Education in the First State
April 27, 2016
Edison wins national chess championship - again
       
Thomas Edison Charter School is the first and only school in Delaware's history to win a national chess championship. (Photos)
 
Students from the Thomas Edison Charter School -- where close to 90 percent of the students live at or below the poverty level -- won their second national chess championship in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 17. Edison students won their first national chess title in Dallas, Texas, in May 2014.

The United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Junior High Chess Championship brought nearly 200 school teams and more than 1,000 of the best scholastic chess players from around the nation to Indianapolis. The winning team from Thomas Edison included the national champion in his section, Eric Farrell, an 8th grader, who scored a perfect 7-0 (rarely done). Two other team members, brothers Nicholas and Jonathan Irving scored a resounding 6-1 to finish tied for 4th place in the nation in their division.

"I feel like I reached my ultimate goal, which was to not lose any games at the Nationals and win first place," Eric said. "It was very emotional. I wanted to cry ... but I didn't because I was so happy!"

Edison is also the home of one of the most successful and feared all-female chess teams in the country. The Mighty Knights have won multiple state and regional championships. One team member, Madalyn Yates, was selected by the USCF as one of the top 50 12-year-old female chess players in the nation.

The school and winning team is led by Principal Salome Thomas-EL.

"I am so proud of what our students have accomplished, but I'm even happier that the world knows about the awesome children that teachers and principals are blessed to work with in Delaware," he said.


'Bright spots' highlighted, best practices shared
       
Educators representing 53 schools gathered in Dover last week to share best practices and celebrate their school-based team's successes implementing the Common Core State Standards during the third annual Common Ground for the Common Core Bright Spots convening.
 
For educators such as Dr. Terrance Newton, coming together with peers from across the state is an opportunity to learn from one another to benefit all their students.

"At the end of the day, it is about closing the (achievement) gaps," said Newton, assistant principal at Red Clay Consolidated' s H.B. duPont Middle School.

Teachers and school leaders such as Newton gathered in Dover last week to showcase their innovative, replicable and results-driven strategies around implementing the Common Core State Standards. Governor Jack Markell joined about 250 educators representing 53 schools, 17 districts, five charters and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families at the third annual Common Ground for the Common Core Bright Spots convening. The keynote speaker was 2014 National Teacher of the Year Sean McComb.

 
NCCVT teachers lead on new science standards
       
Hodgson Vo-Tech teacher Rachael Smith presents at a NextGen Teacher Leader convening. Smith said the Next Generation Science Standards force her students to figure things out on their own.
 
When Delaware adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013, educators in the New Castle County Vo-Tech (NCCVT) School District immediately set a plan in motion to align their classroom instruction to the new standards.
 
For the past two years, NCCVT science teachers have participated in the state's NextGen Teacher Leader program, an intense and on-going professional learning experience that engages teachers from throughout Delaware in the standards and concepts of NGSS so that they can train their colleagues on NGSS practices.
 
NCCVT also devoted 7 1/2 days of district-wide professional learning to NGSS, further ensuring its teachers and students are comfortable with the new curriculum and learning practices in science instruction.
 
Brian Heeney, a biological sciences teacher at Delcastle Technical High School, said NGSS has transformed his classroom and his students in unexpected ways.

"Students are becoming better writers. They construct explanations in a daily basis both in their notebooks and online through Schoology," he said referencing the online learning management system. "Students are citing evidence without being promoted to do so, and are taking advantage of the opportunities given to them to revise and edit their work. They are also learning that failure in science is not a bad thing, and often leads to new evidence and understanding."

 
Gardens provide hands-on learning in Milford

       
Six gardens in Milford provide children with the opportunity for hands-on learning thanks to community/school partnerships. The Milford Readiness Teams provided the start-up funds. (Photos)
 
At Kids Inc. and the Learning Center Inc. early childhood centers in Milford, children weed, water and harvest vegetables during the afterschool program. As they learn about gardening, they also are sampling the products of their work when the centers cook food items with the produce.
 
At Milford School District's Morris Early Childhood Center, children learn about earth and human activity through their community garden.
 
"It's a great opportunity to partner with local people and organizations in an effort to create a new experience for the children in our schools. They can see and be a part of the process of growing fruits and vegetables and get a better understanding for what it takes to transform something from the seed to the table," said Jon LoBiondo, Morris' assistant principal.
 
In spring of 2015, the Milford Community Readiness Team partnered with the Division of Public Health's Milford Health Unit to fund the Milford Children's Community Gardens Project. The gardens unite teachers, students, parents and businesses to design learning gardens tailored to the needs of each partnering school or organization. The Milford Children's Community Gardens are located at six sites throughout the Milford community: Benjamin Banneker Elementary, Kids Inc., Lulu Ross Elementary, Morris Early Childhood Center, New Hope Recreation and Development Center and The Learning Center Inc. Each site creates unique experiences for children through the gardens.


 
Delaware 'reaches higher' for College Signing Day
       
Colonial School District's Eisenberg Elementary School supports Reach Higher.

 
Delaware is celebrating its graduating seniors and honoring their commitment to higher education by wearing college gear this week.
 
The White House's Reach Higher College Signing Day celebration was Tuesday. Because many students had off school on Tuesday for the state's primary election, many schools in Delaware have events planned throughout the week.
 
"Reach Higher," an initiative from First Lady Michelle Obama, supports encouraging young people to see college as an option, whether at a traditional four-year college, a two-year community college or through an industry-recognized training program.
 
This is an opportunity to celebrate graduating seniors and their commitment to higher education. It also will help inspire more young people to take the first steps on their journey to higher education. 
 
This Storify captures some of the Delaware recognitions so far. 

You can still be part of the celebration. Take a photo with your colleagues wearing college gear, and post it to the Delaware GoesToCollege Facebook page or tag us @DEGoesToCollege on Twitter or Instagram.  Please include #DEGoesToCollege and #ReachHigher in all of your posts.

Help us inspire more young people to take the first step to higher education. 
Other Good News in Delaware's Public Schools