Bobcat Bulletin
September 8, 2015
Dear FSS Staff,
We have had a wonderful start to the year. Our students are well trained, respectful, and following our high behavioral expectations. They are ready to work hard and make huge academic growth. As a school we are perfectly positioned for greatness! Let's set the bar high and challenge each student to achieve their highest potential.
ELD will begin on Tuesday with switching. Use Tuesday to work on the structure of gathering your group at 8:15 or 8:05 if you are 4-6th grade. Get to know your leveled group, set your expectations and share with them their ELD growth goal for the year.
The RTI team will finish assessing this week 3-6th in fluency and K-6 on Lexia in the lab. Push in intervention will hopefully begin the following Tuesday, 9/15. This will give us time to wrap up testing, look at scores and group students appropriately for small group instruction. Yvette and I are working on a whole school data ELA growth wall in room 1. It will be exciting to watch each child grow a band this year.
It is very important for your grade level PLC to collaborate and discuss the standard/s being taught, the objective/s of the standard/s and how the standard/s will be assessed for mastery. (be sure to address and write into the objective the BY____________ or how piece)
Below are a few reminders for best first instruction. Discuss at PLC for uniformity:
-Is the grade level unified and aligned in what CCSS are being taught each week?
-Are objectives posted in a useful location and references often with a by or how you will know they mastered it peice?
-Is gradual release design being utilized when appropriate?
-Are you securing ALL students attention prior to giving a lesson or directions? What call to attention or call back strategies are you using?
-What engagement strategies are you using to get all students thinking and actively engaged? Eliminate "who can tell me? or Who know? or calling on raised hands." This is not an effective strategy and allows for students to check out.
This Wednesday's Staff Development will introduce two new ideas to us. First, Bridgid Murray will teach us about Carol Dweck's work on Growth Mindset, which explains that intelligence is not fixed (born with) but rather achieved with hard, challenging, rigors work. And second, we will learn how to use the Lexia ELA intervention program for all students K-6.
Work smarter and make kids work harder!
Deepest respect,
Stephenie
Week ahead
Lunch on the Lawn
Stephenie to PC
Wednesday
1:30 Computer Give away-MEE Cafe
1:30-2:00 Leadership Team-Room 1
2:00-2:15 Growth Mindset-Room 1
2:15-3:30 Lexia with LAP location TBD
3:30 Eval meeting-Room 1
Thursday
SST/SART meetings all day
UCI first grade team
Friday
Coffee and Conv-1/2nd grade 8:10 room 1
Leader in Me
September Habit focus is Be Proactive. What activities can you use to infuse this habit into students lives?
Hand out Scholar Dollars for above and beyond Leadership.
Remember to positively connect with parents and students with calls home, sunshine notes or in person.