Spruce Scoop
Joy. Hope. Resilience.
September 23-27, 2019
Principal Taylor's Message
Greetings Timberwolves,
Greetings Timberwolves,
What a week we have had and it continued into the weekend with our Homecoming Dance. I hope everyone has had an opportunity to rejuvenate themselves. Truly felt the spirit and pride in Spruce this week!
This week scholars are taking their first common assessment. We set the tone from the moment the doors open up and how we continue to maintain that focus throughout the day. Thank you in advance for everyone in the building, being mindful of encouraging scholars throughout this week to:
- Use their strategies
- Take and maximize the time given
- Know what is being asked of them in the question
- Double check and justify answer choices
Common assessment data allows us to adjust as needed to close learning gaps. Common assessments also prepare scholars to practice testing environments and expectations.
Reflect on the predictions for CA1 student achievement - core and electives.
We want to increase our MEETS achievement to 50% or better and above 10% in Masters achievement.
We have an opportunity right here on our campus to engage in SWAG learning preparing us for the 2nd six weeks. Please see info below and sign up if you have not already. Due to SWAG our Staff Meeting will be moved to the first week of October (see Campus calendar below).
We can and will achieve we put anything we put our minds to ~ Practice, Promote, and Permit. Our intensive sweeps were effective and now we must ensure we have an sustainable process to ensure scholar accountability. We want to maintain the momentum we have created and not have the expectation erode.
I am asking for assistance from staff members to ensure we are all working toward the same goal - Positive Spruce Culture. ACTION ITEM
Culture Advisory Team
Click here if you want to be a member of this very critical team. Myself being new to Spruce, it is crucial to me that we have a team such as this to continue to elevate us. To have what we want we must contribute our time, ideas, and growth mindset and action. Thank you in advance for your consideration ~ this team will be solution and action oriented.
Staff Morale Team
Another important team of people are those that have a heart for bringing the love, fun, and laughs. Those that have the ability to rally energy through creating opportunities for us to get together in a fun environment. Click here to make your mark and lift up your fellow Timberwolves.
Thank you all for your consideration! See everyone on Monday!
Be Elite in our 20 Square Feet!
If not YOU, WHO? If not NOW, WHEN?
Kindest Regard,
F. Taylor
Proudest Principal in DISD
Common Assessment #1- Testing This Week
Spruce: Reminders
- Teachers - on your planning periods, please remain in the hallway supporting movement of scholars to class.
SWAG Sign Up
Please, core teachers, take a moment if you have not to sign up for the upcoming six weeks content review. You will need to sign up using the link above. We have many teachers who are taking advantage of SWAG. This is a professional development in which core teachers are
Compliance Videos - Due Date 10/31
- Staff meetings (Tuesdays or Wednesdays, once a month)
- Sporting Events
- Fine & Performing Events
- Campus Wide Events
- Testing Days & Campus Testing Meetings
Staff meetings are subject to change. The goals is to communicate monthly staff meetings via the calendar and to have one a month.
Week of 9/23 Highlights
- Monday - Friday - Common Assessment #1
- Tuesday - Blood Drive
- Thursday & Friday - ACT Testing Meeting
Check out the calendar to all of our awesome athletic events this week!
It is important that we recognize ALL the Excellence in Teaching occuring in all of areas of our academic programs. The highlights are on a weekly rotation throughout the year. Each content/department will be highlighted on a weekly basis.
Instructional Highlight Content/Department: English Language Arts
English I
· English I is getting down and dirty with irony. Taking ACE paragraphs and breaking them down to their roots.
· Ms. Shelstead worked on the freshman hallway with several students to make homecoming week extra peppy.
· English I continues to design lesson that include having meaningful discussions allowing the students to share their perspectives on sensitive subjects as well as silly ones.
PLC Time = Teamwork for English I
Current PLCs focus on planning out second six weeks instructional calendar as well as review their BARR lesson to help include all scholars on their road to identity.
English II
English II is off to a great start preparing students for the Common Assessment and further down the road to STAAR. Using the district curriculum, scholars are reading excerpts from African writer Chinua Achebe and American writer Richard Wright author of Native Son. Students have become familiar with Write, Pair, Share, Charting and Gallery walks. Since the stories they have read are heavily based on the authors’ personal experiences, students are finishing the six weeks with a personal narrative writing project. Graphic organizers help scholars develop their narrative, combined with learning how to write an effective introduction and conclusion. Next six weeks students will be exploring the genres of Poetry and Drama!
Catch a Timberwolf Staff member being ELITE in their 20 Square Feet, Joyful, Hopeful, Resilient, SEL Champion, or simply did or said something that was the spotlight of your day/week!
Thank you for taking a moment to highlight your fellow staff member! You made someone's day!!
Spotlight on Spruce!!!
I want to say thank you to EVERYONE who supported our scholars in having a fun Homecoming Week! It was definitely very fun to be involved with from the daily dress up opportunities, hallway decorating, Friday Pep Rally, Tailgate, Football game and Saturday night Homecoming dance.
None of this could have happened without the collective effort of the adults in the building and in all teachers being so supportive of the scholars! The scholars must feel the appreciation and the desire for them to have positive high school memories.
A very special thank you to staff members who put in countless hours to prepare for and execute this week - Ms. Walker-Reed, Ms. Gladney, Ms. Brown, Ms. Baker, Mr. Cooper, Coach Richardson, and Ms. Cameron.
Spotlight on Ms. Baker
I would like to put the spotlight on Ms. Baker for displaying an outstanding level of Joy, Hope and Resilience and for pushing through with the Class of 2020 to see all of our plans come into fruition despite dealing with the death of a close family member.
Spotlight on Ms. Boyer
I am BLOWN AWAY at the work Ms. Boyer has been doing for the freshman class. She has called more parent conferences this 6 weeks then I think we had all last year! She is monitoring attendance contracts, behavior contracts, and is TEACHING an all male leadership class! ROCKSTAR! She is constantly working to ensure all kids are successful. She is leading BARR meeting in a way that ensures we are supporting every freshman that walks through our doors. I am so thankful for Ms. Boyer’s commitment to the freshman and the support she has provided all of us as teachers!
WAIP information that is specific to an individual, team, grade, content, will be emailed directly.
Look Forward Recap
Quetza Barrera
Vertical Alignment
Ms. Reed ~ Checking for Understanding Via AGMO
Timely Feedback
Coding System
Using Coding System
Taylor Celebrates Graduate Together Scholars Participation ~ Thank you!!!
Homecoming Week Fun
Western Day
Being all out Tacky!
Homecoming Hallway Preparation
Adolfo Soto and Jennifer Delgadillo
Noel Soto and Monique Trevino
Advertising for the Lord and Prince
Spruce Home Coming Court
Our Winners~ Homecoming Queen Bre'Anna & Homecoming King Enrique
Super Tailgate! Thank you Spruce Alumni & Ms. Gladney!
Homecoming Dance!
Staff Parking in Rear
MANDATORY CLOCK IN
- Monitors & Parking Attendant: 7:30 am
- Administrators: 7:50 am
- Clerks: 8:00 am
- Teacher Assistants: Ranger 7:30, 8:00, or 8:15
- Teachers: 8:15 am
8:20 AM Duty Begins
Please be at duty post ready to go a couple minutes early so that doors are opened at 8:20am. Teamwork makes the Dream Work!!
Monthly Fire Drills
BEFORE THE DRILL:
· Review the e-mailed evacuation map for your floor;
· Review the e-mailed color-coded buddy system and find your buddy teacher/staff member; and
· Print a copy of the attendance rosters.
DURING THE DRILL:
· Use the proper stairway/exit,
· Exit the building quickly and orderly with students,
· Take attendance and ensure that all students are present once outside,
· Communicate to your buddy and person in charge of your stairwell if a student is missing, and
· Wait for the bell to ring before re-entering the building.
AFTER THE DRILL:
· Use the proper stairway/re-entry point,
· Enter the building quickly and orderly with class,
· Report DIRECTLY back to class with students,
· Take attendance and ensure that all your students returned to class, and
· Reset class and resume teaching and learning.
H. Grady Spruce High School
Located in the heart of the Pleasant Grove region of Dallas, Texas, H. Grady Spruce High School serves a diverse population of students and their families. Our neighborhood maintains a strong tradition of community, hard work, and pride. Families have made Pleasant Grove their home for generations, and many of our students can claim a legacy of Spruce alumnae that go back to the founding of the school.
H. Grady Spruce High School was built in 1963, replacing Rylie High School. The school is named for Henry Grady Spruce, a native of Omen, Texas, who earned degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Chicago. He devoted much of his 35-year YMCA career to youth, including 25 years as director of the Dallas YMCA's Camp Crockett near Granbury.
Email: frataylor@dallasisd.org
Website: https://www.dallasisd.org/spruce
Location: 9733 Old Seagoville Road, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 972-892-5500