March 25, 2019
A Communication Tool for the Seven Hills Staff
Intervention Support:
- Google Student Achievement Documents: It is very important that your grade level Google sheet remain current and up to date with new CBA, Benchmark and text level information. The Intervention Team uses this data to make decisions for targeted instruction as well as student groupings. If you have not updated this, please do so by Wednesday of this week. We will send reminders to those who have not done it by Wednesday.
- RtI Documentation: It is also very important that all RtI data that you are responsible for collecting, keeping, and updating is completed in a timely and thorough manner. Remember, the classroom teacher has a responsibility to support the delivery of tiered intervention as well. The responsibility does not rest only with the intervention team. When in doubt...ASK...If you are not 100% certain what you should be providing as a classroom teacher and what documentation you should be keeping, please talk to Tanya, Kelly, Goosey, Rachel or Molly.
- RtI Parent Communication: Please remember that we are required to send progress report updates to parents regarding student growth and success with interventions provided. When data updates and documentation are current, this process is much easier.
- Intervention Teachers...Kelly, Goosey, and Rachel: Each of these teachers delivers Tier 3 intervention in small groups, and in a few cases 1:1. As their schedule allows, they may also pull Tier 2 groups that have not been showing significant progress. Their schedule is driven by 504 accommodations, ELL requirements, and student achievement data.
- Title I Assistants: Caroline and Jeanne are supporting Tier 2 intervention. Their primary focus is to push in to the general education classroom so that the teacher can have more time to pull small groups for tiered intervention. This can look a variety of different ways, and there should be communication between the teacher and the assistant about what is best in each classroom. Caroline and Jeanne can pull a second small group while you pull a small group. They can facilitate the whole group so you can pull a small group. They can confer with readers and writers while you pull a small group, etc. Their primary focus is not to pull tiered students from the classroom. Consider how they can best support in your classroom and have a conversation with them. You can also partner with Rachel on this, as she is the lead in this classroom and supports their work.
- Intervention Team and RtI Meetings: Our next Intervention Team meeting is Monday, April 1. If you have questions or concerns that you would like for our team to address in this PLC, please share those with Kim Blackburn before April 1.
Please note Caroline's new schedule:
8:00-9:00 3rd Reading
9:05-10:25 5th Grade
10:30-11:30 4th Grade
12:30-1:30 3rd Grade Math
1:30-2:20 4th Grade
2:20-3:00 5th grade
Thank You, Marissa For Sharing WIG Session Greatness With the Staff:
Extended Day Tutorial Support...Is Proving to be Beneficial!
If you continue to have questions about tutorials and campus expectations, please schedule a time to talk to me.
Star Leaders...the Friday Night Lights extended day tutorial is working! We are seeing results in student attitude, student engagement, and absolutely in student achievement data. For example, in 5th grade, we have seen students consistently "meeting standard" on CBAs and short cycle assessments where before they were consistently inconsistent...meets, approaches, and does not meet! Two students rocked out a 100%! 100%!!!! A huge shout out to Rachel Markham for her work on this initiative, all of the staff who have helped prep materials and those who are leading tutorial groups on Fridays! Your efforts are making a positive impact on students...Together we ARE achieving GREATNESS!
Extended day tutorials have not been the norm at 7 Hills over the last few years. There are a variety of reasons why we have chosen NOT to offer after school tutorials, and one of the primary reason has been lack of compensation for teacher time. We have not had funds to pay teachers for tutorials in the past. The funds have been used to hire tutors during the school day. As mentioned several times this year, the level of support has significantly increased this year with regard to Title I and Comp Ed funds. We have added a full time intervention teacher and 2 intervention teacher's assistants. This has made supporting extended day tutorials probable and possible. We simply cannot turn away from this opportunity to promote student achievement...grade level achievement...and campus achievement.
Some have asked why the push for extended day tutorials....Students benefit from more time with the content, skills, and review. All students benefit from extended time to build the trust and relationships necessary to increase confidence. And, all students benefit from extra support from the teachers who know the content and the students best. At Seven Hills, aren't we willing to do whatever it takes to ensure high levels of student growth and achievement?
As you are considering tutorials for your grade level, keep in mind that small groups with Rachel, Kelly and Goosey and inclusion support with Caroline and Jeanne will look different after 5th grade scores from first administration are in. Also, the support from the intervention team has been largely focused on literacy. Does your team need to consider math tutorials? For those teams with new benchmark data, how does this data impact the need for tutorials?
Thank you to those teams who completed the tutorial planning before the break. If your team has not, please consider the information above and discuss with your teams this week.
There are paraprofessionals, specials teachers, and administrators who want to support your grade level teams. Let me know if you are needing some additional support.
This has the potential for continued GREATNESS!
Repeat From Before the Break in Case Your Team Needs to Reflect:
You will remember that back in the fall and again in early January, we discussed the incredible opportunity we have to offer extended day tutorials for students. We know that often, what students need to secure skills they are missing is more time. We started Friday Night Lights for grades 3-5 in February, and are experiencing success with this initiative. Students are excited to work in their groups, and the energy from staff supporting the tutorials is contagious!
GREAT NEWS….There are additional funds available to provide extended day tutorials in grades K-5. The vision for these funds is to offer tutorials one day a week after school for an hour to an hour and a half for at-risk students. At this time, the funds are limited to one teacher per grade level, but we might have the ability to add a teacher. If your team would like to have 2 teachers, let me know soon. Your teams need to develop a plan for these tutorials.
A couple of things to consider as you are creating your plan:
- Tutorials will run approximately 7 – 8 weeks, beginning the week after Spring Break and ending the week before May STAAR.
- Who will offer tutorials? This can be one teacher or it can rotate. Teachers are paid $25 per hour for tutorials. Time sheets have to be completed with Wilma.
- Tuesdays there are typically not any after school meetings, and could be a great day for your team to offer tutorials. Your team does not have to tutor on Tuesdays. Please keep Thursdays free for our staff meetings.
- Which students will benefit from extended day learning opportunities? You don’t want groups to be too big, and you want to make sure you are offering the time to the students that time will be the greatest leverage for closing gaps and moving the scoreboard? The group of students can be flexible.
- The students selected to be offered tutorials will need a permission slip. A basic letter and permission slip are attached.
- Invitations need to go out and
- Lexia has a plethora of resources in the Resources Hub, not to mention, the direct teach lessons. Low prep, but high yield for literacy! Fast Focus for 3-5 ELA and math would provide short, TEK based practice in testing format.
- Math resources- Origo, Math GPS, Motivational Math, or Engaging Mathematics
- How will you determine the skill or TEK focus for the sessions? The tutorials need to be skill focused, not random. The goal is to close gaps. You may consider looking at Lead4ward resources to determine where the majority of questions that are tested on STAAR come from to determine your highest leverage points for grades 3-5. See Tanya if you need help with this resource.
By Tuesday, March 5, please submit the Google planning sheet for your team, communicating the plan for extended day tutorials for your team. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thank you for your work to provide the support and time our students need. What an incredible opportunity…to be paid for tutorials in order to ensure higher levels of student achievement and growth!
Tutorial Planning Sheet Folder:
ALSO: K-2 teachers, there are funds for 2 teachers per team.
Final Round of Sharpen the Saw Clubs:
It is time to plan for the final round of Sharpen the Saw Clubs. Please read the previous communication carefully. If you have questions or concerns, please let your LHT representative know and we will discuss in the meeting on Monday.
Previous Communication Sent About Sharpen the Saw Club Concerns:
It was discussed in the Lighthouse Team Meeting this afternoon that some clubs may not be balanced, leaving some clubs with very few students and others with maxed out numbers. Sharpen the Saw Clubs are an opportunity for students to find their voice, use their genius, and develop the whole child. After discussing the imbalance, possible solutions, and the purpose of clubs and the way they were designed with the Lighthouse Team this afternoon, I wanted to share a few points to consider for this round and when planning the next round:
- If you are a K-2 teacher, please look at the current sign ups and see where you might be able to reduce any imbalance by offering students a different club choice. Please do this by the end of the day on Wednesday so that teachers can pull current club lists to take attendance on Friday. Note that because there were a few clubs not open to Kindergarten students, Kindergarten was allotted more spots in some clubs.
- When you choose to partner with another teacher, you will have up to 44 spots open in the club. It is the teachers’ responsibility to plan accordingly for the potential of a large group – space, activities, materials, etc.
- If there are specific material needs, let Kim Blackburn know.
- Do not add any “open” spots to the list without talking to Kim Blackburn.
- If a teacher does not use all the spots allotted them in a particular club, another teacher can reach out to them to take the vacant spot.
- Round 3 begins after spring break. There is plenty of time to be thinking of new, fresh ideas for clubs to offer in the final round. You may remember that I encouraged everyone to consider changing things up this round. The purpose of the clubs is to develop the whole child and engage students in choice based learning opportunities. We need to make sure we are offering high interest, engaging, clubs for all grade levels to choose from. If we don’t offer relevant clubs, then we are not using the instructional time wisely and we might reconsider how the time is spent.
- For round 3, consider breaking away from your friends and teammates to offer additional clubs for students.
- Student led clubs must have an adult sponsor, a plan for the club, and a slide for the slide show before asking me to approve the club. We have students proposing clubs and then not following through. Part of this leadership opportunity is taking full responsibility for the planning and preparation of the club. Are there student led clubs that might be great for K-2 students – where older students lead younger students?
- When the call for slide show revisions and checks goes out, be prompt and complete by the due date.
- Once sign-ups go out, do not make any changes to clubs without talking to Kim Blackburn. Do not cancel clubs, change the topic of clubs, combine clubs, etc.
- If you are absent, make a plan for your club. Sending students back to their homerooms is less than desirable for a variety of reasons and presents safety concerns.
- Make sure you are practicing your protocol for making sure all students return to your homeroom after clubs.
- Make sure you are taking attendance at clubs and accounting for students when they arrive.
If you have questions, concerns, ideas, please let me know or share with your Lighthouse Team representative.
Sharpen the Saw Clubs are GREATNESS…thanks for all you do to make them possible!
Round 4 Sharpen the Saw Slides Are Due on Wednesday morning at 8:00 am. The slides from round 3 have been copied into the round 4 slide show. Make any changes directly to these slides. When your slide is ready to go, make a comment to let Kim Blackburn know that the slide is ready.
- Slide Shows can be found in the Seven Hills 2018 - 2019 Team Drive folder. There is a Sharpen the Saw folder in this folder.
Habit Focus of the Week: Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Habit Huddle Connection:
Reminder...these connections are intended to refresh your memory with the habit focus for the week, and challenge you a little bit personally to check and see of you are applying the habit in your own life. My hope is that each week you grow and that you be inspired to share greatness with your students.
Human relationships are often dominated by comparisons and competitions. This begins very early in life. We think about success in terms of someone else losing – if I win, you lose, if you win, I lose. It’s the mentality of fighting for a larger piece of the pie.
But what if both parties could eat some of the pie and be fully satisfied?
This is what Habit 4: Think Win- Win t is all about! Abundance mentality...there is enough "pie" for everyone to have a piece and "win".
The idea is to have the courage to seek mutual benefit from all human interactions instead of having winners on the one side and losers on the other. Achieving a “Win-Win” way of interacting with others is more than just being nice or looking for a quick fix. In fact, a Win-Win solution isn’t easy. It takes careful attention and even practice.
The difference between the Win-Lose and Win-Win paradigms can be observed in so many movies and books, for example, Wreck-It Ralph. Check out how this 1-minute video tells us what the paradigm is all about.
So, why is Habit 4: Think Win-Win so Important? It has a profound impact on the quality of our relationships. It helps build long lasting trust that will make all interactions a lot easier.
It will bring more “luck” in your life, too. Covey explains that the Fourth Habit helps make deposits in the emotional bank account of the person you are dealing with. Working with an abundance mentality can change how you see work and life in general. Rather than feeling envious for someone else’s success, you will be genuinely be energized by it.
Habit 4 and an abundance mentality takes intentional practice and effort. Start today!
Campus and District Announcements and Updates:
- Make This a Priority Please: Make Sure Grade Level Student Achievement Google Document is Updated with Benchmark Data and 5th Grading Period Data by the End of the Week. Remember, this data is used for a variety of reasons, and it is important that it is updated consistently.
- TTESS Goal Setting and End of Year Conferences: Tanya and Kim will begin scheduling conferences in April. The information for collecting evidence for Dimension 4, goal progress, etc. will be sent in a separate email. Please plan on having all of this completed by April 13. End of Year Conferences will be completed April 16 - 27.
- FLEX Days: Have you completed the required hours for your 2018 - 2019
FLEX agreement? Do you have documentation of completion of these hours? Tanya and Kim will be confirming these with teachers. Please be prepared to share evidence of completion or your plan to complete the requirement. Remember, if the hours are not completed, the employee is docked pay at the daily rate for the number of hours not completed.
- Save the Date for NISD 2019 - 2020 Professional Learning: The NISD PD calendar has been approved. I attached a document outlining the dates and other important PD information/requirements in the weekly update email. Please read carefully. We will discuss your PD plan for next year in summative conferences.
- Attendance Snapshot Time: Staff, it is imperative that attendance be completed DAILY at the 9:30 reporting time. Funding is connected to this reporting, and should the district/campus be audited, failure to report attendance at the snapshot time could result in loss of funding for all of the students in your classroom on each day that attendance was not completed at the reporting time. Please be advised that reporting attendance is connected to T-TESS discipline 4.
- Reminder About Volunteer Etiquette and a Proactive Plan: We value our volunteers. We know that so many things would not get accomplished if it weren't for our volunteers. Please remind your volunteers that they must be respectful of grade level teams needing to make copies during their planning period. If your volunteer needs to be trained on how to interrupt a big job, please talk to Lacy. In an effort to promote synergy and proactive respect of all parties, when volunteers are here to copy big jobs, they need to use the copier in the lounge. I understand this is not the fastest machine and that bulk paper is in the back. When you know a volunteer is coming, your team needs to prepare the materials needed...paperclips, colored paper, reams of white paper, etc. on a cart and have it ready for the volunteer. Please also make sure you ask/remind your volunteers to complete their volunteer logs. :)
- Copy Paper in the Front Office and Lounge: Every effort is made to stock paper in the front office. If you use the last of the paper in a printer, the copier, or in the cabinet in the lounge or behind Marina's desk, be a leader and tell someone.
- Why is the Closet in the Back Locked? No, it isn't to keep staff from supplies. This is a text book room and must be keyed with a different lock than the master. If you need anything that is kept in this closet, simply ask.
- Air Fresheners: Dr. Warren reminded all campus leaders a while back about the district directive established several years ago regarding air fresheners, including diffusers, plug ins, etc., in our classrooms. I sent communication to our campus about this. This directive is in place because of allergies students and staff suffer from. Please be aware that this directive is still in place. Understand that this means we cannot use any type of air freshener, diffuser, plug in, etc. in the classroom. If you were not aware of this directive, had forgotten, or thought it had been lifted, etc. and have anything of this nature in your classroom, please remove it immediately. Dr. Warren continues to receive communication from concerned parents regarding air fresheners. He should not receive a call concerning Seven Hills. Thank you so much for your attention to this directive.
Student Screen Time:
Recently, Dr. Warren addressed the community regarding screen time. Around the same time, I also shared a reminder in the S'more about screen time. What you read below is an expectation...not a suggestion, as it supports student engagement, promotes achievement, reduces the potential of misuse, and aligns with the message our Superintendent sent to parents.
Additionally, students are frequently accessing personal devices during the school day for non-instructional purposes. Because we have district devices available, there should not be a need for students to access their personal devices during the school day.
It is my expectation that you take time to reflect on student technology usage in your classroom.
- How much screen time is afforded students? I
- s this screen time limited to instructional use such as Imagine Math, Lexia, research?
- Do you allow for device usage during "free" time? If so, do you pre-determine what students are allowed to access? What are your practices to ensure student appropriate usage of devices? With almost half of our students identified as At-Risk and/or receiving Tier 2 or 3 intervention, I seriously question any time seen as "free time." Please know that parents have reported students indicate they use technology for non-instructional activities during "free time."
- How do you monitor usage?
- Do you need to have a conversation with students about appropriate usage? Do you need an administrator to support this conversation?
- Is technology being used during inside recess? We have a plethora of board games in the building, Lego sets in the Library, and the STEM Carts that can all be used for inside recess. Go Noodle is also a great way to get some physical activity in during inside recess. Coach Grounds has hula hoops. Students can hula hoop in the hall, etc. What can be done to engage students beyond the device?
- Lunch is an opportunity for students to engage in social interaction with their peers. We need to set students up for success with engaging in appropriate conversation and interaction with other students. When devices are brought to the table, we send the message that the social interaction is not valued. Not to mention, we increase the liklihood that a device will be damaged. I understand that some students work during recess and the devices are simply brought to the table before or after recess, I hope you will consider where you can set devices so they are not brought to the table.(I do also struggle with Lexia and Imagine Math being punitive...but value logical consequences...think about this...if the same students work on Lexia at recess everyday, yet still do not complete units, is this effective? How can Tanya and I partner with you on these situations?)
Technology is not a babysitter. Students should be engaged in an instructional task when on any device during the school day. Thank you for your careful attention to this expectation.
From the Assistant Principal:
STAAR needs from your CTC:
On Monday. I will place current accommodation sheets in your box on your students, please look over them carefully and make any changes necessary. These are required to be turned into me by the end of the day Wednesday so I can start creating groups for STAAR testing.
From the CIT:
Assessments this week:
None
Assessments for the following week (April 1- 5)
1st Grade:
April 1-3 1Math.5.Modules 7-9
2nd Grade:
April 2-4 2Math.5.Modules7-9
3rd - 5th Grade:
None
From the Librarian:
BOOK FAIR is coming!! Set up will be Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.. I’m including links to the Pre-View schedule and the Wish List doc. Please share the dates and times for the book fair and lunch with a loved one with your students and their parents.. Thursday is a special teacher prev-view day. Drop by the library during lunch, conference, PLC, etc for some yummy dino-mite snacks and choose your 4-5 books to put in the wish list box. (as those books are purchases, you can come replace them with new books) On Monday, April 1 if you have any Dinosaur themed clothing, hat, shirt, costume…. Please wear it to school to promote the book fair! We will have special raffel’s each day for teacher’s to win books. Every staff member will have their name put in the raffle 1x but .you can purchase extra tickets for 25 cents to increase your chances! Win-win
Please note that some classes were removed for Tuesday morning Preview. I added times for the morning on Wed and Thursday. Also, I can add in class preview and shop times during the lunch times. During book fair I typically eat in the library so the fair can stay open during that time..
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15KBpxVxJZjrDXXTVEwsg_5NEjc0uVrGbo8M8w4KQpmA/edit?usp=sharing
Wish List with dates for Book Fair:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A1uVLCrQKlQNVSexeGobVgOdu14oPAsmU9zlOBcmU3s/edit?usp=sharing
Check in and out won’t be available while the book fair is set up.
Save the Date:
Notes:
- Book Fair Week
- Lighthouse Review Date April 16
Monday, March 25:
- LHT Meeting, 3:30 - preparations for Lighthouse Review in 3 weeks
- STAAR Security Training, ALL Staff, 3:30 (Note this was a regularly scheduled staff meeting on the campus calendar)
Wednesday, March 27:
- Kim and Tanya off campus at NISL
- Staff may wear jeans and school shirt as part of fall campus fundraising incentive
- Math planning with Meredith
Thursday, March 28:
- Kim and Tanya off campus at NISL
- Grade Level PLCs - debrief Writing Instructional Rounds
Friday, March 29:
- Sharpen the Saw Clubs Round 4
- JA in a Day
Happy Birthday to You:
Tiffany Howe 3/27