The Curriculum Chronicle
November 2018
District PD
2600 SW 9th St, Des Moines, IA 50315
I will be stationed by the elevator with my badge to allow you easier access to the third floor.
If you need an elevator from the ground floor, take a left before climbing the large staircase to the cafeteria. This elevator is always open and doesn't require badge access.
Your grade level facilitator has tailored the days discussion to meet your needs. You will be hearing from them directly with what resources you need to bring and your specific outcomes for the afternoon. I hope to stop into each team to see some of your work.
Room assignments are as follows:
ELA 6 3480
ELA 7 3200
ELA 8 3460
E1 3150
E2 3490
E3 3210
E4 3470
AP 3140
Journalism 3010
Reading 3130
Spring Novel Requests
I have extended the deadline for requests for SPRING novels until November 9th to account for any conversations during district PLC.
Please follow the procedure as outlined below so your request is processed with the large group. Individual emails for books will not be honored.
- Complete this form based on the total number needed for your PLC. Please be sure that ELL and SPED co-teachers are considered in your totals.
- Submit 1 form per novel
- If I feel I must decline a request, you will be notified by Nov. 20th
Scale Revision Form
Please continue to provide feedback about scales using the form below. We will adjust curriculum guides in the spring but a record of your thoughts captured after each unit will make this process easier.
Transfer of Materials
Novels purchased with curriculum funds should not be stored indefinitely in buildings.
When you finish the use of a novel PLEASE box and transfer them to Central Stores as quickly as possible, even if they were not bar coded. In an effort to get materials to you as soon as they were delivered, we did not bar code class sets and would still like to do so when they are returned to Central Stores.
- If you receive materials in a bar-coded plastic tub or box, PLEASE put the books back in that tub for return to the warehouse.
- If there are damaged novels that you would no longer use in your own classroom, do not send them back. It saves Bobbi time not to have to sort out damaged stock.
- Please include a copy of the transfer form, the titles and quantities included in your shipment (accurate count, minus damaged or lost materials) clearly on top of the box and is often easiest if you've moved materials to the main office or mail room.
Achieve 3000 (Achieve users only)
Nicole Tennant from Achieve 3000 will return to Des Moines for another 3 day support tour October 30-Nov. 1. Please refer to the schedule below. There is still time Tuesday morning if there is a user anywhere who would like support from Nicole. Please let me know if you would like time to meet with her.
Tuesday 10/30
8-11 Roosevelt (special education users from multiple buildings)
12-3 Orchard Place
Wednesday 10/31
8-11 Weeks
12-3 Hiatt
Thursday 11/1
8-11 McCombs
12-3 East (special education users from multiple buildings)
State and Local Outreach Opportunities:
RISE Iowa Student Learning Institute Fall Conference.
An innovative education conference, RISE provides a stage to the voice of our students with the support of our educators. This student leadership conference includes a variety of sessions including keynotes from educators and leaders from all over the country and is followed by breakout sessions in the afternoon. We welcome students of all ages throughout Iowa to come and make their voice heard in this annual student education conference.
IowaSLI's RISE Student Leadership Conference will take place from 9:00am-4:00pm on Saturday, November 10th. Register now for free. Students, educators, and community members welcome.
Iowa Water Center Essay Contest now open for High School Students
The Iowa Water Center invites students from around the state to participate in the 2019 Iowa Water Center "Spirit of the Water" Essay Contest and share how water scientists work to protect and improve our water resources. High school students 9-12th grade in Iowa are eligible to participate.
Essay winners will receive a monetary prize, receive recognition at an awards ceremony during the 2019 Iowa Water Conference in the spring, and will have their essays published in an online anthology produced by the Iowa Water Center.
Essay prizes include:
First Place: $500 cash and 4 credit hour scholarship to the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
Second Place: $300 cash and 2 credit hour scholarship to the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
Third Place: $300 cash
For this year’s contest, students will be asked to interview a water scientist located in Iowa. They will then write about the research the water scientist is conducting and how they are working to make Iowa a better place to live, work, and play in.
The judging panel includes representatives from several aspects of water and natural resource management. This year, judges will include Clare Lindahl, CEO for the Soil and Water Conservation Society, Iowa Water Center Director Richard Cruse, and Associate Director Melissa Miller.
The contest closes on January 11, 2019. Submission guidelines and more information can be found at the Iowa Water Center Website (http://www.water.iastate.edu/essaycontest). Questions regarding the contest can be directed to Hanna Bates, Program Coordinator at the Iowa Water Center (hbates@iastate.edu).
Watch a video about the contest here.
We recognize the positive impact of diversity and welcome applications from all students meeting eligibility guidelines. Persons with documented disabilities are encouraged to contact Iowa Water Center staff to make timely requests for reasonable accommodations
The Iowa Water Center: The Iowa Water Center is a federally-funded organization, part of the National Institutes of Water Resources. Located on the Iowa State University campus, it is one of 54 institutes located throughout the United States and U.S territories. The purpose of the Iowa Water Center is to identify water-related research needs, provide outreach and education opportunities, and disseminate information about Iowa’s water resources to the public to form better policies and everyday practices.
Inaugural DSM Book Festival
In an effort to constantly engage ourselves as well as our students in the culture of reading and the reading of culture, I wanted to share an upcoming opportunity to engage with local, regional, and best-selling authors. There sounds like a wealth of opportunities for our students to participate and may be a way to capture the attention of some reluctant readers.
Sounds like a real-world way to engage students in online book clubs (or mirror this in your classroom), contests, poetry slams and more!
I encourage you to check out the article and link below for more information! I'll be following this for updates as well!