Skyland Peek at the Week
Week of January 13 - 17
Something New!
https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/
Instructional Strategy of the Month - JIGSAW METHOD
Reminders
Streamable Learning
Streamable Learning – Through a pilot opportunity, Streamable Learning is now available for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year to all of Greenville County Schools. Open your classroom to an endless world of interactive, educational livestreams that equitably connect students, schools and districts in real time with subject matter experts and organizations from around the world. Engage your students and enhance your curriculum with live and recorded virtual field trips to The Wyoming Dinosaur Museum and Dig Sites, Mexic-Arte Museum, The South Carolina Aquarium, Camp Broadway’s At This Stage, and many others. Programs cover all subjects and grade levels and through this pilot opportunity the registration and usage is free. Teachers can create an account here and next steps can be found here. Contact: Tim Van Heule, 355-3996
Class Acts Student/Staff/School Recognition
Class Acts Student/Staff/School Recognitions – Does your school/department have students, teams, or staff who have earned recognition at the state or national level? If so, we want to include their honors in Class Acts, a digital recognition platform managed by the Greenville Journal. Click here to see past honors. Information will be published three times this year: February 14, April 24, and June 19. Entries will be accepted through Friday, January 24 for the February 14 edition. Students, teams, and staff earning a first place state award, or any national award, are eligible to be recognized. Please email your nominations using this form and attach a high-resolution photo. Remember to identify the names of students who appear in group photos. Teams of three or more students should be photographed as one group. Contact: Susan Clarke, 355-8874.
June 8th Exchange Day
However, if you have already used your 2 exchange days and you still have a personal day remaining, you can take June 8 as a personal day. Just make sure you let me know ahead of time and enter it into the sub system as "No sub needed."
National Championship - GO CLEMSON!
REMINDER - End of Q2 is quickly approaching!
Conference room sign up sheet
Please remember that our school psychologist (Cacie) does use the room on Tuesdays since we don't have an office space for her. However, she is flexible if you do not have another space to hold a large meeting. Also, remember that On Track uses that room on Wednesdays from 8 - 11 am.
Field Trip Scholarships
Congratulations to the following Donor's Choose Recipients!
Mrs. Page: VIZ-PRO Dolphin Magnetic Whiteboard
We have two projects up on Donor's Choose for Mrs. Ganske and Mrs. Johnson. Help them out by sharing on your personal social media pages to help get the word out!
Have an idea for a project? Need help? Just ask! We'd love to help you get a project funded! Who doesn't love free stuff!?!? There were 2 mass funding campaigns over the holidays. Usually there is another around teacher appreciation week! Get those grants up!
Easels
Thank you!
Free!
Reminders from Mase
We are up for elementary math textbook adoption this year. There were about 9 choices of textbooks approved by the state. The five that have been approved for our district (to be evaluated by all) are:
- Pearson: Envision
- Curriculum Associates: iReady
- Cengage: Big Ideas
- HMH: Into Math
- The Math Learning Center: Bridges
Samples of these math programs arrived this week and will be displayed in the science lab. Please schedule a time with your grade level team to view them this week.
Just a reminder, if your grade level has not done so, please let me know who will serve as your representative at one of the following meetings.
During this meeting, they will look at a concept from each grade level and follow it through the different textbooks. The meetings will be held at MT Anderson from 3:30-5:00. The dates are below:
Thursday, January 30:
Thursday, February 13:
Reminder: Please make sure you do not cover the windows of your classroom doors. For safety reason, we should be able to see into every classroom using that window.
Reminders from Kenna
*Stephanie Williams will be coming on Monday, January 13th to meet with each grade level during your planning. (The portal says 8:15 for entry purposes only--your grade level will meet during your normal planning time.) Kindergarten will focus on SeeSaw and the focus for grades 1-5 will be Book Creator. Plan to bring your laptops. We will be meeting in the conference room and please be prompt since our time with her is so limited. Please register using the link below:
https://pd.greenville.k12.sc.us/myPD.aspx?action=register&sessionid=164556
*Please register for our ACES training with Chris Haines from Greenville Mental Health on Wednesday, January 15 from 3:00-4:45pm. We will meet in the media center. Please bring a device to enter your attendance code and be there as close to 3:00 as possible if you are not on duty.
https://pd.greenville.k12.sc.us/myPD.aspx?action=register&sessionid=164510
*Gr. 2-5: Great news! We have an additional question bank now called CERTICA (in addition to our CASE bank) to search when creating assessments. It is listed under Assessment Source, just like the CASE item bank. I have talked to team leaders and shared directions so please see them or me if you have any questions.
*Teachers in grades 3-5: We are planning to administer all state testing online this year. Please consider increasing the opportunities for your students to practice reading passages and answering questions online through MasteryConnect. Also, you may want to also provide opportunities for students to type their writing.
*The MasteryConnect Winter Benchmark window is Jan. 13-Jan. 24. Grades 2-5 will administer. Gr. 3-5 will complete a TDA this time, as well. Please plan to have your students type their TDA on their chromebooks to help prepare for SC Ready.
*Q2 ends on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Verification reports for grades 2-5 and RA will be due before leaving on Friday, January 17. Please don't forget to insert the grading floor of 50 when needed (with a comment) and enter handwriting.
*Science fund orders are due to Holli by Friday, January 17.
*Gr. 2, 3 & 5: Marie Johnson will be hosting a writing lab on Thursday, Jan. 30. Plan to attend during your planning as a PLC. More information to come!
Reminders from Katelin
- On Track Reminder: Please e-mail me (K-2) or Caitlyn (3-5) if you fill out the google form to refer a student for On Track. Link - https://forms.gle/imxdwcYNKfZVJizn6
- Berry Bowl Wednesday: TBD
- Balanced Literacy (sign-up links will be forthcoming)
- Classroom Environment PD – January 29th
- Guided Reading PLC – February 6th
- Voyager K5: Please enter student checkpoint scores in Vport at the end of each Adventure.
- Schedules: Kenna and I will be placing a copy of your current schedule from the Drive with some changes to consider (if any) in order to be in alignment with the balanced literacy scheduling guidelines provided by the district. If that is not your correct schedule, please e-mail me an updated one and then replace the schedule on the Drive. Please let us know if you have any questions and we will be glad to help!
Counselor's Corner - Reminders from Caitlyn and Chelsea
School Counseling Teacher Referral Form: https://forms.gle/F5K3UddCkTuf23dx5. Please continue to use this when needing to refer a student, or if a student asks you to come see Mrs. Grigg or Ms. Shepherd.
Start thinking about your Terrific Kid nominations for Q2! Google form link coming soon!
Important Upcoming Dates
January
13 - Tech PLC with Stephanie Williams
14 - End of Q2
15 - Terrific Kid Celebration in cafeteria, 1:30 - 2:00
15 - PD - ACEs Training (3:10 - 5:00)
20 - No School MLK Day
24 - 2nd grade in house field trip
24 - Report Cards
29 - K4 Half Day
30 - Writing Lab with Mrs. Johnson (more info to come!)
30 - Perfect attendance recess (1 pm)
31 - A/B and All A honor roll (1 pm)
31 - SIC Meeting, Noon
Happy Birthday
January
22 – Morgan Huckabee, Art
26 – Ronda Wilkerson, Challenge
28 – Kristy Paddock, K5
February
9 – Jody Dix, K5
15 – Katelin Holliday, Support Staff
16 – Marie Johnson, 4th
24 – Natalie Argueta, 2nd
26 – Libby Chapman, 2nd
Dates Stafford is super duper sad that she will be out of the building
1/21 - Principal IC Meeting
1/23-24 - Guided Math Conference
2/5 - Principal Meeting
Mrs. Stafford's Contact Information
Email: lstafford@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/skyland/
Phone: 8643557210
Twitter: @leahcstafford