SOLANA HIGHLANDS FRIDAY FOCUS
8-30-13 (Vol. 2)
"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." Lady Bird Johnson
Collaboration
Look at our quiet and straight line!
We love to write!
High Tides
- Congratulations - to the entire staff of Solana Highlands for such a great first week!!! Like Matt impressively said, "Solana Highlands is a well oiled machine!" Thank you to everyone for doing all of the little and big things to make this such a smooth opening!
- Great Back to School Nights! - Everyone did such a nice job. It is an honor and privilege to work with such amazing teachers!
- Thank you - everyone for being on time to duty, wearing orange vests, picking students up on time from recess and lunch. All of these little things make our school run smoothly and safely.
- API - Solana Highlands just received a 954, the highest API in at least 7 years! Plus we grew by 8 points from last year, which is really difficult to do. Our EL students went from 85% prof. to 91.7 (Way yo go Jeanne and staff)! Our IEP students went from 63-68%. Solana Highlands continues to get better and better and better!
- Articulation Day - Thank you in advance for the great day of meetings to ensure that our Science, Art, PE, Media Center, and Computer Lab are supporting the great instruction that is occurring in your classrooms. I appreciate your efforts to make these "Support Classes" and not merely "Pull Out Classes."
- Thank you - to Dr. Lynch and Sal who not only visited our site but every site in the first week! Dr. Lynch was so impressed with the positive school environment and the caring and respectful tone felt throughout the school! Thank you also to Terry Decker for coming on BTSN and staying for the entire evening! We appreciate the DO's support in so many ways!
Simultaneous Involvement
Participation; look at all those hands!
Reading Fun
Announcements/Reminders
- Monday is Labor Day - No School (So relax and don't work!)
- 3-N-1 Drill on Tuesday
- Friday Assembly, Student Council Info meeting, and New Student Pizza Lunch on Friday
- Remember to bring in your social dues
- Continue to remember to use our mobile devices in thoughtful and purposeful ways. Please do not allow students to use them as games or to fill time in ways that don't promote the 4cs.
HAVE A WONDERFUL AND RELAXING LABOR DAY WEEKEND!
Education Corner -
Developing Non-Cognitive Skills: A Math Teacher's Perspective
In this article, the author, who is a math teacher, works to develop "grit" in her math classes by:
- Teaching students that wrong answers are a helpful part of the learning process.
- Using cooperative group work as often as possible.
- Use “A” and “Not Yet” as the only two possible grades