Winter 2012

CONFLUENCECONNECTIONS

Confluence AcademyWalnut Park students donated money to wear pink and raise awareness for breast cancer research

Walnut Park gives close to home help to families connected to school

In another act of generosity to support new beginnings, Walnut Park staff helped a school family in need. Caroline Crocker, In October, the color pink means school social worker, organized support for breast cancer an effort to help a school family awareness. At Confluence who had been living in transition Academy-Walnut Park, students and recently settled into more raised $1,000 for breast cancer stable housing. awareness. On three separate days of fundraising, students Crocker knew that the childrens donated $1 to wear pink and situation was affecting their daily attend school out of uniform. performance at school. The proceeds were donated to the St. Louis affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, given in memory of a school family who lost a loved one to breast cancer. It is the second year that Walnut Park has raised money for breast cancer awareness. Although I knew I couldnt change all of the factors at home, I knew I could help provide for some of the needs, she said. So, when she found out the family was moving to a new home, she asked what they needed. The parents are very humble and reluctant to ask for help, she said. After learning what they needed most, Crocker sent an email to teachers and staff. At the least, she wanted to provide beds for the children. I was overwhelmed with excitement at the

enerosity has no season, and neither do new beginnings.

number of responses I received so quickly. The project soon grew from providing twin beds to furnishing their new home. Donations included bunk beds, a twin bed, bedding, dresser and mirror, lamp, couch, chair, ottoman, kitchen table and chairs and a kitchen bar with stools. The items were collected within a week. Crocker rented a U-Haul, made arrangements to pick up the items from donors, and delivered them to the family. The family appeared very excited and they were all very appreciative. We all discussed the fresh start for the family and our hope that having a fresh start will reduce the stress experienced by everyone. There was definitely a sense of renewed hope for the family, said Crocker.

The Missouri Charter Public School Association recognized Walnut Parks generosity by mentioning both stories on their website, Facebook, Twitter and in their weekly e-newsletter!

CC Winter 2012

CHAIRMANSLETTER

Individual attention continues to be focus attention and support help students reach goals
Greetings Confluence Academy Family! Wow, how time fliesjust a few months ago, we started the 2012-13 school year, and now its time for winter break. Over the past few months, Confluence Charter Schools has made many changes that focus on providing individualized academic growth for our students.A key emphasis is for teachers and staff to truly bond with students and to create a nurturing, supportivefamily environment that shows genuine concern for the overall well-being of our students. We are also making stronger efforts to provide academic help and mentoring to each student. To support these efforts, we are encouraging and welcoming parents to get involved and become part of the process. If you attended parent-teacher conferences, you should have received your childs individualized learning plan, or goal sheets. Please work with your childs teacher to find out how you can help your child with his/her quest to learn and to reach academic goals. We need to continue to encourage and support our students so they remain focused on the task at hand. As the school year continues, it will be very important for students to accept responsibility, remain true to their commitments and show perseverance and dedication. Parents, please remember that students need to understand the importance of being at school every day, being prepared and eager to learn, and to always do their best. You can show your support for your child by being involved in his/her education, by getting to know teachers, attending school functions, and speaking positively aboutyour childs academic efforts and successes, no matter how small it might be. Parents, teachers and staff - we all need each other, and together we are stronger than we are apart.Our combined efforts and encouragement to one another will give us momentum to excel and

Mission Statement

Confluence Charter Schools provides the highest quality public education for our students. Every day, students are engaged and encouraged to excel in reading, math, science, technology, visual arts and performing arts.
Vision Statement

Confluence Charter Schools will provide a world-class public education to prepare our students for success in college, career and life.

Henry Scholars are recognized at a dinner in their honor

overcome obstacles.As adults, our support, understandingand love are positive inuences in the lives of our youth. We look forward to working with you, and to your involvement and partnership with us in helping toencourage, teach and inspire our students who inevitably will be our future leaders and citizens of tomorrow. One more thing - please make sure your child reads and practices math facts during winter break. Well be ready to get back to the books when students return to school on January 3. Happy Holidays!

Board of Directors Meeting Dates

Friday, January 18, 8:00 a.m. Old North Campus 3017 N. 13th St. Friday, February 15, 8:00 a.m. Conuence Preparatory Academy 310 N. 15th St. Thursday, March 14, 5:30 p.m. Walnut Park Campus 5421 Thekla Ave. Friday, April 19, 8:00 a.m. Grand Center Arts Academy 711 N. Grand Blvd.

Sonya G. Henry Chairman Confluence Academy Board

CC Winter 2012

CLASSROOMCONNECTION

Reading gets physical teacher gets students actively involved with words to teach reading
Listen to the beginning sounds of the words, the teacher asked. If they sound the same, let me know. Blue, black, she said out loud. Ding, ding, ding, called out a chorus of voices. If the word sounds were different, they called out wuh, wuh, wuh, like a game show audience. Heather Hellmann, a second-grade teacher at Confluence Academy-South City, is building the foundations of literacy and comprehension with fun games and activities. Now, I want you to listen to the word and chop it into sounds. As she calls out words, the children pretend to karate chop it into its individual letter sounds. She also uses a technique that asks students to spell it, sound it and say it. I like students to spell it, sound it and say it during word work so they can see every aspect of a word. First, they create a word using a certain vowel or blend pattern. We use letter cards arranged on the board. They then spell what they have created out loud. Sounding out each letter helps students make connections between letter sounds and letter symbols. Last, we put it all together and say the whole word, said Hellmann.

It is important for students to make connections between what they have read and connections with their everyday lives.
Heather Hellmann

To help remember the spelling words for the week, the students pretend to dribble a ball for each letter of the word as they spell it, and then shoot the ball to a goal at the end of the word. The communication arts lesson didnt end there. Hellmann read the story, Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pig. What do we do before reading a book? she asked. You look over the book, a girl replied. What does it mean to look for sequencing? Hellmann asked. Another student raised her hand. It means you look for what happens first, next, then and last. After the story, the students use a sequencing chart. They discuss the story, and then with sticky notes, they put their thoughts on the correct place on the chart. It helps with understanding. Hellmann is in her second year as a teacher. She started her career at South City. She has good advice for parents to help children with spelling and vocabulary at home. I let parents know how important it is to read with their children. I also provide

them with questions they can ask after the child has read to check for understanding. With spelling and vocabulary, it is important for students to make connections between what they have read and connections with their everyday lives. These connections help students further cement the words into their memory.

Second graders are getting the most out of a Confluence education.

CC Winter 2012

QUICKTAKES

The teaching thespian teacher plays lead in Grandel production

Its not every day that your teacher is also a lead actor in a production. Eric Conners of Grand Center Arts Academy was the male lead in The Black Reps production of Anne and Emmett. The play, written by Janet Langhart Cohen, introduces Anne Frank and Emmett Till in a place called Memory and gives voice to their stories. Franks diary revealed her perspective of the Holocaust. Tills death in Mississippi influenced the American Civil Rights Movement. Conners, a theater arts teacher, has been an educator for 18 years, and has been a professional actor for 20 years. Conners said, This summer, I went to a social justice institute and I remember saying to some of the teachers that I really wanted to get back on stage. I actually received a message from Ron Himes, artistic director and founder of The Black Rep, who simply said I have a project I want you to do. Once I discovered what the project was, of course I accepted. It means a lot to me to play the role of Emmett Till. I actually find it to be an honor to tell his story to the world and to keep his story alive, he said. GCAA and Confluence Preparatory Academy students experienced the play during a matinee showing. When asked what he hopes students would learn from the play, Conners said he hoped for a sense of responsibility and obligation to keep both Anne and Emmetts memory alive. I hope they understand that the lives that we are portraying were once real, breathing human beings whose lives changed the world as we know it. The play was a celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Black Rep performing in the Grandel Theatre and ran from October 25 through November 4.

Kudos for Kumon math and reading skills mastered with method
Did you know that Confluence Charter Schools is the only school system in the St. Louis area using the Kumon method? Kumon is a learning method that helps students master skills in math and reading. They work at their own pace and make progress by advancing through levels. In July, Confluence started a pilot program using Kumon with 72 students. When school started, the program expanded. There are 400 students in grades 3-12 who are using the method at Old North, South City, Walnut Park and Confluence Preparatory Academy. The sessions are led by Kumon instructors, not classroom teachers. Five days a week, students spend at least 30 minutes on math and/or reading during the school day, in addition to classroom instruction. Confluence works closely with Dr. Takayuki Dan Kimura, director of the Kumon centers in Florissant and Ladue. Confluence pays for the program. Shonda Gray, director of innovative education programs, said the program is working. We are seeing movement. Confidence is increasing and skill levels are being mastered in math and reading. You can see the progress theyre making, said Gray. You dont have to wait until standardized testing to see that the students are actually improving. You can see it in the classrooms every day. School principals identified students for the program based on Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) scores. The program will end in April, before MAP testing begins. The effectiveness of the program will be determined by NWEA tests given next semester and MAP scores.

Mail (without the e) school post office improves writing skills

Students at Confluence Academy-Old North are writing letters to friends, classmates, teachers and staff and sending them through the schools new post office. The post office is the idea of Heather Kristof, physical education teacher. She heard about a similar program and designed one for Old North to get students excited about writing while reinforcing what theyre learning about the parts of a letter, spelling and grammar. Writing friendly letters is a Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) performance standard. We have already seen a huge increase in students actually writing and wanting to write. Teachers are working with their students each day on writing the letters in the proper form and ensuring they are not sent unless the letters are free of errors, said Kristof. Students love getting mail on delivery days. Twice a week, a staff of fourth through eighth-grade students works in the post office, located in the PE office. Milk crates stacked in rows serve as the sorting station. Each classroom and office has a small blue and white plastic mailbox. Carriers wear blue US MAIL messenger bags. The support of teachers has been extremely positive. They feel it is a very creative and worthwhile project and were 100 percent on board as they knew this would drastically improve students writing skills, she said. We are certain that this project will positively impact student writing, said Sonya Murray, principal. The official evaluation of whether the project impacts state test scores will come after MAP testing next spring. Scores are released to schools in late summer.

CC Winter 2012

TEACHERPROFILE

Confluence Preparatory Academy English teacher Haley Brueck

Brueck earns renewal for certification advanced credential is high honor

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards renewed certification for Haley Brueck of Confluence Charter Schools. Brueck teaches English 3, journalism and yearbook at Confluence Preparatory Academy. She earned certification in 2002 while teaching in Florida. She has 17 years of experience as a teacher. She worked in Florida for 11 years and in Columbia, Mo. for five years before joining Confluence. National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential. It complements, but does not replace, a states teacher license. Certification is valid for 10 years and renewal candidates must begin the process during their eighth or ninth year as a National Board Certified Teacher. Brueck said she pursued certification with encouragement from other teachers and administrators. National Board Certification is one of the highest certifications a teacher can achieve. Its based on Five Core Propositions and focuses on student achievement based on teacher efforts, actions and accomplishments, and not necessarily on test scores, said Brueck. The Five Core Propositions are: teachers are committed to students and their learning; teachers know the

subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students; teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning; teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; teachers are members of learning communities. The process to achieve National Board Certification is a rigorous one. It is one that re-establishes what it means to be an accomplished, successful teacher from curriculum planning to active learning to collaboration with other educators and professionals to self/curriculum/ lesson assessment, evaluation and revision. The most important lesson I learned from the process is that no lesson is perfect, and thats acceptable as long as you make modifications as soon as possible, or for the next time, said Brueck. She decided to become an educator while working professionally in the field of journalism. I was in the broadcast journalism industry when the offer to teach presented itself. I realized I was the one at my television production company, who in addition to my job as the lead field producer, was training incoming employees and I designed training and working manuals. I also loved my high school years and was very involved in sports and extracurricular activities. What does she enjoy most about teaching?

Mark Your Calendars

December 21-January 1 - Winter Break January 2 - Professional Development, No School January 3 - School Resumes January 18 - Parent-Teacher Conferences, No School January 21 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School February 5 - Conuence Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Conuence Preparatory Academy

February 15 - Professional Development, No School February 18 - Presidents Day, No School March 9 - STEM in Action using Camp Invention
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Conuence Preparatory Academy

March 18-22 - Spring Break, No School March 29 - No School

The students! They are so full of hope, promise and personality. They keep me motivated to be the best I can be for them. Since 1987, more than 97,000 teachers have earned National Board Certification. The NBPTS website notes that as of 2010-2011, there are 728 teachers in Missouri who are nationally certified.

CC Winter 2012

PARENTCONNECTION

Tips For Parents Reading Lists Kindergarten Grade 6

Parents Winter break is a great time for reading. You can help your child keep up with reading skills by making time to read every day. Your child can read books on his own, or you can read to your child, or, to make it more fun, you can read books together! Take a look at the recommended reading list for books you can enjoy during winter break. You may already have some of these books at home, or you can nd them at the public library and in bookstores. Happy Reading! The following books are recommended for students in kindergarten through Grade 3. Mr. Poppers Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beverly Cleary Strega Nona, Tomie DePaola Iris and Walter, Elissa Haden Guest and Christine Davenier

These lists are developed in part by the Quicklists Consulting Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.

Just Grace, Charise Mericle Harper Amazing Grace, Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats The Day Jimmys Boa Ate the Wash, Steven Kellogg Amelia Bedelia, Peggy Parish and Fritz Siebel Henry and Mudge, Cynthia Rylant and Suie Stevenson Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak Mufaros Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale, John Steptoe

The following books are recommended for students in Grade 4 through Grade 6. Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett The Adventures of Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo The Black Stallion, Walter Farley
Source: http:// www.neh.gov/news/ summertimefavorites#k-3: Summer Time Favorites, May 2012 By National Endowment for the Humanities Sta

The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame Hoot, Carl Hiaasen Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving Doctor Dolittle, Hugh L. Lofting Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan Holes, Louis Sachar Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Garth Williams

CC Winter 2012

PARENTCONNECTION

The following books are recommended for students in Grade 7 through Grade 8.

Tips For Parents Reading Lists Grade 7 Grade 12

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving Call of the Wild, Jack London The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Howard Pyle Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

The following books are suggested for students in Grades 9-12 and are taken from Common Core State Standards resource materials. The Odyssey, Homer translated by Robert Fagles The Best Short Stories of O. Henry, O. Henry The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
South City Campus 3112 Meramec Street St. Louis, MO 63118 314-481-4700 Walnut Park Campus 5421 Thekla Avenue St. Louis, MO 63120 314-383-8900 Conuence Preparatory Academy 310 North 15th Street St. Louis, MO 63103 314-588-1088 Grand Center Arts Academy 711 North Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63103 314-533-1791

Confluence Charter Schools

Old North St. Louis Campus 3017 North 13th Street St. Louis, MO 63107 314-241-1110

CC Winter 2012

Reading Tips For Parents

Here are some questions to help start discussions with your child as you read together!

Before Reading
What will happen next in the story? How do I feel about the main character? Why does the character act or feel a certain way? Does the story or text make sense? How will the story most likely end? How does this story or text remind me of my life?

During Reading

After Reading
How did the story or text make me feel? What do I like or dislike about the story? What is the main part of the story or text? How have my feelings about the character changed? How are the characters feelings or actions different at the end of the story? What is the author trying to tell me?

What story clues are in the title and pictures?

Is this story real or make believe? How do I know?

If this text is real, what will I learn?

What will the main character need or want?

Why do I want to read this story?

How do I picture the setting?

STEM in Action using

The Future You Invent Starts With STEM STEM in Action using Camp Invention is a one-day program for Confluence students to experience fun, creative, hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering and math. Students will use their imagination and inventive-thinking skills to solve problems through exciting modules such as Action and Adventure, Base Camp and I Can Invent. More details will be announced as the date nears. What: STEM in Action using Camp Invention When: Saturday, March 9, 2013 Where: Confluence Preparatory Academy 310 N. 15th Street Time: 9am 3pm Who: Confluence students, grades 1-6 Space is limited to 110 students; students must sign up to participate. Sign-up will begin in January at Old North, South City, Walnut Park and GCAA.

CONFLUENCESCENES

ACADEMICCALENDARSPRING2013

CONFLUENCECALENDARSPRING
January

Professional Development, No School

Classes Resume

18

Parent - Teacher Conferences, No School

21

Martin Luther King Day, No School

February

Conuence Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Conuence Preparatory Academy

15

Professional Development, No School

18

Presidents Day, No School

March

STEM in Action using Camp Invention, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Conuence Preparatory Academy

18-22

Spring Break, No School

29

No School

April

26

Professional Development, No School

May

24

Last Day of Classes for Conuence Prep and Grand Center Arts Academy

27

Memorial Day

28 - 4 June

Make Up Days*

June

Classes Resume. Hours Change to 8 am to 3:30 pm for Grades K-8

28

Last day of school for grades K-8

* These are make-up days and will be used if school is canceled for any reason, including weather.

CONFLUENCE PARENT MEETING

CONFLUENCEPARENTMEETING

Confluence Parent Meeting Tuesday, February 5, 2013 6:00 p.m. Confluence Preparatory Academy
Confluence Charter Schools invites all parents to join us to learn about our progress and expectations for the second half of 2012 -13. School leaders will share updates about Confluence, give tips on how to help your student succeed at school and at home, discuss ways to improve the school-to-home connection and give details about events and activities. Refreshments will be served. All Confluence Charter School parents are encouraged and welcome to attend. Confluence Preparatory Academy is located at 310 N. 15th Street.*

Confluence Charter Schools

611 N. 10th Street Suite 525 St. Louis, MO 63103 314-588-8554 www.confluenceacademy.org

*Metered parking available on the street