PAGE TWO at = District, Dallas, Superintendent and is issued The second issue of the Dallas Reporter contains information about new and established school programs. One of the major goals of the district is to expand community involvement with the schools and to develop deeper community un- derstanding and support for the objectives of the schools. We think COMMUNICA- TION AND COOPERATION are key fac- tors in promoting and maintaining this type relationship. With these goals in mind, THE DALLAS REPORTER is published to inform citizens of the Dallas School District about their schools and the activities and educational programs that take place there. The DALLAS REPORTER will maintain a strict policy of honest and accurate reporting. Public Education IS public business and the district is com- mitted to keeping the public fully in- formed. Recognizing that communication must be two-way to be effective, the district solicits your comments, concerns, and suggestions. Each parent and in- terested citizen is asked to read carefully and thoughtfully this and future issues of THE DALLAS REPORTER. Your schools are your investment in your children’s future. THE DALLAS REPORTER is not designed to supplant news articles and in- formation published in local newspapers. Rather, THE DALLAS REPORTER is planned as a supplement to the in- formation reported by the regularly existing media. As a supplement, THE DALLAS REPORTER will report on the plans and progress of the Dallas School District toward the goals of quality education for every child. The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently recognized the title School Social Worker as the new designation for Home and School Visitor. The newly recognized title School Social Worker is most appropriate for Mrs. Mary Ward, home and school visitor for the Dallas schools. Mrs. Ward’s professional preparation and experience have been in the social work field. The school social worker works closely with counselors, principals, and school nurses. She is a vital member of the pupil personnel services team working to unite the efforts of the home, the school and community in the prevention, as well as, the solution of problems which interfere with children’s successful participation in school. The home and school visitor has traditionally been involved in cases of irregular attendance and homebound instruction. This role has expanded greatly and now the school social worker assists counselors, teachers and principals in helping to discover and correct. the numerous physical, emotional and social problems confronting many children today. Mrs. Ward has had approximately 200 cases this year involving about 150 home visits and 300 conferences. The young family composed of the wife busy at home with small children and the husband at work find it almost im- possible to confer with school personnel during the day. In these situations, the school social worker can arrange appoint- ments and home visits at times when both parents are available. This service assists parents in learning about the progress their children are making in school as well as the need for any specialized services. The school social worker is a specialist in working with children and parents. As a specialist, she is aware of the community agencies and resources available to assist parents and children in special areas of need. Since children are influenced by everything around them it is reasonable to assume that many problems cannot be solved without utilizing the services of other community and state organizations. The school social worker helps parents locate the services that hold the most promise for helping their child. We have had about 130 contacts with agencies this school year. In general, the school social worker is an extension of the pupil personnel team; a person {trained to help parents and \ The Dallas School District has been awarded $54,000 to implement a new in- structional approach to language arts education for early elementary age signed to provide teachers the opportunity to work together in teams as they plan language arts instruction for children. A team of teachers working cooperatively with a team of children makes it more likely that instructional activities will be planned according to the interests and abilities of the youngsters and that pupils will be working at their proper levels regardless of age or grade. Project D-TALE was funded by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III for innovative projects. Dallas is one of the first districts in the northeastern portion of the state to receive funding for an ESEA Title III innovative project. The language experience approach (LEA) to instruction in beginning reading makes no distinction between the development of reading skills and the development of listening, speaking or, writing skills. All these language arts skills are considered essential to in- struction and provide reinforcement for one another when used by the child. Youngsters use all facets of language as experiences in the construction of printed materials. The experiences of the child that he can express, especially in oral language, are developed into the basic material out of which reading refinement grows. The language experience ap- proach recognizes in daily practice that the oral-language background of each child is a basic ingredient in word recognition. The language experience program will “tie together’’ the present reading and language arts skills development. It will also provide teachers with motivational tools to interest youngsters in reading as well as oral and written expression. Among the interesting components of Project D-TALE is the parent involvement portion of the program. The project proposes that parents and teachers work more closely together so parents may contribute more effectively to their child's education. Involving parents in programs to let them develop ways to help a voungster at home so the child can do better in school is a new idea. This will help parents understand certain learning activities so they can supervise and direct children at home in ways that compliment the work being accomplished in school. Teachers will also receive inservice training regarding the language ex- perience approach and the use of new materials. In order for teachers to determine how well they are handling the new materials or using the language ex- perience approach they may undergo a self assessment. The self-assessment may include the use of a video-tape recorder so that after a session with students the teacher can, privately, ‘see’ herself in action. This planned inservice and self assessment holds many opportunities and challenges for the teacher. Teachers participating in the inservice portion of the program may receive credit toward permanent certification if the final details can be resolved and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Since the district did not receive all the funds originally requested it will not be initiated at the Kindergarten, Westmore- land, and Dallas Elementary Buildings. Teachers and other instructional staff members are looking forward to the first inservice sessions of the project. A steering committee will operate in providing direction to the project. This group will also be involved in evaluating the effectiveness of various project ac- tivities. The D-TALE Steering Committee has announced the following meeting dates and topics: February 15, early dismissal, D-TALE Project Orientation March 10, inservice day, Language Ex- perience Approach and Materials Usage. April 11, early dismissal, The Team Ap- proach May 12, inservice day, Teacher-Pupil Objectives and Evaluation, How Does Teaming Help January 25, Committee Orientation February 15, Language Experience Ap- proach Objectives for Teacher and Pupils March 14, Parental Involvement and Materials for Teachers, Pupils and Parents April 18, Team Planning and Team Teaching May 16, Plans for implementation of the Instructional Component of the Project. choristers. night, February 17 and 18.
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