< < February 26, 2007 |
Main
| February 28, 2007 > >
February 27, 2007
JJ Pair
Frequent Neighbors contributor and Lake Highlands Elementary parent JJ Pair shares her thoughts about TAKS testing day:
Richardson ISD shuddered. It was TAKS testing across the district. Ugh.
As the mother of a first timer (my daughter is a third-grader), it was a far more stressful day for me then her. I’ve been in denial about this day and suddenly here it was. I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about kids having meltdowns in class and throwing up the night before “the big test.”
I’ve been a critic of this thing called TAKS for some time, not because I agree or disagree with the district, state or any other agency (I’m not informed enough to agree or disagree), but because, regardless of its purpose, anything that makes a kid throw up the night before isn’t good in my book.
I didn’t sleep well that night. Oddly, my daughter did.
When Lake Highlands Elementary Principal Kim Sullivan took the helm of this little 50-year-old school on the corner of Ferndale and Lakemere, some very interesting things started happening. Special programs like you’d find at private schools, including those for TAKS testing, were initiated, at no extra cost.
Events started happening more frequently and more successfully. Parents became more visible and active. Scores rose. And here’s the kicker…kids smiled, especially when the principal took the time to greet them at the door, classroom or car pool line by name and with a smile.
She made it her mission to know and care for all her students genuinely. But she also had an ulterior motive: Get them ready for TAKS testing.
Principal Sullivan had her teachers prepping the kids by giving them pre-tests, helping them learn how to take a test (often more important then the actual test itself), working with them on any problems they may be having and preparing them for what to expect.
Sullivan didn’t stop there. A week before the big test she sent home a special letter to “her parents,” asking them to make sure their kids had a good night sleep and breakfast. This reinforced to students that they are prepared, they are going to do great and mom and dad have confidence in them.
Oh, she worked her teachers like dogs, too. My daughter received two phone calls from previous LHE teachers saying, “You go girl! Good Luck! We know you know your stuff and we have confidence in you. You’re going to do great.” I’ve come to find that all the kids received phone calls the night before the test.
My daughter received a note from mom and dad saying the same, which was delivered by her teacher who a week earlier had asked parents to write notes for all the kids in his class. All the kids.
When Elsa and I walked through the doors the morning of the test, I expected silence and a feeling of foreboding. Instead, I saw business as usual. Happy kids were getting to class, teachers were greeting and smiling, the principal was welcoming. The positive energy that flowed carried me through the rest of my day. When I picked my daughter up at the end of the day and asked how it all went, her answer was the usual: “Great Mom!” And she smiled all the way home.
I know there’s always going to be kids who get ‘test stress. But this educator took extraordinary measures to make this process run as smoothly as possible for the teachers, parents, district and most importantly, “her kids”.
Well done, Principal Sullivan and LH Elementary. When I look back on my big bad property tax payment that I made last month, I’m feeling like I got my money’s worth this year. I’m pretty sure Elsa attends a private school. Or that little 50-year-old school on the corner of Ferndale and Lakemere.
Posted by Angela Chambers 
at 2:32 PM (E-mail this entry)
David Brockman, professor of world religions at Southern Methodist University, will begin the Wednesday night Lenten series at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany with the topic “Abraham’s role in Judaism, Christianity and Islam” Wednesday, Feb. 28. A soup supper begins at 6 p.m. and Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. with the lecture to follow. The Lenten series runs through March 28 with various speakers and topics. For information on all topics, contact the church at 972-690-0095.
Posted by Angela Chambers at 11:47 AM (E-mail this entry)
Lake Highlands Elementary third-graders expressionism artwork with the title “Why not a blue cat?” will be on display at an art opening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, and remain through the beginning of April at White Rock Coffee, 10105 E. Northwest Highway.
The students learned that artists sometimes choose colors that express feelings rather than the natural colors of things, which is part of the art style called expressionism.
Artists the students studied for inspiration include Franz Marc, Kandinsky, Matisse and Pollock.
For more information, call the coffee shop at 214-341-4774 or JJ Pair at 214-348-0000.
Posted by Angela Chambers at 8:41 AM (E-mail this entry)
Kris Imherr of the Lake Highlands High School PTA submitted the following story for the Saturday, Feb. 24, edition of Richardson Neighbors:
Architectural renderings of what the front exterior and interior first-floor foyer of Lake Highlands High School will look like after bond-funded renovations are complete will be on view at the school's spring open house on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
The open house, scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m., will follow a general PTA meeting that will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the school's student center.
Parents of current LHHS students are encouraged to attend the annual open house.
Those who do will find construction, scheduled for completion by the end of August, already under way. Flooring has been removed from the first-floor "A" Hall and offices realigned in advance of a makeover.
The changes were incorporated in a 2006 Richardson ISD’s $145 million bond package that is part of a three-installment effort to modernize district schools in phases according to when they were originally built.
Construction will change the look of the building front as well as better accommodate administrators, add much-needed space to the clinic, and streamline public access. The redesign will result in a more defined, aesthetically appealing entrance, and administrators will have more room in a redefined office corridor.
Elsewhere, a dance studio will be added along with a new athletic training room and other classrooms, including those for the new career and technology programs in cosmetology, construction trades, hospitality service, and protective services.
The renovation timetable and progress will be highlighted at the brief PTA meeting, where PTA officers for the 2007-08 school year will be elected. There also will be a brief recap of the 2007-08 academic year calendar. The Texas legislature has mandated changes statewide in public school operations that potentially will affect scheduling in many areas.
After the PTA meeting, LHHS teachers will be in their classrooms to welcome parents and discuss their children's efforts and plans for next school year.
Posted by Mark Macesich at 7:00 AM (E-mail this entry)
Scott Walker, president and CEO of BillMatrix, will speak about “Beating the odds: Success secrets of a serial entrepreneur” at 11:45 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at the Richardson Hotel, 701 E. Campbell Road.
Check-in begins at 11:15 a.m. Cost is $35 Metroplex Technology Business Council members or $40 non-members. Deadline to receive the early bird price is three days before the event. After the deadline, there is a $10 surcharge.
To register, visit www.metroplextbc.org/events.html.
Posted by Mark Macesich at 5:33 AM (E-mail this entry)
