Team Thomson News & Notes
Week of: September 22, 2019 #ThomsonRocks
Important Information for You!
Data Days are Here!
I am excited for our first Data Days this week. The agenda was sent out last week via a 'share' through Google Docs to all classroom teachers. If you did not get it please let me know. Please be sure that you bring all the necessary data pieces with you. The goal of this day will be to review data, discuss Tier I instructions and interventions, review and update Title I/At-Risk lists, and review/write IRIPs. So, the half days spent with PLC teams will be very busy, but I believe productive.
Early Release
Don't forget, our first Early Release Day will be Wednesday, September 24th. Most groups will be working at Central Elementary from 2:00-5:00 p.m. If you are unsure of where you are to go, please let me know.
Watch DOGS Kick-off
Our Watch DOGS Kick-off is Thursday, September 26th at 4:30 p.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. Thank you to all of you who have already volunteered. If anyone else is able to volunteer to help please let me know, it will be greatly appreciated as we have over 225 dads and students that will be joining us. It is always such a great night for our kids!
5D+ Growth Plans & Observations
With almost all of the Growth Plans done, I am excited to begin 5D+ classroom observations. Remember classroom observations include the scripting on my part, noticings and wonderings, your responses to the noticings and wonderings, and then the feedback given either verbally or through the Pivot platform. If you have any questions or need a refresher on any of these pieces, please let me know.
Thinking about Differentiation
As we get into Reader's Workshop and have our parapros pushing in to help with differentiation (intervention and enrichment) and after meeting with many of you who have chosen CP4-Differentiated Instruction as an Area of Focus, I have been thinking about how we can differentiate literacy workstations. Sometimes I think we think of differentiated activities as having to have three or four different sets of materials, which becomes overwhelming. However, what if we thought about how one set of materials could be used in several different ways to differentiate the learning experiences for children? For example: take a set of pictures (card or ones cut from magazines) and a set of letters (cards or magnetic), these can be used in several ways in a guided literacy workstation:
- Vocabulary building (simply name the pictures or what's going on in them)
- Name the beginning, middle, or ending sounds depending on where the students are in their development
- Match the beginning sound with the beginning letter...move on when the students are ready to the ending sound, and then the medial sound
- Stretch the word out and build it with the letters
- Name the picture, count the syllables
- Use the pictures to write words
- Draw to pictures and write a sentence
These are just a few ideas on using the same materials to differentiated what students are doing. If you have another for a differentiated literacy workstation, email it to me and I can share it in the newsletter. Let's work smarter, not harder.
Homecoming Spirit Week
- Monday, September 30th- Past Decade, Dress like the 50's!
- Tuesday, October 1st - Present Decade, Come as you are & wear a hat!
- Wednesday, October 2nd - Future Decade, Dress for your favorite college or career!
- Thursday, October 3rd - Favorite Decade, Your choice...pick a decade!
- Friday, October 4th-Spirit Day, Dress in Maroon and Gold!
Also, don't forget that our Teddy Thomson students will be walking with kindergartners from Siple and Hill in the Homecoming Parade...I hope you can join us, if so, please let me know!
Quotes Worth Reading
“Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, mirror what you admire.”
― Unknown
Do ONE Thing and Make a Big Difference!
Write a Cardinal Compliment to one colleague and one student. These little notes go a long way...make someone smile!
Celebrations & Announcements
Birthdays This Week: Happy Belated Birthday to Heather Townsend, September 19th (I totally looked at the wrong month last week) also, Happy Birthday to Marth Goyetter, September 22nd!
Best Wishes...
Wishing the best to Kim Laine who will spend her last week with us at Thomson. Your positive attitude and caring spirit will be missed greatly! Just remember, once a teddy, always a teddy!
PLEASE REMEMBER TO CHECK BACKPACK TAGS EVERY, EVERY, EVERY MORNING!
I can not express enough how important these transportation tags are. Remember that every student needs to have just ONE tag in their pouch. If you see anything that causes you to pause or a student says their tag is wrong, contact the office right away in the morning.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Tuesday, September 24th-Data Day; Fire Drill
Wednesday, September 25th-Early Release Day, PD will be held at Central from 2-5 p.m.
Thursday, September 26th-Data Day; Watch DOGS Pizza Night/Kick-off, 4:30-6:30 (VOLUNTEERS NEEDED)
Friday, September 27th-Go Gold for Childhood Cancer, $5 District Jean Day
Monday, September 30th- PTO Fundraiser Kick-off/Packets will go home; Motor Moms and Dads Begins.
Wednesday, October 2nd- Staff Meeting, 7:35 a.m. (Agenda: P-T Conferences; Data Day Follow-up)
Thursday, October 3rd - Elementary Principals Meeting (Natalie)
Friday, October 4th-HOMECOMING! Parade line-up at 4:30 p.m.-All Thomson Staff Members, please consider walking with our kids!
Week of October 6th-PLC Week
Monday, October 7th-Watch DOGS Begins; Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the HS AMR
Tuesday, October 8th-ALICE Drill; DI Meeting, 4:15-5:15 p.m.(Natalie and Megan C)
Wednesday, October 9th-MTSS/SAT Day (formerly Child Study)-Please send student names to Jason and I
Thursday, October 9th-General Admin Meeting (Natalie); CMC 4-7 p.m. (Natalie and Sara)
Friday, October 10th-PTO Fundraiser Ends; PINK Out
Thomson Elementary
#ThomsonRocks
Home of the Thomson Teddies!
And..
Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin!
Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 617 East Clark Street, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-0911