The Weekly Armadillo
Monday, April 10, 2017
"The Best School in Town"
Vision
To create an exceptional learning environment that produces remarkable students who are prepared to be successful and equipped to compete in a global society.
Mission
To prepare all students to achieve the highest standard of intellectual, physical and social growth.
W. T. White Feeder Mission
We will cultivate a premier learning community to foster globally responsive citizens.
Therefore, we are committed to:
Providing access to an equitable and high quality education
Promoting citizens who contribute to the common good
Supporting our students academically, socially, and emotionally
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Wilt or Grow
There is no such thing as status quo.
You either wilt or grow.
Read and grow from the information below.
Action Item
Copy and paste the link to your browser to watch a video about the information presented below. Also, reflect on the opportunities you provide your students to self-assess throughout a lesson and how you respond to that feedback.
Excerpt II: A Compass for Self-directed Learning by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
Educational Leadership
March 2017 | Volume 74 | Number 6
Getting Personalization Right Pages 83-84
What Self-Directed Learners Need
Self-directed learners understand the importance of a clear purpose, success criteria, feedback from their teacher and peers, and opportunities to self-assess and gauge their own progress.
Feedback Linked to Purpose
Teachers need to provide feedback that helps students gauge where they are in their learning. The best feedback is timely, actionable, understandable, and goal-referenced (Wiggins, 2012). It's different from advice. "You might want to write a summary sentence at the end of that paragraph," isn't helpful.
It's important that feedback lead students back to the purpose of the learning task. Maestro Espinoza uses learning maps every day, and asks his students to regularly point to and reread the purpose. Then he links his feedback to that purpose in his meetings with individual students.
As part of each lesson, Maestro Espinoza meets with several students individually to discuss their work. In the lesson taught in this video, he had previously identified six students he wanted to meet with during this time to gauge their progress in writing with evidence. "I see you have a reason listed in your summary," he said to one student, "But you need evidence, too. Can you turn back to the part of the text where you found this information?" After the student did so, he asked, "Now, how could your reader find your evidence?" The student remembered, "I can use the page number!"
Opportunities to Self-Assess
Effective teachers create opportunities for self-assessment at regular intervals. One means for doing so is a mid-lesson check. Unlike exit tickets, which come at the end of the lesson, these checks enable students to take action. For instance, some teachers have students pause to show the number of fingers corresponding to their current progress on a learning task (often called Fist to Five). Students can then regroup in the room on the basis of their self-assessments; those who rated themselves 5 can assist groups who rated themselves at slightly lower levels while the teacher meets with groups who self-ranked at 0 or 1 and need more support.
Maestro Espinoza gives his students the opportunity to self-assess when he asks them to consider whether they are ready to answer the question he has posed, and whether they believe they can cite evidence to identify the main idea of the text about Columbus.
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Hey! Look us over, we are the BEST!!
Nathan Adams Armadillos always beat the rest.
We're spectacular people with wonderful spirit
Who never let you down!
Nathan Adams, best in town!
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Congratulations D.I. Team
Family Reading Night
Art! Art! Art!
Authentic student artwork in every hallway! The next time you escort your students through the school's hallways, take a minute to appreciate the fantastic artwork. Let's see if you can make out these words or phrases.
Thanks to all of you for showing out the Armadillo way!
Kudos to the fourth grade team for sponsoring a great Parents' Night Out.
Kudos to Ms. Aguirre for giving me a ride to resolve the situation I was facing.
Kudos to Mrs. Gibson for making me feel special.
Kudos to Ms. Moore and Mrs. Jones for spending quality time with our students in the morning.
Kudos to Mrs. Manwani for her help.
Kudos to Ms. Blake for her help, concern, and kindness.
Kudos Ms. Blake for coming to parent's night out to support 4th grade.
Kudos to Mrs. Moore for her dedication to so many of my students and the special rewards she gives them when they reach goals. You rock!!
Kudos to 5th grade for an amazing Hall Party!
Kudos to our Nathan Adams soccer coaches for all the extra time they put in.
Kudos to Mrs. Johnson for all of her hard work organizing the testing for this upcoming week.
Kudos to our coaches for all of the resources they find for us.
Kudos to Mrs. James for making a special bond with a student of mine and being there to discipline and praise him! He truly looks up to you.
Kudos to Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Copeland for their support.
Kudos to Ms. Johnson for representing Nathan Adams at the job fair this weekend.
Kudos to Ms. Copeland for all of her hard work in preparing family reading night.
Kudos to Ms. James for being my thought partner regarding Reasoning Mind.
Kudos to Ms. Morales for never hesitating to provide support as needed.
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4/11 Parent University (auditorium @ 8:30-10:00 with counselor)
4/12 Luna - Feeder Principal Meeting 11:30-6:00
4/13 Monthly Fire Drill
4/14 NO SCHOOL (inclement weather day holiday for all students and staff)
4/17 NO SCHOOL (inclement weather day holiday for all students and staff)
4/17 TEI Student Experience Survey Begins
4/18 CIC Monthly Meeting @ Bush 8:00-2:00
4/19 Luna - District-wide Principal Meeting 1:00-5:00
4/19 GLL Meeting (132 @ 3:15)
4/20 Family Reading Night 5:30-7:30
4/21 Coffee with the Principal (library @ 8:15)
4/22 Earth Day Saturday (School Courtyard Beautification sponsored by SBDM)
4/24 Feeder Job-a-like
4/26 GLL Meeting (132 @ 3:15)
4/27 Two-way Dual Language PLC (Solar Prep 2:00-5:00)
4/28 Volunteer Breakfast (library 9:00-10:30)
5/1 Deadline - Purchase Orders for 199 General Fund
5/1 Staff Meeting in the library 3:15-4:30
5/1 Community Preschool Story Time (library @ 10:00)
5/2 Luna - Feeder Elementary Calibrations (Bush Elem. @ 8:30-11:00)
5/2 PTA General Meeting/ Talent Show
5/3 Hall Party sponsored by Specials Team and Sp.Ed. Team
5/3 SST/ RtI Progress Monitoring Meetings (grade level)
5/5 Sock Hop (Cinco de Mayo) sponsored by PTA
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Created by Adrian Luna, Principal
Nathan Adams Elementary School
Dallas Independent School District
Email: aluna@dallasisd.org
Website: www.dallasisd.org/nathanadams
Location: 12600 Welch Road, Dallas, TX 75244
Phone: 972-794-2600