AppleTree Blog
Developing Effective Teaching
AppleTree recognizes teaching is a high-skilled profession that requires talent, regular professional development, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Even with these components, it takes many teachers years to master their craft. What happens to children in early childhood classrooms while this process is occurring? It may appear that good teaching is an "art," when in fact there are concrete strategies that preschool teachers can easily integrate in their daily practice.
AppleTree's Southeast Campuses Featured in East of the River
East of the River Magazine featured AppleTree's Southeast Campuses at Parklands and Douglas Knoll in its January 2012 issue. Stephen Lilienthal writes:
Every day students balance outdoor play with reading storybooks, learning about sounds, songs, and symbols, telling teachers what they want written in a journal, perhaps even drawing an entry.
AppleTree Early Learning PCS receives charter school excellence award
We're thrilled to announce that AppleTree Early Learning Pubic Charter School was awarded "The Josephine Baker Award For Charter School Excellence" on December 17, 2011. This was the first annual Josephine Baker Awards For Charter School Excellence, where the DC Public Charter School Board recognized and celebrated the city's top performing public charter schools.
Open House Rescheduled - Monday, January 30th
The Open House originally scheduled for Friday, January 27th has been rescheduled to Monday, January 30th from 11am-noon. Please join us if you are interested in enrolling your child at AppleTree Early Learning PCS next year.
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Announcing DC LINKs (Leaders Investing in our Nation's Kids)
AppleTree is preparing to launch DC LINKs, a "Community of Practice" that works together in promoting teacher effectiveness and implementing high quality early childhood education. With the generous support of PNC, Fight For Children, Meyer Foundation, Stranahan Foundation, and Washington Area Women's Foundation, we will be hosting four events in the upcoming months. This series will bring together a diverse group of local practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders and introduce them to Every Child Ready, AppleTree’s comprehensive instructional model for preschool that drives what to teach, how to teach and how to tell it’s being done.
My Five Wishes for the New Year
Recently, Jay Mathews of the Washington Post wrote about his five wishful changes for DC area schools. It made me think about what my five wishes are for 2012.
I wish every DC Child entered kindergarten with the oral language, vocabulary, math, pre-literacy and social/emotional skills to thrive, or at least compete on a level playing field. That would mean that we get the K-12 system out of the "catching up" business and refocused on educating all children to high standards.
AppleTree Early Learning PCS Open House Dates
AppleTree will hold monthly open houses in the coming months for prospective parents. This gives families and opportunity to see all of the great work in classrooms and meet school leadership and instructional staff. Open Houses will be held at all campuses on the following dates and times:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
10-11am
Friday, January 27, 2012
11am-12pm
Achievement and Attendance, Hand-in-Hand
On Monday, AELPCS Columbia Heights Principal Danah Telfaire stood outside the school's front doors next to red and white balloons to welcome students as they entered the building. Handing out colorful beaded necklaces, Danah celebrated the students' on-time arrival, because at AppleTree, the learning day starts at 8:45 AM sharp!
We can avoid "Achievement Gap-Mania" by concentrating resources early
The American Enterprise Institute sent out a news release with this opening paragraph, "In a revolutionary essay published today in National Affairs, Frederick M.
Rising Poverty and Falling SAT Reading Scores Mean We Must Do More
Recent headlines remind us of the increased need for evidence-based preschool interventions like AppleTree's Every Child Ready--to counter two troubling trends in increasingly troubling times.
