MoB (Matters of Business)
Edgewood's Weekly Staff Update for the week of 9/24/18
We are committed to the journey of developing EACH child to be an inspired learner and a caring, contributing citizen.
Learning Notes
#1
Rationale: Multiple reflections last year showed that in order for our students to be set meaningful learning goals and be self-directed, we needed to get clearer with our outcomes, assessment, and feedback. This goal is aimed at doing that.
Goal: We will upgrade our use of learning targets, common assessments, and feedback which will ultimately result in instruction that supports the development of self-directed learners.
Chunks of the Work:
- Collaborative Teams--Identifying critical learning in each grade level and unit (promise standards and essential standards), developing common formative assessments, and re-teaching and re-assessing those standards until mastery.
- Staff Learning Around Assessments & Feedback: How can we use the assessments we create to provide feedback that drives learning? (Article clubs, some staff meetings)
- Using Tiger Time and small groups more fluidly and responsively to support student mastery of promise standards and essential unit standards.
How will we know if we've met our goal?:
- We'll see an increase in our staff perceptions of meeting the needs of each learner (Staff Climate Survey)
- Data of students who've met promise and essential standards throughout the year
- --> Increased achievement on assessments like the Forward exam
#2
Rationale: We want to work smarter. Our district is focusing on performance tasks and grafting. As collaborative teams, we want to be focusing on clarity around learning outcomes and common assessments. Our scores indicate that many of our students could use a heavy focus on critical thinking.
Goal: Students will develop their critical thinking skills by engaging in at least one authentic grafted performance task (assessment can mean observed performance).
Chunks of Work:
- Learn about grafting performance tasks (District-wide work--1/2 done)
- Attempt #1 (approximations welcome) done by 10/25 (District-wide PD)
- Learn about critical thinking continua (10/25--District-wide)
- Create & administer one with team (Nov-May)
- Share with one another
How will we know if we've met our goal?
We'll each have developed, administered, and scored at least one performance task in which critical thinking is assessed using the district's continua.
#3
Rationale: Conversations with SLAIT and our surveys indicated that we needed would benefit from back to basics. Respect is one of our core values, but we haven't focused on it explicitly in several years. Our staff culture is the soil from which our students grow, so the work begins with our commitments to one another and our students.
Goal: Committing to our mission, we will improve our school climate by explicitly teaching, modeling, and reinforcement of respectful interactions/behaviors.
Chunks of the work:
- Re-write our school's mission, vision, and collective commitments (DONE)
- Create a problem-solving strategy (Stay Classy Lemonade) (DONE)
- Explicitly teach and reinforce respectful behaviors with students (ONGOING)
- Live out our mission and commitments (ONGOING...and particularly important in February)
How will we know if we've met our goal?
If we've met our goal, we'll see increases (moving from agree to STRONGLY AGREEs) on our staff survey in the areas related to staff culture and student behavior.
TCB (Taking Care of Business)
- The STAR window opens 9/17. Please aim to have tested your students before our first data days (10/2--2nd and 5th, 10/3--1st and 3rd, 10/4--4th and 5K). Please log in and check your roster. If you do not have a login, or if there are errors in your roster, email jczubkowski@greenfield.k12.wi.us.
- Please submit PPGs and SLOs to me electronically (via shared google docs). Please give me commenting rights.
- 3rd-5th grade teachers, do you have a student that excels in writing? As in years past, we have an opportunity to send 2 students to the Art of Writing Conference. Please let me know if you think you have a student who would benefit.
Fire Safety Day
ELL Tip of the Week
Check out the ELL tip of the week!
video time: 4:48
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/think-pair-share-lesson-idea
Staff Shout Outs to...
Shout out to John for the way he has taken on 4K. The kids are so excited when they gym on the schedule. John has a great way with them (even if he doesn't feel like he does)
To Joe for hanging up coat hooks and baskets in the staff bathrooms for stuff. Jegier no longer has to put her Arby's sandwich in her mailbox!
Thank you to Meg, Jackie, Sarah, Jenna, Diane, Bryan, Sue S., and everyone who has interrupted their days to support me during this bumpy start to the year. Clearly, it takes a village. :) -Rebecca
Thanks to Crystal and all of her support! I couldn't do it without you! Thanks also to Meg for realizing the high needs in kindergarten and supporting us 110%.
Shout out to everyone! I appreciate everyone's help in getting me ready to be successful in 2nd grade. --Jenny Steiner
Shout out to Hannis and Lepine for helping set up my 4K library!!!!!
To Diane for supporting me through this transition. And to all our paras for stepping in and helping with anything at anytime. --Nicki
Shout out to Jodi Wilde for helping me with checking books out to my 5th graders while Raji was gone!
To Rebecca Perkins and Sarah Jegier for always trying to be solution-focused and working hard to help a couple students who have had challenges, be successful.
To Lisa Haut for her positivity and excitement for learning new things.
To Mireille Hess and Lori Paulus for taking a risk and envisioning a new way of reporting out to help promote student ownership over their learning.
Upcoming Dates
9/22: EHSA Back to School Picnic @ Konkel, 11am-2pm
9/25: 5th Grade Brainstorming Meeting, 7:40-8:25
9/26: Staff Meeting: Defining & Refining our Focus on Respect, 7:40-8:25
9/28: Fire Safety Day
9/28: Assembly, 2:30
9/28: PPGs and SLOs due to Meg for review
Next Week:
10/2: 4th Grade Brainstorming Meeting, 7:40-8:25
10/2--2nd (AM) and 5th (PM) Data Day
10/3: Staff Collaborative Team Meetings, Learning Commons (7:35-8:25)
10/3--1st (AM) and 3rd (PM) Data Day
10/4--5K (AM) and 4th (PM) Data Day
10/5: SOTM (Student of the Month) Breakfast, 8-8:30 am in the Learning Commons
10/5: Buddy Bonding
Other Upcoming Dates
10/18: Early Release, Parent Teacher Conferences
10/24: Parent Teacher Conferences
10/25: Professional Learning Day
10/26: Fall Break, No School
10/31: Storybook Character Day