SOAR Report
Week of September 12, 2016
Wendell Phillips Vision
WHERE AND WHEN TO BE THERE!!!!
Monday, September 12
Lesson Plans due via Google Drive (9:00 am)
Grade 4 Math PLC
Grade 6 ELA PLC
Tuesday, September 13
Grade 4 ELA PLC
Grade 5 Math PLC
Grade K, 1 ELA PLC
Grade 2 Math PLC
Benchmark 1 Math Testing- Grades 3,6
Wednesday, September 14
Grade K/1 Math PLC's
Grade 2 ELA PLC
Grade 3 ELA PLC
Staff Meeting in Media Center- 7:30 am
School Visit- IPS Deputy Superintendent/AIO/TZ Director (11:15-12:00)
Benchmark 1 Math Testing- Grades 4,5
Thursday, September 15
Grade 3 Math PLC
Grade 5 ELA PLC
Benchmark 1 ELA Testing- Grades 3,6
Friday, September 16
Benchmark 1 ELA Testing- Grades 4,5
NEWS & NOTES
Our vision should be known by all. In breaking this down, our learning environment will be:
- Positive- set the tone in our classrooms by building relationships and reinforcing positive behavior
- Engaging- instruction will be interactive and driven by student needs. This means intentional planning through posted I CAN statements aligned to daily lessons.
- Rigorous- Our instruction needs to be challenging and aligned to standards. Deconstructing standards into skills and teaching how to apply the skills is the end game. Critical thinkers are the desired outcome.
Shout outs for the week:
- Please welcome Ms. Leslie Bowden to the Cardinal Family!!!! She is our new Kindergarten teacher and will be housed in Room 105. She comes to us from Compton, CA.
- THANK YOU for your hard work around Culture and Climate in the building. Our jobs are not easy...but smiling faces and the simple gesture of a "good morning" to fellow staff and students goes a long way!
- THANK YOU for those that have submitted your Culture and Climate Dues to Ms. Fosnow. Who's going bowling?
- Home Communication folders are in for all grade levels!!! Thank you to the Mary Rigg Foundation for funding these for us. Please see me tomorrow for yours!
Positive atmospheres in the classroom....start with the physical classroom environment. The expectations we set for our students are reflective in the way we maintain the cleanliness and organization of the room. Please do a self check of your room and its appearance...this is a non-negotiable in our handbook. This will be a focus of walkthroughs this week, along with......
Engaging instruction. As we discussed today in our PLC's, this is one element of RIGOR. This is an important aspect of our instructional planning, as we need to plan activities that are directly aligned to the content we teach. They also need to be fun, interactive, and allow students to explore learning..... Chapter 2 of Eric Jensen's Book Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind, "Rules for Engagement", provides further insight into this with his five rules to follow. This will be discussed in our Learning Community Meeting on Wednesday morning...please make sure you have read this chapter by then. If you need a copy of the book, let me know!
RIGOR.....the last part of our vision. Great conversations around the definition today in PLC's...but this is only the start of our work. I have attached the power point for today for you to reference. Also, remember to answer the reflective questions on slide 12 for this coming week's PLC. Plan on taking your instruction to the next level....and the coaches and I will be alongside you in this journey!
PIT Day is coming on September 21st and the workday will be from 12:00-7:00 pm. We will be sending out information on Monday for parents to schedule their conferences with you. We will also be having an incentive for returning forms by Wednesday....the three classes with the highest return rate will win a pizza party on Friday.