Hillcrest Hawk Happenings
The official newsletter of Hillcrest Elementary Staff
Supporting, empowering, & championing every single student, every single day, in every single way.
January 12, 2020
IMPORTANT DATES
TO ACCESS THE MONTH-BY-MONTH CALENDARS for the whole year, click HERE. Please know that these are still works-in-progress, so check back often to see the updates.
MUST READ
STUDENTS TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR COMMITMENT TO CHARACTER AT BOE MEETINGS
The students we select each month will be recognized at the first BOE meeting of the following month.The dates are as follows: February 4 March 10 April 14 May 19 June 2 I need to send the names of the two students at least one week prior to those dates; if you have a student in your class who you feel exemplifies the qualities of the monthly characteristic, please nominate them by clicking this link. As I said, I must choose students and submit their names at least one week prior, so please be proactive. For the month of January, the character trait is collaboration.
Bulletin Board Dates
Please adhere to the due dates for the bulletin boards. Refer to the memo in the Staff Handbook for more information. Bulletin boards should have a title, should have the name(s) of the teacher(s), a description of the Task, grade level standards addressed, and a copy of the rubric. Because feedback is so important, please provide feedback, which may be in the form of a glow/grow.
Grades 4/5 Bulletin Board Schedule
(Subject to change)
Due Date
September 13th
September 27th
November 1st
December 6th
January 10th
February 7th
March 6th
April 3rd
May 1st
June 5th
TESOL COHORT INFO SESSION
Please be advised that the Peekskill City School District will be holding an information session on Monday, January 13, 2020, in the Ford Administration Building at 4:00 pm for staff who are interested in earning an Advance Certificated in Teacher English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or an Extension Certificate in Bilingual Education from Fordham University (see attached). Fordham University will be offering participating teachers a 70% tuition reduction.
We will need at least ten (10) participants to run the cohort. The plan is to have the classes held in Peekskill.
Please RSVP to Madeline Sanchez, Director of Multilingual Learner.
ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY
Please remember you obligation to call home when a student has been out for more than two days -- if you can call after each absence -- even better. It's good for parents and kids to know that we notice, and that we miss them, and that we will reach out when a student is out. We have now been cited for absenteeism, so we will be making a more visible effort to catch kids before they fall into the "chronic" category.
Dual Language Survey
UPCOMING STATE VISIT
Provide feedback on NEW DISTRICT CODE OF CONDUCT (Draft)
YOGA IN THE CLASSROOMS
As you know, the district has dedicated resources to introducing yoga to students at all grade levels as part of our comprehensive SEL approach to learning. Until recently, it had been limited only to students who have PE on Fridays because that is when the instructor visits, and this has been the model the district initially chose. This presented several challenges: not all students were exposed to this helpful practice, and students who have PE on Fridays ALWAYS got yoga and, in addition to annoying students who did not prefer yoga over traditional PE activities, it also impacted the consistent delivery of the PE curriculum.
We have now moved to an alternate model which would expose more students to the practice for less time of their day, and would hopefully help students see ways in which they can utilize the practices in the classroom and their daily lives. It requires teachers to volunteer to have Karen push in to the classroom for 40 minutes to share some yoga practices with your students. It is not a prep (classroom teacher has to stay as she is not a certified teacher or district employee). If you did NOT have Karen and her team visit your classroom during their last visit, please see if you can invite her in during the next visit on January 24. Please sign up for a time by using January 24 Yoga Sign-up Sheet. We would like her to eventually visit all classrooms across her visits here, which will occur every 8 weeks or so.
PPD COURSES
Use this google form link to sign up.
LITERACY HAPPENINGS
FISH IN A TREE: How is the book study going in your classroom? Literacy Leaders will be sending some questions your way this week to elicit some opinions/thoughts from your students on the themes of the book. If you haven't already done so, please let us know where you are in the book by submitting it HERE.
NOMINATIONS FOR SCHOOL-WIDE READ-ALOUD for next year can be submitted by clicking the School-wide read aloud link. Titles should be 4th-5th grade level chapter book that reflect a theme of kindness or anti-bullying.
Last week's ELA Meeting:
Link to the few slides that have the 2019 ELA Curriculum and link to the Florida Center for Reading Research with the center/intervention ideas.
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH HAPPENINGS
General Elementary:
Want to Motivate Students? Make Their Work Visible
Technology & SEL Focus:
The Answer for Schools Is Not More Technology. It’s Teachers and Human Connection.
Multi-lingual Literacy Focus:
Why Multilingual People Have Healthier, More Engaged Brains
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46188/why-multilingual-people-have-healthier-more-engaged-brains
SEL Focus:
14 Phrases Kids Said That Were Code Words for "I'm Anxious"
Work Environment Focus:
Christine Porath: Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business
While meant for businesses, good thing for us to remember as well.
MATH HAPPENINGS
- Whenever possible, pllease have students log on to Zearn through Clever, as that is how we can see data on their progress/challenges/setbacks, and how much we are using it.
PBIS HAPPENINGS
The SEL theme for the month of January is COLLABORATION. Please look for opportunities to connect classroom learning to the district's monthly theme.
PBIS COMMITTEE MEETING THIS FRIDAY -- all are welcome!
ASSEMBLIES:
We need 2 classes from 4th and 5th grade to present at our assembly!!! Email Ms Moczarski if anyone is interested! :) Skits, songs, poetry, interpretive dance -- be creative!
Honorable Hawk Link :teachers please remember to add your Honorable Hawk for January using this link.
INDIVIDUAL REWARDS
Members of the PBIS Committee met before the break and began to explore the idea of enhancing our individual rewards for students. We will be looking to implement a "ticket" system in the near future where students will be immediately rewarded with tickets by staff members when they demonstrate Honesty, Ambition, Wisdom, Kindness and Safety. Tickets would be collected, and can be redeemed on Friday mornings with Rachel. Stay tuned for more information coming your way soon!
SPECIALS HAPPENINGS
To submit something for this section of the Hawk Happenings in the future, submit it by clicking HERE and it will appear in the next Hawk Happenings.
WHO'S THAT?!?!?!
I received a few entries this week, but I wonder if you can guess:
WHO's THAT?!?!?!
Submit your guess using this Google Form.