HAWK HAPPENINGS
The official newsletter of Hillcrest Elementary Staff
Sept. 16 -- LOOKING AHEAD
MUST READ
Reminder: MORNING ARRIVAL/LUNCH AND RECESS
LUNCH/RECESS: Classroom teachers should continue to walk their classes out to recess (if they play first) or to the cafeteria (if they eat first), and pick them up from the cafeteria (if they eat second) or playground (if they play second).
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Hangin' at Hillcrest FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT Thursday!
Volunteers are needed for this THURSDAY EVENING (September 20) to run literacy stations at our FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT Hangin' at Hillcrest. Please add your name to the list of volunteers to help us kick-off our #HillcrestReadingROCKSTARS program for 2018-19 by clicking here.
TEACHER WEBSITES
HOMEWORK EXPECTATIONS
We also should ask students to have one response to reading each week; as a teacher, you can decide how you'd like to do that in terms of WHAT and WHEN.
- As far as the WHAT: you can have it relate to a skill or strategy that you have been teaching in class, related to the reading genre you are studying and students are reading (i.e. - "Write about a character in the book and describe their character traits, and how you know that about them." OR "Draw a picture of your main character and describe what they are like on the OUTSIDE (and how you know) and what they are like on the INSIDE (and how you know)." So the responses can be writing, or more creative. You can also provide some choice from time to time (that's DISTINGUISHED in the Danielson Framework!) where students maybe choose from a menu of prompts or response options that you provide and maybe have listed in their reading notebook.
- Now for WHEN: You could have all responses due on Friday (for example). Or you could stagger student responses throughout the week, assigning students (or tables, or reading groups, etc.) a particular day when theirs is due. This can be especially helpful because (1) we know that homework has to not only be CHECKED but REVIEWED and students should receive timely, actionable feedback on it (so dividing up the students across the week makes it more manageable for you as the teacher) and (2) you can use the response as a weekly assessment of student progress against a common rubric your grade level team creates and (3) you can use it as a topic of conversation with a reading group (if you schedule to meet your Level P readers on Thursdays, and you have their responses due on Thursday (or even Wednesday so you can review them in advance), the responses can inform what you teach and inform your conversations within the group.
MATH
We will begin our Math Fact Fluency homework in October. This will be differentiated by where students are on the continuum. We will be coordinating some staff to help us develop some systems and materials to help facilitate this.
FAQs
Does this mean I can't assign any other homework?
No, but remember, the homework has to conform to our guiding principles about homework, so it won't be EVERY night. Johnny and Susie may have to finish the problem set from the math lesson at home because they need additional practice, but you will check Johnny and Susie's work and provide them with feedback, and not EVERYONE in class will have to do that because not EVERYONE needs it. Also, this is OCCASIONAL. A good benchmark to consider is ONE other assignment (other than the reading and math facts) per student per week.
Does this mean we can't assign projects that students have to work on at home?
No. You can still do that, but be mindful of what else you are asking them to do, and what they are capable of independently. Be sure students know how to chunk the work over time so they can complete it by the deadline (with possible check-ins and feedback along the way), and they have your grade-level established rubric for the project.
What about other whole-class assignments?
If we know that every student is different and we are taking that into consideration in our planning, instruction, and assessment, there will be very few things we can assign to ALL students to do independently. However, if this new approach to homework is to help us zero in on what we value, we can also assign an experience or conversation for students to show that we also value those things. These, too, must be reinforced/reviewed in class, so its best if they are not random but connect back to classroom activities. If you are teaching students about collecting seed ideas in their writers' notebooks about times they have felt an extreme emotion (elated, ecstatic, disappointed, sad), you can ask them to talk to people in their family about times they have experienced extreme emotions. Or if you are talking about Zones of Regulation/Personal Safety Plans, you can ask them to ask their parents/guardians what they do to get back to green. Or if you are exploring Native American cooking in Social Studies, you can ask them to help someone in their family cook that week, and fill in a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting cooking THEN versus cooking NOW. Again, this won't be EVERY NIGHT (maybe once a week) and will be used/discussed/reviewed in class.
What if I want to assign something that doesn't seem to fit what you described above?
It will need to pass the test of fitting within the homework guiding principles document. When in doubt, ask Randy or Crystal.
Reminder: COMMITTEE SIGN UP
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ro87vMDDrsl6svxNq3lgpEZLKgbz4nLCUwUgPgAqc-I/edit?usp=sharing
CONSTITUTION DAY
Monday Septemeber 17 is Constitution Day, and any school that receives federal funding is required to acknowledge it and teach about our constitution that day. It is also a day for celebrating citizenship. We will acknowledge on morning announcements, but be sure to do something in your class as well. See last week's Hawk Happenings for more info and activity ideas.
Reminder: HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L3lmNaMvcdFpXN0GpzfOH01E6Cv-Ei3Ujh64rmW2Fy8/edit?usp=sharing
START SUBMITTING LESSON PLANS
Also, consider who else your lesson plans impact: do you have a teacher who pushes into your class (i.e. ENL)? You should share the lesson plans that impact them with them as early as possible, as they are likely relying on that in order to prepare their own lesson plans.