Thomas Jefferson Tribune
"WE ARE IN IT TO WIN IT!"
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 6-10, 2017
FALL BACK ONE HOUR
THOMAS JEFFERSON FEEDER PRIORITY PLAN
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION
CAMPUS CLIMATE AND CULTURE
MISSION, VISION & CORE VALUES
MISSION:
The TJ Feeder schools embrace high quality learning opportunities which honor the unique strengths and diverse needs of all Scholars.
VISION:
The TJ feeder schools will be the premier feeder to attract and educate all Scholars to positively impact our community and world.
CORE VALUES:
Innovation, Collaboration, Excellence and Integrity
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR..........
Patriot Leaders,
It is great to know that Common Assessment two is behind us and we now have the opportunity to compare 1st and 2nd six weeks data thoroughly to ensure that we are targeting 'Good First Instruction' and making the instructional adjustments necessary to reach your year end goals as a campus and as a feeder. Thank you for continuing the process of aggressive monitoring.
In order to assist teachers' in improving their instructional delivery is to ensure effective feedback is occurring on a regular basis and closing the feedback loop.If you provide feedback, remember to return to see if the feedback has been implemented.
All campuses should have spots completed for each teacher; whether DTR or not, you should still be visiting the teachers. Please make ensure that you check your campus' progress on spots on a weekly basis so that you can hold one another accountable to being present in classrooms for 80% of your time during the instructional day.
We have fifteen more instructional days until December EOC's. There are 25 more instructional days until ACP's. THE TIME IS NOW! You should see differentiated instruction. and teachers spiraling in their low SE's from the latest Common Assessment into their instruction aligned with the ACP or EOC in mind.
As Stephen Covey says it best in Habit #4, "Think WIN/WIN" in working effectively with other people. This is the habit of always looking for a solution that benefits you AND the other person or group.
Looking forward to our feeder meeting on Thursday. You are in for a real treat!
Here's to ANOTHER great week of teaching and learning!
Here's to another WONDERFUL week of teaching and learning!
THE TJ FEEDER IS IN IT TO WIN IT!
Ms. Torres
Thomas Jefferson Executive Director
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
- 3rd Six Weeks begins
- BIP Task Force Principal meeting @ 7:00 a.m.-Walnut Hill
- TJECHS P-Tech Campus visit w/ED and AF's-9:00 a.m.
- Joe May DDI PLC Campus visit w/ED and AF's-10:25 a.m.
- Sudie Williams-DDI PLC Campus visit w/ED and AF's-1:00 p.m.
- DDI -PLC's occur this week
- First Day of Secondary Staff Audits
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
- K.B. Polk DDI PLC Campus visit w/ED and AF's-1:00 p.m.
- Stephen Foster Campus visit w/ED and Math AF
- Tom Field Campus visit w/Reading AF-4th grade team and I-Station support
- Education Summits-All community and campuses encouraged to attend @ W. T. White High School 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. or South Oak Cliff High School
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
- Meeting w/Abby Wlliams-'United to Learn'-9:00 a.m.-Ms. Torres
- Medrano Campus visit w/AF's @ 8:00 a.m.
- TJ High School AP Calibration Walk w/ED and AF's @ 10:30 a.m.
- Cary MS Campus visit w/Math AF in PM
- Stephen Foster Campus visit w/Reading AF in PM
Thursday, November 9, 2017
- Thomas Jefferson Feeder Pattern Principals meeting-9:00 a.m. @ Saldivar Elementary
- New AP Task Force Feeder Presentation 10:30 a.m.-@ Saldivar Elementary
- Thomas Jefferson Principal Culture Building @ 1:30 after principal meeting
- Education Summits-All community and campuses encouraged to attend @ Samuel High School 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. or Conrad High School
Friday, November 10, 2017
- Ms. Torres Data Meeting w/Deputy Chief Lusk-Ms. Torres @ 11:00 a.m.-Haskell 3rd floor
- Submission for Drill Logs for the Fall Semester is due TODAY sent to the Office of Emergency Management via online link previously sent to you
- Technology update due today by COB
- Cary MS Campus visit w/ED and AF's
CLIMATE SURVEY ADMINISTRATION
Dallas ISD climate surveys will be administered in the fall and spring to all campus staff. The Fall 2017 climate survey window will take place November 28-December 13 with the option of extending the deadline to December 15 due to weather or other possible disruptions. The Spring 2018 climate survey window will take place from May 7-18. It is a good practice to conduct informal climate surveys via Google Docs and Survey Monkey before the final survey is capture. This will allow your leadership team to address and improve in low areas displayed in the data. I appreciate our Climate and Culture team for doing a feeder wide culture survey already.
Annual Policy and Compliance Acknowledgement for Principals
For any discrepancies on the report such as employees that no longer report to you or have left the District, notify the HCM talent partner for your campus. The employee will continue to appear on the report until Oracle has been updated.
The report sent to principals will include all employees assigned to the campus which will include employees from Custodial Services and Food & Child Nutrition Services.
Employees must be logged into the District network to access the web-based application located at http://PolicyAcknowledgement.dallasisd.org. The application cannot be accessed remotely.
If employees are unable to log into the application using their EAD user name or password, please have them contact the IT Service Desk at (972) 925-5630.
For more information about the annual acknowledgement process, please visit www.dallasisd.org/HCMPolicy or send an email to Dpolicies@dallasisd.org.
'UNITED TO LEARN' FULL NETWORK MEETINGS
"HUDDLE UP FOR GIVING!"
2017 United Way giving campaign kicks off Novemeber 1st!
Dallas ISD's Annual United Way Employee Giving Campaign kicks off November 1, and everyone's help is needed to reach the goal. Superintendent Hinojosa has set a challenge goal of $80,00 to support United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. The campaign runs from November 1st through December 15, 2017, and all departments and campuses are encouraged to have 100% participation.
Show your support of the United Way Employee Giving Campaign by donning your favorite pair of jeans. Participations is encouraged with a minimum donation of $5 per Jean Day and $15 for Jean week. Employees can make donations in three ways. Oracle, eWay, and check/cash. Additional information to follow in coming weeks!
Jean Days
- Friday, Nov 3
- Friday, Nov 10
- Friday, Nov 17
- Friday, Dec 1
THOMAS JEFFERSON FEEDER PATTTERN KUDOS
Thomas Jefferson ECHS visit Telemundo!
DAVID G BURNET ELEMENTARY
AF/CIC PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR JEFFERSON FEEDER 'AT WORK'
K.B. POLK VANGUARD
Evelyn Holt-Winston Science Winner
The following are students that placed in their competition at Winston Science from KB Polk Vanguard.
Trash to Treasure 1st Place (pictured above)
- Evelyn Holt
Photography 3-5 Faces in Places
1st Place
- Cesar Torres
Cardboard Armor 3-5 2nd Place
- Alexis Enriquez
- David Lara
- David Chicas
- Emilio Delacruz
Edible Car (Best time) 2nd Place
- Diego Gonzalez
Congratulations Joe May Elementary!
Congratulations! Jose Joe May Elementary School has been selected as one of the 9 LearnStorm Grand Prize Finalist! The schools engagement, use of growth mindset resources, and perseverance were exceptional.
As finalist, they receive $500 in DonorsChoose.org funding!
DISTRICT-WIDE PRINCIPALS' MEETING
The Teaching and Learning Department partnered with School Leadership to differentiate PD sessions for the upcoming Principals’ Meeting. The Principals’ Meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 15th at STEAM Middle School at D. A. Hulcy. (Please see the scheduled chart below)
Description of Sessions
- Small Group Instruction (Part 1 of 3): What is small group instruction and how can you help your teachers implement it? Why should you want your teachers implementing small group instruction? This will be a three-part session over multiple principal meetings that answers these questions and more. Students at all grade levels and in all content areas benefit from small group instruction.
- Quality Writing: How do I know if my students are on grade level or college-/career-ready level? What can I do to coach my teachers to improve the quality of writing? This session will look at student writing samples alongside writing rubrics to explore quality benchmarks across grade levels. In addition, the session will provide principals with the guidance and tools to coach teachers to improved writing outcomes.
- Best Practices for Using Text Sets: How do I make text sets an engaging strategy? What is the role of the teacher and the student when using text sets? This session will demonstrate how text sets fit into the literacy block and how teachers and students should be actively engaged in the learning process. Best practices and exemplars will be explored.
Please ensure that you use the link below to register for their sessions of choice. In order to schedule breakout sessions, please go to the site below and prioritize the sessions. A 1 indicates it is your first priority.
TAG POPULATION REVIEW
Nov 7th/8th SPED Just-In-Time Training
Attention Principals:
The Fall Just-In-Time Special Education Training is quickly approaching for SPED Adminstrators and Teachers! Please ensure that your campus is represented at one of the four sessions available on:
Tuesday, November 7th or
Wednesday, November 8th
Topics include:
- SHARS
- How to Request a Social Worker
- Specialized Programs
- Districtwide Services
- Campus Support
- Curriculum and Instruction
- And more!
Your campus designee may register on SchoolNet for one of the four sessions using Activity Code; 1000009855 and the sessions will be held between 9AM-12PM or 1PM-4PM.
THE DASH FOR THE BEADS GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOOLS!
The Dash for the Beads is a non-profit organization that conducts an annual 5K, 10K, and 1mile fun run in Oak Cliff. The proceeds from the event are used to support youth in the areas of health and fitness and arts and music.
In 2018, the Dash for the Beads (DFB) organization will award grants to local organizations that support the above areas of interest. There will be three (2) categories of grants:
- Program: Organizations can apply for up to $5,000 for program grants supporting the above areas.
- Capital: Organizations can apply for up to $10,000 for capital grants (see explanation below) supporting the above areas.
Program Grants: A physical fitness, nutrition, art or music service or activity provided for youth. Ex: after school program, band camp, theatre or music camp, provision of nutritious food, soccer team, art therapy program.
Capital Grants: A physical project that supports youth in physical fitness, nutrition, art, or music. Ex: playground, soccer field, kitchen appliances for food program, improvement of physical space.
Click here for more information! https://dashforthebeads.org/grants/
PLEASE CLICK TESTING LINK BELOW
UPCOMING DATES & REMINDERS
NOVEMBER
16- Timberline Elementary Campus visit for The Leader in Me- in Grapevine/Colleyville ISD-8:00-10:00 a.m.DECEMBER
5-Math AF TOT for CIC Content Training
7-Reading AF TOT for CIC Content Training
15-Last day of Secondary Staff Audits
JANUARY
30-Math AF TOT for CIC Content Training
FEBRUARY
1-Reading AF TOT for CIC Content Training
23-Title I Requisitions due today
MARCH
9-Drill log for the Spring Semester is due TODAY via email submission to the Office of Emergency Management
27-Math AF TOT for CIC Content Training
29-Reading AF TOT for CIC Content Training
MARSHALL MEMO #709
The Real Challenge of Differentiation
In this article in HaYidion, Matt Williams says that in most classrooms differentiation happens every day, and not always in the best way. “Teachers have only a certain amount of instructional time,” he says, “and it can be monopolized quite quickly. Various studies have shown that extroverts, boys, high achievers, those with learning disabilities, and those whom the teacher simply likes more – all can easily monopolize the bandwidth of even the most well-intentioned educator. In other words, teachers already differentiate based on a variety of criteria.”
As a beginning teacher, Williams realized that his enthusiasm for the subject matter was captivating only a fraction of his students. “On the drive home after a particularly difficult class,” he says, “I asked myself, what if my students’ apathy was not about the subject per se and more about my own inability to understand how they might be able to connect with it? My love of my discipline, on a good day, may have resonated with a quarter of my students. Teaching those students was a joy… What if I was guilty of allowing the love I had for my subject to limit the love my students might develop, if I could only get myself, my ego, out of the way?… While I might be an expert in my subject, I knew I could never be an expert in the many and varied ways in which my students experienced my classroom.”
The real challenge of differentiation, Williams realized, was how he could give ownership and access to all students, how he could “design a classroom that took seriously the fact that students are the ultimate arbiters of their learning experience.” The question he hadn’t answered was, “How do you build a classroom for people who can choose to tune you out anytime they want?”
The essence of differentiation, then, is shifting from reaching curriculum objectives to figuring out experiences that students will opt into. “In a world where students can wait out, tune out, or fake out teachers by ‘doing school’ instead of actually learning,” Williams concludes, “this shift in thinking matters now more than ever.”THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
- Thomas Jefferson High School: Principal, Sandi Massey
- Francisco Medrano Middle School : Principal, Theresa Sigurdson
- Edward Cary Middle School: Principal, Ben Dickerson
- David G. Burnet Elementary: Principal, Sonia Loskot
- Leonides Cigarroa Elementary : Principal, Douglas Burak
- Tom W. Field Elementary: Principal, Shondula Whitfield
- Stephen C. Foster Elementary: Principal, Irma De La Guardia
- Joe May Elementary: Principal, Israel Rivera
- K.B. Polk Elementary: Principal, Misty Rathermund
- Julian T. Saldivar: Principal, Chaundra Macklin
- Walnut Hill Elementary: Principal, Robert 'Chase'McLaurin
- Sudie Williams Elementary: Principal, Michael Jackson
Thomas Jefferson High School
Franscisco Medrano Middle School
Edward Cary Middle School
David G. Burnet Elementary
Leonides Cigarroa Elementary
Tom W. Field Elementary
Stephen C. Foster Elementary
Joe May Elementary
K. B. Polk Elementary
Julian T. Saldivar Elementary
Walnut Hill Elementary
Sudie L. Williams Elementary
Marelenise Phillips-Roberts
Ashley Campos
Erica Rosas
Trustee Edwin Flores District 1
Trustee Marshall District 2
Trustee Miguel Solis District 8
DISD GOALS
- All students will exhibit Satisfactory or above performance on State assessments. Students below Satisfactory performance will demonstrate more than one year of academic growth
- Dallas ISD schools will be the primary choice for families in the district
- The achievement gap by race, ethnicity and social economic status will be no greater than 10 percentage points on all academic measures
- 95% of students will graduate. Of the graduates, 90% have qualifying scores for community college, college, military, or industry certification
- 95% of entering kindergarten students are school-ready on a multidimensional assessment
- All students will participate in at least one extracurricular or co-curricular activity each year.