April 9, 2018
A Communication Tool for the Seven Hills Staff
STAAR Test This Week:
A separate checklist document and campus schedule will be sent in a separate email to ALL staff.
ALL STAFF MUST BE GENERAL SECURITY TRAINED! If you were not able to attend our training on Thursday afternoon, please arrange a time to get trained by contacting Leslie or Hayley.
Staff who will be giving Oral Administration of the test will have an additional training and will be contacted directly on Monday. Watch your email.
Everyone who is giving the STAAR test this week - Remember to read your manual.
Emails have been sent regarding the first room and hall check. Please read carefully. Kim and Hayley can answer your questions on this.
Don't forget to encourage our Star Leaders taking STAAR Tests this week:
Let’s help boost confidence for our 4th and 5th grade STAR LEADERS on STAAR TESTING DAYS! Please look at the needs below and support those that apply to you. Thank you in advance for your support!
- Writing Buddy Notes: if you are a writing buddy, please write a note to your buddy encouraging them on their test on Tuesday. You can use any note card or paper you would like, however, there will be colorful cards and envelopes on my table for you to use. Please have your notes written and turned in to the homeroom teacher by Monday afternoon. This will help us make sure that we have a note for all students before they test on Tuesday.
- Buddy Classroom posters or notes: if your buddy class is a 4th or 5th grade classroom, your students can make a good luck poster or make a card, etc. to encourage 4th and 5th graders on Tuesday and Wednesday of next.
- 5th grade…no worries…there is a special note of encouragement coming your way for students on Tuesday and Wednesday. J
Please make sure ALL parents are aware that the campus is CLOSED from 7:15 - 3:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday for ALL visitors and volunteers.
TTESS Domain 4 Reflection and End of Year Conferences:
Leslie and I will begin scheduling your End of Year Conferences soon. We have decided that conferences will be completed between April 16 and April 27. You will receive calendar invites for your conferences. If the date and time of the conference will not work for you, it is your responsibility to collaborate with your appraiser to schedule a new date and time. All End of Year Conferences must be completed by Friday, April 27.
In preparation for your End of Year Conference please complete the following by Friday, April 13:
- Domain 4 Reflection in Google Drive:
- https://goo.gl/forms/Smtxu1z1Tp7rP4Rp2
- This form allows staff evaluated on the TTESS instrument to reflect on each dimension within Domain 4. The evidence provided in the form will be used to prompt discussion during the End of Year conference and complete the ratings. Staff have the opportunity to upload pictures to support each dimension. While the photos are optional, they can provide valuable evidence. The form limits staff to 5 pictures in each dimension. Choose carefully.
- I recommend completing the reflections in a Word or Google document and copying them into the Google form.
- Goal Setting Reflection in Edugence:
- All staff should have had their goal setting forms “returned” to them in Edugence. If you cannot open yours, please let your appraiser know.
- Staff are completing the “Evidence of Goal Attainment” section as well as providing any evidence to support Part 1 #1 and #2
- The evidence provided in the form will be used to prompt discussion during the End of Year conference and complete the ratings.
It is our hope that the Google form will help you carefully consider Domain 4, setting us up for reflective and meaningful End of Year Conferences. Please put first things first. Do not wait until the last minute to complete your reflections and compile evidence. Remember, everything is dues Friday, April 13.
Also, if you have not yet read your observation post conference form, added any comments you would like, signed, saved, and submitted, please do so by Wednesday, March 29.
Please let Leslie and I know how we can help you! We are looking forward to End of Year Conferences!
Seven Hills is Managing the Whirlwind and Focusing on the Wildly Important!
Spring Math Learning Cycle and the Secret Shopper:
We have had some great discussions as a campus, in ILT, as grade level teams, and as a leadership team around the problem solving block and providing students with the opportunity to write in math. Last week ILT reflected on the Secret Shopper Protocol. Just to refresh your memory, the protocol was developed by the ILT and involved:
Weekly “Grammar Mystery Shopper” in all content areas:
- In an effort to communicate to students that EVERY time they engage in writing for ANY purpose, they should be writing as if they are publishing THAT piece. They need to use their best handwriting. They need to be attentive to conventions, such as spelling, capitalization, and punctuation in every piece – regardless of the purpose of the piece.
- This discussion can EASILY be connected to the 7 Habits!
- Be Proactive: have pride in your work. Your work is a reflection of you.
- Begin With the End in Mind: have a plan for your writing -regardless of the purpose; make a plan; implement the plan
- Other connections?
- Each week, teachers will “shop” student notebooks and pull 1-3 pieces of writing to review for conventions. We would like to see this completed weekly during weeks that we have 5 full days of instruction. It is feasible that by the 5th day of the week, students should have something in their notebooks for the mystery shopper to pull from.
- Writing pieces can include, but are not limited to:
- Math justifications
- Science CERs
- Reader’s responses
- Writing About Reading Day pieces
- Writer’s notebooks pieces
- Art reflections
- Review the piece selected for total number of convention errors based on the grade level conventions to secure document. Share the total number found with the class.
- Copy the piece or pieces of writing chosen and remove student name.
- As a class, edit the piece for conventions, making sure students locate each of the conventions errors you found during your initial shopping experience.
- Chart the total number of errors found each week….the hope is that the number of errors would go down after students realize they are being held accountable to/for writing for publication each time they write.
As an ILT we reflected on the implementation of the protocol and determined the following (see picture of our work below):
- Student awareness of conventions has increased
- Increased quality in student work because there is an awareness that their work might be selected.
- Students are able to recognize errors quickly.
- Does not take very long to complete each week.
- Some students are very worried about whose work is being reviewed. What can we do to remove this barrier?
- Remembering to do it can be a struggle. One grade level designated a day of the week to complete the "Secret Shopper." That really helped with remembering.
- One grade level created a scoreboard to graph errors. Their goal is to have fewer and fewer conventions errors. Scoreboard is posted in the classroom.
- Several grade levels are only looking at math notebooks for conventions.
The ILT determined that we will continue to implement this protocol for the rest of the school year. We also decided that we wanted this to continue next year. As we wrap up this year and plan for next year, we would like to present the following suggestions:
- Consider K-2 pulling math notebooks only, 3-5 pulling ELAR and Math, 5th pulling Science, Art and Music pulling student writing in 3-5.
- Consider designating a Secret Shopper day of the week.
- Consider whether students who have had their work "shopped" before could volunteer their work to be reviewed again as a check to see if they are improving.
Keep up the great work with this protocol and ILT will discuss again before the end of the year.
Don't Forget...This is the Last Week of This WIG Cycle! How Will Students Know if They Won the Game?
Habit Focus for the Week: Habit 4
Check This Out!
First up we have Mrs. Reyes's Kindergarten class with their interpretation of what a Principal does at school.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SSpnIhqj71ZqPFgQYw7dtf7dg4cPqfDX/view?usp=sharing
Campus and District Announcements and Updates:
Brandy Brewer's IT Challenge: Take me out to the ballgame… Take me out to the crowd… It's Opening Day in Texas! Anyone else think this should qualify as a holiday? My family sure does love baseball season. What a better way to start the season than with a little tech challenge? You're invited to step up to the plate and compete in the #7HillsLeadsIT challenge. Will you hit it out of the park? Click the link to learn more. As a reminder, I'm typically on your campus Wednesdays, if my schedule allows, I am happy to be flexible with meeting on alternate days!
- You + 2: What will you do to support your two students this week? A WIG check is a wonderful 1st step! Make sure you sign student WIG Charts each time you meet with them.
- Observe Me Walks: ILT leaders worked with grade level teams to sign up for Observe Me walks to be completed before End of Year Conferences. The key ideas/dates/information for this are outlined below. Important Dates: Wednesday, March 20 = everyone is signed up for an observe me walks & Friday, April 13 = complete at least ONE observe me walk for the person you are matched with. Typically walks could be completed during your conference period. If you need coverage for your class to support walks, please let Leslie, Hayley or Kim know. We will either cover your class or help find someone who can. Observe Me Sign Ups: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PovS5R6IOTsawfvHKHOT69gE-1uY283i1r_Xu6HXb04/edit?usp=sharing
- FLEX Days: Have you completed the required hours for your 2017 - 2018
FLEX agreement? Do you have documentation of completion of these hours? Leslie and Kim will be confirming these with teachers. Please be prepared to share evidence of completion or your plan to complete the requirement. Remember, if the hours are not completed, the employee is docked pay at the daily rate for the number of hours not completed.
- Save the Date for Campus Based PD in August: Seven Hills staff will complete The Leader in Me Empowering Instruction professional learning on August 10, 2018. All instructional staff are required to attend, and because this is a non-contract day, this will count toward FLEX credit. The location is TBD, as we may opt to have this off site for a more engaging PD.
Attendance Snapshot Time: Staff, it is imperative that attendance be completed DAILY at the 9:30 reporting time. Funding is connected to this reporting, and should the district/campus be audited, failure to report attendance at the snapshot time could result in loss of funding for all of the students in your classroom on each day that attendance was not completed at the reporting time. Please be advised that reporting attendance is connected to T-TESS discipline 4.
Save the Date:
Note: This would be a GREAT week to complete Observe Me walks to give feedback to your peers connected to their professional WIGs. Keep in mind 4th and 5th grades are testing this week!
National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week This Week!
April 9:
- NO ILT Meeting due to STAAR Preparation
- Staff no not park in back parking lot due to 5th grade activity
April 10:
- STAAR Testing, CLOSED CAMPUS, staff wear jeans and long sleeve navy shirt
- National Library Worker's Day
April 11:
- STAAR Testing, CLOSED CAMPUS, staff wear jeans and navy "World Changer" shirt
April 12:
- Block Party, 3:30 pm, Hosted by SPED and Specials
- Inspire Celebration at Texas Motor Speedway
April 13:
- End of 5th Grading Period & End of WIG Cycle
- TTESS End of Year Reflections and Goal Setting due (see above)
Happy Birthday to You: