A Message from Principal Allston

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June 24, 2020

 

Greetings Clap Families,

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Congratulations on your successful completion of a school year like no other! I want to extend my thanks and appreciation for your efforts to ensure your child completed assignments, joined class sessions and responded to feedback given by their teacher during remote learning. The support you offered and continue to offer your children during this challenging time is monumental in ensuring their future success. Thank you for your patience and collaboration, as we distributed computers, worked out internet issues, and developed an approach to remote learning that best supported all of our students. Although the fate of the 2020-2021 school year (face to face or remote) is still to be determined, I know all students will be supported to the highest ability given the outcome of our remote experience this school year. Thank you all.

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As it has been announced, this school year (2019-2020) is the last year that I will serve as the principal of the Roger Clap Elementary School. I have been assigned to lead the Mason Pilot Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. Although saddened to move on from the Clap (students, families, staff), given the level of work we have done and the goals we have accomplished as a school community through my tenure as leader, I know the community will continue to soar in my absence. Over the past two years, we have successfully accomplished the following:

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Teaching & Learning

• On the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website (DESE), the Clap moved from an accountability score of 5 in 2017-2018 to a score of 7 in 2018-2019, showing major gains in school-wide math scores, student attendance and English Language Learners proficiency growth scores.

• On the School Quality Report released annually by Boston Public Schools, which rates a school in the areas of student performance, teaching and learning, family, community and culture, leadership and collaboration and student access and opportunity on a scale of 1-4 with 1 being the highest, the Clap increased from an overall score of 4 in the beginning of 2018 to an overall score of 2 by the 2019-2020 school year.

• Established school-wide use of Zones of Regulation to develop students ability to identify feelings of anxiety, anger, sadness, etc. and the personalized strategies that work to support their ability to regulate those emotions

• Increased student academic performance on BPS interim assessments from performing at least 10 points below district average in 2017-2018 school year, to outperforming the district by 5 points on the same assessment in 2019-2020 school year in ELA; with similar progress made for math

• Required the use of the same curriculum for english and math throughout the school (differing only between grades 1-5, and early ed) with provided professional development to support all teachers quality implementation of each lesson plan

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Family & Community Engagement 

• Invited community members to Town Halls as a way to inform and educate students on the roles of community leaders and possible future career opportunities.

• Rolled out weekly principal newsletter communication to support transparency and keep families updated on school opportunities and events

• Established family engagement events such as: Fall Funday (similar to Spring Fun Day), Family Movie Night, Reading Parties (where families could attend to support), Spring School BBQ

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School Partnerships Established

• Microsoft New England (resulting in field trip opportunities)

• Catie’s Closet (resulting in the receipt of a grant to build a Catie’s closet in the Clap building to provide students in need with free clothing, toiletries and necessities)

• BASE (resulting in students grades 3-5 receiving baseball instruction and opportunities to join sports teams)

• TAP (resulting in the further development of Clap staff’s ability to support students in crisis with regulating emotions)

• READ Boston

• SteppingStone Boston

• SouthBay Community Services

• Boston’s Partners in Education (resulting in additional academic support in the classrooms for targeted needs)

• Safe Routes to School Boston (resulting in students learning and understanding the alert, safe and appropriate way to walk to/from school)

• Science Museum

• Tech Goes Home (resulting in technology classes and an opportunity to purchase a brand new discounted laptop device)

• and many others!

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I know the Clap will continue forward on this path to success and I look forward to hearing about all of the continued progress under the leadership of incoming veteran principal Ms. Lauretta Lewis-Medley.

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Sincerely,

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Carolyn Allston

Roger Clap Elementary Principal 2018-2020

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