Teaching & Learning
April 2021
Message From Shanna
"Starting strong is good. Finishing strong is EPIC." -Robin Sharma
We have come so far this year. In and of itself your efforts this year will go done as monumental, but as we near the end of the year and exhaustion and restlessness settle in, it will be important to reflect and remember your WHY. I truly believe we have underestimated the mental and physical exhaustion this year has caused, and although you may feel like you may have to limp across this year's finish line, I truly believe your WHY will allow you to finish strong. It will be the epic exclamation mark to the already epic efforts you have demonstrated this year! #finishstrong #rememberyourwhy #EveryStudentEveryDay489
~Shanna Dinkel
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STUDENT USERNAMES & PASSWORDS
The link below has the information on how to access the list of student usernames and passwords for your building. Teachers do NOT have access to generate PDFs. This is different from STAR, so please share with your staff. (You will notice the student username = first name and ID; password = abc123.) The log in site should be linked to your webpages. Please check that out and let me know if something is not working/accessible.
How To Access the List of Student Usernames & Passwords for Your Building
SPRING ASSESSMENT WINDOWS
- DLM Alternate Assessments - February 1 to May 7
- KS Summative Assessments - April 1 to May 18
- FAST Spring Screener - April 15 to May 14
- STAR Spring Screener(OPTIONAL) - April 5 to May 5
Spring Assessment Information Update
Updates for a couple of the upcoming spring assessments –
- A reminder that the STAR Spring Screener is optional. If you choose to give the assessment, please note the monitor password has changed to springstar.
- In addition to the FastBridge downloads, there are Quick Sheet documents embedded in the Resources section, step 8, of each training. Marie Henderson has pulled those from the trainings and added them to the attached Resource map.(These Quick Sheets were not included in the download binders assembled by Gabi.) Marie has also added the Observer and Rating (ORAA) instrument for administrators to the map. Here is a video Marie recorded to assist in navigating to the Quick Sheets, ORAAs, and other downloads for the FastBridge assessments for each grade and subject - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRNohR3mhZA.
- An ‘Assessment’ page has been added to the district Teaching and Learning webpage. It contains links to info for FastBridge and the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP). Documents and info that is shared via email will be accessible on this webpage for your convenience - https://www.usd489.com/page/assessment.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the upcoming assessments.
Shanna
6 Days of Connection: SPRING INTO JOY! April 28-30 & May 3-5
This school year came with a host of extra challenges professionally, let alone personally. For some, those challenges have led to feelings of disconnection or loneliness as we practiced socially distancing from our students and each other. For others, those challenges have led to feelings of exhaustion or being overwhelmed with new barriers to teaching and learning. This spring, though, there is so much to celebrate in USD 489! We’re on the home stretch! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we know we gave it our all! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to do something FUN! That’s what 6 Days of Connection is all about!
This “just for fun” contest paves the way for you to reconnect with colleagues and win some prizes by completing quick and easy tasks. Check out the list of tasks for each day HERE. If you want to participate (it’s COMPLETELY OPTIONAL), you’ll find teammates (or request to join a team looking for teammates) and register your team HERE. Learn more about what’s happening by watching this video and checking out the 6 Days of Connection Website. The deadline for registering your team or requesting to join a team is Friday, April 23. Learn about all the prizes you’ll be eligible to win HERE (don’t miss page 2!). In the LESS THAN 10 MINUTES A DAY, you’ll find yourself dancing through the end of the school as we SPRING INTO JOY!
Final links are still be updated on the website, but if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Marie Henderson
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Thank You to Our District Librarians & Assistants!
- Lynette Armstrong
- Karen Wilson
- Kristy Oborny
- Erin Holder
- Karen Staab
- Jo Ann Wasinger
- Ashley Schauf
Congratulations, Gloria Blackwell!
Gloria is a music teacher at Wilson and Roosevelt Elementary Schools.
Congratulations Anita Scheve!
Kansas Principal’s Association – Area Four Elementary Principal of the Year!
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Check it Out!
#1: Celebrate with Confetti!
#2: Free Music and Sounds for Elementary Projects
#3: Math and Emojis
#4: Remembering the Old Days
#5: For Your Elementary ESL Students
#6: Get Busy Rhyming
#7: A Bitmoji Buddy
#8: Would You Rather Math
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The Universe is Our Greatest Teacher - Bruce Schneider, iPEC
Dear Friend, When we position ourselves as students of life, we can trust the universe is a master teacher. Of course it is easy to trust the process when things are going well. · Why did this happen? · Why did so-and-so do that? · What did I learn here? · What purpose do I want to bring to this adversity? · overthinking · second-guessing · getting angry with oneself or others Reflect: How does trusting––or not trusting––the process affect your performance? If you enjoyed this email, please share it!
There are leadership tasks that allow us to "be the machine" and go with the flow. There isn't much thinking involved - we've been here before and can trust the process. When small bumps in the road hit, anabolic leaders adjust and pivot in the moment, learning along the way.
Asking why, and looking for a reason those bumps hit, creates blame.
Looking for what is a practice anabolic leaders use to bring meaning to the bumps along the way.
When things aren't going the way we want or expect, doubt creeps in. Trusting the process under adversity is more difficult. Catabolic energy can come in many forms when we're not trusting the process:
The 7th level leader wants to perform at his or her best at any moment. He looks for a lesson in each experience and constantly reviews his plan, his way of leading, and the outcomes he's getting and makes shifts as needed.
©INspired Leadership
Join the next 7th Level Leader group to learn more about trusting the process.
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The Surprising Impact of a Small Compliment
In this article in Psychology Today, David Ludden reports the results of five studies published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. It turns out that people underestimate the impact of a small compliment – saying something as simple as “I love your scarf” – and overestimate the psychic effort involved in giving it. The researchers had people take a few seconds to pay an out-of-the-blue compliment to a same-gender stranger. Some details:
- Just before giving the compliment, participants were anxious that the recipient would feel awkward and annoyed.
- Those predictions significantly underestimated how flattered, happy, and pleased most recipients felt.
- After the compliment, the mood of those who gave it improved significantly.
- But blinded by their own discomfort, they didn’t see the impact on the other person.
- Third-party observers could see the positive impact of the compliment.
“The biggest challenge is getting out of our own head,” says Erica Boothby, one of the researchers (University of Pennsylvania). “We tend to be overly focused on our own ability to give a compliment effectively, or worried about what the other person will think of us.” Better to think about how we would feel receiving a positive comment, and realize that most other people will have the same reaction. “A few kind words can go a long way,” she says.
“The Power of a Kind Word” by David Ludden in Psychology Today, April 2021 (Vol. 54, #2, p. 17)
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Family Recovery Nights
Smoky Hill Foundation is offering a series for youth 12 and up and their families. This series will address common struggles of families of addicted loved ones, and provide healthy strategies for recovery. The series starts March 19th, 2021.
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Professional Development Opportunities
SW Plains: April/May Professional Learning Opportunities
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TEAM: TEACHERS EMPOWERED TO ACHIEVING MASTER'S PROGRAM
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EARLY LEARNING
U.S. Department of Education Early Learning
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SPECIAL EDUCATION
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- District Literacy Vision - Meeting the Challenges: ila-meeting-challenges-early-literacy-phonics-instruction.pdf
- LETRS - Information: LETRS Information 4.1.pdf
- Scope & Sequence - Grade-level drafts, K-3 (Grades 4 & 5 are still being developed): K-3 Scope and Sequence drafts
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HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, SOCIAL STUDIES
Kansas Civic Advocacy Network Roundtable
Join us to celebrate the great happenings at your school regarding Civic Advocacy. Learn what other schools are doing and consider applying for the CAN awards with the application due in May 2021. Roundtable/Drop In style meetings every Monday from 3:30 – 4:30p.m. Register HERE: https://ksde.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpc-2vqzsvGdyfSGltpyeHnhqcUjeW0pDf.
KS Social Studies Teachers Support & Teacher Chat Networking
Feeling excited or discouraged regarding your SS learners, progress, or anything else related to your SS time period or SS classes? Come chat with other SS teachers in Kansas and share your successes and challenges in a supportive environment of your peers. Every third Tuesday, from 3:30 – 4:30! Register HERE: https://ksde.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpd-qhqz0iGdGj3eFYMJe8rj53-88ct0AC
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English Language Learners
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KESA
Cuisenaire Rods - Survey & Upcoming Virtual Workshop
Our Kansas MTSS & Alignment Math Team is partnering with Dr. Lauren Schiller from Columbia University Teachers College to bring you a virtual workshop on using Cuisenaire Rods during your math lessons. The workshop is scheduled for April 22nd at 4pm CST. We will send out registration information very soon!
In order to best prepare for this training, we would like to gather some information from our Kansas teachers. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete this short survey.
-Natalie Patton
Kansas MTSS and Alignment State Trainer
Cell: 785-248-1808
WHEN DOES YOUR LICENSE EXPIRE?
Speech/Language Pathologist: https://www.ksha.org/licensing.php
KS Board of Nursing: https://www.kansas.gov/ksbn-verifications/search/records
KS Board of Healing Arts: https://www.accesskansas.org/ssrv-ksbhada/search.html
KS Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board: https://www.kansas.gov/bsrb-verification/