Monday Morning Motivation
Central Elementary Staff News----December 7-December 11
Celebrating Kindness
Dear Staff,
I wrote the following message for our school-wide newsletter, The Central Hub, and it reflects how I am feeling about how proud I am to work here with you all.
As this first semester draws to a close, I cannot help but be proud of the accomplishments of the Central Elementary students, staff, and families. We have traveled both in mind and body through the books we have read and the places we have visited. As our children have been on various field trips, the teachers have returned, reporting that our students were so good and polite. Many of the places visited have complimented how well our students behaved. Although they are not telling us anything we do not already know, it is nice to have the confirmation.
One of the joys this year is seeing how much our students value good character and doing the right thing. When in classrooms, I hear students supporting each other and being kind. Kindness is our value this month. Our students have been linking acts of kindness together in a chain, which we are hanging around the front of the building, heading towards the cafeteria. It is so fun to see the physical demonstration of how kindness abounds at Central Elementary School.
I wish you a very happy holidays filled with the joys the season can bring!
Have a great week!
Julie
A Week at a Glance
Central Calendar
MONDAY, December 7
- STAR 360 Benchmark testing continues
TUESDAY, December 8
- Smekens Professional Development (k-2)
- Third grade music performance 7:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, December 9
- Math curriculum meeting (3-5) at the middle school 4:00
THURSDAY, December 10
- Big Idea Committee Meeting
- School Board Meeting 7:00 p.m.
FRIDAY, December 11
- Soft Lockdown Drill 9:00 a.m. Please make students aware it is a drill.
Announcements and Reminders
- (fyi-most recent information at the bottom)
December 8-11: Santa Shop
PTO reminder: The PTO will reimburse you for purchases made for your holiday parties. Just place your receipt in the PTO mailbox
STAR 360 Benchmark Testing continues.
Reminder, we do not go outside for recess if it is 20 degrees or below. As it gets cooler, please go out at your own discretion.
Make sure you are showing the Central Character Company videos and completing lessons every Thursday. If you have questions, please see Diana.
If you contributed to United Way and "bought" a jeans pass, please feel free to wear jeans. We will not punch a card, but exercise the honor system, knowing you would not take advantage and wear jeans when you could not :).
Please do not send students to get your mail out of your mailbox. At times, your mailbox contains confidential information, which is not meant for students. If you need something, please let me know and if I can, I will run your mail up to you. We appreciate you respecting this.
Please put the following dates on your radar: December 8th the 4th and 5th grade ISTEP data is due, January 5th middle school orientation, January 14th Central Literacy Night, and January Read-A-Thon begins for three weeks.
Please get Agenda items to Big Idea Committee Members. These are things you would like discussed at our leadership meetings (i.e. Central Celebrations, parties, schedules, supervision concerns, student concerns, etc.)
Big Idea Committee Members please send those items to me by Wednesday.
Please point out to parents the like to Closing and Delays on our Plainfield website. Check it out as well. http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=9194&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=11862&PageID=1
Continue to write "Livesavers" to staff members. Randi is putting together a basket in the mailbox room.
Begin collecting plastic caps for the "bench project."
Please be mindful of the number of teachers absent on Tuesday, December 8th and future days as we have spent the end of the year professional development funds to give teachers wonderful opportunities to grow. Please help our subs out and make them feel welcome.
Curriculum and Instruction
ISTEP+ Updated Information
Important details regarding ISTEP+ Spring 2015 Results….
Approximately 2.5 times the number of rescore requests compared to the past were submitted for the Spring 2015 ISTEP+ assessment, resulting in updates to the attached timeline (which was shared with the State Board of Education at their meeting yesterday). Please see below for an overview.
Release Dates
· December 14, 2015
Final results released electronically via a GRT data file to corporations/schools
· January 6, 2016
Electronic results via launch of:
Parent Network, and Indiana Online Reporting System (INORS)
· January 15, 2016
Individual Student Report copies and Labels delivered to corporations
Celebrate Staff
- Celebrate Kelly Scott and Kathy Crum for being recognized at the faculty meeting.
- Attendance percentage this week is 98.30 Percent. Great job!!
- The kindness chain is just awesome. Thank you Diana for putting the lesson together!
- Let's celebrate the following parent note I received on Friday: My husband and I just wanted to take a minute, during this busy holiday season, to say thank you to Central Elementary, and the Kindergarten teachers for making the season so fun, festive, and educational for our daughter Joslyn and her classmates. We love the idea of her learning about all the different world traditions and festivities that are important to so many around the world and close to home. The details and extra work put in, especially during such a busy time of year, are greatly appreciated by our family. Joslyn is having a wonderful first year of "big kid school" and we thank you!
- Keep sharing with me items to celebrate! I know wonderful things are happening out there.
- Margaret and Karen for making the bulletin board in the office!