Cat Tracks
Spring Shadows Elementary Wildcats Staff Newsletter
March 18 - March 22, 2019
TEAM WILDCATS UNSTOPPABLE
Our Vision
Our Mission
Core Beliefs
- Each student has unique intellectual, emotional, social, and physical qualities.
- We embrace a child’s individual values, interests, and personalities.
- Parents are confident in their child’s social and intellectual educational growth.
- Educators lead their craft by preparing learners in our fast changing world
Living our Core Beliefs!
We run as ONE!
Shout out to Ms. Parsons and Coordinating the Character Parade!
Principal's Message
It is with great pride that I am overtaken by the immense good work done day in and day out by each of you. I have been reading a new book called, "Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Truly Master to Transform our School," by Jon Ritchart. Upon reflection, last week we conducted a full scale campus instructional round and 3 of the 8 forces stood out. I noticed:
1). Expectations- seeing teachers embrace student independence vs. dependence on the teacher empowers students rather than controls students. When teachers and students have the mindset that one gets smarter through one's efforts, then challenge and mistakes can be embraced as learning opportunities.
2.) Environment- walking into learning spaces this week it is immediate what you value and want to showcase as evident learning from your students. Displays of data walls, student work, student writing, and anchor charts are imperative to support student learning. Now, think: What learning needs is the environment set up to facilitate? As we move towards greater student agency- what needs to be considered to facilitate the learner in communicating, discussing, sharing, or debating?
3) Opportunities- I noticed everyone focused on content, activities, and/or assignments at grade level standard. Now that we have our foundation, it's important to recognize the difference between work and learning opportunity. A learning opportunity invites all students to the learning, have a low threshold for entry and a high ceiling so that learners can take themselves as fast as they wish. (Proficiency scales) Such opportunities provide students with the chance to apply their skills and knowledge in novel contexts even as they acquire new understandings. Powerful learning opportunities don't feel merely like doing work for the teacher but have their own worth that students readily perceive.
Next week as we take time off to rest and reflect, take a few moments to think about how far our students have come and how much further you can take them through your facilitation skills. Students should be working collaboratively or independently on learning projects and be able to present their new learning to an audience in one form or another.
As a quick reminder for this week: It is Read Across America week and I encourage you to incorporate as many fun opportunities for our children as possible. In fact, it is women's history month.. so there are a lot of great women in history to highlight! Also, each day we have a fun spring break dress up type of day. Please participate with our children and encourage them to do so! You may wear jeans all week with any type of Wildcat Spirit shirt or College T-Shirt.
With love, respect, and admiration,
Rachel Martinez
Calendar
Staff May Wear Jeans and Spirit or College Shirts all Week!
Monday, March 18, 2019:
1st Grade Extended Plannig
Group 1
- 8:00-10:00 ILT
- 2:45-4:00 Team Leader
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
2nd Grade Extended Planning
Group 2
- Cindy Off Campus
- TELPAS: 4th & 5th Grade Listening and Speaking
- 3:00-4:00 Afterschool
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
3rd Grade Extended Planning
Group 3
- TELPAS: 4th Grade Listening and Speaking
- 2:45-4:00 Faculty PLC (Library)
Thursday, March 21, 2019
PLC Thursday
Group 4
- 3:00-4:00 Afterschool
- 5:00-7:30 5th Grade Track Meet (Stratford High School)
Friday, March 22, 2019
4th Grade Extended Planning
Group 5
- Spiral Day
- 3rd Nine Week Award Ceremonies
Kinder 9:00-9:30
1st 10:00-10:30
2nd 8:30-9:00
3rd 8:00-8:30
4th 9:30-10:00
5th 12:00-12:30 - 1:30-2:00 ILT
Library News
March Madness of Reading Starts on Monday! Be sure you send home to the slips that the office run off for you. Remember there is a different one for each week so they have to make sure the student bring them back. They have until Tuesday the following week to return them. READ to keep in the GOLD!!
1,000,000 Minute Goal Update
SSE Readers now have 705,336 minutes with our March Madness of Reading we should make our 1,000, 000 minutes !!
Sorry, I got the K-2 classes minutes in before I sick and I wasn't able to finish the rest. It is no fun being sick during spring break! I will try to get all minutes next week!
Thanks again for your support!
Ann : )
Shout out to CenterPoint Readers, SBISD Police Readers, and Staff!
Shout Outs
Lifeskills Rodeo Trip!
Barnhill Zoo @ SSE
Character without Question- Samantha Navarro
State of Schools with Melissa Peter from Blessings
SSE Artwork on Display!
Objectives on Point
ReDesign Sat. Retreat @ Lone Star College
Evidence of Writing in 2nd grade
Minds on Thinking-3rd Grade
Remember to Sign Up for Sunshine and PTA!
Join Sunshine & PTA for $30 (certified staff) & $25 (non-certified staff). You can pay cash or check to Mrs. Berryman or Mrs. Gentry. Checks can be made out to Spring Shadows Elementary.
We are trying to get 100% participation in Sunshine & PTA!
When you join, you get an SSE Unstoppable T-Shirt, 5 Jeans Passes, 4 Late Arrival Passes, and 4 Leave Early Passes.
Please review the PDF attachment to see our SSE Sunshine Bylaws that the team revised and agreed upon at our last meeting. This will give you more information about Sunshine and what your dues are used for.
Sunshine SEMESTER JEANS PASS for $30
The one caveat is that your jeans are to be worn with a nice shirt and shoes (not a t-shirt).
See Mrs. Berryman or Mrs. Gentry to pay for your pass!
Spring Shadows Elementary
Email: rachel.martinez@springbranchisd.com
Website: https://cms.springbranchisd.com/sse2/
Location: 9725 Kempwood Drive, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: (713) 251-7100
Twitter: @twitter_rachelmartinez4