Teach, LOVE, Inspire
Cool Cats Update
Monday Motivation
Welcome Back - Our Monday Schedule
August 14 - TLI Academy, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) & PBIS Professional Development @ SVES
- TLI Academy - We will be taking a look at our Bobcat 6 & discussing our WHY. We will begin at 7:30
- As we begin the new year, the PBIS committee will be sharing additional steps that we will be taking as well taking time to review our current processes & discusses updates. We will also begin our year long journey of learning more about Social Emotional Learning. PD will take place from 9:00 - 12:00.
- PTA Luncheon from 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Please consider bringing cash/check to pay for PTA membership. Membership is $10.00.
SVES Handbook
Click HERE for direct access or just look in the SVES Staff Shared folder under Staff Handbook.
2017-18 Attendance
Our official attendance time will be at 9:55. A bell/tone will ring to remind you to take your attendance. It is important that you complete your attendance when you hear the bell/tone.
Teachers will take attendance electronically beginning the first day of school. You will mark those student at the official attendance time as ABS – absent if they have not shown up for school. If they show up after you have marked them absent you do not have to do anything. Ruthann will fix it.
PTA Kickoff Event
Eduphoria Profile
As we begin the 2017-2018 school year we need to make sure our data in Eduphoria is accurate. The next time you login to Eduphoria you should be prompted to update your profile. Only select the campuses from which you receive an evaluation. This is important for evaluations and student data retrieval.
FACT Elections
Reflections from our Writer's Workshop PD with Tiffany
Last Monday, we spent the day with Tiffany and went through our Lucy Calkin's resources. As I sat with you that day, I was so impressed with your desire to truly help all of our students become true authors! You are amazing. Here are all of the comments that you shared at the end of the day.
- Prepare ahead, go slow to go fast, seek help/advice/suggestions
- The importance of writing everyday! Using sticky notes to synthesize Lucy's words! Tiffany is awesome!!
- I love the sticky note idea for when you are teaching your mini lesson. I also liked the idea of allowing the kids to pick their writing tool (pen or pencil) kind of like flexible seating. I am wanting to try that this year with my students! :)
- The mini lessons will be so helpful in pacing and time during the day. It felt good to know that we already do so many of these things. I also like that we can personalize the lessons (not so scripted) yet we have a huge resource in the the books from Calkins. The Art of the Mini lesson will be helpful in all subjects and help me stay more focused. I am excited to move writing to the next level.
- The support and freedom to follow Lucy Calkins writing with intention and fidelity. Writing has really been made a bigger importance than before, which I love!
- Writing lessons should be done daily with structure and be well planned for students to gain independence, creativity, and to become successful writers.
- That it is very similar to what we already do and can be paced to what is needed for our grade level.
- The mini lessons are directly connected to the learning expectations. From those mini lessons students then have focused independent writing time.
- My biggest takeaway is the structure of a mini-lesson. I have a tendency to get really wordy and let my students get wordy, too-- completely hijacking the appropriate amount of time I have allotted for the lesson. Or, while I'm trying to foster a teachable moment, I let it stray too far from the lesson's focus. I like the reminder of the sequence of the mini-lesson and what the goal is for each of the four parts (connect, teach, actively engage, link).
- Start small - focus on the mini lesson this year... post it not synopsis method helps.
- We should be devoting time to writing instruction the same way we devote time to math and reading. Kids need explicit teaching in writing and then time to practice it (50-60 minutes daily).
- Take my time this year to focus on the mini-lessons. This gave me a focal point and did not make the whole Lucy Calkins series as overwhelming. Also looking at the lessons gave me affirmation that I am already doing many of the things mentioned in the series. I feel like I can do this!
- I like the idea of 4 different colored sticky notes to break apart the 4 sections of the mini lesson. This sounds like a great way to synthesis the information!
- I am walking away today knowing that this writing workshop program is going to be somewhat new to everyone! I don't need to feel overwhelmed by implementing it because we are all in this together! Although I teach writing daily in my class, there is so much to learn with this program and I'm excited (but still nervous) to get started!
- The idea that predictability and structure in writing creates independence and that formulated writing and structure/organization are not the same thing.
- The book seems intimidating when looked at overall, but once you take the time to break it down, each section becomes completely manageable. I LOVE that the students are the ones doing the majority of the work, but the teacher is there to introduce and support/encourage throughout. I also like the focus on allowing them to write about what is interesting, and not what someone mandates they write about. Their writing will be more interesting, and they will share more because they have a personal connection to it.
Campus Goals
I wanted to keep these here for all of our newest members of the Bobcat family.
Social & Emotional Learning
Action Steps:
- Book Study - teachers will choose one book study group & then be prepared to present information to rest of staff at a later date. The two books will be: The Morning Meeting Book and Positive Discipline.
- Professional Development - I am in the process of seeking additional PD in the areas of working with students with behavior challenges and strategies for us all to use to help.
- PBIS Lessons/Videos: these will be done daily for the first two weeks of school.
- Class Meetings: during the first semester, each teacher has the option of scheduling time for class meetings at some point during the day. Beginning second semester, based on our book studies and other discussion, a set time may be given for everyone to hold these meetings daily.
- Administration Team - we will begin meeting with each class once every six weeks to go over an SEL topic. This will be in addition to regular guidance lessons.
- PBIS committee - will provide additional professional development at the beginning of the year to review lessons, begin implementation of Positive Discipline Referrals, share community outreach opportunities, create a flowchart for discipline & define major and minor behaviors. They will also create visuals/posters.
- PRIDE Rallies - these have already been put on the calendar.
K-4 Writer's Workshop
Action Steps:
- Professional Development: Tiffany Neal will be presenting a full day workshop on Lucy Calkin's Writer's Workshop on August 7.
- Lucy Calkin's Unit of Study: teachers will follow the district's timeline using this resource & will take the time to study the content of the lessons during planning. Your short term goals are to establish a safe environment so that kids can take risks in writing & setting up a workable management system to handle the flow of papers/notebooks, folders & so forth.
- Observations/Model Lessons: Tiffany Neal will be on campus on scheduled days and will observe your lessons in action and/or model lessons. Dates will be placed on the calendar.
- District Common Assessments: teachers will schedule DCAs during the district assessment windows. Dates have already been put on the calendar.
- Writing Data Teams: Jennifer Love will be on campus on scheduled days to review assessment data from district assessments. You will be meeting with her as a grade level team during your regular planning time. Dates will be placed on the calendar.
- Highlights: teachers will highlight their students' writing in some way throughout the year.
- Tracking Data - Administration and teachers will implement a data analysis process following each common assessment & identify students interventions. We will also be implementing a student growth tracker process.
K-4 Reader's Workshop
Action Steps:
- Balanced Literacy components: Teachers will embed the following components when planning for Reader's Workshop: Modeled Instruction, Word Study, Mini Lesson/Small Group Instruction (I do...We do), Work Period (You do...I confer), Closing (You do...I reinforce)
- Letterland & Letterland Assessments- K-2 teachers will follow the the district's timeline using this phonics-based approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling to their students. You will be able to use the assessments to track student progress/growth.
- K-2 Observations/Model Lessons in Letterland: Kim Wilson will be on campus on scheduled days and will observe your lessons in action and/or model lessons. Dates will be placed on the calendar.
- The Comprehension Toolkit: Teachers will follow the district's timeline using this resource & will take the time to study the content of the lessons to use in class & for interventions during & other professional development opportunities.
- AimsWeb: Teachers will utilize MAZE assessments as a universal screening (or benchmarking) to help identify students who need additional instruction to succeed, & will provide additional progress monitoring to track the effectiveness of instructional interventions, and then will evaluate the efficacy of core instruction to ensure that it is moving students forward at the necessary pace. AimsWeb guide
- DRA - Teachers will use this diagnostic reading assessment to measure students' skills in each of the five components of reading: vocabulary, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency and comprehension. It is given several times throughout the school year and helps teachers drive instruction toward specific needs of their students.
- Tracking Data - Administration and teachers will implement a data analysis process following each common assessment & identify students interventions. We will also be implementing a student growth tracker process.
Mathematics Teaching Practices
Action Steps:
- Observations/Model Lessons: Ashlee Smith will be on campus on scheduled days and will observe your lessons in action and/or model lessons in your classroom. She will meet with individual teachers and teams to discuss best practices and curriculum questions.
- Principles to Action: Our Learning Coach, Ashlee Smith will lead us in this book study. The plan is to focus on the first 50 pages that will cover: establishing math goals to focus learning, implementing tasks that promote reasoning & problem solving, using & connecting math representations, facilitating meaningful math discourse, building procedural fluency from conceptual understanding, supporting productive struggle in learning math, and elicit & use evidence of student thinking.
- Ubd : teachers will utilize the district curriculum documents and plan with the "end in mind". Pre- & Post- assessments will be created prior to each unit. Teachers will take time to create assessments during planning time and during other scheduled opportunities.
- Tracking Data - Administration and teachers will implement a data analysis process following each common assessment & identify students interventions. We will also be implementing a student growth tracker process.
TLI Committees
Teach, Learn, Inspire Committees & other committments
- Family Engagement (6): in addition planning events to support our school community, one person from this committee will also serve as a teacher representative on the PTA Board. All members from this committee will help plan Veteran's Day & any other special events.
- Sunshine (6): work as a team to create team building activities throughout the school year & plan fun events. Share spending report and plans with staff on a regular basis.
- PBIS (6): This team will meet at least twice a month with an emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create a positive school environment.
- CEIC (3 teachers): Seven Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are the focus of the Campus Educational Improvement Committee. Factors include academic performance, the study of quality data that helps drive instruction, leadership effectiveness, increased learning time, family/community engagement, school climate, and teacher quality. These represent foundational elements known to promote success at the campus level. The principal, assistant principal and counselor are officially a member of the CEIC as well as nominated parents. The focus groups below will support several of the critical success factors and one member from each of the focus groups (Reading/Writing, Math & Science) should be a part of the CEIC.
- Reading/Writing Focus Group (PLC) - one person per grade level
- Math Focus Group (PLC) - one person per grade level
- Science Focus Group (PLC) - one person per grade level
- Leadership Team - one person per grade level/department
- PTA General meetings - one teacher per grade level will need to be present at each scheduled meeting. PTA evening events - Let us all strive to increase our staff involvement & visibility.