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West Palm Beach, Florida — Several Early Childhood, Lower School, and Middle School teachers from Rosarian Academy attended the Orton Gillingham Comprehensive Training at the Academy June 13-16. They were trained in multi-sensory strategies for reading, writing, and spelling; student assessment techniques; and fluency, and received the tools to incorporate these strategies into Rosarian’s existing literacy curriculum.

The Orton-Gillingham approach, developed by neurologist Dr. Samuel T. Orton and educator Anna Gillingham at the New York Neurological Institute, relies on directly teaching the fundamental structure of language to all types of students. The techniques include direct instruction in phonetic rules and word attack strategies, combined with a strong literacy program that includes a rich mixture of written and oral language with organized, direct instruction.

Rosarian’s faculty members participated in a number of other professional development programs in the last few months.

• Representatives of Early Childhood, Lower School, and Middle School attended an intense, seven-day Conscious Discipline Summer Institute in Orlando, Florida. The teachers learned about the factors that drive a student’s behavior, the five steps of self regulation that help students and teachers to see conflict as an opportunity for growth, and seven skills to handle any discipline situation with confidence and compassion.
  
  
• Eight members of the Lower School faculty began Singapore Math training this past Spring through an online course. They continued their training this summer at the National Singapore Math Conference in Las Vegas. Singapore Math — which eventually will be integrated into the curriculum at every grade level — encourages algebraic thinking, promotes deeper understanding of essential math concepts, and enhances problem-solving skills.
  
  
• From May through September, five faculty members were engaged in coursework in Teaching for Understanding (TFU) with the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The program focuses on how to shape learning experiences to prepare students for the uncertain future, teaching them to apply their knowledge and skills in situations they have never encountered before.
  
  
• Three from Rosarian Academy joined Angela Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and co-founder of the Character Lab, for an educational summit designed to improve school environments and student performance. The focus was on Dr. Duckworth’s research into grit and self-control — two attributes that are powerful predictors of success and well-being.
  
  
• Patrick Hansen, After School and Summer Programming Director, was selected by Gary Gelo, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, to attend the Gateway Catholic Leadership Academy (GCLA). Given a $1,200 scholarship from the Diocese of Palm Beach, Mr. Hansen traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to participate in a three-day kick-off of the GCLA, a seven-month program for current and aspiring presidents, principals, and heads of Catholic schools. About 30 men and women participate in GCLA, which is jointly sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and a number of archdioceses and religious orders. “The entire experience was extremely valuable,” Mr. Hansen said. “In addition to the engaging and dynamic sessions, the relationship building with other Catholic school leaders across the country was truly fruitful.” Mr. Hansen will continue to meet with the GCLA online until the final St. Louis meeting in April 2017.

 

Feature photo: Rosarian Academy teachers participate in the Singapore Math Conference. This conference was one of many professional development programs that faculty members at Rosary attended during the past several months.