Big Walnut Elementary
Staff Update 2.12.16
Menu
- Important Dates
- This Week- General Update/Comments
- Pancake Dinner and Art Show
- BWE artists featured!
- Coach Sloth - Author Visit
- Wizards vs. All-Stars
- BWLS Assessment Survey
- Clark's Corner - check this out for info. on Literacy Night!
Little Readers from Mrs. Olson's
Too Cute for Words...
Thank you Mrs. Griffis' and Mrs. Zirillo's Classes!
This Week...
Hi All,
HAVE A RELAXING WEEKEND WITH YOUR LOVED ONES.
Annie, Milea, Becky, and I will be sharing out on the Technology Conference we attended soon!
I talked to some of you about trying out "coding". For those of you who are interested (and it is pretty cool!) check out: code.org. Appropriate for K-? I had my kids, (3rd & 4th), go through a crash course when I got home - and they LOVED IT.
Edcite.com is also amazing! More to come on ways to implement these resources in the classroom!
Robin
A few shots from the founder of code.org : Hadi Partovi
Important dates:
February 15th - No School - Presidents' Day
February 18th - Columbus Children's Theatre @ BWE
February 24th - Yearbook Class Picture Day
February 25th - Pancake Dinner and Art Show (6pm - 8pm)
February 29th - March 4th - Read Across America
March 2nd - Wizards vs. All-Stars (6:30pm)
March 3rd - Author visit - Jeanette and Christopher Canyon
- Literacy Night
Limo - So big it didn't fit in the picture!
Lunch at Magic Mountain!
Pizza, tokens and laser tag!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Photo Booth
Sweetest message of the day
Mrs. Olson's class
Pancake Dinner and Art Show
Who: Mrs. Norris
What: BWE student art work, Chris Cakes (chriscakesohio.com) flipping pancakes, Community service opportunity, and raffle baskets!
Where: BWEWhen: 6:00pm - 8:00pm *DROP IN
Why: To showcase our amazing artists!
How: (much?) IF you pre-order $5, at the door? $7. (Your children have the form in their take home folders)
Congratulations to two of our artists! Brielle and Andrew!
The following students at BWE were all selected by State of Ohio Art Education Association to exhibit Art in downtown Columbus exhibits for the month of March! How exciting!
Brielle Fox, in grade 3 - YOUNG PEOPLE'S ART EXHIBIT at Rhodes State Office Tower (YPAE)
Andrew Car, in Kindergarten -CENTRAL OHIO ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION REGIONAL EXHIBITION at Rhodes State Office Tower (COAEA Exhibit)
Thank you for your guidance and expertise Ms. Norris!
Author Visit from Coach Sloth
Wizard vs. All-STARS
Advance purchase: students $10, @ the door $15
Advance purchase: adults $12, @ the door $15
BWLS Teacher Assessment Survey
As a district, we believe that the purpose of testing is to drive our instruction. Unfortunately, the amount of testing being mandated by the State of Ohio has increased. This has caused us to want to do an assessment inventory. In this process we will examine all district-level given tests and make decisions about which tests are high quality and necessary for our students to take and which tests can be modified or eliminated. A committee of teachers and administrators will complete the assessment inventory over the next several months and make decisions about which tests to give as a district moving forward.
This survey is an important part of our assessment inventory. Your responses will help shape recommendations for the future of the district’s testing program. Please know that your responses to this survey are confidential. Thank you for taking the time to give your input!
CLARK'S CORNER
"Something Old":
BRAG TAGS- We will do our next brag tag celebration on Friday, February 26th. Keep this document close, and add your kiddos that will need brag tags that day.
Leader in Me Lessons- Please click here to sign up for habit 5, Seek first to understand, then to be understood. If there are no times that work for you please let me know and we will work something out. Thank you:-)
"Something New":
BWE News- We are going to start airing live in classrooms every Friday (today we had some tech issues and were unable to do so). The classroom that wins HARRY for having the most spirit will be the classroom that gets to go live on the news. We will be starting this next Friday, February 19th.
Literature Night/Read Across America Week:
Monday, February 29th through Friday, March 4th
Monday- OCEAN/BEACH DAY-On the news we will read a part of the book Over the Ocean, by Marian Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon. Student and staff attire for this day will be ocean/beach theme.
Tuesday- ANIMAL PRINT/JUNGLE DAY-On the morning news we will read a part of the book, Over in the Jungle by Marian Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon. Student and staff attire will be animal print/jungle.
Wednesday- COUNTRY DAY- On the morning news we will read part of the book titled, Take Me Home, Country Roads, adapted and illustrated by Christopher Canyon. Student and staff attire will be country.
Thursday- BWE BOOKS AND BLANKETS/PAJAMA DAY- On the morning news we will read part of the book title Grandma's Feather Bed, adapted and illustrated by Christopher Canyon. Students/staff can wear Pajama’s to school. During literacy night they can bring stuffed animals/ blankets. We will also have the author's Jeanette and Christopher Canyon on this day. They will provide four-45 minute sessions throughout the day (schedule TBD), and one-30 minute session for families at literature night.
Friday- 70's DAY- On the morning news we will read part of the book titled, Sunshine on my Shoulders, adapted and illustrated by Christopher Canyon. Student and staff can dress in 70's attire.
Each day this week we will randomly come on the announcements and have a stop, drop and read time. We will do this for 20 minutes each day this week. We will make sure to do it in the afternoon so specials/lunch are not affected. Please have students carry a book with them wherever they go library, support groups, etc.
We will be providing each student with a quilt square, please have your students color this and fill it out. Each grade level will then attach the quilt squares to a piece of butcher paper and we will be hanging these in the foyer on Wednesday, March 2nd for our author visit on Thursday. Please see Rachel Estep if you have questions about this.
LITERACY NIGHT: BWE BOOK'S and BLANKET'S- Thursday, March 3rd 6:00-7:00
6:00-6:30- presentation in the gym from Jeanette and Christopher for all families in the gym.
After the presentation is over, we will announce winners of raffles and on the way to classrooms they may grab a small snack (provided by PTO).
6:30-7:00- Families will be able to travel to different rooms with blankets/stuffed animals and read with each other. Each grade level will have a basket of library books to choose from. You can pull your own or ask Blanda to help with this.
Eagle's Nest/technology room- still working on details on whether or not we will use this space, we will let you know asap!
Games:
Students will fill out a raffle ticket on Thursday morning at school (provided by me)- we will do a drawing on Thursday, winners must be present to claim their prize. The raffle ticket will be a small piece of paper where the students will write his or her name, grade, and library books guess. We will announce the winner after the presentation on literacy night. We will have two winners, one from the drawing and one for the closest library books guess. Winners must be present to win.
There are a few details that need tweaked or worked out so as soon as they are I will update you. Please try to start promoting in your classrooms as I will as well. I am going to try to send out a reminder once a week starting next week.
As a classroom teacher what do I need to do?
Have students fill out quilt squares.
Have students fill out a raffle ticket with name/teacher and library book guess.
Show your spirit by dressing up on the days that are listed above.
Allow students to stop, drop and read, when determined during that week.
Promote Literacy Night in your classrooms!!
Upcoming PD:
During the staff meeting in February, the other instructional facilitators and myself will be doing a PD on 21st century learning. We will be breaking down the 4 C’s, creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking.
Resources of the week:
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the tech conference with Milea and Becky. We noticed a booth handing out T-shirts and coffee mugs, so of course we went. WOW, we were amazed, please check out edcite.com. Basically this site offers a comprehensive education platform equipping teachers with customizable content and quality standards aligned standards. In a nutshell, you can create a class for FREE, and give students assignments on any standard in math, reading, science or social studies. The questions are just like the Ohio State test(s) (for example, drag and drop). It is super user friendly AND you can edit your own questions….LOVE IT!
Robin Keating, Principal
#inspireandguideatBWE
#inspireandguide
#BWErockstars
#bwls2020
Email: robinkeating@bwls.net
Website: http://www.bigwalnut.k12.oh.us/school_home.aspx?schoolID=6
Location: 940 South Old 3C Road, Sunbury, OH, United States
Phone: (740) 965-3902
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Walnut-Elementary-School/464650890299267
Twitter: @BigWalnut_BWE