|
 Meet
the Principal
Mr. Price
September 20th, 2006
Dear
Parents/Guardians:
Audubon
School
’s commitment to learning means that each
member of our community contributes to the
learning of our children and his/her own
personal growth.
We recognize that if we are not
constantly learning, we cannot be teaching our
students.
Teachers at Audubon focus on learning
through regular professional development.
Teachers meet in collaborative teams each
week in the school’s new Professional Resource
Room. Audubon
has adopted the restructured day calendar to
provide teachers with monthly opportunities to
plan units of study, evaluate student progress,
and analyze student work.
The professional development calendar
this year will focus upon assessment and
strategies to differentiate instruction for all
students. Teachers
meet informally during and after school to share
resources and professional learning.
Three Audubon teachers have made an
exceptional commitment to learning by engaging
in the National Board Certification process.
Audubon has made a special commitment to
the continued learning of our professional
staff.
Parents at Audubon have the opportunity
to learn and teach through their participation
in the school.
The Local School Council (regular
meetings held the fourth Monday of each month at
6:00pm
) has created several committees to encourage
parent involvement in the instructional programs
of the school.
The Least Restrictive Environment
Committee, Extended Day Committee, After School
Programming Committee, and Communication
Committee provide parents opportunities to share
their strengths while both learning about and
improving the instructional opportunities in the
school. Additionally,
in the fall of 2006 parents have organized two
additional groups, The Friends of Audubon
fundraising committee and the Parent Involvement
Committee to work together to provide the
teachers and students of Audubon the resources
needed to provide the best education in the city
of Chicago.
Additionally, parents and teachers work
together to create regular parent and family
evening programs.
These include opportunities for parents
to learn about Audubon’s reading and
mathematics curriculum, writing workshops for
students and adults, and take part in science
fair preparation workshops.
Students at Audubon have a myriad of
unique learning opportunities.
Redmoon Theatre Company, the premier
public spectacle theater company in
Chicago
works in 6 Audubon classrooms (grades 1, 3, and
8) to create arts integrated lessons.
Students further their understanding of
social studies, mathematics and science through
intense artistic experiences.
In May of 2005 this partnership
culminated in a Spring Spectacle focusing on the
importance of water and water conservation.
Dozens of students and parents were
involved in the open air presentation.
Audubon is a Mathematics and
Science
Magnet
Cluster
School
. This
means that we accept students each year from
outside of our attendance boundary, and more
importantly, means that Audubon’s students
benefit from an enriched mathematics and science
curriculum.
Audubon’s teachers integrate
mathematics and science themes into each unit
taught in classrooms.
The results are startling.
Nearly 85% of Audubon’s students meet
or exceed state standards in Science, while just
under 75% of students meet or exceed standards
in mathematics.
This is in part due to the opportunity
that each Audubon student has to attend classes
in a dedicated science lab equipped for hands-on
experiments.
In 2006 students’ performance on the
state mathematics test increased by 15.8%, with
eighth graders improving by over 33%.
We are sending our students to
Chicago
’s best high schools well-prepared for high
level mathematics and science instruction.
Audubon offers our community several
special programs to address the needs of our
students and families.
First, we offer extended day programming
for families.
Tuition-based Pre-Kindergarten offers
early drop-off and pick-up times to accommodate
working families and provides students with a
full day educational program from fully
certified staff.
For older students Audubon offers a
Tuition-based after school program.
Focusing on fine arts, languages, team
sports, and homework tutoring, students receive
high quality programming as late as
6:00pm
.
Additionally, Audubon is proud to provide
a home for a unique program for students on the
autism spectrum.
Students with autism are provided with
the specialized support that they require to
participate with a general education classroom
of their age level peers.
This program benefits all students and
contributes to our warm environment of kindness
and r
esp
ect towards all children.
Participate in our community of learning!
You are encouraged to learn more about
Audubon by visiting our website
(http://www.audubon.cps.k12.il.us/) or by
calling the school to schedule a tour with the
principal, John Price.
John
P. Price
Greg Zurawski
Principal
Assistant Principal
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