Anchor Weekly
A newsletter for Alta Vista Staff~Week of April 27, 2020
Don't Forget! Next Week's Calendar
- All Week: TTESS Summative Conferences with Helton/Orchard
- Monday, April 27 at 9:30 am: Alta Vista Google Meets Link: https://meet.google.com/vmf-vvmz-zev
- Wednesday, April 29 at 9:30 am: Alta Vista Zoom Meeting (TEACHERS ONLY & REQUIRED) https://zoom.us/j/97806428584?pwd=TDlnMTJDMytCd0craTg2WS9wUzNnQT09 (Password: 9zmsXD)
- Wednesday, April 29 at 3:00-6:00 pm: Alta Vista open for teachers, medicine pick up (families), packet pick up (families)
- REQUIRED Wednesday, April 29: "We Care Wednesday" Phone Call to All Families
- Friday, May 1 at 9:30 am: Leadership Team Meeting
UPCOMING: Wednesday, May 6 at 11:30-1:00 pm at AV - FREE Lunch and Treats Pick Up (Drive Thru) for Staff Appreciation Week (All Staff!!)
Captain's Log
May is one of my favorite months for school because I get to start thinking and planning for the next school year. I get to consider what worked well, what could be improved, and I have the time to learn and experiment with different ideas. Those who know me best know how much I love to plan.
So, while some may think I'm crazy, I am really excited to dive into the budget for next year, and align it with the priorities that each of your CNA committees discussed over the past several weeks. This feedback is very valuable, and our leadership team is spending a lot of time reviewing the forms.
As we dive into the 2020-21 budget as well as wrap up the 2019-2020 spending, I have several questions that I need more feedback on over the next week (either by email or during our TTESS conversations):
- What needs do you have in regards to your classroom library collection? Is it sufficient? Do you need more books? What kind? Do you need more novel sets? Which ones and how many? I need specific information in order to start lining up purchases. Improving student access to quality reading materials will continue to be a major priority.
- On the Wish List, I need specific items and links. For example, Ms. Bearden put specific links to items at Lakeshore that she would like. When you say "table" or "flexible seating" or mention other items, I want to make sure I am buying the right thing to meet your needs. So please go back and add more details.
- For PreK and Kindergarten, we have approximately $10,000 specific to early childhood. I would appreciate recommendations for a large project we could tackle with these funds, especially if it will improve parent engagement or literacy.
- For all teachers, we have approximately $5,000 for blended learning. We could buy devices, but I'm interested if there are any tech ideas/projects you have been interested in but thought "no, there's probably no money for that." Now is the time to task!
I look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions as we make the best purchases to meet our school needs. If you have an innovative idea for next year that you would like to discuss, just give me a call!
Mrs. Helton's Week At A Glance
- Monday-TTESS Summative Conferences
- Tuesday- TW Meetings and ARDS
- Wednesday-TTESS Summative Conferences
- Thursday-TTESS Summative Conferences
- Friday-Leadership Meeting
Staff To-Do List
- ALL STAFF-We Care Wednesday Phone Calls (4/29)
- Push out assignments in HMH & Envision (Weekly)
- Electronically sign your performance appraisal/TTESS (5/1)
- Log Google Hangouts Meetings with students (Ongoing)
- Ideas for Field Day & Awards
- Recognize student effort by adding their story on our Anchored in Excellence Sheet (Ongoing)
- Behavior Team: Classroom Remodel Wish List
- Add items to the Wish List including Summer Professional Development (ongoing)
We Care Wednesdays
Keep up the great work connecting with families this week on Contact #7. Remember this is REQUIRED FOR ALL STAFF. If you are a non-homeroom teacher, leave your name in the comments column.
In the column for who you contact, please mark just the code (IE: A for Adult, S for Student). More specific notes can go in comments if needed.
T-TESS Evaluations
In order to prepare for summative conferences, please prepare the following by Friday, April 24:
- Upload SLO Tracker to Eduphoria Strive. You should have the following columns complete: Initial Student Skill Profile Level; Targeted Student Skill Profile Growth Goal; Progress Check-in #1 and #2. Your SLO will not be rated this year, but completion up to Spring Break will be documented.
- Complete Domain 4 Evidence and upload to Eduphoria.
- Upload to Eduphoria Strive evidence of how you met your T-TTESS Goals
See the video below for more guidance on how to complete these steps or reach out to Mrs. Orchard or Mrs. Helton.
Weekly Facebook Challenges
Here are the Facebook Challenges for next week. We hope you will post your own pictures in the comments!
Please sign up HERE for the week of May 4 which will be "solar system" themed. We encourage ALL STAFF (not just teachers) to have fun with the idea and sign up for a video activity.
- Monday-Read Aloud with Paula
- Tuesday- Sink or Float Salt Water Experiment with Ms. Rawles
- Wednesday- Baby Shark Stick Puppet Sing Along
- Thursday-Sea Themed Yoga with Ms. Britt
- Friday- Ocean craft with Mrs Williams
If you are volunteering, please send your video to Mrs. Helton the day before it's going to post so she can get it uploaded to YouTube and scheduled to post.
Tech Support & At Home Learning Assignments
- Resources for Online Learning & Assignments for Teacher (including Phase 3 Assignments)
- Ms. Noel created this spreadsheet that you can use to track what programs students are logging into (optional).
Phase 3 Resources (Starting 4/27)
- ELA Assignment to push out
- Math Assignments to push out
- Science Assignments to push out
Grading Policy
Technology Support & Resources
- Resources for technology support & troubleshooting
- Parents can connects with Ms. Boggess during virtual office hours by calling 254-710-9134
Waco ISD Remote Working Standards
Region 12 Lesson Study
"Noel and I have noticed that our conversations about math outside of Lesson Study have been much more in depth than they were before. It’s been great working with Jennifer, she’s made it easy for us by breaking the process down into manageable pieces." -Mrs. Haskett
"I love the Lesson Study! The opportunity to look into where our students struggle across grade levels and study in depth the whys is so valuable. The hard part, of course, is finding a remedy. We have studied what the math literature says about why students struggle with the focus standards and studied what it says about how to address instructional needs of each kind of learner. I think we have all grown professionally. I know that I have, and I sat through a whole summer of Master Math preparation! Another realization for teachers has been how what they teach and how well they teach it impacts student's learning as they move through the next grades. I think this has been a very valuable experience for us!" -Mrs. Spark
We are currently considering how we could continue Lesson Study next year with a group focused on developing a READING lesson. The main commitment is participating in a weekly meeting, but what you will get in return is so much more. Depending on the grades/teachers that participate, it could be during conference time or after school. Please email Mrs. Helton if you are interested in participating and really diving deeper into the reading TEKS.
Self-Care for You!
With nice weather on the horizon, taking a quick walk has never been easier!
The benefits of a short 10-minute walk include:
- Boost energy & mood – hello endorphins ~ proven to reduce stress and anxiety ~ we all could use a little bit of that!
- Strengthen muscles – for added benefit try walking up hills or at an incline.
- Improves bodily functions – reduces fatigue and promotes healthy digestion.
- Promotes better sleep – research says that a walk first thing in the morning improves your sleep cycle!
- Improves mindfulness – a walk helps the neurons in our brains fire, causing us to think clearer and make better decisions throughout the day.
- Exposure to vitamin D – the “sunshine vitamin” is able to soak into our skin when we go for a quick walk during sunlight hours!
Make it part of your routine! An added benefit is that walking can be done as a family to get some quality time in, or on your own and listen to nature's sounds around you, music, or a podcast!
CHALLENGE! Engage in a 10-minute walk every day for three days straight and reflect on what it offers you!