- March 28, 2024
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All 11 district schools presented improvement plans to the School Board Sept. 20, for the 2011-2012 school year.
Kate Sturman, second-grade teacher at Rymfire Elementary, raises her voice to get the attention of her class. A student is about to be honored.
“Boys and girls, let’s have Izzy walk the red carpet,” she says, pointing to a 3-foot maroon mat near the entrance to the classroom. Izzy Colindres gets up quickly, all smiles. She glides down the runway like a rock star, brandishing a certificate and a sticker.
As part of the school’s annual improvement plan, presentations of which were given by every district principal at the Sept. 20 School Board meeting, Sturman has been leading a bucket-based positivity drive in her classroom. Every time a student collects, in his or her personalized bucket, 20 bright-colored fuzz balls for good behavior, the student is recognized and dumps the loot into a larger class bucket.
When the big bucket is filled, there’s a party.
“Let’s give her a ‘hip-hip hooray!’” Sturman says, and the class bursts into cheers.
Rymfire’s new “Bucketful of Happiness” plan, according to Principal Paula St. Francis, is meant to encourage students to think and interact more positively, as a gateway to academic improvement.
“(And) it is really working,” she told the School Board Sept. 20. “It is really changing the culture in our school.”
Sturman says students are awarded “fuzzies” for good behavior. One student, Hailey Bovino, got one for helping pick up garbage. Timothy King got one for giving compliments. Izzy Colindres already has five fuzzies in her bucket, after recently dumping a full load in the class pot.
“They’re being more kind, and they’re more aware of how they’re talking to each other,” Sturman says.
When students misbehave, they lose fuzzies. Every student is told not to dip into classmates’ positivity — to not to be a “bucket-dipper.”
They’re also taught to keep metaphorical lids on their buckets, to protect their positivity.
“If someone is being mean, you don’t have to accept (that) negativity,” says Tim King, facilitator of positive behavior support. Some parents, he said, have started integrating the philosophy at home.
Taking the idea from a children’s book — “Have You Filled Your Bucket Today,” by Carol McCloud — St. Francis instituted the plan to reduce suspensions and combat low test scores at what she believes is its source.
“You have to change culture first,” she says. “If kids are in the classroom, there will be a high rate of (success).”
In terms of annual school improvement, academics are always the No. 1 concern, she says. Improving parent involvement and student behavior come next. But the three are not mutually exclusive.
“It’s about analyzing every situation,” says Rymfire Reading Coach Kathy Baldwin, of the bucket system. “This has emotional attachment to it. And as soon as you increase the emotion … you increase (students’) ability to really understand what they’re reading.”
Baldwin, St. Francis, King and a representative from each grade level/department met over the summer to write bucket-based lesson plans and decide how the effort would be implemented.
The philosophy is being used in later grades, as well.
Tim Ruddy’s fifth-grade students don’t use physical buckets or fuzzies, but the same rules apply, he says, especially for bullying.
Chase Smith, 10, has seen the changes firsthand.
“You fill them up with great emotions,” he said. “Now, since the bucket thing came, (everybody’s) acting better.”
Standing outside of his classroom, Ruddy eyes his students from the doorway and nods.
“This makes something concrete for the older kids,” he says. “We all carry around a bucket … and we can all choose to be dippers, or we can choose to be fillers.”
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Principals from all 11 district schools presented to the School Board Tuesday, Sept. 20, plans for annual school improvement. Highlights from each proposal are as follows:
Belle Terre Elementary — After matching its previous year’s percentage of FCAT reading gains, Belle Terre hopes to raise reading gains in 2012 from 67% to 72% of its student population.
Buddy Taylor Middle — In an effort to surpass every state standard, Buddy Taylor hopes to improve parent involvement, as well as cooperation between the school and home.
Bunnell Elementary — Although only 33% of students scored a “proficient” score of 3 on the FCAT reading exam last year, 67% of students achieved learning gains. In 2012, Bunnell hopes to raise its gains to 72%.
Flagler Palm Coast High — FPC has big plans for 2012. While 46% of students scored a 3 in FCAT reading last year, administrators hope to raise that number to 75%.
Heritage Academy — The expected percentage of students, grades three through 10, scoring a proficient Level 3 on the FCAT reading exam will rise from 44% to 50%.
Indian Trails Elementary — Indian Trails plans to increase its percentage of students scoring a 3 or above on the FCAT reading from 73% to 86%.
Matanzas High — Matanzas plans to increase its percentage of students scoring a Level 3 on the FCAT science exam from 40% (2011) to 51% (2012).
Old Kings Elementary — Staff at Old Kings hopes to raise the percentage of students scoring an above-proficient 4 or 5 on the FCAT math exam from 31% to 40%.
Palm Harbor Academy — Palm Harbor hopes to increase its percentage of students achieving proficiency in the FCAT math exam from 28% to 40%.
Wadsworth Elementary — Wadsworth plans to “continue to do what works.” That means meeting or exceeding all of its school’s FCAT scores.
Contact Mike Cavaliere at [email protected].