Luling ISD - January ENews
Go Eagles!
Welcome Back!
A, B, C’s of Instruction: Authentic, Benchmarks, and Critical Thinking
Happy New Year! This is a New Year of learning and launching new literacy goals. Primary reorganized instructional staff support to ensure that during Guided Reading and Reading Intervention, every child is reading and writing with a teacher every day. Students in Kindergarten and First Grade are using Fountas & Pinnell texts to build reading and comprehension skills and writing authentic short stories. Students in Pre-Kindergarten are working in small groups with teachers to grow reading and writing skills.
Elementary analyzed Benchmark data to determine new Reading and Math Intervention Groups across all grade levels. Students will travel to different classrooms during designated Intervention time to participate in small group, targeted interventions, based on reading and math skill needs. Curriculum was redesigned to best meet growth goals and ensure that every student is engaged in critical thinking activities every day.
-Dr. Weikert, Directory of Elementary C&I
Secondary Teachers are Trained in Sheltered Instruction
On Thursday, January 3rd, teachers from Gerdes Junior High and Luling High School attended a day of professional learning on sheltered instruction strategies. According to Lessow-Hurley (2003), “in a sheltered approach, teachers modify and mediate instruction to make content comprehensible to students learning in a second language” (p. 46). Furthermore, sheltered instruction strategies benefit all learners from gifted to learning disabled, and from native to non-native speakers alike. Ms. Allison Hand facilitated several hands-on activities that teachers can use in their daily lessons to support all students; including a realia museum walk where students look at items and make predictions and connections between real world examples and classroom content. Ms.Franklin, 8th grade math teacher shared, “As a teacher with little ELL experience, the training was beneficial in helping me explore strategies to integrate sheltered instruction in my classroom.”
Lessow-Hurley, J. (2003). Meeting the needs of second language learners: An educator's guide. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
-Errin Jennings, Director of Secondary C&I
January Spotlight Staff Member
Kirby Crowell!!
Kirby Crowell has been a devoted and beloved member of the Luling ISD family since 1993. He works in the Facilities and Maintenance Department and is an excellent example of what humility, service, and dedication look like. Mr. Crowell responds quickly to all staff needs and spends countless hours improving the district's facilities on his own time. One of the many that nominated Mr. Crowell stated perfectly that: "He enables all of us to do our jobs better by supporting and encouraging us, fixing issues and solving problems that allow us to better serve all of our students." Thank you Mr. Crowell!
PSAT 8 Is Coming to Gerdes!!
Gerdes Junior High will be covering the cost and administration of the PSAT 8 on January 23rd to all 8th grade students!
The PSAT 8 is the first in the College Board’s “SAT Suite of Assessments” and is offered to eighth graders. The purpose of the PSAT 8 is to establish a starting point in terms of college and career readiness as students transition to high school. It’s a way for students to practice for the PSAT 10, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the SAT.
The PSAT 8 has three testing areas: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math. The Reading and Writing subject areas are combined for an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score. Math has its own separate section score.
Good luck Eagles!
Bullying
What It Is and What You Can Do
Identifying Bullying
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.
Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
Where and When Bullying Happens
Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern.
What You Can Do
If your child is being bullied, or if you know of any student being bullied, Luling ISD has several ways you can report the behavior.
· Anonymous Report – There is a link at the top of the district’s and campuses’ websites entitled ‘Anonymous Report.’ This link allows anyone to report bullying behavior.
· Contact Campus Administration – Stakeholders can always contact the campus directly to report actions they perceive as bullying.
· Contact District Administration – If the behavior persists after the campus administration has been contacted, the district administration should be notified.
Upcoming Events!
We are a busy district with lots of opportunities to participate in campus activities!
Keep up with upcoming events by clicking on this link!
https://www.luling.txed.net/apps/events/
Erin Warren, Interim Superintendent
Email: ewarren@luling.txed.net
Website: www.luling.txed.net
Location: 212 East Bowie Street, Luling, TX, USA
Phone: 830-875-3191
Facebook: facebook.com/lulingisd
Twitter: @lulingisd