So what is Panther Pause?

For parents that had students at Ledford High during the 2010-2011 school year, you probably heard about our new study hall called Panther Pause. For parents whose students are new to the Ledford Community or to Ledford High, this post is going to get you up-to-speed on our attempt at ensuring students have as much time during the day to seek out remediation from their teachers and/or work on their homework.

*Disclaimer: Each year there are tweaks made to Panther Pause so the information on this post will be describing the 2010-2011 version. I will make the necessary adjustments once school begins and we are told of any changes.

WHO:

If your student is struggling in English II, then he or she will go during Panther Pause on Mondays to see their English II teacher. If your student is struggling with Computer Apps, then he or she would go see their teacher on Friday. The schedule is listed below and it is as simple as that! The only catch is the student needs to ask their teacher for a Panther Pause Pass.

If your student is not needing extra help or remediation during Panther Pause, he or she will remain with his or her second period teacher. This is a time that we encourage students to study or work on homework.

WHAT:

Mondays: English and Foreign Language

Tuesdays: Math

Wednesdays: History

Thursdays: Science

Fridays: Vocats and Clubs

WHEN:

1st period ~ 8:05-9:30

break ~ 9:30-9:40

2nd period ~9:40-11:05

PANTHER PAUSE ~11:05-11:30

3rd period ~11:35 -1:35

4th period ~1:40-3:05

WHERE:

This is where things get tricky. Because we have 11 roving teachers (teachers that do not have permanent classrooms) we do not have enough space for each teacher to have their own meeting space during Panther Pause. Your student needs to listen carefully to his or her teachers when they are announcing their location for Panther Pause. The location should be consistent during the semester.

WHY:

The impetus behind Panther Pause was to allow students the opportunity to receive more help during the day from their teachers. There are many students who do not have transportation after school other than the bus and are not able to stay for tutoring after school. By providing time during the day for students to receive extra help, it is our hope that we will see student achievement and success rise.

HOW:

Parents: this is important! PLEASE encourage your student to seek out help from their teacher(s). We at Ledford try to stress the importance of the students taking responsibility for their own learning. If your student is struggling in biology, he or she needs to ask the biology teacher for a hall pass to come back during Panther Pause.

Now that you know what Panther Pause is, let me give you some background information on what brought about this study hall. Davidson County, and many counties across the state, are implementing a program called Professional Learning Communities or PLCs. There are many components of a PLC and each school in Davidson County, Ledford included, is implementing the program components one step at a time at a pace that will best benefit our students and faculty. Part of the PLC model is to create a Pyramid of Interventions, which is a model for school faculty to use to assist students that are struggling. If you look at the Pyramid of Intervention for Ledford High School, you will notice that remediation (Panther Pause) is just a small factor of the Tier I level support that we offer your student.

The following video, while aimed at teachers beginning PLCs under the guidence of Dr. Gayle Owens, gives a brief explanation of how PLCs are a collaborative effort among all teachers:

PLCs are designed to ultimately increase student achievement, therefore ensuring your student is as successful as possible. Rest assured that we are doing everything we can to assist your student in his or her tenure at Ledford High School and Panther Pause is just one of the many ways we are doing so.

As always, please feel free to contact me at mtetter@davidson.k12.nc.us if you have any questions or comments.

References:

Ledford High School Pyramid of Interventions. Ledford High School. Retrieved July 12, 2011 from Ledford High School Homepage: http://www.davidson.k12.nc.us/education/page/download.php?fileinfo=UHlyYW1pZF9vZl9JbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zLnBkZjo6Oi93d3cvc2Nob29scy9zYy9yZW1vdGUvaW1hZ2VzL2RvY21nci9BTExmaWxlMjQ2NDEucGRm

Professional Learning Communities. AllThingsPLC. Retrieved July 12, 2011 from Solution Tree: http://www.allthingsplc.info/

You Tube. Professional Learning Community-American College of Education Video. Retrieved July 12, 2011 from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39nwiwHHcWQ