Dragon Diaries Weekly Update
Week of September 18, 2023
Announcements:
Happy Friday, Clark Mills Family!
Happy New Year to all who celebrate Rosh Hashana!! I hope you get to enjoy the holiday with family and friends.
Next week we are celebrating, Start with Hello Week!
Our goal this week is to bring awareness about social isolation and making a difference in another person’s life through a positive, culture uniting effort and to create a connected and inclusive classroom, school and community. Please refer to the document for our school-wide activities. Please also take pictures this week and kindly send me some Facebook posts. Like we did with character ed lessons in the past, you will have to borrow some time from morning meetings or SS/Science to do these brief Start with Hello Activities this week. They are short.
Observations can begin on 10/1. On Monday, 9/18, we will start our faculty meeting with an HIB review by Patty. It will be done over Google Meet. Then you will need to login to Mobile Mind in your classroom to complete your ACHIEVE NJ training modules. Please make sure you download Mobile Mind before Monday. Contact Kurt of you are having trouble with your account. If you are having trouble downloading, please reach out to Simon. Information about PDPs and SGOs will be sent out soon and are due to the person doing your SGO by 10/13. You will have time on 10/9 to work on these, but you may want start thinking about what you would like to focus on this year. The CM PDP can be found here. The MERS PDP can be found here. This year one of Jessica and my admin goals is on increasing family engagement.
NJSLA scores are available in the portal for parents. We will be talking more about them at the Grades 3-5 math and LA meetings scheduled in September. We have many things to celebrate and a few items to tweak and fine tune. You did a wonderful job preparing your students and they worked hard too! Great growth for all cohorts!! Thank you!!
I will begin sending out the PIneappling Google Doc the first week in October. I know we are still giving lots of assessments and creating routines. Also, we encourage you to use your common prep time for planning together. We know many of you do this already. We are fortunate to have this time. You all have great ideas and resources and in the long run planning together will save you time. Your best resource is right next door! :)
Reminders:
Back to School Night will be held on 9/27. We will once again allow you to park in the back of the building if you are the second session. All you need to do is show your swipe to the officer. You will enter by the ELC.
Please send me happenings from your class with a short blurb for Facebook. Parents love seeing what is happening in your classroom.If you can put the photos in a collage before sending, that is super helpful!
Lesson plans due by Monday, September 18th. See the guidelines in the Google folder. They must be submitted to your Google Drive lesson plan folder 23-24 year. Please do not remove anything from your last year’s lesson plan folders. If you need something, please make a copy of it in the DRIVE and move the copy. Thank you! The folder was shared with you in August. If you can't find it, let me know and I will resend.
Please make sure you have archived your Google Classroom from last year. See email from Bari.S
Please use your soundfield everyday. If you have a problem, put in an IT Direct and Simon will assist.
Tier 1, 2 and 3 interventions MUST begin this week. This is a district start date of the 21st. Please make sure you are completing these interventions with fidelity and kindly stay up to date on your fidelity calendars. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to speak with Marie, Monica, or Lori.
WIN period is the time for interventions and enrichment. Please refer to the memo we sent out previously regarding WIN Report Card expectations. Report card interventions must also begin this week during WIN. Please do these with fidelity. We will be meeting in December to review the data.
Please make sure students have everything they need for lunch before leaving your room.
Please make sure to stand by your door at arrival and dismissal to greet students. This also helps alleviate problems in the hallways.
If you have a student who needs a behavioral Tier 1 intervention plan, please see Patty. She will have you complete the form and then help you create this plan together
Please make sure to show your announcements at 8:20. If you are having trouble with the AM announcements, please let Simon know. Students should be silent and watching announcements.
Please consider joining the PTO- membership online.
Please be sure to pick up your children from lunch and prep on time. Thank you! Please use cell time.
SEL Morning Announcement and discussion:
Here are the week’s SEL announcements Please remember to discuss these each day during your Morning Meeting during homeroom and to include in your lesson plans.
A Look Ahead- Events for the Week
Monday, 9/18 D2:
- Start with Hello Week-Wear a kindness shirt- Show video Love Changes Everything.
- Linkit testing Makeups
- Grades 4/5: Student Council elects get time in class to write speech- permission slips due this week
- Faculty Meting 2:45-3:45
Tuesday, 9/19 E2:
- National IT Day- Thank you Joe and Rose for all you do!!
- Wear green to show support for school safety
- Mentor meeting 2:45
- Linkit Make-ups
- HW Club Begins
- Birthday Bash- August Birthdays
Wednesday, 9/20 F2
- Band and Orchestra lessons begin.
- Every staff and student wears a name tag. Wear tie dye
- Linkit Make-ups
- Birthday Bash September
- PTO RITA's Night- It's not too late to sign up to be a Mystery Scooper
- Problem Solving 9:45 AM
- Spirit Wear Sale Ends
Thursday, 9/21 A3
- Wear something that expresses your personality or something important to you
- Send student council rep/alternate names to Jessica by 1.
- HW CLUB
- Round 1 of tiered interventions
- Link It A Testing Make-ups (2 nd -5 th )
- School Safety/Char Ed Com Mtg (2:45)
Friday, 9/22 B3
- Dynamite Dragon day- wear school colors
- High Five Friday- Be outside by your door with your Dragon Claw
- Grade 1 Handprint Banner painting( See schedule)
- Grade 1: Complete math assessment by today
Hats off to:
Lori, Monica and Marie for setting up and handling all of the BTSD reading groups
Simon for embracing his new position and doing a great job!
Joe and Rose for being the best techs around! Thank you for all you do to help with our tech needs!
Allison and Merryl for your facebook post!
All of you for embracing the Nurtured Heart approach and implementing it like rock stars in your rooms! It will take time...reach out to Jill if you have questions or would like to do a Google Meet with her for help!
Angelina for running our Nurtured Heart Champion Committee and opening up her classroom for pineappling
Pattie, Rochelle, Patty, Janette, Shelly, Maria, Jess, Rian and Jackie: you are all on the “front lines” helping our students of so many abilities and helping our teachers to implement successful programs. Thank you for all you do!!
Meagan for being a great mentor to a new colleague!
Dana for going above and beyond to help a new colleague!
Ashley and Denise for building that strong relationship with a student from the start!
Sharri, Jen, Allison, and Tricia for working together to create a beautiful classroom for the students in addition to your home school classroom!
Shannon and Cara for building that strong relationship with a student and bridging that home/school connection
Happy Birthday
Enjoy your special day!
Staff- You can do anything!
Thank you for all you do! Togethr, we can make a difference! Have a fabulous weekend and an even more amazing week!
Jayme