Bricolage Annual Report 2015 by MaryLouiseK

2014—2015 ANNUAL REPORT

We make the future of New Orleans.

WE ARE WHAT WE MAKE

Dear Friends, We have a saying at Bricolage: We Are What We Make. By this measure, we are optimistic, joyful, creative and hopeful. We made our second year a remarkable success by continuing to show strong academic gains, doubling our student population and securing a long-term home for our groundbreaking school. The Bricolage community extended the enthusiasm and accomplishments of our first year by welcoming a new class of families and establishing Springolage, an end-of-the-school year event for current and incoming students and their families. Our community celebration and fundraiser, the New Orleans Mini Maker Faire, moved to the Tulane University campus and drew more than 85 makers and 2,300 attendees. As a staff, we began using ‘design thinking’ to solve our biggest challenges and ensure we’re innovative like our students. Most of all, with our 2014-2015 school year, we paved the way for a long and successful future for Bricolage. I hope our annual report demonstrates that the future we’re making is as bright as our students! Sincerely, Josh Densen CEO & School Leader 3

WHO WE ARE

“

Mission Statement Bricolage’s mission is to advance educational equity by preparing students from diverse backgrounds to be innovators who change the world.

I feel that the administration is an excellent example of individuals who place a high value on caring for our children along with common sense, good humor and hard work.

Values Empathy, integrity, innovation Board of Directors Alan Philipson, Chair Jade Brown Russell, Vice-chair Jeffray Teague, Treasurer Robert Garda, Secretary Jeff Hebert Jen Medbery Cindy Nuesslein M. Cleland Powell III

–Kit Keen, Bricolage Parent

”

We have - Free, open enrollment - 5 applications for every seat - A staff of 22 including 1 nurse and 1 school counselor - An average class size of 19 students - A 10:1 kindergarten student:teacher ratio - A 19:1 first grade student:teacher ratio - 4 second grade classes starting in 2015-2016 school year

OUR CITYWIDE ENROLLMENT 0

Zip Code Boundaries in New Orleans & Surrounding Parishes Neighborhood boundaries

I-1

ates Hi

d St Unite

M ich o

Blv d

y 11 ghwa

70129

c Lu ne er

70129 - 0 students 70128 - 5 students

rS t

Hw y

70056

Ave Tup elo St lD eg

70116 - 1 student

70075

70117 - 8 students

r Blvd

lle

70130 - 5 students

ute Ro

70131 40

70037 Plaquemines Parish te Sta

70114 - 6 students

Louisiana Hwy 406

70092

70058

70113 - 1 student

y4 Hw na isia

Jefferson Parish

70115 - 20 students

yer Ave

Macarthu

era

70124 - 10 students

70125 - 9 students

u Lo

70053

Ge n

Woodland Dr

ral

70122 - 20 students

70118 - 16 students

70043

Ge ne

70148 - 0 students

70119 - 18 students

Hwy

St. Bernard Parish

70114

70126 - 12 students

70112 - 1 student

Caffin

70117

Be h

teur

Paris

t sa S Loui

St d Br oa N

Mag azin e St

M en

70032

De ca

Tchoupitoulas

f Che

Almonaster Ave

Marconi Dr

Wisner Blvd St Bernard Ave

West End Blvd

Canal Blvd Ave rson

70115

70130

Nunez St

Jeffe

Florid a Ave

z St

Newton St

70113

e Av rd lla Bu Rd

70127

Sources: Zip codes (ESRI), Neighborhoods (New Orleans City Planning), other boundaries (Census TIGER)

70125

70072

rig W

70112

70126

70128

70116

Ca na l Ave St

Crowder Blvd

e Av na isia Lou

70094

Tula Blv

Napoleon Ave

70118

art

lv st B

Blv

Ea rh

France Rd

70121

N Galve

N Claiborne Ave St Clau de Ave

Lak

ore eF

70119

Airline Hw y

rr Mo

Blvd

nman Dow

Metairie Rd

n Ge

Elysian Fields Ave

Desaix Blvd City Park Ave

lvd yB till

Dr Press

70122

Franklin Ave

I-610

Robert E Lee Blvd

Paris Ave

70005

ne Hay

n iso

ad Re

70148

70124

2 Miles

70127 - 7 students

Zip Code Boundaries

Filmore Ave

Created Oct, 2005 <www.gnocdc.org>

70131 - 12 students

OUR DIVERSITY MAKES ADVANCING EQUITY POSSIBLE

Student demographics

48%

42%

White 73

Black 63

Hispanic 7

65 girls

Multi-ethnic 5 Asian descent 3

86 boys

47%

of students

qualify for the Special Education: Individualized Education Program (IEP)

are “economically disadvantaged” according to a 2014 state measure that includes eligibility for several social programs.

Our innovation makes creative problem solvers During three 45-minute Innovation Classes each week, students get dedicated time and space to play, have fun and learn by making things. Students work independently and collaboratively to design, invent and create with materials like Legos, Magna-Tiles, cardboard, sticks, straws, string, and blocks of all kinds! After a direct instruction mini lesson, students receive a designated project or challenge such as making a lifting mechanism, building a bridge or constructing a tower. Students photograph, write about, share, draw and discuss what they make.

“

The progressive way of teaching through exploration and tinkering is what works best with my son’s way of learning. The school’s way of teaching engages all students to be active participants and creates opportunities for each student to shine. –Melissa Barrera, Bricolage Parent

”

New Orleans Mini Maker Faire On March 7, 2015, the second annual New Orleans Mini Maker Faire drew 2,300 attendees and 85 makers to Tulane University for an opportunity to highlight the great creators and creations of the Crescent City. Bricolage, along with fellow community members, believes everyone is a maker and values learning from the knowledge and experiences of others. By hosting a Maker Faire, we give future innovators a chance to learn from makers and projects as they start their own innovative journeys. At the New Orleans Mini Maker Faire, all ages of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students and commercial exhibitors gather as makers to show what they’ve made and share what they’ve learned. It’s an inspiring, imaginative and educational event that can include anything and

everything from a banana piano to a drink-dispensing robot or a 3D printer for prosthetics. As the New Orleans Mini Maker Faire grows, our mission is to continue to seek out and showcase the culture of art, design and DIY that has made New Orleans one of America’s unique cities. Visit www.nolamakerfaire.com to learn more. Join us for the 2016 faire! The 2016 New Orleans Mini Maker Faire will be held on Saturday, April 9 at Bricolage Academy, 3368 Esplanade Ave. If you’re a maker and want to share your skills or a supporter interested in sponsorship, contact Holly Robbins via hrobbins@bricolagenola.org.

Our personalized learning makes high achievers At Bricolage, our academic and social/emotional approach is personalized, proactive and developmentally appropriate for each child. Our instructional model favors classrooms with high levels of student agency, teacher responsiveness and differentiation. Our curriculum includes a balanced literary approach with daily reading and writing workshops, daily math workshops, content area studies (primarily science and social studies), and co-curriculars including visual art, physical education and innovation. Personalized Learning During the 2014-2015 school year, we piloted a personalized learning program that facilitates the academic success of each student by first determining the learning needs, interests and aspirations of individual students, and then providing customized learning experiences. Intervention Students not meeting growth targets are included in an ongoing, personalized academic and social/emotional intervention program called response to intervention (RTI). The RTI teams meet biweekly to discuss individual interventions and monitor student growth. Many interventions occur inside or near the classroom, which fosters feelings of inclusion and eases transitions. During the 2014-2015 school year, 42% of our student body received individual or small group support outside of the classroom for 30 minutes daily or multiple times a week. Such personalized interventions keep our students on track to achieve their growth targets. Visual Arts We also started a schoolwide visual arts studio consisting of two 45-minute classes a week. In the class, students explore different mediums from drawing and painting to printmaking and sculpture building. Students grow as artists by learning about different styles, creating personal styles, using books to learn about new topics, drawing in art journals, discussing inspiring artists (including locals) and developing tools to express themselves visually. New Additions For the 2015-2016 school year, we will add a math specialist to our instructional team, enhance our intervention program and implement a schoolwide music and dance program.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I love the community emphasis, push toward self-sufficiency, the innovation class, the staff, inclusiveness, that children are not put in front of a computer all day, the social emotional learning curriculum, the emphasis on being a team player. I could go on and on. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Hailey Bowen, Bricolage Parent

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Our literacy curriculum helps students make meaning Grounded in the balanced literacy approach, our English Language Arts curriculum teaches children to read and write using a variety of learning and grouping opportunities. On a daily basis, students read and write in large amounts with differing levels of support. Reading Workshop We teach key reading behaviors and deep comprehension strategies using a predictable structure with direct instruction and student practice. The Reading Workshop consists of a mini-lesson on a specific reading skill or strategy; a reading time when students read independently; a share time when students present their hard work to their peers; and small group meetings with teachers to work on specific reading strategies. Writing Workshop Our Writing Workshop empowers students as readers, thinkers and makers of meaning. Students learn new writing strategies and practice ones that have already been introduced. The Workshop consists of a mini-lesson with 10 minutes of direct instruction; a highly structured, responsive environment for drafting and revising in ways that use the day’s instruction; an individual or small group conference with the teacher for guidance; and a chance to follow-up by sharing about the day’s topic.

“

My son is developing a love of learning. –Lametra Bolden, Bricolage Parent

”

Our math workshop makes curious, engaged learners Our Math Workshop encourages students to be mathematicians who investigate the big ideas of mathematics from Day 1. Curiosity and engagement are hallmarks of our teaching. During our daily Math Workshops, students use manipulatives to explore attributes of objects, likenesses and differences, the baseline for all problem solving; focus on deep understanding of small numbers, which enables them to work with larger numbers; and discover shapes and space in their environment, applying their knowledge of attributes to measure width, length, weight and capacity.

“

I am happy that I have not seen any worksheets sent home, but I do have stacks of paper full of writing and drawing in free form without constraints. I think the curriculum is the best that is available with consideration of new methods and Bricolage is not entrenched in an old system of ‘the way we have always done things.’” – Carrie Fisher, Bricolage Parent

Our partners and donors make us financially sound In Louisiana, the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) determines the cost to educate students and allocates local and state funding from government sources on a per student basis. The gap created between public MFP funding and program costs does not deter our pursuit of educational equity. We supplement this gap through private supportâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;20% of our 2014-2015 revenue came from private support. The total per student cost will shrink as we continue to grow. Having already decreased 18% between the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years, we project an additional 13% reduction during the 2015-2016 school year.

Expenses Fundraising 2% School Operations 6% Transportation 6% General & Administrative 9% Facility 10%

Instructional 14%

Personnel 55%

Revenue

Private

20%

Public

80%

2014–2015 PARTNERS

Thank you for your support! INDIVIDUALS

Lynn Altazin Andree and Benjamin Arendt David and Stephanie Barksdale Brian Beabout Lee Becker Ashley Beckner J. Timothy Betbeze Aliya Bhatia Hailey Bowen and Paul Williams III Jody and Gilbert Braunig Helaine Braunig William I Burgess Kanitra Charles Mark Christopher Jeffrey Clary and Victoria Lintott Dorothy Compeau Florence Conway Phyllis Lawton Cosentino Kevin and Cynthia Cox Keith Crawford Nicole DeAbate Mark Densen Sara Densen Jack and Elizabeth Egle Nelson and Carrie Fisher Robert Garda Mary Garton Barbara Gilbert Michael Goebel Melissa Goldin Kristie Gordon Lelia Gowland Nicole and Johnathan Graas Christina Guillory T. Jade Haug Jeffrey Hebert Norbert and Krystal Henry William and Susan Hess Lauren Hodges Sharon Howard Gianni Iadanza Michael Joyce Patsy Kanter Jane Katner and Glen Grass Takako Kawamura and Joseph Johnson Robbie Keen Philip and Megan Lorio Reginald Love and Chinika Allen Barbara MacPhee Brenda Manard Bradley J. Mayeur Blanche Dee McCloskey Joe and Mary Claire McNair Trey and Jennifer Medbery Timothy and Katherine Mehok Kara Menzies and Levon Gipson III Suzanne Mobley Evelyn Morse Sushant Mukherjee Michele Murphey Cindy Nuesslein Joshua and Toni Osbey James Parker Joan Parkerson Alan and Arlene Philipson R. Hunter Pierson III M. B. Plauche Michael Robb Caroline Roemer Frances D. Roemer Kelley Rouse Margaret Runyan-Shefa

Jairo and Kathyrn Santanilla Julie Skjolaas Ryan Smith Tom Snedeker Chapman Snowden Russell and Cynthia G St Amant Gordon and Beth Strickland Jeff and Jennifer Teague Renee Tervalon Mr & Mrs A.J. Tervalon Jr. Todd Tournillon Tracey Watts Neely Whites Chris Wilson Lezly Wilson

FOUNDATIONS

Anchor Point Gift Fund Baptist Community Ministries The Booth - Bricker Fund The Campbell Foundation GPOA Foundation Greater New Orleans FoundationGiveNola Day Jerome S. & Grace H. Murray Foundation LinkedIn For Good Foundation Mary F. Wisdom Foundation Pro Bono Publico Foundation The Toler Foundation TurningPoint Foundation

NEW ORLEANS MINI MAKER FAIRE

Entrescan, LLC Fat Happy Media Gambit IBERIABANK J.M. and Sally Lapeyre Kickboard Launch Pad Make Maker Krewe Mark Anderson Mary Louise Mignon Faget, Ltd. Newman Nola Couture Purple Monkey Revolution Foods Scott Thomas Transcendent Legal Group LLC

BRICOLAGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Boucherie Company Burger Crescent City Clinical Dante’s Kitchen Dat Dog Doson’s Noodle House Five Happiness Glazer’s Hogs For The Cause, Inc. La Boulangerie Linda Usdin and Steven Bingler Mariza Maurepas Foods McClure’s BBQ

Michael Mancuso Midway Pizza MoPho Neely Whites Tax Financial LLC Original Works Paladar 511 Pizza Delicious Red’s Chinese Revolution Foods Rusty Nail Satsuma St. James Cheese Company

Any gift large or small will have a lasting impact on our mission to advance educational equity and create innovators. If you are interested in learning more about contributing to the growth of our program, contact Holly Robbins, Director of Development, at 504-439-1756 or hrobbins@bricolagenola.org.

“

A breath of fresh air in the education community. My son is learning and loving the experience. Exceptional staff with passion, enthusiasm and warmth. - Cynthia Cox, Bricolage Parent

” 13

Our future home is in the making On April 22, 2015, Bricolage Academy was selected from a group of 9 charter management applicants to run the John McDonogh campus at 2426 Esplanade Ave. The campus will undergo a $40 million renovation and open in summer 2018. Earning the site from the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board was a true community effort with parents, families, staff, board members and school building neighbors contributing to the application. Bricolage family volunteers collected 573 signatures of support from neighbors living within one mile of the school site and approximately 70% from neighbors within a half-mile of the school site. In a press release issued by the Recovery School District and Orleans Parish School Board, Dr. Henderson Lewis, Orleans Parish School Board Superintendent said, “With an already significant amount of community support exhibited for Bricolage through the RFA [request for applications] process, we are excited to see the launch of this school that is reflective of the community and is providing the type of educational environment we want for all of our families. This is an investment in our future.” Securing a long-term home allows us to plan for the long term with greater certainty about Bricolage’s location. We can now focus our efforts on moving forward.

“

It will be great to see John McDonogh open again with a new beginning. Bricolage provides a unique, highquality, diverse public school option to students across the city of New Orleans. My daughter is thriving, I absolutely love the school and staff, and she’s learning so much. - Ashley Mercadel, Bricolage parent and John McDonogh High Alumna (Class of 2001)

” 14

Our community makes our mission achievable At Bricolage, we know we’re stronger together. We appreciate and thank the Bricolage community and our supporters near and far for their commitment to our mission of advancing educational equity and creating innovators. If you’re interested in donating money, time or talents to Bricolage, you can learn more at www.bricolagenola.org or contact Holly Robbins, Director of Development, at hrobbins@bricolagenola.org or 504-439-1756.

“

I recommend Bricolage to my friends who believe in educational justice and want their kids to change the world. –Kevin Cox, Bricolage Parent

” 15

3368 Esplanade Ave • New Orleans, LA 70119 • (504) 539–4505 • bricolagenola.org