Halliburton Happenings
September 25, 2015
Goal for the Week: Employee Evaluation
We will begin the PDAS 45 minute appraisals right after individual goal setting conferences. Most of you have received individual feedback from the 15 minute walk through on Eduphoria. We have also been using your look for QR codes when visiting your classrooms. We will discuss all this data as well as your PLP during your goal setting conferences. Click the links in the "to do" section to sign up for your conference times.
To Do
- Print training certificates from Texas Training Center
- Sign up for goal conference with Jamie or Tonya depending on who is your primary appraiser. If you are unsure, there is a Google Doc in the BES folder with this information.
- Please send all attendance letters, notes, and e-mails to Shelly the moment you receive them. Thank you!
- Smile, it's Friday! :)
Celebrations
- Amazing staff participation during Laps for Learning today! Lots of runners, joggers, walkers, and cheerers out there encouraging our Texans to try their best.
- Sue and Sandy for FABULOUS Laps for Learning event! Our students were well trained, energized, and excited about today's event!
- Almost every student has completed ISIP reading assessment! Thank you for taking the time to go to the computer lab to give the assessment to help drive our instruction.
- Wonderful learning occurring throughout the building as I have visited classrooms this week! I learned about a new grammar website in 5th grade, Google Classroom in 4th grade, Blendspace in 3rd grade math, text features through a Pic Collage in 2nd grade, using math words in 1st grade, RazKids in kindergarten, running in PE, creating shadows on a branch in art, and a magic number in music! Looking forward to more fantastic learning next week!
- Thank you Abbey, Susan Anderson, Sue Atkins, Alecia, Brittany, and Jeannette for supporting BES spirit night at Skate Town! Your extra time and support made a big impact on students and parents!
PLCs this Week
During PLCs this week, we will be doing on learning walks using the Look Fors Google Form you created. We will meet in Lisa's room right after you drop your class at specials. We will spend the first 10 to 15 minutes visiting classrooms, then come back to Lisa's room to debrief on our observations. Thank you for bringing your iPads to PLCs.
Laps for Learning T-Shirts
Budget
Education Foundation
Update to 2015-2016 Student Assessment Testing Calendar
The revised calendar will be posted to the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) website at http://www.tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/calendars/. This calendar reflects changes to testing dates previously communicated to school districts. To meet legislative requirements, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) grades 4 and 7 writing assessments will be redesigned so they can be completed in one four-hour administration. In the current school year, the STAAR grades 4 and 7 writing assessments will be administered on Tuesday, March 29, 2016.
Please call the Student Assessment Division at (512) 463-9536 if you have any questions about this information.
Calling for Outstanding Student Nominations
Nominate your outstanding 4th-8th graders for summer 2016 Lone Star Leadership Academy camps! Participants travel to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston area to join delegations of other distinguished students from across Texas for a week of fun, learning, leadership development, and visits to significant Texas destinations. Each day participants explore notable Texas sites, learn about unique careers from professionals, and work in small groups to develop specific leadership skills. In addition to improving their leadership abilities, participants gain self-confidence and independence and develop new friendships with other high-achieving students from across the state.
Nominees must:
- Be in 4th-8th grade
- Maintain an 85 or higher average
- Demonstrate leadership ability
- Be involved in school/community activities
Week at a Glance
Monday
Wonderful day of learning!
School Board Meeting
Tuesday
PLC Day, Lisa's room
Optional: Website Assistance 3:10 p.m. in the Library
Wednesday
Choir 2:45 p.m.
Chess Club 2:45 p.m.
Thursday
Choir 2:45 p.m.
Optional: Staff Choice with Vicki 3:10 in Lisa's Room
Sky Ranch Parent Meeting 6:30 p.m. Library
GT Lead Parent Meeting 6:00 p.m. PDEC
Friday
Spirit Day
Website Updates Due
Needs Assessment
Lis Hammons, PTA president, and I visited this week about the financial goals. She will be visiting with team leaders about what the PTA is willing to support financially and I am going to visit with the PTA executive board about the workings of our school budget. This transparency in fund usage should assist us in making sure we have all the tangible items needed to design engaging work for our students.
Thank you in advance for sharing your needs! NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Website Updates
A BIG thank you to Brittany Chapman for serving as our BES webmaster this school year! Brittany spent last week updating different aspects of our website, including our campus calendar and the front pictures. On Tuesday, September 29 at 3:10 in the library, Brittany and I will be available in the library to assist with updating your websites.
In order to provide some consistency to our website, we are asking for pages to include the following:
Departments & Programs
- Picture of the team
- Names of team members
- Contact information
- Schedule: lunch, recess, specials/conference
Individual Page
- Picture
- Contact info: e-mail, school phone, blog (if applicable), Twitter (if applicable), Facebook (if applicable)
- About the teacher
- Side: curriculum, schedule, expectations, helpful links
Thank you for having your websites updated by Friday, October 2!
Staff Handbook Spotlight: Conferences
Each teacher must hold one fall conference and one spring conference for each student. Telephone conferences are acceptable, at the parent’s request, but personal conferences are preferred and far more effective.
Student-Led Conferences: GCISD expects all 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to conduct a student-led conference this school year. Other grade levels are encouraged to include students for at least part of the spring conference. Students are expected to share their Plan, Do, Study, Act Goals and any documents that support their growth. Multiple student-led conferences can be scheduled and facilitated by the homeroom teacher at the same time.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Each teacher will have a conference with parents of any student who is failing a subject or not meeting behavioral expectations. This conference can be scheduled in person or by phone. The conference needs to happen prior to the parents receiving the progress report or report card. If written notification is used to schedule the conference, documentation must be kept of the conference request and material discussed during the conference.
Documentation: All teachers should make sure that they document all phone calls and parent conferences. You may document using the parent conference form and/or using the journal tab in Eduphoria. When completing the conference form and/or journal in Eduphoria, please reflect what was discussed during the conference. The form may be partially completed prior to the conference, but room should be left available for discussion of parent concerns or questions. The point of this form is to be a resource for parents to refer back to after the conference. Please be sure you note your recommendations for improving academic and/or behavioral performance. Copies of all notes and letters sent home should be kept in a file by the conferencing teacher.
Bullying Awareness Month
Here are a few activities that are taking place across the district - if you have any questions, please see your campus counselor or Emberly Spillman:
- October 5: "Stomp Out Bullying" - wear blue
- October 21: "Unity Day" - make it orange and make it end
- October 27: "Mix It Up at Lunch Day" - ask students to sit with someone new over lunch
Where in the World...
9/28: BES :)
9/29: PLCs :)
9/30: BES :)
10/1: BES :)
10/2: BES :)
10/5: BES :) Wear Blue to Stomp Out Bullying
10/6: BES :) Staff Meeting 3:10 p.m.
10/7: Principal Meeting
10/8: Galaxy Breakfast, a.m., Champions Meeting 3:15 p.m.
10/9: PTA Exec Board a.m.
Jamie Halliburton
Email: jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net
Phone: 806-441-6518
Twitter: @BESHalliburton