The GATOR Gazette August 2019
Publication 2 : 8/16/2019
Notes from Dr. Miller
Team Gompers,
Welcome to August!!!!
Let us all extend a big welcome to our new TEAM Gompers members: Kindergarten - Ms. Michelle Beay & Middle School - Mr. Clint Vois.
As iterated in the initial GATOR GAZETTE in June, this will be our weekly bulletin and it will only be available in this online platform. All information about our school community will be housed in this document. The Gator Gazette will be sent weekly via email by Sunday morning for the upcoming week.
The Gazatte will include:
Instructional Focus Expectations
Access to Videos, Google Docs/Slidedecks and Google Forms for upcoming meetings that can be accessed via the bulletin but will also be housed in the Dr. Miller's Staff Google Classroom
School Protocols Expectations: GFS Green
Calendars for IEPS, SST, Assemblies
Notes/Updates from Counselor, Psychologist, PTA, District, etc.
Please note, over the next couple of months, we will "eliminate multiple and duplicate" calendars and information sources previously used.....as this will house all information.
In closing, I have had the opportunity to meet with some parents and some staff members over the past weeks and all I can say, deep love and commitment to Gompers is evident. At the change of principal workshop, one portion of the meeting shared what I needed to know about the Gompers Team:
* Gompers is awesome- we are all here for the long term
* Hardworking and collaborative staff
* Team Players
* Welcoming Staff
* PTA is involved
* We like to socialize and build a team
Gompers, I am ready, I am humbled and blessed to have found a new home and family.
Respectfully,
Dr. Damita Myers-Miller - dmyersmiller@lbschools.net
#studentsaremywhy #180daysofwhy #thisiswhywedothis
School Vision, Mission and Values.......
Upcoming Meeting Focus.....
1st Duty Day-August 27th:Things to Know
Staff Photo - Let's smile for the camera
A "new" Gomper Spirit T-Shirt has been ordered and will be placed in your teacher's mailbox, please wear blue jeans to accompany the Tshirt (thanks).
Summer "Selfie" Challenge
Bring your cellphone to the 8/27 "Opening Meeting" and be ready for the Gompers SELFIE "summer" CHALLENGE!
Staff Opening Agenda 8-27 @ 8:30 (draft)
Continental Breakfast provided by PTA @ 8:00amish
Welcome and Selfie Challenge (15 min)
Creating a Caring School Community that embodies Collective Efficacy as a K8 Community - LBUSD Understanding #5 & #6
- Instructional Vision and Focus (25 min)
Going GREEN: Culture of G- R- E - E - N Expectations:
- Creating Grade Level Lessons for Opening Procedures (Sounds Like and Looks Like) (50 min)
Dr. Miller challenge: #WHY #180daysofwhy #thisiswhywedothis: What is your why? (25min)
**Please note this is a 2-hour meeting**
Culture and Climate........
Creating - Common Lessons for School Collective Efficacy and Cohesion
Definition for Gompers Gators "go" GREEN
G = GRIT..going the extra mile, persevering to achieve
R = RESPONSIBILITY...accountable to one's actions in scholarship, social and behavior
E = EXPECTATIONS...belief that all can achieve to their maximum potential
E = ETHICS...doing what is right when no one is looking
N = NEIGHBORLY...caring about our community
Gompers’ Effective Implementation Practices: GFS Assemblies, GFS BOY Lessons, Levels of Infractions, Safe and Civil Team, Common Area Expectations w/One Liners, MS & 5th Grade Code of Conduct with Point System (developed over time)
More specific details will be given in the upcoming newsletters for the "how-to" in the creation of the lessons for the implementation for the 1st 5 days of school.
Examples of GFS lessons:
Robinson - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YmmDObcwsovqgwY-Iz1hdaJRMCCd53qLzSOESTA_AbA/edit
**Please note, time will be given at the opening staff meeting for lesson development**
Guidelines for success = Schoolwide Common Language EXPECTATIONS & CHAMPS = Classroom Common Language Expectations
Instructional Focus Area
Clarity of Daily Learning Intentions
Teacher Clarity...How do you know students "got" the day's learning intention?
Initially, your first several weeks' will be working on the beginning of the year procedures and protocols, this will be the perfect time to ensure students KNOW the WHY and the significance of the structure or protocols you are teaching to support daily learning/engagement and maximum results in achievement levels.
Beginning and ending each period (MS) and or portion(s) of the day's schedule(ES) with the learning intention: What, Why and How is key!
Not only is it important for students to know what they are learning, why they are learning and how they are showing understanding(success criteria) but it is equally as important for the teacher to be mindful of knowing if students got it. In daily/weekly planning, assessment of the day's learning is the beginning stage vs the ending stage in planning.
Monitoring instruction during and at the end of a lesson is important to drive instructional decisions and next step planning. What ways do you assess learning? Here are a couple of examples of assessing students learning that are purposefully planned: Turn/Talk with partner, Whole group discussion and share out, STOPLIGHT:Red/Yellow/Green, Post It Notes, 4 Corners, Exit Tickets, Google Forms, application through problem solving, quick writes, quizzes, etc
Data is our friend...Becoming Familiar with the "new" LROIX Data Dashboard...
The NEW LROIX Data Dashboard
Click on the link below to access the video that shows the features of the new LROIX data dashboard. The video goes fast, so I wanted you to have access to watch it as many times as you would like. Please feel free to see me with any questions. Please "play with the new dashboard" in the coming weeks in order to familiarize yourself with the new features. Accessing the data will be important for our 1:1 BOY meeting at the end of September and the development of Grade and Department Action Plans.
Click the embedded link to view the LROIX video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ftxFukQNdPf8KEdhpAb_YxohS7DvG4Lt/view
Click the embedded link to view the GOOGLE form for the data meeting:
https://forms.gle/HbZ6iBYz2iRrW96j9
Click the embedded link to view the Google doc for the schedule:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bb3Pe3kYxKMSg-3QNRzHSCe3xADphzFs64153YqJ63I/edit
Social Emotional Foundations in School Culture & Climate "effect" Student Achievement
LBUSD U6 - Creating a classroom atmosphere, where teachers deliberately balance caring relationships and supports for student success, provides a foundation for a safe learning environment that values diversity, trust and respectful communication.
School Protocols and Structures......
Scholarly Dress Expectations
Each and every day Gompers students are expected to be scholarly dressed for school success. Scholarly dress is defined as school uniform and abiding with LBUSD DRESS CODE (Board Policy):
Tops - Collard Shirts: Red, White, and Blue "uniform" Shirts
Bottom - Uniform pants and shorts No Jeans
Outwear - School Spirit Hoddies/Sweatshirts is highly preferred
Daily School Uniforms - Monday - Friday
or "weekly" School Uniform Spirit Day -
Friday - Gator Nation Day - Wear your Gator T-SHIRT & Uniform Botton/Blue Jeans (Friday ONLY)
SPIRIT WEEK and "special" SPIRIT Days will be announced throughout the year. Spirit Days will include "spirited tops" not bottoms; the uniform bottoms will still apply.
Teachers/Staff must be models of this as well
Cell Phone and Digital Tech Use
Once students walk "into the learning zone" of Gompers campus, electronic devices including cell phones are prohibited at Goper K8 Community. Students are asked to leave all such devices at home. If students need to use a phone in an emergency, they may use the office phones.
Technology Integration with use of Google Platforms
Please complete the Google Form, to support an understanding of the staff's use of technology that will lead to professional development needs :
School Leadership...........
Adjunct Leadership Opportunities - HELP, HELP, HELP
Listed below are the committees that I have been made aware of:
Instructional Leadership Team, Leadership (SDM), Middle School ASB
Safe and Civil Team, Middle School Orientations, Kindergarten Orientation
Family Academic Nights not sponsored by PTA, School Clubs, Music Concerts,
Career Day, Yearbook, Social Committee, LCAP Committees: Parent Involvement, Attendance, Culture/Climate, SSC, ELAC
PLEASE, PLEASE send me additional committee names that are not listed...THANK YOU!
2. Adjunct Responsibilities: It is recognized that in carrying out job responsibilities, each employee shall perform many responsibilities and adjunct responsibilities, which occur outside of the scheduled on-site duty day. Such duties may involve activities such as supervision of pupils, sponsorship of student activities, and participation in school, district-wide and parent-community committees.
The maximum expectancy of any secondary school teacher shall be twenty (20) hours per semester, exclusive of faculty/department meetings. (LBUSD/TALB contract, Article V, A7) Adjunct Duty: Sign-ups for 17 hours by Wednesday, September 4: Sign up online at
SignUp.com: **The link will be provided later**
Please in advance forgive me.......I am not familiar with this process at all????
Please, please note, I do not want to come in and disrupt the GOMPERS "flow" but if I could have a voluntary discussion/understanding with a middle, elementary and the site TALB representative on August 23 at 1:00pm....I would truly welcome feedback on this process.
Change of Principal/Leadership Updates/Details - June 24, 2019
The entire Gompers community will be a part of working collectively to support our school change aka "little tweaks" process to support Going GREEN and GREAT through shared leadership opportunities. This is and will not be an overnight process this is a 3 to a 5-year longitudinal plan of collective action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJDN0cpxJv4
Quick Fixes as identified by "select staff representatives"
* Uniforms and Cell Phone Policy, Communication and Calendars & Adjunct duties
Long Term Fixes as identified by "select representatives"
* Discipline, School Safety, Safe and Civil Training and Application & Beautification
Happenings in Gompers K8 Community......
6th Grade Orientation - 8/22
7th & 8th Orientation - 8/22
Kindergarten Orientation - 8/27
August 19 - 23
August 19 - Office staff back on-site/Office open to the community
August 22 - Retention Retake Testing Day (Students are given a specific time slot for a retest)
August 22 - 6th Orientation @ 9:30 - 11:30
August 22 - 7th & 8th Orientation @ 1:00
August 26 - 30
August 27 - Opening Day....8:30 -10:30 - 10:30staff annual picture (Blue Jeans please),
August 27 - Kindergarten Orienation
August 28 - 1st Day with students - Minimum Day @ 2:00
August 29 - Staff Meeting @ 7:45am
Staff Emergency Procedures & LBUSD "new information"
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qF6MepERSVv93TYKPa_RaaTprS371gufwgmiyJhxeoU/edit?usp=sharing
August 29 - GFS GREEN Assemblies Elementary https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IfW6nAeRgpZ2cKsMu2HzjBRnKZ2JKoESk1UwFGregoc/edit?usp=sharing
August 30 - GFS GREEN Assemblies - Middle School - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IfW6nAeRgpZ2cKsMu2HzjBRnKZ2JKoESk1UwFGregoc/edit?usp=sharing
August 30 - Paycheck on "new system"
September 2 - 7
September 2 - Labor Day
September 4 - Signup for Adjunct Duties
September 5 - Staff meeting - We are Gompers? Who are we and what do we represent?
September 5 - SPED Team meeting vs STAFF Meeting - Calendaring of IEPS
September 12- Staff meeting - LBUSD: U6 - #180days #students areourwhy
BTSN for 2019/2020 - Minimum Days
September 17 - Elementary & K-8 Schools