Elementary ENews
ISSUE 33/ MAY 2016
Moving Forward with Skill and Will of our Teachers
—Daniel Coyle, The Talent Code
As we have wrapped our year and have sat with our teachers to help them understand strengths and areas to build upon, here is a great article that may connect with your supportive work.
CURRICULUM SNEAK PEEKS
Sneak Peeks & Design Time Next year all content areas will have Sneak Peek/Design Time sessions throughout the year. The first sessions will be August 3th & 4th (see schedule below). This will be an opportunity for teachers to get the latest updates for each quarter, as well as design time and collaboration with grade level peers across the district. We look forward to this opportunity to share all of the best practices and put them together to be even greater! The first sessions in August will also allow time to review the new documents and how to use them for design.
NOTE: These sessions will take the place of the summer point people meetings and/or former OI trainings.
Curriculum Sneak Peek & Design Time Schedule – August 3, 2016 (K-2nd)
Curriculum Sneak Peek & Design Time Schedule – August 4, 2016 (3rd-5th)
Curriculum Updates for Quarter 16-17 School Year will be complete for teacher use after July1, 2016
MATH - KERISE RIDINGER @KERISE_RIDINGER
Kagan Journey & State Math Academies
Press Elementary’s journey with Kagan
“ Press began our journey with Kagan Cooperative Learning structures in the Spring of 2015. Kerise Ridinger introduced teachers to some easy, quick strategies for cooperative learning that teachers could use to increase engagement. Several teachers started using the structures Kerise taught within the next week in their classrooms. Our instructional coaches attended a training to bring back more Kagan strategies to the staff this school year. We are planning on devoting some time during Academy Week in August to continue our staff understanding and implementation of Kagan structures.
We have been using Kagan structures in staff meetings to introduce the structures to teachers. The teachers have seen how easily structures could be used and became excited about the structures we are using. Most importantly, they were able to feel what it feels like to be completely engaged during instruction.
Since being introduced to Kagan Cooperative Learning structures and philosophies, we have witnessed growth in the students where Kagan structures are being used within the classrooms. The students are heavily engaged, having fun, building vocabulary, teaching each other, and progressing in many ways. Kagan structures have enabled the teachers to reach all learners (ELLs, students with learning disabilities, and students from low socioeconomic background). Kagan structures have directly contributed to the overall climate of classrooms. The classrooms have a positive environment where all support one another and develop trust. The students feel safe, confident and successful. The ability to impact and actively engage all students has resulted in academic achievement growth for all learners.” - Press Instructional Staff Team
If you are wanting to have some teachers trained on how to use Kagan structures Plano will be hosting a Kagan workshop at Plano ISD’s Sockwell Center on September 13th! The registration fee is $219 per person. Their cooperative learning tools can be used by any teacher without changing curriculum so this applies to anyone in education. Also, Principals go for free with 3 regular paying registrations! Although the price may seem steep, I assure you the impact on the classroom is amazing. Please let me know if you would like more information or the registration form to send teachers to this wonderful learning opportunity.
2nd and 3rd grade State Math Academies
The 84th legislature passed several bills that promoted the implementation of 3-day math achievement academies. Region 10 will be offering over 40 math academies for grade 2 and grade 3 throughout July and August 2016. The academies will also be offered next summer and will extend to include more grade levels (2-5 for literacy; K-1 for math). Each academy will last for 3 days. The region is aiming to have the sessions available for registration opening in late May
According to SB 934, the math academies will focus on problem solving, the place value system, whole number operations and fractions. In addition, the academies will help teachers increase content knowledge, build knowledge and comprehension of effective instructional practices in mathematics, and appropriately address the process standards. Emphasis will be placed on instructional strategies to support students with disabilities, English language learners and gifted students
For information about where and when these academies will be held please see information on the Region 10 site:
http://www.region10.org/literacy-math-academies/
SOCIAL STUDIES - STACIE NICKOLS @SNNICKOLS
Design Teams & Converge Opportunities
I am so excited to get to collaborate with the PreK-5 curriculum design teams June 8-10. We started this spring and will continue our work on finalizing IFDs for each unit, revising assessments and resources, creating rubrics, and many other important tasks. I so appreciate the hard work of all of the teachers on these teams.
For all of the exciting professional learning sessions this summer, join us at Converge! There will be quite a few sessions geared towards elementary social studies as well as a variety of engaging learning opportunities. I hope to see you all at the Pre-Conference on June 20th and at Faubion at the conference on June 21-23.
SCIENCE - MARIE HAYES @SCIENCEHAYES
Curriculum Updates & Differentiating Instruction with Menus
Science Curriculum Updates There will be some changes made to the science curriculum this summer. To better serve the needs of design and instruction, the pacing of the content in the Year at a Glance (YAG) will be changing, as well as the addition of unit Instructional Focus Documents (IFDs) which will replace our pacing guides. The new YAGs and IFDs will be updated in Forethought by July 1st. Please keep this in mind if you are doing any advance
planning for Q1 with your teams.
Differentiating Instruction with Menus
Laurie Westphal, author of the Differentiating Instruction with Menus books, will be at Converge on June 22 (Day 2) for two sessions, a morning and afternoon session. Ms. Westphal will be sharing how to build authentic menus, based on Bloom’s that can be utilized in all content areas. You will learn how to level the menus to differentiate for all students while providing student choice in independent practice or learning product. Teacher can also earn 3 hours of GT credit for attending one session—both sessions will be identical and in Eduphoria now. Please share this information with your teachers. The elementary professional libraries already have these resources if you would like a sneak peek at what is to come.
ELAR - MONA SAVAGE @MONA_RSAVAGE
Literacy Institute - Kinder Screener - Design Teams - State Literacy Academies - Celebrations
Literacy Institute:
Link to Literacy Institute 2016 Save the Date
- PK-2 Lit Institute - June 15-16
- 3-5 Lit Institute - July 20-21
This foundational training is ONLY for teachers who have not been previously trained. Thanks!
MISD Kinder Screener - Summer 2016
MISD's Kindergarten Screener, administered each summer by campuses, has been uploaded into Forethought under Instructional Resources.
PLEASE NOTE: The Screener FAQ page is for teacher and administrator use only
ELAR Curriculum Design Teams:
I am so incredibly proud of the dedication ELAR curriculum design teams have shown throughout the course of this year. We will continue our literacy work this summer by refining our IFDs and adding a new Teacher Resource page for each unit of study,
Meeting by invitation only: July 13 & July 14
Literacy Academies:
Thank you for those state selected campuses who quickly went into action to choose the teachers provided by the state for the trainings this summer. All communication have gone out to those campuses leaders and I appreciate your partnership as we strive to achieve state guidelines and most of all...best practices in literacy!
Here is the link for more information given by Region 10.
Literacy Celebrations!
WOW! Looking back over our year, it is amazing to see the literacy growth achieved in practices and structures in literacy. Each campus has grown using the balanced literacy model and in using the new curriculum documents!
THANK YOU! Thanks to each of you for your continued support to put into action these goals and best practices. We have grown tighter in alignment with standards and literacy practices in MISD due to our open dialogue as we conducted our ELAR learning walks throughout the year. I am excited for what next year brings and can not wait to see the growth we will achieve using the PLC model and literacy!
Have a blessed and safe SUMMER!
Mona :)