September 2023 - Our Blueprint in Action: Adaptability in the Collins Hill Cluster

  

Welcome to Adaptability in the Collins Hill Cluster!

As the new school year’s excitement settles into September, join us as we explore Adaptability in our Collins Hill Cluster.

Developing Adaptability— the ability to adjust to different conditions or circumstances— is key to ensuring that Team GCPS students, families, and staff can work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities. Our school communities clearly demonstrate flexibility when acclimating to various roles and situations, so they can respond productively to feedback, praise, setbacks, and criticism. Each and every student and staff member builds confidence in working independently and within diverse groups, persevering to achieve success despite difficulty or opposition.

In the Collins Hill Cluster, students are being prepared for jobs that don’t even exist yet, and they will need to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and adaptable to any situation. From Play 2 Learn to PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) programs and cultural community events, students are learning how to “SOAR.”

“We try to create a positive learning environment for our students where they aren’t afraid to fail and make mistakes,” says Collins Hill High Principal Lee Augmon. “Through failure [students] experience success and over time they build resiliency, and resiliency is part of adaptability and learning how to change and continue to persevere.”

It's a bright, early morning at McKendree Elementary. Principal Tyese Scott is cradling a sleeping baby, toddlers are playing and reading books, and Play to Learn Teacher Sheri Gable is ready to start the “Good Morning Song.” On your feet, everybody! It’s time to dance and sing with the group, then perhaps read a book or two.

The McKendree staff has responded productively to the feedback of their community, striving to meet their changing priorities for their children’s academic progress. The school recently expanded its Play 2 Learn program with three class offerings and continues to adapt to the diverse needs of parents and students with the Little Learners Academy. This program will be held in the evening once a month to supplement for parents and guardians unable to attend Play 2 Learn in the mornings.

Ms. Scott is an advocate of early learning and believes in the importance of connection. “[Play 2 Learn] is a family’s first opportunity to get to know how school works, and to understand how much our community cares about their children, even when they are babies,” Ms. Scott says.

The Little Learners Academy will model the structure of Play 2 Learn, with activities that help parents and children work and learn together. Parents learn the importance of simple activities like reading to their child, finding teachable moments in everyday events, and engaging in educational play to help get their child ready for school. Play 2 Learn Program Teacher Sheri Gable says the class becomes a second home for participants.

“[The program] creates a community for families; it teaches kids what it’s like to be in a group, and it helps parents teach their children what to expect in school,” Ms. Gable adds. “What Gwinnett is doing for our earliest learners is huge. Every parent needs to know about this program.”

At McKendree Elementary, staff members are committed to ensuring that students have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in life. This means providing opportunities for students to make mistakes alongside adults that provide useful feedback and praise by intentionally building confidence within those students. Through those experiences they will be equipped to adapt to a complex, ever-changing world.

 Step into Creekland Middle School and take note of the colorful flags that line the halls and represent all the different countries of students in attendance. Staff and students at Creekland Middle work together within their diverse community of learners to exhibit Adaptability throughout the school.

Experience the joyful sounds floating down the hall from the band and orchestra room where students learn to perform music of assorted styles, historical periods, and backgrounds. These students make the most wonderful music together when they can respond productively to feedback and know it only helps increase their confidence and refine their performance.

Time to grab your protective eyewear. In George Bekemeyer and Linda Littlejohn’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) class, you will be using the design cycle to create tiny houses, stools, and custom woodwork designs. Students show flexibility in working with others from diverse backgrounds and communicate, evaluate, and adjust projects to achieve desired results.

 

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Take a seat in Leslie Ware’s German class and realize how connections form in similarities between the students in class and those in German-speaking countries. “[When students realize] that others in the world can have the same experiences as they do, this assists in closing the gap between themselves and others,” Ms. Ware explains.

You may be parched and in need of an energy boost, so head on over to Walnut Grove Elementary School and grab a delicious coffee from the Perky Eagle Coffee Cart! While the cart services the staff around the school every Friday, the menu goes beyond coffee. Special needs students serve hot chocolate, tea, and smiles. The Perky Eagle Coffee Cart was the brainchild of Courtney Toland, who says she was inspired by her brother with special needs. The coffee cart gives Ms. Toland’s students the opportunitity to learn a new skill and work on being confidently independent.

“I decided that I wanted to start my students early with working on those vocational and independent skills, ” Ms. Toland says.  

The students hone in on various skills that will allow them to excel in work-based environments, and grow in the areas of math, reading, fine motor, and social skills. The coffee cart has become a beloved and sought-after activity for the students. “They look forward to Fridays, and it is a great motivation to work towards being able to work at the coffee cart,” Ms. Toland shares. Students have become more familiar with navigating the school and feel a sense of belonging from getting to know their school community better.

They even feature the cart at after-school events like Walnut Grove Elementary’s International Night, an inspiring display of the many cultures that make the school a melting pot of community. The inaugural International Night was held in the cafeteria, where more than 15 different countries were gathered together. The families of students set up booths decorated with maps, information boards, artifacts, traditional clothing, and more to showcase their respective countries.

The event was quite a treat for the attendees as the student's families provided guests with food samples like Jamaican Curry Chicken, Mexican Sopapillas, and an array of traditional food from countries like Nigeria, Poland, China, and beyond. Furthermore, the event organizer, Christy Tate, says she wanted to celebrate the diversity at Walnut Grove. “I knew I wanted the event to showcase our school’s diversity and for the spotlight to be on our families,” Ms. Tate says. And that it did; with the help of Walnut Grove’s students, the guests were also able to enjoy cultural music performances.

The school’s student population not only represents more than 20 birth countries but also includes 30 different spoken languages.

Flexibility and leadership also are important lessons for teachers at Taylor Elementary School when it comes to understanding and implementing Adaptability. The school’s New Teacher Program focuses on professional development for new teachers and the exciting new challenges presented to them. The “Taylor Way” means guidance, support, and belonging for new staff members paired with veteran educators. This program, lead by teachers Christy Neal and Danielle Bowles, means encouraging mentees to embrace the opportunity of being new and transitioning together to navigate the 27 years of tradition that have made Taylor Elementary the community it is today.

“The Collins Hill Cluster is built on community, excellence, and tradition,” says Ms. Neal. “The cluster’s success in academics, arts, athletics, and service has grown, and continues to grow from that foundation.”