Lander Summer Newsletter
Summer 2018 Edition!
Another School Year Complete!
Building Leadership Team to Instructional Leadership Team
Specialists - Nick Lanese
Kindergarten - Mary Beth Russo
1st Grade - Amy Jacobson
2nd Grade - Sarah Foss
3rd Grade - Nicki Rucci-Macauda
4th Grade - Kristina Waner
5th Grade - Concetta DiGeronimo
Professional Learning Communities and Collaboration Time
Makerspace and STEM
My challenge to you as educators...
Push the boundaries of what we expect for our students, include student choice into your lessons. Provide hands on learning experiences, take the kids outside and take a risk with your learning environment. Try some flexible seating in your classroom or even some self-paced learning! Stop in the Makerspace this summer and try some of the things that you just haven't had a chance to use this year, all of the tools we have are pretty easy to use and if you can't figure it out, you can always find a youtube video that will explain it. If you come across something cool this summer that you think would be beneficial in our Makerspace, let me know and we can get it added.
When we tell learners to complete an assignment, we get compliance. When we empower our students to explore and learn how to make an impact on the world, we inspire problem solvers and innovators. Our profession will either rise with our innovation or falter in holding onto old ways of doing things. To prepare students for tomorrow, we need to transform their learning today. Let's do it for our kids.
School Climate and Recess/Lunch Times
Summer Renovations
Summer time is always a very busy time for the building to undergo major renovations that just can't occur when there are people in the building. Here is a summary of work that will occur over the summer:
- Removal of student classroom computers
- Removal of the computers in the half lab
- Installation of the first set of building security cameras, more to come
- Purchase of several additional two-way radios
- Installation of privacy screens on main office windows
- Move our buzzer system to the exterior door in the main vestibule
- Sanding and refinishing of the gym floor
- New backboards on the main hoops in the gym
- Replacement of a large section of the roof
- Painting of several classrooms (list not final yet)
- Landscaping
- Asphalt patching in driveway and parking lot
- Concrete repairs around the outside of the school
Tim, Rob, and Sak will be hard at work this summer, please be sure to leave your classroom map and submit any repairs that are necessary using the check-out sheet from Bonnie.
AM-PM Supervision - please sign up
Important Documents for the Start of the Year
Specials Schedule (subject to change)
ABCD Rotation Schedule - next year we will not have a designated day for each special, instead, we will utilize a rotation schedule, you will have an A, B, C, D special, this calendar will explain which special you have each day. Please include this in your communications with parents at the beginning of next school year.
PLC Calendar - includes long/short PLC dates.
Summer Reading List
Our District has increased the number of resources available on Gale Professional Development Resources. This is a huge collection of education E-Books that are available to our staff. The password is "mayfield".
The Four Tendencies - The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too). A great book about different personalities has applications to both your personal and professional life.
When - The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. This book is all about how timing can be one of the most important factors to consider and can help you identify when you can be most productive.
Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom K-5. This book is by my favorite education researcher, John Hattie, in this book he details specific literacy strategies that are the most effective, supported by years of research, for younger students. Some of the strategies you are already using and he gives you the research to support why they work and some strategies may be new to you, but easily implemented.
Upcoming Dates
July 27th - Bonnie's 1st day back
August 3rd - Andrea's 1st day back
August 8th - New Student Orientation, 2pm
August 9th - Kindergarten Parent Orientation, 6:30pm
August 9th, 10th, 13th - Teacher Work Days
August 13th - Meet the Teacher 3:00-4:00, Ice Cream Social 4:00-6:00pm
August 14th - 1st Day for grades 1st-5th
August 16th-17th - Kindergarten Phase-In
August 20th - 1st full day for Kindergarten
August 30th - Grades 1st-3rd 6:15-7:00pm, Kdg, 4th/5th 7:15-8:00pm