BESTeam Tidbits
August 27, 2017
Curriculum Night Redesign
In reflecting on these questions, the answers are different for each class and grade-level; some grade-levels review the first nine-week's curriculum, some review procedures, others talk about upcoming events. This year, instead of meeting with our parents during the second week of school, we are going to create a short video (2 to 5 minutes), presentation, and/or Smore to share with our families. The purpose of this communication will be to set the stage for the school year and share the information pertinent to your area. This can be done with your team or individually. Please share a copy of the communication with your families by Friday, September 1.
To add the personal touch to the communication, please take a few minutes to make a phone call home. The personal touch of a phone call will continue the positive momentum of the start of the school year. Sample phone call:
- Hello Mrs. Bransford! This is Mrs. Texan from BES. It's been a great start of school! Tex is a great leader in our classroom. Do you have any question for me?
Our first PTA meeting of the year is September 21st, one month from the start of school. Pre-k through second grade will have the opportunity to have a family teach piece from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and third through fifth grade will have the same opportunity from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for you to engage our families in an aspect of your classroom or grade-level. For example, you may want to teach your parents about Actor's Tool Box or Google Classroom or writing workshop...the sky is the limit for this short family teach piece!
Thank you for your flexibility and creativity as we redesign how we reach our families!
Celebrations!
Great first week of school! Thank you to each of you for the time, energy, and heart you have given to making this a wonderful first week of the 2107-2018 school year!
Welcome Hannah Chang!!!! Hannah is our new art teacher!
Thank you to all who promoted Red Barn Spirit Night on Thursday!
Fantastic collaboration occurring around the building! Thank you for working together for our Texans!
Bus Dismissal Dream Team: Thank you to Jennifer McNamara, Lori Kirkhuff, Nancy Konecki, and Tessa de la Rosa for creating new dismissal procedures for our 1st-5th grade students.
Thankful for an amazing PTA who provided sweet treats for the end of the first week of school!
Incredible eclipse viewing on Monday! Thank you for sharing the experience with our Texans!
Science Updates
Science Teachers and Grade Level Teams,
I will be taking on the role of science learning leader for our campus. With this role, I will be ordering your living materials and any consumable science materials that you may need for your labs or investigations. I will be meeting with grade levels to discuss your living materials order soon so that I can budget. Please be thinking about if you need to order new habitats or if your current habitats need maintenance.
Thank you for taking a moment to read through the link below for some important curriculum changes. Please let me know if you have questions!
Thank you for your grace as I take on this new role for our campus!
--Brittany
For Your Information
- Field Trip Request Form: As you begin planning for field trips for the 2017-2018 school year, please use the following Google Form for planning: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLTE6Vh-mFhxVnub9Xfi2derKLLpdOmHjot4zD-LzQu2AHDQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
- PTA Grant Request: All PTA grant requests are due the Wednesday before the executive board meets. The first executive board meeting is next Friday, September 1. Please use the following Google Form for all requests: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuvNhIk6IZwVvxS16SUevJ_VBFvxxOJ4zBkWpbtQcdzCKojw/viewform?usp=sf_link
- BES Tribe Shirt: If you are interested in a BES Tribe shirt, see this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccauS_MfAg7RWi9o_GkSTEdOGYTr5lsU9gRVZWA2l7fzlqXw/viewform
- Join PTA: Our goal is to have 100% of our staff join PTA. Take a minute to join!
- Common Sense Media: We are working on becoming Common Sense Media certified school! This is a way to educate our students on device safety for all students. Please see the plan and let us know how we can support each other during this process. https://docs.google.com/a/gcisd.net/document/d/1lr3AXpzhsT2hBGpqEYsVZS6POEBJtj4A8guC-jMjDiQ/edit?usp=sharing
- T-TESS Goal Setting: Forms are due to your appraiser by Friday, September 22. We will be visiting more about this in the coming weeks. Log in to Eduphoria and go to Aware
Go to My Evaluations
Click on Evaluation Documents
Click on Teacher Goal Setting & PD Template (do not use the form that says, "DO NOT USE.")
Complete the document
Click Submit to Appraiser
GT 6 Hour Update
GT 6 hr Update classes through the TEA Time Model
Thursdays: 3:15-4:15 Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5th,12th, 19th
Lori will offer six dates in September and October. To receive credit, staff will need to attend four classes, develop a lesson with enrichment for various levels and participate in a follow up discussion.
We will be learning new strategies, talking about research, what's working in the classroom and what are your struggles and then plan a time that Lori can push into classrooms to team teach or give feedback. This will look more like a coaching model.
Student Device Agreements and Parent Communication: FYI
Technology has reviewed the parent submitted device agreements in the skyward online registration process. We are preparing a report for each campus of students whose parents have selected "No device" as well as some that did not answer the agreement question at all. This will be to all principals by end of Friday.
The technology department will be reaching out with communication to parents that have not answered the device agreement as well as those that answered "No". Kyle wants to be sure no additional work load is on any campus to complete this verification process.
Instructional Technology as well as Technology Services will be sharing documents with parent letter templates and other documentation concerning 1:1. Some campus might already have these documents from the past. There has been some modification concerning the ZERO fee as well as our ability to filter the device at home on the internet.
Kyle is available for any parent meetings you would like to schedule to discuss device take home expectations, parent Q&A or any other content around 1:1.
As prior years it is ultimately at the principal's discretion on if devices will go home with students.
Officer Amy
I am the school resource officer at Colleyville Middle School, but I also cover Bridges/Vista, Colleyville Elem, Bransford Elem, and Liberty Elem. My cell number is 817-706-4944. If you need anything from me, please feel free to call or text. That's the best way to get a hold of me.
I am available for whatever you need...I can come read to the kids, I can help with traffic control for any field trips or events that you have, I can come talk to the kids about safety or my job or whatever else you may need. Please let me know if I can help!
Thank you and I hope everyone has a wonderful school year!
Amy Beregszaszy
School Resource Officer
Colleyville Middle School
Colleyville Police Dept
Art Contest
How could you integrate the art contest with science learning?
Three Terrific Texan Tweets
FLEX Learning
Thank you for working on FLEX Learning over the summer. Visiting the following link from the district website (http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/3804), you will see the requirements, understand why Flex is important to our profession, and get access to the site. Once you get to the actual Flex site, find the tab that represents your job so you know which modules to complete.
If you begin working on the Flex requirements right away you may run into a couple of "coming soon" notes on certain modules. Those are currently being updated and will be ready to go very soon. The due date for completing Flex requirements is October 9, 2017.
Parent Letter
We received this email from a former BES parent. It is a great reminder of the impressions you make on the lives of our Texans. This letter is shared with permission from the sender.
Hello – It’s such a little blip in the roadblocks our kids will face. I really wanted to give a big hug to all the BES educators for helping our kids make good decisions. I just wanted you to know the kids really are listening when the teachers talk.
You might recall a big shout out last year to the Bransford educators. I had shared that a team parent at a sports tournament said the parents and coaches wanted the team to take energy pills before a game. (I did not say that was all right.) When we talked about what happened, our child told me she declined the pill because she made a pledge at Bransford not to do drugs. Although it was allegedly some type of vitamin pill-- I still was proud of her for questioning the parent’s intent and standing her ground.
This summer, (one year later), 3 girls at a tournament went to buy candy at a gas station but smuggled back Monster energy drinks. They shared their plan in a group team text to drink Monster and “party all night” in their hotel room. When my daughter saw the group text she forwarded it to her parents attention. When we talked about what happened, I asked if she also had been tempted to drink energy drinks. Again, her response was she made a pledge at Bransford not to do drugs and energy drinks were drugs.
As an adult, it seems so silly to talk about vitamins and energy drinks. Looking ahead, it’s vitamins at 13, energy drinks at 14, it’s only going to get harder as these kids get older. I’m not sure what the educators at Bransford did all those years ago in Red Ribbon week. Please continue with your efforts!!! These kids are making good decisions for their problem sets under your help and guidance. Thank you for watching out for these kids and keeping it on their level.
Best of luck and have a great school year.
Week at a Glance
Monday
Cathy at C&I
Fire Drill - Following announcements
Tuesday
Tuesday - Following announcements - Fire Drill/Reverse Evacuation/Lockdown
7 Habits in The library 3:15-4:30 *Remember your item!
Teddy’s Burgers Spirit Night 4pm-9pm
Cub Scout #228 Mtg. - Cafeteria 6:45pm-8:15pm
Wednesday
Kerissa in the Library from 3:15-3:45 to share Meraki and Apple Classroom
Susan A. out
Thursday
Susan A. out
Brittany’s birthday
Michaela @ FYTA
Friday
Breakfast w/ Dad’s 7:15am-7:40am Cafeteria
PTA Exec. Board Mtg. 9am-11am
College Colors Day
Jamie Halliburton
Email: jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net
Phone: 806-441-6518
Twitter: @BESHalliburton