ARMS Legend
Excellence Without Boundaries
Excellence in Leading. Teaching.Learning
TEAM
GRIT
GROWTH
Principal Message
I share a simple yet powerful quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:,
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
I think about these words and how important it is for us to teach the value of being "the light" and the value of compassion and empathy.
Be the light.
Proudest Principal in DISD,
Mrs. Taylor-Glenn
Operation Excellence - Excellence in Leading.Teaching.Learning
February 6, 2017, Week 5 of 4th Six Weeks (7 Weeks, with 2 - 4 day weeks)
BY MAY 2017, AT LEAST 80% OF ALL STAAR EXAMS TAKEN BY ARMS STUDENTS WILL MEET THE PHASE II PASSING STANDARD.
Improve Student Achievement
Improve the Quality of Instruction
Create a Positive & Supportive Campus Culutre
Observation, Feedback & Coaching- GROUP C
- Leadership's goal is to conduct a minimum of 85% of our SPOT feedback sessions in person.
- 100% of Group spots are to be conducted each week.
- 100% of observation conference are conducted with both (leader and teacher) bringing necessary PRE WORK and document action steps and follow up.
ARMS New Information
Monday 2/3: Brief Core Team Common Assessment Mtg.
Monday during Content PLC time we will have brief meetings to clarify CA updates with content teams. Please arrive at your regularly scheduled Content PLC rooms so that we can address the teams and be complete within 10 mins.
ARMS to be Featured in Skyline Feeder Pattern Promo Video 2/9
Hot off the Press!! ARMS will be one of the 5 schools that will be featured in the Skyline Feeder Promotional Video being produced by the districts Communication Services Department on Feb. 9th, Thursday. This is an exciting opportunity for us to showcase our Legendary School!!
They will be on campus for 1.5-2hours. The classrooms they will visit we will let teachers know by Monday. Overall we want to ensure that we put our best foot forward, as we have been chosen to highlight our district and most importantly all the phenomenal things that are occurring in the Skyline Feeder Pattern!
Looking forward to having everyone here on this day and if there are any specific things that will be done, I will communicate with teachers/teams, by Monday.
ARMS Reminders
Missing Work - Capatalize on this Week
Check grades to also address students that have low 60's to low 70's and ensure they are taking advantage of tutoring. Enlist Administrators to help with gathering students during lunches to make up assignments or go to tutoring.
Send a Shout to our ARMS Counselors!
No One Eats Alone Week
We made the local news last year for our No One Eats Alone Day!
Click here for more information on this National Movement.
ARMS 1st African American History Door Decorating Contest!
I would like to say thank you in advance to Ms. Lacy & Ms. Crabtree who are spearheading our honoring activities!
We will have our African American History Program on Feb. 28th. Be on the look out for more information.
4th Six Week Common Assessments
ARMS February Focus: Acts that Promote Kindess!
The Counselors will have activities that we will engage in during the Week of Feb. 13th.
Please feel free as a teacher, team, grade level to introduce your own efforts to promote kindness on campus!
Lets have this spread like wildfire!!
Love Inspired Bake Off
The Winner this year will receive a collection a Love Inspired Goodie Basket!
Bring your Love Inspired baked goods in on Feb. 17th. Please provide enough samples of your baked goods so that staff members can taste test & vote during all three lunches.
ARMS Institute PD Day - 2/20
During the PD sessions a few of the itmes will be
- Content Team Data Dig reviewing our #4 Common Assessment Data
- TELPAS training
Agenda is forth coming
Operation Excellence: TG2 Spotlight
Spotlight on Ms. Barksdale & Ms. Burns - Operation Excellence - Team
I would like to shout out Ms. Barksdale and Ms. Burns for giving up some of their time to allow me to observe and give feedback for an assignment in my grad school class. They are not only committed to growing as a teacher, but are also team players. Thank you!!
Spotlight on Ms. Roach - Operation Excellence
I just want to let everyone know how much I enjoy coming to work every day and working with this faculty and students. Also thanks to Ms. Roach for bringing her students in for research this week in learning about how to find a primary resource for their Westward Expansion project, finding free images, and how to create a Prezi.
Spotlight on Mrs. Harrison, Ms. Remikie, & Mr. George - Operation Excellence - Team & Grit
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
I want to say an incredible thank you to Ms. Remikie and Mr. George for embracing Mrs. Harrison and helping support her with resources and guidance. You two have been tremendous in the overall support as we have dealt with our Math 8 vacancy. Hats off to both of you for your tenacity and commitment to team and our students.
Each week administrators and instructional coaches will highlight the growth in the instructional practices, creativity, purposeful and meaningful practices that promote student success. It is important that we recognize ALL the Excellence in Teaching we have in all of areas of our academic programs. The highlights are on a rotation and each content/department will be the focus for the week. The rotation will repeat itself throughout the year.
We would like to highlight two Science teachers.
Instructional Highlight: Ms. Ward - 6th Grade Science
Ms. Ward has created such a safe environment for learning that her students automatically celebrate each others successes! It’s a joy to watch!
Instructional Highlight: Mrs. Burks - 8th Grade Science
MS. Burks has worked collaboratively with Ms. Husband and Ms. Burns to ensure student success. She takes material home and studies and prepares for her students and often works on the weekends.
January Staff Superlatives (Student Votes)
DISD Open Transfer Period Approaching
United Negro College Fund DISD Campaign
Click here for more information.
You may set up a donation via Oracle. ARMS goal is $300. The campaign starts on Feb. 1st to March 31st.
TEA A-F Ratings
The Origins of Implicit Bias – and How It Can Be Overcome
In this New York Times article, Daniel Yudkin and Jay Van Bavel (New York University) note that “implicit bias” was a hot topic in the U.S. presidential campaign. In one of the debates, Hillary Clinton said it was a problem for everyone, not just police officers. Mike Pence responded that this was a smear, suggesting that all Americans are racists. But recent research indicates that the presence of unconscious biases doesn’t mean someone is bigoted. Rather, say Yudkin and Van Bavel, implicit bias “is grounded in a basic human tendency to divide the social world into groups… to think in terms of ‘us versus them’… This doesn’t make the effects of implicit bias any less worrisome but it does mean people should be less defensive about it.”
In one experiment, volunteers played a game with monetary stakes and saw a player stealing money from another participant. Those who witnessed the theft were given the opportunity to punish the perpetrator by taking some or all of his or her money and removing it from the game. The researchers found that if people believed the thief was a fan of their football team, they confiscated less money than if they believed the thief supported a rival team. The same was true if they believed the thief was a citizen of their own country versus being a foreigner.
Interestingly, behavior that was biased in one direction or the other occurred only if people had to make their decision quickly – in a few seconds or less – or if they were distracted by another cognitively demanding task – for example, being asked to retain a string of seven letters and numbers in memory. If, on the other hand, they were given time to reflect on their decision – to engage in rational deliberation – they showed little or no bias toward those who favored a rival football team or were citizens of a foreign country.
Why do humans have an instinctive, gut-level bias toward their in-group and against a perceived out-group? “Homo sapiens spent thousands of years in close-knit communities competing for scarce resources on the African savanna,” say Yudkin and Van Bavel. “Members of the in-group were presumably sources of help, comfort, and cooperation; members of opposing groups, by contrast, were sources of threat and violence. As a result, the tendency to instinctively treat in-group members with care and foreigners with caution may be etched into our DNA.” This can carry over to racial groups, since people often live with others of their own race and form some degree of group identity. This tendency is certainly heightened if there’s racial stereotyping and institutional discrimination going on.
However, conclude Yudkin and Van Bavel, “We need not resign ourselves to a future of tribalism. On the contrary, our research suggests that people have the capacity to override their worst instincts – if they are able to reflect on their decision-making as opposed to acting on their first impulse… Acknowledging the truth about ourselves – that we see and think about the world through the lens of group affiliations – is the first step to making things better.”
“The Roots of Implicit Bias” by Daniel Yudkin and Jay Van Bavel in The New York Times, December 11, 2016, http://nyti.ms/2hksUMd
Calendar dates that have been revised- Trailblazer meeting and Teaching Trust T2 Time frame
Week of Feb. 6th - 10th
- NO One Eats Alone @ ARMS Week
- All Content Planning Week (Content PLC Mtg. Monday - 10 mins Update on 4th Six Weeks CA & POD Mtg. - 4th CA Testing Meeting)
Assembly - New to ARMS Students (2nd Semester) - 3rd Period
Tuesday, February 7
NAEP 8th Grade
Last day to decorate your door for Black History month
Wednesday, February8
Trailblazer Meeting 9:00-10:45 - Conference room
Teaching Trust Y2, 9-1pm
Thursday, February 9
Zero Tardies Free Dress
Empower Meeting @ 7:45 a.m. - conference room
Testing meeting during POD time
Friday, February 10
Core Meeting @ 9:30-11:00 - Conference room
Valentine's Day Dance - 6:00 p.m.
- Random Acts of Kindness Week
- 4th Six Weeks Common Assessments
6 wk IA #4 6-8 Math/Algebra
Tuesday, February 14
Valentine's Day
6 wk IA #4 6-8 ELAR
Wednesday, February 15
6 wk IA #4 Science/Writing
Coffee with Principal @ 8:45 a.m.
Parent Workshop @ 9:30 a.m.
Staff Meeting @ 4:30 p.m. - Library
Thursday, February 16
6 wk IA #4 6-8 Social Studies
Staff Breakfast - Office
Friday, February 17
Elective POD meeting @ 7:45, Wilson's Room
Love Inspired Bake Off during lunches - teacher's lounge
Core Meeting @ 9:30-10:55 - conference room
$1 Student Jean Day
Monday, February 20
ARMS Institute - Gap Analysis/Telpas
African American Potluch Luncheon
Tuesday, February 21
Wednesday, February 22
Trailblazer Data Meeting
STAAR Family Night
IA#5 Viewing #1
Thursday, February 23
IA#5 Revision #2
ARMS 360 Leader Dinner & Dialogue @ 4:30 Room 209
Friday, February 24
4th Six Wks ends
Core Meetings @ 9:30 -10:55 - Conference Room
Trailblazer - Alignment Training
Monday, February 27
5th Six Weeks begin
Tuesday, February 28
African American History Program
Leodan Villegas-Avina! Congrats!
Presented with Seagoville Collegiate Academy Acceptance Letter
There are Legends Amongst US
Way to Go Ms. Standlee!!
Mrs. Gills Enrichment Class Make Truffles!
Ms. De La Rosa's Enrichment class creates Dream Catchers
Ms. Lawson's Enrichment Class Makes Stress Balls!
Spot Rotation Schedule (Updated 1.21.17)
Coming Soon Technology Support Doc
ARMS Facility Request Google Doc
This is how all facility requests are to be made moving forward.
ARMS Safety Drill Staff One Pager
The Most Important Work of our Time! Always remember YOUR IMPACT!
Ann Richards Middle School
At Ann Richards MS, our vision is to be a flagship middle school at the hub of the community, nurturing diverse leaders, and empowering intelligent trailblazers.
Email: frataylor@dallasisd.org
Website: www.dallasisd.org/annrichards
Location: Ann Richards Middle School, North Prairie Creek Road, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 972 -892-5400