au courant
March 14, 2016
Thank You
To the office team for all the extra energy and time given to covering for me in by absence.
To the Book Fair team for undertaking extra work so our students have access to more books.
To the teachers for all the preparation that precedes portfolio walks - including portfolios, hallway decorations, and Fresh Grade updates.
Fresh Grade
If you haven't invited me to view your e-portfolios, I'd love the opportunity to see the great learning your students have been up to. :)
Math Strategies
By this time of year, students are usually well into addition and subtraction of two or three digit numbers.
Be sure to read the attachment directly below on math strategies, as it's info for parents on why and how students are taught several strategies for adding and subtracting - especially in grades 2 and 3.
Please note this from AB Ed:
It is okay to teach the old traditional process of starting in the ones column and 'carrying the tens', but it should only be taught as one of several strategies.
To illustrate this, check out the three videos of Lorelie's students confidently articulating their strategies for adding 19 + 15. They are rockin' it!
March 18 Collaborative Day
Morning
8:45 - 11:45 - ILS session on behaviour
As per the mini staff memo emailed on Feb 25, all staff should attend the morning for an ILS session with Lorna, Karen and Evie. This session was born largely out of the PGP meetings I've been having with the EAs, but it is excellent information for all of us to know and discuss.
Afternoon
1:00 - Staff meeting for all teachers and any EAs who are in the building and want to join.
- next year's calendar
- School Start
- let me know by Thursday afternoon if you have any additions to the agenda
EAs also have the following options:
- attend a PUF PD session
- watch Neufeld videos
- meet with other EAs with similar areas of PD interest (I know some EAs made groups)
- arrange for a meeting with the other people on your classroom team (after the staff meeting)
- work on PUF prep
- read confidential files for your students
- anything else you can think of :)
In case you've never read our employer's mission and belief statements...
Wolf Creek's Mission Statement
The Foundational Beliefs of Learning Environments in Wolf Creek Public Schools:
2. Students are to be viewed as partners in their learning, and share in the responsibility to set and achieve their own goals.
3. All Staff must be encouraged to be innovative, risk taking and creative within a safe and supportive environment, while providing meaningful learning opportunities and appropriate support structures for all students.
4. All staff has a responsibility to be lifelong learners and will use this acquired expertise to create an environment that fosters success for all students.
5. Schools must respond to the unique learning needs of all students and provide learning environments that are inclusive of all students. In so doing, all schools must provide relevant and essential learning expertise for staff and students.
6. Our educational system must instill knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for students to be successful citizens and foster their love for lifelong learning. It must also create a culture of high learning standards based on the development of critical thinking skills.
7. Education must accept parents as integral partners in the learning process.
8. Students must be given every opportunity and encouraged to develop attitudes of positive citizenship and concern for others.
9. Staff members model and instill attitudes of positive citizenship and concern for others.
10. Schools need to foster partnerships with parents and community to develop the skills of positive citizenship.
11. Develop citizenship skills and personal aspirations that create contributing participants within a global society.