Atlanta Heights Charter School 3712 Martin Luther King Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30331

A Charter School
Charter schools are public schools run by independent entities sponsored by a state approved organization. Atlanta Heights Charter School is run by National Heritage Academies and is sponsored by The Georgia Charter Schools Commission. It is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors compromised of local community and business leaders.

ACHS Mission and Vision

To create a safe, vibrant and orderly educational environment that is focused on student learning.

National Heritage Academies Mission and Purpose

Mission
To better educate more children.

Purpose
Challenging each child to achieve.

National Heritage Academies Beliefs

A quality education is the foundation for a successful

life. Every child is capable of excelling academically. Firmly committed to providing support and resources to help students understand and realize their potential. At NHA schools, dreams are formed, inspiration is fostered and each child is challenged to achieve.

Media Center Mission

The mission of the Atlanta Heights Charter School Media Center is to provide and support students and staff with information services to foster learning by providing instruction and access to a range of resources while promoting an enjoyment of literature in an educational environment.

AHCS Student Data

Atlanta Heights Charter School opened in August

2010. It is a tuition-free charter school in Southwest Atlanta that allows any student in the Atlanta Public Schools to enroll. It is projected to serve approximately 700 children by 2013 with the addition of a new grade each year up to 8th grade. 97.3% of students are enrolled in the free/reduced lunch program. The K-5 school has approximately 385 students with 20 certified teachers.

AHCS Facility Data

The facility is 44,000-square feet with 31 classrooms,

art and music classrooms, a gym/cafeteria, media center, and parent room. The media center is located at the very front of the school centrally next to the office and across from the gym. We have 1,033 books in the library. Currently, we have one set of World Books. The library has a mobile lab and one desktop for media specialist use. The computer lab consists of 30 thin clients and one desktop with an Interactive Whiteboard and Elmo document camera.

Media Center Facility Use

Book check-in/check-out Mobile lab availability Computer Lab Internet Searching School and faculty meetings Book Fairs

Media Center Scheduling

The media center has a fixed schedule where classes visit the

media center daily for a lesson. The media specialist is currently a part-time position, therefore teachers are able to use the media center when it is not in use by classes. A signup sheet is located on the media specialists desk for teachers to sign-up. The computer lab is available at all times for teachers to signup. There is a sign-up sheet placed outside of the computer lab. Hours are from 7:45 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. Students begin arriving at 7:30 a.m.; students are dismissed at 3:15 p.m.

Policies

AHCS Media Center Policy

Use of the media center and its materials is a privilege that requires

responsible behavior by students. Students will be expected to behave appropriately and handle books, computers, and media materials in a responsible way. Students are expected to respect all media center personnel, including volunteer aides. Students who misbehave or misuse media materials may have their media privilege suspended. Students may check out books and materials during their library visits. Books and materials will be checked out for one week at a time. Books and materials may also be renewed for one week at a time. There are also reference materials in the library media center that may only be used within the library media center. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will visit the library media center as a class, forty-five minutes per week. During visits to the library media center, students will receive instruction in the finding and use of information as well as participate in curriculum enhancing lessons and activities promoting literature.

AHCS Check-Out Policy

At this time there is not a fine charged for overdue books or

materials. However, a student will not be allowed to check out any other books until the overdue books are returned. Students and their parents/guardians are responsible to pay for the replacement cost of damaged or lost books and materials. Students who have overdue/missing books from the previous year will not be allowed to check out books until they have settled their outstanding accounts. 4th-5th grade may check out 2 books. 2nd-3rd grade may check out 1 book. Kindergarten-1st grade may check out 10 collectively as a class to keep in classrooms. Library books are currently kept at school for all grades.

AHCS Technology Policy

Each student has a personal log-in name and password

that gives them access to the school server. The server provides the entire Microsoft Office package under the Microsoft XP operating system. Lessons are focused on training and instilling computer technology for effective use and understanding to all students. Students learn how to read, research, and produce documents using computer resources.

Reading Programs
A book fair is hosted twice a yearone in the fall and one in

the spring during parent conferences. All proceeds go to the

media center for more books. Each book fair has a teacher preview party and a teacher wish list that helps teachers build their classroom libraries.
Students will be participating in the Six for Six Flags

program as a reading incentive. Students will read 6 hours outside their designated reading logs to obtain a ticket for the amusement park. The students will participate in Read Across America Week and do activities to get them excited about reading.

Current Facility Design

Current Facility Layout

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Entrance of School
Special Education Classroom Media Center Main Entrance

Parent Resource Room

Main Office

Media Center Entrances

Main Entrance

Tech Lab Entrance

Back Door Entrance

View from Entrances

View from main entrance

View from back door entrance

Technology Lab

View from library side

View from lab entrance

Circulation Desk/Instructional Area

Circulation Desk/Media Specialists Desk

Main Main Entrance Entrance

Meeting Area/ Carpet Time

Puzzle Table

Views from Circulation Desk

Viewing the tech lab

Viewing the library

Shelves

Nonfiction Shelf

Fiction Shelf

Shelves

Reference Shelf

Everybody Shelf

Empty Space

Empty shelf space used for supplies

Empty magazine racks

Redesign Suggestions

Feedback from Library Patrons

I compiled feedback from all parties including students and teachers and conducted a survey based upon original comments. The following were the original comments: 3rd Grade Teacher: I am looking for specific books that are classics that we are lacking. 4th Grade Student: I want to see more books like 39 Clues. Kindergarten Student: These headphones hurt my ears. Paraprofessional: The wires are constantly left in a mess by classes. Im also having trouble walking down the rows without knocking off headphones. Special education teacher: I would like to see a reading program that can help with the kids love of reading. 5th Grade Student: When can I take an A.R. quiz?

Suggestions Survey

Collection Development

Additions to Collection
More books will be purchased through a program at Mackin.

Mackin will analyze your collection and do a custom analysis (spending approximately $5,000 of grant money). Books will be purchased from Scholastic from Book Fair fundraiser (spending approximately $2,000). Donations will be gathered through local volunteer groups. Magazine subscriptions will be purchased at Acclaim Subscriptions. They also do complimentary consultation. Purchase 25 dictionaries (Scholastic Childrens Dictionary 2010-$12.37) and 15 thesauruses (Scholastic Childrens Thesaurus 2010-$7.35)

Additional Space

Circulation/Media Storage
Issue: The circulation desk is the media specialists desk too.

It doesnt make much room for the media specialist to work while tending to the needs of students. The location of the circulation desk must provide a clear view of the entire library (the view is not clear over the everybody shelf). Issue: With the media specialist having little space, there is nowhere to store media materials besides a storage cabinet. Little space=little resources. Solutions: Revamp the media center adding a media storage room, media specialist office, centered circulation desk with half oval shape

Student Instructional Space

Issue: There is not enough space for upper grades to be seated on the carpet and

tables are spread too far apart for management. There arent areas for students to work individually and in small groups concurrently with whole-class instruction. Issue: After adding A.R. program, there is not an area for testing. Solution: Implantation of an area designed for whole-class instruction, plus areas for individual and small group activity, arranged so all areas can be concurrently utilized by expanding the facility. A large carpet area by the bay window can be utilized for the group meetings. For activities, the work tables would still be available in an area away from the carpet as well as an area designated to an in-house classroom (consisting of an interactive board and long tables). Solution: Additional thin client computers and an extra computer table can be brought in to create a space near the circulation desk for A.R. testing.

Workroom/Conference Area
Issue: No workroom or conference area

Solutions:
Add a teacher workroom for dispensation of print materials

and other library management tasks. Including large work table Be large enough to permit the use of multiple bookcases and as much storage as possible Include equipment (copier) for use by building faculty which will encourage interaction between teachers and library staff. Include a conference area for possible meetings (faculty or board meetings) with enough room as well as an interactive board

Wireless Technology

Wireless Headphones with Storage

Issues: Current headphones are pulled

apart and the metal snaps and breaks. Other media specialists in our area have had the same issue. Also the wires constantly tangle by students. Solution: Wireless computer accessories. The Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Headphones are lightweight and have long lasting comfort since some students complain that our headphones hurt. We also have nowhere to store the headphones when theyre not in use. We have tried to set them on the back of the thin client, but students will accidently knock them off as they walk by. The Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Headphones come with a charging station that would be perfect to set the headphones on when not in use.

Sennheiser RS 130 Wireless Headphone-$99.99

Wireless Mice and Wireless, Foldable Keyboards

Issues: Tangled wires and at the beginning of the school year, the

students must use the computer to complete initial testing. We must move the keyboards behind the monitors so students will not deactivate their tests by accidently touching the keyboard. Solution: Purchasing wireless mice and wireless, foldable keyboards. By having a foldable keyboard, we can easily store the keyboards to the side and fold them up to keep out of the students reach.

Logitech Wireless Mouse M305-$19

Wireless Folding Keyboard Micro Innovations-$119.31

Additional Programs

Purchasing Programs
Purchase Accelerated Reader Program for the entire

school ($1499) per teachers and students request.

Purchase a researched math program per

administrative request--FASTT Math Enterprise Edition: Unlimited School Plan ($9,000).

Library Dcor Target Areas

Issue: Being a brand new library, our area is very bare and needs some ways to make it more comfortable and inviting for library patrons. Solutions: Add a kindergarten area Add a library rug Paint Murals Comfortable Seating

Library Dcor
Wild Animal Pillows Amazon-$10.04

Dewey Decimal Rug for story time gathering CSNLeather-$369.99

Puzzle Piece Ottoman Highsmith-$65.00

Library Dcor- Murals

With the height of our bookcases, it would be most befitting to have murals painted above them. Our art teacher is very talented and has painted murals for our school previously. This would be a great addition with the quote, Everybody who is honest is interesting. Our school focuses on moral virtues and having murals with that focus would reiterate to the students.

Kindergarten Corner Dcor

Childrens chair pad IKEA-$3.99 each Childrens chair IKEA- $12.99

Library Cart for Kindergarten Choices Guidecraft-$166.00

Literacy Rug Kaplan-$259.95

 Library hours will be extended. Opening at 7:30 a.m. and

Policy Improvements

closing at 4:00 p.m. (same hours as the parent resource room). The hours will be extended on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 5:00 p.m. Book policy should allow 5th grade to check-out 4 books2 for recreational reading (A.R. book and choice book) and 2 for current research for classroom studies. 4th grade and 3rd grade should be able to check-out 2 books while kindergarten and 1st grade should be able to check-out their own books. All 1st-5th grades should be able to take home books.

New Facility Layout

(with different space)

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What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks about education. -Harold Howe, former U.S. Commissioner of Education