The Meeks Messenger
2nd Edition, Vol. 5 September 2019
Hey, hey Mustangs!
Please join us in welcoming Michelle Kirkbride as out newest Resource/Inclusion teacher!
Attendance:
Thank you all for working hard to get your attendance posted on time! We greatly appreciate your efforts. Please make sure to post your attendance for SECOND PERIOD...not your homeroom. This is very important because we get funding based on who is present for second period. Thank you!
Reminders:
- Announcements: Please make sure to watch the morning announcements EVERY morning with your students! It's a great way to begin the day!
- Sensory Room: All students MUST be accompanied by an adult in the sensory room. Please do not send students alone at any time. You can call the front office to ask for someone to come escort a student. An administrator or other support staff will come give a break as soon as possible.
- Recess: Teachers on recess duty are asked to spread out to ensure all students are actively monitored. Please please please make this a priority. Also, cell phones should NOT be used during this time. :)
You are all invited to a Nacho Average Teacher lunch in your honor courtesy of our fabulous PTA! Click here for details and to RSVP!
Don't forget to share our story with the world by using #TheBestParkside and #1LISD on Twitter! You can also tag our campus @Parkside_ES. Your PLN (Professional Learning Network) wants to learn from you! Y'all have so many great things to share!
Thank you for all you do!
Lauren, Maggie, & Erin
Learning Targets!
Targets: We believe teachers should identify and communicate learning targets for each day so that students are able to articulate what mastery looks like.
We challenge you to think about Learning Targets as power standards...what skills are worthy of a learning target? Interactive Read Aloud anchors the day for reading instruction. Consider developing your learning targets for reading around the skill you are targeting in IRA.
Bus Evacuation Drill
9:30 - Kinder, 1st, 2nd
Bus 1: Martinez, Armstrong, Barr
Bus 2: Locklear, Lafevers, Reid
Bus 3: Hoffman, Janda
Bus 4: Moseley, Bolton, Uhlaender
Bus 5: Markus, Rose, Bleakley
Bus 6: Flores, Westbrook, Rourke
Bus 7: Carson, Dyke
Bus 8: Williams, LeCaptain
Bus 9: Worcester, Miller, Mull
10:00 - 3rd, 4th, 5th
Bus 1: Newton, Molenaar
Bus 2: Forward, Thompson
Bus 3: Strickland, Rodriguez
Bus 4: Patrick, Churchill
Bus 5: Guerra, Looman,
Bus 6: Lindeman, Williams
Bus 7: Metzger, Bryant
Bus 8: Davis, Regehr
Bus 9: Troller, Randall
Bus 10: Jamar, Newman
Bus 11: LaTouf, Ehrsam
Please be patient with us! Transportation is not able to give us a definite number of buses, so these bus numbers are estimates! We will try our best to make this as easy as possible, but know that bus numbers and times might vary. Please have your kids down to the buses at your scheduled time...this means you will need to leave your classroom a little earlier to get down to the buses. The buses will load in the bus loading zone (in the back by cafeteria).
Comprehensive Literacy Institute
Register in Eduphoria to attend!
Dates: 9/14 (Saturday) and 9/21 (Saturday)
Time: 8:00-4:00
Location: TECH A & B
Teachers who attend BOTH Saturday sessions can use these days as exchange days for the District PL days on Nov. 4th and Feb.17th.
Library News!
September 2019
Important upcoming dates and information!!
September 15 - Dot Day - Great read aloud!!
September 19 - Talk like a Pirate Day - AARRGGG!!
September 27 - Set up for Book Fair - Library will meet in the Community Room from Sept. 27 - October 4
September 30 - October 4 - Scholastic Book Fair
September 30 & October 1 - Student Preview
September 30 - Teacher Preview - 3:15 pm
October 1 - Book Fair Family Night
Student Preview Sign Up sheet will be posted in the workroom. Those coming to the library on green and red day will come during their class time - no need to sign up!
A Few Notes:
Library Passes - Please use your library passes to send students to the library throughout the day. A few reminders - no more than 2 students at a time and they have to be able to be fairly independent in the library as we may be in the middle of a class when they get here.
Listening Centers - we have listening center for check out that can be used to help with the read alouds that are a part of the new curriculum..
Student Book Exchange - Let students know about our book exchange shelves in the neighborhoods and our Little Free Library out in front of the school for student book exchange opportunities.
Teacher Book Exchange - There is a cart in Russell’s room for a teacher book exchange.. There are professional books, general books and student books for your classroom libraries. We have been weeding our library collection and have been adding lots of great titles. Don’t forget to check it out!!
Teacher Book Club - taking suggestions for our next book from those interested.
Water bottles and books - We have already lost about 7 books due to water damage. Please help us in reminding students to keep water bottles and books separated in backpacks!
Coming Soon: Literacy Day
October 31st - Students will be able to dress as their favorite book character for a Literacy Day Parade. We will have author visits for all grade levels that day and leading up to Lit Day we will ask each team to submit a pumpkin that has been carved, painted - decorated in your preferred method - but it needs to reflect a story. We will display the pumpkins in the library and students will vote for their favorite. (pumpkins will be provided)
More information to follow!!
Reminders About Portable Buildings
A few items to remember:
If a parent is visiting the portables, they must come to the front office to obtain a visitor’s sticker before entering the portables.
Portables are locked at all times.
Teachers will escort students, or students will walk with a buddy into the building with a security badge at all times.
Students attending SRP classes, Dyslexia classes, Special Education classes, QUEST classes, or any other class during the day, will be met at the door/ramp by their teacher or walk with a buddy.
Inclement weather plans are in place and will be practiced throughout the year.
Who Wants to Win Free $$$
Faculty and staff can apply for $500 for continuing education (Kagan, David Langford, Technology, PLC, etc.) and there's $25,000 available state wide. Most grants & scholarships only receive a few applications so I would go ahead and apply. You'll need to be a member of PTA and will need to include the PTA president's name & email on the application (Brook Cummings b.cummings@parkside-pta.org).
From the TX PTA website:
Texas PTA offers scholarships in an amount not to exceed $500 to teachers, teachers’ aides, or other faculty members planning to take college credit courses, workshops or other continuing education which improves the applicant’s teaching proficiency or applies to a specific education-related certification (includes middle management, administrator, counselor, etc.). These courses may include online and correspondence courses.
Communication is KEY!
The Parent Engagement Survey from last year indicated that parents do not feel adequately informed about their child's academic progress. These conferences are a good way to bridge that gap. We will be digging deeper into this issue with our Campus Leadership Team at our next meeting.
Instructional Coach Newsletter
Counseling Corner
Please reach out to Julie if you have questions!
Important Dates to Remember!
September 9 - RtI 101 with Maggie in Pride Room for 1st & 3rd
Safety Patrol Training 2:00-2:20pm information coming from Coach Lane
September 11- Running Record Training @ Conference time in Pride Room
Leadership Team meeting in Pride Room at 3:15pm
September 16 - Dot Day (a day late)! Wear your DOTS and encourage students to wear their dots, too! How can you make your mark?
September 18 - RtI T3 Meeting in Pride Room
Bus Evacuation Drill - more info coming soon!
September 19 - Required Student Bully Training at the beginning of Specials. Classroom teachers: Please drop off your students in the MPR for Specials on this day. You will pick them up from their Specials' classroom.
September 24 - Lockdown Drill @ 2:15pm
September 25 - Early Release @ 12pm (Parent/Teacher Conferences)
September 26 - PTA Invention Night @ 5:30pm-8:00pm with a PTA General Mtg. @ 6pm
October 2 - Faculty Meeting in MPR (Instructional Staff Only)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
- Lisa Blizzard (9/8)
- Devin Lane (9/8)
- Ann Marie Churchill (9/8)
- Sarah Armstrong (9/11)
- Jennifer Gonzales (9/19)
- Alyson Rose (9/20)
- Pat Baranowski (9/20)
- Heather Moseley (9/23)
- Margo Van Der Bogart (9/24)
- Diane Loza (9/25)
- Anna Webber (9/29)
We Are Here for YOU!!!
Email: lauren.meeks@leanderisd.org
Location: 301 Garner Park Drive, Georgetown, TX, USA
Phone: 17110
Twitter: @TheRealMrsMeeks