Team Thomson News & Notes
November 14, 2016
Important Information for You!
Parent-Teacher Follow-up
Parent-Teacher Conferences, while tiring, are always a time of year that I find exciting. Having the opportunity to talk with parents and share successes and challenges helps to build a stronger home-school relationship and team for each child. I appreciate the efforts that you make to meet with parents outside of the set conference periods both in face to face conferences and phone conferences. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.
If you have not already, please remember to turn in your conference attendance percentage sheets. This information is used in our annual reporting and various other reports.
Family Math Game Night
I am very excited about of Family Math Game Night this Thursday, November 18th. The feedback we received on our parent and staff surveys from last year was nothing but overwhelmingly positive and I don't see why it would be any different this year. For our DEA staff members, this is one of your five evening events and you should plan on a 4:30-7:30 p.m. time frame. This will allow for set-up and clean-up (which may not take as long as planned). For support staff that are working, please plan to be there from 4:45-7:15 p.m. Our PTO will be selling pizza and prepackaged 'treats' in the gym. Thank you to everyone for making this a fun and memorable evening for our students and families.
Learning Targets-
This year, I have shared some of my own learning with your from a book that the elementary principals did a book study on. Additionally, the 5D+ rubric continues to focus us on the importance of Purpose and thus Learning Targets for our lessons. When writing a lesson learning target there are several things to keep in mind in order for students to gain a deeper understanding. Students will not get this understanding from an instructional objective, however, they will get if from the learning target. To plan effective instruction, teachers need to know three things about the lesson for the day:
- Essential knowledge and skills for the lesson; what do my students need to know.
- Essential reasoning content for the lesson; why is this important.
- The potential learning trajectory in which the lesson is situated; where are we headed and how does this lesson get us there.
The entire concept of standards-based instruction links individual lessons, over time, to achievement of a larger standard.
There are four steps involved in designing a learning target:
STEP 1 is to define the essential content for the lesson. In order to complete this task the teacher must have:
- A deep understanding of the intended learning (and the Common Core State Standards);
- A good idea of what a "lesson-sized chunk" of the instructional objective looks like;
- And an understanding of the scope of today's lesson.
Furthermore, a teacher needs to answer the following questions about the lesson at hand.
- What content knowledge does this lesson focus on?
- How will this particular lesson add to prior student learning?
- How will this lesson increase students' understanding of the content?
- What skills does this lesson focus on?
- Are students learning a new skill, practicing one they need to master, or applying an established skill to a new context?
Step 2 helps define the reasoning processes essential for the lesson. Questions asked in this part of the design process include:
- What thought-demanding processes allow students to build upon what they already know and can do?
- What kinds of thinking promote deep understanding and skill development so students can analyze, reshape, expand, extrapolate from, apply, and build on hat they already know?
In Step 3 the teacher designs a strong performance of understanding (think Performance Task). This process simultaneously serves an instructional purpose by developing student understanding and skills and a formative assessment purpose by providing compelling evidence of student understanding and skills. Ask yourself, "What performance of understanding will help my students develop their thinking skills and apply their new knowledge?" A performance of understanding is not a learning target but represents a way students show evidence of reaching a learning target. Typically, there are multiple performances of understanding that might work for any given instructional objective. The trick is to design a performance task that matches the chunk of the instructional objective that is the learning target for today's lesson.
STEP 4 in designing a learning target involves "Stating the Learning Target" in clear and student-friendly ways (Communication of the Learning Target). An effective learning target must be understood by students and provide rationale for why and what the teacher is asking students to do. It can help students better understand the learning trajectory when framed well as part of the journey toward the end goal.
Cool to Care Is In Full Swing
This week we will be sending home our Thomson Cool to Care flyer outlining our classroom and school incentives. After talking with a few of you during conferences, our classroom incentives will be the same as in past years. This usually ups our classroom student donations and I hope that this year is no different. However, I would like to add some staff prizes too. So, this week the staff member that brings in the most items by Thursday, November 17th will have a beverage of their choice delivered on Friday morning and a jean day coupon. Staff items must first be brought to the office so we can keep track of staff donations there, then -the best part is- the items can be taken to any classroom to be added of the staff member's choosing. Remember, Cool to Care accepts non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items, and cash ($1= two items). Thank you in advance for spreading the word, sharing in the excitement of giving with our students, and for your generosity.
Committee Representation
Thank you to everyone serving on a Curriculum Committee. The time you take to represent your colleagues and Thomson is extremely important. Curriculum work takes time and energy, but we all know the value of it. If you are unable to attend a meeting of the curriculum area you represent, I ask that you let me know and that you try and find a staff member to take your place. This will ensure that we are always well represented and helps with communication back to the staff happens. I know, believe me, I know how busy life is and how things come up and life happens, but I also know that the work of curriculum committees makes work a bit easier and your help is needed to complete it. Thank you again for your service and for helping each other out when things come up.
Insurance Open Enrollment
Earlier this month, all employees eligible for Health Insurance received an email from Kathy Morris with a Memo: Special Open Enrollment. This is just a reminder that Open Enrollment paperwork must be turned in by November 21, 2016. It is important to carefully read through the memo and options and determine what is best for you and your family.
Quotes Worth Reading
"I'm stronger because I had to be, I'm smarter because of my mistakes, happier because of the sadness I've known, and now wiser because I learned."
-curiano.com
Thomson Elementary
Home of the Thomson Teddies!
And..
Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin!
Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 617 East Clark Street, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-0911
Celebrations & Announcements
Don't forget to sign up for the casserole cook-off November 23rd in the teacher's lounge...Yum!
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Monday, November 14th-Data Day
- Tuesday, November 15th-Playground Monitor Meeting 10:30 a.m.; ELA Committee Meeting 4:15-6:15 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 16th-Staff Meeting, 7:35 a.m. (Agenda: DEF Presentation & Unpacking of 5D Student Engagement/Dimension #2, please bring your rubrics with you); Child Study Day
- Thursday, November 17th-Family Game Night 4:30-7:30 p.m. for all certified staff (5-7 p.m. for families)
- Friday, November 18th-Leadership Team Meeting 7:30 a.m. (While we have a core group that attends these meetings, all staff members are welcome to attend and join in the discussions); STAR Testing Day; Thomson Trading Post Open
- November 21st-November 23rd-PLC Week
- Monday, November 21st-PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. in the Teacher's Lounge
- Tuesday, November 22nd- Elementary Principals Meeting
- Wednesday, November 23rd-Casserole Cook-off at Lunch
- Thursday, November 24th-HAPPY THANKSGIVING...no school...enjoy your time with family.
- Friday, November 25th-No school...enjoy Black Friday if you venture out!