A MESSAGE FROM DR. BRUCE LOCKLEAR
Greetings Everyone!
Week of March 5th, 2012
1. EdinaBuzz on YouTube Don’t forget to watch the latest EdinaBuzz on YouTube! The video is sponsored by Parent Council and provides up-to-date information about the latest news at EHS. Next E-Report will be coming out the end of March. http://www.youtube.com/user/EdinaEBuzz
2. We are in the midst of February/March Madness and what a fun time! We realize the disruptions that come with tourney time, but also appreciate the excitement for our school and community that surrounds this time of the year. So, thank you for your support as we move into a busy, but exciting time for our school and community with the conclusion of winter season and the transition to State Tournaments! Go Hornets!
3. Grading Meeting, last week Mr. Kile and Mr. Sanger attended a district wide meeting around grading practices. We have shared information with staff recently around what is occurring at a National Level around this practice, so we can have a common theoretical starting point. In additional to the reading materials, an assistant principal from Minnetonka will be in attendance at our area leader meeting on Wednesday March 7, to discuss their journey with grading. (Their web link is http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/academics/gradingandreporting/Pages/default.aspx)
4. Out of the Office, my duties begin with the NASSP (National Association of Secondary Principals) board this week. As a result, I am out of the office Wednesday thru Sunday this week (March 7 – March 11). I am deeply saddened that I will miss the State Tourney, but can’t skip this meeting.
5. Special Education Area Leader Position, we are interviewing for the position of area leader this week. With the re-tooling and the size of the department it is time to seek help in managing all the pieces of the department. As soon as a decision is rendered, I will let you know.
6. DECA, State Competition today and tomorrow, I was down last evening and saw the students and Gallagher prior to competition this morning and they looked so professional as they were going into the competitions. Best of luck to them and their bid to send students on to nationals!
7. E-Math Program Review, I believe all who were engaged in the process found it to be extremely helpful and informative. I know Bob Schneider and Steve Clarke enjoyed the feedback and the opportunity to review their programmatic data. The Review Team consisted of an area leader, district curriculum folks (Chad Schmidt and Scott Woelber) a counselor, and admin.
8. Walk Thru Process…the admin team took time to visit all the classrooms. It has been awesome to see the teachers in action!
9. Learning Spaces, we are gaining a deeper understanding of learning spaces in our school and how these spaces can be optimized and what this optimization includes. Our immediate focus is the media center, common area, and De-Café.
10. Staffing Decisions, we are at a point where staffing decisions are entering the radar at the district level. We have not landed on the staffing numbers or process for next year as of yet. Obviously, as we get information, we will pass it along!
Have a Great Week!
Dr. Bruce Locklear
Principal
Edina High School|
A MESSAGE FROM DR. BRUCE LOCKLEAR Greetings Everyone! Updates: EdinaBuzz on YouTube New E-Report on the EdinaBuzz YouTube! The video, sponsored by Parent Council, covers Finals, Math Curriculum, and May Term. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/user/EdinaEBuzz Site Council We had a great meeting on standards based grading. Several issues emerged around the merits of standards based grading; ranging from re-testing to consistency of a grade within our system. As we move ahead, as a district evaluating grading practices the following link from Rick Wormeli (). This link addresses formative and summative assessment. The grade analysis we will complete transcends retesting and will move into the meaning of the grade, the meaning and weight of homework, and common practices across our school. It was interesting as I listened to students speak yesterday as a part of Site Council they were not always sure how they were graded. So it will be another great journey for us as a school. It seems like we are on a lot of those of late. Edina Scholar the final meeting for the Edina Scholar changes occurred on December 21st, with the Board Teaching and Learning sub-committee. The committee approved the changes for the Edina Scholar Program, effective for this year. Therefore, for the Class of 2012 the Edina Scholar will qualify with a 10.5 GPA, both weighted and un-weighted. Again, thank you all for your help in the policy changes for this honor. Grade Letters and Values (Non-Advanced Placement) The letter grades listed below are assigned on report cards and transcripts. The accompanying numbers represent the grade point values for non-Advanced Placement classes and are used in the calculation of the unweighted class rank. A=12, A-=11 / B+=10, B=9, B-=8 / C+=7, C=6, C-=5 / D+=4, D=3, D-=2 / F=0 Weighted Grade Letters and Values (Advanced Placement) The letter grades listed below are assigned on report cards and transcripts. The accompanying numbers represent the grade point values for Advanced Placement classes and are used in the calculation of the weighted class rank. A=14.4, A-=13.2 / B+=12.0, B=10.8, B-=9.6 / C+=8.4, C=7.2, C-=6.0 / D+=4.8, D=3.6, D-=2.4 / F=0
2012 Policy Debate Team Edina High School Policy Debate Team and coaches – congratulations on your exemplary performances and achieving State Champions! State Champions: Mimi Sergent-Leventhal & Erin Sielaff Quarter Finals: Dustin Meyers Levy & John Lang Head Coach: Shelia Peterson Background Information Increasing the exploration of space beyond the earth’s mesosphere and using deadly force as a response to domestic violence were the topics argued at the 2012 State Debate Tournament – the 111th edition and longest-running event of the Minnesota State High School League. The policy debate portion of the tournament has been conducted since 1902. EVENTS: The Final Exam Schedule Jan. 25, 26, 27 More information available in the Hornet Headlines http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/edinahigh/pdfs/headlines.pdf
5th Annual Edina Education Fund Show and Tell Luncheon Monday February 6, 2012 at 11:30am St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Reserve your seat. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the ways the Ed Fund is impacting our students today and into the future. To register contact: edinaedfund.com or call 952-848-4224. Thanks for your continued support! The Winter Production: The Diviners January 19-21, 2012 at 7:30 pm Edina Performing Arts Center(EPAC) This moving American drama explores the friendship between a disturbed young man and his friendship with a disenchanted Kentucky preacher in rural southern Indiana in the 1930’s. The play is a story of friendship, family, community, loss, and hope, told in a hauntingly poetic voice that speaks to the heart. As playwright Jim Leonard Jr. puts it, “These are good and simple people, they have only the best of intentions.” Don’t miss this beautiful play!
Burial at Thebes January 27-28, 2012 at 7:30 pm Edina Performing Arts Center (EPAC) Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Competition Sophocles' play, first staged in the fifth century B.C., stands as a timely exploration of the conflict between those who affirm the individual's human rights and those who must protect the state's security. During the War of the Seven Against Thebes, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, learns that her brothers have killed each other, having been forced onto opposing sides of the battle. When Creon, king of Thebes, grants burial of one but not the "treacherous" other, Antigone defies his order, believing it her duty to bury all of her close kin. Enraged, Creon condemns her to death, and his soldiers wall her up in a tomb. While Creon eventually agrees to Antigone's release, it is too late: She takes her own life, initiating a tragic repetition of events in her family's history
Sweetheart Week February 6th-11th More information available in the Hornet Headlines http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/edinahigh/pdfs/headlines.pdf
Thought for the Week! “Life by the inch is a cinch, life by the yard is hard, accumulate enough inches and you will rule the world!” Art Downey EHS Swim Coach
Have a Great Week!
Dr. Bruce Locklear Principal Edina High School
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12/16/11 A message from Dr. Bruce Locklear Greetings Parents! Please have a wonderful and safe break and holiday season! Updates: 1. Just so you hear it from me first, I was elected MASSP's Region IV representative on the NASSP Board of Directors. I will represent Region IV for the next four years and will be working closely with the MASSP Board of Directors and other states in our region which includes Wisconsin, Michigan, North and South Dakota and Wyoming, to carry forth our issues, concerns, and recommendations. It has been over a decade since Minnesota has had an opportunity to be represented on the NASSP Board. I am uncertain what this all means as of yet, but will keep you posted.
2. Equity Team, as a school we are committed to ensuring a great learning experience for all students and believe we do a great job in this area, but are also smart enough to realize we can always improve. To that end, we conducted a walk – though of several classrooms yesterday (12/15) and were so impressed with the many wonderful things we are seeing in building. There will be much more to come from our team on our observations. A special thank you to the many teachers that opened their doors to us in this process!
3. EHS has been awarded 11 spotlights for Urinetown. More are to come with technical awards yet to be decided. For the 6th year in a row, we have been awarded a coveted “Outstanding Over All Production” along with many other awards. This is quite an honor! Complete list is in the Hornet Headlines.
4. Thank you for your support of the Armful of Love. Without your support and enthusiasm the success we achieved would have not have been possible. As a school, we raised $7050.00! We were able to buy present for 93 people (25 different families). Special thanks to the two homerooms that raised the most money, Gail Casey (math) and Alejandro Diaz (World Language) who both raised an average of $20 per person. The winners from each department are: Simpson (Social Studies), Buckley (Language Arts), Berndt (Electives), Richter (Music/Art), Corcoran (Science), and Weise (Other Electives). The overall winning department is math.
5. Edina Ed Fund Show and Tell Luncheon Monday February 6, 2012 5th Annual Show & Tell Event at St. Patrick’s Church. Table captains needed. We are looking for individuals to serve as Table Captains for this year’s event. As a Table Captain you will be asked to fill a table of 8 people by personally inviting friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and anyone with whom you would like to show the Ed Fund’s work and the great things the Ed Fund does for our schools and kids. If you are willing to help please contact Kristin Karpinsky - Table Captain Chair at kakarpinsky@hotmail.com or Barb Bloom -committee member at barbbloom@mac.com Thanks for your continued help.
STUDIES/EVENTS 1. Edina Scholar… Our Area Leaders unanimously supported the proposed changes to the Edina Scholar Program. These changes are to maintain the GPA at 10.5 but to include weighted and non-weighted grades. If we took the last five year average, it would have increased our number of Scholars by approximately 30 per year. Our next stop is with the Teaching and Learning Sub-Committee for final approval and direction on the timeline for implementation; meaning should the new changes take effect immediately or should it be rolled in beginning with next year’s freshman class. We will keep you posted! Grade Letters and Values (Non-Advanced Placement) The letter grades listed below are assigned on report cards and transcripts. The accompanying numbers represent the grade point values for non-Advanced Placement classes and are used in the calculation of the unweighted class rank. A=12, A-=11, B+=10, B=9, B-=8, C+=7, C=6, C-=5, D+=4, D=3, D-=2, F=0 Weighted Grade Letters and Values (Advanced Placement) The letter grades listed below are assigned on report cards and transcripts. The accompanying numbers represent the grade point values for Advanced Placement classes and are used in the calculation of the weighted class rank. A=14.4, A-=13.2, B+=12.0, B=10.8, B-=9.6, C+=8.4, C=7.2, C-=6.0, D+=4.8, D=3.6, D-=2.4, F=0
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We are so immersed in the "World of Standardized Testing" but what happens when we pass the test back to adults and test developers? For more, please read the article in the Post.
Doc Loc
Greetings Everyone!
Welcome to the wonderful month of December (almost)! As the year has begun to progress into these chilly but sun filled winter days, I hope that this month brings many opportunities for you!
Humor
Q: What did the stamp say to the envelope?
A: Stick with me and we will go places!
Speaking of going places . . . It has been a busy time for our seniors and their parents who are in the midst of the college selection process. Many visits have taken place and applications and essays have consumed the lives of our seniors over the past several months. Decision time will be around the corner! I often share with a student that it is difficult to make a poor college selection, other than fit. If the school doesn’t fit you or your needs it becomes difficult to find your stride and enjoy the experience. So please, as you evaluate the college of your dreams, make sure to address the question of fit! “Fit” occurs most often in two realms, geography and size. So take time to stop and think about the questions!
Hornet Headlines – current news at EHS!
Please click on the following to view the Hornet Headlines!
http://edina.k12.mn.us/edinahigh/pdfs/headlines.pdf
Parent Council
Student Directories are complete!
They will be given to your students Homeroom teacher (2nd hour) to distribute on Wednesday.
Edina Scholar Update!
CURRENT Policy: Edina Scholars
All students who earn an un-weighted cumulative grade point average at or above 10.5 for marks earned at Edina High School in grades ten, eleven, and the first three quarters of grade twelve are designated Edina Scholars. A student who enters Edina High School by the beginning of their senior year and earns…
(1) An un-weighted cumulative grade point average of 10.5 for their work here at Edina High School and
(2) has an un-weighted cumulative grade point average of 10.5 for their work at their previous school, will also be designated as an Edina Scholar. (For the purpose of determining Edina Scholars, PSEO grades shall be considered equivalent to those earned at Edina High School. In addition, a PSEO student’s final GPA shall be measured from the end of the first semester of their senior year.) The designation—Edina Scholar is placed on the graduation ceremony program and the student’s record. These students will also be recognized at an Honors Ceremony in the spring of their senior year.
PROPOSED Change: Edina Scholars
All students who earn a weighted or un-weighted cumulative grade point average at or above 10.5 for marks earned at Edina High School in grades ten, eleven, and the first three quarters of grade twelve are designated Edina Scholars. A student who enters Edina High School by the beginning of their senior year and earns…
(1) A weighted or un-weighted cumulative grade point average of 10.5 for their work here at Edina High School and
(2) has a weighted or un-weighted cumulative grade point average of 10.5 for their work at their previous school will also be designated as an Edina Scholar. (For the purpose of determining Edina Scholars, PSEO grades shall be considered equivalent to those earned at Edina High School. In addition, a PSEO student’s final GPA shall be measured from the end of the first semester of their senior year.) The designation—Edina Scholar is placed on the graduation ceremony program and the student’s record. These students will also be recognized at an Honors Ceremony in the spring of their senior year.
If approved the revised Edina Scholar Program Requirements would take effect for the graduating class of 2012.
Again, this has progressed through a series of committees at our school. Once we receive final approval from these committees we will advance to our Teaching and Learning Sub-Committee.
E-Buzz:
E-report on YouTube – Curriculum Changes http://www.youtube.com/user/EdinaEBuzz
More Stuff!
An FYI on an upcoming event for Student Council!
As you may know, every year Student Council takes part in a holiday outreach program. The last few years, we have been participating in an organization called "Adopt a Family" but this year we are choosing a different program, called "Armful of Love". It will be run the same way as the Adopt a Family has been in the past. This organization gives us a list of families with "wish lists" and we raise money as a school so that the gifts they requested can be purchased and the families can enjoy a little holiday spirit.
Each Homeroom class is encouraged to meet the classroom goal based off of their department. Overall, we believe Edina could raise $7,500.00 for Armful of Love!
We will reward the top three classes that will raise the most money per pupil with treats. Other incentives will be given throughout the week.
Classrooms will be receiving information about their goals on Monday. Prizes are yet to be determined but are definitely guaranteed. It will be well worth your effort! We will collect money on Wednesday November 30th and Monday December 5th during second hour. Envelopes containing your family’s information have already been distributed and should be found in your mailbox.
Thank you for your time and cooperation. Please encourage your students to participate to help these families enjoy their holidays.
PLAN Distribution:
We are planning to distribute the PLAN test on December 8th. A special thank you to our counseling office for all their work in this process!
Closing
Time is moving quickly past and before we know it we will bid farewell to this senior class. In the interim, I plan to hang onto every moment I can with them as they are truly an outstanding class doing great things for our school. I was reminded of a quote by Anne Frank, “How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” The Class of 2012 epitomizes this statement! They don’t wait, if something needs to be done to improve our little part of the world, they are on it!
Thank you!
Dr. Bruce Locklear
EHS Principal
Greetings!
Many thanks for your help and support as the 2011-2012 school year is well underway! And yes, the year is off to a wonderful start and our students are an impressive group; led by an outstanding group of seniors. Our staff is deeply engaged and working our students at a rigorous pace.
I wanted to pull some time aside to provide some updates on the happenings at EHS for you to provide insight and to keep you up to date on what is going on with our school and students.
EVENTS
1. Dallas Brass is Coming! Back by popular demand, the Edina High School Bands will present the DALLAS BRASS LIVE IN CONCERT on November 16 and 18, 2011 at 7 p.m. in EHS Fick Auditorium. We're offering a special advance ticket price of $12 (instead of $18!) if you order before November 7. (See attached flier for more details.)To order, visit www.edinabands.com now! We expect both concerts to sell out. The November 16 concert will feature selected middle school band students performing one piece with the Dallas Brass. The November 18 concert will feature members from the EHS Concert and Varsity Bands performing one piece with the Dallas Brass.
2. ACT Honor! ACT has identified your school as a high-performing school, and we would like your input as we conduct a study of school practices and aspects of school climate that contribute to greater student progress towards college and career readiness.
3. No Hate Week and Anti-Bullying Week! From Tuesday to Friday, students from Edina's Gay-Straight Alliance, Dare to Be Real, the Multicultural Club, and resource rooms will be tabling in the cafeteria and commons collecting signatures asking state legislatures and Governor Mark Dayton to pass a law protecting all students from bullying, as well as handing out buttons and ribbons in support of No H8 Week. In Minnesota, fifty-seven percent of 6th, 9th and 12th-graders said they had bullied someone or been bullied in the past month, according to the analysis by the state departments of education and health. Thirteen percent reported being bullied at least weekly, and 9 percent reported having bullied someone.http://www.startribune.com/local/121493054.html
4. 15th Consecutive State Tournament for Girl’s Tennis! Congratulations to our tennis team for another outstanding performance winning their 15th consecutive State Tournament. Beyond being outstanding tennis players, they are also solid academicians, and wonderful young women! Congratulations!
5. State Bound Boy’s and Girl’s Cross Country! On 10/26, both our boy’s and girl’s Cross Country teams qualified for the State Tournament. It was an exciting race, on both accounts and we have some wonderful young men and women participating in the State race. The State Tournament is November 5th and held at St. Olaf College which is a beautiful and a wonderful trek.
6. URINETOWN… my by-line is, “don’t let the name fool you!” This satirical comedy takes a whimsical look at some of the classical musicals of our time and provides a humorous spin that will leave you laughing for days. That is all I can say, as you will need to see the show!
STUDIES/EVENTS
Get out vote!!! Attached is a link with information on the Levy! http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/ Please check it out!
8. Edina Scholar… we are pulling together data on the Edina Scholar program, which provides an insightful look into the qualification for this honor. The question at hand is, “Should the qualification criterion include weighted Grade Point Averages as opposed to our current system of non-weighted GPA as a criterion for acceptance. The policy as it currently reads is as follows:
a. All students who earn an unweighted cumulative grade point average at or above 10.5 for marks earned at Edina High School in grades ten, eleven, and the first three quarters of grade twelve are designated Edina Scholars. A student who enters Edina High School by the beginning of their senior year and earns (1) an unweighted cumulative grade point average of 10.5 for their work here at Edina High School and (2) has an unweighted cumulative grade point average of 10.5 for their work at their previous school will also be designated as an Edina Scholar. (For the purpose of determining Edina Scholars, PSEO grades shall be considered equivalent to those earned at Edina High School. In addition, a PSEO student’s final GPA shall be measured from the end of the first semester of their senior year.) The designation—Edina Scholar--is placed on the graduation ceremony program and the student’s record. These students will also be recognized at an Honors Ceremony in the spring of the senior year.
9. Shift from Classes to Hours…the Minnesota Department of Education supports a move to require that a student’s yearly attend, must meet, at a minimum 1020 hours. We are currently working with our staff attempting to understand the impact this new legislation will have on our building. As you know, we run late starts, PSAT/PLAN testing and myriad other activities during these late starts that minimize disruptions to classes and provides optimal testing environments for students. We are in the midst of the analysis of this recent Legislative ruling and will keep you posted as we get our arms around both the intent of the legislation as well as the impact on our school.
10. End of the Year Study… EHS has framed a study around the end of the year for our school. We have myriad entities that feed into our year end, such as May Term, AP Testing for about 60% of our students, Finals Schedule (the 3 day final schedule), Mainstream class needs, and myriad other factors go into how our year concludes. To date, few staff members would share they are happy with the how our school year ends, so to that end, we have a Committee of about 20 teachers undertaking this study. Additionally, our Site Council, which is comprised of students, parents, a counselor are providing research and models from other states to be considered. We will keep you up to date on this study, but it is anticipated that it will go for the remainder of the year.
