South Middle School
Staff Weekly Newsletter: March 9 - March 13
Week at a Glance
- IEP for BJ (Room 1, 7:40 a.m.)
- PLC Team Leader Meeting (Barret's office, 7:45 a.m.)
- MS Admin Meeting (DO, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.)
- HS Counselors to MS ELA classes (all day)
- Schedule Re-Design Committee (Barret's office, 3:15 p.m.)
Tuesday, March 10
- ASD Eligibility Meeting for IL (Room 1, 7:40 a.m.)
- IEP Meeting for TL (Room 4, 7:45 a.m.)
- GPHS AVID to SMS classes (Periods 1-3, see email for schedule/locations)
- Principal Meeting (DO, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)
- School Board Meeting (DO, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.)
- Juntos #4 (SMS Library (5:30 - 8:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, March 11
- PLCs (Various locations/times; check with PLC Team Leader)
Thursday, March 12
- Initial Eligibility for MC (Room 1, 7:40 a.m.)
- Shakespeare Trip! (Ashland, PM field trip; see email from Janna/Scott)
- Academic Masters Competition (GPHS PAC, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.)
Friday, March 13
- Book Fair Begins!!! (SMS Library, all day for one week)
- IEP Meeting for DG (Room 4, 7:45 a.m.)
- Popcorn at Lunches (Student Store, all lunches)
- 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament (SMS Gym, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.)
Supervision Schedule
Supervision Schedule (8:10 - 8:25 a.m.) - 15 minutes a day as assigned.
Team 2:
6th Grade Hall: Sutton & Karbowski
T @ 7th/8th Grade Hall: Butler
8th Grade Hall: Kriz
Large Gym: Bigelow/Baertschiger
Parking Lot AM: Snyder
Parking Lot PM & Buses PM: Owen & Reid
Daily Supervision Schedule:
Parking Lot/Exit AM: Aguilera, Huerta & Admin
Parking Lot/Exit PM: Aguilera, Kindrick & Admin
Cafeteria AM: Miller/McCarty & Hopkins/Karbowski
Bus PM (3:09 - 3:25): Hopkins/Karbowski, Admin & Team Teacher
Staff Shout-Out
Carlee Nelson
A big thanks to Carlee for getting a good turnout of runners to participate in the "Run for the Law" even on Saturday. Super cool and a fun way to get some exercise while showing support for a local agency! (Check out the picture below to see how much fun they had!)
Weekly Article
Getting More Value from “Turn and Talk”
In this Forbes article, author Natalie Wexler describes what she often sees in classrooms when the teacher tells students to turn and talk about something just taught:
- Students talking about the intended topic but not making any sense;
- Students having a lively discussion on a different topic;
- Capable or assertive students holding forth while others listen – “social loafing”;
- Students staring into space waiting for the teacher to say time is up;
- A very noisy classroom, making it difficult to hear, also inviting off-task behavior.
Teachers may suspect that their turn-and-talks aren’t that productive, but many believe their administrators expect this pedagogical move to be used in every lesson.
“To be sure,” says Wexler, “there’s truth to the idea that interaction has educational benefits. Learning doesn’t happen unless students are engaged, and group and pair work can be very engaging for students. But it’s possible to have engagement without learning.”
Here are some research-based ways to get maximum value from turn-and-talks:
- Make sure students understand what they’re supposed to be discussing, starting with enough factual information and a clear and interesting prompt.
- Give students guidelines and protocols that help them debate and negotiate – for example, “Make sure you understand your partner’s perspective.”
- The quality of turn-and-talks can be enhanced if students are asked to write silently before discussing with their group.
- Pair sharing can be especially helpful in world language classes, giving students more practice using the language without the pressure of performing for the whole class.
“Why Teachers Need To Do More Than Have Kids ‘Turn and Talk’” by Natalie Wexler in Forbes, February 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2TxOfCH
Safe, Calm, and Predictable Classrooms @ SMS
February Students of the Month
Run for the Law
March Birthdays!
- Leah Smaw - March 2nd
- Cheyenne Davis - March 12th
- Sam Serrage - March 14th
- Carolyn Sutton - March 23rd
- Dawn DeHarmony - March 31st