The CIA Report
January 2018 Edition
Please take some time to read through this prior to the January 23 administrator meeting. If you have any questions, please post them to this Google Doc.
Learning Today... Feeding Your Professional Soul
It is up to US to shape the narrative that goes out into the community and is shared by our students, parents, and community partners.
This weekend I had the opportunity to participate in #leadupchat (great Twitter chat on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM!) and much of the focus of that chat was on sharing and celebrating the general awesomeness that goes on in our schools.
While WSD has several teachers who are making great use of social media to allow glimpses into their classes, we still have many who are so humble they do not recognize that they, too, have awesomeness that can be shared daily! We need to encourage them - help them recognize that even the smallest accomplishments are worthy of grabbing the bullhorn and sharing with all who will listen!
And equally important to recognizing the amazing accomplishments of our students is recognizing our staff (teachers, bus drivers, secretaries, IA's, custodians - and so on). The more we model this practice for our staff - the better they will become at doing this for each other and their students.
One of the educators in the chat on Saturday shared that she doesn't leave on Friday without leaving "Thanks for Owning Your Impact" notes on desks or in mailboxes. What a great way to help staff see that they are making an impact - and that they should own that impact!
Another educator shared that staff in her building get "Ballooned" in recognition of their awesomeness! They receive a smiley face balloon attached to a candy bar or treat of some sort AND a positive note is mailed home to a loved one (see pictures below).
As we are about to close out January and move into the long (and typically somewhat dreary) February, it might be fun to try a new way to recognize and celebrate those awesome moments happening in your school! I mean, I can't think of anyone who would love to find that they were "Ballooned" for being amazing!
All of these things help us to shape and also to perpetuate the narrative we want others to see and hear!
Cheers!
Teaching & Learning
- Science curriculum development has been incredibly productive, and it won't be long before the drafts of the curriculum are complete and ready to share. Check out the blog for the latest information! http://teachingandlearningwsd.blogspot.com/
- 6th Grade Social Studies - Our 6th grade teachers have encountered many changes and many things are new to them this year - including their curriculum and resources. The curriculum team recently met with Nichole Nolan to talk through their struggles to accomplish all of the curriculum within the school year. To help them teach all that students absolutely need to learn this year, they are focusing on what is essential, that is the learning goals, for each unit. This recommended timeline was developed by the curriculum team and was shared out with all 6th grade Social Studies teachers. Please email Nichole with any questions about this.
- Elementary Math - One of the most powerful tools we have for ensuring students are appropriately placed in our math classes is the collaboration between 5th and 6th grade teachers. Now that they are it the same building together, this should make that collaboration much more feasible! Over the next several weeks, please encourage your teachers to talk about the "look-for's) for recommending students for accelerated math.
Summer Journey Program
The on-line enrollment form for Summer Journey Program Grades K-8 will be activated on the district website this week.
Assessment
MAP (3rd-8th grade) Spring Testing Window: April 9th-May 15th
Practice MAP and EOC tests:
MAP (3rd-8th)-
Online practice forms are now available on eDirect. Linked here are the directions for teachers to print test tickets.
There is also a part to the test where teachers can score the constructed/essay responses. The 3-minute scoring tutorial is also linked here.
The practice tests can be given to individual students, or reviewed as a whole class. The tests are also available in print form to view and use for MAP review- and are linked here Practice Forms
Please let me know if you would like for me to attend a staff meeting or grade level meeting to review Practice Testing with any of your teams.
EOC Practice Tests- and online tools training are now available on Questar. It is the same as last year for printing tickets, but they have added several new online tools. Please let me know if you would like help printing tickets for practice testing or online tools training.
Professional & Program Development
Professional Development - Your Building PD Goal succinct, 1-page report will be due on April 23 in this folder. Please include the data you described in “How will results be measured?” and your interpretations of the results in a google doc. You can find your goal in this folder. We will use this report as data to inform your Building 2018-19 PD Goal. I am happy to help! Reminder: You will be meeting with your Building PD Chair on April 23 from 12 - 3p to formulate your Building 2018-19 PD Goal. The term is expiring at the end of the year for the PD Chairs at these schools: Barfield, Crossroads, Frontier, Wentzville Middle, and Pearce Hall. Please elect your new chair prior to February 28, 2018. Late Start Collaborations - How can we allow intradistrict collaboration? Some special area teachers have only had 1 collaboration with all district teachers this year. Conversation at the meeting. For your reading and viewing pleasure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWwrMBnCSNQ Skip the first 30 seconds and listen to the students. ;)
Technology
Welcome New Staff!
Please welcome the following staff members to their new positions in the Technology Department…
Tina Turley - SISK12, Student Data Technician (replaced Kim Farris)
Katie (Catherine) Kruchowski - Core Data, Student Data Assistant Technician (replaced Tina Turley)
Media Literacy and Author, Julie Smith…
Media Literacy advocate, author, and speaker, Julie Smith will be speaking to the Technology Department and Technology Contacts on Wednesday, March 14 at 12:30 PM at the Berrey Place Center’s Innovation Room (former Board Room). We would like invite building administrators to attend. You do not want to miss hearing her!
Technology Purchases…
All Technology purchases must be purchased through the Technology Department. This will ensure you are getting the best price on technology resources and the correct licenses are purchased. If you are not sure if it should be purchased through the Technology Department or not, please contact us and we will let you!
School Improvement
Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith
Twitter: @GTKling