January 11th Peak Memo
Culture Collaboration Curriculum
Table of Contents
Message from Director
Shout outs
Game Changer Award
Instructional Focus
NAEP
Aim for Success!
Grades
Hallways
PD/IB
Data dashboard/Important Dates
Chrome Carts, google docs, calendar
Scholar Attendance
Upcoming News/Survey
Monthly Calendar
Message From Director
What an Amazing week and way to kick off Semester 2! I again echo how grateful I am for our work on Tuesday. I look forward to how we rock this semester for our scholars. I love our school and whole heartedly know that we are the right people, in the right space and time, to do the right job for our Peak scholars. The only thing that will stop US is US, and that aint gonna happen! Let's continue to grow together!
New to Peak
Welcome our "new" nurse: Ms. Jessica Cabrera-udave ! She is a parent as well, the mom of Jacob and Issaac:-) Please, if you have not done so already, stop by and show her some PEAK LOVE!
SHOUT OUTS
Shout out to Karina for watching our classes this morning so we could do our Provocation!! We love you! -Alex, Kelly, Kathryn, Emily, Lucy, Carmen and Marilyn
Shout out to the kinder teachers and kinder aides for a successful Provocation! I know the babies were jazzed! Love you all! -Alex
Shout out to the 4th grade team, SPED and ESL and Mrs. Murillo for your help with NAEP information this week. Your timeliness in completing this task was greatly appreciated - Leetha
Shout out to Grant for doing an amazing job with our CER presentation and helping us grow our scholars in their ability of reasoning. - Leetha
Shout out to Melissa for helping our exploration of “opportunity Myth” to be organized in a way that foster great discussion, reflection, and application. - Leetha
Shout to Karina for tackling holiday decorations so expeditiously and getting us ready for first day back! - Leetha
Shout out Crystal for always having what we need, when we need it-YOU ARE AMAZING! – Leetha
Shout out to Shelby for putting SO many systems and strategies in place to welcome a new scholar into her class this week! He LOVES his own personal reward binder and has earned a reward 3 days in a row! It is so clear that you are being proactive in your plan and helping him get a fresh start to the semester! Thank you for your hard work and love for ALL scholars J -Melissa
Shout out to Courtney for rocking 2019 with her boot still on (even though it’s smaller). Also, for her great work as a CTL bringing a great resource for POD into 3rd grade’s routine! Looking forward to seeing it in action! – Melissa
Shout out to Courtney Gregory for speaking courageously in our faculty meeting. We all appreciate that you are willing to do what’s best for kids and our Peak culture, even when it’s uncomfortable. ~ Diane
Shout out to Mrs. Newton and Ms. Clark for meeting with me afterschool to conference about a student we share. I appreciate your time and feedback ladies. Diane
Authentic experience
Art of Introducing
Great job Emily with introducing to scholars their new roles/job responsibilities in centers. I love their walk of exploration of new center items.
Where we are
Great job Kinder with dressing the part and sharing the provocation of where we are in a place and time with scholars! You guys ROCK!
Game Changer Award
INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS
CLAIM, EVIDENCE, REASONING
- Remember our scholars do a great job of stating their "claim" and even sometimes finding their "evidence", but what is missed is their "reasoning". It is going to require us pushing them with our follow up questions of “ok you found the evidence on page 17, but how does that support your claim”?
- Push scholars to explain: why their evidence is significant?
- CER is for all subjects.
As we journey the mastery of CER talk to other teams about what strategies they are using to implement and how its working for them. For example 3rd grade received "scholar feedback" and is using it to create a template to help their scholars organize their thoughts.
Remember its only as strong as your consistency and your level of expectation of your scholars when using. Don't forget to send us a text if you feel your students are really nailing it.
NAEP
Aim for success
5th Grade Presentation will be held during the day on February 6th from 8:00-9:30
Grades
Grades
Teachers I know there were some questions about inputting CA grades. Curves were created for 6-12 and not K-5. However we know that it is important for scholars and their parents to understand the importance of these grades. From now on when adding CA scores to the grade book we will compare their scores in "aware" as:
Approaches: 70-79
Meets:80-89
Masters: 90-100
Lowest CA score to be given is 60-69 range
Our HALLWAYS need a makeover!
Teachers please ensure that our halls are presentable. Right now we are looking like its the end of the year and we are taking everything down. This semester will be filled with visits, let's ensure that our walls are telling the academic story. Lets show pride in our halls just like we show in our classrooms.
Wednesday PD
- Remember we will be off campus for K-12 PD from 3:00-5:00
- Things to bring for Wednesday: a charged laptop and headphones
*Teachers remember that we have PD from 3 to 5 next week. We will be in PD with K-12. Ops is working on the specifics, but childcare will be provided. As soon as they provide the specifics, I will share them with you.
Texting all of leadership
Birthdays
Birthdays
20 Ashley Clark
24 Erin Gilbert
25 Hannah Henniegh
25 Kodjo Sogah
Faculty/Staff Absences
1/15: Clark
1/17: L.Vasquez 1/2 day
1/18: Mikkelson 1/2 day
Data Dashboard
A brand-new network assessment dashboard is now available. This dashboard will refresh throughout the year to include data from our two network assessments (TWA and CA).
An admin version of the dashboard can be found here
Word Consciousness/ IB
Word Consciousness
This week we are continuing with suffixes. A suffix is a word part that comes at the end of a word and changes its meaning. This week’s word part is “ER”. ER means more of or more than and is used to compare two or more things. The anchor chart for –ER is also attached in staff notes.
ER (comparative—more)
Bigger, wider, wiser, lower, higher, deeper, finer, sharper, cuter, smarter, happier, funnier, younger, quieter, longer, shorter, taller, crazier, nicer, braver, slower, faster
IB
This week the Ms. Rouvaldt’s Eagles will help us understand the significance and application of a new IB attitude, Independence. Someone who exemplifies this attitude thinks and acts independently, makes their own judgments based on reasoned principles and is able to defend their judgments. Below are some ideas for morning meeting topics to discuss with your scholars this week:
- What does it mean to be independent? Does this mean that you always have to work alone? Does this mean that you always have to think differently than others?
- As Peak scholars we stress the importance of getting along well with others and working as a team. Why is it also important to be independent at times?
- We can DO things independently, but we can also be independent THINKERS. Why would it be important to be an independent thinker when you have to make a tough decision?
- Sometimes the more independent we are, the more personally creative we can become. Why do you think this is?
- Independence is a big skill scholars will need in college. How can you begin to build your independence now?
- What is the disadvantage of being TOO independent? How can you help yourself be independent but also depend on and learn from the ideas of other team members?
Important dates/announcements etc.
Summer School Positions: Uplift is starting its next round of Summer School planning! If you are interested in being a summer school coordinator ( a dean/director for summer school), please let us know! You will be receiving more specific information in the coming weeks, but I wanted you to have time now to consider your summer plans and long-term goals. This is a good position for anyone interesting in being a dean or a director in the future or someone who is looking for a job for about 6 weeks over the summer and would like a hand at the logistical planning that goes into a school.
Important Dates
· January 12th: "Parent U" 8-12: post on Bloomz for your parents
. January 15th: Severe Weather drill @ 8:30
· January 18th: F&P MOY Window Closes
· January 18th: had to be rescheduled
· January 21: MLK Day
· January 22: MAP Window Opens
. Happy 100 Days of school
· January 22-28: Mondo Phonics
· January 30th: TELPAS Training
Grading: teachers please ensure that you are keeping up with grades weekly. As stated in our policy , at least two grades per week should be put in the grade book. Keep in mind that CA's and TWA grades should always be included in report card grades when necessary. These are important assessments and scholars and parents need to be aware of them. However, these grades should not fail a scholar if you have more than enough grades in your grade book. Below are some examples to help you as we move forward in Q2.
Math & Reading grades
· At least 2 tests/project grades in each content area
· At least 6 minor assessment grades in each content area
· At least 8 classwork grades in each content area
· At least 3 homework grades in each content area
Science, Humanities, &ELA
· At least 2 tests/project grades in each content area
· At least 4 minor assessment grades in each content area
· At least 4 classwork grades in each content area
· At least 2 homework grades in each content area
Grade reporting periods
Q2 checkpoint 11/9 – end of Q2 12/20
Q3 checkpoint 2/8 – end of Q3 3/7
Q4 checkpoint 4/19 – end of Q4 5/24
*Schedule for when reports will be distributed:
Progress Reports:
- January 29th
- February 20th
- March 5th
- April 9th
- April 30th
Report Cards:
- January 11th
- March 22nd
- May 24th mail home
* VOLY is our Parent Support Posting Form for Peak Website- Want volunteers then submit completed form to Nora Apolinar and MariCarmen Corona. Also this is how they track our parent volunteers at PEAK and we wan to make sure our parents are recognized for their volunteering so please fill these out.
Chrome Cart Schedule/Peak Monthly Calendar
Chrome Carts
· I am very Proud to report that we now have a chrome cart for EACH grade level. Now we can increase our use of ED Tech scholar use. You now only have to schedule around your team. This will mean responsibility will reside with each team for the up keep of each cart.
Please find the updated Chrome Cart schedule below. If you would like to reserve the chrome carts outside of your regular time, email Melissa and she will approve or deny the request based on availability and send you a calendar invite.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-OPxcY2gn7tdqmGG5P2UzJAhdLEKdMLZLn-yHYAeNzw/edit?usp=sharing
Peak Primary Monthly Calendar: Please see attached links
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pq26-fEBDEsqbJrolUFiwDgIKyKYTqAjAh1U9I61lHA/edit?usp=sharing
Scholar Attendance
Attendance Contest!
As you all know, having scholars present at school each day is extremely important for their growth and achievement. It is also important that they are present because it affects our school funding! In order to invest scholars in their attendance, we will be starting a monthly competition for the grade level with the best attendance. Each week, I will include a snapshot of the attendance percentages for each grade and the grade level with the highest percentage by the end of the month will earn a teacher and scholar free dress day!
Shout out to 1st Grade in the lead for the month of January!
Kinder 96.04%
First 99.03%
Second 98.47%
Third 98.54%
Fourth 98.50%
Fifth 95.67%
Upcoming News
We're Listening....
How can we continue to Grow
Upcoming News/Survey
At Peak we will foster a Game Changing Growth Mindset! Feedback is crucial to timely and continuous growth. Please use the survey link below to let us know what we can continue to work on to improve and what things we are doing well and should continue to push to higher levels of excellence. Suggestions are key! *the greatest room on earth is the room of improvement!