GRE Staff Newsletter
For the Week of September 9, 2018
Dear Team,
Although it was a short week, we packed a lot of learning into the time we had with students. I had the opportunity to get out and about into many rooms this week and LOVED every second. I saw small group opportunities, close reading, hands on activities, and so many more great instructional strategies! I have a few more rooms to get into this week and am looking forward to seeing more of you rocking it out for students! As we look at the week ahead I challenge you to...
1. Greet Students at the Door- Make eye contact. Smile. Ask them questions. Ask them their opinion about a movie or type of music or your teaching. Joke with them. Offer fist bumps and high fives. Know at least two things about each student that have nothing to do with school.
2. Give out 3 Keys to Success Daily- Look for opportunities to affirm their strengths. Build them up. Show your approval. Plant seeds in their mind of the great things they will do in their future. Treat them like future world changers.
3. Make a Positive Phone Call Home- Tell our families how amazing our students are and the impact they have on each other. Share specific observations you have seen where their child impacted another student in a positive way!
If we all do these three things-imagine the week we can create for our students!
Kate
News to Share
1. As a reminder, I will not be pulling Intervention staff to sub in a classroom if it results in canceling an intervention group. Therefore, if you are absent and we can not find a sub, we will be splitting your class. Please click here to fill out how you would like to have your class split should we not be able to find a sub.
2. We have a staff meeting this Tuesday in the STEM Hub beginning at 7:30. Make sure you filled out the "What Color is Your Brain" assessment (If you lost your copy, click here). You'll need to bring this with you. You'll also want to bring your Smartphone with the GroupMe app and your Chromebook. You can review a DRAFT agenda here.
3. This is the final weekend to be guaranteed a shirt for the upcoming Big Nut Strut. Click here to get signed up! This 5K run/walk provides funds to the entire school district through building PTO's. It's a chance to come out to show our EAGLE PRIDE! Be sure to share this information with your families as well.
4. Waiver Day is right around the corner. Our Instructional Facilitators have been working hard to build an amazing learning opportunity for all of us. Click here to see a draft agenda. Details about our afternoon work time will be available by Friday.
5. This Friday we will have our first Keys to Success Assembly from 9:00-9:40. As a reminder, students should come to the assembly in their Nest groups. We will discuss this briefly at Tuesday's staff meeting. At this time, you will get your binder with all needed information and lesson materials for this coming Friday. If you have any questions that must be answered before Tuesday morning, please email Ginna.
6. Thank you for getting initial Parent Teacher Conference information out this past Friday. If you need me to attend any conferences, please send me the date/time at your earliest convenience. I'm happy to support you if needed! Also, be sure to include any intervention specialists with planning conferences for students that receive support outside of your room.
Supporting our Students
Be #FutureDriven in Your Classroom
In his weekly newsletter to staff, Matt Cox shared that we are already 10% finished with the school year! 10%! When you look at the year that way, it definitely provides a sense of urgency and need to make sure we are doing all we can to reach each student. Something that popped in my mind when I thought about this was David Geurin's post - 20 Ways to be Future Driven in Your Classroom. Take a look below and see if you can find one or more items from this list that supports your #oneword for the year and helps to create a classroom that is #FutureDriven.
- I provide opportunities for project-based and inquiry-based learning.
- I give students choices about learning (time, place, path, or pace).
- I am learning new things about technology and sharing my learning with students and teachers.
- My students have opportunities to connect with real-world experts.
- My classroom learning space provides flexibility for student-centered grouping and learning tasks.
- My students regularly have opportunities to use digital tools to leverage their skills for learning tasks.
- I utilize Genius Hour or 20 percent time to provide opportunities for students to pursue their passions and interests.
- I model risk-taking, grit, and perseverance for students and regularly discuss the importance of these characteristics in class.
- I build strong relationships by greeting students, calling them by name, and getting to know them as individuals.
- My students assume considerable responsibility for class discussions. Conversations become student-led, instead of teacher-directed.
- My students take on projects that make a difference in the community or in the world (service-learning).
- My students have many opportunities to create work that will be visible to authentic audiences.
- I am intentional about cultivating curiosity in my students by having them develop their own questions, by allowing exploration, or by creating mystery or intrigue.
- I ask my students for feedback on my teaching and the relevance of my lessons.
- Empathy is just as important as responsibility in my classroom.
- I am focused more on what a child can do and not what he/she cannot do.
- I think about how the future will be different for my students and strive to teach with that in mind.
- My students have opportunities to experiment with different approaches, rather than just practicing a predetermined method.
- Character is more important than compliance in my classroom.
- My students have many chances to take initiative, not just follow directions.
Week at a Glance
Tuesday, Sept. 11th- C Day; Staff Meeting 7:30 in STEM Hub; Box tops due
Wednesday, Sept. 12th-D Day; Yoga at GRE
Thursday, Sept. 13th-A Day; Happy Birthday to Beth Heizer and Stefanie Plowman
Friday, Sept. 14th-B Day; Keys to Success Assembly 9:00-9:40
SLO Information
1. Make a copy of the SLO (or SLOs) you're submitting and share with your administrator by Friday, September 28th.
2. Complete the SGM Calculation Signoff 18-19 and turn in by Friday, September 28th.
At the bare minimum each teacher needs to do one SLO. You must do STAR, as it's a vendor approved assessment. If you want to do more than STAR, it has to be off of the list written below (all SLOs that have been done in previous years) and has to be the same as your building wide grade level.
Here are the SLOs as outlined by each grade level:
Kinder- STAR Early Literacy, letter ID, letter sound ID, number ID
1st- STAR Math, 1st Grade Math Assessment (the same assessment across district), Number Grid
2nd- STAR Reading, Sight Words
3rd- STAR Reading, STAR Math
4th- Your choice: All Value Add, 40% Value Add/10% SLO (has to be STAR); 10% Value Add/40% SLO (has to be STAR); All SLO (if no value add available)
Music- 1st Grade (as many 1st grade classes as you want)
Art- 3rd Grade (as many 3rd grade classes as you want)
PE- 2nd Grade (as many 2nd grade classes as you want)
STEM- 3rd Grade (as many 3rd grade classes as you want)
Intervention Specialists- pick the grade level and/or students you work with the most
Tutors- pick the grade level and/or students you work with the most
If you need help or support, please see Kate or our building Evaluation Committee member Trisha Hilton. We are here to help!