Benninghoven Team Communication
Week of October 23rd
Vision: A place where everyone pursues their greatness
Mission: A community coming together for our kids.
Important Dates
OCTOBER
23: Lunchroom Expectation Stations (all grade levels) sign up as a team HERE
23: Stucco Meeting in Art Room, 3:30-4:00
24: Bus evacuation drill at AM drop-off
24: Anna-Out JoCo Admin Leadership Meeting
24: Staff Meeting; 3:30-4:15 in Library - SEL: Student Success Plans
25: Anna-Out; Admin Meeting 9-11
25: Kinder PLC during planning time
25: Mathletics practice 3:15-4:15
26: Hayley Pozek returns! Thank you Ms. Lindsey for your time and support!
26: 6th, 4th, and 3rd Grade PLC during planning time
26: BLT Meeting; 3:30-4:30 in Makerspace
27: 2nd survey for Character Strong due
27: Fire Prevention presentations for K-2
27: 1st Grade PLC during planning time
27: All School Assembly, 2:00 in Gym ~Wear your staff shirt!
30: 3rd Grade Field trip to Kauffman
31: End of Character Strong Pilot implementation and materials
31: 5th Grade PLC during planning time
31: 6th Grade Field trip to Park Lanes
31: Halloween Parade and Parties (more info below)
November
1: Anna out; Admin Meeting 9-11
1: Kinder and 2nd Grade PLC during planning time
1: Mathletics Competition at Ray Marsh 4:00-5:00 pm
2/3: Anna-Out
2: 6th, 4th, and 3rd PLC during planning time
2: Northwest Area Choral Festival 7:00-8:00 pm at SMNW
3: 5th Grade Science Enrichment in MPR; 1:30-3:00
3: 1st Grade PLC during planning time
BENNINGHOVEN TEAM INFO.
Rest of this week at a glance, and NEXT week
Tuesday - Staff Meeting 3:30-4:15 in Library
SEL: Student Behavioral SuccessPlanning
- Grade levels should bring a student that has a SEL SIT plan started ,or that needs to be started.
Thursday - BLT Meeting 3:30-4:30 in Makerspace
Friday - All School Assembly at 2:00 **Wear your staff T-Shirt!**
Quarter 2 Common Expectation Reviews
Please take some INTENTIONAL time to review and re-practice (if needed) our Building Common Expectations. That includes the:
* Lunchroom (sign up times included below. Come to visit as a GRADE)
* Bathroom
*Recess
*Hallways
The only way for common expectations to work and be effective is to reinforce them over the school year. We have an opportunity as we begin the quarter to take this time on Monday when students return. Thanks for dedicating your time to this to help our building and students be successful. DON'T FORGET TO USE THE POSTERS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AS YOU REVIEW!
October Character Trait Nomination
Halloween Parade and Party Info. (REPEAT)
We will celebrate Halloween at Benninghoven on Tuesday, October 31st. We will host an outdoor all school parade at 2:00 pm. Due to this, we will have an alternate schedule. It will allow all grades to have an equal amount of planning time.
Take a look at the schedule in advance with your team and notice if recess changes need to be made. Changes to recess do NOT need approval from me, but ensure you are not overlapping with another grade. ***
The parade will begin promptly at 2:00.The route is included below. It will be outside only beginning with the youngest Knights (PK) and following up each grade level in order to our oldest, 6th grade. Please have your class ready to exit your classroom at 2:00. Following the parade, classroom parties will start at 2:15 and families will be welcomed in. More information can be found HERE and will be shared with families.
Halloween Day Specials Schedule (REPEAT)
(also a tab on the MASTER SCHEDULE)
Benninghoven WIG #2 (REPEAT)
Below is the data for the month of September. Reach out if you have any questions or want to know more!
Classroom Teacher Info.
Panorama window 10/17-11/10 (Grades 3-6)
Please use the link below, that will take you to the Assessment calendar and sign up for a date and time to administer the survey.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FPYTyqd4rhb_86_q2qFRKWbSd-QtEs_GJsMM-p_tYs0/edit
Buddy Classroom Ideas (REPEAT)
These are optional, but we are hopeful is a good starting place and provides concrete ideas.
As we continue, we can work to support our SEL curriculum, character traits, and ideas related to our building WIGS. THANKS TO THIS GROUP FOR THEIR WORK!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13mGG2KAWPRwM2fNMtq12ARobMHW-shSqpkK6e_XOwMQ/edit
(also included on Team Drive> Building Procedures>Buddy Classrooms)
Curriculum Information and News from the CAA
REPEAT INFO.
Free Professional Learning Opportunity for SMSD Teachers
Telling Your Story to the Beat of Jazz
with Imani Gonzalez, Kennedy Center Teaching Artist
for teachers of grades third through eighth
Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 4:30--7:30 p.m.
at Liberty High School
Dinner provided!
Experience what happens when two cultures, African and American blues, collide to create an exciting new experience built on the musical elements of “repetition” and “call and response.” Explore strategies that are aligned with Writer’s Workshop to engage students in writing their own blues songs that express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Giving voice to children’s thoughts and feelings is an integral part of their social-emotional development. Writing personal narratives with an understanding of the stories told in musical forms that led to the development of jazz will encourage students to connect their emotions to the content of writing and create their own authentic blues story. Because blues music comes from a long tradition of storytelling defiance in the face of adversity, it is natural to connect the process to personal narrative writing. Teachers learn to immerse their students in the rich history of jazz, as they trace its roots and influences through African traditional chants, work songs, spirituals, ragtime, and the blues, all to create their own story.
Offered by the KS/MO Kennedy Center Partners in Education
Questions? Contact Megan Ellis, SMSD Visual Arts Coordinator, at meganellis@smsd.org or (913) 993-6446.
ELL September Newsletter
The focus for the September ELL Newsletter is on the new RTI Checklist for English Language Learners. This document was created to help school teams problem solve around multilingual learners who are struggling academically. We know that language needs and special education needs can often present in much the same way; determining which is causing a student’s struggle is more an art than a science. Embedded within the newsletter, you will find a list of questions that may help guide conversations around the use of this checklist.
Remember: Your ELL iCoaches are here to support or problem-solve as well. We are always happy to attend SIT meetings or analyze student data alongside your team.
Secondly, there are three podcast recommendations within the newsletter as well! Feel free to share these with your staff!
Instructional Technology
Digital Citizenship Week/Month (Teachers)
Digital Citizenship Week is this week! Although this week itself is identified as Digital Citizenship Week, we are going to be showing our Digital Citizenship skills for five weeks (one week for each Digital Citizenship Competency)! When talking about Digital Citizenship, we do not want just to talk about what not to do. We want to have open conversations, model, and talk about how to be a good digital citizen. Teaching Digital Citizenship has never been more important for our students in preparing them to stay safe, solve problems, and become a force for good!
Each week, we will focus on a different Digital Citizenship Competency. Use the choice boards for each week and try out some of the activities listed. Post a photo of you and your class participating on Twitter with the #smsddigcit23 and tag @InstTechIn512 for a chance to win each Friday (prizes will be given out each week)!
Let us show our community the great Digital Citizens we are and have!
Weekly Choice Board Activities
Skyward (Teachers)
Looking for something to send to your families to ensure they know how to access their child’s report card (and comments)? Feel free to download this document as a PDF and share with families. This document is set to share only with SMSD faculty, so be sure to download it as a PDF before sharing with families!
Canvas (Teachers)
If parents/families have questions about what the icons in the Canvas gradebook mean, feel free to share this Grade Icon Meaning resource with them. (Spanish version)
For additional resources (like those below) to share with students and parents around Canvas, click here.
XL (Teachers)
Teachers, need to see how many skills each student in your class has met proficient/mastery during a certain time frame? Use the “Progress & Growth” Report.
You can also check out IXL Webinars available here.
Google (Teachers)
Google has recently changed their security configurations. We currently have about 3,000 sites to process through and trying to prioritize as best we can. We are working on a process to help us with this, as it is tedious work to identify to what each site is specifically requesting access. Thank you for your patience while we diligently work through this process.