Holmes Weekly Update
Week Ending 1/11/19
Happy New Year!
I'm excited to begin this next part of the school year with our amazing team. #HolmesHawksRock #iloveourschool #Holmesteachersarethebest
Over break, I had an opportunity to work on my personal mission statement, set goals (not resolutions) for 2019, and feel ready to begin the hard work to achieve these goals. I have accountability partner both at Holmes and in my personal circle to help hold me accountable.
One of my personal missions this year is to find more balance in my life; balance between work and home and to balance care for others with self-care. My one word for 2019 is BALANCE!
I hope you enjoy your final weekend of winter break! I'll see you Monday morning.
What's Happening this Week?
Monday: 1/7/19 (BAS Window Open)
- Ed Council MTG 4:00-5:30
Tuesday: 1/8/19
- Service Team Meetings all day
- NBCT Cohort Meetings 3:45-5:45 - Section A Mann Media Center / Section B Julian D201
- New Teacher Meetings - Year 1 Cohort 3:45-6:00 - Brooks
Wednesday: 1/9/19
- Pop-Up PD - Teach Like a Champion Book Study 2:40-3:00 in the Libratory
- PBIS Meeting - 3:15-4:15 - Data Room
- K-5 Word Study Committee Meeting 3:30-5:30 - District Board Room
Thursday: 1/10/19
- BLT 3:10-4:10
Friday: 1/11/19
No Meetings Scheduled
This Week's Announcements: Information Item
This week's parent Update: Information Item
Please feel free to copy/paste any portion to include in your weekly/monthly communication.
Restorative Circle Prompts - Information Item
A special thank you to our PBIS team for putting together this impressive list of circle prompts. Please feel to use prompts from this list or your own prompts for your restorative, content, and classroom community building circles.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ecsB4jaQ2zwKs77TuHUJiSz5OWohuItt51dGeMbPsKA/edit?usp=sharing
As we welcome students back to school next week try following this schedule for daily circles/community building with your class:
Pop-Up PD - Upcoming Events - Information Item
Our talented HolmesHawks have developed some exciting and relevant Pop-Up PD sessions.
Here is our list of upcoming events:
1/9 - Teach Like a Champion Book Study
1/16 - Circles Vs Morning Meetings
1/23 - Curricular focus - more information to follow - session led by a Holmes team member
2/6 - Teach Like a Champion Book Study
2/13 - Content Circles
2/20 - Curricular focus - more information to follow - session led by a Holmes team member
More dates to follow for March-May
Conferences - Information Item
Assessment Windows - Information Item
All classroom teachers will have a sub for 1 day of testing. Please see the following schedule for the day you signed up to receive a sub and who you will be sharing a BAS kit with.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uzjpSSE9iE7jsau3EPV2pBV2EI5KYStKyqv-zH1rTI4/edit?usp=sharing
AIMSWEB - January 14 - 25
No subs will be provided for benchmark testing. K and 1 teachers, we can discuss how we can have a team help support AIMSWEB testing if you would like. Please discuss as a team and team leaders and I can work together to help support you.
MAP - January 14 - 25
Please see Kristine Ashford's email on 1/5 for MAP information
ACCESS (Testing ELL students) - January 16 - February 19
Jenn Jaros will be working to schedule ACCESS testing and will reach out soon with information
Tweets of the Week: Information Item
PBIS Update - Information AND Action Items
January PBIS refreshers - The start of the New Year is a great time to RE-teach expectations and tighten up our Tier 1 school-wide behavior expectations. Classroom Teachers will do the refreshers with their own class on their own schedule during the first week back to school with the exception of the Hawks Cafe. Here are the lesson plans to follow for each designated area. Please have your entire class sign off on this form once you’ve completed ALL of the refreshers. Turn the completed form into the Mrs. Asgharzadeh by Friday the 11th for a chance to win a free recess for your class and a 20 dollar gift card for YOU! Please reach out with any questions. Please come to the Hawks Cafe at the following time on Monday for the Hawks Cafe refresher: Kinder - 10:00 First Grade - 9:30 Second Grade - 9:00 Third Grade - 10:30 Fourth Grade - 8:30 Fifth Grade - 1-1:30 First-week circle topics - Our PBIS team reviewed our school-wide PLESS data and see the need to really boost the respectful interactions among students at Holmes. We have come up with circle topics that we’d love for you to use the first week we get back from break. These topics will also be announced on the morning announcements. Restorative Practices - We are excited to continue our journey with Restorative Practices and Circles here at Holmes. Your PBIS team will host a Pop-up PD on Jan 16th with a focus on morning circles. To prepare for the PD, please check out this easy read on restorative practices prior to the Pop-up PD. CICO - THANK YOU to all staff for supporting this very important program at our school. We are seeing a lot of positive results and are eager to continue this program. Some of our students have been so successful that they will be moving to self-monitoring upon return from break. Instead of the classroom teacher giving the scores, the student and teacher will decide together what scores the student gets. The important thing is that it is done TOGETHER. If the student is still meeting the 80% goal after two weeks, then he/she will graduate the program! The PBIS team will reach out to individual teachers and mentors when their students are moving to self-monitoring. Please reach out with any questions! Thank you, PBIS Team
Our Next Hawk Nest Lesson - Action Item
Here is the link for the next lesson:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oiKVTyU2r1TzDPuVJ9p0f2kLveTofQUISML9z5ggL-o/edit?usp=sharing
Here is the link for the accompanying deck:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GFe9pKN5NHK1mOsfAgeLzuIt4qGa4nS8_3awyw5HzC0/edit?usp=sharing
Wellness Screenings are coming in January!!! - Action Item
This is a great way to start the new year off right!!
Last year, we had only 28% of our OP97 staff participate in the wellness screenings. This year, our goal is 50%. Participating in the FREE wellness screening is a wonderful way to learn valuable information about your health and wellness and any potential health risks. The tests evaluate you for:
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Diabetes
- Liver and Kidney Disease
- Anemia
- AND MUCH MORE!!!
The screenings take only TWENTY minutes of your day. The screenings will be at Holmes for your convenience on January 16th, from 6:00-10:00 a.m.
Keira has (this was originally sent by Keira :) ) participated in these screenings in the past and they are painless (and I HATE needles), easy, and they feed you after the tests :)
Let's jump in and meet our goal of 50%!!! See flyer for more info.
Have a happy Wednesday!!!!!
SIGN UP HERE!!!
First-time users register using the sponsor code R2THF.
Leader in Me Weekly: Action Item
Put First Things First
Highly Effective Practices
Focus on your highest priorities
Eliminate the unimportant
Plan every week
Stay true in the moment of choice
This week we are studying journal pages 62-71
Race in Oak Park: Action Item
Each week, I will highlight a new video or article. Here is this weeks information and food for thought:
THE STORY
Race Conversations in the Classroom
Jillian McRae and Sam North co-facilitate a course about classism, sexism, and racism at Ossining High School in Westchester County, New York that creates space for students to have courageous conversations and make intentional choices about their involvement in their communities.
How do students react when the conversation centers institutional structures rather than individual acts?
What happens when high school students frame their examination of systems around those who benefit the most from them and are encouraged to have honest discussions about the “isms” these systems create with their peers?
Staff Shout Outs - Action Item
Holmes School Mission
Keeping the End in Mind - This is our end in mind and our plan to get there.
Vision:
Create a positive learning environment for all District 97 students that is equitable, inclusive and focused on the whole child.
Mission:
At Holmes School our mission is to:
establish positive relationships by celebrating differences and embracing diversity
engage students in equitable learning experiences
empower students to be proactive, collaborative leaders
prepare students to be successful lifelong learners and productive citizens