Monday Memo
Week of January 20th-24th
Greetings, CCE!
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr had an important season in our American History- a season and legacy that continues to this day. The seasons of his life were undoubtedly filled with various experiences, some of the obstacles within those seasons must have seemed almost impossible. But he filled his thoughts and actions with positivity and dreamt of hope for a better future. Dr. MLK, Jr knew that no matter what obstacles came his way during the seasons of his life his control always came in the way he chose to respond to those obstacles. There is always that choice and he chose peace, unity, acceptance, resilience, and hope.
As we celebrate another year in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reflect on what season is upon your life and chose to respond with positivity and peace. No matter what little (or Big) obstacles you may be faced with in your professional or personal lives, CHOOSE to be contagious, positive, inspiring, and grateful for all things. Know that in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, I thank you for choosing to continue to make a difference each and every day in the lives of our students. They are the hope for our future and worth every bit of what we do, thank you for being an educator!
What's Happening at CCE...
1/20: Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (Staff/Student~ No School)
1/21: HMS Counselor Visits for 5th Grade (During Specials)
Region 13 Training: Champs Training- Selected Teachers only; thank you for your
leadership with this training!
Staff Meeting: (PK-2 Teachers Only) Topic- Headsprout (Bring your Chromebooks)
Double Dave's Spirit Night, Thanks PTA! 5 PM - 8 PM
(20% of all proceeds return to our school/mention CCE when ordering)
Attendance/Truancy Meeting 101: 5-5:30 PM (Pachicano)
1/22: Awards Assembly 2nd 9 Weeks Reminder to staff about notifying parents about awards/recognitions for their students. (See Aiken's Email for Reminders)
(PK- 2nd 8:00 AM- 9:30 AM; 3rd- 5th 1:00 PM -2:30 PM)
PLCs- 4th/3rd: Rti (See Buc-ees)
ECSE Interviews AM/PM (Pachicano, Garza, Iverson)
1/23: UPDATE: PLCs 5th- RtI (See Buc-ees)
PLCs- K-2 TPRI/Tejas Lee Data Meetings- Led by GLLs (See Buc-ees)
VLK Design Committee Mtg w/Architects @ 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CCES Library)
Pre-Las Language Testing Training for DL Teachers at RES @ 3:20 PM- 4 PM
Hutto ISD School Board Meeting 6PM- 9:30 PM (Pachicano)
Other News, Reminders & Need-to-Knows
Celebrating Good Things
1/23: Colleen Qualls
Teaching & Learning: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Kid President
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: Biography for Children, American History for Kids - FreeSchool
Launching Us Off!
Teachers' Corner
Submit a story, success, aha! moment, funny, photo, announcement, etc. that you would like our CCE family all to know about. Email it to me by Friday of each week and I will put it in the next Monday Memo.
Making a Difference, it's what we do! That's a CCE thing!
[One of our community businesses was thanked for their support], As I thanked her for doing this for us every month, she stated it was the least she could do to show her appreciation for all that our campus has done for her granddaughters. Her oldest who is in 6th grade now was here last year, and she has another granddaughter in 4th grade. She mentioned how the girls went through alot in their home life and moved here from another city in Texas. They ultimately was placed with family here in Hutto. She stated she saw how this change really affected the girls until they started to attend school here and she saw how happy and taken care of they were. She said its was like night and day seeing the difference here at CCE and the girls previous school, and you can tell its a team effort from our school to show our students how much we care.
Mrs. Kozak told the family that she would share her kind words with our staff.
Mrs. Kozak says: "...it just really touched my heart. It just goes to show how much everyone's effort, love, and time really does make a difference in our student's lives. As educators, most of the time we are unaware of the life changing experience we provide until by chance you have a special conversation like this one... It just made me so proud to be part of the CCE fam and a great reminder of why we do what we do and work so hard doing it."
As we begin this week....Equality vs. Equity
Take a look at this picture. It made me think about how our students have their own individual barrier or challenge (whether it be physical, emotional, academic, or all) and when we look at it the way the image illustrates, then we have a better understanding of why some students get extra breaks, sit by the teacher, benefit from an extra snack etc.
Our goal is to always give students what they need to be successful, one size does not fit all. And that's ok, it's about meeting our kid's needs.
A Woo Hoo and Shout Out to Mrs. Pollini!
Mrs. Pollini performed with "Strings Attached" at Central Market this past Saturday. Please follow her facebook page for future performances. https://facebook.com/events/s/strings-attached-plays-the-bea/390354088399685/?ti=icl
Thank you for showcasing your talents in the community! Looking forward to seeing your performance soon!
Nomination & Survey Reminders
Positive Phone Call #2
Thinking of Recommending Retention for a Student? - What you need to know about February Teacher Conferences
What you should know~
1. Face to face conferences should be held in the spring with parents of students who teachers are concerned about either academically or behaviorally, or anyone that is in danger of being retained by March 2nd, 2020.
3. If you are contemplating retention of a student, notify your principal before it is discussed with the parent; the proper paperwork must be completed. All students being considered for retention MUST be receiving interventions.
Please schedule a time to discuss any students who you are recommending retention with your Principal. Mrs. Pachicano will share information that you need before you hold that conference with your parent.
Reminder about Food in Classrooms
Proactive Measures: Let's clean up after lunches/snacks/parties in our classrooms. While custodians do the best that they can to clean the rooms, if any food is left out, the mice and rats begin to take over the room and ultimately our campus. If you suspect a mouse is in your area/classroom, please put in a work order. This will allow them to put out traps and bait stations. Our custodial staff and district staff work hard and needs us to do our best to help avoid this pest issue. Thanks for your help in this matter!
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT COORDINATION….HES, VHES, CCES, NJES, RES
Model Classroom (3-5): Located/Available for visits at CCE (Just let Mrs. Bales know that you want to use the classroom); Feedback can be provided via survey in the room when you visit. You are encouraged to visit the room and give feedback about the furniture. Take your class and conduct a lesson, too!
Model Classroom (PK-2): Located/Available for visits at NJES (Just check in the front office at NJES/Sign-out at CCE afterschool); Feedback can be provided via survey in the front office at NJES when you visit. You are encouraged to visit any time afterschool, just sign out at CCE.
Over the summer, all classroom items will need to be stored in your permanent cabinets/any personal items need to be taken home if not able to be stored in the cabinets.
Library Spaces will be prepared and resources/books will be stored/relocated to other areas of our campus.
Our wonderful district will support our campus needs by providing boxes and labels, when needed. More information to come at that time. The future looks bright at CCE!
Federal Report Card Info
Fundraising/Soliciting by School Groups
Should I have a go-fund me or donors choose or public funds soliciting-type of wishlist as an educator?
What does policy say?
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Per our district employee handbook:
Fundraising/Soliciting by School Groups Policy CDC
No teacher, employee, student, or club of the Hutto schools shall solicit funds or sell items for profit unless prior approval has been given by the principal of the school involved and by the superintendent of the school system. The superintendent may, if she prefers, submit the requests to the school board. It is anticipated that only in rare cases will this matter be submitted to the board.
No teacher, employee, student, or club of the Hutto schools shall solicit funds through crowdfunding platforms (e.g. GoFundMe) unless prior approval has been given by the principal of the school involved and by the superintendent or her designee.
Kudos to 4th & 5th Grade Teachers & Students!!
Want to say that our teachers and students are rocking with this program! Check out the 1st Semester totals below! Keep up the work 4th & 5th!
Call for Outstanding Students Grades 4-Up
Call for Outstanding Student Nominations
Nominate your outstanding 4th-8th graders for summer 2020 Lone Star Leadership Academy camps! Participants travel to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston area to join delegations of other distinguished students from across Texas for a week of fun, learning, leadership development, and visits to significant Texas destinations. Each day participants explore notable Texas sites, learn about unique careers from professionals, and work in small groups to develop specific leadership skills. Nominees must be in 4th-8th grade, demonstrate leadership ability,maintain an 85 or higher average, and be involved in school/community activities.
Nominate your outstanding 4th-8th graders online at: http://educationinaction.org/nominate-leaders
Nomination Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2020
Nominate 10 or more students and receive a Lucy the Longhorn camp mascot plushy!
All summer camp facilitators are Texas teachers. Apply here!
Forgot to Read the Tech Tip Newsletter?
Check out the video about the tech gap that explains why we as educators need to keep up with technology to prepare our kiddos for the ever-changing (near) future in order to be successful!
Let's learn together! Reach out to Gloria Marquez or Kelly Hong to have them support where you want to go with technology in your classroom. Very cool!
Science Communications
Texas Education Agency
January 15, 2020
Greetings, Science Members.
Topics included in the bulletin:
- Science TEKS Review Survey
- Science TEKS Review Work Group Application
- Applications and Nominations for the 2020 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)
- Applications for the National Youth Science Camp (NYSC)
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Science TEKS Review Survey
The State Board of Education (SBOE) is scheduled to begin its process to review and revise the science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in January 2020. As part of this process, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will convene a series of work groups to make recommendations to the SBOE for revising the science TEKS. TEA is surveying educators to help inform the recommendations of the science work groups. We encourage you to provide your feedback regarding the current science TEKS by completing the survey.
Please note that the deadline for submitting the Science TEKS Review Survey is January 31, 2020.
The link to the science TEKS review survey is https://tea.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eXvLFKS7rztT37v.
Science TEKS Review Work Group Application
The State Board of Education will soon begin the review and revision of the K–12 science TEKS. The SBOE’s TEKS review and revision process calls for multiple, separate work groups to make recommendations to the board for revisions to the current standards. SBOE members nominate individuals, including educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and employers, to serve on TEKS review work groups.
The SBOE is now accepting applications for science TEKS review work groups. Applications received will be submitted to SBOE members for review throughout the process. Individuals selected will be asked to serve on one or more work groups. The TEKS review work groups will convene in Austin for a minimum of one face-to-face meeting. Additional meetings may be conducted via webinar.
To access the application and for more information regarding the science TEKS review, please visit the Science TEKS Review webpage at https://tea.texas.gov/academics/curriculum-standards/teks-texas-essential-knowledge-and-skills-teks-review/science-teks-review
Questions regarding the application or TEKS review process may be sent via email to teks@tea.texas.gov.
Applications and Nominations for the 2020 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)
The 2019-2020 nominations and applications for mathematics and science teachers for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program are now open. Kindergarten through grade 6 math and science teachers are eligible.
The PAEMST awards are the nation's highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science.
Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education. Since 1983, more than 4,200 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.
Presidential awardees receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States, a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. Awardees also join an active network of outstanding educators from throughout the nation.
Teachers must be signed up or nominated by March 1, 2020. In Texas, eligible teachers who submit a completed application by May 1, 2020 will receive 25 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours.
The application deadline is May 1, 2020.
Sign up to apply or nominate an educator at www.paemst.org.
For questions, contact tx_paemst@tea.texas.gov or 512-463-9581.
Applications for the National Youth Science Camp
Applications for the National Youth Science Camp (NSYC) are open. This all-expense paid camp for graduating seniors brings together talented students from all 50 states.
To be selected, a student must be a graduating high school senior. The NYSC will be held from June 22 to July 15, 2020. Students must be able to attend the entire program.
The deadline to submit applications is 5:00 PM on February 28, 2020.
Additional information is available at https://nysf.smapply.io/.
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Thank you for your commitment to serving Texas students.
Science Team, Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division irene.pickhardt@tea.texas.gov
Phone: 512-463-9581
Every child, prepared for success in college, a career or the military.
Find out more at tea.texas.gov.
Nice Job, Science Fair Winners!
The following 3-5 students will advance to regionals and STEM Nation:
5th - Caitlyn Anderson (Mr. Poe)
5th - Bethani Mackin (Mrs. Smith)
5th - Johana Barron (Mrs. Scott)
4th - Kolbie Turner (Ms. Marsh)
4th - Micah Michalek (Ms. Marsh)
4th - Emilina Cox Vazquez (Mrs. Hayes)
3rd - Natalie Hills (Mrs. Fox)
(K-2) STEM Nation only:
Blue - Kinder Chase Castillo (Mrs. Johnson)
BIG Enormous Gigantic Thank YOU to Mrs. Janda! You did it again! Mrs. Janda worked her heart out to coordinate our campus SLAM night and prepare students for science fair projects! Thank you to Mrs. Jeffers and Mrs. Marquez for judging the projects! Thank you to CCE teachers and staff for making the night exciting for our families!
Even with a cold and rainy night, we had over 170 attendants this evening! Thank you, CCE! Looking forward to an even Bigger Event Next Year!
Pies are on their way!
Blueberry Pies, Key Lime, and Pumpkin!
Next week the winners for Apple-Cran & Cookies & Cream Pies will be provided their pie!
Thank you for allowing me to share my favorite pies/recipes and working on being key ingredients for CCE's Recipe for Success!
Discipline Data Multi-Year Comparison
Thank you, Mr. Althoff, for working to enter in discipline data and responding to student needs! Thank you to the Solid Roots Team (Mrs. Sanchez, Mrs. Berry, and Mrs. Reynolds) for responding to our student needs to help proactively address behaviors before they become a referral. Thank you, Mrs. Kozak, for working with students on a daily basis! Nice!