CIA Tidbits
SHARING STRATEGIES, HELPFUL TIPS, AND MUCH MORE!
February 2020
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Introducing Our Newest CIA Team Member... April Gridler!
We are thrilled to announce April Gridler as our newest District Instructional Coach in the CIA department. April will be providing support in the areas of Math and Science.
Welcome to the team April!
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Highlight Black History Month With Text From ReadWorks
February is Black History Month! ReadWorks.org offers a wonderful selection of text (by grade level and lexile) that can be used to teach students about key historical figures as well as to support literacy. Check it out HERE!
Click HERE or on the picture below to check them out!
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Remembering Kobe Through Literacy
"Dear Basketball"- A Poem Written by Kobe Bryant to Announce His Retirement:
Clipped from: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/dear-basketball
From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you.
A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.
As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.
And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.
I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.
You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.
And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have.
And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1
Love you always,
Kobe
- analyze the poetic elements and figurative language in the poem
- have students write their own "Dear _____________________" poem or letter
- compare Kobe's poem to Michael Jordan's "Dear Basketball" letter
- have students listen to the audio version above and draw a picture that represents what they heard
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Try a 3 Act Task or a Fresh Idea from GFletchy.com
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California Healthy Youth Act Information
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Wonders Tier 2 Intervention Resources
Did you know that our Wonders curriculum includes Tier 2 Intervention resources?
**You will need to be logged into your district Google account in order to open the drive**
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Congratulations to the following classes for winning top prize at our first StoryMaker contest!
Kelly Miller - Nancy Cory
James Graves - Desert View
Monique Henderson - Jack Northrop
Jeanette Gonzales - Joshua
Shannon Richards-Swift - Disocvery
Joanelle Williams - Amargosa
Suzanne Bryant - Piute
Barbara Summey - Fulton Alsbury
Emily Johnson- Endeavour
Kristin Crees- West Wind
Joaquin Buendia - Linda Verde
Gary Keyes- LAVA
Jessica Albert- Miller
Keep up the great work StoryMakers!
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It's A Leap Year! Celebrate February 29th!
How to Celebrate Leap Year: Fun Facts and Leap Day Activities
A leap year comes around approximately once every four years; however, the leap year is special beyond the fact that it’s a rare occurrence. There are plenty of trivia tidbits and facts surrounding leap year that make this extra day extra special. And, it’s also a great opportunity to take part in some fun activities with your students. Read on for ways to enjoy February 29 to the fullest with your class.
The Reason behind the Leap Year
Every leap year features an extra day added to the end of February, giving February 29 days instead of the usual 28. This bonus day happens because there isn’t actually 365 days in a year, but rather 365.242190 days. To compensate for this extra time, an extra day needs to be added approximately every four years.
Here are some interesting trivia tidbits about leap years:
- If you’re born on February 29, you’re known as a “leaper” or a “leapling.” These are uncommon nicknames, indeed, since only people born on this rare day enjoy them.
- The ancient Egyptians were the first people who figured out their calendar didn’t actually work without a leap year added.
- February 29 became the official leap day because of the ancient Romans, who added this extra day to the Roman calendar used during the Roman Empire. Roman emperor Julius Caesar also incorporated the leap year into the calendar he created, known as the Julian calendar.
- The people of Greece believe getting married on a leap year will only bring bad luck. However, other cultures like Great Britain and Ireland believe a leap year is the time when women should ask men to get married instead of the usual custom of men asking women.
Here are some fun ways you can celebrate leap day, on February 29:
- Write a letter to yourself to be opened four years later on the next leap year.
- If you’re born on February 29, you might consider joining the Honor Society of Leap Year Babies, which offers free membership to anyone born on this special day.
- Build a “leaping” collage featuring animals that are known to leap high and far, including kangaroos, frogs, cheetahs, and lemurs.
- Read a book that has the leap year as its theme, such as The Leap Year Book by Barbara Sutton-Smith.
- Learn about the mathematics behind the leap year to give your brain a workout. (see below)
- Make a leap day time capsule.
The Math Behind Leap Year
Check out the website below to learn more about math's role in Leap Year:
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Upcoming Professional Development
Dr. Douglass Math Training Schedule
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Park View Educational Complex (PVEC) Changes and Updates
*All future trainings that were scheduled in the Phoenix Room will now be held in the Library.
There continues to be a lot of change at the Park View Educational Complex. Beginning on January 13th, the Phoenix conference room will no longer be available. All meetings/trainings that were scheduled to be held in Phoenix will now be held in the PVEC Library. This is the room directly behind Phoenix and next to the gym that sits in isolation.
Please see the map below for more details.
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Congratulations to our lucky January gift card winners!
Jeannette Sanchez (Discovery)
&
Melissa Weisz (Desert View)
Complete the Google Form below to enter February's Drawing!
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We Are CIA!
Krista Thomsen ext 301 - Director Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Sarah Schneider, ext 301 - CIA Administrative Secretary II
Connie Hobson, ext 321 - Induction Administrative Secretary I
Renee Rubio, ext 322 - Induction Facilitator
Michelle Lambeth, ext 323 - Induction Facilitator
Kristi Zenno, ext 311 - District Instructional Coach (ELA, History/Social Science, Growth Mindset)
Gina Wilson, ext 312 - District Instructional Coach (Reading Intervention, Arts Integration)
Allison Harmon, ext 314 - District Instructional Coach (MTSS and Inclusive Practices)
April Gridler, ext 313- District Instructional Coach (Math, Science/NGSS)
Janine Sciallo, ext 302 - Office Assistant
Email: CIA@lancs.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/lancsd.org/lancasterschooldistrict-cia
Location: 44327 Fig Avenue, Lancaster, CA, USA
Phone: (661) 723-0351