Hawk Eye News
Henderson Weekly Newsletter
October 12, 2015
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open. - Dalai Lama
Commit to Excellence - Keeping it Going!
A huge piece of excellence in a school setting is team work and collaboration. I learn so much from my peers, their expertise and hands on experiences as it is impossible for one person to know everything. I learn so much from our coaches, AP and you all as you implement great strategies for our students. This is why building strong grade level teams is critical. Everyone has something to share, input to give, and suggests for specific situations. Everyone has ideas for lesson planning, classroom management and parent involvement. We will continue to take steps to help you grow as a collaborative team. "Collaboration is vital to creating effective schools."-Valerie Straus
Teams, just as families, classrooms, and any work organization face times of conflict and/or disagreement. This is normal and healthy. If we all agreed all of the time, I would be worried. I would like to emphasize that we are professionals who have agreed to treating each other in a specific manner according to our social contract. Go to the person that you have conflict with. Go to the source. Have a healthy conversation and resolve it whether it be a misunderstanding or a true difference in opinion. Talk it out, talk it through and know that in the end, you may have to agree to disagree. That is OK! Please always have an open mind as our quote above states. Through openness we can embrace new ideas and move our campus closer to excellence.
C2E-Classroom Walks
Things to brag about....
- Small group instruction
- Effective use of tutors (small group in classrooms)
- Active monitoring
- Increase in student talk and decrease in teacher talk
Things to think about....
- Many Word Walls are not being utilized. Please post the vocabulary you are teaching on the word wall. We want these walls to be interactive. We should see word walls evolving.
- Anchor charts are a great tool for teaching. Anchor charts are created as a class and then hung in the room for students to refer to. Consider utilizing this effective strategy.
- Does your language objective change to fit the lesson and activity; or does it stay the same? Think about using more specific language objectives to best meet the needs of your students.
Walkthrough focus for the week of October 12th is ACE. When the teacher is talking, ACE is lower than when students are talking. Let's continue to work onTeacher talk vs Student talk.
This interesting article on how poverty affects engagement, will give you some things to think about...
All teachers please email me your biggest "aha" from the article. The 1st 5 to do so will receive a soft drink!
Push Attendance
Campus Visit October 13th
No worksheets
Stay true to the district scope and sequence
Hallways should have current student writing with I can statements displayed
Dress for success!
Tier I Positive Behavior Support-Composure
Have you found yourself losing your cool? Maybe even raising your voice with your students? Not able to maintain your composure?
Composure is the willingness to change our internal state from upset to calm. Composure is selfcontrol in action. It is a prerequisite skill adults need before disciplining children. It requires us to be the person that we want others to become. Composure comes from the power of perception which states: “No one can make me angry without my permission.” Whomever or whatever we put in charge of our feelings, we have placed in charge of ourselves.
Composure strategies
1. This is your job description: “My job is to keep you safe. Your job is to help keep it that way (safe).”
2. Take back your power: Change “Don‟t make me ____” language to “I‟m going to _____” language.
3. Use calming techniques: Be a S.T.A.R. (Stop, Take a Breath, And Relax) Say to yourself: “I‟m safe. Keep breathing. I can handle this.” Say to your child: “You‟re safe. Breathe with me. You can handle this.”
4. Create a safe place. This is a place for the child to go if he/she is feeling upset, angry, frustrated, sad, etc. It can be a large pillow or bean bag chair. Teach children calming strategies.
Composure is an important piece of the foundation of classroom management. Remember the Q-TIP...Quit Taking IT Personally!
Affirmations
Thank you to Mrs. Marak for organizing great awards programs for Friday. They went off without a hitch and kids left feeling good about their accomplishments. My hope is that students in the audience will work harder so that they too can receive awards!
Thank you to teachers for running Games Galore! Kids had a great time.
Our first vertical teams were outstanding. I heard meaningful conversations. Thank you for your willingness to learn and grow with and from each other.
Second grade as a whole, has done a wonderful job with their language objectives. Thank you for being very specific in how language will be developed through each lesson. (You may be doing the same. I was charged with carefully reviewing 2nd grade this week)
Lesson Plans
Lock Down-Is your class prepared?
- Doors shut and locked
- Lights out and quiet
- Hide students and yourself in a corner of the room where you CANNOT be seen through door window
- Do not answer when someone knocks on your door
- Wait for the all clear and resume normal activities announcement
Watch Run Hide Fight
Friendly Reminders
- Focused Finish starts this Tuesday. I will attempt to announce this each Tuesday afternoon.
- Please turn in or have your students turn in Box Tops to the office each day.
- Hawk's Nest will open this Wednesday during lunch.
- Grades should reflect student mastery of skills taught. Please talk with coaches, myself or Mrs. Rhodes if you have concerns or questions about this.
- Projector bulbs cost close to $200. Please turn them off when not in use.
- Writing in the hallway should be changed out monthly. Let's show off our student work!
- Please conserve copy paper. We kill lots of trees at Henderson. :( Think about alternatives such as writing on desks or white boards and using sleeves.
- Please conserve laminate. Only laminate those items that you will be using throughout the years.
- Parent conferences are due to be completed by November 6th.
Mark Your Calendar!
October
12 Writers Workshop and Writing Across the Curriculum Training All Day
Paras report to Henderson front office
13 Campus visit - Learning walks by campus and central office administration
HIP Meeting 4-5
PTO Meeting 6-7
13 & 15 Techy Times -SmartBoard-basic/how to set up
14 Faculty Meeting-CLT
15 Spirit Night at Taco Casa
17 KKids-Service project/trash pickup
21 Faculty Meeting- BB&T/SPED/Committees
23 Technology Digital Citizenship (Internet Safety) Acknowledgement Form Completed
24 Hispanic Forum Fun Run
26-30 Red Ribbon Week
28 Faculty Meeting-Title I Parent Training
November
3 HIP Meeting
4 Faculty Meeting-Dyslexia/RtI
6 Henderson Harmonics @ First Friday
7 KKids @ Food Bank
UIL Meet
9 Re-enrollment Insurance
10 Re-enrollment Insurance
10 & 12 Techy Time Lunch & Learn
11 Veteran's Day Program
Parent Involvement (more info coming)
12 Picture Retakes