JMQ Flash
Back to School Edition - August 7, 2016
GOOD THINGS
Summer School
Many thanks to all who participated in our June and July summer school programs. July summer school included an enrichment hour every day. Each week had a different emphasis, and those three areas of emphasis were: team building, critical thinking, and maker-space. When I purchased the Capstone maker-space books the first year I came to Johnston-McQueen, I really had no idea how wonderful they would be for our students. Remember that these are available to any classroom at JMQ. I have added to our collection each year, and you will find some wonderful e-book biographies and e-books on a variety of science topics, too. There are a lot of e-books out there, but Capstone books are especially high quality. Try using them this year and see what you think, either for whole group or in stations (with earphones if you set them for audio).
Hands-on Learning = Engagement
Students of Dorcas Brown and Lallie Wingo read Origami Toys (Capstone E-Book) and made a lot of the origami figures in the book. Additionally, the classes had time to create large figure characters that were part of a characterization project based on a shared book, The Lemonade War. Lallie told me these activities really told teachers a lot about students' ability to follow instructions. She even thought such activities would be valuable to include during the first week of school as a preliminary screening for following instructions and working together. Check out the Capstone E-books and see what you think. Contact me for the password if you have forgotten it or you are new to JMQ. They are excellent, and I hope you will use them this year!
Email: dlfrederick@lisd.org
Website: http://www.mycapstonelibrary.com/login/
Phone: 903-803-5300
Turtle Sanctuary
When informed our turtle sanctuary couldn't be weeded without a power tool weed-wacker, my husband and I got busy to carefully pull the weeks by hand. It's not perfect, but it is looking much better, and our turtles are safe! If you would like to be responsible for the beautification of our turtle sanctuary as a grade level or personally as a family service project, let me know what month you would like to take. We need volunteers for September, October, November, February, March, April, and May. Many hands make light work in everything we do, and frankly, it can be relaxing to commune with the turtles, especially if the ground is softened by a recent rain!
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
Classroom Environment
It is that time of year, and you are thinking about how to welcome your students. Some of you have little choice due to the large flower tables in your classroom, but all can examine ideas that might help create a flexible student-centered learning environment. If you have desks, please do not place them in rows. Seating should facilitate collaborative student-student purposeful talk, one of the "fundamental five" we learned about last year. If you have collected treasures for years, please de-clutter. Organize your files and the content of shelves, drawers, and cupboards. Your students with sensory issues will thrive in a simple, well-organized classroom, and so will others! Less is more! Also, recall that an anchor chart is a document you create with your students during a mini-lesson. Other wall hangings are posters. We need to minimize posters unless they deal with process reminders for students. Only post those that are applicable to current learning. Also, please do not cover your door windows; they were installed for a purpose. Most importantly, create a classroom environment that supports student inquiry, collaboration, and learning.
Welcome Letters and In-service
April expects to finish scheduling midweek. She will email you when you can bring your welcome letters to school to ready them for posting. (You will need to stuff envelopes and place address labels on them.) I am working on the in-service schedule as well, and I will share it soon via email. Inservice will be a busy time with many of you off campus for different staff development sessions. Plan accordingly. New teachers, especially, will have little time to work in rooms.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Receipts and Taxes
I am not an accountant, nor am I qualified to advise you on your taxes, but I do want you to be aware of some recent tax laws. The last few years Congress has included an IRS deduction for educator expenses, and I have included an article about that below. It may or may not apply to your tax return, but this may be information you can use.
Breaking Down or Unpacking the TEKS
Tera Collins is a Region 7 Science Specialist. In this video, she demonstrates a process that can be followed with any subject area TEK. Not only does Ms. Collins analyze the TEK by breaking it apart, but she also compares her analysis of the TEK to the STAAR released test items for the TEK. If you went through this process with every TEK, in what ways would instructional delivery and learning outcomes be impacted?
TEKS Breakdown
LAUNCH
Be the Hero of Your Own Story
Teachers write heroic stories every day with their students. This detective's story will make you smile, and I hope it will inspire you to peel away the layers of your students. Know them, love them, and believe in them!
Pittsburgh detective thinks outside the box to help foster kids
JMQ Heroes
Our campus is a community of heroes. Thank you for all you will do to impact young lives this school year!