From the Principal's Desk
Dear Members of the Chantilly HS Community:
I hope you are doing well. Our end-of-year plans are almost finalized and I hope you are aware of what’s happening. We sent targeted messages to underclassmen students and parents as well as senior students and parents. If you are a senior student or parent, please see the following link for a summary of all the events and celebrations that are planned: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12kYIS9EGbeTVvlhtkogRYA2Vco7O2TUo2c44bsPhwW0/edit?usp=sharing I’m also pleased to share that we have hired our new Varsity Boys Basketball Coach, Coach Rodney Carmichael . Please see the message below for details and join me in welcoming Coach Carmichael to the Chantilly community. Finally, I thought you would be interested in the article below. FCPS is already hard at work trying to decide what the 2020-2021 School Year will look like and how to address the challenges that come when students fall behind due to virtual learning. I hope you find it helpful.
Have a good weekend,
Scott
When Schools Reopen, What to Do With Students Who Are Behind
In his Education Gadfly article, Michael Petrilli suggests that the question of how to
catch students up when schools are back in session may depend on the grade level, the subject,
and how far behind students are. He gives two examples:
- A high-school English class reading George Orwell’s novel, 1984 – Perhaps many students don’t have the vocabulary and interpretive skills to make meaning of the book, so one solution is for those students to read The Giver by Lois Lowry, closer to their reading level. But another approach, with no student missing out on 1984, is for the teacher to do focused work to make the book understandable for less-prepared students. This might include watching a movie rendition or listening to the audiobook; and reviewing plot guides or digital editions of early chapters, with embedded vocabulary help and synopses. All this would be done just before the class reads 1984 together, preparing those students for success.
- A sixth-grade math class with most students arriving years behind – Should the teacher teach grade-level content and try to fill gaps wherever possible, or go back and address the unfinished learning from prior years and Covid-19 slide, running the risk of students not being up to grade level for the state test? The latter approach makes the most sense.
Petrilli believes the difference is that in math, there’s a clear progression of standards, with mastery of prerequisite skills very important to success. “No amount of ‘supports’ and ‘scaffolding’ is going to magically make that problem go away,” he says. “So we should encourage teachers to go back and help kids fill in the holes – while also helping students make progress on grade-level material.”
But English is different, he believes. In this area, as well as social studies and science, access to grade-level material should be the default. Once students can decode text, understanding and appreciating material is a matter of building up vocabulary and background knowledge, which effective teachers know how to do – “a mix of well-designed small-group instruction, one-on-one tutoring, online acceleration and enrichment, and whole-class discussions.”
The primary grades are different, says Petrilli. Students who were on the verge of sounding out letters, learning to read, and counting to one hundred have big challenges when schools reopen. Petrilli was heavily criticized online when he suggested keeping younger students back, but he’s worried about automatic promotion to the next grade. For starters, there must be thorough diagnosis using high-quality assessments. For students who are way behind, he believes they need “the gift of time,” which might be rebranded as “a second 2nd grade,” moving up to grade 2.5, ideally looping with the same teacher, spreading out three years of standards to four years.
“When It Comes to Catching Kids Up, Let’s Stop with the Generalities” by Michael Petrilli in The Education Gadfly, May 6, 2020 (Vol. 20, #8), https://bit.ly/2YWuo4q
Have a good weekend,
Scott Poole
Fairfax County Public Library News
- Curbside pickup will be available at all branches (except Lorton) from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. beginning June 1. Click here for more information.
-
Summer Reading will take place June 12–Aug. 14 with the theme “Imagine Your Story.” This year it will be a virtual program for children and adults. More information will be available on the library’s website soon. (The link is not yet live.)
- There are a number of digital events available for all ages throughout the summer. Programs for adults include things such as chair yoga, book discussions, virtual trivia happy hour, mindfulness meditation, crochet, and more.
Recognitions
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. Congratulations to Mr. Luc Nguyen, English teacher at CHS, for receiving that recognition this month.
"I want to thank Mr. Nguyen for being a teacher who is engaged and genuinely cares about his students. My son was struggling his senior year and while I am wondering what to do to address it, Mr. Nguyen reached out to me first to see if something was wrong. He understood the situation and did things a bit differently with my son so he would not be overwhelmed with the work. We kept in communication during the year, while my son had ups and downs, he and I made plans on how to help my son through his struggles. He noticed when my son was doing well and immediately let me know he received a 31/30 on a test. It gave my son hope and he smiled from ear to ear that day. The year continued with struggles, but Mr. Nguyen simplified the work list to demonstrate the assignments are doable and he can succeed. This is exactly what was needed for his success. While some teachers say "go look at google classroom" Mr. Nguyen does not stop there. He goes above and beyond to help a child succeed. My son is not very technically savvy, and I think blackboard and google classroom overwhelm him, so I am so refreshed to find a teacher that thinks outside of the box. I cannot tell you how much his help means, it makes my son feel he can succeed, and he is important. I am forever grateful; you have touched our lives and may have influenced his life direction for the positive-- those intermittent sparks of success have kept him going. Thank you so much."
- a Chantilly HS Parent
Chantilly HS Boys Basketball Coach Announced
We are very excited to announce that Coach Rodney Carmichael has been named head coach of the boys’ basketball program at Chantilly High School. Coach Carmichael brings a great deal of coaching and playing experience to Chantilly. Coach Carmichael has been the varsity assistant coach at Hayfield Secondary School for the past several years. Prior to coaching at Hayfield, Coach Carmichael was an assistant coach at Marymount University and an associate head coach at Middleburg Academy.
Coach Carmichael played basketball at Salem Community College and Norfolk State. Coach Carmichael played semi-professional basketball for the Winnipeg Cyclones for a year. He played professional basketball for two years for Germany Oberelshingen and Germany Rheinsdorf.
We are excited to have Coach Carmichael join the Chantilly Coaching Staff! We look forward to the players, staff and community meeting Coach Carmichael soon.
Recent Student Successes
This is the next installment for the school year of what has become a weekly segment aimed at recognizing students for demonstrating recent improvement or achievement in academics, behavior or citizenship. At the end of each recognition, you will see the name of the nominating teacher or staff member. On a rotating basis, departments will nominate students.
-
Simon Chon had been sick during 1st and 2nd quarter so he had some catching up. But during distance learning, he could catch up his missing assignments and now he is excelling in the class. Ms. Youngju Lee
- Not only has Eva Clawson-Keeton completed her classwork and attended all sessions, she has found time to cut fabric for masks and hospital caps and collect food for a food bank. She is a lovely human. Chefs Clay Doubleday and Meg Holman
-
Cameron Duong attends every Virtual Class and completes all of his assignments on time. He works hard on everything he does and is truly a role model to the other students in our class. Ms. Erin Foster
-
Cadet Sai Greeshma Gayam was named our Air Force JROTC Senior Cadet of the Semester! Congratulations Cadet Gayam.
CMSgt (Ret) Al Clemmons
-
Jamal Hall is a hard worker. He did a wonderful job representing the STEP program at a new job site this year. He is extremely polite, friendly and professional. He has worked hard to learn all the new technology that has been needed the last couple of months! Go Jamal! Ms. Kirsten Hassan
-
Anika Malhotra passed the Microsoft Office Word Expert Level Industry Certification test! She spent time in her Advanced Information Systems class practicing and preparing for this rigorous standardized test! Congratulations on doing a great job and meeting the challenge of passing this test! Ms. Marcella Setness
- After four years of dedication, Yon Ji Park is graduating from the STEP program. This year, she showed enthusiasm and determination in the many roles she served in at Poplar Tree Elementary School to include working as an assistant in the cafeteria, library, and classroom. As a STEP graduate, she is sure to continue her journey doing what she loves -- serving in a helping capacity and bringing joy to others. Congratulations! Ms. Mariann Gibson
- I have been so impressed with how Saketh Karri has embraced the on-line learning environment. He has attended all class sessions, participated in group and class conversations, and he has completed all class assignments. I am proud of how mature you have been, how seriously you have taken this work environment, and how you realized you could continue to learn outside of the school building. Way to go, Saketh! Ms. Susan Chudovan
-
Nicholas "Nico" Santiago Naranjo has been very committed throughout the distance learning time in Introduction to Marketing. He communicates with me regularly to ensure he has completed all asynchronous assignments at the proficient level along with attending the synchronous sessions. I have been very impressed with his maturity and follow through to strive to do his very best. Nico should be very proud of his efforts as am I. Thank you Nico for your hard work - you deserve the best! Ms. Jennifer Piotrowski
-
Varun Sundaresh did an excellent job working at USGS as an intern this school year. He enjoyed his job scanning materials in the computer and working on other clerical jobs in the office. He always had a positive attitude and never complaint. Ms. Diane Dineen
|
