergarten teacher at Jefferson Elementary – New Teacher, Elementary category
Frances Johannsen, sixth-grade language arts teacher at Marshall Middle School – New Teacher, Secondary category
Rebecca Palacio, first-grade teacher at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet – Primary (Pre-K through 2) Teacher category
Kayla Grayson, fourth-grade teacher at Colvin Elementary – Intermediate (3 through 5) Teacher category
Christie Klein, math teacher at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet – Middle School Teacher category
Marcia Williamson, autism instructor at East High School – High School Teacher category
The recipients will be honored at the February 25 Board of Education meeting, 6 p.m., North High School lecture hall. During the meeting, it will be announced which two teachers will represent the district for the prestigious Kansas Teacher of the Year award.
The Distinguished Classroom Teacher Awards program honors outstanding teachers who affect the quality of education in the Wichita Public Schools. Peers, building administrators or parents nominated each of the recipients. A committee consisting of principals, the assistant superintendents of elementary, middle and high schools and a member of the United Teachers of Wichita selects the final recipients.
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Pleasant Valley named AVID Demonstration School
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| Pleasant Valley Middle School staff celebrates being named a National Demonstration School on February 5. Photo courtesy Pleasant Valley |
Pleasant Valley Middle School has been named an AVID National Demonstration School. The school was recognized for achieving the highest standards for AVID implementation and expansion.
As a National Demonstration School, other schools from across the country who are interested in an AVID program can visit Pleasant Valley to see how the program is implemented. There are 100 schools across the country that have achieved the honor of being named a National Demonstration School. There are 3,500 schools across the country with an AVID program.
North was named an AVID National Demonstration School in 2007 and 2005. Pleasant Valley and North are the only schools in Kansas that have received this honor.
The AVID program is a college prep program designed for students who have the potential, but who traditionally may not see college as a possibility. Each student involved in AVID takes an AVID elective in addition to Advanced Placement and higher-level courses. The students also receive support from college tutors and are encouraged to become leaders in the school and community.
Besides Pleasant Valley and North, there are AVID programs at Hadley, Marshall, Southeast and West. The program will expand to Coleman, Mayberry, Truesdell, Heights and South in the 2008-2009 school year.
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Horace Mann named Distinguished Title I School
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| From left, Horace Mann principal Ken Jantz and teachers Kristi Teter, Mona Bomgardner, Rachel Aponso, Jannea Alonso. Photo courtesy Horace Mann |
Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet has been named a Distinguished Title I School by the National Association of Title I Directors. The honor is given to schools that have demonstrated significant sustained academic improvement despite having a poverty rate of 35 percent or higher. Eighty-one percent of Horace Mann students qualify for free or reduced lunches.
Horace Mann was recognized in the category of closing the achievement gap between student groups. The school received the honor on January 31 at the National Title I Conference in Nashville.
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Students recognized for "doing the right thing"
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| Photo by Susan Arensman |
Twenty-nine middle and high school students were recognized by the Board of Education during the 99% Awards ceremony for the second quarter on February 4. The 99% Awards recognize students who are making a contribution to their school by receiving good grades and having at least 90% attendance, but who may not get the recognition they deserve for doing the right thing.
During the ceremony, teachers, counselors and principals shared stories about each recipient and why he or she was was chosen for the recognition.
Front row from left– Daniel Burgos, Pleasant Valley Middle School; Victoria Rios-Sanchez, Marshall; Jeffrey Pentland, Truesdell; Dezirea Baldwin, Wells; Melissa Morales, Metro-Meridian; Janice Brittain, Hadley; Dondre Broom, Jardine
Second row from left – Elijah James, Coleman; Akia Kerr, Stucky; Dominique Calhoun, Brooks; Christopher White, Heights; Max Nickel, Allison; Laura Boardman, Hamilton; Mikeal Maunz, Wilbur; Bich Nguyen, Curtis; Elizabeth Towne, Northeast Magnet; Primchanok Vongjumnong, East; Jonathan Villanueva, Mayberry
Third row from left – Laron Shaw, Metro-Midtown; Jairo Olivas, Blackbear Bosin; Ryan Brown, Northwest; Ralph Rodriguez, South; Amanda Holmes, West; Erin Ratliff, Metro-Boulevard; Angel Espinosa, Southeast
Not pictured: Megan Allen, North; Rodolfo Fernandez, Horace Mann; Thuan Pham, Robinson; Thomas Welton, Mead;
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