Perry Central Poly-Tech

This week, for our Poly-Tech Grant, I had to fill out a one pager for our Perry Central program. It really helped me wrap my head around how to describe our program - so I wanted to share it with you!  The whole idea of poly-tech programs is to provide students with deep work-based learning opportunities, project based learning experiences, opportunities to not only learn rigorous standards and professional skills and in the end have a credential of currency!  Most schools are starting their poly-tech programs with a small group of students.  With all of the programs all of you have already started, we feel we are in the unique position to provide poly-tech to ALL of our students.  We are trying to adopt a WHOLE school model, which is very innovative.  

I have provided a copy of the one-page outline that defines Perry Central Poly-Tech.  I wanted to share it with you.  I believe our biggest challenge and opportunity is to impelement more project based learning and workplace challenge opportunities to our students.  It sounds easy, but it is going to be a lot of hard work for all of us.  We are going to have to UNDO the structures we find normal in a public school and keep pushing ourselves to think outside of the box.   We are going to fail and even cuss a bit, but I believe that the outcomes will be worth it.

Perry Central Poly-Tech One Pager

Why am I passionate about Workplace Challenges/Project Based Learning?  I posted a few pictures below.  I think you can fill in the narrative, especially when you see the types of students it touches most!   Sometimes, I think it is easy to think Project Based Learning/Workplace Challenges are for our best students. . . sometimes I think we miss an opportunity to change the trajectory of others by not being willing to change how we teach all students!!   I believe that changing how we conduct school will change lives - it already has with YOUR leadership!  Keep it up!  You are doing great things - why stop here??

       High School Students Speaking to 8th grade parents on scheduling night - talking about their pathway and the benefits of it and what they do!                   

  

Students participating in off-campus contests and winning scholarships!

Students presenting to adults outside of our school and sharing their work.  (They signed up to do this, by the way - they wanted to share!!)

Students presenting in Indianapolis to a state-wide network about school enterprise to state business leaders!!

If you have questions about any of this work, please reach out anytime!

Important Information: 

Grading Period:  Due to our "storm day" on Friday, we are going to move the end of the grading period back two days, in case you needed some time to catch students up or finish a test for this quarter.  The end of the grading period will be Tuesday, March 7th, grades are due Friday, March 10th at midnight and we will pass out report cards on Tuesday, March 14th.  If you have a grade you want for the 4th quarter, just date it after the 7th.    Please let us know if you have any questions! 

WIN:  We will begin the new WIN locations this Monday, March 6th.  Phil will send out a PBIS lesson for you to go over with your students 4th period and they should report to their new locations that day.  A few reminders:  (Here is the WIN Document)

     * Assistants, check your assigned locations on the document again.  Other teachers may ask you to help them at different times, but this will be your base location. 

     * Skyward has been updated so teachers can take attendance.  Assistants, I have added you to grade books that you are assigned to.  

     * You can still pull students for WIN (and are encouraged to).  

     * We are sure we made some mistakes making a change this quickly, so please let us know if you find them.  

     * THANK YOU for your flexibilty and feedback.  We will see how this goes the last quarter. 

Upcoming Dates: 

March 13th - Math & Island Team - PLC Learning (Students visit)

March 14th - In Search for Deeper Learning Book Study  7:15 a.m. HS Library

March 15th - Faculty Meeting 7:25 a.m. / Surprise and Delight Lunch!

March 16th - English & Special Education - PLC Learning (Students visit)

March 17th - Science & Social Studies  - PLC Learning (Students visit)

Thanks to the boys basketball team for a great season!  Their moms did a little pep session for them Friday evening before they left!  #good2bgreen