2. WELCOME TO OUR NEW A+ SCHOOLS! Comfort Elementary, University Park Creative Arts School, First Ward Creative Arts Academy, and Elizabeth City Middle School!

3. WELCOME!! New A+ Principals  Cynthia Morris, Elizabeth City Middle School  Janice Davidson, University Park Creative Arts School  Jo Anne Stone, Comfort Elementary  Maya Swinson, Rochelle Middle School  Mona Gilliam, Windsor Elementary  Selestine Crowder, First Ward Creative Arts Academy  Tracy Grit, Banner Elk Elementary  Teresa George, Burgaw Elementary  Tracy Gregory, Aulander Elementary  Wendy Riggs, Oaks Road Elementary

4. TABLE WELCOMING

5.  23 SCHOOLS: 4 NEW SCHOOLS 19 RETURNING SCHOOLS  4 MULTI-SCHOOL CONFERENCES  OVER 100 EDUCATORS  50% RECEIVED SOME SUPPORT FROM A+ IN ORDER TO ATTEND  VARIED FROM 1 DAY – 5 DAYS  ALREADY PLANNING DATES/LOCATIONS FOR SUMMER 2014 SUMMER STATS

6.  CONTINUED WORK WITH THE COMMON CORE AND ESSENTIAL STANDARDS  CONNECTING ARTS STANDARDS TO NON- ARTS STANDARDS IN DEEP AND MEANINGFUL INTEGRATION  DEVELOPING COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES AND CREATIVE CULTURE  DEEPENING INFRASTRUCTURE  A+ SELF ASSESSMENT AND GOAL SETTING SUMMER FOCUS

7. YOUR REFLECTION How did this summer’s work impact your students, your school culture?

8. 44 active A+ schools Nearly 19,000 students and 1,500 educators and administrators All 8 regions of the state 34 Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including 5 charter schools and 29 public school systems 27 counties PK-8 with 2 potential High Schools in 2014 CURRENT NETWORK STATS

9. SELF-ASSESS ON A+ ESSENTIALS, 3 V’S, AND CREATIVE CULTURE AND SET GOALS FOR NEXT 18 MONTHS CONNECT/RE-CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL ARTS COUNCIL, PARTNERS MAKE SURE YOUR CENTRAL OFFICE KNOWS WHAT A+ IS AND THAT YOU ARE AN A+ SCHOOL CHECK YOUR WEBSITE – A+ LOGO AND LINK? A+ HISTORY AT YOUR SCHOOL? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN A+ SCHOOL? SCHOOL TASKS

10.  Supporting school self-assessment & strategic planning  Continued support with CC&ES connections: whole staff PD, demo teaching, one-on-one coaching, lesson analysis and more  Re-connecting with less engaged schools; Increased school-to-school networking  Exploring NC Teacher Evaluation Tool, ASW, School and Classroom Expectations and A+ Walk-throughs  Supporting development of school partnerships  Data collection and analysis  Cross-state and national connecting and support 2013-14 A+ Focus Continued Cultivation, Building Strategic Partnerships and Collective Impact

11. YOUR OPINION? As A+ continues to grow, refine our practice and work to meet the needs of our new and veteran schools, where should we be focusing OUR energy for the next 18 to 24 months?

12. A+ IN THE NEWS

13. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4451793

14. NEA Arts Magazine: It Takes a Community “But beyond test scores, A+ Schools are teaching one of the most important skills needed to succeed in the 21st century: creativity. As teachers find new avenues to engage and motivate their classrooms, students are learning the out-of-the-box thinking that is so valued in today's creative economy. With the A+ arts model as their academic companion, the future for A+ Gates County students is whatever their imagination holds”.

15. Duke Faith & Leadership: The Art of Collaboration and Shared Leadership at A+ Schools “A+ Schools incorporate the arts into everyday learning. The result is a student body that is more engaged and faculty and staff that are working together as never before”.

17. Congratulations are in order for nine A+ Schools who have been awarded grant funding totaling nearly $60,000. Sheep-Harney Elementary ArtSpace Charter School White Oak Elementary Douglas Creative Arts & Science Magnet Bugg Creative Arts & Science Magnet Chadbourn Elementary Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle School Benton Heights Elementary School of the Arts and Claxton School of the Arts & Humanities! A+ SCHOOLS RECEIVE NC ARTS COUNCIL GRANT FUNDING

18. A+ PARTNERSHIPS  NCCAT  VIF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION  MUSICIANCORPS

19. A+ OPPORTUNITIES  National History Day  Destination Imagination

20. Sculpture Workshop: Studio Techniques for the Non-Art Teacher Saturday, October 26 9:30 am–3:30 pm NCMA Raleigh, $20 includes lunch **A+ Teachers discounted rate of $15 FREE Fall Educator Expo: Gaining STEAM Thursday, November 7 | 4:30 pm NCMA Raleigh Educator Workshop: Using STEAM to Solve STEM Problems Saturday, November 16 | 9:30 am NCMA, Raleigh $20 includes lunch *Discover how art can be the catalyst for innovative thinking and solutions in STEM. Learn techniques for integrating creativity into the design process. For more information on this and other free and inexpensive resources from NCMA: Kristin Smith, Statewide Educator ksmith@ncartmuseum.orgksmith@ncartmuseum.org http://www.ncartmuseum.org/educators NCMA OFFERINGS

21. North Carolina school boards and distinguished individual schools are invited to apply for awards recognizing outstanding service to students and the field of arts in education. The deadline for submission for both awards is 5pm on October 15th and must be submitted electronically to kennedycenterawards@artsnc.org. Complete information on the School Board and Individual School of Distinction awards may be found at: http://www.kennedy ‐ center.org/education/kcaaen/recognition/home.html. Both awards will be determined by a panel that includes Slater Mapp, Theatre and Visual Arts Education Consultant with NCDPI; Banu Valladares, Arts in Education Director for the North Carolina Arts Council; Michelle Burrows, Director of A+ Schools Program of the North Carolina Arts Council; and Karen Wells, Executive Director of Arts North Carolina. SCHOOL BOARD AWARD SCHOOLS OF DISTINCTION IN ARTS EDUCATION AWARDS PROGRAM Questions on the application process for both awards should be directed to Slater Mapp at slater.mapp@dpi.nc.gov or Banu Valladares at banu.valladares@ncdcr.gov. KENNEDY CENTER ALLIANCE FOR ARTS EDUCATION ANNOUNCES AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

22. A+ RESOURCES

23. A+ FORUM Hosted by Columbus County Schools http://www.columbus.k12.nc.us/aplus/

24. SPOTLIGHT ON A+ Live Binder The A+ Live Binder is now live! You can access it through this link. You will need to also fill in the access key as listed below. A+ Schools Program Binder http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/902360 http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/902360 Binder access key: A+NCNetwork

25. A+ Wiki http://aplus.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/ http://aplus.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/

26. NCDPI Arts Education Listserv join-artsed@lists.dpi.state.nc.us

27. NCDPI Arts Education Christie Lynch Ebert Section Chief, K-12 Program Areas Arts Education (Dance and Music) and NCDPI Liaison to the A+ Schools Program christie.lynchebert@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3856 Slater Mapp Arts Education Consultant (Theatre Arts and Visual Arts) slater.mapp@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3758 Brenda Wheat Whiteman A+ Arts Education Specialist brenda.whiteman@dpi.nc.gov 919-807-3820

28. NASC WEBSITE http://www.nationalaplusschools.org/

29. MARK YOUR CALENDARS  Next A+ Network Webinar Thursday, December 5 th 4-5pm  Spring Regional P/C Meetings March 18 th – Central/Eastern March 20 th – Western  Summer 2014 – TENTATIVE!! Wilmington – June 23 rd -27 th Asheville – July 8 th – 10 th Raleigh – July 16 th – 18 th Charlotte – July 28 th – August 1 st Elizabeth City/Greenville – August 11 th – 15th

30. Crafting a Vision: School-wide change takes strategic planning Craft a Vision Chart a Strategic Course Convince Others Build Teacher’s Creative Capacity

31. Creating Change: Creative Leadership Begins with Commitment and Requires Coaching Commit to Change Recognize Teacher’s Growth Continuum Coach Teachers Celebrate Creative Teaching

32. Transforming School Culture: Building Creative Culture Takes Creative Leadership Set Clear Expectations Address Challenges with Courageous Conversations Respond with Both Consistency and Customization Focus on Continuous Improvement