Couch Comet Dust
September 3rd 2018
Start With Hello
Couch Family,
We will be implementing the Sandy Hook Start With Hello program during the week of Sept. 24-28. The focus is to promote social inclusion and community connectedness. Social isolation is the feeling of being left out, lonely and treated like you are invisible. We surely do not want any of our little ones to ever feel this way. Through these small gestures we will make sure every student feels included. Please view power point and share any ideas you may have to make this a memorable week of lessons that will be practiced throughout the year. Please let me know if you have any questions. Further details to come regarding weekly activities.
Thank you❤
Martha M. Castro
Counselor
PTA membership
MAP Info
Curriculum Based Assessment Plan 2018-2019
The 2018-2019 Curriculum Based Assessment Plan has been developed to support the
district focus on teaching and learning, Understanding by Design, and the Bambrick
Driven by Data model. The Curriculum Based Assessment Plan (CBA Plan) plays an
integral role in the overall District Assessment Plan.
The Curriculum Based Assessment Plan reduces the number of required curriculum
based assessments to provide additional instructional time and flexibility for students
and teachers. Each course/grade will administer 2-4 Curriculum Based Assessments
during the 2018-2019 school year. Mock STAAR exams are included in the 2-4
Curriculum Based Assessment count per course/grade and are provided for all
STAAR/EOC courses. The only assessments that will be scanned into Schoolnet will be
CBAs/Mock STAAR.
PLC teams should use the Bambrick Weekly Data Meeting protocol to analyze student
performance on formative assessments developed collaboratively in the PLC teams.
Appropriate formative assessments include performance tasks, open-ended questions,
exit tickets, etc. The Bambrick Weekly Data Meeting model is not appropriate for
analyzing large data samples such as CBA/Mock STAAR item analysis data, instead we
suggest the SRI protocol Atlas - Looking at Data. Our recommendation is PLC teams
use the SRI protocol Atlas - Looking at Data after administerings CBAs to identify weak
student expectations (SEs) and then use the Bambrick Weekly Data Meeting model to
analyze student work on specific SEs.
The following supports are provided by content area, for teachers to develop common
formative assessments collaboratively within PLC teams:
Elementary ELAR/SLAR
We are currently developing an assessment bank for grades 3–5 with released STAAR
items and passages in English and Spanish. Lead4Ward question stems can be used
with any text and can be found on the landing page in Schoolnet for each grade level.
Elementary Math
An assessment item bank is provided for each grade level in English and Spanish. The
item bank is organized by student expectation and at least one question is provided per
student expectation. The Lead4ward IQ Items, which are released STAAR questions,
can also be used by teachers. The assessment item bank and Lead4ward IQ Items can
be found under the assessment section on all unit frameworks.
Elementary Science
English and Spanish banks are provided for 2nd-5th-grade levels. Questions are linked
and divided by reporting category and student expectation with least one question per
SE. Additional questions will be added throughout the year as they are developed by
assessment writers. Teachers may also utilize questions from the NWEA bank in
Schoolnet, TEA released STAAR items listed on the Lead4ward IQ and Discovery
Education Assessment Builder. Sample assessments will be offered for each grading
cycle.
Elementary Social Studies
Sample assessments are provided as part of the Studies Weekly adoption. Assessment
items can be found online and as part of the printed teacher resources.
Couch Heroes!
Absences
Please follow the details outlined below:
- Call Text/Email: Team lead, Debbie, and administrators to notify of absence
- Request a Sub in Aesop
Emergency Sick
- Call Text/Email: Team lead, Debbie, and administrators to notify of absence
- Request a Sub in Aesop; If unable, ask that Debbie take care of it
Personal Days
- Check with Debbie to make sure day(s) are available; we prefer to not have more than 2 discretionary days out on same day
- Email request to administrators and Debbie at least 5 days in advance.
- Once approved, Request a sub in Aesop
- Update sub plans with accurate information
PD Days
- Check with administrators to make sure the days are approved along with the PD
- Check with Debbie to request sub in Aesop
- Update sub plans with accurate information
Emergency Sub Plans
CHAMPS in Common Areas
C- CONVERSATION
H- How to ask for HELP
A- ACTIVITY
M- MOVEMENT
P- PARTICIPATION (looks and sounds like)
S- SUCCESS!
Common language around the building is KEY to success! Questions? Stop by and chat! I would love to share more info with you!
~ Lauren
Fire Drill Follow Up
Fire Drill Reminders:
All grade levels should have walkies. Team lead reports CLEAR once all have exited AND have green cards.
Red/green cards must be raised once all of your class is present and accounted for.
Emergency binder/folder is required with emergency checklist, student info and red/green cards.
Optional backpack can include:
Flashlight
TP
animal crackers, etc
Small first aid kits
Remember: the more prepared we are, the better off we will be in the even of a crisis!
~ Lauren
TTESS rubric
Its Floodin Down In Texas...
Labor Day September 3
GLAD Demo Days 3rd-5th at Couch September 4-7
PLC Norms and Goals K September 4
Faculty Meeting: Lesson Plans September 4
T-TESS First day of formal observations for teachers
PLC CBA 2nd September 5
GISD Council of PTAs General Meeting September 5
Harris Hill - Garland Room at 9:00
MAP Growth Testing Window K- 5th September 5 - October 11
Fire Drill September 6
PLC CBA 1st September 6
PM: Balanced Lit 101 September 6
Grandparents Lunch September 7
PLC CBA K September 7
Birthday: Ceterra Mance September 8
Birthday: Beth Barnard September 9
National Grandparents /Special Friends Day September 9
National Suicide Prevention Week September 9-18
Rosh Hashanah September 9-11 (Begins at sundown)
Birthday: Kelly Shields September 10
PLC CBA 3rd September 10
Boy Scouts class to class meeting September 10
BSA Leader will start with Kinder at 1:45 and go from class to class for a five-minute presentation.
PM: New Teacher Meeting September 10
Birthday: Cyndie Lennox September 11
Patriot Day September 11
Texas First Responders Day September 11
PLC CBA 4th September 11
Team Leader Meeting September 11
Project Goal Mentoring Program September 11
Boy Scouts Meeting in cafeteria 7:00-8:00 September 11
GISD Board Meeting 6:00 September 11
PLC CBA 5 September 12
TTESS Conferences September 12
PLC Plan K September 13
Shelter Drill September 13
PM: Writers Workshop and Conferring September 13
Couch Orientation and Meet the Teacher Night 6:00-8:00 September 13
TTESS Conferences September 14
PLC Plan 1st September 14
Citizenship/Constitution Day September 17
Celebrate Freedom Week September 17-21
CIRCLE Literacy Assessment PreK September 17 - October 26
PLC Plan 2nd September 17
PM: New Teacher Meeting September 17
GISD College Day September 18
College Day Tailgate Party September 18
sign up sheet in the lounge
Birthday: Claudia Gobillard September 18
PLC Plan 3rd September 18
Faculty Meeting R&I September 18
PLC Plan 4th September 19
PLC Plan 5th September 20
PM: Word Work September 20
Lockdown Drill September 20
PLC Data K September 21
PLC Data 1st September 24
Planning K September 24
PM: New Teacher Meeting September 24
PLC Data 2nd September 25
Planning 1st September 25
Faculty Meeting Vocab Inst September 25
PLC Data 4th September 26
Planning 2nd September 26
PLC Data 3rd September 27
PM: Shared Reading September 27
Planning 3rd September 27
PLC Data 5th September 28
Deadline: Pop & Post: CKH September 28
Planning 4th September 28