The B Bear Project
The staff at the Early Learning Center, the site for Charlotte County Public Schools’ pre-kindergarten program, joined with Longwood University staff to conduct a research project focused on improving classroom behavior management. The goal was to identify possible effective and integrated strategies of using a personified stuffed animal as a non-threatening tool for individual and whole class behavior management of pre-school children. Traditional and research-based behavior management strategies were paired with the use of a personified stuffed animal in conjunction with an early childhood curriculum and instruction.
In 2007, the teachers and assistants were taught how to implement the behavior management program. They used names like Bob, Bill, Bubba, Betty and Bernice to name the bear in their classroom. The research focused on the effect of using a stuffed animal for the modeling and reinforcement of appropriate consequences for inappropriate behaviors by using developmentally appropriate and non-threatening approaches to change behavior. The research also found B__ Bear was a motivational device for enhancing academic skills.
What came out of the study were several benefits in addition to improving classroom behavior and implementing motivational instructional strategies. The students began to learn and demonstrate compassion and empathy in situations dealing with B__ Bear. So now, B_Bear goes outside during a fire drill, has his picture taken with the entire class, accompanies students home over the weekends and holidays and is a friend when it seems there are no other friends around. Also, as the staff worked with B__ Bear, they began to develop stories about his life to satisfy the students’ curiosity about his interests and his family, so they decided to write stories to teach school rules and appropriate behavior, using B__ Bear as the main character.
Where there has long been a need to develop quality children’s literature that integrates learning developmentally appropriate literacy skills, in the context of home and school, it was not the original intent of the study. However, it has become a very exciting component. The staff deliberately wrote the series to reflect early literacy skills such as repeated vocabulary, alliteration, short sentences with pictures and visual clues for word recognition. It reflects good parenting skills that have been used for generations as well as a research-base for developing appropriate behavior and children’s social skills.
The bear in the book learns and plays just like other students in the classroom. The book can be used by the teacher during story-time or by the students in the reading center. Parents have even enjoyed reading the stories at home. The titles include: Learn Shapes with B_Bear; Show and Tell with B_Bear; Learning to Make Good Choices with B_Bear; and, Saying Kind Words with B_Bear. All of the books have been copyrighted. The series also introduces other characters like, Sally Seal, Bryson Bison, Wendy Woo, Tommy Turtle and Hilda Hippo. Two additional stories are currently in production and will be released soon!
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Qualified School Construction Bonds
Charlotte County Public Schools was awarded $1.5 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) for the renovation of Randolph-Henry High School in March 2011. QSCB’s are tax credit bonds created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for school construction and renovation projects. Issuers of the bonds benefit as the sale proceeds offset interest payments on the principal, resulting in zero, or near zero, interest costs.
The renovation project includes energy upgrades for the entire school, such as new HVAC and lighting. Much of the cosmetic upgrades will focus on the auditorium which includes new chairs, flooring, curtains, sound system and stage lighting.
The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors passed the resolution on September 20, 2011 to issue the QSCB’s for sale. The bonds are scheduled to be sold on November 8, 2011. This joint project has been a dream between the Board of Supervisor and School Board for a long time. It is exciting to realize the dream has finally become a reality. Construction has already begun on the energy upgrades. The cosmetic changes should become visible in early 2012.
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21st Century Community Learning Center
Charlotte County Public Schools has been awarded $523,779 for 21st Century Community Learning Center grant that will be used over the next 3 years for remediation and educational enhancements at Central Middle School. This is the second round of funding. The first award received in 2008 was for $429,288. Over the past 3 years, middle school students have benefited from after school remediation and recreation programming. The summer programs have including fun activities like swimming, scrapbooking, baseball/softball clinics, dance, and arts and crafts. This past summer, students saw a live performance of “The Sound of Music” at The Prizery in South Boston and saw several first run movies in Farmville. Mrs. Samantha Dunn-Miller will continue as the program’s director. She is in the process of developing new programs to add to the already great activities scheduled. For more program information you may contact Mrs. Dunn-Miller at 434-542-4536.
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Charlotte County Participates in 2011 VSBA Green Schools Challenge
For the third consecutive year, Charlotte County Public Schools has participated in the Virginia School Board’s Green Schools Challenge. This is a friendly competition developed to encourage school divisions to put into practice specific environmental policies and actions that help reduce carbon emissions and to increase environmental awareness in our schools. There are twelve (12) specific categories with a total of 200 “green points” being offered for accomplishments. Some of these categories include: Energy Efficiency, Green Buildings, Waste Management, Indoor Environmental Quality, Student Involvement, and Cooperation Between School Division and Local Government. This year Charlotte County was able to amass a total of 110 of 200 green points which should qualify us for the Green Certificate for three years in a row.
Charlotte Schools would like to thank members of the Educators for a Greener & Cleaner Community Committee for their efforts in assisting with this accomplishment. This committee is made up of members from the school system, Board of Supervisors, Charlotte Extension Office, County Administration Office, retired teachers and local citizens. With a significant emphasis on recycling, this committee has provided the leadership to encourage students and adults to implement “best practices” in protecting our environment.
In addition, efforts of Performance Contracting currently underway are providing a tremendous effort in attempting to become a more “energy efficient” school system. Through the replacement of outdated interior lighting and inefficient HVAC systems in some schools, Charlotte is hoping to improve the conditions of our local environment.
Charlotte County Public Schools is proud to be a part of the Go Green Virginia Initiative.
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Performance Contracting in Charlotte County Schools
The concept of Performance Contracting is more than 25 years old in the State of Virginia. Across the nation, this practice has seen growth of nearly 25% each year for the past 5 years. With the current status of our economy, budget reductions and rising cost of energy, it is anticipated more and more state agencies will be pursuing this concept.
Performance Contracting is when a state agency enters into an agreement with a private energy service company known as an ESCO. This ESCO will identify and evaluate energy-saving opportunities and then recommend a package of improvements to be paid for through savings. The ESCO will guarantee that savings meet or exceed annual payments to cover all project costs usually over a contract term of 10 to 15 years. If savings don’t materialize, the ESCO pays the difference, not the school division, or State agency. It requires no increase in taxes or added appropriations to the agency participating. In essence, instead of the State agency paying money to the utility companies, they use money saved to pay back the loan for needed improvements. Many neighboring school systems or towns are either in the process or have completed projects utilizing Performance Contracting. Some of these include Cumberland, Nottoway, Amelia and Halifax.
In November 2010, Charlotte Schools initiated a RFP seeking proposals from four ESCOs on the State of Virginia’s approved list of companies. Responses were received from 3 of 4 and the Charlotte School Board agreed with a unanimous vote to award the contract to The Linc Group. In March 2011, engineers started evaluating all school buildings to determine what improvements would offer the County the most energy savings. It was determined the most could be saved with the three largest schools (Eureka Elementary, Central Middle School and Randolph-Henry High School). Some examples of work currently being completed in these three schools include, replacement or retrofitting of all lighting, replacement of dated boilers with energy saving propane boilers and upgrades to HVAC systems.
With the approval of the Charlotte County School Board and the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors, the school system anxiously awaits the completion of the long overdue structural improvements to some of its facilities. Without Performance Contracting, these improvements would not have been possible unless additional appropriations were requested.
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iLearn @ Bacon District Elementary School
1-to-1 is about learning, not technology. Information and communication technologies (ICT) create rich learning and
teaching opportunities that increase student participation, engagement, and achievement. The iLean initiative at Charlotte County Public Schools will help students develoop the knowledge, skills, and behavior needed to live, learn, and work in the 21sr century.
Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, all students in grades first through fifth will participate in this 1:1 program at Bacon
District Elementary. Each student has been provided an iPad for full-day classroom use. This versatile device adapts well to a number of subjects and learning situations. Each "app" (application) remakes the iPad into a different tool and there are hundreds of apps for education.
Mrs. Sylvia Lockett, principal at Bacon District Elementary, stated "I am so impressed with all iPad activities presented so far...taking spelling test, power points in science, transporting pictures for assignments, odd/even activities in math, Accelerated Reader Quizes, music lessons, etc."
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Changes for Special Programs for the 2011-2012 School Year
The 2011-2012 school year will bring changes to CCPS Special Programs. Lorene Wendelin, former administrator of the Thomas Jefferson Center, has been re-assigned to work as the Director of Special Programs. Dr. Anne Nelson will assume the administrative responsibilities of the Thomas Jefferson Center and will continue to oversee the Early Learning Center pre-school program. The full time administrative position at the Thomas Jefferson Center was eliminated, this past spring, due to budget cuts. The Thomas Jefferson Center, having experienced a reduction in force of three staff the previous year, would have been facing complete elimination of its ASAP component for middle school at-risk students, with the reduction of the administrator’s position. CCPS Central Office staff was able to re-allocate monies of the 21st Century Learning Grant, a federal grant specifically designed to serve middle school at-risk students, to fund the ASAP position at TJC. Traditionally, the Thomas Jefferson Center has also provided special education services to approximately half of its student population. The number of students requiring special education services necessitated the hiring of a special education teacher to the program as well. The reorganization of existing resources has allowed the Thomas Jefferson Center to continue to offer the three major components of the program: GED instruction, special education and ASAP for the middle school at-risk students. The CCPS School Board has been committed to maintaining educational options to student during these difficult economic times and we are grateful they have remained committed to sustain options for all students in Charlotte County.
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