The Cannon Connection
Staff Information & Updates 1/6/14
From The Principal's Pen...
Happy New Year!! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break as much as I did! How fortunate we are to be part of a profession that allows our schedules to have such nice breaks to enjoy with family and friends. For me, not only do I love the break for this purpose, but also for the opportunity to reflect, refuel, and re-energize.
As we gear up for an amazing 2014, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on the 2.5 minute read below that was originally published in 1905 by Charles Scribner's Sons. It's an inspiring reminder that holiday spirit should be something we make an "all-time" thing. Enjoy!
Thank You From Habitat For Humanity!
Our friends from Habitat For Humanity were so grateful for our generous donation AND for helping make their office holiday tree a little bit brighter! They sent the following message and asked that it be shared with all Cannon staff and students. Please pass this thank-you on to your scholars and check out some of the great curriculum resources that were shared!
It was SUCH a pleasure meeting you and the Cannon Elementary students and staff last week! Regina and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to your school. Attached are some photos we took with our staff and the house ornaments. We placed the houses in the tree located in our main lobby. We can’t thank you enough for the wonderful energy and excitement you have all shown in support of the work we do.
Below you will find links to the Habitat curriculum lessons and service-learning resources developed by Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat has invested in creating many resources for teachers and youth leaders. Their hope is that teachers could teach civic responsibility, encourage lifelong civic engagement and strengthen communities for the common good while simultaneously fulfilling state mandated curriculum requirements. Using the below materials, students and teachers have been able to uniquely combine their curriculum with Habitat in order to create relevant and real life connections. Attached is a list of books that we have used to talk about such themes as poverty housing, wants and needs, and helping others. Students were able to use the books to verbalize learning in appropriate ways and learned skills such as researching, note-taking, persuasive writing, imaginative narratives (writing through a character’s eyes), responding to literature, etc. Math has also been another easy way that teachers have strongly aligned some of their curriculum requirements with Habitat. For example, teachers utilized Habitat to teach lessons on percentages and fractions, money and budgeting, area, perimeter, and measurements.
We hope you find these materials useful and we look forward to a continued partnership with your school!
Children's Literature Connections to HFH:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-u5kDtNc0y7dGROOEk3eWxvU0U/edit?usp=sharing
Letters from Louis Picture Book:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-u5kDtNc0y7MWhQcWt5NlRlM2M/edit?usp=sharing
Habitat Lesson plans:
http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/parent_teacher_leader/hfhlessons.aspx
Habitat Service Learning Guide:
http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/ptl_suppdocs/service_learning_guide.pdf
Habitat Resources:
http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/parent_teacher_leader/parent_teacher_leader_resources.aspx
LAST WEEK (of 2013!) - A PHOTO REVIEW
Cannon Float Takes 2nd Place
Family Game Night - A Winner!
2nd Graders Visit Big Lots
KUDOS TO ANNE!
Dates to Remember
1/6 Teacher Workday
1/7 Students Return
1/9 PTA Executive Board meeting 5:30
1/10 PLC Week A - 3rd;4th;1st
1/10 Kindergarten Field Trip to Legoland
1/13 Southlake-Carroll ISD tours Cannon's STEM program - 8:15-11:15
1/13 EMT (Emergency Mgmt. Team) meeting 3:0 0
1/14 District Dual Language Teacher meeting - all day
1/14 U.CAN 3:00
1/15 Leadership Colleyville tours Cannon 7:45-9:15
1/16 Leadership Grapevine tours Cannon 8:00 -9:30 a.m.
1/17 PLC Week B - Kinder;5th;2nd
1/18 First Lego League Robotics team qualifier competition
1/20 Student Holiday
1/21 National Archives for NASA - Animals in Space presentation - 5th grade 8:30
1/21 Cannon hosts GCISD Champions meeting - 3:15 - library
1/23 Apple & HEB ISD tour Cannon - 8:30 -10:30
1/23 Federal Express- Packaging presentation - 2nd grade 12:00 - library
1/24 PLC Week A -3rd;4th;1st
1/27 Irving ISD & Coppell ISD tour Cannon STEM/1:1 8:30 -11:30
1/28 CEC 3:15
1/30 Standards-Based Report Card meeting - 2nd grade 3:30-4:30 -location TBD
1/31 PLC Week A - Kinder;5th;1st
Meeting Reminders From World Languages Dept.
Upcoming Dates for Elementary:
January 14: This is a required 1/2 day pull out training for all bilingual and dual language teachers. Please make sure you have secured your sub, using the sub code that was sent to you prior to the holiday break. This will replace the collaboration meeting on January 13.
January 23: ESL Collaboration Session, 3:30-5:00, PDEC
Breakout sessions from the LAST Collaboration Session included:
- Vocabulary Strategies for English Language Learning
- New technology resources were shared and explored
- New Spanish Literacy Curriculum was shared and explored
- LPAC 101 training was provided for ESL teachers
February 3,4: ESL Certification training for those who desire a face to face training session prior to taking the exam. (sign up in Eduphoria; Principal approval is required).
February 20: LPAC Party! All 3-5 teachers new to the LPAC process should come and complete assessment LPAC documentation together with on-site support. (Admin Tech Lab)
For more information, contact jodi.cox@gcisd.net
REMINDERS & UPDATES
- $$ INCENTIVE FOR CANNON @ DISTRICT SPONSORED HEALTH FAIR - GCISD,
Baylor Grapevine Regional Medical Center and the
GCISD Council of PTA’s will host a free Youth Sports, Health and Wellness Expo for our community at Cross Timbers Middle School on Saturday, January 18th - 9:00-12:30. Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine has created a Lifestyle Improvement Challenge . This health fair is the culmination event of this challenge. Our district is in the running to win $25,000! There will be a cash incentive for the GCISD elementary, middle or high school that has the most percentage of students in attendance. A school could potentially win more than 20% of the winnings! Additionally, all participating schools will receive a portion of the monies. Help promote this free event in all parent communications. Please click here to download the flyer to be included on your blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and newsletters.
- STUDENT SURVEY COMING - All GCISD students in grades 3-12 will be required to participate in the Bright Bytes: Clarity Survey to assess the impact of technology on instruction. Teachers and parents will also be given the survey. The survey will be given in January and again in May. Students in grades 3-8 will take the survey along with their MAP inJanuary and in May. Campus principals will share the link with parents when the survey goes live. Anne will send the survey link out to teachers.
- GRADE LEVEL DATA MEETINGS - All grade levels will be meeting with campus administration throughout the month of January, to review student data and progress. Each team will receive an email from Tona regarding the date/time for your grade level meeting.
TWEETS TO BRING IN 2014!
Great job tweeting about the great things going on at Cannon! Keep up the good work!
Check out some of the other staff tweets from the last week of 2013!
We are looking forward to seeing our teachers tomorrow...students have one more day before coming back to school!
Trisha Goins @heartinlife19 Dec
Last #cancubs KCAN broadcast of 2013! @tinaberumen10 pic.twitter.com/1yjtRMSBfJ
Sarah Wolter @Wolter_Sarah19 Dec
Designing catapults to launch "snowballs" @cancubs @Tonataylor pic.twitter.com/J1DtQ9OcxQ
Skype with Ft. Worth Zoo! Second grade loves Rudolph and his cousins! :) @Tonataylor @heartinlife pic.twitter.com/wFrCb5032O
Michelle Hall @Michelleh34018 Dec
Great time shopping for Santa Cops! Thanks to BigLots and GVPD for the help! @BigLots @GrapevineTXCity @cancubs pic.twitter.com/9dmQpMmt0I
Judy Hockenbrough @JHockenbrough20 Dec
2nd grade choir rocks it with Holiday songs. #cancubs @tonataylor pic.twitter.com/3udmru1RRW
Sarah ganus @SarahGanus17 Dec
Went to Main St. in Grapevine today and made interactive maps using thinglink pic.twitter.com/Y2qWbLLZKI
Denise Skinner @DeniseSki19 Dec
Designing Gingerbread Houses - Kindergarten!! pic.twitter.com/UyWecKfpSZ
Irene Boynton @ireneb201118 Dec
Kinders using Felt Board app to model and create addition problems @SftwareSmoothie #cancubs #gcisdtech http://goo.gl/TKXb07
Mandy Jackson @MrsMandyJackson19 Dec
Building candy houses with dad!! @ireneb2011 @CathaMaples @JemInigo @cancubs http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=530957474&mt=8 … pic.twitter.com/BpMmkMYopz
Denisa Marshall @denisamarshall19 Dec
The Golden Girls reading together. So sweet! @cancubs @Tonataylor pic.twitter.com/xc0gvgkoHG
Luvina Subia @SubiaLuvina20 Dec
Enjoying the Cannon sing along. @cancubs Great job Mr. Lolis!
Awesome float! #cannonpta Thanks for your dedication and long hours. #cancubs
The Land of Lollis @cannonelemmusic20 Dec
Holiday Singalong 2013 @cancubs @tonataylor @canmaestro @DFA_GCISD pic.twitter.com/SEGRXTIsCU
Melanie Place @melanie_place19 Dec
Studying geometry in third grade while making triangular stars. pic.twitter.com/yUaKHMWfOk
Megan Pettit @MeganPettit2216 Dec
Way to go @cancubs on the parade float!! You rocked it! @Tonataylor pic.twitter.com/1t0WwWbaM3
TO DO LIST
- Set a timer and turn in attendance by 9:45-10:15 daily.
- Have a productive Work Day on 1/6/14!
- Welcome back your scholars on 1/7 & kick off 2014 by engaging them in goal-setting!
- Tweet throughout the week to share the great work going on @ Cannon!