Murphey Memos
Weekly Updates
Loving to Learn, Learning to Lead, Leading the Future
Character Trait of the Month: Courage
Brown's Buzz
Star Staff Member of the Week - Ms. Julie Greenwood
Ms. Greenwood is the perfect picture of cool, calm and collected. She has a firm yet quiet manner with her students, enabling them to stay focused and grow in their academics. You are a wonderful addition to our team. Thank you for loving Murphey’s students!
Shout out
Well done
Thank you
Glow Party
We appreciate it.
Something to Think About
“Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them.
They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly, by doin’ what comes naturally, and they
don’t stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and
tenacity of purpose.”
-John Gardner, Author
Our Goals
Reading composite from 40.1 to 45.1.
3rd Grade Reading From 28.9% to 30.7%.
4th Grade Reading from 37.9% to 42.9%.
5th Grade Reading from 51.0% to 56.0%.
3rd Grade Math from 44.7% to 49.7%.
4th Grade Math from 34.5% to 39.5%.
5th Grade Math from 37.3% to 42.3%.
By 2019, Murphey will decrease the achievement gap between all students and students with disabilities in reading from a 25.8% gap to a 20% gap as measured by the NC End of Grade tests.
By 2019, Murphey Traditional Academy will reduce the number of office discipline referrals from 58 to 50.
January 28th
- Mandated Teacher Workday
- Parent Teacher conferences
January 29nd
Math/Science PLCs – 5, K, 1, 2
- ELA PLCs – 4, 5
- 7:30 Tied Up Tuesday - select students
- ILT training a.m. (Brown, Watlington, Walker, Thomas)
- 3:10 IST
January 30th
- ELA PLCs – 5, K
- Math/Science PLCs – 5, 3
- 3:10 Equity Training
- Data Planning Day (8:00 - 11:00 Second grade; 11:30 - 2:30 Third Grade)
January 31st
- ELA PLC – 3rd
- CKLA coaching day
February 1st
- Plans uploaded by EOD
February 2nd & 3rd
Future Events
1/28
- 2nd & 3rd data day - rescheduled for 1/29
- Mandated workday - parent conferences
- 2nd & 3rd data data (rescheduled to 1/30)
- IST moved from the 30th due to Equity training
- ILT training (Brown, Watlington, Thomas, Walker)
- Equity Training 3 - instead of a Tuesday meeting this week
- 2nd & 3rd data data
- CKLA Coaching Day #4
- 5:00 - 8:30 School Showcase (Magnet Fair) rescheduled for March 13th
- K-1 Data Day
2/6
- Report cards go home
- Brown out - personal
- First Semester Awards Day
Announcements
Guidance this week is second and third grade
This is Paideia week. The focus is courage. Let us know if you need help planning.
This week, walk throughs will focus on what students are doing. We will provide feedback on how to engage students in conversation and/or grade level work.
Silent lunch will not be monitored by the lunch duty monitors. If your class or a group of students from your class is on silent lunch, you are expected to stay with them.
Computer lab schedules will be posted on the door of the lab. Please sign up when you want to utilize the space. Actively monitor students to make sure they aren't mistreating the equipment.
If you need to tell your students what they will be having for lunch, here's the link to the lunch menus: Lunch menus
Make sure you read the February chapter of Growth Mindset Coach. You will need to activities for your class meetings. Also, post this month's mantra in your classroom.
Mid year PDPs are due soon. I will schedule meetings soon after the break. Remember to update your PDP details to describe the progress you are making toward goals. Be sure to include any relevant data.
Second round observations for those on the comprehensive and standard cycles have started. These observations are unannounced.
A Better Way To Praise
Last week, we discussed the difference between person praise and process praise. The same can be applied to constructive critique. Person critique is feedback that blames a failure or setback on a quality of the person: "You're not smart at math." Process critique focuses on the effort, or lack thereof, put into the task: "That strategy didn't work for you. What else could you try?"
Check out the examples below:
Person Critique: You really messed this up.
Process Critique: This didn't seem to work out for you. How could you approach this problem differently?
Person Critique: You did the best, but it's just not good enough.
Process Critique: You didn't meet your goal, but what did you learn.
Person Critique: Maybe piano just isn't your thing.
Process Critique: Keep practicing. Every day you get closer to mastering this.
Person Critique: You're such a naughty boy.
Process Critique: You made a bad choice. What will you do differently in the future?
Notice the difference? Person praise or critique is directly tied to a student's intelligence or some other personal quality, it can make him or her feel insecure about tackling challenges and potentially making in the future. However, when the teacher ties success or failure to effort, strategy, or action, the child is not evaluated globally but just on this one thing -- right here and right now. In this moment, it has nothing to do with being smart or stupid. In this moment, it has everything to do with perseverance and the process of learning.
ELA Curriculum Updates
DIBELS/TRC Assessments: DIBELS/TRC assessments will continue for kindergarten, 1st and 3rd grades next week. Look for a detailed schedule in your email. Please continue to work on DIBELS Next assessments right away. You don't have to wait for the scheduled assessment day to complete DIBELS Next assessments. I recommend that you assess at least 2 students per day on the DIBELS Next measures.
Data Collection Sheets: Remember to update your progress monitoring and any other on the data collection sheet located in the data collection files in the lesson planning folder.
Paideia Seminars will focus on courage in January and February. School wide Paideia dates are forthcoming. Seminar plans will be shared via OneDrive.
Math Curriculum Updates
3-5 EOG:
Teachers, please be aware that the math EOG for this year is a brand new test. Scores will be delayed in getting back to us. Please use the released test for your instruction. The Math standards have been reweighted on the new test. Here's the link: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/technotes/eogmthspc18.pdf
REMINDER: Eureka Student Books for Transferring Students
When a student transfers from one Guilford County School to another, please send all three books the student is currently working in to the new school. If a students comes to you without materials, please let me know and we'll contact their former school.
New NCDPI Released EOG Tests
NCDPI has finalized a released form for each end-of-grade (EOG) mathematics test. The forms are available in a paper/pencil version and online through NCTest. The paper/pencil released forms are available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/releasedformsScience Curriculum Updates
Environmental Programs at Kathleen Clay Library The Kathleen Clay Library offers a variety of environmental programs, including professional learning opportunities for K-12 educators in all subject areas. View this flyer for a calendar detailing January-May events for children, families, and educators. Contact Melanie Buckingham, Environmental Resources Librarian, at 336-373-2923 with questions. School Gardeners School Gardeners are invited to pick out free flower, herb, and vegetable seeds for their gardens. There will be two opportunities in Guilford County: · February 2, from 10:00am - 2:00pm at Guilford County Cooperative Extension, Greensboro · February 9, from 10:00am -1:00pm at the City of High Point Public Library, High Point Contact Quina Weber-Shirk, Extension Agent, with questions.
Title 1 Updates
As you know, Title I provides additional federal funds to use in improving achievement levels of our students specifically in reading and math. One of our largest responsibilities is keeping a documentation file to record how we are meeting the demands of that funding. There are 35 Elements we are required to submit electronically. It isn't difficult but very time consuming and specific. While the "official" checks of this documentation happen three times annually, I've found it's much easier to submit information as we go. Most of the information needed comes from the classroom teacher. For that reason, I've become your friendly pest continuously asking for information.
Here's a list of things needed for Title I documentation for your reference.
Interim and report cards for each quarter from each grade level.
parent contact logs
Parent/Teacher conference logs and documentation
Parent communication including social media posts, newsletters, etc.
Sample data reports
- I still need signed copies of the Parent Involvement policies from each classroom teacher. I will send individual notification if I have not yet received your copies.
Professional Development
Content Academy PD for 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and NC Math 1 teachers
GCS will be offering specialized professional learning for teachers in select areas: 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and NC Math 1. There will be monthly 3-hour sessions in February, March, and April. If teachers choose to attend, they can attend weekdays from 1:00 – 4:00, or Saturday morning from 9:00 – 12:00. If teachers choose to attend the weekday 1:00 – 4:00 sessions, the district will pay for the cost of their substitute. If teachers choose to attend the Saturday morning sessions, they will receive a $75 stipend for each session. Seats are limited and will be filled on a first come basis.
Please share with appropriate staff in your building. Teachers should search for the following course codes in Performance Matters:
3rd grade reading #10643
8th grade math: #10619
NC Math 1: #10627
For additional information, please contact Jen Arberg (Math) and Joy Cantey (Literacy).
Webinar for Mentors and Lead Mentors
We shared plans for our first mentor webinar with lead mentors last week! We hope your mentors and lead mentor will join us on Feb 11th for professional learning and support around working with new teachers. The webinar will run for elementary mentors from 3:00-4:00 and secondary mentors from 4:15 to 5:15. Lead mentors received the outlook invitation and skype link to forward to their mentors on January 24th. For additional information, please contact Crystal Vandiver, 336-665-8000.
Mentor Training
Face-to-Face
Now is great time to get mentors trained in anticipation of known vacancies in the 2019-2020 school year. New teacher support will be offering another face-to-face mentor training for teachers that would like to become mentor trained. This training will take place Saturday, April 6th from 8:30-12:30 with a 1 hour take home product at Laughlin. Participants will receive certification as a GCS trained mentor by participating. We hope you will use this opportunity to recruit and prepare for the mentors you will need for the 2019-2020 school year. Teachers may register in Performance Matters with the course number #10387. We have also shared this information with lead mentors and CFs. For additional information, please contact Crystal Vandiver, 336-665-8000.