Big Hollow Bugle
Big Hollow Elementary School~ May 12, 2017
YOU MATTER!!!
Check out this video for more inspiration! https://protect.stand.org/page/share/teacher-appreciation-shawn
Food Allergy Awareness Week
Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 14-20!!!
Please see this link for activities you can do with your kids! https://www.foodallergy.org/food-allergy-awareness-week#.WP5pFDw8LYU
I would highly recommend using the resources to help our students build awareness of other students' requirements and needs.
AIMS WEB TESTING
Declutter to Increase Creativity!
1. Well-Designed Classrooms Boost Student Learning
A classroom's physical learning space makes a difference in how well students learn. In this study of 27 schools in England, researchers found that improving a primary classroom’s physical design, including lighting, layout, and decorations, can improve academic performance by as much as 16 percent (although too many decorations can be a distraction).
- Barrett, P. S., Zhang, Y., Davies, F., & Barrett, L. C. (2015). Clever Classrooms: Summary report of the HEAD project. University of Salford, Manchester.
On June 6th, some time will be devoted in the Institute Day schedule to tidying up classrooms and grade level closets.
If you could focus on simplifying the environment by removing items from your classroom that are not used often, that would be most helpful! Students can easily become distracted from extra items in the environment, whether it's materials hanging on the walls, teacher supplies and materials, items hanging from the ceiling, too many visuals, etc.
In addition, please remove personal belongings from grade level closets and take items home. Shared closets should be for the housing of curriculum items and other materials provided by the school. I will be going through grade level closets over the summer to make sure we have room for new curricular items that may be purchased. If your grade level closet has old textbooks that are no longer used, please email me and set them outside of your grade level closet for pick up on 6/6.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Balanced Literacy and Guided Reading
My goal and focus for our school for next year will be the incorporation of a strong balanced literacy approach. We will be piloting ELA textbook materials from multiple publishers so that we can determine which resource we want to adopt of the 18-19 school year; however, we can all be using a more balanced literacy approach for our ELA instruction in the meantime.
Specifically, guided or small group reading provides the necessary opportunity for teachers to explicitly teach reading strategies at the students’ individual levels. The ultimate goal of guided reading is to increase reading comprehension, but guided reading also reinforces problem-solving, comprehension, and decoding. And, it provides opportunities for establishing good reading habits and strategies. The critical element, however, is the skillful teaching that helps young readers learn the effective strategies they need to become independent readers.
Although I have made many observations of your teaching, please complete this survey so that I have a better idea of the reading instruction that you are using in your classrooms on a REGULAR basis.
Thank you!
Pet Supply Drive
Please help our Girl Scout Troop, #45420 to collect some supplies for pets in need! They will be taking donations from May 10-May 31st! Please send your child to school with the items and they will be placed in donation bins. The local pet shelters could benefit from the following items:
- pet food
- treats
- toys
- paper towels
- cat litter
- bones
- leashes
- kong toys
- blankets
- towels
- beds
Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness and generosity!
VoloSportsPlex Hoe Down! :) August 6, 2017
Volo Sportsplex would like to invite Big Hollow's entire staff to the Community HoeDown on August 6th, 2017. They would like to incorporate the potential needs of Big Hollow to kick start the new school year. Some ideas are to ask visitors to bring in school supplies or new/used books to donate. They will refresh the flyer with an actual invitation and an announcement of vendors, crafts, and activities.
They'd also like to recruit any Big Hollow staff or parents offering a unique talent, hobby or craft to sell, display or offer the community. There will be direct sales, crafters and food vendors joining the HoeDown.
Parent Involvement
1. Helping during reading or math centers
2. Assisting with creation of bulletin boards
3. Sharing professional/career expertise that applies to your curriculum.
4. Die-cutting materials for classroom use
5. Classroom party support
6. Nature Center activities
7. Sharing cultural information about their families
8. Skill and drill type activities (flash cards, math fact practice, etc).
9. Help in the computer lab with Mrs. Silverblatt
It would be helpful to conduct a training for our parent volunteers at the start of next year to go over expectations, confidentiality policies, and proper workroom equipment use. I am more than willing to support you in hosting these meetings. At the start of next year we will revisit this topic.
If you have other ideas, please let me know! Thanks!
Library Check Out
EXCITING NEWS!! Please help me welcome our new staff!!!
- Jessica Coletto, current 5th grade teacher, will be joining our 4th grade team!!!
- Hannah Jacobs, a brand new teacher will be joining our 3rd grade team!!!
Are you looking for a summer job!? Please see below!
Please click here for an application to apply for one of the many positions available.
Professional Development Log/Documentation & Information Shares
Please make sure you submit your April PD logs by May 5th. :)
May logs will be due June 5th.
Thank you!
The Book Fair
Was a Huge
Success!!!
Thank you- Here's how you made my day!
Renee Holm-Thank you so much for helping out on the stage this week! You are awesome! Carrie Miller
Thank you to everyone for helping out with AIMS testing! - Michelle
Thank you to Peggy for completing MAP makeups!- Michelle
Surveys...In case you missed the opportunity to fill these out earlier this year...
Staff Environment Survey: Please share your opinions here to help me grow and make our school a better place to be! https://docs.google.com/a/bighollow.us/forms/d/1DNsdkwkr7foHYcVvUlbJlzNNuPy5UFtMaeNqV4gxMSo/edit
Save the Dates!
May 14-20- Food allergy awareness week!
May 15- Reading Committee Meeting 7:55 am
May 16- PBIS Meeting 7:55 am
May 15 & 16- Internal Review- School Improvement
May 17- Incoming 5th grade parent night- 5:30-6:30 pm MS Cafe
May 17- Last New Teacher Meeting!
May 19- 2nd Grade Field Trip to Racine Zoo
May 23 & 24- 4th Grade Camp Henry Horner Trip
May 23 & 26- MS Spanish students visit!
May 29- Memorial Day- NO SCHOOL
May 31- 8th Grade Graduation
June 1- Incoming 5th grade parent night- 6:30-7:30 pm MS Cafe
June 1/2- 4th grade transition days to Middle School
June 5- PBIS Assembly 1:30-2:30
June 5- Last Day of School
June 6- Institute Day- REPORT CARDS GO LIVE FOR PARENTS AT 3 PM
Michelle Dzik
WE NOW HAVE A BIG HOLLOW ELEMENTARY INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK PAGE!!! Instagram- @bighollowelementary
Check us out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bighollowelem
Follow Big Hollow Elementary on Twitter @bighollowelem and you can also follow me @DzikMichelle
Email: michelledzik@bighollow.us
Website: www.bighollow.us
Location: 33315 North Fish Lake Road, Ingleside, IL, United States
Phone: 8477405321
Twitter: @Bighollowelem