WHB Weekly Wonderings
Volume 1 * Issue 19 * December 2, 2019
Celebrations:
Staff Shout Outs from the Drops in the Bucket Last Week:
Ms. Helm (from Ms. Cannon)
Thank you for preparing the STEAM lab lesson with so much detail and planning. You made it so easy for me to walk in and know exactly what we were doing.
Mrs. Penny (from Ms. Cannon)
Thank you for printing all of our certificates for Awards day. Thank you for ALL you do for us!!
Mrs. Sanchez (from Ms. Rhodes)
Always help out when needed, and helpful in giving information.
Mrs. Buchanan (from Ms. McCoy)
thank you for saving me that day!:)
Brandy Stephens (from Ms. Sims)
Thanks for sharing ideas with teachers
Debra Willis (from Ms. Sims)
Thanks for providing coats to our babies!!
Ms. Qualls (from Ms. Helm)
Thank you for helping us learn the new Smarty Ants program and for celebrating our students' success (with kind words and cute posters)! The kids love it, and we do too! Thank you!
WHB Staff (Ms. Dye)
Thanks for all you do. Family Have a Blessed Thanksgiving
Ms. Crouch and her staff (from Dr. Barbee)
Our Thanksgiving Luncheon was a great success! Your service to our students, families, and staff was phenomenal! The food had a great flavor and WHB appreciates all of you!
Penny Howie (from Mrs. Alvarado)
Thank you for always have a kind hand when I needed.
Blanca Gutierrez (from Mrs. Alvarado)
Thank you for your support as a leader.
Mirna Barrientos (from Mrs. Alvarado)
Thank you for the help, support and kindness with the parents of our classroom
Mrs. Buchanan (from Ms. Cannon)
I love the way she simply takes over the class when I have to step away for any reason.
Mrs. Polk (from Dr. Thomas)
Sincere appreciation for your continuous support to families.
Mrs. Estrada (from Dr. Thomas)
You are such an asset, assisting everywhere and taking on numerous mini projects. Thanks!
Ms. Sims (from Dr. Thomas)
Thanks for your persistence to assist in student situations.
Ms. Cannon (from Dr. Thomas)
You continue to make a difference...….thanks for your flexibility.
Ms. Perkins (from Dr. Thomas)
Thank you for not only having a keen eye to observe a situation, but submitting and implementing a plan to address is. You rock!
Ms. Kim (from Dr. Thomas)
Your presence is felt throughout the campus …….. thanks. I also thank you for your diligence through our numbers project.
Ms. Creal (from Mrs. Nichols)
Thanks for your service to our students and looking for ways to help them grow in all areas.
Mrs. Dophied (from Mrs. Nichols)
Thank you for your dedication to our students and their families as you seek to support their needs.
Teacher of the Month
Destiny Ontiveros
- You totally stay calm in situations that most would consider tense. You're awesome.
- Thanks for all you do !!!
- You think outside the box when looking for new ideas to support student learning.
Support Staff of the Month
Penny Howie
- Thank you for printing all of our certificates for Awards day. Thank you for ALL you do for us!!
- Thank you for always have a kind hand when I needed.
- Thank you for always being so helpful and loving to our WHB family and students!!!
Drops in the Bucket
Complete the form below as often as you desire to fill someone's bucket. The entries, or drops, made will be featured in the following week's bulletin each week.
WHB Attendance
For the week of Nov 18th. **Minus Friday's data
1st place with 96.2% was PK3 AM! Wow, they went from 4th to 1st in one week!
2nd place with 95.8% was PK3 PM.
3rd place with 94.8% was PK4.
4th place with 91.5% was HS Front Cluster.
5th place with 91.2% was HS Back Cluster.
Let's get back to our attendance groove of 95% or higher in each cluster!
New Information:
T-TESS Rubric focus
Last issue differentiation was the focused upon dimension. Since so many staff members have mentioned it over the course of the fall semester, let's add some examples that PLCs have created for differentiating in our very own classrooms.
One PLC decided to craft two objectives. One for the students needing more support, and the other was crafted to continue to accelerate those who had mastered naming the letter and producing its sound.
TSW point to target sound when shown 2-4 letters with 80% accuracy.
TSW hear & say beginning, middle, & ending phonemes with 80% accuracy.
Another PLC group crafted these objectives:
- III.C.2. TSW point to letter when shown 2-4 letters when sound produced with 3 or 4 times or 75% accuracy.
III.B.8. TSW sorts objects by all that begin with a given onset (ie, net, nail, nose, fish, fan, fire, bowl, bus, bike) with 3 of 4 attempts or 75% accuracy.
Some tasks associated with these objectives included:
WE DO TASKS (carpet/teacher table):
Circle time letter games with letter shapes and sounds
- Students needing more support point out letters that have been taught
- Students mastering letters can point to letter when sound is given or student produces sound of letter pointed to
- Model how to sort objects by initial sound into groups/graphic organizer
- Students needing more support will sort using picture cues with printed words
- Students mastering skills can sort by picture (student names object) and initial sound
- Think aloud modeling by teacher; peer partnering--edge of carpet
- In morning message identify sounds (some students point to letters of sound given or student can isolate sound in word given) in words used in sentence.
- Students needing more support can point to letters of sound given by teacher.
- Students mastering skills can isolate sound in a given word.
- Use magnetic letters in making words (think aloud)
Dump 3 alphabet soup cans' objects into a bag then students sort into correct initial letter soup can.
- Students needing more support can use 2 cans worth of letters or can name objects and sort by same sound (use letters on objects to help)
- Students mastering skills can use more cans at a time and then list another (not present) object that would also fit the same initial sound
Reference ABC boot camp anchor chart
- Students needing more support can use anchor chart to help list words with same initial letter
- Students mastering skills can add additional words to anchor charts
Interactive word wall sort
- Students needing more support can pull words from wall, shuffle, and resort under correct letters
- Students mastering skills can write new words that can be added to the word wall
ABC puzzles pieces all pictures have same initial sound
- Sort objects/pictures by initial sounds in columns (2-4 letters)
- Making words/word ladders (picture cues)
I DO TASKS (stations):
Holiday Festivities
My gifts to each of you may be different that what you are accustomed to . . .
The first is a gift of TIME.
- The week of Dec. 9th TA's and assigned support staff will be issued a schedule with an assigned day to leave a bit early (@ 3:00pm) to get a head start on shopping, dinner, or just to breathe.
- The week of Dec. 16th teachers and assigned support staff will have the opportunity to arrive late (@ 8:40am--in lieu of PLC) per assigned day on issued schedule.
- **Still working on schedule to be sent later this week once it has been confirmed I've added everyone to the schedule. (I don't want to miss anyone.)
The second you'll have to play a game to get . . . I never said it would be easy. <giggle>
- More information to come at later date.
The third is a time of fellowship, and not really a present from me...just an opportunity to eat and be merry.
- December 18th let's host a "Warm and Fuzzy Stocking Stuffer" potluck. Sign up and bring a dish that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and/or is stuffed. PTO is covering desserts as they will be providing you with cookies and candy.
Curriculum Supports
This week's weekly poem:
Little Bo Peep (a classic)
This week include this poem/song in your message to parents. Encourage students to read or sing this text every night this week. They can find the high frequency words "has" and "to" throughout the text.
Still studying choices. Can discuss is "leaving them alone" a good choice? Why or why not?
Suggested ideas:
Monday, parent and student read the words like a poem together (choral reading).
Tuesday, family members sing the song together (choral singing).
Wednesday, student echo reads after the parent.
Thursday, student reads aloud while parent whisper reads.
Friday, student reads and claps when stating a high frequency word (we | see).
Saturday, parent asks student to identify the color word.
Sunday, student draws a picture of what the text means to them.
Little Bo Peep
Themes by Calendar
Theme 4: Choices
Dec. 2: T4 W2Dec. 9: T4 W3
Dec. 16: T4 W4
Theme 5:
Jan. 6: T5 W1
Jan. 13: T5 W2
Jan. 20: T5 W3
Jan. 27: T5 W4
Theme 6:
Feb. 3: T6 W1
Feb. 10: T6 W2
Feb. 17: T6 W3
Feb. 24: T6 W4
Theme 7:
Mar. 2: T7 W1
Mar. 9: T7 W2
Mar. 23: T7 W3
Mar. 30: T7 W4
Theme 8:
Apr. 6: T8 W1
Apr. 13: T8 W2
Apr. 20: T8 W3
Apr. 27: T8 W4
Theme 9:
May 4: T9 W1
May 11: T9 W2
May 18: T9 W3
Additional songs shared . . .
Literacy Focus: M, W, F mornings (7:30 - 8:00am)
Math and Science Focus: T & Th Mornings (7:30-8:00am)
Morning Focus Songs . . .
We need your ideas!
3rd six weeks: Henderson-Reid's cluster
4th six weeks: Helm's cluster
5th six weeks: Gutierrez's cluster
6th six weeks: Pena's cluster
You may send these via email to the entire staff. Be sure I'm on the email so that I can add to the bulletin. To be sure the links make it to the bulletin, please be sure I have the link BEFORE lunch on Friday.
REPEATED INFORMATION:
Upcoming PLC Focus
Week of 12/2: Planning:
- Know your target skills and their preplanned objectives (Letters, Read Aloud, & Math)
- We will discuss your ideas for We Do|Carpet time (guided practice) and You Do|Stations (independent practice)
- Determine specific student checkpoint for analysis
Week of 12/9: Student Work Analysis (from work collected week of 12/2)
Week of 12/16: No AM PLCs
As the Weather Changes . . .
Also note, if there is precipitation falling (drizzle, rain, sleet, etc), students cannot go outside for recess. (Also please keep them under then covered areas when walking to gym/cafeteria.
We are in an older building, thus the heating/AC are not easily switched over to meet the varying daily temperatures. If I call them to turn on the heat, we will have heat the rest of the season until we switch to air again. In looking at the forecast for next week, we're going to be back up to 70 degrees. So, do you want the heat turned on now, or wait a while longer and we'll bundle up on the really cold days? I can ask them to hopefully turn up the thermostat, but not yet switch on the furnace. Would that be an okay compromise?
Student Growth Opportunities: Intervention & Tutorials
Don't forget we have 15-20 minutes of daily intervention time built into the master schedule. Tutoring is also to be occurring two mornings per week during breakfast time as discussed in August.
Your lower-performing students are to be students you are supporting and teaching during these specific times of the day. Also remember, you must document when you're seeing them, what skills are of focus, and what their progress is.
If students are not demonstrating progress by December, you will need to start the SST process. Do NOT wait until March to decide to begin the SST process when you already know they are struggling now. Also, at SST we'll be asking for your documentation to show the frequency and duration of support previously provided.
Computer and STEAM Labs
Also, they made a schedule for each teacher to take a turn for prepping the STEAM lab. Here is that schedule for you to reference.
Thanks a million to our SALT members for taking care of these tasks!
Upcoming Events
Jot this down:
Lounge duty this week: Katelyn Jones & A. McClinton
Announcements will be done in Mrs. Jones' classroom this week.
- PK3 AM 7:30am - 11:15am; early release 11:15am
- PK3 PM 11:30am - 3:15pm; **AM & PM alternate early release dates
- PK4 & HS: 8:14am - 3:45pm; early release 12:30pm
12/2:
Fall Picture Re-takes
12/3 - 12/6: PTO Christmas Store
12/3:
College day for staff, since tomorrow, 12/4, is ugly sweater contest
ARDs
Drill
12/4:
College Day: college shirts with jeans for kids
TISD Hamburger Cookout @ FMS, 4:30-6pm **Ugly Sweater Contest (with jeans)
12/5:
Polar Express Train in AM
12/6:
Bus Evacuation, Time????
12/10:
SALT, 4:15pm
12/11:
Student of Character Shirt (2019-20) with jeans
Cluster Meetings
12/12:
HS Parent Meeting
12/13:
Polar Express events during specials
HS Transition Materials to Parents
12/18:
PTO Cookie Extravanganza
Faculty Meeting
12/20:
Early Release @ 12:30pm