Barber Bulletin
April 17-21, 2017
Pontiac Staff, HATS OFF TO YOU!
Here's a glimpse of the gains you and your students made in just a year's time......
Just 39.8% of students met their target growth goal in MAP math last year in 2nd grade. This year, 62.2% of our 2nd grade students met their MAP math target growth goals!
Last year in 3rd grade, only 22.2% of students met their math target growth goal. This year, 40.2% of 3rd grade students met their math target growth goal!
4th grade last year had just 20.2% of students meet their target growth goal in math. This year, 65.1% of our 4th graders met their target growth goal.
And, our 5th graders did just as well! Just 34.1% of students met their target growth goal in math in 5th grade last year. This year, 52.3% of students met their goal in math!
Our Reading percentages are just as strong!
In 2nd grade last year, 43.4% of students met their target growth goal in reading. This year, 58.2% of our 2nd graders reached their reading target growth goal.
37.8% of our 3rd grade students met their reading target growth goal last year while this year 48% of our students in 3rd grade met their reading target growth goal!
65.1% of our students in 4th grade met their reading target growth goal this year while last year only 38% of our students met their target goal in reading in 4th grade.
In 5th grade last year, 43.2% of students met their target growth goal and this year 55.6% of our 5th graders met their target growth goal!
This is alot to celebrate! We have celebrated our students and now it is time to celebrate all of YOU! The work starts when our students join us as 3 and 4 year olds and it requires relentless efforts on your part to make these kind of gains in EVERY GRADE LEVEL TESTED!
Pat yourself on the backs for a job well done! MAP ahead for celebration!
(PUN INTENDED!)
Staying Motivated after Spring Break! Derived from Classroom Hub
Returning from spring break is not just hard on the students, but the teachers as well. Whether you used your spring break for work or for fun, it’s still hard to get back into the groove and return to that normal school schedule. While many of you will be busy trying to motivate your students to get back on track, don't forget to think about your own needs. Here are a few ways you can stay motivated after spring break.
Spring Break: Create Attainable Goals
There is nothing more satisfying then creating a goal and reaching it. Whether it’s to spring clean your classroom or get through state testing, make sure that you set a goal and stick to it. Once you achieve your goal, you will feel motivated to set another one and another one. Then, before you know it the school year will be over. Remember to start small then work your way up to more complex goals.
Keep Healthy
You may have overindulged a bit over spring break, and that’s OK, but now that it’s over it’s time to keep healthy. Eating the rights foods and getting enough exercise will help you stay focused at work and make you feel more energized to accomplish all of your goals.
Don’t Procrastinate
The first few weeks back from spring break you may feel sluggish and feel like your feet are dragging. Instead of procrastinating on the important things that you need to get down, move forward and get those things done.
Keep Your Routine
If you are used to grading papers every Thursday after school, then continue to do so. Don’t change things up just because it’s getting close to the end of the school year. If this is what you are used to doing, then do it. You won’t even have to think twice about your daily routine and school will be over before you now it.
Get Enough Sleep
So maybe you had a couple of late nights over spring break and because of that you just can’t seem to get back into a regular sleep routine. Sleep is everything, and if you want to stay focused on your job, then you need a lot of it. This means getting the proper amount of sleep each night. Get the recommended amount of sleep each night and your body and mind will thank you for it.
Get Inspired
Think about what inspires you and makes you happy. Go outside with your students during the day to get fresh air. Go take that yoga class that you have always wanted to try or take that online class that you have been eyeing up. Find what inspires you to help you get through the rest of the school year happy.
Get Organized
If you weren’t organized already, then now is the time to get organized. Teaching around a mass amount of clutter is not healthy for you and your students. Clutter equals stress, and that is not motivating. When you are organized then you always know where is, because everything always has a proper place. You will much more motivated to work and teach when your classroom as well as your stuff is organized.
Be Mindful
Learn to live in the moment and use your mind to control your negative thoughts. This will help quiet your mind and focus your thoughts. Take some time each day to just sit and breathe. This will help relax you and help you focus. By doing this each day for a few minutes you can increase your memory and attention span. When you are relaxed, then you are more apt to be motivated.
Stay Positive
Keeping a positive attitude towards your work and your students will only help motivate you to survive the school year. Approaching everything that you do in life with a positive attitude will help motivate you to do your best.
While it may have been hard to say goodbye to the beaches, sun and fun of spring break. Just remember that you only have a few more months of the school year left to go. Try and do use the strategies listed above to help you stay motivated until the end of the school year.
Create a problem-solving space in your classroom!
Love to see students innovate? This session, Maker Environment and Intentional use of Gadgets to promote inquiry, will guide you through the startup process for turning a space in your school into a space where problems can be solved. You will learn how some schools are changing their space to serve the needs of the innovative.
Make space for your prototype of the kind of learning environment that all classrooms must be in the future. Please note, this is a much more strategic process than just adding furniture.
Register in PD Express...
- April 25th, 9-12
- Located at R2i2, room 204,
- Training conducted by Cynthia Johnson, Jennifer Lanier, Lorena Swetnam
Teacher Appreciation Baseball tickets
We are excited to announce Teacher Appreciation Day at the Gamecock Baseball Game on April 29th vs. Kentucky at 4pm!
South Carolina Athletics would like to thank all school teachers and staff for their hard work by offering a discounted $5 ticket to the Gamecock Baseball game on April 29th. The discount is available for you and your guests to enjoy a day at Founders Park:
Teachers and staff members can purchase here: https://www.fevo.com/edp/Gamecock-Baseball-vs-Kentucky:-Teacher-Appreciation-Day-wje4lWbo
For more information on Gamecock Baseball tickets and assistance ordering Teacher Appreciation day tickets contact Blake Woodward at (803) 777-7318 or via email at woodwar8@mailbox.sc.edu.
Teachers in the Workplace Internship
The Teachers in the Workplace internship exposes the educator to the business world. The internship will show educators how to connect work-based learning experiences to school-based learning. The internship will allow the educator an opportunity to examine the relationship between business and industry and the school setting and how to assist students to make the transition from student learner to valuable employee.
The purpose of the “Teachers in the Workplace” internship is to afford educators the opportunity to explore in-depth, the real workplace. This internship is an opportunity for educators to learn the current business technology and interpersonal skills used in the workplace. The educator should plan to spend 40 working hours, on site, in a local industry, under a qualified on-site supervisor.
The internship is offered for re-certification credit only. (45 contact hours) Let K.Barber know if you are interested in the application form! Deadline to apply is April 28, 2017
A LOOK AT OUR WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY:
3:30pm Staff meeting
TUESDAY:
7:30am PLAY book study
Pelicans Pontiac Family Day! Please promote this in your classrooms! A portion of the proceeds supports our PTO.
3:00pm Green Steps meeting
WEDNESDAY:
K.Barber at Key Leaders meeting at R2i2
3:30pm LightHouse meeting
THURSDAY:
Child Development field study to Sandhills Library
PURPLE UP to honor military kids!
SPECIAL OLYMPICS Spring games at Westwood High School
Richland County Education Association rep available in small conference room
7:45am School Improvement Council meeting
FRIDAY:
2nd grade field study to the zoo
5th grade field study to Charleston
1:45pm Montessori Community meeting
MAP CELEBRATION FOR ALL STAFF! INVITATION COMING SOON!
SAVE THE AFTERNOON IF YOU CAN!
DISTRICT IS HOSTING A RETIREMENT Q and A for those interested!
This event will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2017 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Richland Two Institute of Innovation (R2i2): Are you within a few years of retirement eligibility? Do you have questions or want to hear more about retirement? If so, you'll want to attend our retirement meeting. Please join us for an informal Q&A session discussing SC Retirement Systems and retiree insurance benefits. Please access the sign-up sheet by clicking on this link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ujvygmNj4OQFLUFWscm21QaeYzsN-h95WRKos5WWOHo/edit#gid=0