INFORMING, EDUCATING, EMPOWERING...

Federation for Children with Special Needs

INFORMING, EDUCATING, EMPOWERING FAMILIES 617-236-7210 | www.fcsn.org | [email protected]

Robert L. Ford K-5

NASA Explorer School

A Full Service Community School

Robert L. Ford K-5


Ford Facts

First K-8 public school in Lynn.

738 students enrolled...2008-2009.

86 % minority students.

92 % of students receive free or reduced lunch.

42 different languages / dialects spoken.

Robert L. Ford K-5


Community Snapshot

“Ground Zero” for drug and alcohol abuse.

Upper fifth percentile in the state for child abuse.

Large gang presence in the neighborhood.

Large percentage of families living below poverty level.

Robert L. Ford K-5


Educational

Model

A “neighborhood

village with the

school at the

center.”

Long term commitment of parents, staff and students

Comprehensive, integrated services

Community partnerships

Consistency and continuity

Communication at all levels

Academic excellence

Robert L. Ford K-5


Ford School Philosophy

Robert L. Ford K-5


Full Service Community School Model

Open year round 6 days a week 7 am – 9 pm

Breakfast, lunch and dinner served all year long, including the

summer months

After school and summer care provided at the school by a private

agency

Adult Education for the community

•Classes offered in GED, ESL, Citizenship, College Credit Courses

•Child Care / Homework Club

•Adult Tutoring

Bridging home and school

Create Strong Foundation

Welcoming environment

Focus on customer service

Giving Parents A Voice

Listening

Surveys

Meetings

Social Events

Concerns


Respect & Transparency

Communicate

Effectively outreach to families


Build Parent Advocates

School Improvement Councils

Phone trees

PTO/PTA

Room parents

Always Looking To Improve

Develop Data Driven Family Engagement

School Improvement goals alignment

Governing Board goals alignment

Analysis

Project Based activities

Measurable outcomes

Robert L. Ford - A Community School

The process is an ongoing cycle.

The more responsive the school

is to the needs of its families, the

more the families trust the school.

The more families trust the

school, the more they bring their

needs to its attention.

By sticking together, and with the help of various community partners, networking, and a “never say no” attitude, the Ford school is able to offer support to their students and their families.

Parents and families are the cornerstone of what makes schools such a strong community.

Parents must be invited to be

equal partners in their children’s

education.

Treat all parents as intelligent,

worthy, and vitally invested in the

success of their children.

Make the first contact a good one.

Reach out to parents positively

and pro-actively.

Robert L. Ford K-5


Community Garden

Students learn about agriculture

and the marketplace •Connections across the curriculum

Maintained by Highland Coalition, Ford School staff, students and

parent volunteers

Ninety percent of the garden produces food •Local crops

•Crops representative of Ford’s international families

Full Service Community School Model

Robert L. Ford K-5


All programs, both educational and recreational,

are based upon the premise that every child needs

a supportive family and a nurturing neighborhood

community in order to prosper at school so that no

child is truly left behind.

Robert L. Ford K-5


Extra Curricula Programs and Activities

Homework Club

Literature Circles

Saturday School

•MCAS Prep

Summer School

•MCAS Prep

•Enrichment

National Honor Society

•Grades 7 and 8

Robert L. Ford K-5


Grade 8 Yearbook

Girl Scouts

Intramural and Citywide Sports

Talent Show

Chess Club

Computer Club

Robotics Club

Ford School Choruses

•Grades 1 – 4

•Grades 5 – 8

Robert L. Ford K-5


Talent Show

Spring Trip – Grades 6-8

•New York, Washington D.C.,

Quebec

NASA Academy

NASA Club

Astrophysics Club

Newspaper Club

Charm School

Dance Team

Connections translate into academic success...

Salem State College

• Professional development courses

• Adult Education courses

• FASST Program

• Lab School

North Shore Community College

• Adult Education courses

• College Rocks

Gordon College

• Night School tutoring

• Science enrichment

• Student interns

Robert L. Ford K-5


Harvard / MIT

• Astrophysics Club

College For Every Student (CFES)

Cohen Hillel Academy

• CHAMPS Program

• Friday Reading Buddies

• Annual Winter Clothing Drive

• Athletic Equipment Drive

• Used Book Drive

Governor’s Academy

• Community service

Robert L. Ford K-5


Robert L. Ford K-5


NASA Explorer School: from faculty

training to student learning...

Grant 2006

Professional development

Principals’ Leadership Institute

Field trips to Christa McAuliffe Center

Ford School NASA Computer Lab

Student enrichment

DLN - long distance learning

and...

Robert L. Ford K-5


C-9 Microgravity Airplane

Teacher in “space”

Robert L. Ford K-5


The NASA grant has given our faculty, staff and students

the opportunity to meet many distinguished leaders.

Robert L. Ford K-5


Working Together with Our Community

Lynn Housing Authority

•Planning/Development of new townhouses

•How to Buy a House workshops

•Foreclosure workshops

Neighborhood Coalition

•Grant for 60 new trees

•Organic Garden

•Extermination issues

•Safety concerns in cooperation with

Lynn Police

•Neighborhood Crime Watch Meetings

Robert L. Ford K-5


Junior Achievement

•Volunteers from community and students from Lynn English High

School

Metropolitan Opera Guild: Urban Voices

•Vocal music program

Essex County Community Organization (ECCO)

•Grants to improve the community

•Political forums

•Waterfront development

•Expanding Community School Program

Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO)

•After School and Summer Programs

Robert L. Ford - A Community School

Lens Crafters of Peabody provides free eye glasses for all students that need them.

Robert L. Ford - A Community

School

Being a Community School, Ford offers parents educational programs such as…

Obtaining a GED

Learning English as a Second

Language

Obtaining Citizenship

Night Care / Homework Club

Adult Tutoring

Robert L. Ford

A Community School

My Brother’s Table

Turkeys, turkeys, turkeys...

Donations of food and clothing for Ford families

Robert L. Ford

A Community School Junior Achievement

Volunteers from community and

Students from Lynn English High School

Metropolitan Opera Guild: Urban Voices

Vocal music program

Robert L. Ford K-5


General Electric

•Grant opportunities

•Microgravity C-9 Experiment

•Sponsor guest speakers

•Partners in parent training

Essex National Heritage Commission

•High Rock Tower Grant

• Schooner Friendship visits Lynn

Vision Coalition / LensCrafters

•Free eye exams and glasses

Help for Abused Women and Children (HAWC)

•Outreach

My Brother’s Table

•Turkeys, turkeys, turkeys...

•Donations of food and clothing for Ford families

Robert L. Ford K-5


Gordon College Lynn Initiative

•Sponsor of Passport Program

•Night School Tutoring Program

•Provide workshops for the community

Friends of High Rock Tower

•Community support

•Veterans’ Day / Memorial Day Programs

•July 4th neighborhood celebration

Girls Incorporated

Collaboration on school grants

Expansion of programs for Ford School girls

www.HCLynn.org

Highlands Coalition

Peace March 2008

Highlands Coalition Monthly Meeting

The Robert L. Ford K–5


Community Garden

Highlands Coalition Moderator: David Gass

Key Project Personnel

Director: David Gass, LINC

Dr. Claire Crane, the Ford School

Garden Manager: Andrew Harding

Franziska Amacher, Architect

Melissa Dimond, The Food Project

Site of the Ford School Community Garden in 2006

The Community Garden in 2010 seen from opposite end

UMass Extension and Garden Crew

Lower middle and high school dropout rates

Many students are chose to attend private high schools

• Bishop Fenwick

• Brookwood School

• Governor’s Academy

• Pingree School

• St John’s Preparatory School

• St. Mary’s School

More than 60% of our students go on to college

Robert L. Ford K-5


Benefits of Ford’s Full Service

Community School

Students have better home support

Students attendance improves

Nurturing environment for families and students

Long term family / faculty relationships

Robert L. Ford K-5


Robert L. Ford K – 5


Benefits of a Community K – 8 School

Can be a positive alternative to the large middle school

Give at risk students greater opportunities at success by

building long term relationships

Parent involvement can improve because parents are more

comfortable and familiar with the surroundings and because

younger siblings are enrolled in the same school

Students behave differently than in a middle school often

taking on the role of protector and role model opposed to

having to establish new reputations upon entering a middle

school

Can enhance teacher collaboration and articulation within and

across grades

Ford School has become an engine of change.

Consistency, comprehensiveness and long term commitment increase program impact.

School factors have a major impact on parent involvement.

Parent and community involvement impact student achievement.

Continued yearly progress due to Ford’s commitment to its partnerships, programs and services.

Shared partnerships resulted in shared gains: Networking is key to success.

Robert L. Ford K-5


Authentic Outcomes

Keeping the “vision” and programs fresh

Responding to and managing changes

Working within our environment

Funding sources

Increasing parent involvement and accountability

Sustainability of programs

Working to keep our K – 8 intact

Robert L. Ford K-5


Challenges

Robert L. Ford K-5


A Full Service Community School

INFORMING, EDUCATING, EMPOWERING FAMILIES 617-236-7210 | www.fcsn.org | [email protected]

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