Sipley School Weekly Howl
Week of Monday, November 7, 2016
Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way, lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley. But always, if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever have thought of, but one that will ultimately prove good for us.
Temperature Check
Over the past three weeks we felt a rise in the tension in our building. During that time, learning was coming to a close as we were preparing for end of unit assessments. During that time our own stress level increased. Less staff were hanging out in the staff lounge and less laughter was heard. We saw a rise in office discipline referrals.
I raised the thought that I felt this feeling was stemming from a realization that our students were not as prepared as we hoped, which came at the time assessments were given. In some cases, we pushed assessments back to allow us to align our work to the tasks students were being assessed on.
The growth of our staff is a journey and we need to be patient with our own growth. What guides our collective work is individual student growth and progress toward college and career readiness. We are focusing on formative assessment as a way of reaching optimal levels in both important areas. Formative assessments will take about three to five years to build mastery of, which will be applied in all subject areas.
I know that we are on the right path. Here is how I know. We are looking at ourselves based on our student's acquisition of knowledge, which we gain through various checks for understanding. We are holding ourselves accountable to our student's progress. We are engaging in conversations that require trust as individuals are seeking support, which is showing one's vulnerability as they expose their work.
As shared in our Thursday morning meeting, since the quarter ended, the temperature in our building has turned to what it was prior to the past few weeks. Staff have been in the staff lounge more and I hear laughter as I pass through. As we go as adults, our students go. Please remember that. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to our students.
Behavioral Goal - Quarter 2
Moment of Reflection
Sipley Hallway Tile
STAR Mid-Pt. Check
I am asking Kdg. - 6th grade to give students a STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading, and/or STAR Math test and use that data to determine progress in relation to ECRA projections. STAR tests should take place between November 15 - 17. AIMSweb will not be conducted.
A Glance at the Week Ahead
Monday - I will be out of the building nearly all day. I will be attending a district meeting. Rhonda can assist with any matters that need administrative support.
Tuesday - No School - Vote - Enjoy the day!
Wednesday - Grades need to be entered by 8:00 a.m. No exceptions.
Thursday - Picture Retakes
Thursday - Family Literacy Night - 6:00 - 7:30
Friday - No School - Veteran's Day - Thanks to all those that serve and have served!
Monday, November 14 - Report Cards Go Home