VIDEO: Multicultural celebration at Denny International Middle School

A big party just wrapped up in the Galleria at Denny International Middle School tonight – the annual Multicultural Potluck and Talent Show. Above and in our quick clip below, two of the groups who performed:

As for the potluck, a bountiful dinner for the hundreds in attendance:

That included Denny staff, of course, as well as students and families. Principal Jeff Clark wore his legendary Denny Dolphins-blue suit:

With the principal, Nollen and Hajib. Along with the potluck and performances, tonight’s event also served as a welcome to new Denny families, as the end of the school year approaches – less than three weeks – and thoughts turn to next year.

LKT May 29, 2015 (11:19 pm)

One more reason to love our community.

Lynn June 1, 2015 (12:18 pm)

Is there any truth to the rumor that students who opted out of taking the Common Core tests at Denny were not allowed to participate in this celebration?

WSB June 1, 2015 (12:49 pm)

There was a Friday event that was related to the SBAC testing, separate from this (all I know about it is in this tweet: https://twitter.com/dennydolphinap/status/605008398489296896 ) but I do *not* yet have an answer to the question; I have asked principal Jeff Clark and he tells us that he will be able to give us “correct information” later today – right now he and the school are preparing for the police chief’s visit in less than an hour. – Tracy
WSB June 2, 2015 (10:55 am)

Followup – the reply from Denny principal Jeff Clark, regarding the Friday event (NOT the one that was the subject of the story above, but since you asked here, the only place we’ve been asked about this):

In addition to many special activities throughout the year, for the past ten years, Denny has hosted a carnival at the end of the state testing period for those scholars who have given their best performance. The scholars’ effort is tracked on a form called the “My Best Performance Rubric,” a copy of which is located in their student planners. The rubric includes categories such as:

 positive attitude

 time management

 reading instructions carefully

 making an attempt on every task and persevering

 resourcefulness

 using resources and tools

 written presentation

After each testing session, scholars fill out their assessment of how they performed in all these areas.

The rubric is then turned into their teacher for review. At the end of the testing period those rubrics are submitted to administration that accumulates the results to establish the eligibility list for the carnival.

For this activity, due to the way in which eligibility is earned through self-reflection and teacher review every day of testing, scholars who did not give their best performance and those who opted not to participate for non-medical reasons were not eligible.

With every incentive that we have at Denny, based on our systems, scholars have the opportunity to practice agency and appeal in order to participate. This year all of the scholars who opted out for non-medical reasons and appealed were granted entry into the carnival.

We had a record high number of scholars participating this year at the carnival. Our school community worked very hard throughout the entire testing period. The My Best Performance Carnival was a great success and enjoyed thoroughly by all.

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