Pleasant Valley Staff Newsletter
Week of December 3, 2018
Our mission is to empower and inspire a community of lifelong learners and leaders.
District Goals:
1. We will practice fiscal responsibility.
2. We will improve student achievement.
3. We will increase our transparency throughout our communities.
December’s LIM Monthly Focus Habit #3 Put First Things First- Work First, Then Play
The Habit of Integrity and Execution
Plan and focus first on your BIG ROCKS!
Remember as you are teaching the habits throughout the first semester that each of the 7 Habits is based on:
-A Principle of effectiveness.
-An effective paradigm (see) that is aligned with the principle.
-Paradigm: the way we see, understand, and interpret the world; our mental map.
-Behavior (do) that produces an effective Result (get).
*Remember the See-Do-Get Cycle!
The results we get in life depend on what we see. What we do in life depends on how we see the world around us.
For the next three and a half weeks we will all practice and teach Habit 3- Put First Things First. This is the habit of integrity and execution.
Principle: Effectiveness requires the integrity to act on your priorities.
Paradigm: Effective- I put important things first. Ineffective- I put urgent things first
Concept: The compass vs. the clock.
The compass represents your mission, direction, and values-what you feel matters most. The clock represents your appointments, schedules, and activities- how you manage your time. Although they are both important, the compass must come before the clock, because where you're heading is more important than how fast you're getting there.
Concept: Big Rocks
Concept: Time Matrix
Quadrant 1 represents crisis and requires necessary attention- its urgent but not necessarily
important.
Quadrant 2 represents long term effectiveness
Quadrant 3 represents short term unnecessary interruptions
Quadrant 4 represents waste and excess
The second quadrant is the quadrant that you want to invest your time and focus your energies in order to grow and be most effective. This is the place to schedule your BIG ROCKS! Use your time to plan, prepare, prevent crisis, and build relationships. Plan weekly, then daily!
Concept: Planning
Tips for weekly planning
When? Before the week begins.
Where? Someplace quiet.
How long? 20-30 minutes.
Three steps for weekly planning
1. Review your mission and roles
2. Choose your "big rocks" Big rocks come from conscience, mission, goals, and key projects.
Big rocks can be tasks, appointments, areas of focus.
3. Schedule the week
Three steps for daily planning
1. Check the day's schedule
2. Make realistic list
3. Prioritize your list
Remember to use the resources in our shared Google PV Staff folder if you need ideas or an anchor.
Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-2I1VrA_LvhNXoyQkZvUWJvWlE
Be thoughtful of what you are saying, doing, and being as students look to us as their models.
Edulastic
We will have a perfect opportunity to learn how to push out assessments that have been created or used by the district at our December Staff Meeting from Edulastic.
All students will need to take the Brain Power pre-assessment before the program lessons can begin. Classroom teachers in K-2 and teachers of Science in grades 3 & 4 will give the pre-test before winter break and a post-test by 4.30.2018. The home liaisons will be providing the 3-4 instructional lessons during a science lesson, a PE lesson, and during one recess after winter break. Teachers will be given a schedule. Also, our ELA and Math Qtr. 2 Common Assessments housed in Edulastic will be pushed out to students.
Jake Cornish will provide this push out process with us at the December Staff Meeting.
When creating your lesson plans for the next two weeks, allow some time for Brain Power pre-assessment and the ELA and Math Qtr. 2 Common Assessments so that they are completed by 12.20.2018, before the students leave for their break.
ELA Curriclum Maps- IMPORTANT
From Dr. Kocar
- Clarifications on K-5 ELA Curriculum Maps- Use the direct link to clarification on “skip” story recommendations in K-5 ELA curriculum maps: https://www.livebinders.com/play/play/2058050?tabid=e9ffc001-f005-256a-4e60-a45adb6cf3f1 . Access Code: PCSD44636
The Land Lab, Our Outdoor Classroom
We want to designate plots for classrooms to adopt. We will work with PTA, VF High School students, and members of the community to partner with classrooms to maintain the plots. Please let Pam Allison, Meredith Piovarchy or I know if you would like to adopt a plot!
NEA School Garden Curriculum and Lessons link: http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/61378.htm
Library Resources
Cuyahoga County Public Library has many great classroom resources that teachers can borrow and use in the classroom. Class sets of books, games and more can be checked out of the library’s educational resource collection. To learn more about these resources, contact Sue Kirschner, Youth Literacy and Outreach Manager at Cuyahoga County Public Library at (216) 749-9533 or via email at skirschner@cuyahogalibrary.org .
PV Holiday Party
Don't forget to RSVP for our Holiday Party on December 14th from 4:30-? at the Brew Garden in Strongsville!
Important Links
**** NEW
Elevating the Essentials Resource Binder
Link: https://www.livebinders.com/b/2435822
Access Code: PCSD44636
BrainPOP Access- with BrainPOP Jr. & EL support!
username: bokas
password: pvstars#1
PV 2018-19 Staff Folder
Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cG_4KCVrLtA7ePxebp3901b_pBLLmmDN
K-5 Curriculum & Assessment Resource Binder
Access Code: PCSD44636
Our Week...
December Leader in Me Focus- Habit 3 Direct Instruction, Discussion, Practice & Reflections
12.3-7 Holiday Shop
12.5-20 12 Days of Christmas for Staff :)
12.5 BLT Meeting @ 7:45 am Feeney's Room
Looking Ahead...
12.11 Staff Meeting @ 8:45 am Lower Gym
12.12 Grade 4 Trip to VF for HS Concert @ 10:00 VF Auditorium
12.12 Grade 3 and 4 Holiday Choir Concert @ 2 pm Lower Gym
12.13 Staff Potato Bar 11:20-1:25 pm Faculty Lounge
12.14 PTA Sponsored Natural History Museum Assembly (Plan for 1 hour)
- 9:45 am KDG (all), Grade 1 STEM, Carvaines, Borns & Carvaines
- 11:15 am Grade 3 (all) & 4 (all)
- 2:00 am Grade 1 Trad, Grade 2 (all)
12.14 Staff Holiday Party @ 4:30 Brew Garden, Strongsville
12.17 Fire Drill @ 10:00 am
12.18 Staff Holiday Luncheon 11:20-1:25 pm Faculty Lounge
12.19 Grade 4 STEM Capstone @ 10:15 am Lower Gym
12.19 Grade 2 STEM Capstone @ 1:00 am Lower Gym
12.20 PTA Holiday Party Meeting @ 7:00 am
12.20 Problem Solving Team Meetings- Related Service Conference Room
12.20 Classroom Parties 2:15 pm
12.21 End of the 2nd Marking Period
12.21 District Inservice
12.24-1.4.2019 Winter Break
1.7 Classes Resume
1.7-1.18 Winter Benchmarking
1.8 Staff Meeting @ 8:45 am Lower Gym
1.9 Candids and Club Picture Day
1.9 BLT @ 7:45 am Feeney's Room
1.10 PV Spirit Day
1.10 Noon Monitor Meeting @ 10:15 am Faculty Lounge
1.11 PTA Scholarship Fundraiser Winter White Out
1.11 Grade 4 City Hall Field Trip
1.14 BFT Meeting @ 8:45 Boka's Office
1.16-1.17 Grade 2 Dental Sealant Program Room 211
1.16 PBIS Meeting @ 7:45 Conference Room
1.16 PTA Meeting @ 9:30 Faculty Lounge
1.21 Dr. MLK Jr. Holiday - No School