Wilson Ranger Post
October 17, 2016
Small group lesson plans
Thank you, PTO, for the ice!
Also, thanks Michelle for ordering the ice machine and coordinating the installation!
Grades are due on Tuesday, October 18th
October Focus for Walkthroughs
We will begin our 45 min observations soon, but will be communicating later on those specifics.
Fall in the Garden
Here's a little update that Janet put together for PTO. We thought you might like to see...
What We Have Done, to date:
* Ranger Ranch has 50 to 400 student visits each week!
* Students have harvested sweet potatoes, peppers, malabar spinach, eggplant, basil, bok choy, and radishes. These have been eaten as class snacks or served in the cafe.
* 25 pounds of sweet potatoes are curing while we plan how to prepare and eat them.
Things We Are Learning
Thank you, PTO, for the outdoor classroom and water tank. It has transformed our outdoor learning experience, enabling us to spend more time in the garden area learning about the following:
- Food Webs and ecosystems of different scales
- Parts of a seed
- Biology and chemistry of composting
- Living and non-living things
- Leverage, force and measurement using garden tools and planting
- What foods are in season in fall and winter, how to prepare and eat them
- What effects other creatures have on our crops
What’s Coming Up
* Continue to plant, grow, harvest and eat fall crops. These include broccoli, kale, cabbage, bok choy, carrots, peas, lettuce, chard and micro greens.
* Produce compost for the spring garden.
Sightings!
- Monarch Caterpillars
- Rabbit
- Grass Spiders
- Bees and wasps
- Earwigs
- Gecko lizards
- Pill Bugs
- Ants
- Assassin Bugs
- Stink Bugs
Reminder from Nurse Jill
Christmas in October!
The plan from technology is to meet with staff during their planning period to circulate their device and show them the basics of the Macbook Air. Also, they will remind you of your responsibility for the device and strongly recommend insurance.
5 Languages of Appreciation in the Work Place
How can we best communicate that we appreciate all you do for our learners, each other and the entire Wilson Community!?!?!?
In your box, you have received this book...
Please take this inventory and bring your results to our faculty meeting on Monday, October 31st. This will give you more time to get your Working Memory book read...once they arrive.
Questions? Just ask :)
GEM Nominations
Nominations for Great Educators Matter (GEM) are due Monday, Nov. 14th.
GEM is an employee award program sponsored by the district.
Employees nominate each other.
Think about a colleague you've "caught" going above and beyond their normal job duties and expectations of the district to do things they are NOT being paid to do (incl. stipends).
For example, think about the exceptional educator (or any CISD employee you know) who always takes the time to care for and place others before themselves. The ones who do what's "right" to help others - not for recognition - but because it's just the right thing to do. (They may not even realize they're modeling outstanding examples of good character for students, parents, and/or colleagues, because to them, it's second-nature!)
Jennifer Adams is our GEM rep and she will be sending out information. Please see her if you have questions.
Red and Black Grants due 10/17
The Coppell Education Foundation would like to announce that the 2016 Grant submission window will be open, as of September 12 and will close on October 17 at 4:30 pm.
We are excited to announce that this grant cycle we will hit the $1 Million mark. We encourage you to submit a request for grant money so you can be part of our celebration!
All applications must be submitted through this google form. It can also be accessed through our website www.coppellisdef.com, by clicking on grants and R&B grant application. Application Guideline in pdf form are available on the website, for planning purposes only. (By the way, we are in the process of updating our website with all grants that have been given since 2001, by school. All the grants are listed, with the details and pictures to be added soon.)
Once an application has been submitted through the google form and the signed policies and procedures form has been sent to aarthur@coppellisdef.com, a confirmation email will be sent back to the applicant and administrator.
We look forward to reading all the creative, transformative ideas that provide learning opportunities for our students beyond the four walls of the classroom.
Track Redo
Contractors will be here Oct 26 & 27 to work on the walking track.