Skyland Peek at the Week
Week of November 4 - 8
Because your so awesome, you win an extra hour to sleep!
Thank you so much for your participation in our PD on Word Study/Writer's Workshop. I appreciate how open you all are to how we can improve our writing instruction here at Skyland. I have linked a few videos on Writer's Workshop below if you have a second to watch them. I will try to post a few more resources as we move forward with examining how we teach writing.
This Wednesday will be our first Vertical Team meeting. You will be on the vertical team that you lesson plan for on your grade level. If you plan word study, you will go with who plans writing. If you have any questions about this please let Kenna or myself know. We will all meet in the media center at 3:10 to start vertical team meetings and get some more information. Special Education - You can pick the vertical team that you feel like you could contribute to the most. Related Arts - Vertical Teams will be optional for you. If you feel like you can contribute something to the conversation, we'd love to have you join that vertical team. However, we also understand you don't teach the same standards as the classroom teachers. We are hopeful that you will be able to get a lot out of these vertical conversations.
Don't forget that it is time change weekend! Enjoy your extra hour of sleep!
Reminders
SLOs Grade Level Conferences
Special Education: 8-8:20 am
K4: 11:45 - 12:15
RA: We will get with you as needed.
We are thankful for you!!
Early Bird Car Riders
Duty coverage on days you are out...
Lesson Plan Reminders
Veterans Day Expectations and Schedule of Events (READ CAREFULLY)
Veterans Day is Monday, November 11th. Please continue to send your Veterans Day sheets to the front office.
Please also remember the following things about Veterans Day:
* Lunch will be in your room. It will be delivered to you.
* No Related Arts on Veterans Day.
* Please park in the side lot so that the main parking lot is available for Veterans.
* Encourage your students to wear red, white and blue.
* No jeans or jean passes on Veterans Day since we will have guests in our building.
* Please make sure you have something planned for any Veterans that visit your classroom. Discuss your plans with your grade level teams. We are going to try our best to make sure every classroom has at least one Veteran visitor.
* Prep your students about appropriate and inappropriate questions to ask our guests.
* Please make sure your outside hallway displays are changed out and/or you have your hallway/classroom/door decorated for Veterans Day.
* We are going to attempt to record the performance for your class to watch the day after Veterans Day. You may show as much as you would like to. More details to come.
* There are flyers for Veterans Day on the door of the mail room. If you go to a local church, restaurant, or business and you would be willing to hang on of our flyers up, we would really appreciate it!
* Please be flexible with us on that day! Welcome any extra Veterans who come to visit your classroom.
* If you have any nominations for Quilts of Valor, please let me know ASAP.
* If you have any other ideas you'd like to try, please let me know!
* Here is a Brainpop video on Veterans Day: https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/veteransday/ (username: newington Password: splash)
Schedule of Events:
10:30 - 10:45: Veterans arrive, greeted by Student Council
10:45 - 11:30: K-2 Veterans will eat lunch in the cafeteria with their student
3-5 Veterans will visit classrooms
11:30 - 12:15: K-2 Veterans will visit classrooms
3-5 Veterans will eat lunch with their student
12:15 - 1:00: Assembly (Skyland Singers and North Greenville University Brass Band, Third grade, and Quilt of Valor presentation): Fourth and Fifth grades and Veterans/Families only (Fourth grade attending will depend on space available)
Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
Also, please remember that we should not be posting, commenting, or liking anything on social media during school hours, even if it is during your planning/break. We don't want to give our families the impression that we are on social media when we are supposed to be teaching their children. Also, while we are good to post student pictures on our Skyland page and you are welcome to re-share it on your personal page, please don't post pictures of students on your personal page.
Greater Greer Education Foundation Grant
Don't let this opportunity pass you by! It is so worth it!
Let me know if your submit a grant --- There might be a JEANS PASS waiting on the other side! :)
School Choice Lottery Window
For magnet schools, magnet applications should be submitted during the first Magnet Round which is Friday, November 1, 2019, through noon on Tuesday, December 3, 2019. Contact for Magnet School Applications: Contact the magnet school or Kelly Nalley, 355-4817.
Parent SMORE
It is packed full of tons of information for our families. Thank you!
Reminders from Mase
Reminders from Kenna
Grades 3-5: The Masteryconnect benchmark window will be open from Wednesday, Oct. 30-Friday, November 12. Please plan to test students early in the window to ensure that all absent students are made up before the window closes. Please start early in the day so that all students can finish in one school day. Only students who are sick/have early dismissals should continue a test on the following day.
Late finishers will stay with you on test
ing days and make-ups will be administered in the classroom.
While this is not considered a "high-stakes" test, please offer your students the same testing conditions that you do any other assessment. Please see Kim, Lynne, or Cary if you have any questions. Accommodations are outlined on p. 13 of the implementation guide.
Please make sure students submit their test once they've completed it. Ask them not to press the back button or refresh during their test. If a connectivity issue occurs and the student gets knocked off, please have them log back into the test using their test ID. All submitted answers should be saved.
Please do not preview benchmark material with your students prior to testing.
A copy of the district's Masteryconnect implementation guide can be found in my google classroom or by using this link. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Reminders from Katelin
- K5: Please remember to administer F&P to students as they begin to read. The latest date for you to enter scores into RAS is December 6th.
- On Track Reminder: Please e-mail me (K-2) or Caitlyn (3-5) if you fill out the google form to refer a student for On Track. Link - https://forms.gle/imxdwcYNKfZVJizn6
- Berry Bowl Wednesday: Our first Berry Bowl Wednesday will be November, 13th. Be on the lookout for an e-mail about how to order!
- Word Study: Thank you so much for your implementation of the word study kits and for letting us join your classroom! Please remember to include which lesson you are teaching in your lesson plans so we are aware. (Ex. SP 8)
- Balanced Literacy: We will be completing Balanced Literacy walk-throughs during the months of November/December to guide our Literacy PLCs in December. J
Counselor's Corner - Reminders from Caitlyn and Chelsea
If anyone would be willing to help sponsor a child for Christmas, or has a Sunday school class/small-group that is looking for a child to sponsor, please send me an email! ❤
Please continue to use the google form to refer students to Mrs. Grigg & Ms. Shepherd! It is so very helpful in keeping us organized! Also, please hand any on-track paperwork, signature pages, etc. to Katelin H. for grades K4-2nd, & to Caitlyn G. for grades 3rd-5th. With that being said, we are both happy to answer any questions about the on-track process for any grade level!
Important Upcoming Dates
November
5 - Picture Make-ups and Holiday Pictures
6 - Vertical Teams
6 - 4K 1/2 day
7 - Chorus Field Trip
12 - Mastery Connect window closes
11 - Veteran's Day
13 - Faculty Council Meeting
18 - AED Drill
22 - 4th grade field trip
22 - SIC Meeting
27-29 - Thanksgiving Break
Happy Birthday
November
5 – Jenny Roberson, 4th
6 – Kathleen Ross, 1st
10 – Holli Fears
17 – Caridad Garcia, ESOL
28 – Amy Forrester, 5th
28 – Jessica Styles, 1st
29 – Kristina Fleming, K5
Dates Stafford is super duper sad that she will be out of the building
11/6 - Principal Meeting
11/15 - New Principal Meeting
11/19 - Principal IC Meeting
12/4 - Principal Meeting
Mrs. Stafford's Contact Information
Email: lstafford@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/skyland/
Phone: 8643557210
Twitter: @leahcstafford