BSE Bear Blast
Beginning of Year Info August
Important Dates
August 13:
First day of Preschool (expect delays with arrival and dismissal)
First Early Release 3:10 for Preschool, 3:20 for K-4.
First "Team Time" in Cafe K-4/Corinne's Room PreK- 3:30-4:20 PM
August 13: Meet the Teacher Night 1st and 2nd Grade - 6:00 - 7:00 PM (Cafe/Classrooms)
August 14: Meet the Teacher Night 3rd and 4th Grade - 6:00 - 7:00 PM (Cafe/Classrooms)
*Teachers please join in the cafe to be introduced as a group prior to classroom time.
August 16:
Back to School Social - 4:15 PM @ 11932 Foral Hall Place Fishers
August 28 @ BSE: Science PD AM Kinder
August 29 @ BSE: Science PD AM 1st Grade/ PM 2nd Grade
August 30 @ BSE: Science PD AM 3rd Grade/PM 4th Grade
Aesop - Requesting Time Off
- Please enter either a 1/2 day (AM or PM) or full day absence. Do not create a custom absence for less than 1/2 day as we pay our subs in half day increments.
- Bev Kane, our Sub Coordinator, assigns floating perm subs between 5:30-6:00 AM every day. Though we know there are times it isn't possible, please try to enter absences no later than 6:00 AM.
- Professional Development: The only time you won't have to enter your own Aesop absence is when it's for PD. In those cases, once your PINK SHEET has been completed and passed off to me for signatures, I will enter the absence for you.
Discovery News from Ms. Gray
I have had a great time getting to know some of your students in Discovery this week and can’t wait to meet the rest of them on Monday in the library!
- Starting on Tuesday, I will be coming to your rooms for Discovery!
- If you have Discovery on Day 1, Mrs. Thorne will schedule Anti-bullying lessons individually.
Thank you!
Katlyn Gray
Discovery
Setting up Spaces that Incubate Awesome #hse21
- Our Makers Space is currently being filled up in order to be a space that invites creation.
- Our Media Center is currently being organized with different corners to invite video creations, building, research, and analyzing literature.
- Our Office has been restored to invite visitors to view the importance of seeing faces of children, self portraits, artwork, and play in action.
- Our Teachers Lounge has been redesigned to foster friendship and relaxation.
The spaces your students and you create do not need to look identical to the images below but we encourage you to pause in the center of your room and ask yourself:
- Do the children know where to go for math materials verses writing materials?
- Where do they go to explore and build?
- Are they asked questions somewhere in the room that make them think differently and wonder?
Discovery Science Planning
The schedule is as follows:
August 28 @ BSE: AM Kinder
August 29 @ BSE: AM 1st Grade/ PM 2nd Grade
August 30 @ BSE: AM 3rd Grade/PM 4th Grade
Message from Nurse, Mrs. Sweet
Yellow Radios
- Please use telephones to contact Mr. Kyle or office.
- Please have radios OFF unless outside with classroom or at dismissal.
- Mrs. Thorne will be in classrooms and doing small group instruction therefore unavailable on radio.
- Please give all information at once when calling for Jamie or Kristine such as "Resource support needed in Mrs. Rich's room."
- If calling on the radio it should be a 'I need someone right now situation.'
- Please DO NOT call for band-aides or to alert Mrs. Sweet that someone is coming in from recess unless a serious injury or assistance outside is needed.
- Admin is always available on radio for emergencies.
- Discipline does not need to be radioed unless a high intense situation such as an angry physical altercation. With all teachers outside, one may walk in any other children that require further discipline action.
Response to Instruction (RTI) & Tier 3
- 1-5% of your class may qualify for even further intervention qualifying them for Tier 3.
- Location: Resource room before school 4 days a week.
- Goal start date: August 28 Tuesdays-Fridays.
- Students have already been identified from May and will be shared via email with you if you have one in your class.
- Fatima will benchmark the 10 students and contact parents for drop off confirmation.
- More information to come regarding progress monitoring directions.
NWEA Testing
- Reading and Math assessments will be administered soon prior to August 28.
- Final days will be reserved for absent students.
- Please refer to Fatima's email from August 10 regarding specific directions.
- More than one teacher may test at the same time (3 slots total).
Click here to access live schedule for NWEA testing and don't forget to sign up yourself in two slots!
New Accommodation Feature - VERY IMPORTANT!
Allison, Andrea, Jamie, and Kristine will be able to confirm any student in your classroom that qualifies for a new read aloud accommodation for Grades 2-4. Please see info from Jeff Harrison below:
With the NWEA window opening tomorrow, I wanted to let you know of a new update that NWEA released that we have approved for testing - the screen reader. After conversations with the Exceptional Learners Department we have approved the use of the screen reader for any student who has this accommodation documented in their IEP, 504 or ILP for students in grades 2-8 (as K-1 is already read aloud).
The accommodation will need to be assigned at the time of testing by the teacher. Before launching the test, check the student(s) name(s), then click Assign Accommodations, then scroll down and check the boxes under Text-to-Speech and then click Assign. Then the student can log in and test (with headphones).
Benchmarking Reading Kits (Fountas & Pinnell)
- Teachers are strongly encouraged to use Where to Start Word List for each reader. (kits are full with them and cheat sheet!) This will help decrease the number of assessments administered per student.
- All benchmarking must be complete and entered by September 14th.
- Erin Mohr will be sending out Excel to enter your data.
- If you are interested in having a benchmark modeled for you before getting started, please contact Erin Mohr.
Click here to watch Where to Start Word List, Reading Record, & Comprehension Conversation.
One to One Ipads
A few reminders below to commit to:
- Ipads are not to be used for free time/recess/game time.
- All rented Ipads may be trouble shot with Kyle Warkentin (office in Media Center).
- Ipads must have parent approval to go home daily.
- Ipads are NOT to be used on the bus, at the YMCA, or on daycare busses.
- Ipads CAN be used for capturing images, videos, digital resources, research, etc.
- Encourage families to avoid passcodes.
- Label Ipads with student name and keep protectors/cases on.
Communication with Families
How long will you wait before you attempt contact with each family to talk about what you noticed the first days of school about their child?
Events such as Meet The Teacher, Conferences, etc are huge opportunities for us to also communicate confidence, our personal beliefs, and educate about the shifts BSE has made but all of it will be for nothing if we forget the WHY behind it all.
Tips for you this year:
- When receiving a parent email, make calling them instead of hitting reply a practice.
- Be comfortable with stating "I don't know the answer to that but I'm happy to find out and get back to you."
- Be okay with forwarding any email to Admin for further assistance that you are not comfortable with.
- Invite Admin to any meeting where you feel support may be needed.
- Be confident, you know more that you think you do and YOU are in charge of your classroom.
- NEVER under any circumstance discuss any child with an adult that is not their child.
BSE's Homework Policy
"Here at BSE we believe time at home should be spent with family so instead of sitting down with a textbook or worksheet we are encouraging shifting the way we are asking families to engage with their child about academics while at home whether wanting to use digital tools or not. We encourage reading and asking, "What can you tell me about what you just read? or "What are you still wondering after reading that?" We encourage writing about reading and even crafting own stories fiction and non-fiction. We encourage practicing math in a fun way such as a game learned in school or with dice or cards. A variety of digital resources may be used for daily practice of literacy, science and math such as EPIC, Lexia, EDM, Discovery, Xtra Math or Moby if desired. Completing an assignment or project at home that was not able to be finished at school as needed may be requested by classroom teachers."