ELL and Interventionist News
Week of May 9th
Welcome Stacea McKeever- Our new Homeless Liaison
Hello MVCA Teachers,
My name is Stacea McKeever and I am happy to introduce myself as your new Homeless Liaison. For the remainder of the 2015/2016 school year, Jan Collier and I will be working together and she will be teaching me what I need to know. By the beginning of the 2016/2017 school year, I will be ready to take over on my own.
If you are interested, here is a little about me. I have been involved in at-risk education since 2005 and have acted in several different roles. I started as a high school biology and social skills teacher for an innovative alternative school in Cincinnati. When I moved back to Michigan, I became the after school coordinator for Reethes-Puffer High School’s at-risk program. Most recently, I have been working as a GED and high school completion instructor/mentor in adult education. In all of those capacities, I have advocated for and helped empower those in my care.
Now, I look forward to working with you, and advocating for and empowering MVCA’s homeless families. From what I have seen while helping with testing, I will be working with a wonderful and dedicated group of educators. If there is ever anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Stacea A. McKeever
MSTEP 3rd and 6th Window Closes Friday!
NWEA Spring Testing Begins!!!
Invalidations/Roster Adjustment Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hL7TdxAAx0brNfpKiKXtMzLz7g981IDDueIh8q7p51I/edit?usp=sharing
As soon as test scores are available teachers need to review and immediately contact families regarding retests. Any student whose score dropped from fall to spring must retest.
FAST NWEA SUPPORT
May 9th – June 1st - NWEA Make-up Sessions and Retest Support
Specific FAST team members will contact any student that has not completed NWEA and schedule make-up sessions with those students.. 4th and 7th grade NWEA make-ups will not be held on May 10 & 11 due to MSTEP.
2nd, 3rd, & 4th Grade – Loannie Houston, Gayle Korhorn
5th & 6th Grade –Kevin Todd, Sheryl Krenzke
7th & 8th Grade- Meron Kahssai , Annmarie Bingle
If you schedule a make-up with a student that has not tested and you will be proctoring, please contact the appropriate FASLs.
You can view FASL notes on students that need to test here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1chhMCfiM_BR3V6_x523qZIobzQeIgevGmdWzaBXDt2s/edit?usp=sharing
Kindles for NWEA Growth
What's coming up?
May 13 - Last day for 3rd & 6th MSTEP Testing
May 23 - Dayna returns!
May 27 - Last Day for MI-Access, 4th & 7th Grade MSTEP
May 30 - No School - Memorial Day
June 1 - NWEA Window Closes
June 10 - DIBELS Window Closes
June 13th Last Day of School
June 13th Retention Conferences Due
June 13th ILP QTR 4 Action Notes Due (More info on this to come)
Shout out to Stacey Wolak for rocking out on NWEA this week. Team WWA (Walton + Wolak = Awesome) hit 98%. We tested 49 of 51 eligible students. Stacey was instrumental to our success. She tracked down our darlings and kept our data up to date while I managed the testing sessions. We had two MIA’s but we are still on the hunt and if they turn up we will test them. Oh yes we will!
Success: a chat I received from a student after he completed his NWEA test: “have a great day and thanks for all the help and teaching you have done to help me through this year :)”
To the Elementary IS team: A shout out to you all for working through the last month’s testing windows with vigor, tenacity, flexibility, and commitment to growth. I see that you know your students and you are committed to work in their best interests. I am very proud of what we are seeing with our initial NWEA results. Although many did not meet the growth measure, they are growing when in years past, they did not! This is HUGE! I appreciate all of your efforts to get kids to try again to meet that growth measure. Keep up the great work!
I had a really nice message from a student – and a separate one from the parent from my advanced learner’s groups. Here is the one from the parent (I really appreciated getting it) I know Noah sent you a separate k-mail, but I just wanted to let you know that you are a fantastic teacher. He has loved having you for a math teacher, and so have I. I enjoy sitting there listening to all the kids engaging and doing there work. He really misses his math time with you. Noah has really thrived with K-12. Thanks for all your hard work.
Shout out to Danielle for always being a rockstar!
Shout out to HS Teachers---After you said you wanted to hear more of how students feel about MVCA, I just wanted to let you know that I know student who lives in Pontiac…She was with another online school, she was basically failing all of her classes, because she basically had to teach herself, no actual teachers. I told her about the MVCA and how much I enjoy working for the school. She decided to transfer over to MVCA after 1st semester and now she is getting A’s and B’s and loves it!!! She loves being able to work from home, not having to go to an inner city school, where she was being bullied, and being able to have actual teachers teaching her. She called me yesterday and was crying on the phone because she was so happy and so thankful I told her about MVCA.
A BIG Testing thank-you to all !
From a student- Thank you for helping me on my biology and taking your time to put extra help on my courses. I very much appreciate it.
Shout out to everyone for working so diligently together during testing. This is a highly stressful time for students and staff.
From a student- Thank you for all the help you provide for the students! We appreciate it more than you know. You're an awesome teacher and tutor. My Biology grade has improved so much and I understand my class so much more now. That's all because of you. I just appreciate all the time and help that you've given me.
Shout out to Erin for being patient with me….
Also a shout out to some really great students who took the time to thank me through k-mail—
I want to give a shout out to Carmen Skiba. Her and I worked together to test our students for NWEA. Without her amazing time, effort, and help I couldn’t have done it without her. She’s a rock star!!
Shout out to Maureen for her willingness to help wherever and whenever she is needed.
Huge thanks to Val who covered my students for almost eight weeks! She never complains and is always positive about doing what is best for kids :). Thanks Val!
Despite it being a somewhat stressful time, I have noticed and sincerely appreciate the fact that everyone with whom I interact, on my intervention team, my grade level team – including my students’ special education teachers, more recently -my MSTEP testing team, - and beyond, consistently demonstrates a positive, collaborative attitude and always focuses on the goal of what is best for students.
Shout out to Erin for her help with PARS!
Rick is a true team player and always is willing to help out!
PARS
1) Complete 40 hours- it should equal 100% when you are complete
2) Submit to Sharepoint weekly
3) They need to be back tracked from October 1st
4) If you have questions please ask Corista or Erin