Friday Faculty Focus
News and Notes about #BeBCMS-Issue #13- 2018
#TheFinalCountdown
#ProjectLevelUP
This is the last week before we begin our GMAS testing in 8th grade. 6th and 7th, you have an additional week to prepare scholars! Use your time wisely!
Thank you to ALL staff for ticking along while I was off campus. I truly could feel all the love and prayers and my family and I very much appreciated it!
Thank you to Ms. Adams and Ms. Simons and everyone who helped prepare and host an amazing BETA Celebration for our scholars!
Here are some other notes:
The testing schedule is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12uE8pHEUNcnWV8qHWoC7si3z1OVIwvsyVZUsOLRAl_o/edit?usp=sharing
ALL devices will be encumbered 4/23 (unless you have spoken to me)
Lesson Plans are due Friday by 5:00
I will try to get feedback to you Monday. Remember, we are looking at TKES #2. You have a copy of the rubic. You can self reflect your lesson plans as well!
The "I KNOW THOSE PEOPLE" inspiration FLIPGRID is ready to rock and roll! I have even convinced Dr. Brooksher and Dr. Robertson to play along! They love middle schoolers.
The FLIPGRID is here: Please insert your ELITE inspirational message!
Important Events! (The •1)
#FIVEMoreDays
Monday- #CelebrateMonday, Title 1 Revision Meeting 7:45 AM, Local School Council, 8"30 AM
Tuesday- #TerrificTuesday, Learning with LIz, (Bus Karaoke)
Wednesday- #WinWednesday, 7th grade Field Trip, Proficient Scholar Party during WIN
Thursday-#ThankfulThursday, Distinguished Scholar Party during WIN
Friday- #FocusFriday, KONA ICE, April Scholars of the Month DUE, GMAS Kick Off Assembly during WIN
Upcoming:
April 25/26 GMAS Celebrations!
April 27th ALL SCHOOL GMAS PEP UP #ProjectLEVELUP #SlamTheExam #GetToGreen #ProudToBePurple
GMAS testing begins April 30th
Rising Redskins May 15th (Start at 8:30 AM for morning)
What I'm Reading.... (The •5)
School Culture Recharged by Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker
I stumbled upon a conversation yesterday with two teachers talking about building climate and culture. If you have ever engaged in a conversation with me regarding climate and culture you know will know my stance on it. One of my favorite authors is Todd Whitaker: he is a lifelong educator and professor who has written many books on school climate and culture. I have been privileged to hear him speak several times and he is fantastic. In "School Culture" he says:
"The principal needs to give effective staff permission to leave (virtually) and begin to build the future away from the distractions of ineffective voices."
That statement! WOW!
I give you that permission! You don't have to be influenced or drug down by negative energy and negative power brokers in our schoolhouse! Our work is TOO valuable and TOO hard to not see and feel the ELITEness in it every single day!
Each one of you in our schoolhouse have the power to build, create, and sustain your own classroom climate that feeds into our school culture. It is not my job to make you love your job. It is my job to model passion, enthusiasm, excitement, and intelligence is leading the schoolhouse!
#ReadersAreLeaders
#RTB
#Moments
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Nuggets and News (the •10)
PBIS Update:
APRIL 2018
- 11 Majors
- 53 Minors
April 2018
92 MAJORS
58 MINORS
OSS/ISS
To date:
240 days of OSS
267 days of ISS
This data supports that building relationships is ALWAYS the answer.
The Innovation Center: Co-Teaching PLC with GLRS, plan to use this time to work with Blaine and KAT and the GLRS team. You have the schedule and expectations. After spring break, Dr. Mantooth will be offering an optional session during your planning on Wednesdays
Compliance Checks - 5x5s will be on Monday this week! Looks fors are :Whole Group vs. Small group vs individual and what is the teacher doing....
DO not forget to turn in your lesson plans: As much as you have completed, please turn in!
Meetings Schedules: Monday: TEAM, Tuesday: LWL Pop UP PL( Spring MAP Data reflections) , Wednesday:MATH ,Thursday: ELA/Soc.St. , Friday: Science
#BeBCMS Snack Carts will be open before and after school
Friday April 27th - Connections Breakfast
Friday May 18th - Office Squad Breakfast
May 15th Rising Redskins - schedule TBD, Evening starts at 6:30
We will begin getting devices ready for testing on the week of 4/23.
Please take carts to the Media Center before leaving Friday afternoon
Hiring is almost complete!
Coming in May:
- Transition meetings for scheduling
- MASTER Schedule completed
- PBIS and Full School Celebrations
- Honors Night in May
#LoveTheProcess
Focus on......... Lesson Plans (The •15)
Remember our #BeBCMS Moral Imperatives to an ELITE school?
a. Come to School- BE AMAZING- Go Home! Repeat
b. Bell to Bell instruction
c. ALL instruction/teaching will be on grade level and standards based
d. Take a STAND for teaching and learning. Get up!
Teachers:
Your lesson designs are the magic wand! YOU are the magic!
How are you using your Spring MAP data to drive and plan elite instruction?
The rubric is here.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16FNMIEHor32d3TIV_Ra0tqqA9zGwz4MLe81qUcEPaDk/edit?usp=sharing
Focus On:
Taking a STAND For ELITE instruction:
Data doesn't lie: There is a direct connection between standing up and engagement. When you are standing up, you are engaging with your scholars. Students NEED to know where they stand in relation to the criteria for success. When students have NO idea if they have done well or not, learning is compromised.
How often are you taking a stand for ELITE instruction?
QUICK REVIEW of our instructional strategies 1-4
I need to see evidence of one of these instructional strategies in your classroom lessons when I do a walk through or observation!
1. Instructional Objective: Have it visual, aligned, and reference it
2. Suffix/Root Words/Prefix: Have them visual and accessible. Model use
This will be integrated into ALL ELA and SS classes next year. Stay tuned for information!
3. Gradual Release: I do, we do together, we do collaboratively, you do. How are you using this in your teaching?
4. Types of Text: How are you using both informational text and literary text
ALSO:
1. Collaborative Planning is made up of three buckets:
Lesson Designs
PLCs
Data Analysis / Digging / DUMPing
Learning with Liz times:
7th grade 8:45-9:15
6th grade 11:45-12:15
8th grade 2:15-2:45
Here is our lesson design template: (make a copy first) https://docs.google.com/a/bryan.k12.ga.us/document/d/1YGAYfD7wP-xieqvJk0PXu7CXLgonm7JfSTQAuTpWOKY/edit?usp=sharing
Coming soon.....
Shadow a student day in a different grade level.
Stay tuned for details on how to enter this ELITE learning experiment!
You don't all have to have LIZ RAEBURN HYPE....but is your body language and energy level giving off the "I LOVE BCMS" vibe that helps set and promote the growth mindset in our scholars?
#TweetTweet
Dave Burgess @burgessdave 24h24 hours ago
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Testing season mixed with end of the year stresses can make this stretch hard for teachers. Self-care is essential. "The Danger of Never Being Done" is REAL...I wrote about it here: http://daveburgess.com/the-danger-of-never-being-done/ … #ZenTeacher #tlap #LeadLAP #KidsDeserveIt #edchat
#BeBCMS
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