Mock Trial Team Soars

The Cinderella story continues for Rush-Henrietta Senior High School's Mock Trial team, which beat a formidable foe, Mercy High School, Wednesday, March 3, at the Hall of Justice.

"Olivia Dioguardi gave an outstanding, professional, and polished opening statement and set the tone," says Brad Rosenbaum, a school counselor
who serves as co-advisor to the team. "Clarissa Sullivan and Charlie Mueller continued our tradition of showing moxie, poise, and determination as lawyers. Our three witnesses, Kamarah Caven, Nia Bronner, and Lindsay Parker, were unshakable under cross-examination from the Mercy attorneys. Adam Murray was stellar as courtroom bailiff."

The R-H Mock Trial team, which was formed only last year, was unshakable, displaying an increased knowledge of the law, procedures, and courtroom etiquette. "Until now, we relied solely on our quick thinking and knowledge
of the case," Rosenbaum says. "This time, they were more polished, more
confident and much more prepared. The judge presiding over the case was highly complimentary of our students."

With the upset victory, Rush-Henrietta moves on to the Monroe County mock trial final four, having outlasted more than 20 teams from Monroe County. "We could not be prouder of what our kids have accomplished," says Rosenbaum, who leads the time with Caron Lindstrom, a high school social studies teacher. "The hard work, effort, and true passion for this academic team is truly spectacular. We were never supposed to make it this far, but our kids are showing Rush-Henrietta belongs here! If you see any of the kids, be sure to congratulate them, as they are beaming with pride! The team next competes at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, at the Hall of Justice.

This year's Mock Trial team consists of these students:

Nia Bronner
Kamarah Caven
Kyle Davis
Olivia Dioguardi
Iman Ibid
Charlie Mueller
Adam Murray
Lindsay Park
Clarissa Sullivan
Luke Weathers

Students from Rush-Henrietta Senior High School took part in a novel Geva Theatre Center production, and those involved say it's a shining example of what can be accomplished when schools from the Rochester area work together.

The production of John Carianai's "Almost, Maine," is divided into nine scenes that take place at 9 p.m. on a midwinter night in February. "We took each of the nine scenes and gave it to nine different Rochester-area schools," says Skip Greer, Geva's director of education. "Each school appointed a teacher to serve as director, cast student actors, enrolled student designers, and worked with our marketing department to promote their segment of the production. Our actors worked with the student actors, our designers with the student designers, and I, as the director of our mainstage production, worked with the high school directors. Each of the schools joined together to do their production of 'Almost, Maine' on our stage, under our lights and sound. To my knowledge, nothing like this has ever been attempted before - a  warm, yet daring, night in the theatre."
 
The performance, known as a Stage Door Project, took place Feb. 1, 2010. John Gonzalez, a junior from Rush-Henrietta, played the role of Pete. He has worked on the stage crew for Spotlight Theatre, but this was his first real foray into stage work and he is enjoying it. Another Rush-Henrietta student, senior Chelsea Goodrich, played the role of Ginette. Other Rush-Henrietta students also were involved in the production. Alison Dobbertin worked on scene design, Kristin Molinari assisted with costume design, and Ryan Lumb has been involved in the marketing design. These three design students have been helped by John Cochrane and Julie Flisnik, high school art teachers.

In addition to Rush-Henrietta, Geva's Stage Door project included Allendale Columbia, Aquinas Institute, Brighton, Fairport, McQuaid, Pittsford Sutherland, School of the Arts, and Irondequoit. "It is a testament to the power of theatre to bring people together," says Trish Annese, a Rush-Henrietta teacher serving as one of the directors. "It's been such an outstanding experience to work with and learn from students and directors in the community. It's reminded me  that one of the reasons we do theatre is to create connections in the spaces where there were none."

Dear Families,

On Wednesday, September 9, 2009, the SHS introduced a K-12 district initiative titled “P.B.I.S.”  “P.B.I.S.” stands for “Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.”  At the high school, we will be starting “Year 1” of implementing this school-wide systems approach to improving our school’s culture.  Our district has been exploring the “P.B.I.S.” approach over the past two years and this past school year, all our schools created teams that worked collaboratively to identify attributes (qualities) that our district values and want see in all of our school communities and to develop implementation plans for their respective buildings.   

What is School-Wide PBIS?

Improving student academic and behavior outcomes is about ensuring all students have access to the most effective and accurately implemented instructional and behavioral practices and interventions possible. School-wide PBIS provides an operational framework for achieving these outcomes. PBIS is NOT a curriculum, intervention, or practice, but IS a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students. 

What Does School-Wide PBIS Emphasize?

In general, school-wide PBIS emphasizes four integrated elements: (a) data for decision making, (b) measurable outcomes supported and evaluated by data, (c) practices with evidence that these outcomes are achievable, and (d) systems that efficiently and effective support implementation of these practices.

These four elements are guided by six important principles:

What Outcomes are Associated with Implementation of PBIS?

Schools that establish systems with the capacity to implement PBIS with integrity and durability have teaching and learning environments that are:

• Less reactive, aversive, dangerous, and exclusionary, and
• More engaging, responsive, preventive, and productive
• Address classroom management and disciplinary issues (e.g., attendance, tardies, antisocial behavior),
• Improve supports for students whose behaviors require more specialized assistance (e.g., emotional and behavioral disorders, mental health), and
• Most importantly, maximize academic engagement and achievement for all students.

What will PBIS look like at the high school this year?

þ     As part of our school-wide system, we have created grade-level PBIS teams. Last year, these teams led our school in the development of our behavioral matrix and this summer, they have helped create our behavioral improvement goals and acknowledgement system (“R.O.A.R.”).  For the 2009-2010 school year, the teams will monitor and assess our implementation plan, and they will also be part of gathering and analyzing behavioral data that will help assess and evaluate our improvement goals.

þ   We have created a behavioral matrix titled, “Rush-Henrietta Senior High School…We “R.O.A.R.” For Our Students.” (on the following page) that is centered five attributes that can be seen in behavioral matrices in all of our schools K-12:  Caring, Ready to Learn, Respectful, Responsible, and Trustworthy.  Our grade-level teams, in collaboration with our school community (staff and student advisory groups) created this matrix with the purpose of creating common expectations for our school, focused on the five attributes in the following settings:  School Community, Classroom, Common Areas, Cafeteria, Gym/Locker rooms, Library/Computer Labs, Assemblies and all Extracurricular Events, and Transportation.  At the SHS, you will see specific components of the matrix posted in our school:  auditorium, classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, and hallways. 

þ     For the 2009-2010 school year, our grade-level team, and using feedback from three surveys: Parent Satisfaction Survey, Student Satisfaction Survey, and Staff Survey, created three behavioral improvement goals for our school:  Cafeteria, Hallways, and Respectful Language.  Specifically, using the common expectations in our matrix and focusing on specific attributes, our staff and students will work together to improve our hallways: students being on time for class and using their agenda, respectful conversations (appropriate tone, volume, and words), and the cafeteria (throwing out garbage/recycling and manners).  Our grade level teams will work together to monitor and assess our improvement goals on a monthly basis.  Quarterly, we will conduct a review of all data and measure the progress of each goal. This data will be shared at monthly faculty meetings and with our students as well: student advisory groups and our monthly grade level meetings. 

þ    An element of this initiative is teaching and encouraging pro-social skills and behaviors in our school.  Our teachers will be working with our students and “teaching/reinforcing” skills and focus on our improvement goals.  It may merely be reviewing expectations for behavior in the hallway, but more specifically, lessons have been created that will demonstrate “respectful conversations.”  We will be using our technology to enhance our lessons and we will also be creating what we call “Public Service Announcements” and videos that will promote our lessons. 

þ   As part of our PBIS implementation, we launched our  school-wide acknowledgement program titled “R.O.A.R.:” Recognizing Outstanding Attributes at RHSH. Focusing on the attributes Caring, Ready to Learn, Respectful, Responsible, and Trustworthy, it will be the responsibility of our staff to acknowledge students who demonstrate these attributes on a regular basis. 

Each week our Senior High staff will be issued “R.O.A.R.” cards appropriate behaviors while in school and demonstrating the above mentioned positive attributes. When a staff member observes a student or group of students exhibiting a positive behavior centered on one of the five attributes, he/she will acknowledge the behavior, by completing and issuing a R.O.A.R. card(s).  During specific months, our staff will focus on a specific attribute that will help guide them when choosing to issue a “R.O.A.R.” card. 

On Mondays, students who have earned a “R.O.A.R.” card from the previous week will be eligible to win ‘donated’ prizes from community businesses, and ‘donated’ prizes from our staff members.  All “R.O.A.R.” cards will be displayed on the “R.O.A.R. board” which will be displayed outside of our cafeteria. 

At the end of each month, all of our students who have earned cards will be eligible for a random drawing where a student from each grade level will win a “R.O.A.R. Patrol” visit to the work area of the staff member who issued the card: student and staff member will be acknowledged with balloons, card, and gift card. 

þ   Our staff and students will collaboratively work together to plan an official “Kickoff” to our PBIS initiative.  Tentatively, our goal is to work with our school government: Student Council and Class Councils to plan this event for the second week in November. 

If you have read this far:  THANK YOU!  I have shared with you a lot of information and as the school year progresses, my monthly newsletter will focus on our PBIS initiative and other important information that I feel should be shared with our community.   Please feel free to contact me at 359-5204 or mail me at cbarker@rhnet.org if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. 

Chris Barker

Associate Principal

SHS