8th grade graduation: an inspiring morning!

Guests write positive messages on posters for each graduate

We're still going through all the photos and videos from graduation morning, but here are a few quotes from students which speak to the impact this school community is making.

Crystal (this year's social valedictorian*) on her growth as a person: "I have learned to think before I react...I communicate my feelings."

Jaquan (academic valedictorian): While he was proud of a long list of things, including being on the cover of Yale Magazine, he was "most proud of making honor roll every quarter I was here"..."We will always remember the Domus way of doing things...when things get rough, we can always count on our Domus family."

*We have an academic valedictorian, the traditional honor which goes to the student who has shown the most academic growth, but we also have a social valedictorian, an honor bestowed upon the student who has shown the most social/emotional growth.

Post-CMT testing fun

Remember taking standardized tests? Me neither, for the most part, but I do still sweat when I envision (and I can see every desk and window in the classroom) walking in to take my ACT. I was a good student with excellent grades, so imagine what must be running through the minds of students who've never gotten good grades, who might have never been told they are smart, and who possibly have not even taken one of these tests in the past?

Stress. Lots of stress. School for young people like that is stressful enough, and unfortunately, many also have out-of-school stress to deal with: family life, neighborhood issues, health issues, and more. Too much for a young adolescent to take.

Fortunately, Domus Academy is staffed with people who understand very well stress and what we can do to minimize its negative effects. That's important during CMT time; even though over 60% of our students are special education, everyone takes the test. Everyone. Kids who haven't taken it before or haven't taken it in years. Kids who've just witnessed violence and are dealing with that stress. Kids who are hungry and struggle to focus. Everyone.

So Ms. Bauman, our art teacher, ensures the kids have hands-on, engaging, and interesting  activities ready to go after testing, when emotions are running high. Relief! Anxiety about my results! Fear of another bad grade! It piles up, but this year's activity of making masks had all the kids fully engaged. Plus it was a facial sensation most had never experienced. Every student I saw on Wednesday was loving the activity.

We're lucky to have problem solvers who give our kids just what they need when they need it.

The annual Domus Academy/Trailblazers Academy Hoops Matchup

It's our new favorite tradition: Domus Academy hoopsters truck down to Stamford to take on the other Domus middle School, Trailblazers Academy, in a competitive but fun game. This year, DA took the JV game by 4 points but lost the varsity match. Post-game pizza gives everyone a chance to share favorite moves and moments and get to know each other. Check out the picture album from today's well-played games. Congrats to all, and many thanks to the staff members from both schools who came to cheer everyone on--even a large New Haven contingent, despite the commute home!

Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times writes about New Haven education reforms

Those of us in the mix know New Haven's education reforms are breaking new ground in a variety of ways, including a view of teachers' unions as partners instead of enemies. In yesterday's New York Times, columnist Nicholas Kristoff highlights New Haven's efforts to drive student achievement by ensuring the small number of teachers not up to the task (and who cannot get there with support and training) will no longer be leading classrooms. No one expected that to affect hundreds of teachers, and it did not.

But that's not the extent of education reform in New Haven, and it's certainly not the goal. The goal, as always, is the provision of a world-class education to every student, and everything written about education reform needs to drive that home.

We're thrilled Domus Academy is part of New Haven's effort to replace that one-size-fits-all approach to education so every child graduates with a shot at the American dream. Schools like this belong in every city, where there's a small group of young people who are struggling. Instead of blaming them, or their parents, or the system, let's just provide them with the educational environment they need to find success.

And as our last post showed, they are 100% capable of that success.

Aaaaaand: We're back! With amazing results!

Domus Academy is producing some seriously amazing student gains. Check out this bar graph from the New Haven Public Schools regarding our progress getting kids to Proficiency and Goal on the CMTs. Yes, that's us, to the far left, outpacing everyone else. It's hard to not crow when these gains have been made by young people many folks had written off. Everyone had low expectations of what they could achieve--it's hard to reach your full potential when adults don't think you have far to go.

Let's change that thinking, folks. Clearly, as these results show, it's wrong-headed.

Parenting Journey: nurturing gatherings to help parents be their best

Photo: Trainers Donn Reid (right front) and Ashley Hampton (third from right) sit with parent students at a recent Parenting Journey session, which always includes a hot meal.

Parenting styles are influenced by one's past, by one's whole family, and by the cultural, social, and economic circumstances in which families find themselves. Building on the idea that adults must learn to nurture themselves before they can nurture their children, the Parenting Journey course emphasizes the experience of the parent as a person instead of the parent in a disciplinary relationship with their children. By coming together and exploring what did or didn't work in their experience of being parented as children, parents can begin to make conscious choices about the way they want to successfully parent their own children.

The Parenting Journey is a 13-session course designed for parents who want to be supported in learning more about themselves as parents, about their relationships, their strengths, and the resources and skills they need to effectively parent their children. Over meals in a warm and nurturing environment, parents are supported and encouraged to care for themselves, and each other, while participating in a series of experiential exercises and activities.

Over the many years we've taught this course, the feedback is always the same: Our caregivers walk away feeling more prepared to deal with the many stressors that come with being a parent. We're excited to bring this course to our Domus Academy parents to help them help their children.

Class size matters. Period.

We know there's debate in the education community: Does class size matter? How much? If so, for which kids?

For our kids, it matters significantly. Domus Academy students are here to learn, and many need to catch up academically. To do that, they need extra time with their classroom teachers. Every minute counts. And if there are additional barriers facing a young person--poverty, social/emotional challenges, troubles at home, illness--that child will struggle to focus in class. The disadvantages just stack up.

A study released today by the Brookings Institution states, "it appears that very large class-size reductions, on the order of magnitude of 7-10 fewer students per class, can have significant long-term effects on student achievement and other meaningful outcomes. These effects seem to be largest when introduced in the earliest grades, and for students from less advantaged family backgrounds."

Large-scale reduction from previous classes our students were in? Check.
Students from less advantaged family backgrounds? Check.

Not only are our class small, with an average of 10 students per class, we strive to always have two adults in the classroom at all times for additional support for students.

Whatever it takes.

Our Thanksgiving celebration

It's a tradition at Domus schools: We have a huge feast and invite friends, family members, and alum to join us to celebrate all we're thankful for. This was our second celebration, and it was a blast! Music, decorations, homemade goodies...no better time was had anywhere in New Haven yesterday.

More photos from our fun celebration are here.

All of us at Domus Academy are thankful for the support of the community, our students, family members, loved ones, our colleagues, and the many people who have made this school possible.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Tonight's Report Card Night

At all Domus schools, we ask parents to stay engaged as partners in their child's education by doing things like coming to Family Nights and Report Card Nights. It helps us create and maintain the relationships which help us, in turn, best serve each student. A child's success requires all the partners--student, parent, and school--giving their best effort.

At tonight's Report Card Night, I talked to one mom whose son is definitely giving it his all. B. is a 6th grader whose mother told me all about his transformation in just a few short months.

"He's been doing great. His grades are coming up, he wants to do homework--he never wanted to do homework before...his behavior has changed--he's more calm. He loves the staff." Mom is visibly proud about B.'s tremendous progress.

When asked about the differences she sees between this school and B.'s old school, Mom says Domus Academy staff members "take time with the kids--they talk with them. [The school has] the advocates--B. goes to [family advocate] Mr. Smith, and he'll go talk with him about any problems" he's having. When I note, after Mom explains how B. takes responsibility for his education, from doing homework to making sure his uniform is all together, she notes with a smile that's true, "plus he's got Mom and Dad backing him up."

Student, parent, school: When everyone pitches in, it works. 

Teambuilding!

Our DA team went through the Hopkins School’s Adam Kreiger Adventure program in New Haven as a way to build team and get to know each other. They utilized the 30+ low and high elements, structures made up of any series or combination of wires, ropes, cables, tires, and wood. The many activities the team did indoor and outdoor focused on a wide range of objectives which may include establishing group trust, cohesion, and/or communication.


And it's great for all ages! Here's some Domus kids from another program years ago stretching their boundaries and supporting each other...about three stories up in the trees.