In the Headlines
Word’s gotten out that Kingsley has some great things going on.
Dunwoody Patch: If You Build It, They Will Come: The Learning Garden at Kingsley
Remember the famous line from the 1989 film Field of Deams? “If you build it, he will come.”
The movie is about an Iowa farmer who heard a voice he believed was asking him to turn his cornfield into a baseball field. To the disbelief of his neighbors, he plowed down a portion of thecorn crop and built the field.
A year later, Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other players banned in the 1919 Black Sox scandal walked out of the corn by the outfield. One of them was the farmer’s father, with whom he hadtroubles as a youth.
I thought about that line from Field of Dreams on a recent visit to Kingsley Charter School.
Bernadette Cummings, a first grade teacher, was leading a workday cleanup session in the learning garden at the school. She was joined by several enthusiastic volunteers, Kim Champney, Ana Ortiz, Nonie Chaudary and Amanda Hensley.
Bernadette explained how in August 2009 the garden was just barren ground. The only thing sprouting there was a satellite dish.
But she and others had a dream. The barren land could become not just a garden, but a learning garden.
If you build it, they will come – to use the line from the movie in a way in which it is often misquoted.
Teachers and school master gardeners built the garden and indeed, they did come.
Butterflies. Lots of them.
Fritillaries.
Swallowtails.
White cabbage butterflies.
As in the movie, it took a year for the guests of honor to arrive. But, it was worth the wait.
In August of 2010 the students took a caterpillar into the classroom and watched it go through allstages of growth. The most thrilling was as a butterfly that flittered around the room.
In one year the barren ground had become a learning garden which the first graders used to conduct simple science experiments. Then they wrote about their experiences in their journals.
What goes on in the school garden curriculum-wise involves lesson plans and is all education and standards-based, Bernadette explained.
She’s using the garden to teach the children for example, about pollination and how fruit comes from a flower.
What’s next?
This year they would like to put in a pumpkin patch.
“Anything else?” I asked Bernadette.
Monarchs.
So far, the migrating Monarch butterflies have not found the milkweed the teachers and students have planted.
So, they plan to plant milkweed again in the belief that if they continue to plant it the Monarchs will come. Maybe this will be the year.
The movie is about an Iowa farmer who heard a voice he believed was asking him to turn his cornfield into a baseball field. To the disbelief of his neighbors, he plowed down a portion of thecorn crop and built the field.
A year later, Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other players banned in the 1919 Black Sox scandal walked out of the corn by the outfield. One of them was the farmer’s father, with whom he hadtroubles as a youth.
I thought about that line from Field of Dreams on a recent visit to Kingsley Charter School.
Bernadette Cummings, a first grade teacher, was leading a workday cleanup session in the learning garden at the school. She was joined by several enthusiastic volunteers, Kim Champney, Ana Ortiz, Nonie Chaudary and Amanda Hensley.
Bernadette explained how in August 2009 the garden was just barren ground. The only thing sprouting there was a satellite dish.
But she and others had a dream. The barren land could become not just a garden, but a learning garden.
If you build it, they will come – to use the line from the movie in a way in which it is often misquoted.
Teachers and school master gardeners built the garden and indeed, they did come.
Butterflies. Lots of them.
Fritillaries.
Swallowtails.
White cabbage butterflies.
As in the movie, it took a year for the guests of honor to arrive. But, it was worth the wait.
In August of 2010 the students took a caterpillar into the classroom and watched it go through allstages of growth. The most thrilling was as a butterfly that flittered around the room.
In one year the barren ground had become a learning garden which the first graders used to conduct simple science experiments. Then they wrote about their experiences in their journals.
What goes on in the school garden curriculum-wise involves lesson plans and is all education and standards-based, Bernadette explained.
She’s using the garden to teach the children for example, about pollination and how fruit comes from a flower.
What’s next?
This year they would like to put in a pumpkin patch.
“Anything else?” I asked Bernadette.
Monarchs.
So far, the migrating Monarch butterflies have not found the milkweed the teachers and students have planted.
So, they plan to plant milkweed again in the belief that if they continue to plant it the Monarchs will come. Maybe this will be the year.
Dunwoody Patch: Kingsley Welcomes New Organic Food Garden
April 18, 2011
There was a pleasant surprise waiting for the kids at Kingsley Charter School when they arrived for class this morning.
During a volunteer workday on Saturday, a group of dads built 10 grow tables and placed them in a new organic food garden. The garden is being installed in a courtyard between the third and fourth grade classrooms and the gym, and the tables are the first items to be put in the garden.
The organic garden is Stage Two of the Kingsley School Master Gardeners of 2009 Plan.
Stage One is a learning garden. It is maturing and includes a sensory herb garden and a section with plants that attract pollinators. The children use it for projects such as studying the smell and use of plants and the life cycles of butterflies.
In the Stage Two garden, the children will use the grow tables for educational purposes, such as developing charting skills as they map out the placement of plants. This stage will be installed over a period of time. When completed, it will include rain barrels for water conservation and several fruit trees and blueberry bushes.
For now, teachers, School Master Gardeners and the 500 children from pre-K to fifth grade at Kingsley are happy to have the tables built and in place.
The cost of materials for the tables was paid for with a $1,000 grant from BRITA, the water filtration company, to establish a food garden on campus. Kingsley competed against hundreds of schools across America for the grant by submitting an idea to make the school more sustainable.
We're just so excited that we got the tables put together in less than three weeks from hearing we won the grant, Amanda Hensley, a parent member of the Kingsley School Master Gardeners, said on Saturday.
With only five weeks of school left and activities winding down before summer break, the children probably won’t begin planting crops until they return to school in the fall.
The vision, Hensley said, is for each grade to have a task. Homeroom teachers will have supervisory responsibilities, none more so than Bernadette Cummings. Bernadette is a first grade teacher who was working in the Learning Garden Saturday morning with moms of Kingsley students as the dads were building the tables on the other side of the school.
Bernadette, herself a School Master Gardener, takes the lead on getting other staff members involved and incorporating our curriculum into outdoor experiences in the garden, Hensley said. I'm sure that between her and Carol Lincoln, the Kingsley staff member who has led the Kingsley School Master Gardener team since its inception in spring of 2009, we'll have something growing there soon after the kids arrive in the fall, if not sooner.
“Sooner” could be this summer. If a soil mix is placed in the tables later this month or in May, the honor of sowing the first seeds or putting in the first transplants will likely go to the school’s neighbors in the Kingsley subdivision.
The plan is for the community to use the grow tables from June to August.
In any case, as Hensley put it, it will be exciting to watch it all unfold.
During a volunteer workday on Saturday, a group of dads built 10 grow tables and placed them in a new organic food garden. The garden is being installed in a courtyard between the third and fourth grade classrooms and the gym, and the tables are the first items to be put in the garden.
The organic garden is Stage Two of the Kingsley School Master Gardeners of 2009 Plan.
Stage One is a learning garden. It is maturing and includes a sensory herb garden and a section with plants that attract pollinators. The children use it for projects such as studying the smell and use of plants and the life cycles of butterflies.
In the Stage Two garden, the children will use the grow tables for educational purposes, such as developing charting skills as they map out the placement of plants. This stage will be installed over a period of time. When completed, it will include rain barrels for water conservation and several fruit trees and blueberry bushes.
For now, teachers, School Master Gardeners and the 500 children from pre-K to fifth grade at Kingsley are happy to have the tables built and in place.
The cost of materials for the tables was paid for with a $1,000 grant from BRITA, the water filtration company, to establish a food garden on campus. Kingsley competed against hundreds of schools across America for the grant by submitting an idea to make the school more sustainable.
We're just so excited that we got the tables put together in less than three weeks from hearing we won the grant, Amanda Hensley, a parent member of the Kingsley School Master Gardeners, said on Saturday.
With only five weeks of school left and activities winding down before summer break, the children probably won’t begin planting crops until they return to school in the fall.
The vision, Hensley said, is for each grade to have a task. Homeroom teachers will have supervisory responsibilities, none more so than Bernadette Cummings. Bernadette is a first grade teacher who was working in the Learning Garden Saturday morning with moms of Kingsley students as the dads were building the tables on the other side of the school.
Bernadette, herself a School Master Gardener, takes the lead on getting other staff members involved and incorporating our curriculum into outdoor experiences in the garden, Hensley said. I'm sure that between her and Carol Lincoln, the Kingsley staff member who has led the Kingsley School Master Gardener team since its inception in spring of 2009, we'll have something growing there soon after the kids arrive in the fall, if not sooner.
“Sooner” could be this summer. If a soil mix is placed in the tables later this month or in May, the honor of sowing the first seeds or putting in the first transplants will likely go to the school’s neighbors in the Kingsley subdivision.
The plan is for the community to use the grow tables from June to August.
In any case, as Hensley put it, it will be exciting to watch it all unfold.
Dunwoody Patch: Kingsley Wins $1,000 Grant to Create Food Garden on Campus
April 4, 2011
The Kingsley Charter School has been awarded a $1,000 grant from BRITA to establish a food garden on campus.
Kingsley competed against hundreds of schools across America for the grant by submitting an idea to make the school more sustainable. The grant is one of 50 FilterForGood Eco-Challenge grants of $1,000 each awarded by the water filtration company.
Kingsley staff member Carol Lincoln, who has led the Kingsley School Master Gardener team since its inception in the spring of 2009, wrote the application.
The focus of the application was to develop “an organic food garden to enrich the learning process in the areas of math, science, social studies and health.” The application proposed that planning and tending a food garden would lead to critical experiences in preparing and eating the food that would give the students a foundation for future processes in reasoning.
The garden site is an undeveloped area between the school building and gym. It receives more than six hours of sunlight daily and is in a flood plain with a central drain. The site will have 10 raised beds for growing organic vegetables, 10 worm bins, seven rain barrels, two blueberry bushes, two fruit trees, perhaps a grape vine and paved walking paths.
The proposed beds are called really raised beds and are large growing trays on legs. The benefits of the raised beds are that the occasional heavy downpour will not wash away soil or plants, there will be fewer pests than in a garden on the ground, and the height of the beds will ease the work of planting and harvesting from plants grown in a traditional manner.
The educational purpose of the garden is to teach students valuable lessons such as:
The price tag for all the components of the garden is $2,365. The BRITA grant was awarded to Kingsley on good faith that the school community would raise the additional $1,365 to complete the project.
The BRITA grant money will be used to build the 10 grow tables, said Amanda Hensley, a parent member of the Kingsley School Master Gardeners. “We have the labor, we need materials,” she explained on an overcast, damp and chilly afternoon last week at the charity garden at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church on North Peachtree Road.
With the money now available to buy the materials, Kingsley parent volunteers have scheduled a workday on Saturday, April 16 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. to assemble the tables. The tables will be used year round and will be open to the community in the summer.
The food garden project is Phase II of the development of two major hands-on garden areas on the campus.
The other garden area, a Learning Garden, was completed as Phase I in the first year of the School Master Gardener program’s initial year of operation. The Learning Garden is an outdoor space that includes a shade garden, butterfly garden, sensory herb garden, raised bed and a work area with tables.
The School Master Gardener team leads an active school Garden Club. It has 64 members and is the largest after-school club at Kingsley. The club’s activities cover a variety of gardening and environmental topics, including soil quality, the water cycle, vermiculture, seeds, birds and bulbs.
Kingsley competed against hundreds of schools across America for the grant by submitting an idea to make the school more sustainable. The grant is one of 50 FilterForGood Eco-Challenge grants of $1,000 each awarded by the water filtration company.
Kingsley staff member Carol Lincoln, who has led the Kingsley School Master Gardener team since its inception in the spring of 2009, wrote the application.
The focus of the application was to develop “an organic food garden to enrich the learning process in the areas of math, science, social studies and health.” The application proposed that planning and tending a food garden would lead to critical experiences in preparing and eating the food that would give the students a foundation for future processes in reasoning.
The garden site is an undeveloped area between the school building and gym. It receives more than six hours of sunlight daily and is in a flood plain with a central drain. The site will have 10 raised beds for growing organic vegetables, 10 worm bins, seven rain barrels, two blueberry bushes, two fruit trees, perhaps a grape vine and paved walking paths.
The proposed beds are called really raised beds and are large growing trays on legs. The benefits of the raised beds are that the occasional heavy downpour will not wash away soil or plants, there will be fewer pests than in a garden on the ground, and the height of the beds will ease the work of planting and harvesting from plants grown in a traditional manner.
The educational purpose of the garden is to teach students valuable lessons such as:
- Determining the mature size of a plant and calculating plant/tray ratio.
- Learning the process and requirements for growth of a plant.
- Studying cultural diversity and/or history as they research recipes for preparing the food.
- Discovering good environmental practices as they use garden waste to feed earthworms.
The price tag for all the components of the garden is $2,365. The BRITA grant was awarded to Kingsley on good faith that the school community would raise the additional $1,365 to complete the project.
The BRITA grant money will be used to build the 10 grow tables, said Amanda Hensley, a parent member of the Kingsley School Master Gardeners. “We have the labor, we need materials,” she explained on an overcast, damp and chilly afternoon last week at the charity garden at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church on North Peachtree Road.
With the money now available to buy the materials, Kingsley parent volunteers have scheduled a workday on Saturday, April 16 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. to assemble the tables. The tables will be used year round and will be open to the community in the summer.
The food garden project is Phase II of the development of two major hands-on garden areas on the campus.
The other garden area, a Learning Garden, was completed as Phase I in the first year of the School Master Gardener program’s initial year of operation. The Learning Garden is an outdoor space that includes a shade garden, butterfly garden, sensory herb garden, raised bed and a work area with tables.
The School Master Gardener team leads an active school Garden Club. It has 64 members and is the largest after-school club at Kingsley. The club’s activities cover a variety of gardening and environmental topics, including soil quality, the water cycle, vermiculture, seeds, birds and bulbs.
Dunwoody Patch: Kingsley's Odyssey of the Mind Team Named Whiz Kids of the Week
On March 27, Dunwoody Patch recognized Kingsley's Odyssey of the Mind Team as their Whiz Kids of the Week. Congratulations to:
Gavin Liles
Nathan Kleber
Luke Bradham
Hudson Griffin
Debbie Ku
Matthew Eitel
Ages: 1st through 5th grade
Accomplishment: Kingsley Charter Elementary's Odyssey of the Mind team competed at the Lilburn Regional Tournament of Odyssey of the Mind and won the Omer's Award for teams who exemplify teamwork and creative problem solving.
Key to Awesomeness: After several years of not having a team compete in the Odyssey of the Mind competition, this group of amazing students decided to form a team and give it their all to represent Kingsley Charter School. The team prepared for months, and big competition day finally arrived this past weekend.
Although they didn’t win the competition, the team was honored by the officials of the Lilburn Regional Tournament with an Omer's Award for exemplifying team work and creative problem solving. Way to go Gavin, Nathan, Luke, Hudson, Debbie and Matthew!
Gavin Liles
Nathan Kleber
Luke Bradham
Hudson Griffin
Debbie Ku
Matthew Eitel
Ages: 1st through 5th grade
Accomplishment: Kingsley Charter Elementary's Odyssey of the Mind team competed at the Lilburn Regional Tournament of Odyssey of the Mind and won the Omer's Award for teams who exemplify teamwork and creative problem solving.
Key to Awesomeness: After several years of not having a team compete in the Odyssey of the Mind competition, this group of amazing students decided to form a team and give it their all to represent Kingsley Charter School. The team prepared for months, and big competition day finally arrived this past weekend.
Although they didn’t win the competition, the team was honored by the officials of the Lilburn Regional Tournament with an Omer's Award for exemplifying team work and creative problem solving. Way to go Gavin, Nathan, Luke, Hudson, Debbie and Matthew!
Dunwoody Reporter: A superhero is reborn at school
He wears a long red cape.
His blue boots sparkle in the sun. Comets flame from his temples.
He speaks with the booming voice of a radio superhero from another time.
Captain Kingsley has it all.
“I think: Awesome!” said Kingsley Charter School first grader Reese Silverman.
So does Jasmine Smith, principal of the Dunwoody elementary where Captain Kingsley regularly appears to preach the virtues of fitness, reading and taking part in school activities.
“He is our own superhero,” Smith said. “Our students are excited. They’re engaged. Captain Kingsley has been a fabulous part of that.”
The captain, who masks his secret identity behind a pair of dark glasses, first appeared at Kinglsey a couple of years ago. A parent made the costume for a fund-raiser and students chose which teacher should wear it. After that, Captain Kingsley disappeared for a while.
Then, last summer, several parents were sitting around at a nearby pool and talking about how to get students more involved in being fit. Somebody remembered Captain Kingsley. They tracked down the costume and a superhero was reborn.
Now he regularly appears on videos broadcast during the school’s morning announcements. The kids talked so much about the videos – with titles such as “Readers of the Lost Book” and “Never Been Absent” – that they showed up on YouTube so their parents could check them out. Captain Kingsley appears periodically in person. And he led Dunwoody elementary school students onto the field during a break at a high school football game, several parents said.
“We love Captain Kingsley,” said Kingsley parent Carol Pajer, one of the folks who was at the pool that day last summer. “It’s just contagious when you look at the kids. It gets them excited and they are in a good mood, and kids in a good mood learn better.”
About 7 a.m. one chilly morning recently, dozens of Kingsley students gathered in a shopping center parking lot for “walk to school day.” About 250 students walked to school that morning in a grand parade led by their school’s own superhero.
“Can you imagine, across Georgia, all the students walking to school?” Captain Kingsley asked the walkers, his voice booming in the morning air. “And all the Captain Kingsleys walking? …. Oh, wait, there’s only one Captain Kingsley!”
He got a big laugh. He knew his crowd. “I don’t mind being zany,” Captain Kingsley said later that morning over sausage McMuffins at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. “I don’t care. If me being a zany, crazy guy puts smiles on kids’ faces and convinces them to do well, I’m doing my job. I consider it an honor to do it.”
Bill MacDonald, a 43-year-old UPS pilot who oddly is never seen at the same time as Captain Kingsley, says students feel a connection with the Captain. They listen to him when they might not pay attention to their parents on subjects like getting more exercise or eating their vegetables.
What’s Captain Kingsley’s superpower? “The power of persuasion,” MacDonald said, grinning. “The power of persuasion to do the right thing.”
That’s powerful. “Kids are looking for positive images,” he said. “You have negative images squawking louder and longer.”
Besides, it’s fun. “It’s just great to be a part of it,” MacDonald said. “It’s a privilege.”
Now the word is out: He’s looking for a sidekick.
His blue boots sparkle in the sun. Comets flame from his temples.
He speaks with the booming voice of a radio superhero from another time.
Captain Kingsley has it all.
“I think: Awesome!” said Kingsley Charter School first grader Reese Silverman.
So does Jasmine Smith, principal of the Dunwoody elementary where Captain Kingsley regularly appears to preach the virtues of fitness, reading and taking part in school activities.
“He is our own superhero,” Smith said. “Our students are excited. They’re engaged. Captain Kingsley has been a fabulous part of that.”
The captain, who masks his secret identity behind a pair of dark glasses, first appeared at Kinglsey a couple of years ago. A parent made the costume for a fund-raiser and students chose which teacher should wear it. After that, Captain Kingsley disappeared for a while.
Then, last summer, several parents were sitting around at a nearby pool and talking about how to get students more involved in being fit. Somebody remembered Captain Kingsley. They tracked down the costume and a superhero was reborn.
Now he regularly appears on videos broadcast during the school’s morning announcements. The kids talked so much about the videos – with titles such as “Readers of the Lost Book” and “Never Been Absent” – that they showed up on YouTube so their parents could check them out. Captain Kingsley appears periodically in person. And he led Dunwoody elementary school students onto the field during a break at a high school football game, several parents said.
“We love Captain Kingsley,” said Kingsley parent Carol Pajer, one of the folks who was at the pool that day last summer. “It’s just contagious when you look at the kids. It gets them excited and they are in a good mood, and kids in a good mood learn better.”
About 7 a.m. one chilly morning recently, dozens of Kingsley students gathered in a shopping center parking lot for “walk to school day.” About 250 students walked to school that morning in a grand parade led by their school’s own superhero.
“Can you imagine, across Georgia, all the students walking to school?” Captain Kingsley asked the walkers, his voice booming in the morning air. “And all the Captain Kingsleys walking? …. Oh, wait, there’s only one Captain Kingsley!”
He got a big laugh. He knew his crowd. “I don’t mind being zany,” Captain Kingsley said later that morning over sausage McMuffins at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. “I don’t care. If me being a zany, crazy guy puts smiles on kids’ faces and convinces them to do well, I’m doing my job. I consider it an honor to do it.”
Bill MacDonald, a 43-year-old UPS pilot who oddly is never seen at the same time as Captain Kingsley, says students feel a connection with the Captain. They listen to him when they might not pay attention to their parents on subjects like getting more exercise or eating their vegetables.
What’s Captain Kingsley’s superpower? “The power of persuasion,” MacDonald said, grinning. “The power of persuasion to do the right thing.”
That’s powerful. “Kids are looking for positive images,” he said. “You have negative images squawking louder and longer.”
Besides, it’s fun. “It’s just great to be a part of it,” MacDonald said. “It’s a privilege.”
Now the word is out: He’s looking for a sidekick.
Dunwoody Crier: This 'bus' has a lot of manpower
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 11:39 AM EST
A “Walking School Bus” makes its way to Kingsley with 260 students on board. More than 1,200 students from Dunwoody’s five elementary schools participated in the second annual Georgia Walk to School Day on March 2. For more information about this special day, as well as other “green” initiatives, read the Sustainability Commission’s column on page 14.
11 Alive: Georgia Charter Schools Make the Grade
Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer
Thursday, January 20, 2011, 8:12 am
WASHINGTON, DC -- Georgia has the nation's 7th strongest charter school law, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' (NAPCS) second annual ranking of state charter school laws.
Minnesota's charter law ranked first, and Mississippi's newly enacted charter school law ranked last.
"Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Public Charter School Laws" analyzes the country's 41 state charter school laws. Each state's law is scored on how well it supports charter school quality and growth, based on the 20 essential components from the NAPCS' model charter school law.
"Georgia was passed by four states, dropping from number four to number seven. This drop had more to do with aggressive changes made in other states than with any steps backward in Georgia," said Todd Ziebarth, vice president, state advocacy and support of NAPCS. "Georgia remains a cap-free environment that is open to a wide variety of public charter schools, with multiple paths toward authorization."
Ziebarth is the lead author of the report.
"One potential area of improvement is providing equitable access to capital funding and facilities," he said. "Another is providing clarity in the law to govern the expansion and replication of high-quality charter schools through multi-school charter contracts and/or multi-charter contract board arrangements."
The new report captures all the legislative moves that states made to be more competitive under the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top competition.
As a new crop of governors and legislators prepare for the upcoming legislative sessions, the rankings provide clear indications of where some states excel and others come up short in charter school laws. The report also offers a positive roadmap for how governors and legislators can take action to strengthen their charter school laws.
The 10 states with laws shown to best support the growth of high-quality charter schools are:
1. Minnesota
2. Florida
3. Massachusetts
4. Colorado
5. New York
6. California
7. Georgia
8. District of Columbia
9. Louisiana
10. Utah
There are 10 states that have still failed to enact a charter school law: Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Some of Metro Atlanta's charter schools are:
* Addison Elementary School (3055 Ebenezer Road, Marietta, 30066)
* Amana Academy (285 South Main Street, Alpharetta, 30004)
* Brighten Academy (3264 Brookmont Parkway, Douglasville, 30135)
* Carroll County College and Career Academy
* Chesnut Charter Elementary School (4576 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody, 30338)
* Douglas County College and Career Institute (9030 Highway 5, Douglasville, 30134)
* Dunwoody Springs Charter Elementary School (8100 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs, 30350)
* Floyd County Schools (600 Riverside Parkway NE, Rome, 30161)
* Floyd County Schools College and Career Academy (100 Vocational Drive, Rome, 30161)
* Fulton Science Academy (1675 Hembree Road, Roswell, 30009)
* Fulton Science Academy Charter High School (4100 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30022)
* Fulton Sunshine Academy (1335 North Meadow Parkway, Roswell, 30076)
* Imagine International Academy (4451 Atlanta Road, Smyrna, 30080)
* Imagine Marietta (368 Wright Street, 30064)
* Kennesaw Charter Science and Math Academy (1370 Lockhart Drive, 30144)
* Kingsley Elementary Charter School (2051 Brendon Drive, Dunwoody, 30338)
* Marietta City Schools (250 Howard Street, 30060)
* North Springs High School (7447 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 30328)
* Peachtree Middle School (4664 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody, 30338)
* Riverwood International Charter School (5900 Heards Drive NW, Sandy Springs, 30328)
* Sawyer Road Elementary School (840 Sawyer Road, Marietta, 30062)
* Sedalia Park Elementary School (2230 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, 30068)
* Spalding Drive Elementary School (130 Spalding Drive NE, Sandy Springs, 30328)
* Walton Comprehensive High School (1590 Bill Murdock Road, Marietta, 30062)
* Woodland Charter Elementary School (1130 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs, 30350)
The complete analysis can be downloaded from the NAPCS Web site.
Thursday, January 20, 2011, 8:12 am
WASHINGTON, DC -- Georgia has the nation's 7th strongest charter school law, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' (NAPCS) second annual ranking of state charter school laws.
Minnesota's charter law ranked first, and Mississippi's newly enacted charter school law ranked last.
"Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Public Charter School Laws" analyzes the country's 41 state charter school laws. Each state's law is scored on how well it supports charter school quality and growth, based on the 20 essential components from the NAPCS' model charter school law.
"Georgia was passed by four states, dropping from number four to number seven. This drop had more to do with aggressive changes made in other states than with any steps backward in Georgia," said Todd Ziebarth, vice president, state advocacy and support of NAPCS. "Georgia remains a cap-free environment that is open to a wide variety of public charter schools, with multiple paths toward authorization."
Ziebarth is the lead author of the report.
"One potential area of improvement is providing equitable access to capital funding and facilities," he said. "Another is providing clarity in the law to govern the expansion and replication of high-quality charter schools through multi-school charter contracts and/or multi-charter contract board arrangements."
The new report captures all the legislative moves that states made to be more competitive under the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top competition.
As a new crop of governors and legislators prepare for the upcoming legislative sessions, the rankings provide clear indications of where some states excel and others come up short in charter school laws. The report also offers a positive roadmap for how governors and legislators can take action to strengthen their charter school laws.
The 10 states with laws shown to best support the growth of high-quality charter schools are:
1. Minnesota
2. Florida
3. Massachusetts
4. Colorado
5. New York
6. California
7. Georgia
8. District of Columbia
9. Louisiana
10. Utah
There are 10 states that have still failed to enact a charter school law: Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Some of Metro Atlanta's charter schools are:
* Addison Elementary School (3055 Ebenezer Road, Marietta, 30066)
* Amana Academy (285 South Main Street, Alpharetta, 30004)
* Brighten Academy (3264 Brookmont Parkway, Douglasville, 30135)
* Carroll County College and Career Academy
* Chesnut Charter Elementary School (4576 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody, 30338)
* Douglas County College and Career Institute (9030 Highway 5, Douglasville, 30134)
* Dunwoody Springs Charter Elementary School (8100 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs, 30350)
* Floyd County Schools (600 Riverside Parkway NE, Rome, 30161)
* Floyd County Schools College and Career Academy (100 Vocational Drive, Rome, 30161)
* Fulton Science Academy (1675 Hembree Road, Roswell, 30009)
* Fulton Science Academy Charter High School (4100 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30022)
* Fulton Sunshine Academy (1335 North Meadow Parkway, Roswell, 30076)
* Imagine International Academy (4451 Atlanta Road, Smyrna, 30080)
* Imagine Marietta (368 Wright Street, 30064)
* Kennesaw Charter Science and Math Academy (1370 Lockhart Drive, 30144)
* Kingsley Elementary Charter School (2051 Brendon Drive, Dunwoody, 30338)
* Marietta City Schools (250 Howard Street, 30060)
* North Springs High School (7447 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 30328)
* Peachtree Middle School (4664 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody, 30338)
* Riverwood International Charter School (5900 Heards Drive NW, Sandy Springs, 30328)
* Sawyer Road Elementary School (840 Sawyer Road, Marietta, 30062)
* Sedalia Park Elementary School (2230 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, 30068)
* Spalding Drive Elementary School (130 Spalding Drive NE, Sandy Springs, 30328)
* Walton Comprehensive High School (1590 Bill Murdock Road, Marietta, 30062)
* Woodland Charter Elementary School (1130 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs, 30350)
The complete analysis can be downloaded from the NAPCS Web site.
Dunwoody Crier: Smith steps easily into Kingsley role
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 11:41 AM EDT
By Conswella Bennett
For the Crier
Dr. Jasmine Smith, Kingsley Charter Elementary School’s new principal, has settled into her new position after being on the job for three months. She served as an assistant principal for six years at Medlock Elementary School in Decatur.
The wife and mother of two - seven-year-old Justin and 10-month-old Jillian - needed the time to be right before she was able to pursue the next step in her career.
“As much as I’m an educator, I’m a wife and a mother, and I needed to balance all of that,” she said. She has a support system in place now. Her husband, Bryan, was on board and her mother helps out by taking care of her grandchildren.
“I felt like it was a good fit,” Dr. Smith said of the position at Kingsley. For her, it was an obvious transition to a position she had aspired to achieve. “I knew I had big shoes to fill,” she said in reference to former principal Karen Graham, who retired at the end of October after four years at Kingsley.
Her official day on the job was November 2. But, some of the students weren’t so sure of the new principal manning the halls where Graham once kept a watchful eye during morning arrivals. Some of the students asked how long she would be there, and if she was a substitute for Graham. Smith took it all in stride.
“I think that’s a testament to her leadership,” she said of Graham.
It has been a smooth transition for Smith.
“It didn’t matter who they put in this position the people here are committed to Kingsley. I went into the classrooms, and I saw excellent instruction.”
But, Smith was met with a familiar face at Kingsley - one of her former elementary school teachers, Karin Markey. Of the students who were in Markey’s first class, Dr. Smith said five of them have careers in education. Markey is now a fourth grade teacher at Kingsley.
According to Dr. Smith, Kingsley is comparable to Medlock.
“I’m really looking forward to becoming a part of the Kingsley community, supporting the children and forging relationships with other schools in the cluster.”
Smith is a product of the DeKalb County School system. She attended Bob Mathis Elementary School and graduated from Cedar Grove High School. She went on to attend Bennett College for Women, a tradition for the women in her family. Smith was the sixth female in her family to graduate from the historically black college in North Carolina. At Bennett, she received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She went on to receive a master’s degree from Georgia State in early childhood education. Her doctorate in educational leadership was obtained from Clark Atlanta University.
As a young girl, she dreamed of being a teacher. Her career began as a third grader in her parent’s garage with stuffed animals as students. At that time, she had the all-essential grade book, Dr. Smith recalled with a smile.
“Education is my family business,” she said of the family of educators.
Her grandfather served as a president of Alabama State University, and her mother, Janice, retired as a reading specialist. Other relatives are also educators.
Smith taught second and third grades at Wynbrooke Traditional Theme School.
Although there are times that she misses teaching in the classroom and closely interacting with students, Smith hopes to be the kind of principal she had as a teacher.
“I always had good principals who were supportive,” she said.
“I want the principal to be a person who is seen as a partner to help find ways for teachers to do what they need to do,” Smith added of her goal. “Kingsley has a really good staff. They (teachers) do it because they want to see children be successful.”
She stands behind Kingsley’s motto of “High Regard for All.” While Kingsley Charter is known for its brain-based instruction, Smith wants to enhance that aspect of the curriculum. She also wants to ensure that instruction is being differentiated to meet the needs of all the students.
Although there are some things she would like to enhance at Kingsley she added, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Kingsley has a solid foundation.”
One of her five-year goals is to have Kingsley be a model for brain-based instruction.
“My job is to come and note where we want to go and to provide my support to be certain that we get it done,” Smith said.
While she is on a mission to ensure that Kingsley continues to be a good school, she wants the students to feel encouraged and nurtured as they prepare for their futures.
“I want them to understand that there are no limitations to what they can do if they work hard to achieve their goals,” she noted. “They can be comfortable in what they have learned at Kingsley - their education foundation.”
By Conswella Bennett
For the Crier
Dr. Jasmine Smith, Kingsley Charter Elementary School’s new principal, has settled into her new position after being on the job for three months. She served as an assistant principal for six years at Medlock Elementary School in Decatur.
The wife and mother of two - seven-year-old Justin and 10-month-old Jillian - needed the time to be right before she was able to pursue the next step in her career.
“As much as I’m an educator, I’m a wife and a mother, and I needed to balance all of that,” she said. She has a support system in place now. Her husband, Bryan, was on board and her mother helps out by taking care of her grandchildren.
“I felt like it was a good fit,” Dr. Smith said of the position at Kingsley. For her, it was an obvious transition to a position she had aspired to achieve. “I knew I had big shoes to fill,” she said in reference to former principal Karen Graham, who retired at the end of October after four years at Kingsley.
Her official day on the job was November 2. But, some of the students weren’t so sure of the new principal manning the halls where Graham once kept a watchful eye during morning arrivals. Some of the students asked how long she would be there, and if she was a substitute for Graham. Smith took it all in stride.
“I think that’s a testament to her leadership,” she said of Graham.
It has been a smooth transition for Smith.
“It didn’t matter who they put in this position the people here are committed to Kingsley. I went into the classrooms, and I saw excellent instruction.”
But, Smith was met with a familiar face at Kingsley - one of her former elementary school teachers, Karin Markey. Of the students who were in Markey’s first class, Dr. Smith said five of them have careers in education. Markey is now a fourth grade teacher at Kingsley.
According to Dr. Smith, Kingsley is comparable to Medlock.
“I’m really looking forward to becoming a part of the Kingsley community, supporting the children and forging relationships with other schools in the cluster.”
Smith is a product of the DeKalb County School system. She attended Bob Mathis Elementary School and graduated from Cedar Grove High School. She went on to attend Bennett College for Women, a tradition for the women in her family. Smith was the sixth female in her family to graduate from the historically black college in North Carolina. At Bennett, she received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She went on to receive a master’s degree from Georgia State in early childhood education. Her doctorate in educational leadership was obtained from Clark Atlanta University.
As a young girl, she dreamed of being a teacher. Her career began as a third grader in her parent’s garage with stuffed animals as students. At that time, she had the all-essential grade book, Dr. Smith recalled with a smile.
“Education is my family business,” she said of the family of educators.
Her grandfather served as a president of Alabama State University, and her mother, Janice, retired as a reading specialist. Other relatives are also educators.
Smith taught second and third grades at Wynbrooke Traditional Theme School.
Although there are times that she misses teaching in the classroom and closely interacting with students, Smith hopes to be the kind of principal she had as a teacher.
“I always had good principals who were supportive,” she said.
“I want the principal to be a person who is seen as a partner to help find ways for teachers to do what they need to do,” Smith added of her goal. “Kingsley has a really good staff. They (teachers) do it because they want to see children be successful.”
She stands behind Kingsley’s motto of “High Regard for All.” While Kingsley Charter is known for its brain-based instruction, Smith wants to enhance that aspect of the curriculum. She also wants to ensure that instruction is being differentiated to meet the needs of all the students.
Although there are some things she would like to enhance at Kingsley she added, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Kingsley has a solid foundation.”
One of her five-year goals is to have Kingsley be a model for brain-based instruction.
“My job is to come and note where we want to go and to provide my support to be certain that we get it done,” Smith said.
While she is on a mission to ensure that Kingsley continues to be a good school, she wants the students to feel encouraged and nurtured as they prepare for their futures.
“I want them to understand that there are no limitations to what they can do if they work hard to achieve their goals,” she noted. “They can be comfortable in what they have learned at Kingsley - their education foundation.”
Dunwoody Crier: Kingsley fourth graders learn acts of kindness
Kingsley fourth graders learn acts of kindness
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 2:26 PM EDT
Fourth grade students at Kingsley Charter Elementary School have been encouraging random acts of kindness on the campus.
After a parent, Carol Pajer, noticed a local television morning program that highlights Atlanta residents’ acts of kindness on a daily basis, she was inspired to approach her son’s school about implementing a similar program. Pajer approached Kingsley Charter’s school counselor, Emily Moore, about incorporating the program at the school.
Moore, along with Pajer, helped implement the pilot program among the fourth grade students. Act of Kindness cards were created and passed around the grade level - each act of kindness toward their fellow students triggered another act of goodwill. Each time a good deed is done, the card was given to the recipient of the deed and in return they must pass it on. The act of kindness card and the student’s deeds can be tracked on the Kingsley Charter website.
“The fourth grade students were very excited,” Moore said of their desire to participate in the Acts of Kindness program.
To prepare the anxious group of fourth grade students, Moore taught a “guidance learning lesson” about kindness. At first, Moore thought the card would be shared only among groups of friends. She was a bit unsure if students would venture away from their circle of friends to actually help other students, but she was pleasantly surprised.
“They were passing it along to whomever and not just to friends,” Moore said. “They are learning to be nice to everybody and not just their friends.”
Karsten Farmer, the son of Mettina Vandervenn, agrees, “I can help everybody, even if they are my friend or not.”
Some of the deeds performed include: Helping to clean up a fellow student’s binder that had fallen to floor; helping a classmate to find a favorite pencil and cleaning up the table in the cafeteria.
While the card circulates only among the fourth graders, Moore, who actually performed the first act of kindness when the program was implemented in February said the students are learning, “just because you do something nice doesn’t mean you will get anything in return, but you do so because it’s the right thing to do.”
Rina Sobel, the daughter of Bob and Susan, said she was excited to participate in the program because it helps people to learn that you don’t just have to be nice to people and help the people that are just your friends. “It’s not just about helping yourself,” she added.
Although the program has been performed among the fourth grade, Moore said it has had some positive affects among the other grade levels as well. The goal is to extend the program to all the classes next year, she added.
Principal Karen Graham says she has been pleased with the success of the program.
“What I hope the kids get from this is the Golden Rule, doing for others what you would do for yourself,” Graham said. “I want them to look beyond themselves and see how they could make someone else’s day more pleasant.”
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 2:26 PM EDT
Fourth grade students at Kingsley Charter Elementary School have been encouraging random acts of kindness on the campus.
After a parent, Carol Pajer, noticed a local television morning program that highlights Atlanta residents’ acts of kindness on a daily basis, she was inspired to approach her son’s school about implementing a similar program. Pajer approached Kingsley Charter’s school counselor, Emily Moore, about incorporating the program at the school.
Moore, along with Pajer, helped implement the pilot program among the fourth grade students. Act of Kindness cards were created and passed around the grade level - each act of kindness toward their fellow students triggered another act of goodwill. Each time a good deed is done, the card was given to the recipient of the deed and in return they must pass it on. The act of kindness card and the student’s deeds can be tracked on the Kingsley Charter website.
“The fourth grade students were very excited,” Moore said of their desire to participate in the Acts of Kindness program.
To prepare the anxious group of fourth grade students, Moore taught a “guidance learning lesson” about kindness. At first, Moore thought the card would be shared only among groups of friends. She was a bit unsure if students would venture away from their circle of friends to actually help other students, but she was pleasantly surprised.
“They were passing it along to whomever and not just to friends,” Moore said. “They are learning to be nice to everybody and not just their friends.”
Karsten Farmer, the son of Mettina Vandervenn, agrees, “I can help everybody, even if they are my friend or not.”
Some of the deeds performed include: Helping to clean up a fellow student’s binder that had fallen to floor; helping a classmate to find a favorite pencil and cleaning up the table in the cafeteria.
While the card circulates only among the fourth graders, Moore, who actually performed the first act of kindness when the program was implemented in February said the students are learning, “just because you do something nice doesn’t mean you will get anything in return, but you do so because it’s the right thing to do.”
Rina Sobel, the daughter of Bob and Susan, said she was excited to participate in the program because it helps people to learn that you don’t just have to be nice to people and help the people that are just your friends. “It’s not just about helping yourself,” she added.
Although the program has been performed among the fourth grade, Moore said it has had some positive affects among the other grade levels as well. The goal is to extend the program to all the classes next year, she added.
Principal Karen Graham says she has been pleased with the success of the program.
“What I hope the kids get from this is the Golden Rule, doing for others what you would do for yourself,” Graham said. “I want them to look beyond themselves and see how they could make someone else’s day more pleasant.”
Dunwoody Crier: Kingsley, city push for safe routes
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:11 AM EST
Thirty years ago, the most common way for children to get to school was to walk. Times have changed, however, and the sight of children walking or riding their bike to school is something you are more likely to see on TV or in a movie than in your own neighborhood.
Kingsley Charter Elementary School and the city of Dunwoody are hoping to recapture some of the past - and replace car pool lines with lines of children walking to school. The city and the school have collaborated on a grant application through the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program. If selected, Dunwoody would receive nearly $460,000 worth of infrastructure improvements in the Kingsley neighborhood - such as new sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, traffic-calming devices and improved pedestrian lighting. Safe Routes to School is an international movement designed to encourage students to walk or ride their bikes to school. Encouraging students to walk to school promotes a healthy and active lifestyle for children, reduces traffic and improves air quality through reduced emissions. Georgia’s SRTS program is managed by GDOT and backed by federal funding.
The local effort was initiated by Dunwoody City Councilman John Heneghan. Heneghan viewed SRTS as a great opportunity for Dunwoody to make needed improvements along the routes leading to our schools, making walking and biking to school a safe option for children.
“We need to look for innovative funding streams to make Dunwoody a safe community in which to walk and bike,” said Heneghan.
Heneghan hosted a community meeting in late October to discuss the pursuit of a SRTS grant for Dunwoody, and invited representatives from each of Dunwoody’s schools to attend. After several meetings to discuss and review the cases for each school, it was decided that the city would partner with Kingsley for this year’s application. “Kingsley’s parents, together with principal Karen Graham, put together a very strong grant application to improve the safety of Kingsley’s various routes to school in order to encourage more children to walk,” said Heneghan.
One of the biggest challenges was the grant had a deadline of December 12, less than two weeks after the city officially began business. To complete the application in such a short period of time required the cooperation of many people - including Kingsley’s parents and principal, several neighbors living near the school, the city of Dunwoody and the DeKalb County School System (which needed to approve the project).
“That’s a testament to the citizens we have in this city,” said Dunwoody Public Works Director Richard Meehan. “I think it’s great that we had citizens that were forward thinking enough to start looking at deadlines and grants that we could go after that we would be ready to turn in on day one.”
Another reason Dunwoody was able to submit such a strong application so quickly is that Kingsley had been working on its own SRTS program since the spring of 2007. In that time the school had formed a SRTS committee, improved traffic safety near the school with new car pool procedures and traffic patterns, created a parent safety patrol, conducted traffic surveys, collected traffic safety reports and worked on a formal walk to school program that will begin this spring.
Kingsley has used the resources available through the SRTS program, as well as taking advantage of complimentary programs from the Center for Disease Control (Kids Walk to School) and the Clean Air Campaign (Walk There For Clean Air). Kingsley is also a registered Clean Air School, and participates in the Clean Air Campaign’s No-Idle Program.
This spring, Kingsley plans to introduce a formal “Walking Wednesdays” program. Students could participate by joining a “walking school bus” - a group of students and parents walking together along a specific route to school. Based on responses from a parent survey, more than half of Kingsley’s parents said they would like to participate in the walking school bus program, but 75 percent cited apprehension over traffic safety as a major road block.
“Kingsley has the potential to be a great walking school, but the safety of our children is obviously our top priority,” said Tom Lambert, chair of Kingsley’s SRTS committee. “We have been eager to begin a formal walking program, but real concerns over traffic safety along our walking routes have slowed down our efforts.”
That is where the infrastructure improvements in the grant play a vital role. The project targets specific concerns of parents, neighbors and the school administration - and will create a pedestrian friendly environment along all of Kingsley’s proposed walking routes.
“We were very excited when we heard the city would be targeting a SRTS project,” said Lambert. “Kingsley had put in a lot of work on its SRTS plan, but we would not have been able to move forward without the leadership of Mr. Heneghan and the overwhelming support of the city of Dunwoody. I think it’s a great sign of things to come for Dunwoody.”
Both Kingsley and Dunwoody are hoping to receive good news this spring, when GDOT is expected to announce the projects it has approved for this year’s SRTS. Regardless of GDOT’s decision, however, Kingsley plans to persist with its SRTS efforts.
“We will continue to move forward on our Safe Routes program, but these infrastructure improvements are a vital component to maximizing our efforts,” said Lambert. “It could literally be the difference between a handful of kids participating or hundreds of students walking to school.”
Thirty years ago, the most common way for children to get to school was to walk. Times have changed, however, and the sight of children walking or riding their bike to school is something you are more likely to see on TV or in a movie than in your own neighborhood.
Kingsley Charter Elementary School and the city of Dunwoody are hoping to recapture some of the past - and replace car pool lines with lines of children walking to school. The city and the school have collaborated on a grant application through the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program. If selected, Dunwoody would receive nearly $460,000 worth of infrastructure improvements in the Kingsley neighborhood - such as new sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, traffic-calming devices and improved pedestrian lighting. Safe Routes to School is an international movement designed to encourage students to walk or ride their bikes to school. Encouraging students to walk to school promotes a healthy and active lifestyle for children, reduces traffic and improves air quality through reduced emissions. Georgia’s SRTS program is managed by GDOT and backed by federal funding.
The local effort was initiated by Dunwoody City Councilman John Heneghan. Heneghan viewed SRTS as a great opportunity for Dunwoody to make needed improvements along the routes leading to our schools, making walking and biking to school a safe option for children.
“We need to look for innovative funding streams to make Dunwoody a safe community in which to walk and bike,” said Heneghan.
Heneghan hosted a community meeting in late October to discuss the pursuit of a SRTS grant for Dunwoody, and invited representatives from each of Dunwoody’s schools to attend. After several meetings to discuss and review the cases for each school, it was decided that the city would partner with Kingsley for this year’s application. “Kingsley’s parents, together with principal Karen Graham, put together a very strong grant application to improve the safety of Kingsley’s various routes to school in order to encourage more children to walk,” said Heneghan.
One of the biggest challenges was the grant had a deadline of December 12, less than two weeks after the city officially began business. To complete the application in such a short period of time required the cooperation of many people - including Kingsley’s parents and principal, several neighbors living near the school, the city of Dunwoody and the DeKalb County School System (which needed to approve the project).
“That’s a testament to the citizens we have in this city,” said Dunwoody Public Works Director Richard Meehan. “I think it’s great that we had citizens that were forward thinking enough to start looking at deadlines and grants that we could go after that we would be ready to turn in on day one.”
Another reason Dunwoody was able to submit such a strong application so quickly is that Kingsley had been working on its own SRTS program since the spring of 2007. In that time the school had formed a SRTS committee, improved traffic safety near the school with new car pool procedures and traffic patterns, created a parent safety patrol, conducted traffic surveys, collected traffic safety reports and worked on a formal walk to school program that will begin this spring.
Kingsley has used the resources available through the SRTS program, as well as taking advantage of complimentary programs from the Center for Disease Control (Kids Walk to School) and the Clean Air Campaign (Walk There For Clean Air). Kingsley is also a registered Clean Air School, and participates in the Clean Air Campaign’s No-Idle Program.
This spring, Kingsley plans to introduce a formal “Walking Wednesdays” program. Students could participate by joining a “walking school bus” - a group of students and parents walking together along a specific route to school. Based on responses from a parent survey, more than half of Kingsley’s parents said they would like to participate in the walking school bus program, but 75 percent cited apprehension over traffic safety as a major road block.
“Kingsley has the potential to be a great walking school, but the safety of our children is obviously our top priority,” said Tom Lambert, chair of Kingsley’s SRTS committee. “We have been eager to begin a formal walking program, but real concerns over traffic safety along our walking routes have slowed down our efforts.”
That is where the infrastructure improvements in the grant play a vital role. The project targets specific concerns of parents, neighbors and the school administration - and will create a pedestrian friendly environment along all of Kingsley’s proposed walking routes.
“We were very excited when we heard the city would be targeting a SRTS project,” said Lambert. “Kingsley had put in a lot of work on its SRTS plan, but we would not have been able to move forward without the leadership of Mr. Heneghan and the overwhelming support of the city of Dunwoody. I think it’s a great sign of things to come for Dunwoody.”
Both Kingsley and Dunwoody are hoping to receive good news this spring, when GDOT is expected to announce the projects it has approved for this year’s SRTS. Regardless of GDOT’s decision, however, Kingsley plans to persist with its SRTS efforts.
“We will continue to move forward on our Safe Routes program, but these infrastructure improvements are a vital component to maximizing our efforts,” said Lambert. “It could literally be the difference between a handful of kids participating or hundreds of students walking to school.”
Kingsley council wins national award
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 2:53 PM EDT
Past and present school council chairs Tom Lambert (2007-08) and Allegra Johnson (2008-09) celebrate Kingsley’s award
Kingsley Charter School had always considered itself the best kept secret in Dunwoody. Strong academic performance combined with a warm sense of community, Kingsley has consistently provided its students and families a private school experience in a public school setting.
It seems impossible to keep a secret these days, however, and Kingsley’s will soon be known not just locally - but throughout the entire country. The Kingsley Charter Council has been named National Parent Group of the Year in PTO Today's 2008 Parent Group of the Year search. The group was selected as winner from among hundreds of other parent group finalists, and will be featured in the September 2008 issue of PTO Today magazine.
“It is an incredible thrill and honor to have been selected for this award,” said Tom Lambert, who served as the chair of Kingsley’s charter council during the 2007-2008 school year. “To have our hard work and accomplishments be recognized at this level - as the best in the nation - is an incredible feeling that is hard to put into words. Needless to say all of our parents are bursting with pride over this announcement.”
“Our Parent Group of the Year search gives us a chance each year to celebrate and formally acknowledge the work parent groups do in their schools and communities," says Craig Bystrynski, editor in chief of PTO Today magazine. “Engaging parents in the educational process is the single most important thing a parent group can do.”
The cornerstone of Kingsley’s charter is the philosophy that involved parents make great schools, an idea that is ingrained into the culture of the school. “You can’t help but get involved,” said Allegra Johnson, current chair of Kingsley’s charter council. “Not only are the opportunities there, but so are the welcoming arms of those proud parents who have already served and want you to be included.”
Kingsley principal Karen Graham appreciates the difference her school’s parents make in both the learning/teaching process and the success of the students.
“Being a principal of a school with active parents is very busy and very rewarding,” said Graham. “The parents at Kingsley are very resourceful and have great ideas. My day-to-day interactions with parents help me become a better school leader and a better person.”
The parent leadership at Kingsley is a bit unique in that the school does not have a formal PTA. Kingsley’s charter council serves the dual role of a traditional PTA and a traditional school council. Although this is a big responsibility, it allows the school to consistently move forward at a quick pace and with a singular focus.
“Our parents set out to accomplish very specific and ambitious goals,” said Graham. “When the school year was over, every goal was accomplished. Parent Group of the Year is a well-deserved honor for a group of parents who worked so hard to improve and make a difference in their child's school.”
Some of those projects include installing new sod on the playground, creating a new image via a new parent-designed school logo, creating a Parent Headquarters within the school, upgrading the teachers' lounge, installing a new school sign, a campaign to purchase and install interactive white boards in the classrooms, sponsoring a school-wide event to celebrate its diversity, and increasing the number of volunteer hours. It was the final goal - volunteer hours - that made everything else possible, as Kingsley’s families logged more than 8,000 hours in service to the school (an average of 32 hours per family).
“We have accomplished so many wonderful things at Kingsley over the past 12 months, but this year wasn’t a flash in the pan,” said Lambert. “It is also important to recognize that we were building off of the foundation that had been set for us by former council members and the parents that came before us at Kingsley. We were continuing a long standing tradition of parental service at Kingsley, one that I am confident will continue to grow and strengthen in the future.”
Perhaps what makes Kingsley so successful is the fact that the motivation behind all of this parental service is sincere and student focused. There is a noticeable lack of ego surrounding the work the parents do at the school.
“We were just doing what we thought would make Kingsley a better school for our children, not for the recognition,” said Johnson.
That’s not to suggest that the award, and the recognition that goes along with it, is not appreciated.
“Our parents put in so many volunteer hours every year - they work with the teachers and go above and beyond what is expected - but never look back waiting for a pat on the back,” said Johnson. “This award was a fantastic way to say WOW! - thank you for what you do.”
Past and present school council chairs Tom Lambert (2007-08) and Allegra Johnson (2008-09) celebrate Kingsley’s award
Kingsley Charter School had always considered itself the best kept secret in Dunwoody. Strong academic performance combined with a warm sense of community, Kingsley has consistently provided its students and families a private school experience in a public school setting.
It seems impossible to keep a secret these days, however, and Kingsley’s will soon be known not just locally - but throughout the entire country. The Kingsley Charter Council has been named National Parent Group of the Year in PTO Today's 2008 Parent Group of the Year search. The group was selected as winner from among hundreds of other parent group finalists, and will be featured in the September 2008 issue of PTO Today magazine.
“It is an incredible thrill and honor to have been selected for this award,” said Tom Lambert, who served as the chair of Kingsley’s charter council during the 2007-2008 school year. “To have our hard work and accomplishments be recognized at this level - as the best in the nation - is an incredible feeling that is hard to put into words. Needless to say all of our parents are bursting with pride over this announcement.”
“Our Parent Group of the Year search gives us a chance each year to celebrate and formally acknowledge the work parent groups do in their schools and communities," says Craig Bystrynski, editor in chief of PTO Today magazine. “Engaging parents in the educational process is the single most important thing a parent group can do.”
The cornerstone of Kingsley’s charter is the philosophy that involved parents make great schools, an idea that is ingrained into the culture of the school. “You can’t help but get involved,” said Allegra Johnson, current chair of Kingsley’s charter council. “Not only are the opportunities there, but so are the welcoming arms of those proud parents who have already served and want you to be included.”
Kingsley principal Karen Graham appreciates the difference her school’s parents make in both the learning/teaching process and the success of the students.
“Being a principal of a school with active parents is very busy and very rewarding,” said Graham. “The parents at Kingsley are very resourceful and have great ideas. My day-to-day interactions with parents help me become a better school leader and a better person.”
The parent leadership at Kingsley is a bit unique in that the school does not have a formal PTA. Kingsley’s charter council serves the dual role of a traditional PTA and a traditional school council. Although this is a big responsibility, it allows the school to consistently move forward at a quick pace and with a singular focus.
“Our parents set out to accomplish very specific and ambitious goals,” said Graham. “When the school year was over, every goal was accomplished. Parent Group of the Year is a well-deserved honor for a group of parents who worked so hard to improve and make a difference in their child's school.”
Some of those projects include installing new sod on the playground, creating a new image via a new parent-designed school logo, creating a Parent Headquarters within the school, upgrading the teachers' lounge, installing a new school sign, a campaign to purchase and install interactive white boards in the classrooms, sponsoring a school-wide event to celebrate its diversity, and increasing the number of volunteer hours. It was the final goal - volunteer hours - that made everything else possible, as Kingsley’s families logged more than 8,000 hours in service to the school (an average of 32 hours per family).
“We have accomplished so many wonderful things at Kingsley over the past 12 months, but this year wasn’t a flash in the pan,” said Lambert. “It is also important to recognize that we were building off of the foundation that had been set for us by former council members and the parents that came before us at Kingsley. We were continuing a long standing tradition of parental service at Kingsley, one that I am confident will continue to grow and strengthen in the future.”
Perhaps what makes Kingsley so successful is the fact that the motivation behind all of this parental service is sincere and student focused. There is a noticeable lack of ego surrounding the work the parents do at the school.
“We were just doing what we thought would make Kingsley a better school for our children, not for the recognition,” said Johnson.
That’s not to suggest that the award, and the recognition that goes along with it, is not appreciated.
“Our parents put in so many volunteer hours every year - they work with the teachers and go above and beyond what is expected - but never look back waiting for a pat on the back,” said Johnson. “This award was a fantastic way to say WOW! - thank you for what you do.”
PTO Today Magazine Picks Kingsley Council as 2008 Parent Group of the Year
National Winner: Creating a New Sense of Pride Faced with challenges, leaders focused on building school spirit, and they tripled volunteer hours while maintaining a full calendar of family events. These accomplishments earned them recognition as the 2008 Parent Group of the Year.
Kingsley Charter School Council Location: Dunwoody, Ga.
Community: population 32,808; suburban
School size: 400 students, grades preK-5
Annual budget: $45,000
Last May, the Kingsley Charter School Council honored outstanding parent volunteers. It took a while. Parents logged 8,002 volunteer hours, an increase of 333 percent from the previous school year. Out of the school’s 280 families, more than 50 were recognized for completing at least 32 hours, twice what the charter requires. Eight families logged more than 100 hours each.
Kingsley has always had strong parent involvement. But the time parents put into volunteering is remarkable considering that the school has just 400 students, making it the smallest public elementary school in the suburban Atlanta community of Dunwoody. It’s even more significant in light of the issues the school was facing a year ago.
Several active families had left for private schools, and parent volunteer hours were on the decline. The district’s impending plan to redistrict and consolidate schools made Kingsley’s future uncertain. “There was this little buzz and rumble going around the neighborhood, ‘Uh-oh, something’s wrong at Kingsley,’ ” says Tom Lambert, the 2007-08 chairman of the charter council, which oversees the school’s charter and doubles as a parent group.
Some parents proposed a public relations campaign to improve the school’s image. Instead, the council focused on increasing involvement and building school spirit, believing that if parents spent more time in school, they would see firsthand all the good things going on there. “We honestly thought that if we felt good about ourselves, then the word would get out,” Lambert says. “That’s exactly what happened this year.”
All that involvement allowed the group to start new events and complete major building and fundraising projects. Parents raised $18,000 for interactive whiteboards, installed sod on the playing field, created a parent headquarters, and renovated the teachers’ lounge. The group also expanded its outreach to parents, creating a multicultural event that celebrated the school’s diversity.
“We were able to get projects done a lot faster because we collaborated with one another,” says principal Karen Graham.
Focusing on Involvement At its September parent meeting, the council challenged parents to step up their volunteerism, asking families to double the 16 volunteer hours the school’s charter requires. To motivate parents, leaders shared research on the many ways parent involvement benefits children and schools.
“It wasn’t ‘Oh, my gosh, I have to,’ it was ‘We need your help with this because this is how it helps your child,’ ” says Allegra Johnson, the current council chairwoman. “We showed them the full circle of how it all comes together, and the hours were just unbelievable.”
The council also made it easier for parents to get involved. In the past, parents primarily found out about volunteer opportunities through the school’s online volunteer database. “That really wasn’t working as effectively as we wanted it to for recruiting people,” says Amanda Hensley, who led communication efforts last year. The council added a page to its weekly bulletin with classified ads seeking volunteers, indicating which tasks could be done at home.
During the summer, volunteers converted a storage room into a parent headquarters where moms and dads could get information in English or Spanish, pick up grocery store loyalty cards, do volunteer tasks, or hold meetings. New and prospective volunteers could also look through three-ring binders for each event to see just how much (or little) was involved in coordinating it.
The group also stressed that parents didn’t have to make a big commitment. “If you volunteer, we’re not going to ask you to do a hundred hours for something if all you’ve got is a half-hour,” Lambert says. “Every little bit adds up.”
By helping with the school’s family events, parents could earn volunteer hours while having fun with their children. A yearly campout on school grounds features an all-family dodge ball game and a sing-along. A fall festival draws people from throughout the community, while the most popular family event is a pizza bingo night held in conjunction with a book fair.
In addition to assisting with school events, parents found numerous ways to help out at school. They volunteered during classes, set up science projects, and displayed student artwork. “If you walk here in the morning, you’ll see parents here at 7:30 already working on computers with the kids,” Johnson says.
Staff members made sure to offer ways for all parents to get involved, including those who couldn’t volunteer during school hours. Moms and dads cut out stencils at home for teachers and even washed sheets for the school nurse. “It’s a mutual respect between the parents and the teachers because we’re all here for one thing, and it’s for the kids,” Johnson says.
Building School Pride To improve school spirit, the council emphasized Kingsley’s strengths, including its arts programs, high test scores, and diverse student body. Because the charter school’s students come from throughout the county, it has a more diverse student population than nearby neighborhood schools.
“We believe that diversity is our strength,” Graham says.
As the number of Spanish-speaking families at Kingsley increased in recent years, the council reached out to them. In April 2007, council members, the principal, and a translator met with Spanish-speaking parents at an apartment complex to share information about completing and logging volunteer hours. The council prints all materials in Spanish and English and has a translator at its parent meetings, and a Spanish-speaking parent volunteer connects with Spanish speakers at events. “We really try hard to keep them informed and engaged because we certainly don’t want the language barrier to be a hindrance for them helping out and volunteering,” Hensley explains.
The council also created a new multicultural event, the Kingsley World’s Fair, where students could hear music, make crafts, and sample food from around the globe. In time, Johnson hopes the fair will draw as many community members as the school’s annual fall festival. “Our school’s really diverse and we love it that way, and we just want to show the neighborhood everything that we have within our walls, which a lot of people don’t know about,” she says.
To improve awareness of all that the school offers, the council asked teachers to speak at the monthly parent meetings, which are held separately from the council’s business meetings and typically draw 60 to 80 people. At one meeting, the PE teacher and some students gave a calisthenics demonstration, and the art teacher showed the steps students go through to create an art project.
Council members also worked to build school spirit with a number of highly visible projects around school. In the fall, it sponsored a logo contest that students and parents both entered. The winning logo appears on spiritwear, the school newsletter, and other items. “The idea was not only to get a logo that we can...brand the school with but to have something that we could all kind of rally around and have an identity for the school,” Lambert says.
The council made a number of improvements to school facilities, as well. Kingsley didn’t have a sign on the street to identify the building to passersby. Parents installed a sign with a message board, used to publicize events to the school and the wider community.
Students had been playing on a dirt and gravel field, which was also used for field day and family events. The parent group received a grant to buy sod, which parents installed and maintained.
During the summer parents also updated the teachers’ lounge, painting over the glaring yellow walls, putting new slipcovers on couches, and installing much-needed cabinets.
In the spring, the group focused on raising money for interactive whiteboards. A vendor representative demonstrated how they work at a parent meeting so parents could see exactly what the money would be paying for. The council sponsored the school’s first fun run, which raised $12,000, and received an additional $6,000 in small grants and donations from individuals and businesses.
Celebrating Success Charter council leaders expected to increase volunteer hours last year, but they never expected it that it would grow by so much. To say thanks, the council recognized volunteers by name in the newsletter and celebrated with a parent appreciation event. Honorees munched on hors d’oeuvres while watching a presentation of all the events and projects from the year.
Each family that completed at least 32 volunteer hours, meeting the “charter challenge,” was recognized with a slide listing their volunteer activities and was given a car magnet identifying them as an exceptional Kingsley volunteer. A plaque in the school hallway lists the charter challenge participants and will be added to each year. Council leaders hope the magnets will help raise awareness of the school in the community and encourage future volunteerism. “We want the kids sitting in the carpool line to say ‘Hey, Mommy, how come they have that on their car? How do we get one?’ ” Lambert says.
A high point of the evening was announcing how many volunteer hours parents had tallied throughout the year. “We had a big roar when we announced the final number of hours,” he recalls.
At the end of the year, the parent group had accomplished an amazing amount. Perhaps most important, it had renewed the school’s sense of community. “We needed our parents to get pride in their school again, and I think we accomplished that last year,” Johnson says.
Graham looks forward to more great work by Kingsley parents. “We really have active, involved parents,” she says. “When parents and staff work together,...we have unlimited possibilities of what we can do.”
http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/687-creating-a-new-sense-of-pride
Kingsley Charter School Council Location: Dunwoody, Ga.
Community: population 32,808; suburban
School size: 400 students, grades preK-5
Annual budget: $45,000
Last May, the Kingsley Charter School Council honored outstanding parent volunteers. It took a while. Parents logged 8,002 volunteer hours, an increase of 333 percent from the previous school year. Out of the school’s 280 families, more than 50 were recognized for completing at least 32 hours, twice what the charter requires. Eight families logged more than 100 hours each.
Kingsley has always had strong parent involvement. But the time parents put into volunteering is remarkable considering that the school has just 400 students, making it the smallest public elementary school in the suburban Atlanta community of Dunwoody. It’s even more significant in light of the issues the school was facing a year ago.
Several active families had left for private schools, and parent volunteer hours were on the decline. The district’s impending plan to redistrict and consolidate schools made Kingsley’s future uncertain. “There was this little buzz and rumble going around the neighborhood, ‘Uh-oh, something’s wrong at Kingsley,’ ” says Tom Lambert, the 2007-08 chairman of the charter council, which oversees the school’s charter and doubles as a parent group.
Some parents proposed a public relations campaign to improve the school’s image. Instead, the council focused on increasing involvement and building school spirit, believing that if parents spent more time in school, they would see firsthand all the good things going on there. “We honestly thought that if we felt good about ourselves, then the word would get out,” Lambert says. “That’s exactly what happened this year.”
All that involvement allowed the group to start new events and complete major building and fundraising projects. Parents raised $18,000 for interactive whiteboards, installed sod on the playing field, created a parent headquarters, and renovated the teachers’ lounge. The group also expanded its outreach to parents, creating a multicultural event that celebrated the school’s diversity.
“We were able to get projects done a lot faster because we collaborated with one another,” says principal Karen Graham.
Focusing on Involvement At its September parent meeting, the council challenged parents to step up their volunteerism, asking families to double the 16 volunteer hours the school’s charter requires. To motivate parents, leaders shared research on the many ways parent involvement benefits children and schools.
“It wasn’t ‘Oh, my gosh, I have to,’ it was ‘We need your help with this because this is how it helps your child,’ ” says Allegra Johnson, the current council chairwoman. “We showed them the full circle of how it all comes together, and the hours were just unbelievable.”
The council also made it easier for parents to get involved. In the past, parents primarily found out about volunteer opportunities through the school’s online volunteer database. “That really wasn’t working as effectively as we wanted it to for recruiting people,” says Amanda Hensley, who led communication efforts last year. The council added a page to its weekly bulletin with classified ads seeking volunteers, indicating which tasks could be done at home.
During the summer, volunteers converted a storage room into a parent headquarters where moms and dads could get information in English or Spanish, pick up grocery store loyalty cards, do volunteer tasks, or hold meetings. New and prospective volunteers could also look through three-ring binders for each event to see just how much (or little) was involved in coordinating it.
The group also stressed that parents didn’t have to make a big commitment. “If you volunteer, we’re not going to ask you to do a hundred hours for something if all you’ve got is a half-hour,” Lambert says. “Every little bit adds up.”
By helping with the school’s family events, parents could earn volunteer hours while having fun with their children. A yearly campout on school grounds features an all-family dodge ball game and a sing-along. A fall festival draws people from throughout the community, while the most popular family event is a pizza bingo night held in conjunction with a book fair.
In addition to assisting with school events, parents found numerous ways to help out at school. They volunteered during classes, set up science projects, and displayed student artwork. “If you walk here in the morning, you’ll see parents here at 7:30 already working on computers with the kids,” Johnson says.
Staff members made sure to offer ways for all parents to get involved, including those who couldn’t volunteer during school hours. Moms and dads cut out stencils at home for teachers and even washed sheets for the school nurse. “It’s a mutual respect between the parents and the teachers because we’re all here for one thing, and it’s for the kids,” Johnson says.
Building School Pride To improve school spirit, the council emphasized Kingsley’s strengths, including its arts programs, high test scores, and diverse student body. Because the charter school’s students come from throughout the county, it has a more diverse student population than nearby neighborhood schools.
“We believe that diversity is our strength,” Graham says.
As the number of Spanish-speaking families at Kingsley increased in recent years, the council reached out to them. In April 2007, council members, the principal, and a translator met with Spanish-speaking parents at an apartment complex to share information about completing and logging volunteer hours. The council prints all materials in Spanish and English and has a translator at its parent meetings, and a Spanish-speaking parent volunteer connects with Spanish speakers at events. “We really try hard to keep them informed and engaged because we certainly don’t want the language barrier to be a hindrance for them helping out and volunteering,” Hensley explains.
The council also created a new multicultural event, the Kingsley World’s Fair, where students could hear music, make crafts, and sample food from around the globe. In time, Johnson hopes the fair will draw as many community members as the school’s annual fall festival. “Our school’s really diverse and we love it that way, and we just want to show the neighborhood everything that we have within our walls, which a lot of people don’t know about,” she says.
To improve awareness of all that the school offers, the council asked teachers to speak at the monthly parent meetings, which are held separately from the council’s business meetings and typically draw 60 to 80 people. At one meeting, the PE teacher and some students gave a calisthenics demonstration, and the art teacher showed the steps students go through to create an art project.
Council members also worked to build school spirit with a number of highly visible projects around school. In the fall, it sponsored a logo contest that students and parents both entered. The winning logo appears on spiritwear, the school newsletter, and other items. “The idea was not only to get a logo that we can...brand the school with but to have something that we could all kind of rally around and have an identity for the school,” Lambert says.
The council made a number of improvements to school facilities, as well. Kingsley didn’t have a sign on the street to identify the building to passersby. Parents installed a sign with a message board, used to publicize events to the school and the wider community.
Students had been playing on a dirt and gravel field, which was also used for field day and family events. The parent group received a grant to buy sod, which parents installed and maintained.
During the summer parents also updated the teachers’ lounge, painting over the glaring yellow walls, putting new slipcovers on couches, and installing much-needed cabinets.
In the spring, the group focused on raising money for interactive whiteboards. A vendor representative demonstrated how they work at a parent meeting so parents could see exactly what the money would be paying for. The council sponsored the school’s first fun run, which raised $12,000, and received an additional $6,000 in small grants and donations from individuals and businesses.
Celebrating Success Charter council leaders expected to increase volunteer hours last year, but they never expected it that it would grow by so much. To say thanks, the council recognized volunteers by name in the newsletter and celebrated with a parent appreciation event. Honorees munched on hors d’oeuvres while watching a presentation of all the events and projects from the year.
Each family that completed at least 32 volunteer hours, meeting the “charter challenge,” was recognized with a slide listing their volunteer activities and was given a car magnet identifying them as an exceptional Kingsley volunteer. A plaque in the school hallway lists the charter challenge participants and will be added to each year. Council leaders hope the magnets will help raise awareness of the school in the community and encourage future volunteerism. “We want the kids sitting in the carpool line to say ‘Hey, Mommy, how come they have that on their car? How do we get one?’ ” Lambert says.
A high point of the evening was announcing how many volunteer hours parents had tallied throughout the year. “We had a big roar when we announced the final number of hours,” he recalls.
At the end of the year, the parent group had accomplished an amazing amount. Perhaps most important, it had renewed the school’s sense of community. “We needed our parents to get pride in their school again, and I think we accomplished that last year,” Johnson says.
Graham looks forward to more great work by Kingsley parents. “We really have active, involved parents,” she says. “When parents and staff work together,...we have unlimited possibilities of what we can do.”
http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/687-creating-a-new-sense-of-pride
