Cool Cats Update
Sunset Valley Elementary - week of March 20
Bobcat Gatherings & Committee Meetings
- Tuesday, March 21 - mandatory STAAR Training for all certified staff
- Thursday, March 23 - NO Bobcat Gathering (may be used for STAAR make up training)
- Thursday, March 30 - Bobcat PLC
Important Dates to Remember - Please include appropriate items in your grade level newsletter
All NEW items have been highlighted
- March 21 - Pumped Up in PJs - $1.00
- March 23 - Hats Off to Diabetics - $1.00
- March 28-29 - Campus Closed to All Visitors/Volunteers (after-school activities do NOT have to be cancelled)
- March 28 - STAAR Testing - 4th grade Writing & 5th grade Math
- March 29 - STAAR Testing - 5th grade Reading
4th 6 weeks Attendance Champions
- Grilled patties
- Cheese tray
- Relish tray
- burger buns
- Assorted Chips
- Cookies
- Water
Students will also be receiving ice cream that same day during their lunch time.
Online GT courses
We have secured a 30-Day Trial of TAGT On-Demand, an online collection of courses for GT professional development. Teachers may take 6 hours of coursework for FREE! The courses are good for GT Core/Foundations and GT Update 16-17 credit. (No EQ time granted.) Courses open Wednesday, March 1st and close Friday, March 31st.
Go to the link below and follow the directions. Let me know if you want any help choosing a class or understanding what classes you need to fulfill you 30 hours. Look for Ian Byrd and Lisa Van Gemert. www.tinyurl.com/GTOnlineCourses
You will need to be logged into your Keller ISD account to access the page. Please let Tara Yancy know if you take advantage of this offer. They will still offer our Saturday, April 8th Differentiation Institute and Summer 2017 Core/Foundation courses in June and July (dates to come soon.)
The Principal's Den
Crazy to think that we are two-thirds of the way through the 2016-2017 school year. And as you know, student growth is what has occupied our focused attention. Hattie tells us that “progress is among the most critical dimension for judging the success of schools.” It is a collective, school-wide responsibility to ensure that all students are making at least a year’s growth for a year’s input.
Beyond knowing that focusing on student growth is what is best for kids, we see the concept surfacing in 2 major areas: T-TESS and Index 2 of STAAR. TEA let us know that, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, appraisal systems in Texas, whether the state-recommended system or a locally developed system, will need to include a measure of student growth at the individual teacher level. Student growth measures how much a student progresses academically during his or her time with a particular teacher. It takes into consideration a student’s entering skill level when measuring how much the student grew over time, and, as opposed to measuring student proficiency on an assessment, student growth isn’t concerned with whether or not a student passes a particular test or reaches a predetermined and uniform benchmark. It considers equally students who enter behind grade level, on grade level, and beyond grade level, tailoring growth expectations to each student’s context. By measuring growth, a teacher develops a better understanding about the academic impact of his or her instructional choices.
We will continue to use common assessments to help monitor student growth. It is my expectation that you, as teachers, have student growth conversations with one another and with your students. Ultimately, the goal is to make instructional adjustments when you see students are not growing.
We also know that student growth encompasses more than academic growth. The district is working to define the different areas and ways to track student growth outside of content. I look forward to continued conversations with both you, and your team.
The March Calendar!
The Bobcat 6
- Be prepared every day.
- Intentionally plan using a variety of strategies to meet the needs of all students.
- Seek solutions and always focus on what is best for kids.
- Know what you need to learn and seek the knowledge out.
- Build positive relationships and communicate effectively.
- Be accountable.
Where in the World are Anna & Kristen this week?
Kristen will be at a Principal's meeting all day on Wednesday.
Anna will be working all week on STAAR preparations.
District Information
District Instructional Calendar
April 14, 2017 – District Holiday (Bad Weather Make-Up Day)
April 17, 2017 – District Holiday (Bad Weather Make-Up Day)
May 27, 2017 – High School Graduation (at UTA's College Park Center)
May 29, 2017 – District Holiday (Memorial Day)
June 2, 2017 – Last Day of School