COWBOY COURIER
Week of October 12, 2015

Our Values in Action
Commitment Like our awesome kindergarten team, our committed Pre-K team stayed after school Thursday to empower parents with ways in which they can support their students at home. | Respect Veronica Marmolejo models respectful behavior as she escorts the AM 3 year-old Pre-K class from lunch. It's incredible to see them learn at the same rate as their 4 year-old peers! | Sense of Urgency Lorena Gonzalez's student organization systems helps her classroom run like a well-oiled machine. Everything students need to be successful is within reach and they understand their role in the systems. |
Commitment
Respect
Commitment Nicole Rios demonstrates Indicator 2.1 of the Teacher Performance Rubric as she uses her bulletin board to connect her students' learning to the real world. | Belonging Thank you to Christian Martinez for purchasing stencils and spray paint to help our students maximize their time and quickly line up at the end of recess. She's always thinking about ways to help our campus! | Belonging Thank you to our P3 Network partner, Parish Episcopal, for inviting me to speak to their student body this week. Their high school tutors will be instrumental this year as we work towards helping our students earn distinctions. |
Commitment
Belonging

Achievement in Reading 100% of Monica Ortiz's students were caught practicing their syllables verbally and with physical movements! | Achievement in Math Arleen Averill's students know how to look at a number through three different lenses! | Achievement in Math Zia Lunden's students use all available square footage of their room to figure out some tough problems involving perimeter and area. |
Achievement in Reading
Achievement in Math
Achievement in Math Jessica Morales' students were tasked with forming a life-sized number line outside. Students were assigned random numbers from 1 to 30 and 1 to 150 and used academic language such as greater or less than to order themselves on the number line. | Closing Achievement Gaps Finished early? Demonstrating Indicator 3.1 of the Teacher Performance Rubric, Casey Smith ensures all of her students have something constructive to do if they finish early. Inside the tub, you'll find work in individual student folders. | Student Progress Kudos to Blanca Duran for consistently internalizing her Bridges lessons. She anticipates student misconceptions and knows what comes next throughout every segment of her lesson. |
Achievement in Math
Closing Achievement Gaps
Student Progress 3rd grade math and 5th grade reading teachers dove into their 1st 6 weeks interim assessment data. | Closing Achievement Gaps 3rd grade reading and 5th grade science teachers planned next steps based on their interim assessment data. | Closing Achievement Gaps 2nd grade math, kindergarten reading, and 1st grade reading worked as a team to plan for reteaching concepts during the 2nd 6 weeks. |
Student Progress
Closing Achievement Gaps
Rocktober is Rockin'!
Thank you to everyone for your commitment and teamwork during our first round of data analysis meetings. If you have not already done so, please email your 2nd 6 weeks reteach plans (per grade and content level) to all CICs and Admin. If you completed it by hand, please make hardcopies and submit them.
There are only three weeks left to view all Dallas ISD compliance videos. I first sent out links to the videos way back on July 23, so as to give you ample time to complete this task. Once you complete all videos, please submit your certificates to Mrs. Johnson. Thank you!
Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for this Thursday, October 15 from 4:00-7:30 PM. Teachers are contracted for these two extended days throughout the school year to give an opportunity for parents to come in-person to hear about their student's progress. In order to host successful conferences, please do the following:
- Have student report cards ready for parents and walk them through all components.
- Have student work samples within reach to validate students' current progress.
- Access the "Parent Teacher Conferences Resources" folder by pushing the button below. Inside, you'll find a sign-in sheet so that parents may update their contact information. You'll also find a "Teacher Comment Sheet" that will be helpful if you are departmentalized. Complete this sheet with your colleagues before conferences so that you speak with your homeroom students' parents and can relay comments on behalf of your colleagues.
- Place a few chairs outside your room so that parents are able to sit as they wait. Be cognizant of the time you are spending with each parent to ensure equity.
- Tidy your room. A well-organized and welcoming environment speaks volumes.
For students whose parents are not able to attend conferences, please send home their report card Friday and require a signature at the bottom. When you receive the signed report card, make a copy of it for you to keep and send home the original. It is advisable that you still reach out to parents by phone to inform them of their student's progress.
October has arrived and we've updated bulletin boards accordingly. Have you? This is your opportunity to update student work and be creative with the season! Don't forget to include the student learning objective for anything you post.
Many of you have asked about the Fall Festival team assignments so that you may get a head start on planning your team's carnival game. Please click on the button "Fall Festival Map" below to view your assigned team and room. I challenge you to be super creative as you think of fall and Halloween-themed carnival games! All of your families are invited and encouraged to attend as well! This is the biggest PTSA and community event of the year and it begins at 5:00 on Thursday, October 29!
Last call! If you have any student that has not shown academic or behavioral progress with the interventions you've administered thus far, please email the names of the student to Mrs. Johnson (academic) or Mrs. Rotman (behavioral). Or, if it is easier, you may fill out the form on the button below. They have compiled a list of these students and are scheduling individual RtI meetings to solidify our next steps. Everyone should either email them or complete the form below. Thank you for your sense of urgency!
Friday afternoon, we'll invite select students to brief achievement parties to celebrate them for excellent grades, high achievement on interim assessments, and perfect attendance during the 1st 6 weeks.
In celebration of National School Lunch Week this week, try one of Dallas ISD's new "Smart Boxes" -- they're really good!
Have a great week!
Staff Resources
Included in this file is the teacher comment sheet and a parent sign-in sheet.
This form is used to capture the names of students that are not showing academic or behavioral progress, despite interventions provided during the 1st 6 weeks.
Don't let Mr. Courts and Miguel Solis, our trustee, get pied in the face by Ben Dickerson (Principal of Cary MS) and their trustee, Edwin Flores! Join Cigarroa's PTSA today!
Teachers will be given the opportunity to view the questions of the ACP for the grades and subjects they teach. Registration begins Monday, September 21. The viewing is Saturday, November 7, at Adamson High School. Don't miss your chance!
Morning Routine Responsibilities
Baylor (4D)
Morning Roundup Guests
Davidson (1A)
Week at a Glance
National School Lunch Week begins today
Tuesday, October 13
Cliburn Musical Awakenings Program for 2nd-4th grades in auditorium from 10:00-10:30
Structured planning until 5:05
Wednesday, October 14
Principal For A Day guest at Cigarroa
PLCs during planning time
Thursday, October 15
Payday
Laptop distribution for select teachers from 9:00-10:00 in the library
Parent Teacher Conferences from 4:00-7:30
Friday, October 16
1st 6 weeks achievement parties
PTSA Movie Night from 5:00-7:00
On the Horizon
- Monday, October 19 is a staff development day
- Friday, October 23 is Business Day!
- After school tutoring begins Monday, October 26 from 3:00 to 4:00
- Thursday, October 29 is the Fall Festival from 5:00 to 8:00