Tiger Beat
Acton Weekly Update 5/3/19
Building and Curriculum Updates from Brook
Literacy Instruction Review: I've been able to get around to many more rooms lately to observe your GR tables and D5 stations. I'm seeing great things and love our progress so far! I do want to offer some gentle reminders and things to keep in mind as we finish out this school year and plan for next year.
Let's work to reduce:
- Cut and paste activities in D5 stations. How can these be more authentic practice and not as much time spent cutting and pasting.
- Packets- Worksheet driven packets are not authentic or engaging lessons for students.
- IA's sitting behind students or walking around. We want them working with students at all times.
- Grammar taught in isolation. How can we teach and review through literacy?
- Grading station work. Station work is for practice not grades.
- Limiting student choice during stations. Let them have choices!
PLEASE Refer to Jen's Coaches Corner for Work On Writing, Word Work, and Read to Self Options other than packets and worksheets.
The AWARDS Program will be here VERY SOON. Please let me know the names of the students who will be saying the pledge for your grade level and reading their Student Memories!
Don't forget to fill out our volunteer appreciation form so we can buy the correct amount of gifts for our volunteers.
May 20th is the due date for your PIVOT goals.
SATURDAY FAST FLASH!!!
Have you signed up for the Fast Flash yet! You can run or walk ( my option!) with us or with your other friends and family. It doesn't matter how you do it, JUST DO IT!!!
Please remind your students and send out reminders to parents in your newsletter or DOJO this week. www.MyFTEF.org
Coach's Corner
What a busy week we have had! Thank you to everyone for all of the time and effort put into getting our kiddos prepared and ready for this testing season. I love hearing teachers talk about how the rigor and wording of the CFA assessments helped prepare their students for what they would undertake.
Thank you to everyone who shared their input on how we can tweak our CFAs for next year. It is a work in progress that we will continue to perfect.
I am in the process of making a resource library for our IAs and Related Arts teachers so that they will have an arsenal of tools to use when they push into your rooms. I will be training them in 95%, OG, and many other resources I have made for them, that way when they come into your room their work will be intentional and effective by delivering lessons to students based on the exact skills they are struggling with. I am hoping to have the "Grand Opening" at the beginning of the next school year.
The following are great resources for Daily 5. As we do away with worksheets and packets, these videos and PowerPoints will give you plenty of ideas!
Counselor's Corner
20 Tips to Help De-escalate Interactions With Anxious or Defiant Students
Here's an excerpt:
"A common teacher response to low-level negative attention seeking is to ignore the student. The teacher doesn’t want to reward bad behavior. “I want to caution you about ignoring someone with anxiety because their anxiety goes up,” Minahan said. Ignoring an already anxious student can accidentally convey the message that the teacher doesn’t care about the student, and worse might escalate the situation. Perhaps a teacher can ignore a student tapping his pencil or banging on his desk, but threatening behavior can’t be ignored. And the student learns exactly what level of behavior he must exhibit to get attention.
TIP 1: Instead, “what you need to do is make positive attention compete better,” Minahan said. She often suggests that teachers actively engage the most difficult student at the beginning of class saying something like, “I can’t wait to see what you think of this assignment. I’m going to check on you in 5 minutes.” When the teacher actually comes back in five minutes, validates the student’s progress, and tells her another check-in is coming in ten minutes it sets up a pattern of predictable attention for positive behavior. And while it might seem unfair to take that extra time and care with one student, it ultimately saves instruction time when a teacher doesn’t have to deal with a tantrum that sends the student out of the room."
Pro-ACT Training
Training #3 Recap
BIG Ideas:
Fight, Flight or Freeze: The need to survive is instinctual. This is a normal response to threat and results in a powerful release of chemicals into the bloodstream. It reduces oxygen to the brain.
Maintaining self-control while feeling threatened is the hallmark of Professionalism.
The only way to maintain self-control is to use a set of pre-planned, personal interventions
(A self-control plan)
Critical Features of a Self Control Plan
Self-Assessment: allows you to quickly check your emotional state
Method for regaining immediate self-control: must be immediate, simple, specific, and easy to repeat
Restoration and healing: unresolved stress has long-term cumulative negative effects on the body.
Develop a self-control plan
Breathing: Look away from the student that is triggering you if possible, Smile, take 3 deep breaths
Self-talk: "I can handle this." "This too will pass."
Grounding: massage hands, spin ring, drink water
Stress and the Assault Cycle
1: Triggering Event: Sometimes we don’t know what it is causing the student to move away from baseline
2: Escalation: Kicking, throwing, hitting
3: Assault crisis: viable threat or attempt of immediate injury
4: Recovery: movement towards baseline
5: Post-crisis depression: crying, fatigue
Why is avoiding words when you or the child is stressed an important strategy?
Our brain can respond to visuals when our brain cannot take in verbal communication.
See SPED staff for visuals.
Green Triangle of Opportunity: This is the only time you are able to bring someone back to baseline. Reminder: You may need to call for help early rather than wait for the student to escalate beyond the Green Triangle.
The way to interrupt the assault cycle is Assertive Communication.
Assertive I Statements: “I” Message and 2 clear choices
Keep your classroom expectations until things are unsafe and then it has to switch to Safety expectations.
Use an "I" statement. Then you give 2 choices to meet safety.
If student is still unable to maintain safety, call for assistance.
Ohana Calendar
**ILEARN**
DIBELS EOY Benchmark
Kindergarten Registration
Monday 5/6/19-
- ILEARN 5th only and make ups
- 3:20 Emergency Drills
AM Collaboration- Team Planning
ILEARN 5th only and make ups
Dr. Stevenson Walk Through 12:00-1:00
6:30 PTO Meeting
- AM Collaboration: ProAct Training with Hillary Reid and Sarah Reaves
- ILEARN 5th only and make ups
- Sarah Calvert's Baby Shower after school
Thursday 5/9/19
- ILEARN Make Up Testing
- Student Council
- Brook @ Ctec for Interview Days
- 11:00 East Counselors Visit 5th Grade
- 3rd Grade Field Trip
Friday 5/10/19
- First Grade DIBELS coverage Day
Coming Soon:
11 FAST FLASH! @ FC
12
13 2nd grade DIBELS Coverage Day
14 AM Collaboration: Team Focus/ EOY Collaboration; Kindergarten DIBELS Coverage Day; Kindergarten Open House 6-7 PM
15 AM Collaboration: Team Focus/ EOY Collaboration;Million Minute Luau’s during RA times, Primary- WACS assessments, Turn in Class Placement lists, Textbook money and Media Center Items
16 5th grade Field Trip
17 Assembly: Indy Air Bears; 5th grade after school Jam
18
19
20 Field Day
21 Field Day Make Up Day/ EOY Celebration Practice during RA
22 Awards Day 1,2,3
23 Awards Day k,4,5, Report Cards completed in IC by Noon LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
24 Teacher Record Day-Transcripts in Cum Files and Summer letters completed, addressed and placed in mailing bundles.
FTCSC Hedgehog Focus
The Hedgehog Concept is based on an ancient Greek parable that states, "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." ... Hedgehogs, however, simplify the world and focus on a single, overarching vision, which they then achieve.