Dutch Fork Elementary
Academy of Environmental Sciences - Week of August 26th -
Superintendent's Priorities
- Focus our work decisions on/around our district strategic plan.
- Identify areas of achievement to improve.
- Provide Chick-Fil-A and Moe's like customer service for internal and external community.
- Strengthen the structure and quality of communication both internally and externally.
- Promote a work and learning environment where students and staff feel safe physically, emotionally and socially.
DFES Beliefs
- We believe all people deserve to feel safe, valued, and loved.
- We believe all children are naturally curious about the world around them.
- We believe learning is a social process.
- We believe inquiry fosters an environment of noticing and questioning.
- We believe in learning from multiple perspectives.
- We believe in learning from authentic primary and secondary sources.
- We believe in encouraging learners to be risk takers.
- We believe reflection should lead to change and growth.
- We believe learning should lead to social action.
- We believe our actions should be aligned with our beliefs.
Shout Outs
- Friday, August 16th Leyla Wilcox, Melinda Rivers, Julanda Sparkman, and Cindy Sommers were made aware of assignement changes due to enrollment. As you can imagine a range of details had to be thought through and processed in an extremely short time period. I would like to commend each of them respectively for the work put in to be ready for the start of the school year.
- Additional shout outs to the kindergarten team, first grade team, fourth grade team, custodial staff and others who have worked behind the scenes to assist these colleagues during this transitional time.
- Mid Carolina Electric Cooperative for monetary donations to support our snack pack program.
- Our first week of school was relatively smooth. Always a few wrinkles to iron out but I am grateful for your individual and collective contributions as we successfully welcomed students and families last week.
Kit Klub Staffing Update
Cissy Graham, office instructional assistant, is the new director of our after school program.
Announced Fire Drill Monday
As shared this past Friday we will have our first fire drill of the year Monday morning around 9ish.
An annoucement will be made before the alarm is pulled. This helps to provide context for our students. A reminder to review procedures and expections with your students.
First and foremost our goal is to ensure the everyone has exited the building safely. Second, and equally as important, is ensuring that all students are accounted for. An annoucement will be made once both conditions have been met.
Future fire drills beyond Monday will be unannounced.
MAP Testing
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019, 08:00 AM
Dutch Fork Elementary School, Broad River Road, Irmo, SC, USA
PD Tuesday
First Day for 4K
Our 4 year old students will begin school this week. Half of the students (10) from both classes (Martin and McWhirter) will arrive Wednesday while the other half will come on Thursday. All 40 of our 4K students will be here this Friday. We look forward to welcoming our youngest and most energetic learners.
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2019, 07:15 AM
DFES
USC Undergrad course at DFES
Dr. Lenny Sanchez, DFES parent/SIC Chair, and Language and Literature Faculty will teach a writing methods course on Wednesday's from 8:00-11:15 beginning August 28 and concluding December. Dr. Sanchez and his students will meet in room 6 on the 2nd grade hallway. We are grateful for the partnership with the University of South Carolina. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sanchez and these pre-service teachers.
Scott out of office Thursday
Dr. Mills Invitation
There are no scheduled meetings for homeroom teachers during planning Thursday.
Birthday Wishes!
- 8/26 J. Doloughty (kindergarten assistant)
Superintendent Priority 4 - Strengthen the structure and quality of communication both internally and externally.
At DFES we provide multiple avenues in which we provide school wide communication with families that include our school newsletter (twice a month), Remind text messaging, and social media.
SMORE is the platform that is used to send our weekly staff newsletters. We have purchased (at a significant cost) a license for all homeroom teachers to have and utilize SMORE for class newsletters.
My expectations for classroom newsletters are as follows:
- SMORE is the platform that all homeroom teachers will utilize
- SMORE newletters should be sent to families at a minimum of twice per month
- SMORE newsletters should not only include important dates and reminders but also sharing with families how students are learning as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, social scientists, and community members
- Smore newsletters offer families practical ways in which they can support learners at home
- Finally include both administrators and S. Cope when newsletters are shared with families/parents
I will have S. Cope share grade level specific SMORE newsletters with new homeroom teachers by tomorrow. Seeing a model should be helpful and provide greater context and clarity.
Curriculum Night 2019
The schedule for both nights is as follows:
- 6:00 - 6:10 Welcome/Title I Updates in the mini theater
- 6:10 - 6:15 Parents/Families transition to classrooms
- 6:15 - 7:15 Parents/families in classrooms
- 7:15 - An announcement will be made thanking parents/families for joining us to conclude the evening.
Vision/Goals for that evening:
- connecting dots for families and further building relationships created during meet/greet
- provide families insight into how students are learning as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and social scientists
- offer practical ways parents can support their children as learners
- encourage families to sign up for student led conferences in October
- K-3 teachers will share Read 2 Succeed presentations; presentation links are included below
Given this event is split we will have certified non-homeroom staff sign up to assist on either Tuesday night or Thursday night. Most notably non-homeroom certified staff will assist families with finding classrooms when necessary. The sign up link is below the two presentations.
"I Can" Statements
Providing a predictable structure is helpful for our small learners (applies to tall learnes as well). "I Can" students are our unwrapped state standards and provide context for what students can do/perform as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and social scientists.
The standards(I Can) statements are included in our district curriculum resources. It is an expectation that standards are being accessed for planning/assessment purposes but also that the "I Can" statements are visibly posted daily across all homerooms and communicated with students so that they know what is expected of them.
We develop students who care about the world we live in and express critical thinking through natural curiosity and wonder.
Email: jscott@lexrich5.org
Website: www.lexrich5.org/dutchfork/cfm
Location: 7900 Broad River Road, Irmo, SC, USA
Phone: 803-476-3901
Twitter: @dfes_principal