Cat Tracks
Spring Shadows Elementary Wildcats Staff Newsletter
October 16-22, 2017
#Limitless Learning
Our Vision
Our Mission
Core Beliefs
- Each student has unique intellectual, emotional, social, and physical qualities.
- We embrace a child’s individual values, interests, and personalities.
- Parents are confident in their child’s social and intellectual educational growth.
- Educators lead their craft by preparing learners in our fast changing world
Principal's Message
Dear Wildcats,
We have an exciting week ahead of us! It is so good to see many of you have already begun parent conferences, although this week will definitely be the week to harness the extra time in our schedule with early dismissals.
Conducting effective parent-teacher conferences can boost family involvement in your classroom and help promote positive outcomes for you, your students, and our school.
A parent-teacher conference is a great opportunity to:
- share academic progress and growth based on classroom observations, testing data, assessments, portfolios, and assignments
- learn from parents or guardians so you can be better informed about students' strengths, needs, behaviors, and learning styles
- discuss enrichment or intervention strategies to support students' learning (need tutoring forms- get with Elizabeth Gasca).
- discuss issues that may be interfering with students' learning and growth
Please see the parent conference document to help you plan effective conferences with your parents.
Don't forget to promote the fall carnival for Friday! Please invite your family and they can either volunteer or enjoy the carnival on Friday! Let's have a fun week!
Wildcat Love,
Rachel Martinez
Calendar
No Extended Planning Week
- Digital Citizenship - Be Kind
- 8:00-8:30 Admin Meeting (Office)
- 1:00-2:00 ILT PLC (PLC Room)
- 2:30 Dismissal
Tuesday, October 17, 2017:
- Digital Citizenship - Be Kind
- AP Meeting 8:00-11:30
- Dismissal 2:30
- Bond Community Mtg with Dr. Muri @ 7:00 (SSE Library)
Wednesday, October 18, 2017:
- Digital Citizenship - Be Kind
- Spiral Day
- Rachel, Katie, Elizabeth, Blanca, & Ilsa out @ Mastery Connect Mtg.
- 8:00-1:00 Registrar Meeting
- Dismissal 2:30
- No Faculty Mtg
Thursday, October 19, 2017: No PLC- Follow Early Dismissal Schedule
- Digital Citizenship - Be Kind
- Katie, Elizabeth, Blanca, & Ilsa out @ Mastery Connect Mtg.
- Dismissal @11:30 for Parent Conferences
Friday, October 20, 2017: WEAR YOUR CARNIVAL OUTFIT-
Follow Early Dismissal Schedule
- Digital Citizenship - Be Kind
- Happy Birthday, Laura Almaguer!
- Rachel @ Community Principal's Mtg.
- Susan R. & Consuelo @ Meeting all day.
- Dismissal @ 11:30 for Parent Conferences
- Fall Carnival @ 4:30 (All staff be ready in your spots by 4:15).
Deadlines/Priorities
- Add new parent email addresses from Open House.
- Schedule Parent Conferences- parent conferences through end of October- Parent Conference Log due November 1st, 2017 to Olga Loera.
Staff Shout-Outs
- Yezenia for bringing the Houston Food Bank Mobile Unit on Friday for our community!
- Cindy R., Arielle, Elizabeth, Katie, Demetra, Yezenia, Bea, & Olga for organizing to support students in crisis- team work makes the dream work!
- Rocio, Enrique, & Noe for supporting our J.I. making school safe for all kids.
- Noe, Ilsa, Joyce, Kritzia, Hasiyet, Laurianne, & Katie for looking at student data to rework the schedule and always putting student achievement first.
- Katie & Cindy for staff development on RtI and RtI B!
- Katie & Ana Maria for leading sessions during staff PD in ELA- great work!
- Blanca, Raul, Laura, Peggy, Kelsey, Jericohl & Hailey working with Holly Mercado planning for ELAR best practices!
- Rachel M. & Ana Maria Klauer for meeting with Holly Mercado for Words their Way best practices!
- Sunshine committee for October activities!
I know there are many unsung heroes out there that I did not get to mention. If you see someone out there going above and beyond and want me to recognize them on cat tracks, please send me an email.
PBIS and Project Class
Project Class: Pay close attention this week to those students who have been shining with their Project Class skills. I will ask you to send me the names of 2 students who have been following and using the Project Class skills on Friday. On Monday, I will come by and take their picture, display it in the cafeteria, and read their names during the morning announcements on Tuesday.
Jaci and Luz will be here this week. Jaci will be on campus on Monday. Luz will be on campus on Thursday. Please use them as your support for teaching and implementing the skills. Thank you to those who have turned in referrals, please keep them coming if you have students who would benefit from a small group class.
PBIS: On Monday, I will be visiting your classrooms to talk to the students about the new behavior incentive program that we will start for the cafeteria. Each class will have an opportunity to earn Wildcat Paws based on how well they follow the R.O.A.R.S expectations for the day. This is a new initiative agreed upon by the PBIS cadre.
Keep up the good work!
Instructional Specialists Message
We already had the DRA/EDL/OS training, so if you missed it, check out THIS folder from Google Drive with the presentations. Materials for the DRA/EDL and OS can be found in the Sweden folder. (Sweden>Staff>SSE>2017-2018>DRA.EDL Files)
Your friendly Instructional Specialists,
Katie & Elizabeth
Library Notes
Hi,
Good News... The children can log in Minutes to Read 100,000!! Ms Urrutia's class has minutes in!! I will send each of you the pdf of your children's log in. If you can volunteers to log in your minutes - give them to me by the end of the month. I realize some of you are doing monthly calendars. EVERYONE try to get your children to read to get pizzas this month!
*This week we will just have 15 minute check out except for Monday's classes. Also if you have missed some classes, perhaps we can get you in for a session. Please sign up for a time if you have library Thursday or Friday afternoon.
Heads Up.... October 23 I will be away from the library all day as I have full day library meeting followed by the tech meeting. I will have a sub on Oct 26 & Oct 27,
Thanks for your support!
Ann
Sunshine Updates
We will still accept dues! Dues are $20 for professionals and $15 for paraprofessionals. We accept cash or check. Checks should be made out to Spring Shadows Elementary.
Jeans Pass UPDATE
- 7 passes for $10
- 3 passes for $5
- University Wednesday $1 for each Wednesday (you can buy in bulk)
You may use your pass any day of the week. Here are the "rules" for jeans passes.
- Jeans need to be without holes or rips
- Wear with a blouse or nice shirt (not a T-Shirt unless you buy the Wednesday pass)
- Wearing jeans without a pass already bought is a $2 fine (to Sunshine)
Please pay Katie Gentry or Rachel Menefee. They will give you a receipt and log your name and number of passes into a Google Doc. Each day you wear jeans, just send BOTH of them an email stating that you are using one of your passes.
If you have any questions surrounding Jeans Passes, please contact Katie or Rachel Menefee.
Spring Shadows Elementary
Email: rachel.martinez@springbranchisd.com
Website: https://cms.springbranchisd.com/sse2/
Location: 9725 Kempwood Drive, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: (713) 251-7100
Twitter: @twitter_rachelmartinez4