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October 12, 2015
OUR WEEK AT WATERFORD
Data Days
LLI
2nd Grade Graphing
Writing Workshop
STI Assessments
Fire Prevention
DATES TO REMEMBER
October 12: Cluster 7"05 a.m.; Katrina Out for IPLI Cohort Meeting in the afternoon; Board Meeting 6:00 p.m.
October 13: School wide PBS Celebration; Parent/Teacher Conferences
9:00-9:30 Kindergarten and 1st Grade
9:45 – 10:15 3rd and 5th Grades
10:30 – 11:00 2nd and 4th Grades
October14: Horace Mann Loan Workshop HS Auditorium 4:00 p.m.; Anti-Bullying Day; HA Screening
October15: Parent Teacher Conferences; Anti-Bullying Day; HA Screening
October 16: Anti-Bullying Day
October 19-23: FALL BREAK
October 26: Real Men Reads Begins; Cluster 7:05 a.m., PTO 6:00 p.m.; Board Meeting 6:-00 p.m. Model Elementary
October 27: Picture Retakes and School "W" Picture; Running Club begins for 3rd/4th
October 28:
October 29: District TLT 8-10 a.m.; TLT 3:10-4:20 p.m.
October 30: Attendance Meeting 9-9:45
Thought of the Week
"SHOUT OUTS"
To Randy and Julea for leading us through our "Data Days" this week.
For all staff working hard during the "Data Days" to learn how to navigate NWEA and use the data to support student instruction and learning. You are now all officially "Data Divas" and "Data Dudes!"
The Child Study Team for working hard to develop and streamline our RTI Process. They will be sharing this during our the first half of our Nov. staff meeting. (The other half will be lead by Jama and we will be completing "Our Passions.")
Thoughts & Prayers
Randy’s mom – She received positive news that her tumors have shrunk 45%. She began a new round of chemo treatments last week and this has been the hardest one yet. She spent time in the ER last weekend. The doctor has told the family that she may need up to 12 more rounds of chemo. Please continue to pray for Randy’s mom and his family.
Pray for Linda’s mom as she continues to battle cancer.
Anti-Bullying October 14th-16th
Wednesday, October 14 Theme—Be a Buddy, not a Bully
A leadership team member has written and will read a special announcement reminding students of bully behavior and buddy/respectful behavior on morning announcements
Made and will place a poster in each classroom hallway. (Please point the posters out to your students as you use that hallway)
June has available many books if you would like to borrow one to read to your class about bullying, mean teasing, etc. June also has a word search that would be appropriate for grades 3-5, but if younger grades would like one, we might be able to create one as well) Please let her know.
Thursday, October 15 Theme—Take a Stand, Lend a Hand. Stop bullying
A leadership team member has written and will read a special announcement reminding students of the importance of reporting any bully behavior as well as encourage respectful, safe behavior
In the morning you will receive a envelop of hand cut outs for your class along with a promise. The team would like you to read the promise, and talk about what that might look like for your age group of students. If they are willing to join the leadership team in lending a hand to others, standing up against bullying by getting help for others and not bullying themselves, they would sign their name to the hand.
They would turn their hand in to you and before you put them in my mailbox by the end of the day, you would draw one hand out to receive a cup from officer Powell from the police department. Email me the name of one student from your class and put the signed hands in my mailbox. The leadership team will be putting them around the promise and commitment poster across from my office. If you have them done in the morning that would be great so some of the hundreds of hands can be put around the posters during lunch recess so not all of them need to be put up on Friday morning.
Friday, October 16 Theme—“From our Heads to our Toes, Waterford is bully free.
A leadership team member has written and will read a special announcement reminding students of the importance of a safe learning environment and the importance of everyone contributing to making it a safe place.
The leadership team will complete the lend a hand wall, please point it out to students how they represent one person but when many people are willing to lend a hand, it changes the school environment.
Kids are asked to wear “crazy hair and crazy socks” to represent the slogan chosen.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
This a great time for us to connect with our parents. It is also a wonderful opportunity to build and fortify a positive relationship between school and home.
Remember to share the NWEA assessment data with parents along with any other formative assessments you have.
PTO will provide dinner for staff on those evenings.
United Way
The United Way Campaign has begun!! Please give your donation to Jennifer by Fall Break. Remember, you may wear jeans the month of October for $1.00 a day and give your dollar a day to the United Way Campaign. (You decide whether you want to count Fall Break or not. I just appreciate you giving to a great cause!)
Additionally, for each person who donates at least $35.00, your name will be entered into a drawing for an “O Pass.” (There will be 2 “O Passes” given away! If you don’t know what an “O Pass” is, ask someone one the staff who was here last year!)
The United Way benefits our students and community and helps those who are less fortunate than us!
Let’s see if we can surpass the $2,000.00 we raised last year!
Horace Mann Student Loan Workshop
Please remember that next week, Wednesday, October 14th, GEA is sponsoring the Horace Mann Student Loan reduction workshop for all GCS employees. This will be at the GHS Auditorium at 4pm. Below, is the email for Andrea Thalheimer, please RSVP with her by this Friday so we can have an accurate count for materials. Walk-ins are welcome, but an RSVP will ensure that we will have enough materials for everyone. Also, Andrea would like you to bring some things to aid in this workshop. What those things are, I do not know. Andrea will contact all who RSVP and tell you what to bring. This workshop is not just for your student loan, but will address your children’s loan(s) as well. Also, this is not just for GEA members or just teachers, ALL are welcome.
TLT Update
Remember to please send the 3 passions that you have created your life around. For example, mine are, "Faith, Family & Leadership." I need to have these before you leave for Fall Break. You will be using them to create a "Passion Pic" during the November Staff Meeting. (Jama will be leading us through this activity.)
The TLT learned the 7 Critical Elements of a Post-Conference and how to ensure that those elements are included in each Post-Conference. We will be watching each others Post-Conferences during this window in order to help support each other and ensure that we provide the best possible experience to each of you in order to help you and your students grow!
PTO News
FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
Things coming up....
October 12-16 Fall Book Fair, open late during Parent Teacher conferences
October 13 and 15 Parent Teacher Conferences
October 26 6 pm - PTO meeting
November Rise and Roll donut fundraiser
December Polar Express Family Night
Today’s Focus: Talent
Today’s Focus: Talent
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
– Mary Lou Cook
How do you encourage and support the Talent of your team?
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New Contracts & Timeline
On Monday, September 28th GEA membership ratified the master contract for the 2015-16 school year. On Tuesday, September 29th the Board approved the agreement. We have already started working to implement this new agreement.
Our first goal is to clean up any/all errors in the current payroll system by the October 9th pay date. This way we can begin making the adjustments to the pay with an accurate foundation. The target date for including the salary increase in teacher pay is the October 23rd pay date. By the end of October, it is our goal to have written contracts out to all teachers.
One of the changes to the contract was an hourly rate increase for teachers who provide “in-house” subbing services. The rate increased from $20.48/hour to $25.00 per hour. Attached is the NEW payroll voucher to be used for in-house subbing. Please STOP using the old ones and remember to print/copy these on YELLOW paper. Thanks!
Expulsion of Students with 504 Plans
We must notify the expulsion officer if a student on a 504 plan is brought forward to an expulsion meeting, because we need to hold a manifest determination meeting first, just like a special education student. Susan, will be speaking to the counselors about this to make certain that all are informed. Thanks all!
Subs for Paraprofessionals
Although our substitute pool is a little wider and deeper this year, we are in no way “out of the woods” in terms of potential shortages. Please remind your paraprofessionals and other classified staff that they should NOT be calling Jamie UNLESS their position REQUIRES a sub for the day in their absence. Remember that this applies to those 1:1 paras or program paras that are required to implement a student’s IEP and/or program. They do not need to report their absences to Jamie. Rather, they just include that on their timesheets or in Time Force, if applicable. If a para calls in for a substitute, Jamie will do her very best to find someone, but our first priority MUST always be to provide subs for teachers first. Let Tammy know if you have a question.
Horace Mann Student Loan Reduction Workshop
Please remember that next week, Wednesday, October 14th, GEA is sponsoring the Horace Mann Student Loan reduction workshop for all GCS employees. This will be at the GHS Auditorium at 4pm. Below, is the email for Andrea Thalheimer, please RSVP with her by this Friday so we can have an accurate count for materials. Walk-ins are welcome, but an RSVP will ensure that we will have enough materials for everyone. Also, Andrea would like you to bring some things to aid in this workshop. What those things are, I do not know. Andrea will contact all who RSVP and tell you what to bring. This workshop is not just for your student loan, but will address your children’s loan(s) as well. Also, this is not just for GEA members or just teachers, ALL are welcome. If you have questions, please feel free to contact:
Scott Garvin
GEA VP
GHS Ext 2470
OR
Thalheimer, Andrea Andrea.Thalheimer@horacemann.com
eSuite HR Portal
Please share this information with your staff again: To access eSuite and paystubs, go to the GCS website under Staff Services, you will see that the first tab listed is eSuite HR Portal. When you click on that, you will find directions and other information.
About Us
Email: koverton@goshenschools.org
Website: http://waterford.goshenschools.org/
Location: 65560 S.R. 15 Goshen, IN 46526
Phone: 574-533-6811
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waterford.elementary
Twitter: @WaterfordElem