Points of Pride
August 25, 2019
Instructional Focus:
I get that having a new certified evaluation tool is somewhat scary/intimidating. With that in mind, I have decided to dedicate this portion of my weekly newsletter to a different component every week (in domains 2 and 3). I feel that this aligns perfectly, as it allows you to hear how I interpret each of the sections, and the rubrics correlate to good instruction. Please know that these are just my thoughts, and not a comprehensive overview on the subject. If you would like more information, I have attached the rubric and a detailed summary immediately below.
2B: Establishing a Culture for Learning
When I look over the section on Establishing a Culture of Learning, it comes down to the passion that a teacher has about what they are teaching, the students seeing the relevancy of what they are learning, and the students believing they can be successful in the learning.
Food for thought:
- When teaching, do you convey high expectations for ALL of your students through verbal and non-verbal means?
- How do you activate your students' natural curiosity and love of learning?
- Do ALL your students believe that they can be successful in your daily activities? (If not, why would they take the risk and try?)
- Do your students have a desire to understand the content?
- Students should feel comfortable enough to question the teacher and peers if they don't understand something.
(Full Text Here: pages 37-40)
Robert
Professional Development Opportunities.... Learner's Market: Saturday, September 7 @ 8:00-12:00 This was a very well received PD opportunity that was started last year. It will have three sessions, and you will get to choose your sessions. Wendy Peterson and crew will be putting on this event. Kim Sutton will be coming back to GPS on September 10. This is a nationally renowned math expert that is coming to Gilbert because of Settler's Point. This session will focus on K-5 math strategies. Sign up for both of these are available in Frontline (formerly MLP). | Mark your Calendar..... The technology department will be taking SPE laptops after school on 9/23. At this time, they will update them all and return them before school on 9/24. It will be important that we prepare for not having them on that evening. | Infinite Campus Grading Update from District....The process of adding assignments and scoring them for the standards is slightly different this year. Teachers will no longer choose POINTS, and type in 100 for the points to score with the 4-3-2-1 rubrics. RUBRICS will now be used as the scoring method and the standards scores will not average, they will use the power law, which looks at the score the student is trending toward. If an assignment has already been created using points, you can change it to RUBRICS (a message will appear to warn that the scores MAY need to be reviewed-click OK) and the scores will remain as they were. The video (attached) will walk through the process of adding an assignment and scoring it with a RUBRIC score. These two documents (attached) will replace any others that give directions for adding assignments and scoring them in the elementary grade book. The live versions will be stored in the IC Support Site, within IC (see below), and also in the new HelpDesk Knowledge Base. |
Professional Development Opportunities....
This was a very well received PD opportunity that was started last year. It will have three sessions, and you will get to choose your sessions. Wendy Peterson and crew will be putting on this event.
Kim Sutton will be coming back to GPS on September 10. This is a nationally renowned math expert that is coming to Gilbert because of Settler's Point. This session will focus on K-5 math strategies.
Sign up for both of these are available in Frontline (formerly MLP).
Mark your Calendar.....
It will be important that we prepare for not having them on that evening.
Infinite Campus Grading Update from District....
The process of adding assignments and scoring them for the standards is slightly different this year. Teachers will no longer choose POINTS, and type in 100 for the points to score with the 4-3-2-1 rubrics. RUBRICS will now be used as the scoring method and the standards scores will not average, they will use the power law, which looks at the score the student is trending toward.
If an assignment has already been created using points, you can change it to RUBRICS (a message will appear to warn that the scores MAY need to be reviewed-click OK) and the scores will remain as they were.
The video (attached) will walk through the process of adding an assignment and scoring it with a RUBRIC score. These two documents (attached) will replace any others that give directions for adding assignments and scoring them in the elementary grade book. The live versions will be stored in the IC Support Site, within IC (see below), and also in the new HelpDesk Knowledge Base.
Upcoming Events:
- 8/25-8/30: A Week
- 8/27: Kindergarten GLC Meeting @ Playa @ 3:45
- 8/28: 8:30-Primary Cookie Dough Assembly Kickoff; 9:15-Intermediate Cookie Dough Assembly; No specials; 11:55 Release; Certified PD @ 12:15 (Sanford Harmony)
- 8/29: Primary MTSS Meetings all day; Data Team Committee @ 3:15; 1st and 2nd GLC @ Playa @ 3:45
- 8/30: Fall Picture Day 9:00-11:30
- 9/2-9/6: B Week
- 9/2: Labor Day-No School
- 9/3: 3rd and 4th GLC @ Playa @ 3:45
- 9/4: Vision Screenings in the AM for K, 1, 3, 5, and COPE-schedule coming soon; 1:55 Release-PLC
- 9/5: Data Team Committee @ 7:15; PTSO Meeting @ 3:15; 5th and 6th GLC @ Playa @ 3:45
- 9/6: Grandparents Day Breakfast @ 7:15; Progress Reports home
SOS Presentation.... I know that we had Science Camp and a couple of other things going on around campus when we did our annual training. If you missed the training, here is a copy: Make sure that you sign the paper that Helen has if you were not present. Classified Staff, please look over this presentation, and we will review it at our second quarter meeting. | Primary MTSS Schedule: Again, we are doing this a little differently this year. I have Glorie coming in for a full day, and she will be rotating to each of your classrooms. When you come, we will show you DIBELS data and discuss possible interventions that should be used. Here is the tentative schedule that we will use (please know that these are ballpark times):
It would help the flow of the meeting if you will review your data prior to this meeting (don't need to memorize, but we don't want to regurgitate data with you, we want to help you interpret and brainstorm interventions). | Substitute Accommodations Now that you have gotten to know your IEP and 504 students a bit, it's time to let a substitute know what they need to be successful in your absence. To clarify, even if the homeroom teacher is absent, our students are still required to receive their accommodations/modifications. As a homeroom teacher, it's your job to look over the students IEP/504 and determine what would be important for a substitute to know. From there, write it in this sheet (remember to make a copy) and submit to me by 9/13. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of our amazing case managers, or myself. |
SOS Presentation....
If you missed the training, here is a copy:
Make sure that you sign the paper that Helen has if you were not present.
Classified Staff, please look over this presentation, and we will review it at our second quarter meeting.
Primary MTSS Schedule:
I have Glorie coming in for a full day, and she will be rotating to each of your classrooms. When you come, we will show you DIBELS data and discuss possible interventions that should be used.
Here is the tentative schedule that we will use (please know that these are ballpark times):
- 6th grade (since you are departmentalized): 7:15-8:00
- 8:15: Lindsay Wilson
- 8:45: Michele Evans
- 9:15: Catherine Torstenson
- 9:45: Tammy Melki
- 10:15: Andie Deschapelles
- 10:45-Lisa Reese
- 11:15: Sanya Elliott
- 11:45: Lori Henehan
- 1:00: Kimberly Myers-Nuzum
- 1:30: Brady Lilley
- 2:00: Colleen Fierro
- 2:30: Lisa Johnson
- 3:00: Jill Ence
It would help the flow of the meeting if you will review your data prior to this meeting (don't need to memorize, but we don't want to regurgitate data with you, we want to help you interpret and brainstorm interventions).
Substitute Accommodations
To clarify, even if the homeroom teacher is absent, our students are still required to receive their accommodations/modifications. As a homeroom teacher, it's your job to look over the students IEP/504 and determine what would be important for a substitute to know. From there, write it in this sheet (remember to make a copy) and submit to me by 9/13.
If you have any questions, please reach out to one of our amazing case managers, or myself.

Anything that you want placed in our bi-weekly newsletter to parents, or placed on the marquee, fill out this form.
Have a question, comment, concern, celebration? Click here to send a message directly to Robert