Staying Connected
Join Dr. Muri on his 2016-17 Campus Visit Tour
Connected @Hollibrook
Be Brave
- Student for the Day – Hollibrook teachers are putting themselves in their students’ shoes for a day to gain a new perspective on the typical instructional day of a student. They then share out their experiences with other teachers and peers. In separate but related news, all students are viewed as “everyone’s students.” Teams trust each other to teach based on data and changing, on-demand student groupings.
- Peer Observations – Some teachers are videotaping themselves and doing peer observations to share with their teams and discuss with Teacher Facilitators for growth opportunities. The focus is on small group, data-driven instruction to increase academic growth.
- Data Design & Confidence -- Changes in reading, writing and math lesson designs are occurring based on student data. Teachers are gaining confidence in data gathering and analysis for new lesson delivery.
- Using Data Wise Wisely – Professional Learning Community (PLC) members are now using Data Wise strategies to analyze and plan for student instruction. Data Wise is a collaborative process to improve learning and teaching. At Hollibrook, a key goal is to use such data for individualized teaching and learning to spur a minimum of one-year growth in all students.
- Out of School Time (OST) Extended Learning – Extended leaning opportunities now range from science and STEM to video game design, karate, theater, homework help, or special tutorials in academic subjects.
Be Proud
- Building Personal Libraries – With help from PTA Sister School Memorial Drive Elementary and two generous donors, a holiday book distribution put both a gently used and a new, grade-level appropriate book in the hands of all students. Books were chosen for students by their teachers based on students’ interests, and their grade-level reading choices. Hollibrook parents labeled, inserted book plates and wrapped books. The Hornets were excited by personal gift books!
- Coffee With Principal – Principal Karen Liska has led five meetings with parents so far that have averaged 75 or more parents, including dads who attend regularly. The meetings include school updates and parent questions. A counselor, parent liaison and Communities in Schools also lead parent education programs.
- Students Love Their Tags – An incentive program in reading and math with individual goals has a strong following in kindergarten through second grade. Hollibrook students who either meet or exceed grade-level goals or targets earn special dog-tag style awards. Students wear dog tags proudly. They are also earned in the After School Program for enrichment and tutorials based on attendance.
- Coat Drive Success – More than 125 students were provided with warm winter coats through a special program coordinated by school CIS and Memorial Drive Elementary School, a Hollibrook partner school.
Be a Learner
- Professional Development – Hollibrook now conducts a monthly, half-day targeted professional development session based on student data and teacher needs. Teachers have also attended an array of professional development options, ranging from Talk, Read, Talk, Write and The Writing Academy for fourth grade to Guided Reading & Balanced Literacy for prekindergarten to second graders, to name just a few out of a dozen or more specific trainings and developments.
- Hornet Huddle – Every six days, Hollibrook hosts a 90-minute session called Hornet Huddle as a means to develop data-driven practices, plan for small group instruction and collaborate on the TEKS and lesson planning.
Stay Connected
I encourage you to continue to CONNECT with me providing input about what we’re doing right and what may need improvement as we aspire to be the best we can be for EVERY CHILD. How? Ask questions during my visit. (Be brave!) Take the post-visit survey. Send me an email. Call me.
Whatever it takes, share your feedback and input on what you've heard and what we can do to continue to inspire minds and shape lives at your campus and across the district.
Spring Branch ISD