TV show’s production team to be at Dawes, giving supplies, asking teachers about careers
SOMERS POINT – Next Tuesday, teachers in Somers Point will be feeling the love. Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder said the district will be the only one in the state to get a visit from the “Abbott Elementary” Give Back Tour Bus, which will be visiting Dawes Avenue School from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Jan. 4.
She said members of the production team for the new ABC sitcom will be visiting five public schools in Philadelphia — the show is based on a fictional school in the City of Brotherly Love — and wrapping up with a stop in Somers Point.
“They are coming to visit, have teachers share their ‘Why’ for becoming a teacher, and give our teachers supply bundles of their choice as a thank you for what they do,” CarneyRay-Yoder said.
“Abbott Elementary” debuted Dec. 7 and has been described at a warm-hearted comedy. The cast includes Tyler James Williams as newcomer Gregory Eddie, who joins veteran teachers Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter, principal Janelle James, Quinta Brunson and Chris Perfeti at an inner-city elementary school in Philadelphia.
CarneyRay-Yoder said Jasen Smith, an employee of the production company who had a very tenuous connection to the city, reached out to her to ask if they would be welcome.
She said he told her they were looking for a small community that has a lot of diversity like Philadelphia.
CarneyRay-Yoder said a team would bring the bus to the parking lot of Dawes Avenue School, where it will be set up to provide teachers with breakfast, a photo-op and an opportunity to discuss why they chose to become educators.
“I think that’s a great way to start off the new year with teachers posting their why, because the producers want to read why teachers got into the profession,” CarneyRay-Yoder said, noting the team is bringing $80,000 worth of school supplies to hand out.
The superintendent said times are tough, with political strife, a public health emergency and rising inflation, and that she can see the level of stress and anxiety in her teachers and parents.
“I’m excited about the kids getting to celebrate progress and growth and excited about this visit because it’s one more way for the staff to kind of like fill their tank up a little bit, plug the hole in their bucket,” she said.
CarneyRay-Yoder said the theme of the show fits nicely with her approach to leadership. “I want my teachers and my administration and myself to be the people that inspire our kids to do better.”
New framework helps student growth gains explode; youngsters are being honored
SOMERS POINT — The school district is starting off the new year on a positive note, celebrating both the success of its students and the commitment and sacrifices of its educators.
Student growth is one of the key themes for this year, and the district is inviting the community to participate in the celebration of each student’s achievement.
To address the need for increased student achievement, the Somers Point School District has implemented a research-based, tiered-learning instructional framework, Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder said.
CarneyRay-Yoder said that after completing the first cycle, the district saw significant student achievement from the tiered-learning instructional framework, noting that between 95 percent and 97 percent of students demonstrated growth.
Dawes Avenue School Principal Laura Venello presented a visual representation of the growth during a Board of Education meeting Thursday, Dec. 16. She showed off chains of different colors, each representing a separate grade, that stretched around the room, each link representing growth points during the first trimester.
Part of the tiered approach is setting benchmarks and targeted interventions.
“Every kid gets interventions that are specifically targeted to their strengths and weaknesses,” CarneyRay-Yoder said. “The kids have really exploded, I was so excited when I saw the data.”
While prioritizing support for variables that contribute to student academic success and the acquisition of skills, such as instructional strategies and classroom resources, the district administrators are also focusing on supporting the social and emotional needs of students, staff and the community.
That became evident the same evening when the board approved a collaboration with a mental health service provider to offer free therapy for students, siblings and parents at the middle school.
More important now than ever, Carney-Ray-Yoder said, a positive school climate improves outcomes for students, reduces discipline issues and reduces rates of teacher burnout while increasing levels of commitment and collegiality among teachers and support staff.
“We understand family and community participation is a crucial resource that impacts student achievement and also sustains school improvement that contributes to a positive school climate that supports all students. In order to reinforce access to this resource, the district is looking to authentically engage with the Somers Point community,” she said.
CarneyRay-Yoder said to develop an authentic relationship with the community and let them see the growth of the students, the district will be taking the recognition of student achievement into the community.
“Each student who has demonstrated growth on one of the three assessments will have a balloon placed at their home Jan. 3. The school-colored balloons will have a card with the student’s name and this year’s theme, ‘Pouncing Forward,’” she said.
Photos will be shared via social media to let the community know what the balloons indicate and to support conversations within the community of each student’s achievement.
“We want to create authentic relationships with the community and the first step is supporting conversations within the community that is often limited to each student’s home or within the school grounds,” CarneyRay-Yoder said. “We’re going to make it a big deal about the growth and celebrate the kids.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff