Hawk Herald
News and Notes for Teachers- Jan 21
Dear Staff
Our Sparrow assembly inspired some of our students. Let's keep that sentiment in the forefront and remind students about ways they can earn service voucher.
We're heading down the home stretch for the semester. Make sure you are working with students with Ds and Fs to help motivate them to get their work in or retake a test.
Mary
MLK day-Monday
PLCs-Wed
Science/Math observations
Meetings and Events
Monday-21 MLK Day
Tuesday-22 Check your Advisory Calendar :Advisory Calendar
- Team Meeting
- TRIO workshop
Wednesday-23
- PLCs
- Attendance 10:10
- Care Team 1:30
- Volleyball Game @SMMS v Brown
Thursday-24
- Team Meeting
- Bus Driver Breakfast 10:00 Home Ec Room
Friday-25
- Language Arts Study Team(Krista out all day)
- ODE and Spanish Consulate visit 1:00
- Retirement Party 4:30
New SRO
Transfers and Leave requests
Testing Administrator: TA modules
Start going through the test modules for your subject area. You can find them under the tab labeled SBA/Science TA training on the staff site.Staff Site
Retirement Celebration for Willie and Becky
When?
4:30 Friday January 25thWhere?
@2867 SE Brodiaea Ct.
Hillsboro, OR 97123
Bring an appetizer and a beverage.
Classroom Moves That Boost Learning for Students who struggle
“In many classrooms and computer labs, students are expected to ‘sit still’ and ‘pay attention’ for an entire class period or for several hours in a row,” says middle-school teacher Shannon Gilfeather (Spokane Public Schools) in this article in Education Drive. “For some with disabilities or learning differences, this can be an impossible task.” Gilfeather uses five strategies to get all her students “ready, willing, and able to learn”:
• Begin with a mindful minute. When students enter a classroom from the excitement and disruption of a transition, they are not primed to listen and learn. Gilfeather dims the lights, has students sit up straight, put their feet flat on the floor, rest their hands on their legs, close their eyes, and focus on their breathing. “Research shows that when we calm the nervous system,” says Gilfeather, “we move oxygen into the brain, which reduces anxiety and stress. I have found that the mindful minute is the best 60 seconds I spend to help students maximize the amount of learning possible each day.”
• Incorporate movement. Gilfeather uses yoga balls, wiggle seat cushions, and bouncy bands, all of which let students move without making a sound. She’s not a fan of fidget spinners, which can be noisy and distract classmates.
• Take sensory breaks. For some students, a little movement isn’t enough, and they may express anxiety, fear, or depression by becoming aggressive and noncompliant. A good way to prevent such disruptions is to encourage students to take short breaks with a coloring book, a pocket Etch A Sketch, water beads, or a white noise sound machine. “Instead of becoming frustrated and giving up on an activity or lesson,” says Gilfeather, “students learn that by taking a quick break, they can refresh, reset, and return to their seat ready to learn.”
• Build foundational cognitive skills. For some students, an important barrier to attention and focus is gaps in their language and reading skills. These students need intensive, individual practice in target literacy and math skills, perhaps aided by programs like Fast ForWord https://bit.ly/2RMR97M.
• Create a growth-mindset classroom. Gilfeather sets weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals with students, tracks progress in individual student binders, and celebrates successes, naming the work, perseverance, and strategies that were effective and changed their brains.
South Meadows Middle School
Email: mendezm@hsd.k12.or.us
Website: http://schools.hsd.k12.or.us/southmeadows
Location: 4690 Southeast Davis Road, Hillsboro, OR, United States
Phone: 503-844-1220
Facebook: facebook.com/SouthMeadowsMiddleSchool