Roberts Middle School
2017-2018 School Year
Dear Roberts,
Welcome back Roberts Family! I hope your summer is going well! The administration team and I have been planning all summer long for the 2017-2018 school year. I am obsessed with creating the ultimate work environment that promotes growth. Creating a culture that puts family first and embraces effort will always be our norm. I believe that each and every student that walks through the doors of Roberts deserves an optimal learning experience. My desire for all our students is to be equipped with the skills and habits to realize their full human potential. It’s impossible to overstate the impact you make in the lives of our students. This is why at Roberts we are hyperfocused on creating a school that inspires our students to dare to believe in themselves.
I believe the only way to create an atmosphere that pushes each of us to our personal best is by adopting a growth mindset. I hope you reach the summit of personal development as teachers to uncap the potential of greatness that lies within you. This will only happen if you elevate your thinking, embrace the value of a professional learning community, and become ridiculously obsessed with the well-being of each of your students.
This year’s theme will be “Grit.” Why Grit? Grit is a book by Angela Duckworth that researches the indicator of success: talent or effort. Dr. Duckworth drew a distinction between effort and talent. “Your talent is not the same as how hard you’ll work.” In other words, every effort counts two times, or in Duckworth’s coined phrase, “effort counts twice.” Grit is the sustained application of effort towards a long-term goal. In her research, Grit is the biggest predictor of lifelong achievement.
This year we will learn about being gritty. We will explore what personalized learning means within small group instruction. We will use data to drive instruction. Welcome back to Roberts! Welcome back home. You are loved and definitely missed. Get ready; it is going to be a great year!
Jorly
Angela Duckworth' TED Talk on Grit
STAAR 2016-2017 Results
2017-2018
Using Real-Time Data to Personalize Small Group Instruction
“There is no one step that does it. It’s a lot of little steps.”
Instructionally, we took our first little step focusing on pulling small groups. Last year, we took another little step by pulling small groups based on real-time data. This year we will go one step further and personalize small group instruction using real-time data.
Why personalize? Remember last year when we introduced the notion of all means ALL. In order to reach ALL of our students, those who struggle and those who excel, we must personalize instruction in class and AIR Time. A large portion of our staff development when we return will focus on using real-time data to personalize small group instruction and your Peer Facilitators will provide continued support throughout the year.
We’ve been on the same set of stairs each year taking little steps towards reaching ALL students and we are so, so close! Like I said last year, this will not be easy and it will not be without fault. Lean on your colleagues. Lean on your Peer Facilitators. Lean on administration. If you stumble on a step, we will be there to pick you up, so we can ALL reach that top step together.
-Coppedge
What Have Some of You Been Up To?
Building Updates
The building will be open and the air will be pumping beginning August 1st from 8am – 4pm.
Please feel free to work in your classrooms.
Reminders/FAQ regarding the building
- See the map for your room location
- Elsa will begin signing out keys August 10th.
- If you need to get into a locked cabinet BEFORE 8/10 please see Sylvia for a key M-F from 8am-4pm
- Please do not cover your classroom windows
- Do not hang anything in the halls
- You may staple into the walls
- Refrigerators ARE allowed with the purchase of a permit once school starts
- Microwaves in classrooms are NOT allowed
- Please do NOT take furniture from any other room
- If you are missing furniture please let Dietz know
- The following items should be on your desk from Summer School
- HDMI Cord
- Pencil Sharpener
- Document camera
- Document camera cord
- Tape Dispenser
- Stapler
- Projector remote
- Phone with blue cord
- If you are missing any items let Elsa know ASAP
- The custodians have dolly’s if you need them – please bring your own manpower to move items in
- The custodial staff is still busy preparing the building for students
- If you have any maintenance/work order issues in your classroom please let Rebecca Dietz, Sylvia Avila, or Elsa Chiachio know and we will submit a work order.
- Example – no electricity, broken ceiling tiles, leaking faucets/windows, no A/C…….
Technology
- If you are having technology issues
- Look for Ashlie Haas or Rebecca Dietz to see if we can assist
- Turn in a work order through the Eduphoria Helpdesk ASAP – the sooner the better
- If you are NEW to Roberts and NEED a tablet – see Dietz
- The building will be open and the air will be pumping on Tuesday, August 1st. Please feel free to work in your classrooms.
- Teachers return to work on Monday, August 14th and instructional para-professionals return on Wednesday, August 16th.
Rebecca
Expectations and Clarifications for In-Service Week
Arrival Time:
8:00 A.M.
Duty Day Hours:
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Lunch:
60 minutes
Sign in:
Check all events for sign-in sheet
AGENDA FOR AUGUST 11-18
2017-2018 Dress Code Expectations
Professional Dress:
See District Local Policies below
Clarifications—
- Flip flop is a shoe that has a rubber sole and goes between the toe. A sandal with a hard sole that goes between the toe is acceptable. Bling “yellow box” type flip flops with rubber soles are not acceptable.
- Crock type shoes are not acceptable to wear
Employees shall be expected to abide by the dress and grooming standards specified for students in FNCA and the Student Code of Conduct.
Further dress code standards as set out in the Student Code of Conduct include the following:
Articles of clothing, garments, makeup and accessories with inappropriate decorations or advertisements are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, any item that depicts the occult, gang membership, death, suicide, violence, drugs or alcohol.
- The hem length of all skirts and/or jumpers must be no higher than 2 inches above the kneecap.
- Shirts and blouses must be buttoned within one button of the throat.
- Halter tops and shirts or blouses with plunging necklines are prohibited.
- All tattoos must be appropriately covered.
- Males are not permitted to wear earrings of any type. Employees are not permitted to wear other nontraditional piercings such as nose, lip, etc.
Further guidelines for School District employees:
- Employees will appear clean-shaven at all times.
- Male employees shall wear collared dress shirts or collared polo shirts
- Employees may not wear tennis shoes, flip-flops, crocs or other casual footwear.
- Denim jeans (any color) may not be worn.
- Capri-style pants must be at mid-calf or below.
- Leggings, jeggings, yoga pants, or spandex may not be worn as pants. Dresses worn over leggings must be at or below knee level.
- Jeans are to be worn on campus ONLY on Fridays with a spirit shirt.
- When attending out-of-district functions, such as workshops, staff development, etc., all employees are to dress professionally, regardless of the day of the week.
Dress requirements may be relaxed by the supervising administrator on special designated spirit days on Friday, for field trips, for special designated days throughout the year, or for campus-sponsored staff development programs on non-instructional days. On these days, tennis shoes and jeans may be allowed.
Staff Dress Code Lingo
Casual Dress:
Working with the RMS family
Capris, jeans, flip flops, shorts, t-shirts acceptable
Casual Professional:
NO flips flops, NO shorts, No tank tops/spaghetti straps
Attire should be “kicked up a notch”, but jeans and capris are fine
Spirit Dress:
Jeans or capris may be worn with a RMS spirit shirt or a college shirt. No sprit shirt, no jeans.
Spirit Professional:
Spirit shirt, but No jeans.
Khaki, slacks, capris or skirts would be worn