EatonBlog

We are proud of our Eaton students and teachers who have scored in the top 10% of all schools in the state on TCAP achievement tests for the second straight year. 

 Tennessee Schools Defy Economic Obstacles to Achievement

I wanted to take a moment to thank all the students, Eaton staff, and parents who were so understanding and cooperative during the cold days last week without heat in our cafeteria.  The vast majority of comments were positive and showed a great willingness to adjust to the situation.  Students wore jackets to lunch a couple days (while many said it didn’t seem cold to them), and on the single digit temperature days, kids ate lunch in their classrooms. Even then, the temperature in the cafeteria never dipped below 62 degrees, so we feel blessed things went so well.  One child, upon hearing Friday he would get to eat in his classroom again, said, “I feel like I’ve won the lottery.”  All the teachers worked together to make this a fun time for the students with many featuring “dinner with a movie” themes. 

As many of you know, two local news crews were notified by parents of the situation and showed up to do stories.  Interestingly, they took two very different approaches in their reporting.  The WBIR story showed the students and teachers making the best of the situation and even enjoying the change of routine.  The WATE story, however, implied that I was somehow negligent by not notifying all parents of the situation.  Had I thought for even an instant that children were in harm’s way, I certainly would have notified parents.  This was not the case.  We had a great week of learning with no interruption to classroom instruction.  Given the days off this week for snow, I am grateful for those days.  I want to assure our families they most definitely will be notified if or when we have situations that place the students at risk. 

I’m happy to report that our cafeteria is now toasty warm and all is back to normal.  I am so grateful to our parents who take these kinds of issues and handle them with good common sense and cooperation.  I only had one parent personally address the situation with me, and his main concern was with the classroom temperature — not the cafeteria.  In this era where parents seem to contact the media over the slightest problem, it is easy for educators to become discouraged.  We work diligently at Eaton to make sure our children are well cared for, safe, and given the best education possible.  It is heart warming to us when you take the time to acknowledge the good things taking place on our campus. 

I want to remind everyone that Mrs. Amburn and I are very accessible to you when there are concerns.  Please pick up the phone or come by the school and address any concerns directly with us.  We know you join with us in wanting to protect the reputation of our school and ALWAYS do what is in the best interest of our students. 

Happy New Year!  I hope your vacations were filled with a balance of exciting activities, restful relaxation, and most of all, lots of family time together.  It’s a special time for sharing and caring, for enjoying family and friends, and for setting goals for the new year.  For me, it’s hard to believe that the first half of school is just about over.  Without a doubt, it has been busy, exciting, challenging, and most of all wonderful!  As spring quickly approaches (wishful thinking!) we will continue to forge ahead, strive for excellence, and do our best to ensure that your children have an excellent educational experience.

As the principal of Eaton Elementary, I take great pride in the quality of education we are able to provide for your children.  Through the efforts of the outstanding Eaton faculty and staff, we are able to give the students the necessary tools and skills they need to become productive and successful adults in an ever-changing, complicated world.  We realize how fortunate we are to be able to work with children who enjoy enriching experiences outside of school that complement our work.  Your children bring so much to their classrooms because of your careful attention to their growth and development. 

We ask that, as time marches on, you continue to strengthen your children’s foundation with books and activities that foster creative, independent thinking and a well-rounded view of the world.  Working together for the benefit of children is a strength of our Eaton community. 

 Arne Duncan Confirmed as Education Secretary

New Secretary of Education to Focus on Innovation and Accountability

It’s that time of year! Thanksgiving is one of those special holidays that we all can celebrate together, no matter a person’s creed or faith or walk of life.  One of our teachers said it was her favorite holiday because you don’t have to buy gifts, and the focus is on eating–something everyone likes to do! Even four of the Today Show announcers replied, upon being interviewed, that Thanksgiving was their favorite holiday.

So it is with gratitude that I write this blog. In everything both large and small, I give thanks. I am thankful for what I have and for what I don’t have. And mostly . . . . . I am thankful to be a school principal to a wonderful, supportive community. Have a great Thanksgiving

It is with extreme gratitude and appreciation that the entire staff and student body of Eaton Elementary thank our community for the economic support through our Rocket Romp fundraiser.  Even in these very lean economic times, our students and parents rallied together to raise $45,115.15 for our school!  That is truly amazing. 

This year’s proceeds will go directly into Eaton classrooms with every teacher receiving $400 for instructional supplies, nine additional Promethean Active Boards added, and supplements to our special areas such as art, music, physical education, and spanish. 

When people ask what makes Eaton a great school, the answer is simple.  We have great teachers who love our kids and we have parents who support the school.  THANK YOU!

This story appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel

LOUDON – Just days after members of the Loudon County school board hotly debated the effectiveness of pricey pre-kindergarten education programs, several parents and teachers took advantage of their chance to weigh in on the topic Thursday night.

Rachel Boals, a teacher at Philadelphia Elementary School, spoke in support of continuing the pre-K programs, despite a recently released study that some say shows the programs are not effective in the long term.

Boals, who has taught first-graders as well as pre-K students, said she can see the difference in educational achievement and urged doubters to visit the pre-K classrooms and speak with the teachers.

“I know there is learning going on,” Boals said. “The children I am sending to kindergarten are better prepared than the children that were coming to me in the first grade.”

Studies such as the one recently conducted by the state have significant flaws in the way the data was collected, Boals said. More studies are needed to accurately judge the long-term effects of pre-K programs, she said.

Sarah Daily, a Loudon parent and founder of the Loudon County Schools Solutions Web site, said she would urge the board to consider adding space for more pre-K programs when discussing the school building program.

Board member and University of Tennessee professor of education Gary Ubben brought several pre-K handouts for the board to read, including the text of a February 2008 address to the state Legislature by Dr. Steve Barnett, a Rutgers University professor. The report outlined the benefits of the pre-K programs.

Ubben said he expects the debate over pre-K to continue, and he wants to make sure the board has access to information from multiple sources.

This article appeared on MSNBC 8/19/08 and shows the importance of physical education to academic achievement.

Want to boost kids’ grades? Get them moving

Want to help your kids do better in school this fall? Get them moving. That’s the message from a growing field of research linking physical activity with better academic performance.

At a time when many schools have reduced or eliminated gym classes and recess, experts say the worry goes beyond the childhood obesity epidemic.

“It’s not only Johnny’s getting fat, and heart disease down the road — all that’s true. But it’s also that he might not do as well in school,” says James Pivarnik, president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a professor of kinesiology at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

In one of the latest studies in this field, Pivarnik and colleagues found that middle-school students who performed best on fitness tests — which gauged aerobic capacity, strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition — performed better academically as well.

Results from the study, which included 317 students in grades six through eight, showed that the fittest group of students scored almost 30 percent higher on standardized tests than the least fit group. And the least fit students had grades in four core classes that were 13 percent to 20 percent lower than all other kids, according to findings presented at a recent ACSM meeting.

Experts speculate that exercise may boost academic performance in various ways, including: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better and focus on their work; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and concentration.

Studies in older people have found that cognitive function is significantly better among those who are active, Pivarnik notes. “This is the other end,” he says. “This is the developmental end.”

Teri Coha, a Chicago-area mother, says physical activity is essential for keeping her 9-year-old son, Cody, on track in school. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and although he takes medication for it, he needs daily exercise to help him focus, she says.

“We use exercise as a tool for studying because we would never get through it” otherwise, she says. “He just needs that outlet.”

Besides allowing for short exercise breaks during study sessions, sometimes Coha combines exercise and academics, practicing spelling words with her son while the two of them take a walk.

Some educators say they notice a difference, too.

Ken Endris, the principal at Fouke Elementary in Arkansas, where state law requires elementary students to get 150 minutes of physical activity (including physical education and recess) each week, says most kids enjoy activity breaks — and their teachers appreciate them as well.

“Teachers say the kids are more alert when they come to the classroom,” says Endris, a former PE teacher.

Organized sports not always the best answer
So if your child’s school is lacking in PE and recess, should you hurry to sign your kid up for sports this fall? Not necessarily. While sports certainly can help kids to shape up, regular free play — at the playground or your backyard — may work just as well, or even better.

In another study presented at the meeting, researchers found that kids engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during non-competitive play than during competitive elimination games.

The research involved 29 children in grades four to six whose physical activity levels were assessed during two sessions of elimination games (such as tag, in which a tagged child had to sit out the rest of the game) and two sessions of non-elimination games (such as a modified version of tag, in which a tagged child could come back into the game after doing five jumping jacks).

“As you might expect, when you eliminate children from games, they’re less active because they’re sitting on the sidelines,” says study author David Dzewaltowski, head of the department of kinesiology at Kansas State University.

The same can happen with organized youth sports, he says, where kids may spend a lot of time on the bench, particularly if they aren’t among the star players. And some sports, such as soccer, generally involve more overall activity than others, such as baseball.

But even kids who don’t get much game time can get a lot of physical activity during well structured practices. Dzewaltowski urges parents to observe a couple practice sessions before signing a child up to make sure players aren’t standing around much of the time. A good coach, he says, keeps the kids moving with multiple training stations so they aren’t waiting in line to kick or hit a single ball.

Dodge ball doesn’t keep kids moving
Parents also can talk with gym teachers about incorporating different types of activities into class. Dodge ball, while a perennial PE favorite, is a classic elimination game that rewards the most skilled, often the jocks who are already fit.

Still, some exercise is better than none, which is why health and fitness experts are so concerned about kids getting less physical activity during the school day.

“You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face here,” says Pivarnik. “It’s pretty short-sighted.” The ACSM is pushing for more physical activity in schools, as is fitness guru Richard Simmons.

As a 268-pound high schooler who sat on the sidelines during sports and ate other students’ lunches, Simmons knows all too well about the challenges of being “the fat kid.” So when he testified before Congress recently about the need for more physical activity in schools, he said that like him, all kids can’t make the cut in sports, but all children can — and need — to move.

“Everyone is not a jock,” he told Congress. “Everyone cannot play sports. Everyone cannot run. But everyone can be fit.”

Jacqueline Stenson is a freelance writer in Los Angeles. A former senior health producer for msnbc.com, her work also has appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times, Health, Shape, Women’s Health, Fit Pregnancy and Reuters Health.

We are excited to finally have all our boys and girls back in school.  Our enrollment is up slightly from last year, and we have the largest fourth grade class in the entire county!  We encourage you to get involved at Eaton.  Our new SAFE traffic patrol has certainly helped maked mornings more bearable and the traffic flow much quicker.  We need you to help with this project.  We also have several projects that will occur throughout the year — Rocket Romp, playground upkeep, and community service projects.  We want your help and input. 

Currently, our PTO is in the midst of its annual membership drive.  You can join for just $4/per family member.  As many of you know, PTO supplies Eaton with many resources including instructional supplies, the latest technology, and playground equipment.  So, join with us to help our Eaton Rockets Soar!

It is Teacher Appreciation Week May 5-9, and students and parents throughout Loudon County are sending in treats and notes of thanks to local educators.  It is ironic this week falls at the very time County Commission is asking the Loudon County Board of Education to trim some $3.4 million from the school budget.  It is almost certain that our teachers will not receive any sort of pay raise this year.  From comments and faces at a recent budget meeting, it is obvious our teachers do not believe they are appreciated. 

There has been talk that there are too many teachers in our schools.  I challenge anyone who believes that to come spend a day with us.  Just try to find one person in a school not working hard each and every day.  Unfunded federal legislation (No Child Left Behind) demands that local school systems show equal academic gains among all subgroups of their student populations.  This is a lofty goal and well-intended.  No one in this profession wants to short change a child when it comes to education.  With little federal monies forthcoming, this lofty goal has placed an enormous economic burden at the local level.  School systems across the country are wrestling with the same issues as Loudon County, but many of these systems have a “leg up” because they have been incrementally increasing the school funding stream over an extended period of time.  Not so in Loudon County. 

It is quite depressing to those of us who spend 10-12 hours every day in our schools to hear some local pundits and politicians say we are overstaffed and undeserving of the money needed to run our school system.  Yes, every budget has room to trim, and each year we do this.  That is why most schools do not have art and music, why air conditioning systems have been put on hold, and why all student subgroups are not performing at the same levels.  We have cut our budget.  Can the same be said for the County? 

For those of you interested, take a comparative look at per pupil expenditures across East Tennessee.  Loudon County spends $7,145/per student in a state where the average is $7,794.  Remember, that the state average ranks in the bottom 10% of funding on a national level.  Lenoir City spends $7,569, Blount County $7,336, Anderson County $7,724, Monroe County $7,246, Roane County $7,578, Sevier County $7,787, and Knox County $7,732.  Even Hancock County spends $8,599 on students!  We would be thrilled to just receive the average per pupil expenditures!  How about this — can we just have funding equal to Lenoir City? 

As a Loudon County resident, I sympathize at the thought of higher property taxes; however, I also know we have had it much better than the majority of Tennesseans over the past several years.  It is time for us to pay our fair share.  Our educators are working long hours and getting remarkable results.  Based on test scores (www.education-consumers.org) Eaton is ranked 17th in the state and Highland Park is 32nd.  Taxpayers and students are getting A+ results for D funding. 

Our students are our greatest resource.  Our teachers help our students develop into responsible, learned citizens.  We need to show both groups we recognize their value and adequately fund our school system.