Freshmen Transitions Program

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Freshmen Transitions Program
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21st Century Summer Institute Participants

• Sally Bimrose, Principal
• Jose Castro, Student Achievement
  Resource Specialist
• Mike Erickson, Computer Teacher
• Pam Sorenson, Computer Teacher
• Barry Sullivan, Counselor

Advisors Dan Blake, SCOE Jessica
Parker, SSU
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Current Freshmen Transitions Team

• Sally Bimrose, Principal
• Maureen Cecil, English/French Teacher
• Mike Erickson, Computer Teacher
• Joni Falkenberg, Computer Teacher
• Jenna Jewel, English Teacher
• Bianca Rosario, RSP/English Teacher
• Amy Schleuter, English Teacher
• Tony Slaten, English Teacher
• Barry Sullivan, Counselor

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Influence of Summer Institute

• Coordination of various aspects of the students
  educational needs
• A 21st Century classroom needs to be different
• Cross curricular collaboration with Piner staff
  working as a team
• Enhanced use of technology in classroom
  assignments

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Influence of Summer Institute

• Our guiding question
• What do we need to do to make the transition
  from 8th grade to 9th grade more successful for
  our students?

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Implementation

• Quarterly Freshmen Transitions Team collaboration
  meetings
• Regular communication among Team members
• Creation of cross curricular assignments
• Strategies for enhancing critical thinking in the
  classroom

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Implementation

• PHS Secondary Support
• Life Works of Sonoma County
• Padres Unidos
• Crisis Assessment, Prevention, and Education
• Parent Institute for Understanding Education
• Choices Program
• Peer Tutors
• Career Day, Volunteer Center of Sonoma County

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Implementation

• PHS Secondary Support
• Life Works of Sonoma County
• Padres Unidos
• Crisis Assessment, Prevention, and Education
• Parent Institute for Understanding Education
• Choices Program
• Peer Tutors
• Career Day, Volunteer Center of Sonoma County

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Student Response

• Positive response to peer tutoring
• Awareness of teacher collaboration for their
  benefit
• Greater sense of community within the freshman
  class
• Realization concerning the importance of grades
  and credits

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Student Response

• The students attitude reflects our attitude
  they know we care.
• Students demonstrate teamwork they care about
  each other.
• They know there is
• a safety net to catch
• them if they fall.

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Measurement of Success

• Attendance
• Discipline
• Grades
• Campus Culture/Climate
• End of year student
• survey

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Measurement of Success

• Response from WASC visiting team
• Your students like each other and they like you.

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Lessons Learned

• Keep the standards high.
• We must work together.

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Lessons Learned

• Use early warning signs to trigger intervention.

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Lessons Learned

• The program needs
• to be visible to the
• entire community.

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Continuing On

• Add Science, Math or PE
• Keep quarterly release days
• Maintain team effectiveness

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Continuing On

• Infuse 21st Century learning in the classroom
• Provide team members with hands on technological
  training
• Expand/continue Peer Mentor program

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Changes Underway

• School-wide effort in re-visioning
• Piner as a 21st Century School!
• Shifting our paradigm
• for teaching and learning.

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Changes Underway

• New science
• building

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Changes Underway

• Using new technology collaboratively
• Connections with Sonoma State University Sonoma
  County Office of Education

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Times Up!

• About your speaker
• Name Freshmen Transitions Program Team
• Company Piner High School
• Tel [phone]
• Email sbimrose_at_srcs.k12.ca.us
• Website pinerhigh.com
• Quick bio Piner High is a comprehensive public
  high school located in Santa Rosa, California.
  We are re-visioning ourselves as a 21st Century
  school.