Wolf Weekly
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Upcoming Week(s)
- Monday, Jan. 15 - Martin Luther King Holiday (School Closed)
- Tuesday, Jan. 16 - Attendance Committee Meeting @ 9:30am (Ellen's Office)
- Tuesday, Jan. 16 - Certified Staff Meeting @ 3:15pm (Library)
- Wednesday, Jan. 17 - Safety Committee Meeting @ 7:40am (Conference Room)
- Wednesday, Jan. 17 - Nicole Will (Exec Administrator) Visit @ 11:30am
- Wednesday, Jan. 17 - Early Release Week 2 (IA Meeting) @ 2pm (Conference Room)
- Thursday, Jan. 18 - Elementary Regional Meeting (Robin Out 8am-12pm)
- Friday, Jan. 19 - PTO Family Movie Night @ 6:30pm
Future Weeks
- Attendance Committee Meeting - Tuesday, Jan. 23 @ 9:30am
- Optional Book Clubs - Tuesday, Jan. 23 @ 3:15pm
- Tier 3 Kid Chat - Wednesday, Jan. 24 @ 8am (Sped Conference Room)
- Early Release/Teacher Collaboration Week 3 - Wednesday, Jan. 24 @ 2pm
- Safety Breakfast (Robin/Ellen Out) - Thursday, Jan. 25 @ 7:30am-9:30am
- Hearing Screening for K-3 - Thursday, Jan. 25 @ 8am-12pm
- Ginny Hansmann (Chief Academic Officer) Visit - Friday, Jan. 26 @ 9:30am
- Kindergarten Field Study (Oregon Children's Theater) - Friday, Jan. 26 @ 10:30am
- Attendance Committee Meeting - Tuesday, Jan. 30 @ 9:30am
- Certified Staff Meeting - Tuesday, Jan. 30 @ 3:15pm (Library)
- All School Crew (K-5)- Wednesday, Jan. 31 @ 8:40am
- Assessment Day (No School for Students) - Friday, Feb. 2
- Report Cards Go Home - Friday, Feb. 9
Diego and MS students
Diego and Grayson
Mr. Torres talks perseverance
Diego Valeri and Perseverance
Attendance Work & Committee
Our attendance committee (Ellen, Anna, Mike, & Vicki) met this week to review data on student attendance and plan next steps for students missing 10% or more days of school so far this year (8+ days). Depending on the severity of the absences, students were sent a postcard or letter from the school reminding them about the importance of regular attendance. This includes students who have taken vacations during school days. The attendance team will meet each week to review our list of students, note any new concerns and plan interventions.
If a parent contacts you about the communication they have received, remind them that good attendance will help our children do well now and in the future.Additionally, when a student is chronically late or absent from school, they are missing valuable learning time each day. We care deeply about their student's learning, which is why we communicate with families when we have concerns about attendance.
For a reminder about Springville's attendance process, click on the link below.
NEW!! Parent Education Seminars
"Social Media & Technology: Parenting in the Technology Era"
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018 (7pm-8:30pm at Springville)
Presenter: Shawn Marshall MA, LPC (The Children's Program)
Overview: Shawn Marshall MA, LPC is a licensed professional counselor that has over twenty years of experience working with children and families. His presentation on Children/Teens and Social Media developed from the challenges that many of his clients and their families have experienced while navigating the intricacies of social media. His presentation focuses on educating parents on a variety of social media sites and explores the potential negative impacts on their children. He offers numerous recommendations to support parents, who like their children, are dealing with the ever-changing social media. He provides up-to-date information and statistics on the impact that social media has on the developing brain including sleep, academics, and physical health.
Upcoming Seminars:
- Parenting Children with Anxiety - Thursday, March 15 @ 7pm (Dr. Allan Cordova)
- Tantrums, Meltdowns, and Rage: Parenting Strategies for Calming the Storm - Date TBD @ 7pm (Dr. Ally Burr-Harris)
APAC Reflections & Learning
Ellen and I had a chance to do some reflecting on APAC meetings and our schoolwide work supporting struggling readers. Here are some learnings we came away with as well as some areas we hope to discuss more with all of you going forward:
- A clear celebration after our second round of APACs this year is that many of our struggling readers are making progress. It some cases, it is very slow, but they are moving forward. That says a great deal your work with these readers. Related to this, we heard many of you talk about the ways you are working with these readers in your classrooms.
- Some teachers identified the need for more learning in how to progress monitor readers. The current district expectation is an "active and current level" in IRLA for all students. We set the expectation in the fall that teachers would also closely monitor readers below grade level using either IRLA (which has the capacity to track skills beyond level) or an alternate tool using Fountas & Pinnell levels. Running records can also provide information about your struggling readers. We will be looking at professional learning opportunities focused on IRLA and running records.
- We had some good conversations about why progress monitoring is critical and the role of the classroom teacher. This is about knowing your readers, their individual goals, and teaching to their needs in your reading workshop. We heard the reading work that many are doing in their workshop as well as the interest from others in how to work with struggling readers during the reading workshop.
- We heard and recognize the need for more conversation and learning about intervention. This is also a topic that has come up in our Literacy Crew. It's important to note that the classroom teacher plays a critical role for struggling readers. All struggling readers need the full reading block in your classrooms with the teacher providing instruction to their needs. Some struggling readers need the reading block and time/instruction in a small group. LLI is one additional intervention that is research based that the district has provided, but it is not appropriate for all struggling readers and if it has been used with no response or change from the student, then we need to try something else. The classroom teacher needs to play a role in providing intervention and then we also look at what else the reader needs to make progress. Our goal is to look at each child individually to determine what they need to make progress.
- We heard the need for clarity around the role of the intervention teacher. The last two years, Springville had an additional .6 position from district academic funding to support ELL students in reading intervention. We did not receive that funding this school year. Additionally, the intervention teacher role was expanded four years ago from .5 to 1.0 at each elementary school to support PD for both the ELA adoption and Learning Teams. The position is not designed to work full time with students. Rather, it is designed to support a school wide intervention model that includes core instruction as well as additional supports. This means the position will support students, classroom teachers, and instructional assistants. Amy and Cynthia both work directly with students as well as support teachers and instructional assistants in interventions as well as ELA work.
Overall, we know that time together looking at student learning data makes a difference. It helps classroom teachers and specialists better understand the needs of students and how to help support them in various environments. APAC should help inform: specific instruction and interventions in the classroom, instruction in intervention groups, instruction in ESL or Sped groups, and the need for other potential resources to be considered, such as our counselor or social worker. Please let us know if you have questions as we continue our collective learning in how to best support struggling readers.
Reading Toolkits - Week 3 PD
As an option for Week 3 in January, Amy Tipelin will be offering a session at Springville on reading toolkits. Many teachers indicated interest in this on the PD survey. Below is a description of the session.
Reading Toolkits - Wednesday, Jan. 24 @ Springville
Teachers will learn ways to create resources that support small group and conferring within the reading workshop. We will study the learning progression, your current unit of study, and IRLA resources and create small group charts that reteach and scaffold support for kids on reading strategies taught within the unit of study. Leave the session with resources that you can use the next day within your small group instruction!
Please reply to Amy's email if you are interested in attending!
Coaches' Corner . . .
A few years ago, I was feeling worn out. Really worn out. I was teaching at a great school, my kids went to school with me, the commute was more than ideal, but I was losing the joy of the job. The job felt draining and negative. When I first started teaching, and worked with a few experienced teachers who were negative and crabby, I thought, “I don’t want to get like that.” So, as a new young teacher, I did what I could to widen my knowledge and experience to keep the profession fresh. Yet, here I was starting to feel negative and crabby, and worn out. Ugh. I knew part of the reason was I had been doing the same thing for awhile - same school and same grade, yet I really didn’t want to change schools because my kids were there, and I wasn’t ready to change grade levels. But, I knew something needed to change because the joy was escaping.
So, I started thinking about things a little differently. I started asking myself...
“What if the problem is me? What if I’m the one who has to change? What if I’m the one who needs a better attitude? What if I’m the one who needs to care for kids differently? What if I’m the one who needs to avoid negativity around me? What if I’m the one who needs to change how I’m teaching? What if I’m the one who affects the environment in my classroom?”
True story. I had to examine what I was doing, and make some changes. I didn’t change schools and I didn’t change grade levels. I changed how I approached things and I changed my perspective... it made all the difference.
I had to change my perspective, which meant I had to choose empathy. We talk a lot about building empathy in kids, but we sometimes forget to practice it as educators. Once I allowed myself to better understand the backgrounds of my students, their struggles, and their needs, the easier it was to empathize instead of criticize. In a sense, it was like taking back the power of teaching. When we know our students - really know them - we plan better, we teach better, and we take less things personally. We start to see behaviors less as a personal offense and more as a lack of skills.
I purposefully chose to welcome the challenging kids, like them, and not complain about them. I chose to avoid the negative talk that we educators can get wrapped up in. (Much easier to say than do!) I chose to jump back into learning professionally. I chose to have fun in my job. It’s so hard to balance the stresses of our job, but it is so necessary. Kids feel the energy from teachers. Sometimes we just need to smile a bit more! What if we start each day looking for ways to make it fun? I truly believe we need to go back to relationship based teaching where every kid feels connected, liked, and a part of the classroom community.
Was the job still hard? You bet. Did I still make mistakes and find myself joining the complaining? Unfortunately, yes. But I kept coming back to the main question, “What if it’s me?” This kept me centered on what I knew would make a difference for my students and for me.
So...some food for thought...
What are we as teachers doing to make sure every kid feels connected and liked?
What do our most challenging kids receive from us? Are they only hearing reprimands and redirections?
If my own kids were in my classroom, would I be happy as a parent? Would I know they were loved and cared for, uniquenesses and all?
What if it’s me who sets the tone?
What's one little change I can make?
Here's hoping January brings renewal and joy in your classroom!
School Board Appreciation Month
Anne Bryan is the School Board representative for Springville K-8. Many of you know her and for those who do not, Anne works tirelessly on behalf of teachers and students. She is also the School Board Chair. This requires hours of additional work to support the entire school board. These individuals are all volunteers and their contributions are significant for our school and district.
You can send Anne a quick thank you at Anne_Bryan@beaverton.k12.or.us. I know she would appreciate a word of thanks for her efforts.