Birdneck Briefing
Week of May 29st
Upcoming Dates and Events Week of May 29, 2018
Upcoming Events
May 29 - Grade 4 SOL Math day 1
May 30 - Grade 4 SOL Math day 2
May 31 - Birdneck Staff Meeting 3:00 Cafeteria
May 31 - Grade 3 SOL Math day 1
June 1 - Grade 3 SOL Math day 2
June 1 - PreK Pink/Blue Cards 12:15
SOL Schedule
May 15 - 4th grade reading part 1
May 16 - 4th grade reading part 2
May 17 - 3rd grade reading part 1
May 18 - 3rd grade reading part 2
May 21 - 5th grade reading part 1
May 22 - 5th grade reading part 2
May 23 - 5th grade math part 1
May 24 - 5th grade math part 2
May 28 - Memorial Day - No School
May 29 - 4th grade math part 1
May 30 - 4th grade math part 2
May 31 - 3rd grade math part 1
June 1 - 3rd grade math part 2
June 5 - 5th grade science
June 6 - 5th grade Virginia studies
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Birdneck Family,
3 Weeks left! You've done a fantastic job this year! Thank you all for continuing to focus on SOAR behaviors and reminding students what the correct behaviors are. We are beginning our process for creating classes for next year. On Friday we will be sharing our tentative plans for general education teacher assignments for the 2018-19 school year. Special education and teaching assistant assignments will be shared closer to the end of the school year.
The last day for specials will be Wednesday June 13. Please reply to Mrs. Jordan as soon as possible to let us know when your grade levels are celebrating the end of the year and when you are doing your grade level/classroom awards.
Captain Out,
RV Yoshida
Finish Strong
DATE: May 24, 2018
The division expectation that the VBCPS Teaching and Learning Framework drive instructional practices in every classroom, every day. As the Framework calls for, daily experiences should include: clearly designed standards-based learning targets, well planned standards aligned instruction, and opportunities that maximize student engagement. As the school year draws to a close and many instructional units have been completed, teachers are encouraged to utilize instructional time to engage students in inquiry based learning experiences that integrate content and foster the 5 Cs. Teachers may wish to utilize the many curricular embedded suggestions and resources for performance tasks and Problem Based Learning. Please contact the departments of Teaching and Learning or School Leadership with any questions or for assistance.
In the past, parent calls have expressed concern that students "watch videos" or "just play" the days after testing is completed. These final school days should be productive learning days for students. We can use current testing data to begin remediation this year to fill in gaps student may have. Again, do not hesitate to contact the departments of Teaching and Learning or School Leadership should you need any recommendations for teachers and/or students.
Student Placements
-RV
Shout Outs!
If you would like to give a SHOUT OUT to a colleague, it is as simple as sending an email to RV to be added to our Shout Outs each week!
Shout out to Tim for cheering up a student that was sitting alone and not participating in field day! He took the time to sit with him and get him back on track with his classmates.
Shout out to everyone helping with SOL Testing and supporting our students with tutoring, proctoring, and administering for the tests.
Thanks for all of your Shout outs this week!!!!!!!!!
“We realize the marks we leave in life
Aren’t made of stone or steel
But rather of the lives we’ve touched
And how we make folks feel”.
-Mark Sanborn
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers
JUNE 18, 2018 FLEX DAY
The flex day applies only to the following group of employees:
All teachers whose schedule ends June 18, Teacher assistants, ISS coordinators, and library media assistants
•Security assistants are not eligible because of security needs of the building.
•Eligible employees who do not choose to make use of the flex day and do not wish to report June 18 may choose to take personal reasons leave with approval of the building principal.
Title I Summer Conference August 15th
Achieve 3000 End of Year Procedures.
The purpose of this memo is to provide administrators and instructional staff with information regarding the end-of-year procedures for Achieve 3000. The Post LevelSet assessment is no longer necessary for the resource. Teachers should continue to use Achieve 3000 as an instructional tool as detailed in the curriculum for the remainder of the school year as students’ multiple choice activities will continue to be evaluated for automatic monthly Lexile adjustment.
If you have any questions, please contact Nicole DeVries, administrative coordinator for the Department of Teaching and Learning, by email at Nicole.DeVries@vbschools.com
2018-2019 ESSENTIAL SESSIONS-TRANSFORMING MATHEMATICS THROUGH COMPUTATIONAL FLUENCY
The purpose of this memorandum is to highlight one of the essential division-wide Professional Learning Program (PLP) classes required for all elementary school teachers. The Department of Teaching and Learning will develop an essential two-hour online course through Schoology that will provide elementary teachers an opportunity to learn strategies to further implement effective instructional and assessment practices needed to build computational fluent students. TRANSFORMING MATHEMATICS THROUGH COMPUTATIONAL FLUENCY
Computational fluency refers to having flexible, efficient and accurate methods for computing. Students exhibit computational fluency when they demonstrate strategic thinking and flexibility in the computational methods they choose, understand and can explain and produce accurate answers efficiently. Math specialists will receive license renewal points by monitoring progress for teachers within their respective buildings.
The essential PLP session will not have a make-up date because it will be a course in Schoology where teachers will be responsible for submitting all necessary coursework in order to receive license renewal points. The final submission date is April 5, 2019.
END-OF-YEAR DATE FOR LIBRARY MEDIA SERVICES
Friday, June 1 has been identified as the final date for circulation of library materials to students. This will allow the library media staff sufficient time to retrieve books and other items checked out by students and complete necessary end-of-year library processes.
The following library media services will be provided through the last day of school:
•The library media centers will remain open for instruction, including lessonsled by the library media specialist or other instructional personnel. Also, they will remain open for students to work in small groups or individually to complete assignments
•All print resources and equipment will remain available for faculty use. Circulation for faculty will continue until the last day of school, Friday, June 15.
National Board Certification
The purpose of this memo is to provide information on opportunities for current National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification. The National Board Certification process is a rigorous professional learning endeavor reflecting both achievement in content knowledge and teaching practice. The Office of Professional Growth and Innovation is pleased to provide a support program designed to promote and assist candidates seeking certification, and NBCTs are needed to serve as role models by sharing their expertise and enthusiasm as Candidate Support Providers or Ambassadors.
The National Board Certification process is a professional growth opportunity that lends itself to collaboration with other professionals. The Candidate Support Provider (CSP) is a teacher who has successfully been through the process and has knowledge of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. CSPs will be paid a stipend based on the hours reported on the NBCT CSP Log in Frontline for time leading collaboration with candidates. Responsibilities of the CSP include but are not limited to the following:
-Scheduling, designing and facilitating individual or small-group collaboration meetingswith candidates that promote thoughtful reflection in the development of the NationalBoard Certification components.
-Becoming familiar with the component directions and rubrics in order to guidecandidate(s) to describe, analyze and reflect on teaching and learning.
-Demonstrating professionalism and integrity, especially in terms of maintainingconfidentiality and following ethical guidelines.
Current NBCTs interested in serving as a CSP must first complete a Candidate Support Provider Interest Survey form, which includes a principal recommendation. This may be found on the Forms menu on vbcps.com, under Professional Growth and Innovation.
COLLEGE AND CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES
Tuesday, May 29, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Plaza Annex PDC
For employees of
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Sponsored by the school division’s
Office of Professional Growth and Innovation
The Office of Professional Growth and Innovation for Virginia Beach City Public Schools will host the second annual College and Continuing Education Information Program for employees Tuesday, May 29. This event will be held at the Plaza Annex Professional Development Center, located at 641 Carriage Hill Road, Virginia Beach, from 6-8 p.m.
This event will provide all employees an opportunity to visit with multiple universities and colleges to learn more about available face-to-face and online degree programs, continuing education courses and certification programs/classes.
Please share the attached flyer with your staff. An up-to-date listing of participating schools will be posted on the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation's page on the intranet. If employees have questions or concerns, please ask that they contact Dr. Paulette C. France, coordinator in the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation, at 263-6952 or by email at Paulette.France@vbschools.com. Thank you. Attachment jkg ec: Aaron C. Spence, Ed.D., Superintendent
Marc A.
Digital Learning Summit
As you begin to make plans for summer 2018, please be aware of the dates for the Digital Learning Summer Summit for Teachers (DLSS). The DLSS consists of 4 days of professional learning available to all school division staff, with most sections targeted for teachers. Information regarding these learning opportunities will be conveyed later in the school year. This will be a great opportunity to support our growth as we continue to move to a one-to-one school.
Make sure to sign up in FrontLine! You must sign up for each day that you wish to attend.
Your ITS Nick Dzendel is on the committee for this event, please see him for extra details.
SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF K-12 COMPUTER SCIENCE FRAMEWORK
The Department of Teaching and Learning is seeking highly qualified teachers, principals, administrators, content specialist or others who are available to serve on committees to aid in developing the K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Framework. Committee members will participate in four meetings in Richmond, Virginia, as well as attend virtual meetings to develop curriculum framework documents.
All individuals who wish to serve on one of the Computer Science Curriculum Framework committees must submit an application through the web-based process, Instruction Committee Application Processing System (ICAPS). The application will require a professional reference and division approval.
The deadline to apply to the K-12 Curriculum Framework Committee is May 31. For more information, including details on how to apply, please go to:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2018/083-18.shtml.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact G. Thomas Coker, secondary mathematics coordinator, at 263-1044 or via email at George.Coker@vbschools.com, or Molly Lewis, elementary social studies coordinator, at 263-1020 or via email at Molly.Lewis@vbschools.com.
Thank you.
Literacy Folders
Schools shall maintain an early skills and knowledge achievement record in reading and mathematics for each student in grades kindergarten through grade 3 to monitor student progress and to promote successful achievement on the third grade SOL tests. This record shall be included with the student's records if the student transfers to a new school." The folders are required for all K-5 students in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS). Please note, the standards-based grading report card serves as the achievement record in mathematics for each student.
As a reminder, the folders have a table on the front in which teachers should record the student's annual Spring DRA2 instructional level score. The Spring DRA2 and a spring writing sample should be stored in the literacy folder. For fourth- and fifth-grade students who are reading on or above grade level, their most current DRA2 should be stored in the folder. Teachers will place a checkmark in the table after inserting the spring writing sample, indicating the writing piece has been included in the folder.
The literacy folder and table will provide evidence of literacy performance through the elementary grade levels. In addition, data from the literacy folder will assist teachers in planning instruction at the beginning of each school year to meet students' needs and begin small group reading instruction prior to the completion of the Fall DRA2 administration. The folder will remain in the cumulative file when a student transfers to another school within VBCPS; this includes students progressing from elementary to middle school. If additional folders for incoming kindergarten students, as well as any extras for new students, are needed, please place an order through School Dude. Questions may be directed to Abigail Dougherty, elementary language arts coordinator, at 263-1144 or emailed to Abigail.Dougherty@vbschools.com. Thank you.
PBIS updates
Hello Birdneck Eagles!
The purpose of this memo is to provide information regarding the process for implementing and sustaining PBIS for the 2018-2019 school year for Cohorts 1, 2, 3 ( We are Cohort 3) and 4.
For 2018-2019, coaching support and professional learning opportunities will be provided for all cohorts. As each cohort is within varying stages of implementation and/or sustaining PBIS, the level of coaching and support will be differentiated. Cohort 1 will have access to PBIS coaching support as needed. Professional learning for Cohort 1 will be site-based and developed in collaboration with PBIS coaches to meet the needs of staff as they work to sustain PBIS with fidelity in their building. Cohort 2 will have continued coaching support with division-sponsored training focused on additional tiers and sustaining. Cohort 3 will have continued coaching support with division-sponsored training on continuing with implementation and moving towards sustaining. Cohort 4 will have a higher level of PBIS coaching support and division-sponsored training involving readiness and initial implementation.
Cohort 2, 3 and 4 principals will attend professional learning with their PBIS Leadership Team. Substitutes will be provided by the Department of Teaching and Learning. PBIS Leadership Team members will be able to register in Frontline starting June 1, with license renewal points being provided.
As mentioned before, all cohorts will continue to be supported by the division PBIS coaching team. Coaches will communicate with their assigned schools in August to begin developing a plan for assisting each school with implementing and sustaining the PBIS framework with fidelity. Coaches will continue to be a resource for PBIS schools and will provide varying levels of coaching support as needed.
Go Eagles!
-Your PBIS Team
Thank you for all that you continue to do to support our students.
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
The mission of Birdneck Elementary is to dedicate ourselves to the success of all children, preparing them to meet today's expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
BIRDNECK VISION
Children are our future. We are dedicated to their success.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120