RNNE: Team and Family Launcher
Goal-oriented and intentional.Intervention.Authentic Team.
In it to win it.
I hope that your break was overall restful and provided you each with an opportunity to spend time with loved ones while getting some much deserved rest.
I am excited to kick off our second semester tomorrow at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
During the next two days, we'll reflect on our school-wide MAP data, individual cohort data, continue to sharpen our skills in sweating the details to reach 100%, building skill in varying the types of talk we plan for students to engage in, focus on planning and executing lessons that build enduring skill in our students as well as zooming on specific areas of math and humanities content to continue to sharpen our iron.
In order to maximize the time that we have left with our students this year, we have to ensure that our focus remains on cultivating a structured, yet joyful learning environment where are students are able to thrive academically so that they are adequately prepared for the next grade level. We're in the gap closing and academic excelling business of education and I know that we have the team that can ensure that it happens for our students this year.
Thank you for your relentless pursuit of excellence. Thank you for your "never give up" attitude so that our Rocketeers can have a successful future. Thank you for going hard for our Rocketeers every minute of every day for our Rocketeers.
Love each of you always,
Christa
"You can't win the game in the first, second or third quarter. You win the game in the fourth quarter." Atlanta Falcons
Data Days: "Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it with every generation." - Coretta Scott King
As a way to recharge and refocus us on our vision as "Freedom Riders" for the year, we will engage in our first day of Data Days PD in historic Memphis, Tennessee.
This will provide us with an opportunity to engage in PD aligned to our focus areas for second semester while also reminding us that we stand on the shoulders of leaders who have walked and traveled down the same and similar paths towards justice, freedom and equality.
We will travel to Memphis as a team on the morning of January 4th and engage in whole group PD sessions at the National Museum of Civil Rights in Memphis. Breakfast will be provided.
The bus will depart from RNNE at 5:30am on Monday, January 4th. Please plan to wear the RSED black polo shirts that we received at the regional holiday party with any casual bottom.
After engaging in whole group PD sessions at the museum (in a meeting room), we will eat lunch at a nearby BBQ restaurant and tour the museum before boarding the bus to head back to Nashville.
Since we will be driving back (via Coach bus) the evening before, PD on Tuesday will start at 9am to allow you a chance to recharge for the day.
Thank you all for engaging in this fight to earn and win freedom for our generation of students.
Logistics:
- The bus will depart RNNE at 5:30am on Monday morning
- We will pick up breakfast from Chick-Fil-A in Jackson, TN at 7:30am.
- Please be sure to bring: your laptop charged, a pair of headphones (optional; there will be individual work-time at times, so you can listen to music while working), pen/pencil.
- Wear the black RSED polo you received from the Regional Holiday Party; if you did not get one, the box will be in my office before we depart on Monday morning.
- Bring any pillows/blankets/personal travel items/snacks for the bus ride.
Network Walkthrough Follow-Up
The areas of "celebration" trends for our campus:
- Positive Teacher Tone
- Culture of Error and Momentum in classrooms - Rocketeers were eager to be challenged
- Organized physical Space in classrooms (countertops, desk/table configuration, clear pathways, tech carts)
- Sticky Key Points: anchor charts and chants posters in Humanities classrooms
The areas that we need to focus on to become tighter around and strengthen:
The trends below will be focused on in whole group and content-based sessions during January's Data Days:
- Setting the expectation of 100% in every classroom/learning space so that there is not inconsistency of expectations throughout the building (tracking, posture, hallway lines, uniforms, etc.)
- Increasing the variation of ways students to respond to questions in class beyond raising their hands - increasing the types of talk that students engage in (turn and talk, cold call, everybody writes, etc.)
Physical Space Walkthrough
Check out this PowerPoint deck to see some of the awesome spaces and ideas throughout our school!