THE FLIGHT RECORDER
Statesville Road Elementary's Weekly Staff Newsletter
Principal's Point to Ponder
The Power of Nine
We have nine days to Spring Break and this time of year always finds us zapped of our energy. We drag in to work, we watch the clock, and we are often on short fuses with our students and with each other. While I acknowledge that we all are rightfully a bit exhausted, I also acknowledge that this collective exhaustion can have a negative effect on the atmosphere. So I am challenging us all for the next nine days to be intentional about infusing our atmosphere with more positive energy. I invite everyone to participate in the Power of Nine campaign. For the nine days leading up to Spring Break, all you have to do is do something kind or unexpected for someone else. One act each day for nine days. No matter how great or how small the act. Acts toward students, staff, or parents. Get your kids involved...they contribute to the atmosphere too! There will be a Power of Nine wall in the cafeteria for staff and students to post the acts of kindness done over the next nine days. Bring your sticky notes, notebook paper, or masking tape that you've written on to the cafeteria. Post your acts on the Power of Nine wall and let's see what happens to the way we feel over the next nine school days. Those who the acts are directed towards will automatically feel better but the most gratification and positive exchange of energy will actually go to the giver of the deed-- you! So let's have some fun with this. Let's see how small acts can change the atmosphere at SRE. I'll start the ball rolling by giving all staff a jeans pass for this Monday! The Power of Nine....I feel better already :)
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK
Gifted, Talented, and Goal Oriented
In Ms. Jones' 4th grade class, students are believing they are gifted and talented and striving towards academic goals. Ms. Jones has created a 'Gifted and Talented' area in her classroom where students can go to engage in more challenging work. Students self-select to do this work which boosts their self-esteem, confidence, and how they view themselves as scholars...everyone in the class can be gifted and talented! Students are also challenged to have their star show up on the math wall. When students pass the weekly quiz with 80% accuracy or more, their name goes on a star under that standard indicating mastery. Students are striving to reach high expectations every day in math. How do you motivate your students to strive for excellence?
Kudos / General Reminders / Agreements
- Kudos to Coach Davis for providing everyone with some indoor and outdoor recess activities that teachers can do with their students.
- Kudos to Gist for having her students respond to each other with proper eye contact and with respectful phrases such as "I agree because...."or "I disagree because...". If first graders can do it, everyone can!
- Kudos to Yager for reaching out and recruiting her Real Man for Real Men Read.
- Kudos to all staff for your patience with our custodial issues. Your rooms should be getting the attention they deserve now that a third custodian has been sent here to assist. Our permanent custodian is slated to begin on Thursday of this week!
- Kudos to Carter and Beckles for answering the call to participate in the district's development of Core Values! This is a great way to be involved with shaping culture on a district level. It's not too late to sign up to participate. If you are interested, please use this link to sign up for a Core Values session. You can also refer to the email I sent on 3/18/2015. https://docs.google.com/a/cms.k12.nc.us/forms/d/1MN-WGq6e8SQFNVzeZ6cM2sVICHt4amA70b8tsrxj064/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=send_form
- Kudos to Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 4th grade (teachers and interventionists) for always being on post for morning duty at their classroom doors greeting each student as they enter! Your consistency sets the tone for the day and brings our staff agreements to life.
- MAP testing continues this week for grades 3 and 4. Please refer to email sent by Stackhouse on 3/16.
- Adjusting our Days: We have all five "days" in our week this week (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5) so all planning should be done for next week for lit, science, and math. In order to get the math and reading planning days back to the beginning of the week, we will begin Monday of next week as a Day 1 (Monday, March 30th). We will 'forgive' Day 5 next week which would be Friday, April 3rd (teacher workday) and begin the week after spring break also as a Day 1 (Monday, April 13th). This will keep our lit and math planning days on Monday and Tuesday all the way through Memorial Day.
- Common Assessment #5---Common Assessment #5 is to be given March 30, March 31, and April 1 for all grades. For grade 2, please have your lit and math common assessments loaded into SchoolNet by Thursday, March 24th. For grade 4, please have your science common assessment loaded into SchoolNet by Thursday, March 24th. For grades 3-5, you will give the Mock EOG for lit, math, and science (5th grade). The items are being loaded into SchoolNet for you by Hall. (Thank you, Hall!)
- Data Planning Days: Grades K-2 will have DDI Staff meeting on Wednesday, April 1st to analyze common assessment #5. Grade 3 will have a full day planning to analyze the mock EOG on Wednesday, April 1st. Grades 4 and 5 will have a full day planning to analyze the mock EOG on Thursday, April 2nd. Subs will be provided for the full data planning days for grades 3-5. Grades K-2, please do not feel slighted as I am not able to fund subs for a full day of planning for all grade levels at this time.
- Multi-Week Intervention Plans: The multi-week intervention plans based on common assessment #5 are to be completed, uploaded to the google drive and implemented in your classrooms by April 13th. Grades 3-5, more info detailing your multi week intervention plans based on the Mock EOG will be given to you on your data planning days. Individual Teacher Data Meetings will take place the week of April 13th for all teachers.
- 3rd QTR Awards Assembly: The third quarter ends on Monday, March 31st. The third quarter awards assembly will be held on Thursday, April 2nd. Certificates for 3rd QTR awards will be placed in the work room this week.
- Possible Retention Letters: Possible Retention letters will be placed in your box this week along with a class roster. After you have completed your report cards, please highlight the names of students who will receive the possible retention letter and turn that roster in to Johnson in the front office no later than April 3rd.
Monday, March 23, 2015 (Day 3)
- Monday Meeting - 7:55am
- MAP Testing - 3rd grade
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 (Day 4)
- Williams at Literacy Scope and Sequence Session (PM)
- MAP Testing - 3rd grade
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 (Day 5)
- Lungarini at Testing Coordinators Meeting (all day)
- MAP Testing - 4th grade
- 3:30pm -- STAFF MEETING (Flight School) - all staff meet in Media Center first
- 5:30pm -- Family Science Night
Thursday, March 26, 2015 (Day 1)
- Williams at Center for Intentional Leadership (all day)
- MAP Testing - 4th grade
Friday, March 27, 2015 (Day 2)
- 8:00 - 8:30 : Reading Buddies