Sunset Housekeeping Notes
October 8th-12th
Mission: Sunset will educate and INSPIRE students to THRIVE in an environment of change.
Message from Mrs. Hafey
House Meetings
I am seeing Goals and Banners posted outside of grade levels! Excellent goal setting ideas! I was able to sit in on a House Meeting - great job 3rd Grade, 4th grade capitalized on their field trip down time, and I know many of you have had your meetings already! NICE JOB! So, now that we have our First House Meeting under our belts, please let me know who is needing an extra adult to help support their House Meetings!
Ketchup Folders
Please remember to use these sheets for your students that are absent! I really want parents to understand (and the child) the amount of work they miss during the day! One way I used this in my classroom, was I had a neighbor student fill it out as the day happened! If you need more templates, they are hanging on the filing cabinet heading into my office!
PBS Lunch Reward
Thank you to those of you that have gotten me their student write-up! Take a look at Julie's, she brings her idea from Sandrock! If you are interested, I bet she'll share the template!
If you have not gotten me your student's write up - please do so ASAP! Since I will be out of the building Monday and Tuesday, please just go ahead and hang your write up on the PAWS board in the lobby! Be sure to leave me a copy that I'll sign and hook to a picture - you'll find these in your boxes on Wed.!
They were a great bunch of students! Thank you! Be watching and thinking about October's winner!
Update from the Events and Activities Planning Committee
Red Ribbon Week: October 25thish - October 31stish - a whole school banner that students can sign and make a pledge - Life is your Journey, Travel Drug Free is this years theme - more to come - will roll out during the assembly, October 26
Veterans Day: Observed at the schools on Monday, November 12 - we would invite our families and their families to attend our morning on the 12th for a coffee and doughnut/pastry time - ahead of time we will break up into separate letters THANK YOU VETERANS - giving each class a letter to decorate and sign - we'll then post the letters in the front lawn at Sunset during the week leading up to Veteran's Day (November 7th and 8th) - We will take a whole school picture with these letters and provide each veteran a copy of the picture as a gift from Sunset - saying Thank You to them for their service. The students Sunset Sunshine Committee will present the Veterans with a picture. We will be sending out invites so we have an idea of about how many copies of the pictures to make for this day. We will start our morning of Nov. 12 out on the front yard around the flag pole and ending with a few songs from 5th grade!
December - Singing Around the Christmas Tree and Canned Food Drive: Currently we are doing some work to see what part of our past is still to be this year with Santa Claus and his wife retiring last year! What we have agreed to is that we really missed singing around the Christmas tree last year! So, on Dec. 21 - first thing in the morning - 8:15 - we will be hosting this school wide led by some of our talented staff who can sing and/or play an instrument (Tilila, Jen, Erin, Julie, Celeste, Renee'....). Hopefully, Renee' will agree to start a few practice to teach our students some Christmas songs before this date!!!! Hint Hint!!! In the mean time - we are working on dates for our Canned Food/Toy Drive - stay tuned! More to come!
If you have questions, please reach out to a committee member: Julie Sperl, Amber Beaver, Alida Crookston, and Melany Neton!
Sunset School Goals
Okay gang.....The PaceSetters completed the LET (Literacy Evaluation Tool) and I have narrowed the district's work, the following will be Sunset's Goals:
1. Reach and/or Surpass the ELG Goals
a. Make above to well above average progress moving students out of the well below benchmark category as measured by the DIBELS Next Growth Tool.
b. Make above to well above average progress moving students into the benchmark category as measured by the DIBELS Next Growth Tool.
c. Move 50% of the students scoring below benchmark up at least one performance category (well below benchmark to below benchmark/benchmark or below benchmark to benchmark).
2. Increase our Math Focus - finding the balance between the Math Skills and Processes.
a. Use of Math Navigator Intervention Tool
b. Build Math Interventions with supports when possible
3. Implementation of the Wonders Program - Year 2
a. Use of Instructional Coaches to support Instructional Needs
b. Collaboration and work with Mel Ilk - ELG Consultant
Sneak Peak at the Week...
Dibels: Red Students only
Monday & Tuesday, October 8/9: Hafey in Denver
Monday, October 8: CST/IEP - 8-10
Monday, October 8: End of Fundraiser - please bring all packets to the office
Wednesday, October 10: Admin. Meeting - 8:30-2:30
Thursday, October 11: Rti - Check in- 3rd Grader - Justin A.
Thursday October 11: Critical Friends - 3:30 in Zimmerman's Room
Friday, October 12: 2nd Grade - Field Trip - 8:30-11:20am
Friday, October 12: Boxtop Challenge Ends - currently, each boxtop is worth double so be sure to turn them in!
Tasks Needing YOUR Attention...
1. Update your DLT
2. 3rd-5th Grade - DAZE progress Monitoring
3. Write ON Demand #1 - please be sure to grade separately and then together - please let me know when you will be doing this so that I can come and participate, I love doing these!
4. Look at Amplify at your Dibels Scores
5. Update the Wonders sheet in the Lounge AND Data Spreadsheet
6. Review the Reading Observation and Implementation Plan placed in your box
7. Don't forget to bring in a bag of candy for the Trunk or Treat box!!!
8. Post your Math Problem Solving method - I'll be pulling in Wed. to begin next steps!
Writing On Demand
Writing On Demand
Purpose of Writes on Demand:
**Build Stamina
**Independence in the Writing Process
**Use of a common Rubric
**Check Point – Formative Assessment for Teachers and Students
Goal:
All students will be able to complete an entire piece of writing – from the planning stage to a final draft within a 45-50 minute time-frame.
Expectations:
**Every 6 weeks
**Same Grade Level Prompt for the current writing genre
**Same Rubric used to assess
**Same delivery – roll out method
**3rd, 4th, 5th – Computer Lab
**Grade and swap to check grading reliability
**Keep to share with parents and students
Dates:
Week of October 8th
Week of November 26th
Week of January 28th
Week of March 11th
Week of May 6th
Upcoming Important Dates:
OCTOBER
October 15: Kindergarten Connection Day
October 17: New Teacher Training - 4:00-5:30pm
October 18: Mel will be at Sunset
October 19: PLC K-12 - 1/2 day with Mel, the other 1/2 day Building Work
October 22: PLC K-5 - Building Work
October 23: PAC Meeting - during this meeting, I will be asking for our annual $200-250 amount to each teacher - I'll keep you posted
October 26: School Board Member will be visiting Sunset at 10:00 - Elise Sullivan
October 26: Assembly - AR, PAWS, and I Pledge kick off - wear House T-Shirts on this Day
NOVEMBER
November 9: Elementary Work Day
November 10: GOTR 5k in Steamboat
November 12: Vet Day celebration
November 13 & 15: P/T Conferences, 3:30-7:30ish
November 19-23: Thanksgiving Break
November 27: Staff Meeting
November 29: Mel at Sunset
November 30: .5 PLC/.5 Plan Day
DECEMBER
December 18: Book Bingo - 6-7pm
December 24 - January 4: Christmas Break
Looking for...
A grade level House Team to lead an activity to open up our Assembly! If your grade level is interested, please let me know ASAP (and your activity)!
Critical Friends
So, if you are needing some brainstorming around a behavior or skill or routine in your classroom, then you may want to consider bringing it to the Critical Friends team on Thursday!
Let Hafey know ASAP! You would need to be prepared with work samples and or description of problem! If you are interested, bring your idea to Hafey and she can lead you to the next steps!
The first meeting is THIS THURSDAY - from 3:30-4:15!
Rainy/Snowy Days - Plan B...
Okay gang - we had our first few days of rainy day - in classroom recess!
So, to help things run even smoother - Johnny came up with a GREAT idea...Each class/grade level makes a tote of events - and during their outside play time bring the tote to the gym - the kids can come in and do a sit down activity during this time! That way YOU can enjoy a break and coverage will be easier and more effective! Sooooo, next rainy day we will report to the gym - so please put together a bin of some sort to bring with your class!
Just a few reminders - some thoughts to ponder!
Wonders Assessment
I had some questions around whether or not our ELL students that speak little to no English should take the Wonders Assessment - the answer is no. We will continue to monitor this - as their English grows, we can begin to add this in.
Lastly, I know that you have done some great work in laying down the foundation of the How To take the assessment - both the multiple choice and constructed response - thank you for having these scores in the data spreadsheet! As you begin releasing students to take it on their own, please be sure to BOLD those students taking the Approaching as you enter their scores into the spreadsheet!
Let me know if you have questions!
ELL Students in Your Classes
If you have an ELL student that speaks little to no English, I should be seeing:
1. Visuals - your room should be visually rich to support topics
2. Accommodated work
3. Use of English/Spanish Dictionary - whether it is made by you or an already made one so the kids can refer to
Lastly, 3rd 4th, and 5th grade teachers - in order for the students to be able to use their English/Spanish (Word to Word Dictionary) you must be using it now!
If you have questions, please let me know!
Spelling
I am hoping as I am looking at Spelling lists work happening in Reading Group rotations - that the lists that students are using/working from is a reflection of their Spelling Inventory. If you have questions, please come see me!