HAWK HAPPENINGS
The official newsletter of Hillcrest Elementary Staff
Every single student, every single day, in every single way.
April 28, 2019
MUST READ
AFTER SCHOOL
ELLA ROSE is a PEEP!
MATH ASSESSMENT
Library test pick up: please enter the doors closest to Ms. DelPilar's office, follow signs for the proper line (grade 4, grade 5, or Mods)
After the ELA, we found several students made errors in bubbling in the TEST BOOK LETTER/NUMBER; this would result in all or most of their answers being marked wrong. We aren't certain that students will have different books again, but if so, please be very clear about how to locate the book letter/number on the book, and how to bubble in the corresponding bubbles on the answer document.
Active proctoring
Please do not use cell phones or computers while proctoring
Please actively walk around the room and check on students
Please refrain from giving candy to students until 45 minutes into test- mints will be provided
Please make contact with the hallway monitor/runner to make sure students get to the bathroom and back
Remind students to fill in ALL bubbles and check to make sure that they do
Require that students reread their test and answers at least once
Let's try to encourage students to keep working and reviewing -- students shouldn't take out a book before 10:30.
At 10:30, place a post-it on the window of your classroom door (facing out) with the number of students still working. This way we can monitor how many are still working, and when we can begin to move students to the library or consolidate students into partner classrooms. Update the post-it every 15-20 minutes or so with the time (i.e. -- "10:50: 3 working"
Signing tests back in
Please SEPARATE answer sheets from booklets and alphabetize BOTH.
We will circulate on a cart to collect materials and have you sign books/answer sheets back in
Opt out students AND exempt students will go to the cafeteria with a book ONLY
Specials teachers without classrooms to proctor and Classroom aides will supervise opt-outs with Josh
Eileen Lepore
Ashley Lape
Sal Dodaro
Gerri Reeves
Any 1:1 aides who do not have their child present in school
Specials teachers will go to the rooms to cover preps
If a staff member has to use the restroom, call the main office at 5502
Withhold from making calls to other classrooms to minimize distractions
Make sure to tape attendance on the door before you begin the test
Read over the attached teacher directions
We will operate on a 3 hour delay lunch schedule and gauge the time accordingly to see when lunches will start; if we can start earlier, we will.
MOTHER'S DAY/FATHER'S DAY
It's also important to think about gifts and cards for Mothers and Fathers. I know this is often a classroom tradition, but given our diverse demographics, we may not know a student's background, or what these holidays may trigger for them. Merely saying "We are doing this activity for Father's Day, but you can give it to a grandfather, uncle, or some other important person in your life" doesn't prevent a child from feeling sad, angry, frustrated, lonely, etc. It serves as another public reminder of the loss of void in their life, which a peer may or may not understand or be empathetic towards. On the other hand, school is sometimes the only place where students can have access to materials to make a card or gift.
You might have some clever ways around this already. Some ways to try to support students who wish to make cards or gifts is to plan some craft or activity that yields a product which students may choose to give to a relative for an upcoming holiday, though not specifically described as a "Mother's Day" or "Father's Day" activity. You can also provide students with some free time and some art materials the Thursday or Friday before the holiday, and some students will take the initiative to make cards or letters. You likely have other ways, too, to set students up to honor the important people in their lives, without conjuring up sad or angry feelings or causing a child to feel "singled out."
I'm sure you are already aware of this, and likely have such plans in place, but I just wanted to remind you. Thank you for all that you do to remain sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of our students and their families.
HAWK HEROES
MYRON, RICARDO, Dr. MAURICIO, DR. FOSTER, ELLEN GERACE, CARMINE CRISCI, JOSH MANDEL, and many others, who helped us restore the school to order after a major disruption to teaching and learning last Tuesday. Thank you to everyone for your flexibility, patience, and assistance. While it was a big disruption and a huge inconvenience to all of us, it probably pales in comparison to the disruption and inconvenience the student and family have endured. We thank everyone for their support and wish the family well during this difficult time.
We appreciate the following Hawk Heroes for helping with ART/POETRY NIGHT Hangin' at Hillcrest:
- Marisa Anzovino, Taylor Coleman, Tara King & Peggy Owens for organizing the event and doing so much prep and organization
- Al Ferony, Laura Pena & Jamie Rossi for volunteering to help the evening of the event
MATH GRANT VISIT
We appreciate the support fo the following people who assisted with the visit form the Math Grant Funder:
- Troy Lepore and Val Valenzuela for hosting visits to their classrooms
- Emily Esposito, Laura Pena, Melissa Perlowitz & Val Valenzuela for participating in the Lighthouse Visit to Troy's classroom
STUDENT PORTFOLIOS
As we continue to refine our student portfolio system, please plan to have samples of student writing from each of the units this year (if you haven't given them away already for previous units). Plan to have drafts, published piece, and rubric to be part of the student's portfolio for each unit, as well as the final F&P. We should also plan to send some end-of-unit Math Module Assessments, and maybe the Interim Assessment.
END-OF-YEAR ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
May 20th- Dual Language begins to F & P
May 28th- All other teachers begin to F &P
Jun 7th- Report card window opens
June 10th- Begin Aimsweb
June 14th- All F & P's must be complete/Aimsweb must be complete/Data needs to be entered into IC and Google
June 17th- Report card window closes
The reading teachers will take care of the SLO info as they have in the past with the Aimsweb data.
REMINDER re: QUICK WINS: Actions Required
We appear to be in a holding pattern with the Quick Wins, so they are turning out to be "not-so-quick" wins. As I try to iron out the kinks with the union, I wanted to provide the links for the articles I provided last week, in case you wanted to read them and didn't have time. See the post below from the previous Hawk Happenings:
Thank you to everyone who responded to the surveys regarding the QUICK WINS from the state visit. We look forward to incorporating your feedback into the implementation of the quick wins. As briefly discussed at the voluntary debrief meeting after the state's visit, each of the quick wins comes directly from feedback and observation from the stakeholder groups. They are meant to be easy-to-implement changes that feed into and build momentum towards the recommended Short Term and Long Term Priorities. To better understand how the quick wins are connected to best practices in education, I've compiled a few short articles that can help illustrate why these were chosen.
1) Provide Differentiated Professional Development: Read about Why Don't We Differentiate Professional Development? or How We Can Fix Professional Development
2) Provide Student Choice on Reading Response Homework:
Read this article on Differentiating by Providing Choices or 10 Ways to Give Students More Control Over Their Education
3) Create a school-wide system for sending at least 2 pieces of student work home to parents each week. Read about how Weekly Folders Deliver News from School to Home
Stay tuned for more information on how we will roll out the above-mentioned quick wins!
MATH HAPPENINGS
Math Madness
I don't know where we are with the Math Maddness, other than the quizzes Dr. Ardito sent last week. Perhaps after the assessments this week our Math Leaders can meet and we can set our plan for the following aspects which have not really taken root yet:
Multiplication Mondays
Take-Away and Total it (Subtraction/Addition) Tuesdays
What’s Inside It? (Division) Wednesdays
Think it Through (Problem Solving) Thursdays
Fraction Fridays
Everyone who sees children in the hallway, gym, cafeteria, outside, etc. should ask students questions that pertain to the daily math theme.
Math Madness Announcements will include a math riddle relating to the theme
We are piloting this system for next year so that we can work out the kinks now.
- Stay tuned for the schedule for Dr. Ardito for this week! He will NOT be here on Tuesday because of test preparations, but he WILL be here on Thursday. The teachers who met visited Troy's class on Thursday with the funder and Dr. Foster will meet at 1:15 for the debrief of that day's visit, but the rest of the schedule will be finalized shortly.
SHOULD READ
SOME INTERESTING READS
Angry?! How Naming the Different Kinds of Anger Can Help
100 Simple Calm Down Strategies for Kids (see image above but click link for article, descriptions, and free printables) Not all are feasible for kids at school (bubble bath???) but many ideas could be things that could go onto kids' safety plans/ZONES toolkits.
Books That Teach Us Empathy -- This is from the Tinkergarten website, which is an organization for parents and preschoolers to learn together in nature that was founded by my friend and former colleague Meghan Fitzgerald, so the books are picture books (and two parenting books) but they are probably worth exploring if you are interested in teaching children empathy (and we all should).