Murphey Memos
Weekly Updates
Loving to Learn, Learning to Lead, Leading the Future
Character Trait of the Month: Self-Discipline
Brown's Buzz
We, you, the students, parents, and I, started the school year off with so much excitement and enthusiasm. That enthusiasm was rooted in the thoughts our the promises a new school year held. Now, we, you, the students, parents, and I are tired and warn down. But, this is not time to let up. This is the time to see the fulfillment of those promises. Those hopes and high expectations we felt at the beginning of the year show themselves at the end of the year. So, press on the gas. Push through those tired feelings. Let's give it our all to finish our the year with reflections of the success we experienced. We can do this. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I promise you it will be a golden light.
Star Staff Member of the Week
Thank you.
Shout Out!
Rookie Teacher of the Year!
Nice work
Staff Attendance
Something to Think About
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
― Henry Ford
Our Goals
Reading composite from 40.1 to 45.1.
3rd Grade Reading From 28.9% to 30.7%.
4th Grade Reading from 37.9% to 42.9%.
5th Grade Reading from 51.0% to 56.0%.
3rd Grade Math from 44.7% to 49.7%.
4th Grade Math from 34.5% to 39.5%.
5th Grade Math from 37.3% to 42.3%.
By 2019, Murphey will decrease the achievement gap between all students and students with disabilities in reading from a 25.8% gap to a 20% gap as measured by the NC End of Grade tests.
By 2019, Murphey Traditional Academy will reduce the number of office discipline referrals from 58 to 50.
April 1st
- ELA PLCs – 4, 1, 2
- Latin PLC
- 5:30 PTA board meeting
- Restorative Practices Training - pending sub
April 2nd
- ELA PLCs – 4, 5
- Math PLCs - 5, K, 1, 2
- Tuesday Tours
- 3:10 Leadership Team Meeting
- Restorative Practices Training - pending sub
April 3rd
- ELA PLCs – 5, K
- Math/Science PLCs – 3, 4, 5
- 3:10 IST/Attendance team
- 1:30 Talent Show Assembly
April 4th
- 3rd ELA PLC
- 2nd/3rd Data Day - Pending subs
- 5th grade field trip
- Brown out - 9:30 - 12:30 - Meeting
April 5th
- Plans uploaded by EOD
- 4/5 Data day - Pending Subs
April 6th and 7th
Future Events
- Restorative Practices Training
4/2
- Restorative Practices Training
4/4
- 5th grade to Historical Museum
- 2nd/3rd data day
4/5
- 4th/5th data day
- Deadline for magnet applications
- Learn to Swim - 2nd grade
- Report Cards go home
- Thomas and Walker at Test Training Meeting
- Staff Meeting
- Learn to Swim
4/10
- ILT Training
- Learn to Swim
- Principal's meeting
- Learn to Swim
- BT Coffeehouse
4/12
- Character Alive
- Kona Ice
- K-1 Data day - Pending Subs
- Learn to Swim
- Walker out PD at Hunter - PM
- Literacy Festival
- GCS Hiring Fair (C.Brown & Thomas)
- Learn to Swim
4/16
- Eureka Math Coach visit
- Learn to Swim
- Tied Up Tuesday
- Learn to Swim
- Learn to Swim
- CF meeting (Thomas & C. Walker)
- Volunteer Breakfast
- Learn to Swim
- Holiday
- Vacation Days
- Optional Workdays
- Eureka coaching day
- Champions Meeting
- Murphey Mini Prom - PTA sponsored
- CF Meeeting
- Parent Night for rising 6th grade @ Jackson
- Leadership Team
- Interim Reports
- Principal's Meeting
- Transition Night
- Spring Concert
- PTA Meeting
- Tied Up Tuesday
- Kindergarten Field Trip
- Staff meeting
5/24
- Field Day
- Kona Ice
- Holiday
- Champions Meeting
- EOGs
- Leadership Team
- Tied Up Tuesday
- K-4 Awards
6/7
- 5th grade graduation
- Kona Ice
6/10
- Last day of school
6/11 -6/12
- Teacher Workdays
Announcements
Guidance this week is 2nd and 3rd grades
If April is your month to attend Restorative Practices Training, make sure you are registered through Performance Matters. Also make sure you have a sub. If you do not have a sub, you will not be able to attend.
We need all hands on deck for lunch duty. We can no longer provide proper supervision of students in the cafeteria. Therefore, beginning Monday, in addition to the current monitors on lunch duty, each grade level will need at least one teacher to stay for lunch duty. You can divide by days, weeks, or break up the time. See Ms. Brown or your leadership team rep if you have questions.
Second grade learn to swim begins soon. Swim time will serve as their specials time. We request that specialist assist the 2nd grade team with giving them a break and helping them to gather materials or make copies as they will lose their planning time.
Computer lab schedules will be posted on the door of the lab. Please sign up when you want to utilize the space. Actively monitor students to make sure they aren't mistreating the equipment.
If you need to tell your students what they will be having for lunch, here's the link to the lunch menus: Lunch menus
Make sure you read the April chapter of Growth Mindset Coach. You will need to activities for your class meetings. Also, post this month's mantra in your classroom: Mistakes are opportunities for learning.
Please continue to collect Box Tops. We were very excited to be able to purchase a class set of books for 5th grade literacy...all with Box Tops money! It's simple and all of those little Box Tops add up!
Productive Failure
When parents and teaches swoop in to protect children from failure, they do them a disservice by depriving them of the opportunity to learn how to fall in a way that's productive and meaningful. Knowing how to fail is a valuable skill, and one that more and more children aren't mastering thanks to overprotective parents and self-esteem culture.
Some call it "failing up." Some call it "failing forward". Whatever you call it, productive failure is the idea that mistakes and setbacks can be transitioned into valuable learning opportunities. Manu Kapur has dedicated his career to the study of productive failure. His research indicates that when students are given time to struggle with solving problem, as opposed to receiving explicit instruction on how to solve it, they'll be able to better access and apply the information they learn in the struggle later on.
You can create an environment that is ripe for productive struggle. Here are six features to incorporate in a lesson:
1) The problems are challenging, but not to the point of frustration.
2) Tasks must have multiple solutions so students can generate many ideas. There cannot be only one way to get the right answer.
3) Productive failure design must activate students' prior knowledge, but students should not be able to solve the problem using only prior knowledge. It should include new challenges.
4) Students have opportunities to explain and elaborate on their thinking and strategies.
5) Students have a chance to examine both good and bad solutions to the problems.
6) The task should be relevant and engaging to students.
ELA Curriculum Updates
DIBELS Progress Monitoring: Teachers please remember to progress monitor students in intensive and strategic DIBELS measure. Expect an email with updates on students needing progress monitoring from me (Vanessa) next week.
Summer Reading Camp: Teachers in grades 1-3 teachers will receive Summer camp information letters in your boxes on Monday. Please send these home on Tuesday in folders.
Paideia Seminars will focus on integrity in March. I'm continuing to add seminars to the folder as I find them. Remember you aren't limited to seminars in the file. I encourage you to write your own. Please share once you've done that.
Math Curriculum Updates
5th Grade Students -
All 5th grade students will be assessed in the next couple of weeks for middle school math placement. The test is online and called Accuplacer and will be one criteria used for math placement in 6th grade. More details to follow during PLCs
Data Analysis Sheets for Corrective Instruction
Please see the Data Analysis Form and Action Plan Form that were previously shared to assist teachers with interpreting interim data by standards and design a plan to address students’ needs based on this data. These forms address the beginning, progressing, and proficient students and included both Re-teaching and Enrichment as part of the plan. Teachers may choose to use these forms when developing a plan for Corrective Instruction. For questions, please contact your elementary math supervisor.
Correction to 4th grade Scope and Sequence
NC.4.NBT.6 is listed in the 4th grade Scope and Sequence for Module 5 and Module 7. The standard was taught in Module 3 and was assessed on interim 2. It will not be assessed on Interim 3.
New NCDPI Released EOG Tests
NCDPI has finalized a released form for each end-of-grade (EOG) mathematics test. The forms are available in a paper/pencil version and online through NCTest. The paper/pencil released forms are available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/releasedformsScience Curriculum Updates
Summer Camp Opportunity
Global Health Connections International is very honored to host the 2019 Summer STEAM Camp at North Carolina Central University for the 5th consecutive year for rising 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. Please see attached flyer for more information.
Science Everywhere
UNCG is celebrating science with their Science Everywhere event on April 13th 12:00 - 4:00pm located at UNCG. Please see attached flyer for more information.
UNCG Elementary Science Camp
The UNCG Design Studio is offering a Maker Camp for students during the summer, where campers will engage in robotics, circuitry, engineering, and computer science. Please see attached flyer for more information
Title 1 Updates
- As you may have inferred by now, Title I documentation encompasses a lot. Our largest responsibility is showing how we report progress to parents and and any parent/family engagement activity. With that being said, Mrs. Thomas needs a copy of a report card for 3rd quarter from each teacher. Again, a report card is needed from each teacher. Those may be sent to Mrs. Thomas electronically.
- Don't forget to share newsletters and any other information you may share with your parents. That includes DIBELS and IRLA updates, screen shots of social media posts, DOJO communication (blot out names) and any type of contact logs.
- Thank you in advance for helping us be in compliance with our Title I documentation!
GCS News
K-5 School Supply
Lists Feedback
In an effort to provide equitable experiences across the district, GCS streamlined supply lists for the 2018-19 school year. This effort decreased gaps in what parents were asked to purchase by as much as $50 from one school to another. As we prepare for the end of the academic year, please click here to provide feedback on the School Supply List for your specific grade level. This feedback will be used as we make revisions to supply lists to be posted in the summer. Surveys should be completed by Friday, April 5. For more information, please contact Rashad Slade.
Summer Camp Counselor /
Group Leader –
Job opportunities for TA’s and ACES Staff
PRINCIPALS - PLEASE DISTRIBUTE to TA’s:
We need camp counselors / group leaders for Read to Achieve summer camp:
- Dates are July 8 – August 12 (Monday-Friday)
- Hours are 7:30AM – 4:00PM
- Pay is $480 per week.
- Limited positions also available weeks of June 17-28 and August 5-16
- Apply in Applitrack (click here for posting)
- Must upload resume and include current supervisor (Principal or Site Coordinator) as a reference…
*** We will send Principals and Site Coordinators a brief reference checklist through AppliTrack to help us filter applicants.
For more information, please contact Jeff Uhlenberg, 336-370-2321, ext. 5
2019-2020 Open House Schedule – Traditional Calendar Schools The Open House dates for 2019-2020 traditional calendar schools will be: Monday, August 19, 2019 – High Schools Tuesday, August 20, 2019 – Middle Schools Wednesday, August 21, 2019 – Elementary Schools Additional information on Launch of 2019-2020 School Year Professional Learning Days can be found in the Academic Services section of the LAU. For more information, please contact Tiffany Perkins.
Professional Development
Content Academy PD for 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and NC Math 1 teachers
GCS will be offering specialized professional learning for teachers in select areas: 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, and NC Math 1. There will be monthly 3-hour sessions in February, March, and April. If teachers choose to attend, they can attend weekdays from 1:00 – 4:00, or Saturday morning from 9:00 – 12:00. If teachers choose to attend the weekday 1:00 – 4:00 sessions, the district will pay for the cost of their substitute. If teachers choose to attend the Saturday morning sessions, they will receive a $75 stipend for each session. Seats are limited and will be filled on a first come basis.
Please share with appropriate staff in your building. Teachers should search for the following course codes in Performance Matters:
3rd grade reading #10643
8th grade math: #10619
NC Math 1: #10627
For additional information, please contact Jen Arberg (Math) and Joy Cantey (Literacy).
Professional Learning Opportunities –
The Practice Based Teacher Education (PBTE) Grant Research Team at NC A&T have planned a professional development workshop, entitled Integrating High Impact Practices Into Your Teaching which is FREE and open to N.C. A&T Teacher Preparation faculty and Guilford County Schools teachers. The workshop is on Saturday, April 6 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The featured sessions will include strategies on culturally responsive pedagogy, working with ELL learners, and social-emotional learning.
This is a great opportunity for GCS teachers. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. More information is available HERE. For more information, please contact Tiffany Perkins.
Mentor Training
Webinar for Mentors and Lead Mentors
We hope your mentors and lead mentor will join us on March 25th for professional learning and support in working with new teachers. The webinar will run for elementary mentors from 3:00-4:00 and secondary mentors from 4:15 to 5:15. Lead mentors have received the outlook invitation and skype link to forward to their mentors. For more information, please contact Crystal Vandiver, 336-665-8000.
Face-to-Face
Now is great time to get mentors trained in anticipation of known vacancies in the 2019-2020 school year. New teacher support will be offering another face-to-face mentor training for teachers that would like to become mentor trained. This training will take place Saturday, April 6th from 8:30-12:30 with a 1 hour take home product at Laughlin. Participants will receive certification as a GCS trained mentor by participating. We hope you will use this opportunity to recruit and prepare for the mentors you will need for the 2019-2020 school year. Teachers may register in Performance Matters with the course number #10387. We have also shared this information with lead mentors and CFs. For additional information, please contact Crystal Vandiver, 336-665-8000.
Restorative Practices registration is now available for April, and May 2019 (see below). The session is listed as “GCS-Equity: Restorative Practices for School-based Staff 2018-2019" in Performance Matters. This is a great opportunity for school-based staff members to attend the two-day session. The materials will be provided; however, schools must cover the cost per substitute teacher. Lunch is own your own. Participants must attend both days. Registration is first come, first served, so register today at https://gcsnc.truenorthlogic.com.
Date: April 1-2, 2019
Location: 2500 Lee’s Chapel Rd. Gymnasium
Timeframe: 8:00-4:00 PM
Participants: Weaver, Patillo, Henry, Hernandez, Thomas
Date: May 9-10, 2019
Location: 120 Franklin Blvd. Boardroom
Timeframe: 8:00-4:00 PM
Participants: Davis, V. Lyles, C. Walker, Bercaw, Kuligowski anyone I've missed - see me
5th Grade Science - Register for GCS-STEM 5th Grade 2019 Professional Learning sessions using Performance Matters course number 10683. This course includes four sections: 10882 (Spiraling, Scaffolding and Synthesis: A Look at How to Connect Previous Units While Incorporating New Content), 10883 (The Key to Student Understanding: Human Body System Stratagems and Force and Motions Notions), 10884 (Conceptualizations Concerning the Impact of Interdependence, Interactions, and Influence of Ecosystems), and 10885 (EOG Review Strategies). Please contact Johnette McCain with any questions.