MoB (Matters of Business)
Edgewood's Weekly Staff Update for the week of 1/21-25
We are committed to the journey of developing EACH child to be an inspired learner and a caring, contributing citizen.
Learning Notes
As we did in October, we should have a sample of one we've done to bring with us to the table on 2/18.
Here are some definitions/tips that may help clarify our work:
Project-Based Learning: Using the PBL model, students work on projects to solve a real-world problem or answer a complex question over an extended period of time. When the project is complete, they show their understanding and skills in a public way through a display or presentation for a real audience. In other words, students learn skills/gain understandings through doing an extended project. (While it is cool, and has had some great results in places, this has not been a focus, and is not heavily used in Greenfield).
Inquiry: This is an approach to teaching/learning in which we teach students to ask and answer their own questions, and through that, students learn content. It ranges from heavily teacher guided to entirely student-driven. Inquiry can be small (20 minutes here/there) or can evolve into longer, more substantial research projects.
Performance Task: Something that a student/group of students do to learn. It can be part of Stage 3. It may help students to deepen understanding during a unit, or help them to unearth new understandings. Remember the fun teacher who taught her students about perimeter/area by finding a table that would seat the most people? That was a performance task. Haven't seen/don't remember the video? Watch here.
Performance Assessment: An assessment that looks to see if students can transfer understandings to new situations without being told exactly what to do. (e.g. "Find the area.") As we're looking for independent transfer, performance assessments shouldn't take more than a class period; at the elementary level, if we have tasks that spread over multiple days, we'll be helping them, which defeats the purpose of assessing their independent abilities.
So what do you need? A performance task or a performance assessment? It depends on your purpose. As we prepare for the roll-out of Learning Board next year, though, I encourage you to give a performance assessment a try. If your team hasn't tried a couple out already, I encourage you to put it on an upcoming Collaborative Team agenda. And, you don't have to be perfect by 2/18. We'll spend some time learning more as a staff on 2/6, and we'll have time on 2/18 to work on them, too.
TCB (Taking Care of Business)
- The STAR window is open for grades 2-5 the month of January. I'm excited to see the progress our students have made! Please make plans to give it sometime during the month. We'll review data at our next data meetings (Scheduled Jan 29, 30, 31). Make sure you communicate testing dates with the Sped team so that accommodations can be provided per IEP.
- Have ideas for improving our bus lines/dismissal? Add them to the Google Doc Here
- Your slots for parent-teacher conferences should be nearly full. After you've scheduled conferences with more pressing concerns, I encourage you to open up remaining slots to any other parents who would like to talk about their child's progress with you. Please let me know if you have questions or would like me to join you for a conference.
- Classroom teachers: if you have an initial eligiblility or reevaluation scheduled, please email Meg and Holly about arranging for a sub, as the meetings often go until 10:30.
Academic Language (EL) Corner
Staff Shout Outs to...
- To 5th grade, who's rocking the use of formative assessment in a reading unit!
- To 4th grade, who looked like superstars with their data out at collaborative team time Wednesday morning.
- To Jackie and Holly for being excellent fact finders using video surveillance.
- To Jenna, Jenna, Jennifer, Jenny, Jackie, Bryan, Anna, and Alex who moved their schedules around to help out with coverage this week.
- To Kathy Heidt for eloquently and compassionately providing parents with information about their child at IEP meetings. She really knows "her stuff", but also knows each individual child's strengths and weaknesses.
- Thank you to Sarah for always stepping up when needed. She rocks.
- To Holly for being so thorough finding good subs for our building. It's not an easy job...especially this year!
- Shout-out to multiple people for their love and support. Whether it's helping me in the health room with sick/injured/broken kids . . . answering my phone . . . giving me a hug . . . allowing me to sit in on story time . . . leaving notes . . . reassuring me . . . making me laugh when I needed to . . .each of these truly helped me more than you will know. I'm lucky to be where I am. Thank you. Holly aka Sparkle
- To DeAnn for graciously offering to meet the broken down bus 21 after school. She helped Meg move kids from one bus to the other in her typical easy-going style. Jackie & Holly
Upcoming Dates
1/21: SIT Window (1-3pm)
1/22: 4K Brainstorming, 7:40
1/23: All Staff Meeting--Self-Directed Learning (Sharing our targets with kids)
1/25: Coffee with the Principal, 8-8:30am in the Learning Commons (tips for getting your kid to like reading)
1/25: 3rd-5th Character Celebration Assembly (1:00)
1/25: Peaceful School Bus, 2:30
Next Week:
1/28: Data Day, 2nd AM, 5th PM
1/28: EW Presents to the School Board, 6:30pm
1/29: Brainstorming, 5th Grade, 7:40
1/29: Data Day, 3rd Grade, 12:30-3:30
1/30: Staff Collaborative Team Time, 7:40
1/30: Data Day, 4th Grade, 12:30-3:30
2/1: SOTM Breakfast, 8:00-8:30
2/1: Assembly, 2:30
Other Upcoming Dates
2/13: Early Release--Parent Teacher Conferences
By 2/14: Complete a mid-year update of your PPG and SLO with a colleague (the mid-year reflection is part of the form you turn in in May). If you need to make an adjustment, it must be submitted to Meg by 2/8.
2/15: Mid-winter break (no school)
2/18: Professional Learning
4/18: Grandparents Day (Schedule TBD)