News You Can Use
Harris ES
Notes from EH
Collaborative Planning:
Many grade levels have half day planning sessions this week and a couple had planning last week. The schedule Thursday will look a little different because of CogAT testing. For these reasons, we think that collaborative planning this week could be well spent working on progress reports and the many other things you have on your To Do list. Enjoy the gift of time. If your grade level wants to meet that is fine, but this will be optional. Please let us know if you need us for anything!
While on the topic, next Thursday will be Early Release conferences so there will be no collaborative planning sessions that day either. I am counting the days until October 6th when collaborative planning sessions will be back in full swing!
Faculty Meeting Thursday at 8:00 AM!!!
The Weighted School Assessment was released late last week and we have much to celebrate!!! We will have a brief faculty meeting at 8 AM Thursday so I can review the results with you. I am sorry to add an event to the calendar with such short notice, but you will want to hear this information :)!
Instructional Expectations:
Thank you for the questions and feedback regarding Word Work, spelling, grammar, etc. Your questions continue to help us clarify our expectations and the alignment to the county expectations. A couple of reminders:
* Mini-lessons should be between 10-15 minutes. Information regarding the architecture of a mini-lesson is attached to the email this week.
* It is critical that we stick to the schedule so that our push-in teachers are able to maximize the services and support they provide to students.
* Thank you for posting "I can" statements. Remember these should align to the mini-lesson and the AKS.
* We have created an updated schedule for the literacy time that builds in time for word work and grammar (mentor sentences). Please see the attached document regarding the reading and writing blocks. There is also a handout for mentor sentences. Additional information from the county about word work is provided below. Please know they say 15 minutes during the block and we say 5 minutes initially in the schedule. The other 10 minutes come from independent and small group work.
* The Fry list provides a basis for grade level expectations (First 100 = K and 1st; Second 100 = 2nd grade, etc.). Students should be able to recognize, use and spell these words. The word list is attached to the email also.
* Spelling should be assessed through performance. This demonstrates a transfer of knowledge.
Again, thank you for all you do to set high instructional expectations in your classrooms. You are doing a good job!
SAVE THE DATE!
We will have our "official" 50th celebration on October 15th from 2-4 PM. Please see the attached flyer/invitation. If you would like to assist in planning this event, please let me know. This will be an opportunity for Mr. Wilbanks, Dr. Murphy, Dr. Coleman, and Mayor Harris among others to come back to walk the halls of Harris. There will be an Open House from 2-3 followed by a program beginning at 3 PM. Please RSVP to Margarita if you plan to attend. Thank you!
STAFF FUN: Guess the BABY!
Sunshine would like to challenge you to Guess the BABY! All staff wanting to participate should bring a baby picture in and place it in the brown envelope in Meredith Wallace's mailbox. Please write your name on the back. She will create a display in the mailroom and an answer document for those up to the challenge. Winner gets a small prize :)!
This will be another busy week! I think I can plan on saying that every week!!!
Thank you for all you do for the kids of Harris and each other. I am so lucky to be a part of such a great TEAM!
Have a great week!
EH
September 19th
12-3:30 Planning - 4th grade
EH - out
September 20th
8-11:30 Planning - 2nd grade (includes CogAT training)
12-3:30 Planning - 5th grade (includes CogAT training)
EH - training and School Council Meeting
September 21st
CogAT Testing (1st, 2nd, and 5th)
September 22nd
CogAT Testing (1st, 2nd, and 5th)
Collab. planning - optional
September 23rd
1st progress reports go home
Have a great week!
“Expect failure, learn from it, smile at it – and move forward anyway.” Glenn Geher (ibid.)
Message from the District in regard to Word Study Teaching and Assessment:
2. We honor personalization of learning words and word work to match where the individual child is in that development.
3. Grade only what has been explicitly taught and practiced and seen applied.
4. Word work should be done in small groups not whole group.
5. Word work should be about 15 minutes within the literacy block - time to play with and manipulate words. AND then apply in reading and writing never in isolation. Must connect to meaningful texts and must be embedded in real reading and writing. This is where you assess if the child can apply the word work.
The book for resource, reference, and teaching tool is Words Their Way.
There is a cohort class on PD&E which begins at the end of Sept. (room for 90 participants) taught be Wanda, Vicky, and Kay. Look for this on PD&E as Word Study Cohort. (Note from Erin: Please let Emily know if you will participate in this PD!)