News from the Nest
Week of September 25, 2017 Related Arts "A" Week
Vision
"Wendell Phillips 63 will establish a positive, engaging, and rigorous learning environment that allows each child to “SOAR to Excellence” as a member of the Cardinal Family."
Places to be!!!
Sept 25- Lesson Plans Due in Google Drive (9:00 am)
Sept. 26- K-7 ELA PLC's
Sept. 27- PIT Day
Sept 28- K-7 Math PLC's
Sept 29- VIMME Math Common Assessments
Sept. 29- Free Jeans Day
Oct. 16- District PD Day (ELA Teachers @ Wendell Phillips, All others at your assigned locations)
Oct. 17- Students Return
General Need to Knows
We have made it! Fall Break is here, which is time to rest and recharge from Quarter 1. Please take time to relax and enjoy time doing the things you love to do out of school. You WILL NOT hear from me during the first week....my gift to you!
Class Dojo points will be reset from Quarter 1. All students will start fresh when we return from Fall Break.
The Quarter 1 grade entry window runs next week, closing at midnight on Friday, 9/29/17. Please check your TAC rosters to ensure all your students are in the system. Please email me a list of students that are NOT on there. Please check this by tomorrow. Departmentalized grades- please also identify the HR of the student.
PIT (Parents in Touch Day) is here on Wednesday, September 27th. The workday will run from 12-7. We will be preparing letters to go home on Monday to begin scheduling the conferences. This day will be devoted to meeting with parents to discuss student's academic and social/emotional progress. Ms. Delbridge, our scheduling guru, will be coordinating this for ESL translation support and siblings. Thanks Ms. Delbridge and the ESL team!!
Thank you for those that have began submitting MTSS referrals for students that have not made adequate growth quarter 1. The MTSS Google folder is here. The team will be meeting to begin reviewing FORM A's that have been completed and follow up with those respective teachers. Forms must be completed in their entirety for review.
Grade 3-7 Teachers- We will be reviewing PIVOT ELA Benchmarks and Math VIMME data this coming week. We will use this data to drive our action plans when we return from Fall Break.
Vision Aligned Thought Provokers
Positive classrooms: After Fall Break is a time to reset your classroom and the rules/procedures/expectations you have for your students. When we return, we will use that first week back to re-teach all PBIS procedures with fidelity and to mastery- in the common areas and in your classroom. Make sure to use this time to ensure what you expect is what you get. If students have to practice until they get it right, then let them practice. We must be consistent, structured, and consistent in our approach. Yes...I said consistent twice. Students will SOAR in all we do!!!
We are also working on our partnership with Peace Learning Center and they are in process of designing Professional Development for your behavioral took-kit. They are going to focus on ready to use tools for restorative practices and supports. Stay tuned for more information...coming soon!!!
Engaging instruction: Please take advantage of Ms. Ivanov's willingness to share more about the KAGAN strategies she is releasing throughout the year. Here is the text from her email today; click on the hyperlinks to access the materials and modeling sign up sheet:
Also in this folder is a spreadsheet with my weekly schedule starting after fall break. If you see a white space, you may sign up for a 30 minute block. My modeling won’t take 30 minutes, but this gives me time to get to your room, set up, model and clean up. I will gladly model any structure that I have presented so far. I do not recommend you signing up for me to model two structures back to back. Please just sign up for two separate times. If any time is blacked out, that means I am unavailable for that time. I’ll also add more weeks as needed.
When I come in and model, I will be doing team building with your class & not academic subjects. I always recommend doing this with these structures, that way students have time to learn the structures without the pressure of academics & it will get more buy in from students in the beginning. Also, I will come prepared with everything I need! All you have to do is observe! :)
So please take a look at the folder & sign up for a time! Put your name, room number, structure and time you’d like me to begin. If for some reason I need to reschedule a time, I will email personally and let you know!
Look out of a calendar invite to confirm your time!
RIGOROUS Instruction: As it is time to reflect on classroom management, it also a time to reflect on our instructional practices. In our reflections, are the following things happening in your classrooms?
- Lesson plans follow the gradual release model, with CLEAR alignment from I DO to YOU DO.
- Execution of lesson plans includes clear modeling of the content with think alouds (I DO), interactive opportunity for students to practice with you (WE DO), and intentional time for students to practice in a small group or individually (YOU DO)
- Checks for understanding are aligned to the content being taught and used to drive instruction during the lesson and subsequent lessons
- Pacing of the lesson is appropriate- too slow and students find other things to do; too fast and you lose them.
Your instructional practices are also have a direct correlation to your classroom management, so make your time with your students intentional and focused!!!