K-2 Team Newsletter
September 23, 2019
Principal's Message
Another awesome day of learning this week in K-2 Land! We were so excited to shout out our scholars showing leadership and exhibiting the Core Value of Achievement during our Friday celebration! This week we will continue to focus on Achievement as we prepare for Interim Assessment Week and STEP Testing! This can be a stressful time for both scholars and teachers because we want scholars to show off all they have learned and we feel the pressure to ensure they meet our targets! However, remember during data day we will all become "mini-doctors" and diagnose our teaching through effective data analysis in order to write "learning prescriptions" that will get our scholars back on track to meeting goals for quarter two!
“Assessments are critical to the educational process. Without them teachers would never know when to move on...or how to help students understand concepts better.” ~Andrew Davidson
Operations Important Information
Searching for charter school parent advocates:
The Nashville Charter Collaborative is looking for parent advocates to join a city-wide speaking tour to share their own story, spread the word about charter options, and help other parents understand school choice. If you have a parent that you think would be a good fit, please email Caroline Rhodes with that information.
Have a good human interest story about an EEP student, parent, or teacher?
As a member of the Nashville Charter Collaborative, we are going to run a story that will hopefully be featured on local media that is a human interest story about EEP. If you have any good ideas (unique initiatives in your classroom, a cool story about one of our teachers, students, or families) please email Caroline Rhodes.
EEP Social Media:
Please email or text pics to Caroline Rhodes to be featured on EEP Social Media. 615-879-8862
Deadline for entering grades:
The deadline for entering grades is 7am on Wednesdays on the weeks that progress reports are sent home. Progress reports are sent home every other week in grades 3-8 and every month in grades K-2. The next progress reports will go home on Thursday, Sept. 26 whole school
Kronos: Email Caroline Rhodes if you need a password reset. Please ensure to enter any sick time within 24 hours of your sick day.
Community Tours: A reminder that prospective families tour on Tuesday mornings at 8:30am. Nothing additional you need to do or prepare for other than continue the amazing work you do each day!
School Wide Focus
Priority #2 - No Opt Out Academics
Just another reminder that after Fall Break, we will begin shifting our focus towards Priority #2 - No Opt Out Academics. If you haven't already done so, please take some time to familiarize yourself with this priority. We have begun to implement a few elements of this priority but full roll out is after break!
You can give scholars a taste of No Opt Out expectations this week by reminding them to work hard during their tests so they can earn some of the Interim/STEP Effort SWAG Ms. Fletcher Tyson passed out to GLL's last week!! :)
Deans of Academics
Please see End of Quarter 1 Grading and Report Card Memo for information about next week. The calendar and expectations are laid out in the document. Please reach out to your coach if you have any questions!
Also refer to the STEP testing email that was sent out last week and be sure to utilize the yellow series relatability doc!
Dean of Culture
EVERY CHILD...WILL LEARN! As we enter week eight of our 2019-2020 school year, let’s mediate the commitment we made to every child. Think right now of child you are going to champion this week. Think of a child who you have had some challenges with, and write down three things you are going to do to reach that child. Be ready to share out a win you had with the child you chose in our great team meetings this week.
Our culture focus this week will be ensuring scholars are speaking with a loud and proud voice and addressing their audience by turning their face towards them when speaking....this makes sure they are truly heard. Also continue to push for 100% and go up and down the ladder.
We are still working on showing excellence in our lunch room and keeping our restrooms clean. Please continue to give glows and grows for this focus area as well.
This week’s WIG WINNER IS…
IT’S A TIE!!! BETWEEN 1ST GRADE AND 2ND GRADE!!!
Tie Breaker Challenge
The Team has the most glows for “Peer Leadership/Respect” (our focus glow this week) by Wednesday WINS!!!
Game On!!!
Attendance
Dean of SEL
This week we have discussed anger and anger coping skills. We will be discussing this topic again in first grade next week. Encourage students to take “puppy” breaths when they need to calm down.
LIM: Habit #5 Seek first to understand, then to be understood: ask others how they are feeling, and use facial expressions and body language to understand how to respond to others. Let others talk first. Listen attentively first, then respond.
Upcoming Events
Interim Assessment Week
Sept. 23rd-27th
Refer to the Quarter 1 Memo
STEP Testing
Sept. 23rd-Oct. 1st
Refer Norming Email Sent
Mental Health Day
Sept 27th - NO PD
*Report for Teacher of Week @ 2:25
Grades Close
Oct. 2nd
Friday Data Day
Oct. 4th - Agenda Below
LINK: Data Day Agenda 10/4
FALL BREAK
Oct. 7th-11th
Birthdays
Sept 25th - Mia Shaw
Reminders
In the rubric clarifications Jim sent out for Teacher Evaluations, all non-tested grade levels/subjects (K-2, 4-5 social studies, SPED, and Academic Specialists) must make a selection for what they want to be calculated for the achievement section in the teacher development rubric.
For 3-8 teachers, their individual TVAAS score will automatically be calculated.
Here is the Google Form teachers must fill out before fall break.
Selections are due this Friday, October 4th. - Only K-2 Lead Teachers, SPED, and ELL teachers need to complete this from our grade band.
Here is the rubric clarifications document if teachers need a reminder or another reference point.
**If you missed PD on Friday you must come see Dr. P to get what you missed!
Staff Absences
Sept 23rd
Danielle Smith (1st)
*1/2 day (am)
Dr. P (Admin)
*1/2 day (pm)
Sept 24th
Liza Graham (K)
Allie McLeod (K)
*1/2 day (am)
Sept 25th
Victoria Gamble (Art)
Macie Garrett (1st)
*1/2 day (am)
Sept 26th
Emily Tibbs (2nd)
Sept 27th
Victoria Gamble (Art)
Stephanie Beasley (2nd)
Anya Whipkey (2nd)
*Out at 2pm
Shout Outs
Congrats to our G.R.E.A.T. Winners of the Week and check out the Class Photo of the Week!
Teacher of the Week
Thank you for showing TEAMWORK! She is a thoughtful coach who is able to pinpoint what our students need and digs in to provide us teachers with the tools to help them reach our goals. She is an amazing planner and does a great job of providing resources, research, materials, and enrichment to make sure we are reaching every learner in our school. She is always willing to listen and makes a great thought partner, always providing solutions and tricks to make the day run smoothly.