Teachers teaching teachers
The district enhances literacy program with new coaching model
Literacy coaches in the district have focused on two “org” words this year while launching a new approach combining intervention and coaching: “organizational” and “organic.”
The organizational part includes selecting and ordering mentor texts and creating a literacy network page on Schoology with a menu of options for teachers.
The organic part is harder to define, but the district’s literacy experts agree the success of the model piloted this year has to do with building relationships with teachers in an atmosphere of trust.
While the literacy program has been a part of the Grosse Pointe Public School System elementary schools for decades, the focus since its inception has been on student intervention, according to Director of Elementary Instruction Keith Howell. Teachers were known as reading specialists and spent time in and out of the classroom working with students who required reading support.
This year, after two years of planning, the district has adopted a coaching model.
Longtime reading specialist Beth Rainbolt, literacy coach at Monteith Elementary School, said she was initially resistant to the new approach, as it represented a major shift from working with students who needed reading support 100 percent of the time.
“I thought we were not going to be there for kids,” she said.
She soon realized, however, that coaching has been part of her role all along.
“That’s been going on for 15 years since I started,” Rainbolt said. “I think once I learned it really was being responsive to teachers’ questions and studying with teachers, I realized that was nothing new. It came full circle for me. Something that I was a little frightened about actually has become one of the most rewarding things I have done in my career.”
She is now totally comfortable with the 80/20 model the district has established in which literacy coaches spend 80 percent of their time with students and 20 percent coaching classroom teachers.
Mason Elementary School reading coach Anne Marie MacGillis, another GPPSS veteran, agreed it’s a shift she is “learning to embrace.” Most rewarding, in her view, is pulling “other people in. Once you get one classroom teacher excited, you open that door to others and building that relationship.”
Newer to the program is Stephanie Erhardt, a literacy coach at Richard Elementary School in her third year with the district. Erhardt said she especially enjoys the dual nature of the role.
“I have absolutely loved the coaching aspect and getting into classrooms and working with the teachers,” she said. “Truly I feel like what really makes our job so unique compared to some of the other coaches that we’ve talked to is we have a hybrid role. We’re practicing what we’re preaching.”
For example, when working in the classroom with students, the teachers “know that whatever I’m doing or what we’re talking about is something that comes from a lens that I’m doing as well,” Erhardt said.
Emily Rennpage, a veteran classroom teacher who made the switch to this new role just this year, is dedicated to supporting the OneGP Virtual program. She believes the response to coaching is one of “two positive things that came out of the pandemic” — more opportunities for teachers to collaborate and a culture in which teachers are “able to reach out and ask for help.”
“Virtual teachers were sort of forced to start asking questions because it was all new,” Rennpage said. “That has made my position being in the virtual school as a literacy coach a little different. You think everybody is so separate and we don’t communicate; I am actually communicating constantly with the teachers in the virtual school.”
The eight literacy coaches are assigned to one or two buildings and OneGP Virtual. In addition, Julie Bourke supplements the program as Coach on Special Assignment, a position funded by a state literacy grant, and Stephen Shier was recently hired to provide extra support to fifth graders as part of their transition to middle school.
Shier currently works directly with students, but served in a coaching role at a previous school district.
“The number one thing is to build these relationships with the teachers and once they have that trust with you, then they’re more willing to open up,” he said.
He also emphasizes that “teaching’s an art. We’re all here to try to get better, to learn new practices. There’s no right or wrong; we’re just building that relationship with the teachers and making it non-threatening. We’re all in this together. We’re here for student achievement. When that mindset is set in the beginning, teachers are more likely to be open to coaching.”
Bourke attributes two factors to the success of the program: it’s teacher led and it’s voluntary.
“It’s teachers that want to take that extra step that have a question or are really enjoying something and want to dig deeper into it,” she said. “Those are the people that reach out to us and connect to us on learning.”
This willingness to work with coaches “reflects on their dedication to their students, to the Grosse Pointe community and their dedication to their growth as professionals,” she added.
Several teachers credit the literacy coaches for their students’ success.
“As a third-grade classroom teacher, I have seen countless students benefit and flourish because of the reading support they have received,” Monteith teacher Laura Pelyak said.
The literacy coaches “help struggling readers by giving them individualized instruction targeting specific needs. This additional support allows students to complete grade-level work in the classroom with greater confidence and success.”
Moreover, as coaches, they “provide professional development and assist teachers in improving reading strategies and techniques used during classroom instruction,” Pelyak said. “They are an invaluable resource that we are so grateful to have in our schools.”
Kindergarten teacher Diane Richards said she and her students at Monteith have reaped the benefits of both the intervention and the coaching sides of the program.
“Kindergarten usually doesn’t get this intense support, and as we all know, early intervention is key to reading success,” she said.
She added that Rainbolt provides “an excellent program that teaches consistent practice and concise lessons, as well as practice for home.”
Sierra Koleber, a Young 5’s teacher at Richard, said Bourke’s coaching has been invaluable during her first year of teaching. The two met before the school year started during new teacher professional development.
“She met with me to discuss my goals for the school year and reinforce the authenticity I wanted to provide my students,” Koleber said. “She gave me specific goals of next steps and scheduled a follow-up with me.”
In March, Bourke offered to provide coaching or model a lesson. Koleber said she was expecting the activity she modeled would be for just one day for literacy.
“I got so much more than I could’ve imagined,” she said. “Julie observed my class during literacy groups. Then she met with me to discuss her observations and my next steps. She coached me through reconfiguring my classroom expectations and procedures to maximize instruction time.”
Bourke also followed up with her at the end of the week to discuss her growth.
“Every time I left the meeting, I felt so empowered and supported,” Koleber said.
She had the same feeling when working with Erhardt.
“It goes way beyond literacy coaching,” Koleber said. “It is feeling supported in all aspects of teaching. They are able to tailor their coaching to what I need. Stephanie is always popping into our classrooms seeing how she can best support us and immediately getting us the resources. I have seen so much growth in my teaching practices and students’ success through these coaching experiences.”
Chloe Walker, a first year teacher in the district with four years of prior experience, said she has been collaborating with Bourke on student autonomy in her first-grade classroom at Ferry Elementary School.
“She does a lot of modeling and I teach and then we collaborate on what went well, what didn’t go well and what we can change,” Walker said. “Through that, I’ve learned how to hold kids to a high intellectual level by allowing them to have ownership over their own learning no matter what academic level their brain is at. Julie’s coaching has allowed me to facilitate really authentic and high-level discussions in the classroom with first graders.”
Howell, who meets with the literacy coaches regularly during this transition year, said these are the meetings he most looks forward to due to the energy and excitement they generate.
“I’m amazed at what has been accomplished even during this pandemic,” he said.
He applauds the literacy coaches for their diligence in regularly reviewing data on the students, bringing the results to the classroom teacher or parents if there’s a concern, and offering to provide an additional level of support when warranted.
To measure the overall success of the program over the years, Howell points to the number of students who accessed reading support in first grade versus those in fourth and fifth grade.
“Most of them graduate out of our reading support as they go through the years,” he said.
Stacey Roy, a literacy coach at Defer Elementary School, counts the program a success every time a student who graduated from Reading Club runs up to her in the hallway, excited to show her the latest book they’re reading.
“We’ve always just felt that setting a great foundation for kids not only gives them success later on, but it gives them confidence to meet those goals, too,” Roy said. “It just makes them feel better about school to have those skills down pat.”
Brownell Broncos gallop to the Stable
Students at Brownell Middle School celebrated the grand re-opening of their school store, The Stable, Wednesday, April 7, after a year-long closure due to the pandemic. School mascot Bucky the Bronco made a special appearance.
“We have not been open since Thursday, March 12, 2020,” said school counselor Angie Niforos, who oversees the store and its “employees” along with ASD paraprofessional Alma Reygaert. “That was the last day, the last shift.”
Up until this unforeseen closure, the store operated for a decade, offering students an opportunity to purchase an after-school treat while raising funds to support students and programming.
Over the years The Stable has paid for furniture, iPads, lockers, competitions and student scholarships for class trips. Store staff members also regularly donate proceeds to charities of their choice.
“The bottom line is (the money) goes to kids,” Niforos said.
Niforos took on the endeavor at her oldest daughter’s urging and with assurances from Reygaert that the two would work as a team.
“She convinced me and we’ve been successful ever since,” Niforos said.
Over time, the school store has offered a growing inventory of snack and beverage items, including a freezer full of ice cream. The walls are covered in news clippings and thank you notes from beneficiaries of charitable gifts.
Safety protocols were in place for the re-opening, including disinfecting all surfaces. Niforos limited the number of employees on a shift to four, with only three customers allowed in the store at a time. Employees wear gloves and cash registers are behind a plastic shield. Masks are required and customers are directed to enjoy snacks and drinks outdoors.
While in the past students have applied to work at the store, this year Niforos invited eighth graders who worked last year to serve as leaders and recruited seventh graders who will carry the torch next year. Each employee received training before opening day.
“The best part is we have about 20 to 25 kids who work here and get valuable work experience,” Niforos said, adding she has even written letters of recommendation for students for whom this represents their first job. “They learn how to do all kinds of things — handle money, customer service. This is their store. They take great pride in it. The joy in the kids’ faces when they walk in makes it worth it.
“It’s more than just a store,” she added. “It’s an experience.”
March (reading) madness
March Madness means college basketball to most people. NCAA basketball fans fill out brackets and anxiously await the final match-up when one team is named national champions.
March is also national reading month — a time when students across the country celebrate books.
Defer Elementary School second graders in Steven Buckman’s class combined these two activities and created a bracket of outstanding books to determine a classroom national champion.
The results are in. Buckman’s 22 students made their choice and declared the National Book Champion for 2021 – Jaguars!
The class began the month with a list of 16 books. These books were put into “brackets” and given to all the students.
“They read two books a day, they discussed the qualities of each book and then they voted on which book should go onto the next round,” Buckman said.
It took 15 school days to arrive at a winner.
The non-fiction book Jaguars won 18 to 3. Of the 16 books in the competition, only five were non-fiction, Buckman pointed out, yet two of these made it to the final playoffs, overcoming the odds stacked against them.
Buckman said the students enjoyed this fun activity.
“We should definitely do this again next year in our new class,” said Sydney Eszes.
Success at states
Student athletes at Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South high schools brought home trophies, earned All-State accolades and broke school records after competing in the Michigan High School Athletic Association state championships.
Swimming and diving
Grosse Pointe South boys’ swimming and diving team placed second in the MHSAA Division 2 swimming and diving championships March 26 to 27, with nearly every participant scoring points, according to assistant coach Greg Wolff.
Winning a state championship was the freestyle relay team of Keiran Rahmaan, Drew VandePutte, Ryan English and Tucker Briggs. The team also earned All-State honors.
The 200-medley relay team of Keiran Rahmaan, Jackson Jogan, Drew VandePutte and Tucker Briggs won second place along with All-State honors.
The 400 freestyle relay team of Thad MacKrell, Brennan Rogowski, Jake Vallan and Ryan English placed 11th.
With expectations set low during the pandemic, just “getting back in” the pool, competing in a final event, swimming well and earning a trophy were all milestones, in head coach John Fodell’s view.
“I was very proud of the boys and all they accomplished with the All State (recognition) and everything they’ve been able to accomplish with the season in spite of the obstacles,” he said. “I’m super excited for them, proud of them, and excited to see where the program goes from here.”
Individual results are as follows:
Tucker Briggs – 4th 50-yard freestyle (All-State); 3rd 100 yard freestyle (All-State)
Ryan English – 7th 200-yard freestyle (All-State); 4th 500 yard Freestyle (All-State)
Logan Hepner – 2nd 1-meter diving (All-State)
Jackson Jogan – 15th 100-yard breast stroke
Keiran Rahmaan – 2nd 100-yard butterfly (All-State); 7th 100 yard backstroke (All-State)
Jake Vallan – 10th 100-yard butterfly
Drew VandePutte – 9th 200-yard individual medley; 7th 100 yard breast stroke (All-State)
Peter Weglarz – 15th 500-yard freestyle
Grosse Pointe North boys’ Division 2 state swim team, pictured below, finished 11th in the state among 33 teams. In all, they won a state championship, earned four All-State times and broke three school records.
Individual results are as follows:
Gianni Carlino – State Champion 500-yard freestyle (All State); 6th 200-yard freestyle (All-State)
Ian Donahue – 3rd 200-yard individual medley (All-State, North varsity record); 8th 100-yard butterfly (All State, North varsity record)
Connor McMahon – 26th 100-yard breaststroke
The 400 free relay team of Jack Gehlert, Owen Nowacki, Gianni Carlino and Ian Donahue placed 13th and set a North varsity record.
The 200 free relay team of Connor McMahon, Owen Nowacki, Gianni Carlino and Ian Donahue placed 11th.
The 200 medley relay team of Jack Gehlert, Owen Schaaf, Owen Nowacki and Connor McMahon placed 18th.
Divers Andrew Peabody and Trever Mulkey placed 21st and 27th, respectively.
Wrestling
Grosse Pointe North wrestler Logan Ladach placed sixth in the MHSAA individual Division 1 state tournament. The senior is now a two-time state qualifier.
“His hard work during the off season, making it to tournaments and going as far as to put a wrestling mat in his garage, goes to show the dedication he has to this sport and he was awarded properly at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo last weekend,” said head coach Jaron Nelson.
The team captain also achieved 100 career wins — a milestone not many are able to reach, Nelson added. These achievements — and competing all the way to the end of the season — were even more noteworthy given “a lot of doubts about the season” due to the pandemic.
“Having a state placer under my belt is an accomplishment I’m planning on experiencing often,” the first-year coach noted. “I cannot wait to see what the future holds for our fellow Norsemen.”
Summer Spotlight
Camp O’Fun
It’s on! This all-day camp for rising Young 5 to ninth graders offers sports clinics, drama sessions, arts and crafts, science experiments, dance, music and more.
Dates: Tuesday, June 22 to Friday, August 27 (Camp typically runs Monday-Friday.)
Time: 7:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Cost: $230 a week for 5 days for residents; $240 a week for non-residents; $50 daily rate
Location: Ferry Elementary School
Contact: Crystal Fletcher, director (fletchc@gpschools.org/313.432.3009)
Registration begins Monday, April 12.
Camp Invention
Think creatively. Build confidence. That’s the motto of Camp Invention, which has been providing fun and safe summers for more than 30 years through STEM activities. The program is offered online at home or in-person at Pierce Middle School.
Dates: June 28 to July 2
Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Before and After Kids Club available 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m.) Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
Cost: $275 (before discounts)
Location: Pierce Middle School
Contact: Caitlin Kefgen (kefgenc@gpschools.org)
Click here to browse the website and register.
School Pointes is a publication of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. To submit story ideas or Pointes of Pride, email info@gpschools.org.