Wilson Ranger Post
May 9, 2016
STAAR Testing Next Week - Reminders
1. We will have no visitors on campus on Monday - Wednesday next week. Please let parents know they will not be able to eat lunch with their children.
2. Test administrators: Do NOT leave your manual at home. We don't have extras.
3. Please make sure your walls in the classroom and hallways are covered. When in doubt, cover it up.
4. As a reminder, we won't have specials Monday and Tuesday. We will have specials on Wednesday. Kindergarten and 5th grade will switch specials on Wednesday.
5. No recess Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday until you are notified.
6. You may NOT take learners to the gym on Monday or Tuesday morning because we will have learners testing in the music room.
7. Please enter lunch quietly on Monday and Tuesday since learners will be testing in the music room. Use the bathroom by A hall.
8. Traveling with your class: When you are traveling around the school, please avoid walking past B and C Halls and the music room. Go around by Ahall and the gym to get the the cafe and gym. Remind your learners of the expectation of silence in the hallways.
9. You may wear jeans Monday (college shirt), Tuesday (your choice), Wednesday (Wilson shirt).
10. See the email Lisa will send out with detailed info.
11. Have questions? Please ask!!!
Learner-led confernces
EOY Technology Information from the District
Returning to same campus staff:
- All desktops will be imaged. Make sure you have everything saved to the network or the cloud.
- No desktop computers should be moved for any reason. They are assigned to the room, not the staff member. Please do not unplug them.
- Please clear the area of any personal items to ensure nothing is broken. We are not responsible for personal items.
- If you are moving rooms, please take your phone with you to your new room prior to leaving for summer.
- All mobile devices should be checked in/out from the library.
- All teacher laptops should be imaged prior to leaving for summer.
Transferring staff:
- Your mobile devices (iPad/MBA) will move with you to your new campus. They will still need to be checked in/out. At your new campus, they will be transferred over in the Fall by checking in with the librarian. **Please note that MBA transfers apply to Secondary only for this year**
- You will need to turn your phone into the office secretary or library (as designated by your campus)
Non-returning staff:
- You will need to sign out of iCloud and remove it from your iPad.
- You will need to turn in all devices checked out to you. The library can run a report if you are unsure.
- You will need to turn in your phone to the office secretary or library as designated by your campus.
- You will need to ensure you have any documents, emails, etc. you might want to keep, copied to a personal location prior to your account being disabled at midnight of the last day of your contract. We will not re-enable accounts to retrieve documents.
Science from Linda Cook
The following summer professional learning opportunities are available in the district (see Eduphoria):
- June 7th - Science Comes to Life with Interactive Science Notebooks
- June 9th - Designing Science PBL Through the UbD Design Process
- June 21st - Project Wild and Aquatic Wild
- June 23rd - School Gardens 101
- July 21st - Blended Learning in the Science Classroom
The following additional summer workshops are available through Region 10:
- June 10th - L.A.N.D. Outreach - Texas Wildlife Association
- June 13-14th - K-4 Science Academy
- June 16th - Learning Science Through STEM
- June 20th - Home on the Range
- June 27th - L.A.N.D. Outreach - Texas Wildlife Association
- June 28th - Journaling and Interactive Note-Taking in Science
- July 7th - Effective Elements in Elementary Science
- July 11th - Growing Scientists from the Ground Up: Teaching Science in Grades K-2
- July 11th-12th - Making Sense of Science: Genes and Traits
- August 1st - Developing Visual Literacy
- August 31st - STAAR Solutions
Mathematics from Mary Kemper
Elementary Mathematics EOY Screener: Please ask all K-5 Mathematics Educators to have EOY screener data entered into Aware by May 20. The window closes on May 20 for all K-5 Mathematics EOY assessments. Thank you.
Classroom Strategies for Inquiry-Based Learning: This free online course from The University of Texas at Austin was shared with me by Region 10. The approximately 5-hour course runs June 1 - August 17. More information can be found here for interested educators:
Classroom Strategies for Inquiry-Based Learning
STAAR Mathematics Performance Level Descriptors: For grades 3 - Algebra I, this resource from TEA provides descriptors of knowledge and skills expected to be evidenced by students achieving each performance level of the Mathematics STAAR. These documents are now available on the TEA website here:
Language and Literacy from Heather Cato
WANTED: State Literacy Academy Trainers (for K and 1st) - In the last legislative cycle money was allocated for TEA to create literacy academies. This summer, Region 10 will host Kindergarten and 1st Grade Literacy Academies and they are looking for individuals who would be interested in being a trainer. They are still looking for superior, qualified trainers to help conduct the literacy academies, so please feel free to pass this link to anyone who may be interested. Final approval of trainers is done by TEA, but we would like to have a considerable pool of candidates. We will be sending names to TEA THIS Friday, so any interested person should fill out this information by Thursday, May 5th.