TESTIMONIALS
PANORAMA STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS
2020-2021
CLASSROOM CLIMATE
Rated 87% favorable by students, which is in the 80th-99th percentile nationally.
92% reported positive energy in class
92% reported fair rules for students in this class
92% report a pleasant enviornment in this class
92% reported the teacher is excited to teach the class
PEDAGOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS
Rated 87% favorable by students, which is in the 80th-99th percentile nationally.
100% favorable response to how much I know about the topic of this class
85% report that I make class interesting
85% indicate that I give them feedback that helps them learn
92% report that I am good at making sure class does not get out of control
92% report that I present information clearly
92% report that I teach in a way that personally helps them to learn best
CLASSROOM STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS
Rated 82% favorable by students, which is in the 80th-99th percentile nationally.
85% reported that if they came back to visit in three years that I would be excited to see them
85% reported that I am respectful towards them
85% reported that they would be excited to have me again as a teacher
38% of students reported that I almost always am interested in their answer when I ask them how they are, 38% reported that I am frequently interested, and 23% reported that I sometimes am interested. No students felt that I am never interested.
77% of students feel that I would be quite to extremely concerned if they came to class upset, 23% felt that I would be somewhat to slightly concerned. No students thought that I would be not at all concerned.
FORMAL LETTERS
Vice Principal and immediate supervisor for four years at Kahuku High School
Mentor for four years at Kahuku High School, co-teacher for the 2020-2021 school year
Master's Degree capstone project and class facilitator at Boston University
PARENT TESTIMONIALS
STEPHANIE R.
Samantha Jones is a powerhouse of a teacher. She took a small program and through her palpable enthusiasm, and natural talent for inclusivity, grew it to a large, thriving, inspiring movement on campus that is truly motivating to observe as a parent. We all have goals and mountains to climb and Ms. Jones demonstrates the power of hard, smart work, and determination daily.
I can't even begin to describe what that kind of example does for a community of diverse, traditionally underserved, and frequently overlooked students. I can describe what it has done for my child. He truly struggled to transition from elementary to intermediate school and being a part of the band gave him community and the excellent life lessons that come from persevering to learn a new skill that we are all accustomed to hearing can happen in those formative years in many band programs. What stands out to me, apart from that valuable growth, is the unique addition of what Ms. Jones manages to effectively do as she brings her extensive training, unparalleled ability to assess a situation and provide the most meaningful way to problem solve, and the essence of who she is that makes everyone around her feel heard, seen, understood, and truly supported. My son is now thriving in school and in his musical skills and I am in awe.
I am grateful we got to have Ms. Jones in our life for as long as we did and feel devastated that she needs to move but excited for the extremely lucky group she will work with next. She will transform any program. She will acknowledge what is working well and impress you with how much better it will be once she has worked her magic. I can't wait to see what she does next.
JENNICA L.
Mrs. Jones has been the highlight of my daughter’s school year. She has grown to love music as she has learned the french horn, and she often told me about how Mrs. Jones was able to connect with students “on their level.” Since Mrs. Jones became the band instructor the band performances have been very impressive, including complex arrangements, and smaller group performances. This is a HUGE improvement from previous years where the performances have been almost painful to sit through. We will sadly miss her work with the students and her ability to transform a mismatched group of diverse students into a unified and harmonious band able to perform professionally. I will also miss her ability and love for the students, and her ability to inspire and encourage students to improve their skills.
KATIE S.
Ms. Jones is an excellent band teacher! I can't say enough about how phenomenal she is. My child has been one of her student's for two years now, part of which was during the pandemic. She diligently worked to make the band program work under strenuous circumstances. She adapted and created ways for her students to learn: some students (advanced) served as mentors (encouraging leadership skills, confidence and service); and others (intermediate and beginning) received private help from the mentors (also building confidence, helping each individual to better learn their instruments). Her leadership helped build community in the band program. When the band met, Ms Jones created a positive and respectful learning atmosphere. Ms. Jones made what was once a failing band program into a thriving one with students who respect her and love her.
EMMA A.
I am writing this to support Ms. Samantha Jones. Ms. Jones has taught at Kahuku High and Intermediate School for the last 4 years. She has taught two of my kids in band. Her love of music and her excitement for teaching have inspired my senior to pursue music in college. Ms. Jones has taken a floundering band program and built it back up. The children come out well versed in music theory as well as being able to play well. Ms. Jones encouraged the kids to branch out and join local ensembles and the kids playing was considered an asset to these groups.
Ms. Jones is very capable and works really well with the kids. She is one of the few teachers who handled the pandemic transition very well. She put extra effort into learning safe methods to continue teaching music during this period. She recruited band parents to help her by making band masks and instrument covers. When other teachers were floundering, she had the band students continue their music education through online classes and by having the kids record their assignments on flipgrid and by giving personalized feedback to each student. She kept the band connection and community spirit going by assigning older students to help mentor the younger students and give them mini lessons every week. This was a helpful resource for both students as it helped the older students refine their skills and gave the younger students another resource to get help in mastering their instruments. When we went back to in person school, Ms. Jones ensured that the kids were taught in a safe and effective manner.
Ms. Jones is a caring teacher. Whenever there was a problem, I felt comfortable reaching out and discussing my concerns and how to help my child overcome the hurdle they were facing at that time. She listens well and is able to help find solutions. More importantly, the kids felt comfortable talking with her and relying on her advice.
Ms. Jones will be missed here at Kahuku High and Intermediate School. She is a valued teacher. I highly recommend her.
Sincerely,
Emma Aldrich
KHIS band parent
AMBER D.
Ms. Jones is one of the most phenomenal educators I have ever had the opportunity to work with. My child struggles with frustration and anxiety and she has been extraordinarily supportive in his new endeavor. He loved learning with her in person and as the pandemic hit she continued to go above and beyond. Between all my kids I worked with 18 teachers during the distance learning and Ms. Jones was second to none. Her curriculum was engaging, almost game like and if he ever missed a class or assignment she contacted us personally to get him back on track. She has energy and stamina in spades and I’m convinced she can’t be replaced. Her loss will be significant to this community but I’m grateful she was here when she was to help my son.
Mahalo, Amber Dennis
