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Week of January 15 - 19, 2018
We are powering through January and hoping for warmer weather, but in the meantime be sure you are comfortable with the Online Learning Day Plan (just in case).
PTO Chief Leaders Presentation Rescheduled
Due to the threat of inclement weather this evening (1/16), we will be rescheduling the PTO Chief Leader Presentation for January 30th at 6:30 pm.
Online Learning Day Feedback
At the conclusion of the window to turn in online learning day assignments, we ask teachers to complete a short survey to provide feedback on the experience.
Please complete the linked form by Thursday, January 18th.
Cyber Safety Night
- We will host a Cyber Safety Night this Thursday, 1/18, at 6:30 pm. Todd Shirley and Steve Honn will present cyber safety information to Sawnee parents and staff.
- They will discuss topics like internet safety, device safety, cyber bullying, sexting, and others.
- As a result of the content, this will be an adult only presentation.
- There will be child care in Media Center 1 for Sawnee students.
- We would like to have a staff presence at the meeting as well.
- We are asking to have representation from every department at the meeting.
Spring Testing Calendar
The DOE has approved the Forsyth County EOG-EOC Spring 2018 Testing Calendar. Click here for the most updated version, which includes retest dates.
ASCD Resources for Feedback
Why don't students use feedback? Sue Brookhart writes that if students don't know how to use feedback or don't understand the learning goal they're applying it to, they're likely to see feedback as evaluative rather than informative. Like a final grade, feedback under these circumstances marks an end to learning, not an opportunity to extend. Raters can be motivators, however, when feedback is timely, specific, actionable, and compassionate. Here's how to put forward-focused feedback to work in your classroom.
Students need not be held accountable for a year's worth of growth in one writing assignment. Find time for feedback, and turn it into a nonthreatening, accessible tool for writing development, by giving less (but more focused) feedback earlier in the writing process.
Use the Five Rs to Avoid the Forbidden Fruitlessness of Feedback
If your idea of hell is a stack of ungraded essays, take heed. A high school English teacher shares his formula for getting students to do the work of reviewing, reflecting, researching, and revising during the feedback process so that he can focus on reinforcing their new learning.
A Time-Out Strategy for Feedback That Motivates Learning
While students work in groups or independently, teachers can circulate and gather observational data on sticking points and stellar work. With some common challenges and student exemplars gathered, teachers call a 5-minute "time out" to provide a mini-lesson to address areas of struggle and highlight student strengths.