SOAR Report
Week of April 24, 2017 "D" Week for Related Arts
Wendell Phillips Vision
WHERE AND WHEN TO BE THERE!!!!
Monday, April 24
Lesson Plans due via Google Drive (9:00 am)
ISTEP Part II- ELA Make-Up Day
Tuesday, April 25
ISTEP Part II- Math Section 1
Grade K, 1 ELA PLC
Grade 2 Math PLC
Wednesday, April 26
ISTEP Part II - Math Section 2
Grade K/1 Math PLC's
Grade 2 ELA PLC
Thursday, April 27
ISTEP Part II- Math Section 3
Friday, April 28
ISTEP Part II- Science/SS Section 1
JEANS DAY!!
NEWS & NOTES
Our vision should be known by all. In breaking this down, our learning environment will be:
- Positive- set the tone in our classrooms by building relationships and reinforcing positive behavior
- Engaging- instruction will be interactive and driven by student needs. This means intentional planning through posted I CAN statements aligned to daily lessons.
- Rigorous- Our instruction needs to be challenging and aligned to standards. Deconstructing standards into skills and teaching how to apply the skills is the end game. Critical thinkers are the desired outcome.
As discussed in our staff meeting this week, our School Quality Review last week reinforced the areas we need to continue to work on in order to improve student achievement. Please click here to see the classroom observation summary for the entire building. I will share more when we receive our final report in a few weeks, as this is just one piece of the puzzle. However, it is an important piece, as it directly impacts student achievement. Now is the time to reflect and ask the question...how can I continue to improve? There are some resources aligned to this feedback in the DIY section below.
I shared our 6-5-10 goals at our staff meeting. The expectation is for us to exceed these goals and continue our growth as a building. We all play a part in this work- grade 3-6 teachers do the heavy lifting of getting students prepared for ISTEP and IREAD 3- but K-2 teachers, you are just as important, as you set the foundation. What are you doing in your class now to achieve these goals? How are you maximizing every minute of your day to continue growing your students? With 33 days left, we need to finish strong!
As a reminder about our instructional focus for April......
K-2: Guided Reading, particularly the teacher table. Emphasis will be on students spending most of their time in text, practicing fluency and answering comprehension questions. We must push our little Cardinals to grow in their reading skills to better prepare them for the upper grades!!! ELA PLC's will focus on our TRC data and how we are growing students day by day. Some resources from the Jan Richardson website are below in the DIY section below.
3-6: ISTEP Part II prep. This section accounts for close to 70% of our students total score. Emphasis on them preparing to answer multiple choice questions with multiple answers or technology enhanced items. How are we going to re-mediate and enrich our critical standards?? PLC's will focus on data and our planning for this instruction.
Long observations will continue next week. Just because we are testing does not mean we let up and relax on instruction. My expectation is that we continue to push our students daily!!!! Upon completion of your observation, I will be meeting with you to discuss feedback as well as next year's assignment and room number. All observations will be completed by May 12th and all artifacts due into SFS by May 12th. Final conferences will be held between May 12th and June 2nd. This information is on our LiveBinder in the IPS Evaluation Guidebook. Don't wait....May 12th will be here before we know it!
Painting will be continuing this week. As you have probably figured out, the multiple colors on the bottom of the wall have been replaced by a soothing red. This will be the color where there is any color on the walls. The Teacher lounge and mailroom will be painted the same color as the front office. Classrooms are slated to be painted in the summer. Thanks for the awesome job you have done keeping the kiddos off the paint!