Longhorn News
Week of February 8, 2016
Principal's Message
It was Confucius who said, "A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake." This week's habit of mind is Striving for Accuracy.
People who value truthfulness, accuracy, precision, and craftsmanship take time to check over their products. They review the rules by which they are to abide, they review the models and visions they are to follow, and they review the criteria they are to use to confirm that their finished product matches the criteria exactly. To be craftsman like means knowing that one can continually perfect one's craft by working to attain the highest possible standards and by pursuing ongoing learning to bring a laser like focus of energies to accomplishing a task. These people take pride in their work, and they desire accuracy as they take time to check over their work. Craftsmanship includes exactness, precision, accuracy, correctness, faithfulness, and fidelity. For some people, craftsmanship requires continuous reworking. Some students may turn in sloppy, incomplete, or uncorrected work. They are more eager to get rid of the assignment than to check it over for accuracy and precision. They are willing to settle for minimum effort rather than invest their maximum. They may be more interested in expedience rather than excellence. We have worked with our small learning communities going on four weeks now. No, it is not perfect. But I know that with your input and your faithfulness and fidelity to the process it will pay off. Let's model for our students the pride in our work that we expect from each one of them. Make it a great week of teaching and learning!
In Partnership,
Lorena G. Hernandez
T.A.G. Teacher of the Week
This weeks T.A.G teacher of the week is Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong was nominated because of her enthusiasm and dedication to her dance and language program. New to our campus, she hit the ground running by advocating and being proactive in initiating after school activities. She compliments an already established performing arts program. Its evident that she provides quality and a foundation for our campus dancers and world language learners. Thank you for being a team player and educating our future leaders and decision makers of our country. Congratulations Ms. Armstrong. Don't forget to stop by her room this week and peek in to see her and her students do what they do best!
Valentine's Dance
Creativity All Around This Week!
LCC
Irma P. Hall
GTT
Zach shows off his creative side as the 'Queen of Hearts"
Longfellow Priorities
Key Action #1
Promote a college and career going culture
Key Action #2
Provide differentiated professional development, individual support plans and effective feedback and coaching.
Key Action #3
Increase the advanced levels through data driven rigorous instruction and progress monitoring.
Vision/Mission
Vision
Our vision is to create a nationally recognized academy of 21st century learners equipped with the necessary academic and social skills to make a positive impact in an evolving global society.
Mission
Our mission is to empower Henry W. Longfellow learners to excel in an evolving society through a challenging academic and collaborative environment that includes specialized courses, leadership development, enhancement of critical thinking skills, and career exploration.Commitment Statements by Department
As ELAR educators we commit to:
Reading complex text;
Incorporating strategies that prompt critical thinking;
Student generated questioning;
Having students reference quotes in writing;
Giving students multiple opportunities to respond to text orally and written; and
Effective annotation strategies according to genres.
As MATH educators, we commit to:
effective facilitation in a student-centered classroom;
more student-led discussions;
Bloom’s Taxonomy and higher order questioning;
students creating math problems;
the discussion of essential questions;
multiple representations of both problems and solutions, multiple response strategies, and student voice; and
connect to interdisciplinary courses (real-life application).
As SCIENCE educators, we commit to:
providing a safe space where students can make mistakes, ask questions, challenge existing ideas, develop new ideas, and critique explanations and solutions; and
giving students opportunities to learn in different ways including student-driven instruction, labs, exploration, research, modeling activities, and connecting learning to pre-existing knowledge.
As SOCIAL STUDIES educators, we commit to:
an environment of collaboration, challenge, and relevancy through passionate instruction;
fostering discussion; and engaging students with meaningful dialogue candidly relating to real-world experiences.
Important Dates to Remember
February 8
SLC @ 3:45 in the Library
February 9
Social Studies/Science Tutoring
February 10
ELAR Tutoring
February 11
Math Tutoring
February 12
Valentine's Dance and In and Out Burger
February 15
No School President's Day
Coming Soon!
February 16-19
STAAR Release Testing
February 29
FSAC @ 7:30