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Perspective Newsletters
Fall 2003
LEARY SCHOOL, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY
Page 5
 Welcome
to the 2003-2004 school year at Leary School, Prince George's County! Parents, my
staff and I look forward to working closely with you toward our common goal - to
help our students learn and grow.
I would like to take the opportunity to introduce to you some new changes that have
been implemented this school year. As most of you know, our traditional classroom
structure has been a self-contained model, wherein students stay with their primary
teacher for most subject areas. This year, most students have either three or four
teachers instead of just one. To start off the year, the school has been divided
into pods. In POD A, a three-classroom pod, students are taught by their homeroom
teacher and the other two teachers in the pod. POD B, a four-classroom pod, will
work the same way as POD A, except those students are taught by three other teachers
in addition to their homeroom teacher. This means that students are changing classes.
Your primary staff contact will be your child's homeroom teacher, who will be aware
of what is happening with their students in the other classes.
We are hopeful that this change will be a positive one for students and parents alike.
So far, things are working out well! New classes will be added as self-contained
until we start POD C. For some students, a self-contained classroom may be more effective.
We may move students back into that model if the situation warrants it. As we pilot
the program this year, we will be continually assessing the effectiveness of the
new model and implement changes when needed.
We also hope to launch a Parent Literacy Program later this year. If you think you
might be interested in attending basic classes or in receiving individual tutoring
in a subject area, please let me know.
Our sports program is off to a great start. Congratulations to our Vikings Volleyball
all-stars! In the first game of the season, our Vikings defeated their opponent in
all three games. The individual game scores were 25-16, 25-16, and 25-21. Special
thank yous go out to Coach LaChance and Mr. Sewell who are the staff who directly
support our team.
Monthly award assemblies will be scheduled throughout the year. Selected students
will receive awards for their participation in the program during each month. These
awards include special recognition in academic areas, attendance, participation in
group, and student of the month, to name a few. Parents are invited to attend.
We would also like to thank our students for the cooperation in yearly academic testing.
Academic testing, while sometimes difficult for the student, is very helpful to the
teachers and IEP team in preparing each student's academic program. With new and
more rigorous statewide testing requirements on the horizon in most jurisdictions,
we are working hard to provide each student with an academic program that will provide
as much opportunity for success as is possible. Our new POD programming, where most
students go to different teachers for each subject, is designed to give students
a richer academic experience as well as provide them with an experience more closely
resembling the public school setting. Please feel free to contact the school if you
have any questions about the changes to our program this year.
We need volunteers! Parents and friends of Leary School are urged to think about
volunteering at the school. Current volunteer opportunities include working one to
one with students as a reading tutor and assisting in coaching any one of the three
team sports we participate in through the Youth Athletic League (YAL). YAL teams
are drawn from nonpublic schools throughout Virginia and Maryland. The League has
met with great success since its inception several years ago. Currently, it is volleyball
season. In a few months, basketball will begin and then, in the spring, slow-pitch
softball. Please feel free to contact me if you might be interested in participating
in this worthwhile venture.
You can learn more about our school at the "School Information Exchange", scheduled
for Thursday, November 13, 2003, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the Tantallon Country Club
in Fort Washington. This event is being sponsored by the Tantallon Citizens Association
who hopes to provide informal information sessions for local residents on the public
and private school opportunities in our community.
Please note the following changes in the Leary School, Prince George's County, calendar.
School will now be in session on Tuesday, November 11 and Friday, December 5. These
changes are a result of lost days due to Hurricane Isabel.
Again, I look forward to another wonderful school year as we work together!
Deni Brancheau, M.A.
Program Director
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