Monday Memo May 16, 2016
Inspiring Passionate Learners
Important Dates
May 17- Retirement Reception at ATC @ 6:30
May 17- PTA General Meeting @7:00PM
May 18- Power PLC: K-2 8:00-11:30 & 3-5 11:30-3:30May 18- Shay's Diaper Shower @ 3:10
May 19- Choir Competition at NRH2O
May 20- Field Day
May 20- Student Library Book Due
May 23- GPC Meeting
May 23- Team Leader Applications Due- Mead's box
May 23- STEM Committee Meeting- Library@ 3:10-4:10
May 24- Class Building PLCs
May 26- Retirement Celebration- PCE Library @3:10-4:10
May 27- Report Card Information Due in TAC by NOON
May 27- 3rd-5th Talent Show- Cafeteria @8:10-9:10
May 27- K-2nd Talent Show- Cafeteria @ 9:20-10:15
May 30- Memorial Day- No School
May 31- GPC Meetings
June 1- 5th Grade Kickball Game vs. Staff 8:30-9:30
June 2- 5th Grade Graduation & Celebration- 8:30-11:30
June 2- 5th Grade Clap Off- 12:15-12:45- Early Release- 12:50
*Cafeteria is closed. Sack lunches are available. Please let Tammy know by 5/20/16 if your class needs sack lunches.
June 3- Teacher Work Day/ Moving Day- 8:00 to 3:35
All teacher AV equipment, professional materials, and technology due
Promoted, Retained, Placed?
It is the teacher’s responsibility to mark the report card in TAC for the proper promotion status. When completing the promotion status for a student you will have the following options: Promoted, Retained, Placed, Pending 3rd Administration of STAAR. When making promotion or retention decisions your GPC must reference Board Policy EIE:
In grades 1–5, promotion to the next grade level shall be based on a standards-based reporting system, which covers grade-level standards (essential knowledge and skills) for all subject areas. A student shall “meet standard” or above in three of the following areas: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
The District recognizes that promotion or retention is a decision based on an individual student’s needs. To determine the student’s needs, the District shall consider, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Mastery of grade-level essential knowledge and skills; 2. Previous retentions; 3. Chronological age; 4. Maturational development; 5. Attendance record; 6. Experiential background; 7. Estimation of the student’s ability and achievement; and 8. The student’s motivation and attitude. The principal shall confer with the classroom teacher when decisions on promotion or retention differ. The final decision for retention shall be determined by the campus principal.
Use of “placed” should be used in rare instances. The following guidelines can be used to guide the decision making process for a placement:
• Routinely demonstrating a failure to make progress on essential standards (especially Reading/Math).
• Needs improvement on K. Richardson.
• 2+ Reading levels behind the “norm.”
• Would not benefit from another year in current grade level
• The costs of retention outweigh the benefits, but the teacher in the next grade level needs to know that this student is not coming “on level.”
• Retention would be emotionally detrimental to the student.
Please consider all of these factors before you request a Grade Placement Committee (GPC) meeting. Additionally, if a student is in the process of a Special Education referral, or the RtI committee has determined the students should be considered for a Special Education evaluation, in most cases it is best to place this student in the next grade level.
Click on the link below to schedule a Grade Placement Committee meeting.
Power PLC Schedule
We are excited to have Karen Spalding and Leslie Koske with Exemplars coming to help us as we plan strategies for building better problem solvers! Our PLCs have been 'chewing' on this all year, and these two wonderful ladies will help us move forward.
We are meeting in the library and lunch will be provided. Please be on time and refer to the Power PLC rotation schedule so you know where your students start and end rotations.
8:00-11:00- Training with kindergarten-second grades
11:30-12:00- Catered lunch in the library for K-2, Leslie, Karen, Kim, and Nat
12:00-12:30- Catered lunch in the library for 3-5- (Training will begin while we eat.)
12:30-3:30- Training with third-fifth grades- (We will take a slight break for dismissal duty from 2:40-2:55)
Take your students to the following locations for their first Power PLC rotation:
K- Story Teller in the cafeteria
1st- 1A- Musci; 1B- Art
2nd-2A- PE2; 2B- PE 1
3rd- Gym
4th- Keep students in your classrooms-
coverage will come take the students to lunch
5th-Outside (TBD)
*Be looking for the full rotation schedule coming later today from Ms.Stewart. It will indicate which classes are 1A, 1B, 2A & 2B
End of Year Checklist
As you're preparing to close or move your classroom, please keep the following checklist in mind:
- Library and technology check-in deadlines
- EOY checklist
- Pack when students are NOT in the classroom
- Remove ALL staples from the walls and bulletin boards
- Donate unused school supplies such as glue and construction paper to the art room. (Please don't send home with students, leave in the cabinets, or throw them away.)
- Invite colleagues to 'shop' in your room for any materials you no longer want or need. Please don't leave items in the lounge, workroom, or other areas in the building.)
- Move all teacher's guides and curriculum to the locked cabinet in your classroom.
- Check in all professional reading materials you've checked out from the library if you're not returning to PCE next year.