The Grass Valley WAG
Week at a Glance: 1/6 - 1/10
A note from Casey...
While we know it has been an uphill challenge, we also know that it is the work of people in our roles. No one gets into education expecting it to be easy, by any means. So, as we dive into a new year, I ask that you reestablish your purpose and root yourself in your why: Why are you here? Why does this work matter to you? Why do you come to it every day?
Finally, in the face of challenges, it is human nature to become frustrated and fall into the discourse of blame. While this is normal, it is not helpful, so I ask that you push yourself to shift from Discourse I (which is the historic discourse of our broken system) to Discourse II (which is conversation that will allow us to explore root causes and solve issues efficaciously). Discourse II is language that recognizes the many stories of our students and families and asks us to take a problem solving stance towards our learners, even when times are tough.
In community,
Casey
Grass Valley at its Finest!
4th and 5th Grade Flutists
Kinder Puzzle Wiziard
After School is Back!
Instruction & Assessments
Instruction
Our instructional focus for the 2nd semester will be on tracking student learning through Exit Tickets. During PLC, we will develop exit tickets and find a way to track them whole school. This valuable data collection will inform our work ILT and PLC for the remainder of the year. Our goal is to MAKE IT HAPPEN for ALL of our students in this last half of the year.
Assessments
- K-2: Teachers should be completing MOY early literacy assessments. They are due January 17 and should be entered into Illuminate.
Week at a Glance (WAG)
Monday
- sign in/out daily
Tuesday
- sign in/out daily
- Thank you breakfast in the Staff Lounge!
Wednesday
- sign in/out daily
- All staff - Potluck (1:40-2:15) & PD (2:15-3:00)
- Teachers - PLC (3:00-3:45)
- PTA Meeting (6p, Cafeteria)
Thursday
- sign in/out daily
- Casey off campus of PPL; TIC: Paula Mitchell
Friday
- sign in/out daily
- College Gear Day!
- Superhero Circle
- COST (8:45-9:45a, Casey's office)
*Community Circle, daily, at 8:30a on the Yard
Upcoming Dates
1/8: PTA
- 1/13: Staff Meeting
- 1/15: SELLS
- 1/16: ILT
- 1/17: Oratorical Contest (GV)
- 1/20: No School
- 1/24: Coffee with the Principal
- 1/27: Committee Meetings
- 1/28: Earthquake/Fire Drill
- 1/29: SSC Meeting
- 1/30: Student of the Month
- 1/30: ILT
- 1/31: PD Day (No School for Students)
Toolbox
Toolbox is a social-emotional learning curriculum that supports students in building concrete skills to help them self-regulate when escalated. ALL STAFF should be supporting students in learning the tools and building skills to self regulate.
Icon: Tape Measure - "the action of pulling and pushing a measuring tape in and out of its case can be a good way to think about slow, deliberate Breathing...it can help students slow down and self-regulate when they use the Breathing Tool."
Hand Gesture: touch thumbs and index fingers together in front of you as if holding a tape measure; slowly pull hands apart while taking a breath. On exhale, bring hands slowly back together.
Questions to support student reflection:
- How are you feeling?
- What are you thinking?
- How do we then act/feel toward ourselves?
- How might we feel/react toward others?
- How can taking a slow deep breath help you when you are struggling?
The Grass Valley Way
Grass Valley Way Videos & Community Circle Leadership
As we discussed before break, we will begin facilitating continued promotion of the Grass Valley Way through videos (spearheaded by Culture & Climate and SchoolShine Committees). In connection to that, classes will have the opportunity to lead Community Circle for a week in order to further build student ownership of the Grass Valley Way. Details are coming!
Functions of Behavior & Pre-Referral Interventions
As you are addressing student behavior using the URF, be sure that you are considering why the behavior is occurring (function of behavior) in order to determine which pre-referral intervention would best support the student.
- Be Safe
- Be Respectful
- Be Responsible
We are a PBIS school. All staff are expected to use the Grass Valley Way with students. Be sure that you are communicating in a preventative manner, and not a reactionary one, including using an appropriate tone of voice with all students.
Behavior Flow Chart for Referrals Staff members who send a student to the office should do so based on the normed behavior flow chart. All students sent to the office should be sent with a URF.
Universal Referral Forms For any student sent to the office, we should receive a URF. This is how we will communicate with families about the incident and track data on students' needs.
Pre-Referral Intervention Guide This guide shares information and examples about each of the pre-intervention techniques listed on the URF.
Important Reminders
- Fire Inspection Please refer to the email from Dec 10.
- What is PE? What is NOT PE? This is a reminder that PE is constructive games, NOT unstructured free play.
- No 4/5 Grade Extra Recess This is a reminder to 4th and 5th grade teachers that your schedule calls for morning recess for ten (10) minutes and lunch/recess, but there is NO regular afternoon recess because you are legally required to teach for all of those instructional minutes. Please be sure your afternoons are filled with learning!
- Pick up/Drop off to Enrichment Teachers are expected to pick up and drop off their students on time to each Enrichment. When you are not on time, Enrichment teachers do not have the time they need to prepare for their next class.
- Support during Community Circle During Community Circle, please be sure that you are monitoring student behavior and checking in with students who are not showing the Grass Valley Way. Also, be sure that you are standing so that you do not block students view of the center of circle (ie. at the back of your line and not the front). Please also make an effort to model the Grass Valley Way by not holding other conversations during Circle or going to the back of your line to do so.
- Picking up students from Lunch/Recess Be sure that you are on time to pick up students from Lunch/Recess. When teachers are late, we do not have the coverage that we need to assure students are safe.
- Hall Passes Each class has a set of hall passes - please be sure students are using them while in the hallways so we know when/where students should be.
- STIP Calendar Mike Metz will be stepping in as our STIP sub for the month of December. This Google Calendar will reflect the STIPs Schedule. If you'd like to schedule time with them, please reach out to Casey.
Notification When Absent
- Any personal days require notification, in writing, in advance of the requested time off.
- If you determine you need to take a sick day, I ask, as a professional courtesy, that you text (804-922-7728) and/or email ASAP...even if it is 5 in the morning! Our goal is to limit the need to split classes this year, but in order to do so, we need advanced notice about absences in order to do our best to find coverage.
Appreciations!
Thanks for a great start to 2020! Let's keep it up!
Want to include an appreciation for a colleague in the next WAG? Add it HERE!