Guzick GOLD News
Week of 1/20/2020
Dr. Davis' Quote of the Week
Guzick's 2019-2020 Key Action Items
Success at Guzick 2020 and Beyond - Embrace Your "Sweet SPOT"
Mrs. B. Wilson - DEDICATION
In order for Frank Guzick Elementary School to succeed in 2020 and Beyond it is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication! Mrs. Wilson doesn't just say she's "Dedicated" to Guzick, she shows it in the many hats she wears. The hats she wears aren't the typical ones that are aligned to her job responsibilities as a counselor. They far exceed the call of duty. She organized our first annual Spring Awards Programs, she organized our first ever 5th grade trip to Austin, Texas, she is the sponsor of our National Elementary Honor Society, she has involved our students in the most ever community service projects, and the list goes on and on!
Thank you Mrs. B. Wilson for stepping "unapologetically" into your Sweet SPOT and dedicating your talents and time to providing our Guzick Giant students with experiences and opportunities well beyond the classroom!
LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! "The Red Carpet" Weekly Spotlight!
Lights! Camera! Action! "The Red Carpet" Weekly Spotlight
Coming down the red carpet this week are the following Guzick Staff Members: Ms. Taylor and Mrs. Nieto! We are well on the way to Success at Guzick in 2020 and beyond because of their efforts! Please join me in congratulating them! The Spotlight this week is on them!
Mrs. Brown, Mrs. B. Wilson, Mrs. S. Smith, Mr. Strickland, and Mr. Velazquez
Staff Goal: High Expectations
Ms. Medina
H.E.A.R.T. Characteristics: Accountability
Mr. Davidson
Staff Goal: High Expectations
Guzick "SPOTLIGHT" Nomination Form
KEEP THOSE NOMINATIONS COMING!
We are so truly fortunate to have so many Guzick staff members who go above and beyond the call of duty each and every day! It is time to shine the spotlight on those staff members! Please use the form below to nominate your colleagues for exhibiting our H.E.A.R.T. characteristics! I will include the SPOTLIGHTS in GOLD News each week!
FOCUS: Excellence in Instruction - Using Tools to Track Student Learning
Goal# 1: Increase overall student achievement by implementing a tightly aligned curriculum across all grade levels.
TEI 2.2 MASTERY: Ensures mastery of learning objective appropriate to standards for subject and grade
"Formative assessment is one of the single most important things that teachers can do --- and already do ---- for their students." - Andrew Miller, Educator
We will focus this week in classrooms and throughout the building in the following area:
-Using Tools to Track Student Learning
Create a seating chart to monitor students most effectively
Monitor the fastest writers first, then the students who need more support
Check answers against your exemplar
Track correct and incorrect answers to class questions
Use a coding system to affirm correct answers
Cue students to revise answers using minimal verbal intervention (Name the error, ask them to fix it, tell them you’ll follow up)
In PK-2 classes - MOY assessments:
- Complete the Circle, TX-KEA and/or Running Records assessments to gather student progress daa.
SEL Weekly Classroom Tip - Continue to Build Parent Trust With A Positive Phone Call
Parent Trust = Successful Students: Bite the Bullet and Pick Up the Phone!
-Priti Ahuja
I’ll never forget it. We had moved to Dallas from Chicago a month before, and my daughter, Jeena, started 2nd grade at her new school. I received a phone call from her teacher. She called to tell me about how Jeena was adjusting and gave me some very specific positive feedback, which let me know that she was making an effort to get to know my child. She also praised my parenting (I’m blushing). When I picked Jeena up that day, I told her about the compliments we had received, and she began to build a bridge of trust from school to home. I almost wanted to call my other daughter’s 3rd grade teacher and ask her to call me with some positive feedback as well. I decided that would be against my better judgement!
As we embark on the second semester of school, we have had many positive touchpoints with parents and caregivers. We give them warm welcomes at arrival, and at dismissal, we tell them that their kiddo had a great day. We even connect with parents through the day via class dojo and other apps, or communication through student folders. However, there is something so satisfying and delightful about a phone call, which can benefit the parent, the student, and the teacher in a multitude of ways throughout the school year. For one, you can ensure that your first contact with each parent is a positive one. When you do have to call with concerns, the lines of communication are open.
So, print out your rosters and begin calling. You may feel like this is a mountain of work on top of all the deliverables and demands placed upon you, however, the rewards are huge. When parents and caregivers feel valued, they’ll value you as well, which will come across to students. If you are not convinced, take inspiration from this article by Elena Aguilar: The Power of a Positive Phone Call Home.
Morning Meeting Activity - Sharing
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” This quote speaks the power and importance of building community. Morning Meeting is a great way to do so. It can be a game changer in your classroom. Read more here: Why You Need Morning Meetings in Your Classroom.
Step one of morning meeting is greeting. Here is one for you to try this week:
Greeting: Introduction
Have students pair up, greet a partner, and learn one fact about them. Have them return to the circle standing or sitting next to their partner. Each pair shares.
Example:
“This is Michael, and he has 6 sisters”
“This is DeShante and she likes cats”
You can repeat this daily for the week, with students choosing a different partner each time.
PBIS Focus Area GOAL - Week of 1/20/20 - EFFORT
POSITIVE OFFICE REFERRALS NEEDED!
This week we will be celebrating students who demonstrate “EFFORT”. Any teacher/staff can select "one student" and write a positive office referral for that student. Next Tuesday morning, we will call all students with Positive Office Referrals for showing EFFORT to the office. When they arrive in the office we will call their parents and afterwards highlight the students on social media and on our Wall of Fame in the front of the building.
Pictures of the hundreds of Guzick Giant students honored during our Spring Awards Ceremonies is an example of students putting forth 100% EFFORT to reach their academic goals!
PLC Meetings - Tuesday, January 21, 2020
PLC Meetings PK-2: Will meet as usual with team lead and/or Mrs. Maldonado
PLC Meetings 3rd-5th: Will meet in the PLC room led by Dr. Davis. The agenda for these meetings was sent out on this past Friday. Please check your email and review so that you can be prepared with the materials needed for the meeting.
Power Half Hour - 1st/2nd Grade Reading Begins Tuesday, January 28, 2020
REMINDER: Timeliness
7:15am - Morning Duty
7:35am - Most staff member's clock-in time
7:35am - 7:40am - Pick-up students from cafeteria, gym, auditorium or hallway
7:45am - Hallways clear of entire classes
Guzick 2019-2020 Calendar - Live Updates
Upcoming Events/Reminders
- MLK Day/Staff/Student Holiday - Monday, January 20, 2020.
- 2nd Grade MAP MOY Testing - Tuesday, January 21, 2020 - Friday, January 24, 2020.
- PLC Meetings - Tuesday, January 21, 2020 during planning.
- Reading Tutoring - Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
- Writing/Science Tutoring - Wednesday, January 22, 2020.
- CILT Meeting - Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
- Math Tutoring - Thursday, January 23, 2020.
- PTO Program (1st grade performs) - Thursday, January 23, 2020.
On the Horizon
- Right on Time PD (Sign-Up Sheet to come) - Monday, January 27, 2020.
- 4SW Progress Grades Due - Monday, January 27, 2020.
- Distribute Progress Reports - Tuesday, January 28, 2020.
- PLC Meetings - Tuesday, January 28, 2020.
- Reading Tutoring - Tuesday, January 28, 2020.
- Writing/Science Tutoring - Wednesday, January 29, 2020.
- 3-5 Interim Assessments - Thursday, January 30, 2020.
- Math Tutoring - Thursday, January 30, 2020.
Frank Guzick Elementary School
Email: aandrus@dallasisd.org
Website: www.dallasisd.org/guzick
Location: 5000 Berridge Lane, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 972-502-3900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GuzickES/
Twitter: @GuzickES