PKMS Update 12.9.19
A Close Look At How We Did & Will Do Our Work
Good Day, PKMS Family.
Thank you for another great week of instruction and student learning. We continue to be appreciative of your dedication, planning, collaboration, assessment of students, focus, and hard work.
This week’s quote speaks to our Social Emotional Learning Theme of Community: "There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." - Margaret J. Wheatley
As has become a part of the PKMS culture, please allow these words to inspire you as you design and redesign lessons, tasks, and questions, and reflect on practice.
Remember, to SMILE (Show My Infectious Lovable Energy) as it is the first thing students, families, and colleagues see.
Let's Keep These Thoughts in Mind:
- Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
- Gladden the heart of a child.
- Always operate from a honest place.
- Give a soft answer
Turning Up The Heat!
Thank you to Michelle Luongo for organizing our author visit with Thannahi Lai - The students genuinely enjoyed the author, Q&A session, and writing workshop - Thank you, ELA (and other staff) teachers for promoting this event - Thank you, Ms. Simon for supporting this partnership
Thank you to Jonathan Harrison and the Student Government for working on School Spirit Week & Talent Show - More to come this week
We thank Ms. Detres, Ms. Fervan, Ms. King, Ms. Mahy, Ms. Settembre, Ms. Tual, Ms. Zupa, Mr. Harrison, Dr. Robinson, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. Coster for their work during our After School Program - We are also thankful to Andrew Weisman and Parketha Evans for providing a snack and drink (they will provide this until May 7)
We thank every department member for your discussions and focus during your after school meetings
Thank you for the RtI Meetings and Discussions this past week
Thank you to our security: Chemay, Nigel, Merriweather, Billy, and David for their work
Thank you to Tim, Mike, Mark, Kristen, Billy, Keith, and Manny for their work
Thank you to Parketha Evans and her Food Services Team
Thank you to our Clinical Team for continuing to support students, families, and staff
Thank you to staff for parent and family outreach and meetings conducted this week
Chorus & Band Rehearsals
Please note we will have Combined Band 7 & 8 Rehearsal on Monday, December 9 - Period 1 & Period 3 in the auditorium
WINTER CONCERT - DECEMBER 10 - 7PM - If you can assist, please let Carney, Finney, or Guido know
Technology Board Demonstration - December 10 @7:45AM in Media Lab
QUARTER TWO PROGRESS REPORTS
BERT INFORMATION
This is a reminder that all district supplied keys have the capability of locking down any door district wide that has an intruder core on the inside of a classroom, office or common space - The district supplied key also has the capability to unlock/lock any faculty bathroom and faculty lounge across the entire district.
2019-2020 B.E.D.S. Information
To access the TAA (Teacher Authorization and Authentication) system visit the following page: http://eservices.nysed.gov/taa/ .
Please complete and submit ePMF by December 10, 2019. Ms. Janice Reid is recommending that you login and review your information as soon as possible in case there are corrections that need to be made.
The window for the 2nd quarter progress reports will open on Friday, December 13th at 8:30am and close on Wednesday, December 18th at 8:30 am.
A Humanities Lens
Students analyzing a character's traits by evaluating their actions and dialogue - learning about specialization and the social structure in ancient Mesopotamia - understanding and identifying the most important aspects that gave each colony its identity -analyzing primary source documents to explain the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act - understanding & analyzing “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair through close reading, discussion, and text dependent question - Continue learning about figurative language while focusing on alliteration - characters can change due to their experiences by reading and discussing - discussing the changes seen in characters and the consequences of actions - reading, writing, listening and speaking about the vocabulary words, infinite verbs, things that we like or dislike to do
The Arts Live Here
Students identifying what a coat of arms is and what it is used for, reading an article and answering questions, designing their own coat of arms shield, and sketching a design using 4 symbols that represent themselves - learning about the traditional hand building technique of coil building - creating a pinch pot that is inspired by Peekskill pride - singing at least 3 harmonies at once (Soprano, Alto, Baritone) by learning to blend with their section - identifying and performing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes by performing rhythm activities - applying sight-reading strategies to individual and collaborative rehearsal, define key musical terms in the music, and reflect on their individual and collective progress - developing listening and critical thinking skills to apply appropriate techniques to the presentation and balance of thematic material
A Health-Conscious Mind & Body
Students engaging in a series of static and dynamic stretches based on which “split” is being worked out - engaging in a workout consisting of only Lower Body exercise - identifying and explaining proper cues for successfully performing the back crawl, demonstrating ability to perform the back crawl using a flutter kick, alternating arm motion, and body roll, and reciting and showing knowledge of 2-3 water safety rules for pool and open water - completing a self-esteem All About Me project - analyzing an article analysis based on the topic students chose - partnering with Margaret’s Place in regards to healthy relationships and anti-violence/bullying - exploring communicable and non-communicable diseases
We Got STEM!
Students design their own Game and play test each others game and give a review - demonstrating knowledge of key historical factors that have shaped manufacturing over the centuries - explaining current and emerging 3D printing applications in a variety of industries - working their way through several tutorials to learn the basics of the program - understanding that the Engineering Design Process is a method to carefully solve problems - understanding that the Engineering Design Process is a method to carefully solve problems - learning about cell structures and levels of organization while engaging in argument from evidence - measuring matter - examining moon phases and seasons - analyzing the graph of functions in different representations (by comparing, determining linearity, and describing qualitatively) - understanding that positive and negative numbers are used together to describe quantities having opposite directions or values - demonstrating that positive and negative numbers represent quantities in real-world contexts and explain the meaning of zero in each situation - applying properties of inequality to generate equivalent inequalities - solving two‐step inequalities using the basic operations and applying two‐step inequalities to solve real‐life problems
Updated Data Conversation at Upcoming Grade-Level Meetings
Town Hall - Student-Building Work
- This week’s quote speaks to our Social Emotional Learning Theme of Community: "There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." - Margaret J. Wheatley
- Please refer to the counselors' email on the Town Hall's New Format/Structure - See them for any questions for additional details
- Tuesday - Friday (Work Completion Days – Please structure it so that students can complete homework, work on projects, and get work from other teachers - Fun Days - Students who have met behavioral expectations will enjoy recess or whatever classroom activity designed)
Collaborative & Department Work
- Full Department Meetings from 3-3:40PM: 11/18, 12/9, 1/27, 2/10, 3/9, 4/20, 5/11, 6/8
- Month of December:
- For the month of December, please take a close (or closer) look at the 2019 ELA, Math (take a look at the Regents to determine what adjustments are necessary), and Grade 8 Science or Earth Science exam - Social studies will review the American History exam
- The goal is to identify trends, patterns, academic vocabulary, sentence phrasing, and what is the student being asked to do that he/she was not previously asked to do - From there, look at how you can add additional components/tasks/assessments to Rubicon Atlas and what instructional adjustment/supports will be designed
Updated Student F&P Performance Data - Shared Via Staff Email
Grade-Level Work
- RtI Meetings where applicable - Leslie Detres will communicate specifics
- December 11 - RtI Direct Tab Training in Normal Classrooms, DASA Conversation, Student Assistance Services Data
- December 19 - Continue our DASA Conversation, Student Assistance Services Data
GOT DATA???
We thank everyone who continue to create authentic, challenging, and standards-based assessments - We thank you for the analysis and task/lesson design to enhance learning - #datadriveninstruction
Must ask: Are Our Students Learning
What do my students need to learn? Why?
What have my students learned? How do I know?
What are my next steps? Why?
Task Predicts Performance
Questioning - are we posing low-level questions that address the standard or are we challenging students to think critically while addressing the same standard
LEVEL OF MASTERY THAT WILL BE REACHED IS DETERMINED BY WHAT SORT OF QUESTIONS STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ANSWER
Work Dates
- December 9th - Department Meetings @3PM
- December 10th - PKMS Winter Concert @7PM
- December 12th - Technology Team Meeting @7:45AM
- December 13th - BERT Team Meeting @7:45AM
- December 16 - School Spirit Week - More to come this week
- December 20th - Grade-Level Talent Shows - More to come
- December 23rd - Jan 3rd - Holiday Recess
- January 6th - Return from Holiday Recess
- January 7th - Board of Education Meeting @7PM
- January 9th - Data-Technology Meeting @7:45AM & Period 1
- January 10th - BERT Meeting @7:45AM in Library
- January 13th - Faculty Meeting @3PM - DASA
- January 16th - New Teacher Meeting @7:45AM in Library
- January 17th - Department Leader Meeting @7:45AM
- January 20th - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr.
- January 21st - SLT Meeting @7:45AM in Library
- January 24th - PKMS Musical @7PM
- January 25th - PKMS Musical @3PM
- January 27th - Department Meetings @3PM
Work Reminders
- Take attendance for each of your instructional periods
- Ensure 504 and IEP Plans are being supported
- Ensure grade content colleague planning - reflecting Rubicon Atlas
- Ensure Gradebook and Teacher Webpage/Google Classroom reflect current information and assignments
- Communicate with families and maintain that communication in PLP
- Data Driven Instruction Model
- Always Ask: Have They Learned? How Do You Know?
- Training One Another
- Discussing Student Performance Information
- Designing Tiered Instruction
- Reflecting on Daily Practice
- Reviewing Assessments from All Content Areas (Formative, Summative, Interim)
- Discussing Progress Monitoring Efforts
- Pacing through Rubicon Atlas
- Lesson Plans Should Be Designed with the following in Mind
- Questions Posed - What is the level
- Tiered Instruction
- Guided Instruction
- Driven By Data
- Clear and Articulated Assessment Throughout (assessments must contain spiraling back questions)
- Groupings (Fluid)