Bobcat Bulletin
September 19,2016
Dear Super Staff,
I realize and understand how difficult our job is. Thank you for the attention, dedication and passion you bring each day focused on student learning. Teaching is complicated, sophisticated, and complex.
We are finishing our 5th week of ELA instruction. Please save one writing sample thus far and a copy of your ELA unit assessment. I'd like to see a copy and post them in the lounge. This will show the progression of writing through the grade levels. Please put the writing sample and unit test in my mailbox on my door by Friday. K-3 is narrative and 4-6 is informational/explanatory.
Just For Your Info:
Parent volunteers:
Please make sure ALL parent volunteers that come in each week have been cleared to volunteer by sending them to Nydia.
MEE Loop Duty:
We have had a few parent complaints about impatient parents cutting in line.
When on duty, one of you will need to watch kids under the tree, one of you will need to monitor cars and wave them forward. Please discourage double parking or cutting.
Kim Marshall Memo
The classics are always a reflective read.
If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here:
http://www.marshallmemo.com/issue.php?I=dbe929c1f5ffc1c9dd402357b0178fcc
To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#651), please click here:
https://youtu.be/qf5bpI8wT8E
I have attached different types of assessments ideas to use in your classrooms.
Now is the time to hunker down and have a laser like focus on increasing your knowledge of standards and objectives in ELA and Math. If writing or the My Math are too overwhelming right now, I would rather you set them aside until you are more in the swing of things with ELA and Math instruction. These are the two areas we are tested in. I am not saying writing, ELD, Science or SS are not important, but I am saying prioritize! The BIG ROCKS are ELA, Math and increasing student achievement. The other content areas can be brought in at a slower pace. I hope this gives you some breathing room.
Fondly,
Stephenie
Instructional Focus
As you continue to refine your craft, please be sure to explain to the children and help them articulate (in kid-friendly terms) the WHAT, WHY and HOW they are learning.
What "it" is they are learning? - A measurable objective tied to a grade level standard.
Why "it" is important? - Not too complicated, just a way they can understand how they will use this learning in the future.
Some on the reasons they need to learn are to be able to be successful in the next set of objectives or next year. Knowing your instructional timelines can help answer the why.
How will you know when you have mastered this skill? - I believe this is a very empowering piece to learning. When we know from the beginning of the lesson and through the lessons what our goal is and what this mastery looks like, students begin to own their achievement.
Week Ahead
9/19-23
Front Lot: Estacion and McMahon
Lunch Tables: Schewenke, Karl and Jarvis
Hall/Front gate:Poulos and Noll
MEE Loop:Corduan, Kessel and DelGado (Keep cars moving and not cutting in line)
Innovation Lab
B week
M
New School Shirt
LIM Team "getting it done" day
Picture Day
2:30 T3 team to work on Tech plan
T
EAG walk thrus Stephenie at LAP and WHF all day-Bridgid/Yvette admin on call
W
Vintage school shirt
LIM Review day with Kathy-See shared schedule
1:30 PLC/Progress Reports
1:45 Staff "Medication foe kids" Training
Th
Taylor De Luz
2:30 Food Pantry
F
College Shirt Day
Progress Reports Home for ALL kids
11:00-1:00 Staff Lunch provided by Lingual Learning
School Culture
You can help now by...
- Having your student class jobs nailed down. Students need to respond to the prompt to "What is your leadership job? Classroom or on campus.
- Your greeter is practiced and ready to go.
- LIM/7 Habit infused environment in your room
- Bulletin board titles
- Big rocks/schedule
- Inspiring leadership quotes
- Writing or projects around 7H
- Jobs posted and used
- Notebooks/goal being used and students understand them
- WIGS and scoreboards (LT will share finals on Mon)
- 7H language being used during the day and in lessons
- Graphic organizers/universal LIM tools being used.
- Student Led Conferences
I feel strongly we are 95% there with all of these pieces in place and they are all second nature to you. If not, please ask for help from your Lighthouse Team.