The Falcon Files
Your Weekly Falcon Updates for Staff
September 6, 2019
Words of Inspiration
-Abigail Adams
A Special Applause To....
Our aids who meet and greet our students every morning at the door, in the gym, and in the cafeteria. Your smiles and warm welcome start our students in a positive way every day.
Our entire team for supporting each other, being patient with Rachel and myself, and for always providing what is best for our learners.
Professional Learning On The Go
Through my years of experience, the last 15 have been the most exciting for me because of a mindset change I had, the experiences that led to that change, and the innovative practices I have tried or been exposed to once I made that change. What have I seen? There are too many innovative practices that I have seen come to life to name. I consider myself a life-long learner. Always learning and trying something new in order to meet the needs of all my learners at their level. In this article, Jennifer Gonzalez talk about schools living in Beta. As she says in the article, you are encouraged to, “Release early, release often” — lifts up the notion that continuous improvement is way better than eternally holding out for perfection." Are you living in Beta?
Professional Library for You!
This week I would like to introduce you to a research based best practice called sketchnoting. Ink & Ideas is a book by Tanny McGregor, an author and presentor that I saw at an Ohio Writing Project workshop. Sketchnoting, as stated below, is also known as visual notetaking. I have been to a couple workshops on this also. Tanny does a great job at explaining the what, why, and how of sketchnoting.
A review by Libib.com:
Ink & Ideas is a lifetime in the making. Tanny McGregor has been thinking with a pen in her hand, putting words and pictures together for as long as she's been reading. Sketchnoting, also known as visual notetaking, helps make your thinking visible, visual, and meaningful. All kinds of people sketchnote, for all kinds of reasons. By introducing sketchnoting in your classroom, you will provide opportunities for your students to engage with and explore their thinking with what they are reading, listening to, or viewing. Ink & Ideas is Tanny's tried and true toolkit to get you and your students started, including templates, tools, suggested reading, ideas, inspiration, and more. She outlines the how and why behind visual notetaking, including research and benefits, providing everything you need to introduce and launch sketchnoting across grade levels and content areas. A different kind of thinking happens with pen in hand. With sketchnoting, the one who holds the pen holds the power. Only the thinker decides what appears on the page, and how. Open up a window into your students' brilliant minds and watch their thinking become visible as they sketchnote their way to deeper understanding and new ideas.
For The Week of September 2nd...
Monday September 9th
- MAP Testing
- 2 Hour Delay Schedule, Please see where you are needed during testing time. Link to schedule
- Bells will not sound, we will move to music.
Tuesday September 10th
- MAP Testing
- 2 Hour Delay Schedule, Please see where you are needed during testing time. Link to schedule
- Bells will not sound, we will move to music.
Wednesday, September 11th
- Patriot Day and MAP (JEANS DAY)
- Stay with your Falcon Time Teams all day Link to schedule
- No bells today
Thursday, September 12th
- Regular bell schedule
Friday September 13th
- Spirit Day (Yes Jeans!)
- Regular Bell Schedule
- 6th Grade only - ReDo day
Please Announce to Students
All Grades
*Snap-On Cases MUST be on computers at all times. If they do not have them on, warning first, then an after school detention, then up the discipline matrix. Why? The cases protect our warranty which is void if they are not on. This is new policy for us all. Please help me spread the word. If you have questions, please ask Rachel or myself.
*MAP Schedule has been set for the fall. September 9th we will do ELA, September 10th is Math, and on the 11th, we will have Patriot Day in the morning and Science MAP in the afternoon. You can find a detailed schedule HERE. It is also located in our shared drive.
*We will give student t-shirts out on Patriot Day.
*Final Forms for Students - We are 68% compliant. We have 290 signed, 60 students unsigned, and 75 families not on yet. We are getting there. Thank you for your help getting our unsigned done!
Mrs. Marsh's Science classes
7th graders have been doing a great job practicing their metric measurements.
Self-care
Coffee Talk
Info For The Staff
Silence means agreement - So I am using the norm silence means agreement for our Gold Standards. I appreciate you all collaborating on our words. 4 statements were created from those words
1. Develop a community that empowers all learners to engage in their own learning and supports them in their growth.
2. Create a positive, family environment where all learners feel safe, welcome, and respected.
3. Smile, laugh, have fun….know you are appreciated.
4. Take the time to invest in our Gold Standards.
ReDo Day for 6th grade - 6th graders will be going to ReDo Day on September 13th. They will not have specials on this day.
Middle School Tech Team - Please use this FORM to nominate students to be on a middle school tech team. I am looking for the students that have a tech interest and are the ones that jump up to help when we are in need of help with our computers or tech in our classrooms. It could be a student at any level but they need an interest in technology. They will have opportunity to be leaders for our school, assess tech problems, and even lead in some instruction. I would like 8 from each grade. I am going to have to look at schedules to see when they have study hall. I would like to have 3 students for each bell. They will work with Mr. Moss, Mrs. Ford, Michael, and myself. Don't say anything to them until I work out the schedules. I will let you know when the team is chosen.
Helpdesk - A reminder to please send your technology requests to helpdesk@cmfalcons.org. There is no need to send an email to helpdesk, Michael, and David. In fact, it makes it more confusing on their end as to who needs to provide support. They are making a concerted effort this year to be more timely and responsive to helpdesk tickets. The start of the year is always tough but as they fill out their Tech Team and the Oaks Interns, they need their process to be clear. Thank you for your attention to this.
*Don't forget to fill out YOUR Final Forms before September 13th. Here is a tutorial if you need one.
*F.L.E.X day(s) Follow-up - David Moss is working on completing your PD certificates for your F.L.E.X. day activities from this past summer. Per the F.L.E.X. Day Activity Requirements, you should have completed this reflection form for EACH activity. If you have not done so, you have until September 6th to complete.
#fuelthepositive Website - The goal is to fill every day of the school year with something positive happening at CM. It can be a video, a picture, a written piece or other creative ways to tell our story. We need your help!! Please share what you see! Getting too many positive ideas is not a bad thing!! Please send your picture/video/etc. to David Moss and include a brief description.
Our day to post things is Tuesdays. 1st Tuesday is Admin, 2nd Tuesday is 6th Grade (Kate is with them), 3rd Tuesday is 7th Grade (Nicolin is with them), and 4th Tuesday is 8th Grade (Tammy and Robyn are with them). You all can decide if one person is responsible for the media that day....maybe do it once a month? Tell our story! It helps our culture!
2019-20 Student Handbook
Birthdays
Kathy Miller - September 2nd
Jennifer Gantz - September 3rd
Kate Eddington - September 25th
Kim Dorgan - September 27th
Our Gold Standards
Email: lorinda.ottaway@cmfalcons.org
Website: cmfalcons.org
Location: 2556 Lebanon Rd, Clarksville, OH 45113
Phone: (937) 289-2932
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clinton-Massie-Middle-School-169983643627883/
Twitter: @CMFalconsMiddle