Micro Elementary School Newsletter
February 16th, 2019
Hard Work Paying Off!
Midyear data is starting to show that our goal to help students develop a love for reading is paying off! If we can continue to improve student achievement on standardized tests as we grow a love for reading, we are REALLY doing our jobs!
According to mClass Data:
Kindergarten proficiency is up 5% compared to this time last year.
1st grade proficiency is up 13% compared to this time last year.
2nd grade is up 10% compared to this time last year.
3rd grade is up 13% compared to this time last year.
81% of K students grew one or more mClass levels since the BOY.
1st grade proficiency grew 24 % points since BOY. 86% of students moved up two or more levels
2nd grade proficiency grew 17 % points since BOY. 77% of students grew two or more mClass levels.
3rd grade proficiency grew 8% since BOY. 77% of 3rd graders are currently on or above grade level expectations.
Stay tuned for 4th and 5th grade data.
Let's continue to improve student perceptions towards reading and continue to reap the benefits! This has been a school-wide effort, all staff have chipped in!
Each student counts and every moment matters!
Micro Elementary is the small school where BIG things happen...thanks to you!
TJ
Getting in on the Read Aloud Fun!
Love of Reading Day
Love of Reading Day
Micro Headlines
The PTA Meeting Tuesday Night should be a blast. The Book Tasting and 3-5 Performance should make for a memorable evening.
Additional volunteers are needed for the PBL visit from Benson Elementary. If you have not responded to Todd Campbell, please consider doing so. There is a need for a few more interactive and engaging classrooms to visit. The visitors do not need to see full blown PBL, it can be inquiry based or just plain good instruction.
Staff: We are looking for a few more Science Olympiad volunteers. You do not need to be an expert to help. You can learn alongside the Science Olympiad team. Practices are Monday and Thursday. Contact Mrs. Hart if you are interested.
- 5E Lesson Plan Format Shared with me by Todd Campbell
- Staff: We have scheduled committee meetings for Wednesday. This coming week will be quite busy. I recommend committees meet very briefly. Agendas will be sent out in advance, committee chairs will need to be prepared to breeze through them so we can dismiss efficiently.
- February SIT Agenda and Minutes
- The district is hosting an Innovation Expo on May 31 from 9:00 am - 11:00 am at the Johnston Medical Mall. Educators and students who want to showcase an innovative practice are invited to present, and those who want to learn more about innovation in our district are invited to attend. Innovative practices include, but are not limited to, project-based learning, personalized learning, digital learning, and social-emotional learning. (Link to Innovation Expo flyer) The district will provide setup (tables and technology) for presenters. More information will follow, but please begin spreading the word. For more information, contact melodycasey@johnston.k12.nc.us
- Grades 3-5: It is a good idea this time of year to encourage students to change their JCPS email passwords. The older students become aware that the passwords are based on their birthdates and start hacking one another's accounts. We can be proactive by suggesting them to change them now.
- Flocabulary: Don't forget we have access to this resource. I reviewed over it recently and saw there are many skill specific videos.https://www.flocabulary.com/subjects/
- Please be sure to include any before or after school duties into your substitute lesson plans.
- We were sent a free trial from Book Flix. Feel free to use and give feedback to your SIT Rep. BookFlix is a tool to engage and support all beginning readers. Early readers build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension using built-in literacy support tools – including read aloud and word-by-word highlighting. BookFlix supports reading comprehension and oral language gains.
BookFlix http://bookflix.scholastic.com
Password: grape
Important Dates
February 18th: regular student day
February 19th: PTA Meeting (3-5 performances) 5:30-Reading Night Begins
February 20th: Committee Meetings
February 20th: Spirit Night at Nik's Pizza in Kenly
February 22nd: Character Assembly
February 26th: Early Release PD Day
March 11th: Kindergarten Registration
March 16th: NoJo Family Day at the Farm (11-1)
Outstanding First Year Teacher
100
Love the Bus Breakfast
Hot Reads
Halifax principal works to shift behavior, community relationships
What I Would Tell my First Year Self about Bias
Changing how Educators see Negative Experiences in the Classroom
Todd Nesloney: Using your Space
Why Is the Read-Aloud a Life-Changing Form of Civic Learning?
Micro Staff Social Contract
Make the community feel welcome
Treat others with respect
Demonstrate Teamwork
Communicate Effectively *new*
Be accountable, open-minded, positive, and supportive
Micro Elementary Staff will support our social contract by intervening with the gentle question, "Are you okay?" and provide peers with an appropriate level of space.
Monthly Character Traits
February Character Trait: – Fairness– Treating all people equally
Reminders and Links
- Micro Elementary Crisis Plan
- Check out this promo video for RTI and PBL. It features Mrs. Anderson's class. http://educationservices.rti.org/
- Micro Elementary Employee of the Month Nomination
- JCPS has a PBL Unit Submission form. They are building a database of quality PBL's. Use this form to share.
- "I Can" statements
- Roadmap to Personalized Learning '18-19
- JCPS Strategic Plan
- Navigating the District Calendar Tip Sheet
- Buck Institute Project Based Learning Database