Bulldog Weekly Update
January 10th - January 14th
Culturally Responsive Teaching
As we think of steps to take to increase mutual respect and trust in one another, it is important to consider whether your interactions with colleagues are congenial, collegial or neither. Congenial communication is positive and supportive without addressing issues or working to identify root causes. Collegial communication recognizes the need for difficult conversations to move the needle on important areas of change. Imbued within collegial communication is the understanding that the two individuals involved are capable, responsible, and mature. It also implicitly assumes a desire on the part of both individuals or parties to problem solve and, if needed, address systemic issues that may belie any efforts to transform. This week, consider whether a congenial comment needs to be a collegial conversation. We have each other's backs. We can do this.
WIDA ACCESS TESTING
Check In & Connect Mentorship
Finding Time for Fun Amidst a Busy Week
What's In A Name?
Grade Level Assemblies
Grade Level Assemblies
Making the Most of Indoor Recreation
Making Time for Mindfulness
Information Text Reading & Writing
Notes from the Principal's Desk
The return to school proved to be a short one! Friday's snow storm brought joy to many people's faces as the trees and ground lit up with a glistening, white glow. Still, in the days preceding our snow day, things were really happening in the halls of Butler Middle School. Take a look below to learn more about what your colleagues were up to last week!
Mindful Mr. Sloth with Jill Kenny
5th - 8th grade reading groups stopped to pay attention to their mind this week. Mrs. Kenny introduced the children's book, "Mindful Mr. Sloth." Students in each of the groups thought up and shared ways they practice mindfulness, and ways in which mindfulness helps them to slow down, relax, pay attention, and stay in the moment.
Upping the Ante in Reading & Writing
Grade 6 ELA started a new unit since returning from the holiday: Informational Text. In this unit, students will develop their skills at accessing and comprehending text that includes facts and things that are real, and will use their growing understanding of text features to build background knowledge. Examples include newspapers, encyclopedias, brochures, biographies, textbooks, and how-to books.
Check In/Check Out (or Check & Connect)
Mentors and Mentees wrapped up the end of the first session this week. The first round lasted eight weeks and involved over a dozen students across grades. Mentors and Mentees met twice weekly to check in about school, life, friendships and relationships. Many worked on writing plans for achieving goals, developing positive relationships with teachers, and taking initiative to create change when and where it was desired. The CICO capstone included some beautiful Butler Pride Sweatshirts and a luncheon for the teams. The next round starts the first week of February. Thank you to Mr. Freeman, Mrs. Moody and the PBIS team for sponsoring this opportunity for the school. If you have interest in becoming a mentor, please reach out our 5th grade science teacher, Mr. Freeman.
WIDA Access Testing Taking Place This Month
ACCESS Testing is taking place at the Butler School this week. For those who don't know, ACCESS is a state assessment that evaluates an EL student's English proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking. This is important because a student's overall score is used to make instructional decisions for both mainstream ELL students and those students who receive direct ELL instruction. Comparable to the need for certain conditions during MCAS testing, quiet in the EL hallway is requested. The EL teachers will also be using the computer lab as a base for testing over the next few weeks, so that hall in particular needs to be quiet during transitions. Let's help each other out and show respect for our students who are ACCESS testing. As with our iready diagnostic, the ACCESS results have major implications for student placement and services and students need to perform their best.
Butler Bulldog Pride
5th - 8th Grades underwent a Return to School assembly hosted by the school's leadership team during Allied Arts. Each grade reconnected to key concepts regarding their education, their role in this school, and their responsibility to their peers, their community and to themselves. The assembly ended in two critical exercises that helped to solidify the information presented: 1) The Butler Bulldog Chant, which all students and staff are encouraged to commit to memory. 2) A Self-Assessment detailing what students think about themselves, how they think their teacher's perceive them, and what they can do to be a better student. The hope is to share the results of this exercise to our instructional team during PD this Wednesday!
Lunch and Recreation
Butler is lucky to have a good size gym, cafeteria and auditorium. This is especially useful on wintery or rainy days. When there is inclement weather, please listen for the notice from your administrator so you know what children will before entering the cafeteria. Please note that especially on days where we are having recess outside, students are NOT to bring their chrome books. Generally speaking, they should not have them at lunch.
Students should also bring a jacket, minimally, when we are going outside (if that is what they have with them). You see your students before they come to the cafeteria--and once they do, it is difficult to send them back to put items away or gather what is missing. Please help your students be prepared before they leave your care. 5th/6th grade lunch runs 11:44 - 12:14, 7th/8th runs 12:36 - 1:06. If children are coming to your class after their lunch or recess, be available to receive them. If part of your process is that you "pick up" students, please make sure you are arriving with a minute to spare. The morning announcements are a good place to look to get a sense of what the weather will be for the week--and point any fluctuations out to students. (And you can even get the moon phases, too!).
What's In a Name?
Stop by the 6th grade hall leading up to the cafeteria to see the art display, "What's In a Name?" Students infused a bevy of stylistic differences to design (or tag) their names. Although we often always get to choose our names, sometimes we can influence our nicknames, or we can share our preferred name, which is different than our official first and surname. Your name, and how you say it, says a lot about you. Say your name with pride, and let others know which name you like to be called. When people say your name, it should give you the sense that you are recognized and seen. We can do this for our students as well, just as this art lesson has achieved.
Q2 Report Cards
1/24/22 Ends Quarter 2. Please conference with students about their grades and be sure to connect with parents about student progress. If there is material students can make up, offer this feedback to students and families as we approach the end of quarter two.
Professional Development Day
This Wednesday, January 12th is a Professional Development Day. Students will release early from school. Please plan to be at the school until 4:00p.
Important Reminders:
Let's Stay Healthy- STUDENTS MUST WEAR MASKS AT ALL TIMES. WE HAVE AN INCREASED RATE OF COVID INFECTION IN THE COMMUNITY! In addition to following expectations for distancing in the classroom and hallways, and to providing "surgical grade" masks for children, we ask that is you are able, please wear your KN95 masks during the school day, issued by Lowell Public Schools.
Hallway Presence - Your presence in the hallways and stairwells can mean the difference between safe passage and student or teacher injury. We need all teachers and support staff, as well as administrators, to be vigilant, to call for support as needed, and to use this time to both observe and relationship build with students as they enter the building, move between classes, or dismiss at the end of the day.
Bathroom protocol: 10-minute expectation- Bathrooms will remain locked during the first and last 10 minutes of each period. Mr. Chhim and Mrs. Horm will be supporting classrooms and will not be providing additional supervision in hallways. Please make sure you have bathroom logs posted in your classroom for students to sign in and out of class when they leave your classroom. This expectation has been helpful when in place and when we need to follow up on hallway misconduct.
Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'
--Mary Anne Radmacher, American author
Week at a Glance
Monday 1/10
9:30 Operation Mtg. in the large conference room
Tuesday 1/11
- 8:30 Student Support
Wednesday 1/12
- Pool Testing Day
- Early Release PD (see early release agenda)
Thursday 1/13
Friday 1/14
- Fun FriYay! Wear your Butler Pride Gear
ILT Updates
Next Team meeting - January 19th
Check in with your grade level team representatives for more information.
RJLT
Next Team meeting - January 18th
PBIS
Next Team meeting - January 27th (Data Mtg.)
As a team, we are exploring the importance of how our school is doing which is all around us; we will be intentional at our next few meetings about locating, analyzing, and leveraging our behavioral data for school improvement. We know data comes in two forms: quantitative (the hard data of numbers) and qualitative (the soft data of stories).
Monthly Motivation
It's always great to start on an inspiring note.
Staff Birthday Shoutouts ~ January
Butler Community
Email: jmoody@lowell.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/Domain/10
Location: 1140 Gorham Street, Lowell, MA, USA
Phone: 978-937-8973
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lpsdbutler/