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By Barabara Augsdorfer - Contributing Writer for The Maricopa Monitor
MARICOPA — Schools are measured by any number of criteria – how well students do on standardized tests is the big one. Are the students learning? What are they learning? How well do they know the material? Are they learning necessary life skills?
As any parent and educator can attest, there is more to learning than what is in books. Becoming a successful person in the highly technological and social media age that is the 21st century takes more than book smarts. That is where the Leader in Me program and designation picks up.
To be successful, everyone has to buy in to the program. It has to become personal. The students, staff, teachers and parents at Maricopa Elementary School have done just that.
In February, the school was notified that it had earned the Leader in Me Lighthouse designation. The award was the culmination of three years of hard work implementing the steps to meet Leader in Me goals in academics, culture and leadership.
“We are honored to have been certified and named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School,” said Dr. Jennifer Robinson, principal of Maricopa Elementary School. “We have seen amazing results from implementing the Leader in Me process at our school, such as increased leadership roles for our scholars, greater awareness of school-wide goals through implementing leadership notebooks and increased parent engagement through Leadership Cafes.”
Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model and process, developed in partnership with educators, that empowers scholars with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. Leader in Me helps students learn how to become self-reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, manage their emotions, be considerate of others, express their viewpoint persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, and live a balanced life.
Robinson shared one example of a scholar who was withdrawn and had difficultly engaging in discussions. Now he is mediating conversation with his peers, coming up with “win-win” solutions and has taken on the role of Win-Win mediator at his grade.
Parents and the public were invited to the Leadership Day celebration at the school on May 11. Scholars had significant roles in assisting guests during tours and presentations. “Scholars on Special Assignment” lead tours through the classrooms, where students showed their Leadership Notebooks and “Wildly Important Goals.” A big part of the student ownership of the Leader in Me program is that scholars set their own goals, determine steps to meet those goals, and keep track of their progress.
The Lighthouse Certification is a highly regarded standard set by Franklin Covey Education that is attainable by every Leader in Me school. As it is a significant benchmark, applying for this certification typically occurs three to five years after a school begins the Leader in Me process.
According to the Leader in Me website, only 2,840 schools throughout the US are Leader in Me schools. Of those, 341 are Lighthouse schools, and of those, Maricopa Elementary is one of only five schools in Arizona with that highest distinction.
“Schools who achieve this Lighthouse Certification are great examples of a strong leadership model and process, and of what it means to be a Leader in Me school.,” said Sean Covey, President of Franklin Covey Education. “This school has experienced transformational results by implementing the principles and practices related to Leader in Me.”
The Leader in Me framework relies on five main paradigm shifts: Instead of only a few leaders, everyone can be a leader; instead of “only a few are gifted,” everyone has genius; instead of waiting for “the system” to change, “change starts with me;” instead of educators controlling and dictating student learning, educators empower students to lead their own learning; and in addition to focusing solely on academics, Leader in Me schools develop the whole person — emotionally, physically and mentally. Leader in Me schools include education in art, music, and dance.
Maricopa Elementary School will maintain its Lighthouse Certification the next two years. At the end of the two years, Maricopa Elementary School will be able to re-certify its Lighthouse Certification through a virtual self-assessment, describing and celebrating its growth and accomplishments since its original Lighthouse designation.
In an effort to keep our parking lots safe for all, please adhere to the following parking lot guidelines.
General Parking Lot Safety
Drive slowly in parking lots and on surrounding streets.
Keep an eye out for scholars and other pedestrians as you drive through the parking lot.
If you are a pedestrian, use the marked crosswalks.
Check behind you thoroughly before backing up.
Whether you are a driver or a pedestrian, keep cell phone use to a minimum to remain alert.
Parking Lot Courtesy
Please do not block vehicles parked in a parking space. If you have blocked someone, please make sure you are present in your vehicle in order to allow them out of the spot.
Parking Lot Rules
Parking (exiting your car) and standing (remaining in your car) are NOT allowed where the curb is painted red at any time. These areas must be left open for emergency vehicles.
In addition, parking is not allowed beside curbs that have not been painted but you may stand at those areas until a parking spot opens.
Only those with appropriate permission can park in handicap spaces. We do have a number of handicapped parents/guardians and scholars. Those spaces are reserved for them.
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Dear Parents/Guardians:
Thank you for choosing Maricopa Elementary, a Leader in Me Lighthouse School.
We need your help! Please take a few minutes to complete a short survey about our Leader in Me focus, teacher leaders and our school. You are probably thinking, “I just took a survey.” Yes you did, however this one is more in depth and focuses on our Leader in Me framework. You only need to complete the survey once. For your convenience, we have created a link for the survey:
Scholar Led Conferences are scheduled for April 3, 2019. We look forward to seeing you. We are very proud of our scholars as they reflect on their learning, leadership roles, practicing the 7 Habits and discuss their goals and progress with you. Report cards will be given out at this time. If you are unable to join us, please contact your child’s teacher and set up another time to meet.
Do you know our school WIGS (Wildly Important Goals)? 80% of MES scholars will meet their expected growth in Reading & Math and 95% of MES scholars will be present and on time for school. How does your scholar’s WIG help our school WIGS? Have you asked them about their WIG lately?
During April, we are focusing on Habit 7– Sharpen the Saw. Sharpen the Saw focuses on four different dimensions: Body, brain, heart, and soul. This means, “You take care of yourself by eating right, exercising, and getting sleep (body) You learn in lots of ways and in lots of places, not just at school (brain). You spend time with family and friends (heart). You find meaningful ways to help other people (soul). You find balance in all four parts of yourself.
Here are some questions you might discuss as a family: What do you do to take care of your body? Could you make any improvements? What are your plans for feeding your brain? What things do you do that make you happy? What are some things that you do to help other people or friends happy? How good is your family at sharpening the saw?
Your child will be taking several assessments this month. We will begin with AzMerit Testing for scholars in grades 3 -5 from April 2-19. These tests are designed to measure how well your child is mastering the Arizona College and Career Ready standards. We feel confident that our teachers have prepared your child for this assessment. Check in with your scholar and ask them how they feel their WIGs and lead measures have prepared them.
School City Math and Reading Post Test Assessments will be given to scholars in grades K-5 beginning after AzMerit tests have been administered (April 22). These tests are also designed to measure how well your child is mastering the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards. The results will be compared to Pre-Test assessments given in August of this school year. We are excited to see the growth your child has made over the year.
Please stress to your child the importance of getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast. Maintain a pleasant home environment and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Try to make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your child’s stress. Remind your child the tests are important and encourage them to do their best work possible. Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other scholars finish early. If your child is too ill to attend, please call the school office. Please schedule appointments after testing or on a different day.
Great news for Maricopa Elementary! The City of Maricopa Police Department, Victim Services Unit was awarded a grant through Ak-Chin’s State-Shared Revenue Program (Prop 202) in partnership with Maricopa Unified School District. The grant will provide a high level of service from crisis intervention and support in the education system for victims of crime and children with adverse experiences in Maricopa.
This opportunity will provide training to elementary school staff at Butterfield and Maricopa elementary schools on mindfulness and trauma informed classrooms through a professor at ASU School of Social Work. It will also provide trauma sensitive classrooms through Calming Corners at Butterfield and Maricopa Elementary School.
With the warm weather coming, please remember that scholars need to continue to follow the dress code. Scholars should dress in a manner that takes into consideration the educational environment, safety, health, and welfare of self and others. Scholars must keep in mind that they represent Maricopa Elementary School and the Maricopa Community.
Safety is a top priority on our campus. A new safety feature has been implemented in our district called SafeSchools Alert. You can now use this new alert system to notify our administrative team of any safety concerns you may have about our campus. We encourage you and your children to use this system to play an active part in school safety by reporting incidents of vandalism, bullying, suspicious activity, or any other concerning behavior you feel may need to be addressed. SafeSchools Alert allows you to report in five convenient ways:
By APP - just search for “SafeSchools Alert” in the App on your mobile phone
By PHONE: by calling 833.284.6770
By TEXT: by texting your tip to 833.284.6770
By EMAIL: 1679@alert1.us
Or by WEB at http://1679.alert1.us
Please use our district code, 1679, in your report to ensure it is routed to our administrative team. We are proud to add another resource to our families to help promote school safety. Of course, we still encourage and welcome all other types of communication between you and our team to make certain that we are addressing any concerns you have as they arise.
Together, we will see your child’s potential so clearly that they see it in themselves.
Yours in Education,
Dr. Jennifer Robinson
Address 18150 North Alterra Parkway, Maricopa, AZ 85139
Phone (520)568-5160
Fax (520)568-5166
