Husky Hotline
Sycamore Elementary School Has the IT Factor!
Crystal's Corner
Thank you to our 1st and 4th grade level teachers who presented on Thursday for our faculty meeting. Their friendship transcends into their daily work and we are forever grateful. Research shows that the way the adults work together in the school has a direct impact on raising student achievement. I also want to remind you to put your colors up next to your door. Let your AP know if you need one to print or put in color for display.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Sent from former email:
Lesson Plans:
As a reminder, plans are to be posted for the week. If you have a plan for the day that is fine to post, however for us to get a true sense of your planning you should always have plans posted for the week attached. This is not an issue across the school as plans from most classrooms follow this process. This rule has not changed and if you have questions, please ask an administrator for answers.
If you are support staff and you push in, please have your plans for YOUR students showing what you will do with them as you modify the AKS. If you have questions about this, please ask an administrator for answers.
Evaluations:
Evaluations are confidential and are between administrators and the evaluatee. Please ask an administrator if you have any questions or concerns. If it is something that you feel needs attention for all, please let me know immediately so that we don't spread inaccurate information.
Attendance and leaving during the day:
If you fall sick during the day and feel you need to leave, see your AP or me the principal to be granted permission to leave. No other person on staff grants permission for you to leave campus for any reason. If you need to leave, please follow this protocol.
If you are running late more than 5 minutes please call and sign in at Carline's office. If you need to leave early-before 3:45 PM daily, please get prior approval from me (Principal) and then sign out at Carline's office.
Custodial Process:
Please stack chairs at the end of the day before you leave (students can assist)
Place trash cans outside of doors after breakfast so custodians can remove food waste from the classrooms.
Office Updates:
Please make sure you are placing perm files back in their proper places when done.
Sycamore is a great place to work and learn and I trust that you will continue working as a team to keep it that way. As I always say, please see me about any issues, concerns or ideas that you may have that can aid in our continuous improvement. The building will be open on Saturday from 8-12 for a club activity, you are welcome to come to the school.
What's Cooking In Katie's Kitchen
Whats Cooking in…..
Teacher Leadership
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” - John C. Maxwell
Thank you to First grade for showing us the way to having a successful collaborative team. Your understanding of one another’s differences, through the color quiz, and ability to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses was inspiring. Continue to make work fun for each other and lift each other’s spirits as you strive to lift the spirits and the AKS of your own students.
“Great leaders inspire greatness in others”- Anonymous
Fourth grade has inspired us all to be better than we were. Thank you to the fourth grade team for inspiring us to try something new, like Google Docs. They taught us all to share our ideas and accept each other’s strengths and weakness. They also taught to build upon our strengths in the grade level. Fourth Grade helped us realize how important it is to think of our neighbors and go out of our way to help each other when times may be difficult. Friendship and Laughter are the number one thing to a great collaborative team.
Teacher Leaders take risks
"What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it is another matter." -- Peter Drucker
Amy Haser has inspired me these past three weeks with her risk taking attitude. We observed many creative hands on lessons at the Ron Clark Academy observation. Teachers observed on Friday, and bright and early Monday morning Amy was decorating her classroom like the beach. Welcome to “Hawaii” she told her students as they walked in the classroom. Students were learning in lounge chairs and beach blankets throughout the entire week. Student engaged increased while behavioral concerns have decreased. The following week, Amy changed her table groups into covered wagons as students traveled on the “Chisolm trail”. Currently, Students have different ports and even a boat in their classroom as they are greeted by the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island. I look forward to Monday mornings to see the new ideas for the week. Amy’s students have benefitted from her taking a risk and changing her classroom into a creative learning environment.
Aesop Reminders
When you submit a request in Aesop:
- Please remember to post In/Service-Staff Development when requesting for a staff development day off. Assure that you have gotten clearance to attend from Crystal first so that payment for subs can come from the proper line item.
- Click “save” and the Aesop system will locate a sub for you.
- Click “save and assign” when you have already spoken to the sub and you know for certain that he/she will be in your class.
Please remember to update the time in Aesop. A full day is 7:45-3:45, half day is either 7:45-11:45 or 11:45-3:45.
In This Issue
Crystal's Corner
What's Cooking in Katie's Kitchen
Calendar
Class Pick Up From the Cafeteria
Birthdays
School Affairs
Come Get It
Bookkeeper Notes
Kudos
Media News
Online Communique'
Career Advancement Scholarships
Birthdays
Elena Stefan 12/4
Stephanie Shin 12/7
DeAnne Daniel 12/17
Angie Laugherty 12/20
Stella Anim 12/23
Emily Acevedo 12/26
Kelly Schaaf 12/30
Lee Goodwin 12/31
Class Pick Up From the Cafeteria
Grade level teachers are asked to please pick up classes from the cafeteria tables on time. The custodial staff needs the allotted time between classes to get the tables clean. Thank you for your help with this matter. Dr. Kim Glass
School Affairs
- Please share links to the new online Communiqué in your local school e-Newsletter and your website. New items are added each week.
- The latest posts to the online Communiqué include features on GCPS' Teacher of the Year, Career Connections, a salute to veterans, and Milestones results, plus calendar updates and Bulletin Board items. Coming up, watch for news on Principal for a Day, a unique career exploration event, and winter weather reminders.
- Story ideas? Great photos? Feedback? Let us know at communique@gwinnett.k12.ga.us.
Teacher Survey Request
Please consider forwarding the following approved survey link and message to your teachers:
The Georgia Department of Education is studying the reasons why teachers leave public education as a profession. Classroom teachers across the state are invited to take a few moments to answer 7 questions to help the DOE better understand how to reverse this trend in Georgia. We greatly appreciate your time and feedback and know that working together we can make a difference in public education in Georgia.
ALL RESPONSES ARE ANONYMOUS.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P77ZBYT
Thanks for your opinion!
School Reminders:
1. Please lock up all devices at night and lock your classroom doors when leaving for specials, lunch and recess. Students need to bring everything with them and not come to the classrooms unattended as much as possible. 2 barriers are suggested, however 1 barrier will suffice.
2. Please have students assist with putting chairs on desks when leaving each day.With us eating breakfast and snacks in the classrooms, it causes for more attention to vacuuming. Please help us get your rooms as clean as possible.
November 2015 “Come and GET It” Guiding Educators Today
Hello Sycamore Staff!
Below you will find professional development opportunities offered to you by some great colleagues! We plan to offer some “GET It” sessions every month! If you are interested in leading a session, please contact Jill Moore to discuss your ideas! We hope that you will take the opportunity to learn from each other to help our students achieve!
eCLASS: Navigation, Themes, Home Pages, Appearance, Creating Widgets
Learn how to navigate your home pages, change appearance and themes, create widgets in eCLASS. Bring your laptop and be ready to take your knowledge of eCLASS to another level! J
Sign up at https://jillmoore.youcanbook.me/
Presenter: Jill Moore
Date: Monday, Thursdays, or Fridays during your planning
Location: Your Classroom
Grade Levels: all
Check this site!
http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/ ;
This site provides an extensive collection of free resources, math games, and hands-on math activities aligned with our Standards for Mathematics.
Monies Collected Tips from Jenifer our Bookkeeper
As you begin planning Field Trips, Club activities, etc., and start collecting money for these activities, I thought it would be helpful to send out some reminders and tips regarding money collections. I’ve included the most common errors that come across my desk, therefore I hope this will be helpful in saving everyone the precious commodity of time.
Forms of Payment
We accept cash, checks made payable to Sycamore Elementary, and credit/debit card payments through MyPaymentsPlus.
If you choose to use MyPaymentsPlus as a method, please let me know ahead of time to set up an “Activity” in MyPaymentsPlus in order for you to collect payments through this resource. I recommend this, because it is less paperwork for the both of us. I can set it up so that you receive an email when someone has paid, and also send you a list of who has paid on a weekly basis when I receive my deposit information. This will keep you informed as to who has paid.
Report of Monies Collected Forms
If you receive cash and/or checks for payments please use the Report of Monies Collected Standard Form found on the shared drive. The path is Sycamore > Teacher Information > Monies Collected Forms > RMC Form Standard. I strongly recommend saving the form to your computer once you fill it out, in case any corrections need to be made later, they can be fixed quickly. However, please use handwritten ink to sign and date the bottom of the form.
Please leave the “Account to Credit Line” BLANK. This is for Bookkeeper and Auditor’s purposes only. You will enter Grade Level and Purpose on the “Reason for Collecting Money Line”.
There must not be more than 1 week between the Date Collections Begin (at the top), and the Date of Your Signature (at the bottom, the date you turn your form into me).
Click here to view an Example Report of Moneys Collected Standard Form.
Receipts
If you collected cash from a student, and it is $10.01 or more, you must issue them a receipt. You may check out a receipt book from me.
No receipts have to be issued for checks received for any amount, because the check itself acts as their receipt. If however, a person requests a receipt for a check, you may do so upon their request.
Thank you for your help with all of the paperwork. As always, please come see me for any questions. I will be more than glad to help!
Jenifer Reese
Bookkeeper
Kudos
Kudos to the A team for your laughs, joys and supportive conversations. I am glad to have you by my side. ~Crystal
Thank you to my office staff for being so vigilant about everything. You are amazing! ~Crystal
Thank you Carolina for always being so helpful to me in so many ways! ~Crystal
Thank you Jill Wallace for our mini conferences whenever I need them. You are so helpful and you make my job easier! ~Crystal
Kudos to Rochelle for always being a light and kind ear. I enjoy our laughs! ~Crystal
Kudos to Erin for doing a "knock out" job in kindergarten. I am so proud of you!! ~ Beth
Kudos to the Administration for the "Gift of Time" on Tuesday! ~ Beth
Kudos to Bev for always being my ray of sunshine! ~ Beth
Frank, thank you for helping me this week, even during arrival time for the students. You are an awesome co-worker. ~ Shannon Davis
Jerry, thank you for all work your on my projector and getting me fixed up before my observation. You are a star! ~ Shannon Davis
Carolina, thank you for opening the door for me and giving me an extra hand this week. ~ Shannon Davis
A special thank you to the Special Ed Team for my Surprise Bridal-Breakfast prior to Thanksgiving Break. You all made me feel special! ~ Lauren Croom
Thank you Bev for always teaching "Bell to Bell" in STEM special. My kids always seem to be working hard and engaged when I pick them up. ~ Stephanie Shin
Thank you, Deb for being a great partner and knowing our students needs. You always work to serve them where they are. ~ Stephanie Shin
Thank you, Amy, for always collaborating and sharing ideas for SS and ELA. I love how you're always on top of planning. You spend countless hours here and at home to serve your students. ~ Stephanie Shin
Thank you to my fifth grade team for supporting my students by helping my long-term sub while I was out. ~ Stephanie Shin
Thank you Coach K for a sweet surprise that brightened my day on Tuesday. ~ Stephanie Shin
Carline- thank you so much for the reminders....:) ~ Cindy
Thank you to the First Grade Team for presenting at the faculty meeting on Thursday, sharing "good thoughts" and how they work together as a team to benefit teaching and learning! ~ Cindy
Thank you to Kindergarten for pulling together and supporting a substitute this week! Thank you for supporting each other! ~ Cindy
Thank you to the PreK team for sharing your student's work in the hallways! It is exciting to see how we are meeting the learning targets for our very youngest! Great things are happening in PreK! ~ Cindy
Kudos to Jerry and Crystal for putting the T back in STEM. ~ Beverly
Kudos to Beth for the awesome Clemson, no, Auburn Tiger paw. ~ Beverly
Thank you to the bus dismissal crew for making sure our students depart with a smile. ~ Beverly
Thank you to Cyndi for your continued support with iSTEAM and our charter First Lego League team. ~ Beverly
Shout out to Beth and Deb for continuing our work with the National Junior Beta Club. ~ Beverly
Big shout out to Frank for being brave enough to join us with 4th grade National Junior Beta Club. ~ Beverly
Thank you to Larry for setting up my iSTEAM Club in eCLASS. ~ Beverly
Kudos to Mandy for an awesome Holiday concert. ~ Beverly
Thank you to Jill Moore for handling those gifted referrals. ~ Beverly
Much appreciation to Carolina and staff for the storage cabinet. The Beebots and Probots are happy to have a home. ~ Beverly
Thank you Dana Soto for stepping in and covering Math Club for me during my emergency. It takes a village. ~ Wilnia
Cyndi Bennett - Thank you for making sure I always have my behavior sheets complete and thank you for calling my students mom to inform them about their childs progress. ~ Amy
Ashley Miller - Thank you for always having our CLT minutes ready and for making my USS Maine sign so pretty! ~ Amy
Thank you to Carolann for always checking in on our students and loving them the way you do! ~ Pre-K Team
Thank you to Ms. Gunter for being so great with our kiddos! ~ Pre-K Team
Thank you Mrs. Thompson for spending literacy time with our kids! We enjoy having you! ~ Pre-K Team
Kudos to Naisha Lyons, thank you for always keeping me up to date with the in's and out's of the students in your classroom. I appreciate our conversations, so that all students are successful! ~ Katie
Kudos to Cyndi Bennett, thank you for being a team player and being open to new ideas when working with the students in your classroom ~ Katie
Kudos to Stephanie Shin, thank you for a great full week back in the classroom. It is great to see you back at school ! ~ Katie
Thank you to the fourth grade team for a great presentation Thursday and for always taking care of one another! ~ Katie
MEDIA NEWS
PBIL Research Requests:
Grade level chairs and other staff who would like to work on collaborative research projects (utilizing media center resources for PBIL or other activities) should see Mrs. Wyble to schedule planning time, and subsequent student instructional time.
Leveled Informational Skills Instruction:
Be looking out for a "Media News Tidbit" email, outlining basic informational skills lessons that will be offered during the month of November.
Online Communique
The latest posts to the online Communiqué
include features on GCPS' Teacher of the Year, Career Connections, a salute to veterans, and Milestones results, plus calendar updates and Bulletin Board items. Coming up, watch for news on Principal for a Day, a unique career exploration event, and winter weather reminders.
New items are added each week.
Story ideas? Great photos? Feedback? Let us know at communique@gwinnett.k12.ga.us.
Career Advancement Scholarships
It’s scholarship time at Peach State Federal Credit Union! For our 2016 Scholarship Program, we are awarding a total of $138,200 in scholarships and educational grants.
Our Career Advancement Scholarships, which honor the founders of Peach State, are a part of this program. Recognizing the importance of education as a lifelong experience, we will award 16 $2,000 Career Advancement Scholarships to eligible members of our credit union. All scholarship winners will be chosen by the end of April 2016 and notified shortly thereafter.
To be considered for the scholarships, all applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
· Must be a credit union member in good standing
· Must currently be enrolled in an accredited program of study at a college, university or technical institute with the goal of career advancement (proof of paid registration documents for current term or class schedule from accredited institution must be included)
Please share this information along with the attached scholarship application with your faculty and staff. Completed applications and supporting documentation must be received by Peach State no later than March 18, 2016. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Deborah
Deborah Fancher
Business Development
Peach State Federal Credit Union
Phone: 770.513.6394
Fax: 770.963.4066
Email: dfancher@peachstatefcu.org
Website: www.peachstatefcu.org
Application Link:
Sycamore Elementary School
Email: crystal_cooper_thompson@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Website: sycamorees.org
Location: 5695 Sycamore Road, Sugar Hill, GA, United States
Phone: 678-714-5770
Facebook: facebook.com/sycamorees
Twitter: @sycamorees