SOS Waldo Community #WarriorNation
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Save Our School (SOS) Waldo Community School #WarriorNation
Purchase of The Leader in Me ~ 7 Habits of Happy Kids
Waldo Community School has been threatened with closure due to having less than 200 students enrolled. An independent auditing firm hired by the school board recommends that the district close all of its small schools citing that financially they cannot continue to operate like the larger schools. The facility is designed to serve 250 students and is currently at 200 with the potential for 20 migrant children when the blueberry season arrives. That puts the school at 80% capacity and 88% when the migrants arrive - not too shabby when compared to other schools that are not being considered for consolidation that are in the 40-60% range of capacity.
Our goal is to show the School Board of Alachua County that we are invested in our kids and will fight to keep our school open! Currently the school is in its second year of the Leader In Me ~ 7 Habits of Happy Kids. This program teaches kids real-life skills that will in turn continue to make a difference in the community (and sustain it). The habits are as follows....
Students learn not only to take care of their own responsibilities, but also to set goals, work together, and make time for rest and recharge. 43% of the population of Waldo is under the poverty level and many others are barely over. This number does not include outlying communities that are zoned to Waldo Community which could increase these numbers. These kids are at risk and benefit tremendously from programs like The Leader In Me.
Students take ownership of their academic progress by participating in "data chats" at all grade levels. In upper-elementary classrooms this may look like making a bar-graph of math and reading test scores and setting goals for improvement. While, in primary (K-2) classrooms it looks like earning stickers on a chart of sight-words. In all classrooms, all students are being put in the driver seat of their educational career. That education is their vehicle to a bright future!
"How schools and parents around the world are inspiring greatness, one child at a time." -The Leader in Me
"Leadership can be such an obscure term to elementary students, but the 7 Habits break it down into "doable" actions and concepts for students. When students are given the opportunity to practice life skills in a safe and loving environment, they eventually add those skills to their everyday skill set." - Robin Seay, Principal, Stuard Elementary, Aledo, Texas
Our Community Cares – With a few hours of notice we were able to pack our small school's auditorium with around 200 people to hear the bad news and in a week’s time we have over 1,000 signatures on a petition to save our school and have over 500 likes on a Facebook Page designated to Keeping Waldo Community School Open.
Worst Case Scenario - What happens to the money if the School Board consolidates? -The funds raised by this campaign WILL be set aside to benefit the Waldo Community. This money will not be given to the School Board. Possible options may include the following - starting a charter school, assisting the public library, recreation, public playground, possibly provide tutoring, or scholarships for local kids etc.
Purchase of The Leader in Me ~ 7 Habits of Happy Kids
Waldo Community School has been threatened with closure due to having less than 200 students enrolled. An independent auditing firm hired by the school board recommends that the district close all of its small schools citing that financially they cannot continue to operate like the larger schools. The facility is designed to serve 250 students and is currently at 200 with the potential for 20 migrant children when the blueberry season arrives. That puts the school at 80% capacity and 88% when the migrants arrive - not too shabby when compared to other schools that are not being considered for consolidation that are in the 40-60% range of capacity.
Our goal is to show the School Board of Alachua County that we are invested in our kids and will fight to keep our school open! Currently the school is in its second year of the Leader In Me ~ 7 Habits of Happy Kids. This program teaches kids real-life skills that will in turn continue to make a difference in the community (and sustain it). The habits are as follows....
Students learn not only to take care of their own responsibilities, but also to set goals, work together, and make time for rest and recharge. 43% of the population of Waldo is under the poverty level and many others are barely over. This number does not include outlying communities that are zoned to Waldo Community which could increase these numbers. These kids are at risk and benefit tremendously from programs like The Leader In Me.
Students take ownership of their academic progress by participating in "data chats" at all grade levels. In upper-elementary classrooms this may look like making a bar-graph of math and reading test scores and setting goals for improvement. While, in primary (K-2) classrooms it looks like earning stickers on a chart of sight-words. In all classrooms, all students are being put in the driver seat of their educational career. That education is their vehicle to a bright future!
"How schools and parents around the world are inspiring greatness, one child at a time." -The Leader in Me
"Leadership can be such an obscure term to elementary students, but the 7 Habits break it down into "doable" actions and concepts for students. When students are given the opportunity to practice life skills in a safe and loving environment, they eventually add those skills to their everyday skill set." - Robin Seay, Principal, Stuard Elementary, Aledo, Texas
Our Community Cares – With a few hours of notice we were able to pack our small school's auditorium with around 200 people to hear the bad news and in a week’s time we have over 1,000 signatures on a petition to save our school and have over 500 likes on a Facebook Page designated to Keeping Waldo Community School Open.
Worst Case Scenario - What happens to the money if the School Board consolidates? -The funds raised by this campaign WILL be set aside to benefit the Waldo Community. This money will not be given to the School Board. Possible options may include the following - starting a charter school, assisting the public library, recreation, public playground, possibly provide tutoring, or scholarships for local kids etc.
Organizer
Tracie Griffith
Organizer
Waldo, FL
