One important program that I am involved with is a Small Learning Community, which is a new program at Apollo High School that is designed to help freshmen students become more successful in their transition to high school. This program is supported by the Glendale Union High School District and is also being implemented at Sunnyslope High School and Moon Valley High School. The following outline will help to break down this program.
Apollo Hawks Freshmen Academy
We at Apollo are very excited to be involved in the implementation of the freshman academy. It is a wonderful opportunity for these freshmen to get off to a great start here at Apollo by being a part of a community that seeks to make the transition into high school easier.
Community Members Involved:
- 130 freshman
- Math 1-2 (Steve Threadgill - smthread@guhsdaz.org)
- Thinking Science (Jessica Thiebeau – jlthiebe@guhsdaz.org)
- English 1-2 (Leif Barsness – lmbarsne@guhsdaz.org)
- Business Fundamentals (Derrick Jefferson – drjeffer@guhsdaz.org)
- One Counselor
- Toni Cook – tdcook@guhsdaz.org )
- Four Administrators
- Sue Maland – slmaland@guhsdaz.org
- Allison Mattingly – amatting@guhsdaz.org
- Dan Streeter – dlstreet@guhsdaz.org
- Ed Barnes – epbarnes@guhsdaz.org
Purpose for Small Learning Community is to Address:
- High absenteeism/tardy rate
- High failure rate
- High dropout rate
- Desire to increase participation in extra curricular activities
Criteria for success of project:
Success will be determined by the SLC students outperforming the general freshman population in the criteria listed above.
Steps for student success:
- Provided three ring binder
- Contains
- Parent communication log
- Homework Planner
- Monthly/ Weekly Calendar
- Organizational structure for core classes
- Parent communication
- Newsletter
- Good News Cards
- Infinite Campus – The Parent Portal (access through school website)
- Phone calls/ e-mails
- Daily computer usage
- Provides daily access to grades, internet, and Microsoft programs
- Teacher collaboration
- Weekly meetings
- Increase communication about student progress and behavior
- Teachers share common policies and procedures
- Intercommunity development
- Extracurricular activities
- Increase awareness and encourage participation in athletics and clubs
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