I am always looking for ways to ensure our school is the best it can be. I want your kids and my own children to have the best education possible. That’s why a couple of months ago I announced we would have early dismissals for our elementary school students on Fridays next year to provide professional development time for our teachers.
We are still going to dismiss early on (some) Fridays for elementary students, but with an amendment, that I hope will help relieve hardships on our parents while still giving our educators the time they need to truly plan.
I’d like to remind you of the “why” this is absolutely necessary. Here are the key reasons we must carve out more time for our teachers to plan:
- We currently do not have “team planning” built into our schedule. Leveraging the team and providing “creative” time are two essentials for an innovative culture.
- The current model of ongoing professional development (PD) is to hold training after school. If our goal is to enhance teamwork and innovation, then asking teachers to invest mental energy after a full workday is often counterproductive.
- In order to excel in our three-pronged approach to Christian, project-based learning (PBL), and language immersion education, we want to provide more ongoing, effective PD.
After careful consideration and collaborative conversations as to how we can still accomplish our goals while partnering well with our community, we have decided to adjust our schedule.
We will have one early dismissal each month for elementary students. Our updated calendar is attached. Early dismissals will be at 1:30 pm. However, 12:45 pm-1:30 pm will be lunch and recess, so preschool/K parents can pick up their elementary-aged children at 12:45 pm to simplify their pick-up schedule.
The bell schedule for our early childhood education classes will not change. Those students will be released at 12:00 pm, the normal school schedule, or 12:30 pm, if they are in the Lunch Bunch program.
I love our school family. I’m so thankful for the collaboration with our parents and your support as we continue educating our world changers together.
If this creates a hardship for you, please contact me to set up a meeting at njohnson@charlestonbilingualacademy.org.
As Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” May we all keep on learning and growing together.
Inspiring World Changers Together,
Nathan Johnson Ed.D.
Charleston Bilingual Academy
Headmaster
