Bear Blast
October Fall Break Edition
Important Dates
October 23 & 25: Late nights w/ Admin present for P/T Conferences (PTO dinner)
October 25: AM Staff Meeting @ 7:45 (Community North, Teacher Dev System Quest and Lockdown Procedures)
November 1: Aimsweb PD Refresher AM/Beginners PM
November 2: All P/T Conferences should be complete, Lockdown Drill
Teacher Development System Update
Next steps:
Goat Setting Worksheet
- No stress. Don't overthink it.
- Digitally input your final Goal Setting Worksheet directly into SFS.
- Click the Submit button at bottom of Digital Worksheet for finalization from Admin to approve it (locked from further changes.) Please complete this step by Nov 2.
Observations
- Double check that you and your evaluator have scheduled your extended evaluation day and time.
- Brief bulleted point lesson plans should be uploaded to SFS at least one day before your evaluation including learning standards, overview of lesson, and objective. Need a template? Email Erin Mohr.
We are thrilled to get back into classrooms and capture all of you #incubatingawesome!
Foundation Participation Status
Third grade was close behind with 86% and will also get their recess duty covered in the month of December!
Walk The halls!
We are still on the lookout for 1-2 permanent documentation displays to be framed. Will it be your current bulletin board?
We had some powerful PD in the past where we walked the halls and teachers volunteered to ask for feedback and showcase what they are most proud of with using student writing and photographs to capture the gist of learning that took place within your walls.
Join Jeff and Fatima on November 7 after school for a quick 20 minute walk the halls. Want to use your documentation? Let Fatima know!
Do you!
Her students asked about traditions in India and investigated further by creating an opportunity for special guests to share information. The students reflected upon their own traditions within their homes and authored personal books telling their stories along side photographs of the entire process from the original question about traditions.
Mrs. Kalustian's actions scream her beliefs and her students definitely created something that will make the world awesome as children see commonalities between all of their traditions while demonstrating what makes them unique.
F&P - Let's get conferring!
- Thinking Within the Text: Readers efficiently and effectively understand what is on the page—the author's literal message.
- Thinking Beyond the Text: Readers make inferences and put text ideas together in different ways to construct the text's meaning.
- Thinking About the Text: Readers analyze and critique the author's craft.
Many of you discussed tightening up your organization with conferring and maintaining consistency to ensure ALL readers receive quality feedback in real time. Check out the resources below. Have you asked your teammates about how they record all their conferring notes?
F&P Resource What are the characteristics of texts at each level? Reader characteristics at each level?
F&P Resource Checklist What to NOtice, teach, and support
Self Care
"In a tough situation, stress make you stronger." True or False?
Response to Instruction
We especially appreciate your organization with data, notes, and the ability to articulate about students' reading behaviors, social abilities, and what you notice each and every day because you are paying attention.
Relationships are key and it is clear that you have been working hard creating them.
Next steps:
- Identify 2-3 "bubble" students to pay extra attention to (these may be different in each room based on a variety of reasons.) At this time you should know who they are, determine a schedule or make appointments with yourself to check in with them and be ready to update their progress in the coming weeks. Be sure and update their families too!
- You should have received an email from Fatima confirming the status of official Tier 2 and Tier 3 students as of October 23. If any information was left out or incorrect please make sure Fatima knows upon your return from Fall Break.
- All Tier 2 and Tier 3 students require a signed Parent Letter. This is an important step and we must make sure these are returned as soon as possible in the event that that child takes next steps in the process of evaluation. If your parent letter was forgotten during your one on ones please forgive me. All letters can be found in the green BSE PBIS/RTI Group Space in your email just like you find your Grade Level Group Space. Please remember to save and edit your own letter so that you are not changing the original for others. The letters have been updated to have minimal editing required. Don't forget YOUR name at the bottom of the letter. All areas for editing are marked in yellow. You can click Save As and save in your One Drive first, then edit to avoid editing the original.
Progress Monitoring - Aimsweb
Tier 3: Monitored by Resource Team weekly.
Tier 2: Monitored by classroom teacher biweekly unless otherwise noted.
Fatima will be holding a Progress Monitoring How To Session Before and After School Nov 1. Be on the lookout for a calendar invite. You will be able to enter your students and even practice progress monitoring at that time.
If you just need updated access and updated dates etc please click here for the directions.
Ready to Lead some PD?
Topics we are looking for but not limited to:
- Picture Books with Purpose
- Units of Study Writing
- Conferring
- Documentation with Bulletin Boards
- Telling Our Story Through Twitter
- Global Goals
- Making Makerspace Meaningful
Email Fatima by Nov 2 if interested. Get a buddy, do it together!
Restorative Practice
Looking for a Professional Read?
Secret of Troublemakers
@kh_troublemaker
(Leader at Peace Learning Center and Restorative Practice Training Facilitator)
Help For Billy
@HeatherTForbes
Trauma Informed Schools- See Fatima for a copy.
Self-Reg
@StuartShanker
Email Brooke Lawson for a copy.