February 24, 2020
A Communication Tool for the Seven Hills Staff
February is for Filling Emotional Bank Accounts!
The February EBA Campaign is absolutely about more than wearing jeans. Please take time to engage in the Kindness Campaign this week!
Kindness Campaign:
- Be Kind to Yourself: Choose 7 new ways to sharpen your saw and commit to doing one each day this week.
- Be Kind to Others: Write 2 shout outs to a staff member this week...don't forget about the office team, paraprofessionals, the cafeteria staff, specials teachers, etc. All of the materials, including markers are in the metal envelope on the wall! Let's fill these boards by the end of the week! You might look at the boards to see who has not been recognized yet!
- Promote Kindness: Have you taken your student's pictures at the Kind board? Have you given students an opportunity to write on the Kindness posters for each grade level? Let parents and students know that Kindness Bingo can be turned in this week!
Fabulous February:
- Monday: Wear jeans with a shirt of your choice
- Tuesday: Professional Dress
- Wednesday: Warm and cozy Wednesday: wear warm-ups
- Thursday: Wear jeans and a 7 Hills shirt
- Friday: Wear jeans with a 7 Hills shirt
Symposium is Next Week:
Location of Program: Gym
No Specials Classes: a schedule will be created to have specials teachers rotate through each grade level to provide a conference time.
Lunches: No change in lunch times. Due to tours and tables in the gym, students will eat in the classroom.
Staff Attire: TBA...but no jeans...
Student Attire: Red Lighthouse Leader shirt (please advertise to students and parents - it was in the parent newsletter last week)
9:30 Arrive and Welcome to 7 Hills! Eaton Sapphires and 7 Hills Pom Team
9:30 - 10:00 Program, student speeches, Pom Team performance, & Kindergarten performance
10:00 - 10:45 Guided Tours
10:45 - 11:00 Open Tours
11:00 - 11:30 Student-Teacher panel and Closing Remarks
A "Synergizing for Symposium" checklist will be sent out Monday to help everyone prepare for the event. A few reminders were sent out by the Lighthouse Team last week. As you wait for the "Synergizing for Symposium" checklist, you can begin taking action on these items:
From Lighthouse Team:
1. Remember to have all of the required LIM items up in one location in your classrooms. (See attached photo)
2. Our beach and water scenes need some clean up. Think about sending students into the halls to staple and repair. (From Blackburn...As I worked this weekend, with noone in the halls...most of the hall and door scenes are looking a little ragged. These need to be cleaned up. If it is beyond repair what can be done to replace?)
3. Please update scoreboard data to reflect the most current information that your grade level has.
4. The old Leader In Me website is going bye-bye very soon! Please make sure you have created a new log in with the new site. It literally takes less than 5 minutes. Please click on the following link: https://www.leaderinme.com/users/sign-up?code=SHES2
- Enter this Registration code in the box provided: SHES2
5. STS Club posters and display for 7Hils Expo and Symposium site visit. I have some pictures of each club, but take pictures and empower a student leader to make a display highlighting your club. This will be a great way for students to show parents and caregivers how we Sharpen our Saws. There is one week to get these finished. Please make sure you are ready...If you have questions, talk to your Lighthouse Team representative or Laura or Kevyn. this is a new opportunity to showcase student leadership and opportunity to find voice...
-See the following link to add pictures and use them to make STS displays: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XbrsvSVQU-Jxpx5R-x3VdTZ47Hy8yleu
Student Practices This Week:
Please be aware that we will be pulling different student groups during Habit Huddle and at the end of the day to practice for Symposium. Thank you in advance for your flexibility.
I do not prefer this...however...expect additional communication throughout the week regarding Symposium.
Leadership Expo/Open House:
- Check out the communication shared with you last week regarding Leadership Expo... https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oJDLCUmcw-Pb82tb9ipFysMH_cOAoH2EErSLgFb8ArU/edit?usp=sharing
- Make sure your students are prepared and their WIG charts and Leadership Notebooks are ready to be shown. This is a mini student led conference opportunity. How embarrassing would it be to have students with incomplete WIG charts, messy Leadership Notebooks, etc. who were not able to speak to their goals. You can use Habit Huddle this week to prepare.
- Make sure your rooms are clean and the halls look ready for guests.
- Make sure all of the tools and resources prepared by LHT and ILT for the event are copied.
- Communicate the event to parents.
- Even though this is designed to be student driven, that does not mean the teacher isn't important. Be prepared to coach students through the student-led conference and explain the Leadership Expo to parents.
- You might consider offering a parent conference sign up sheet for interested parents.
- Open house is a good time to share the MOY student progress letters if you haven't already done so.
Trust, Relationships, & Achievement:
Have you stopped and checked your progress toward the commitments you made in January? I encourage everyone to take a few minutes this week to stop and reflect.
There are 10 days between now and Spring Break. 10 days to make a positive impact, build trust, and more the achievement scoreboard. Lauren Grady shared a great structure for reconnecting with students and building trust...the 2x10 strategy. You can read about it in the picture below. While this strategy may be familiar to many of you, I wonder how many have been intentional in putting it to use? 10 days...this strategy was made for supporting your commitments to build trust, and is perfect for the time left in this grading period! Who is willing to give it a go?
Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
From Tanya:
Benchmarks-we will have 4th grade Reading and Math benchmark next week. We will also have a 3rd grade Math benchmark next week as well..Be aware that schedules may change on these days and support staff will be involved in administering.
4th grade Reading-March 2nd
4th grade Math-March 5th
3rd grade Math-March 6th
3rd grade Reading-March 19th
From the CIT:
Text Level Assessment at the end of the Month:
The end of February is this week, so we want to make sure we are all on the same page and consistency takes place across the grade levels when administering monthly running records. Kim and Tanya came up with a great plan--please read this carefully:
If your students are reading below EOY grade level as per NISD guidelines, they should be assessed each month. (Example: if a 3rd grader is already reading level 40 and above, they do not need to be assessed. If they are reading below a 40, they do need to be tested.)
This should be a cold read. Suggested resources include the DRA progress monitoring toolkit (Molly has shared these assessments with all of you via Google Drive), the Reading A-Z running records, LLI kit running records, Rigby reader running records, etc.
You want to wait to assess your lowest readers until the end of the month to give them the most time to grow.
It is important to remember that the target changes from month to month in most grade levels.
This may feel overwhelming to you. Molly, Rachel, Kelly, Goosey, Tanya and Kim are willing to support you. You simply need to ask for help.
I have created a Google Doc sign up sheet to support teachers with this task. Many have you have already signed up, and I have been assisting. There are still some spots left open, so let me help you! I will even make copies of the running records you wish to use--just email me what level with the title to avoid a repeated assessment. Please feel free to sign up more than once, especially teachers who team. I’m here to help you! Sign up below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B2PbFi-bUk2Ajxy2-pgxeDvW9OISfXBpFMqWCm9C_no/edit?usp=sharing
Assessments this Week:
Kinder
February 28 - March 3 KMath.3.Module 7-9
3rd Grade
February 27- March 2 3Math.3.Modules 7-9
4th Grade
February 26-28 4Science.3.Earth Space
5th Grade
February 27-March 2 5Science.4.Space
February 27-March 2 5.ELA.5.CBA Stage Fright and Fear Takes
Center Stage
Upcoming Assessments:
1st Grade
March 2-4 1Math.3.Module 7-9
2nd Grade
March 3-5 2Math.3.Module 7-9
4th Grade
March 2 Reading Benchmark
March 5 Math Benchmark
5th Grade
March 4-6 5Math.3.Modules10
From the Librarian:
TAKE NOTE OF THE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES LISTED ON THE SCHEDULE and sign up your kids!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12YyxQLcg83SMeiLeayduQZrVVEmCL-ruWW08I4UywlE/edit?usp=sharing
I have books to give away for your grade level, leveled libraries. ELA teachers, stop by at your convenience.
I have been working on ordering items using funds the NEF grant the library received. Please send me topics/subjects/focus areas you know we need added to the library collection. If you have specific titles you would like to have in an audio version, I need that too. This grant can truly benefit all grade levels and readers at all levels, I just need info from you guys.
The UBC titles for the 20-21 year have been selected:
1. New Kid by Jerry Craft
2. Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go to School by Julie Falatko
3. The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
4. From an Idea to Disney by Lowey Bundy Sichol
5. Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
6. Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
7. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
8. Stay by Bobbie Pyron
From the Intervention Team:
Our EL students in grades 2 thru 5 will be administered the TELPAS Reading test this week. See the TELPAS Calendar for specific days and times. Therefore, Ms. Goosey and Mrs. Bryan’s schedule will be different. We will come and get our dyslexic groups after we are finished the TELPAS testing for the day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R2UzLGyj-PAoiuiijMWyCAguuWQF3n48/view?usp=sharing
TELPAS writing is in full swing! We have a week and a half (7 days) left to collect the 5 required writing samples.
See the TELPAS manual for all the requirements. ALL 5 writing samples are due March 3 by 3:00 to be verified by Mrs. Bryan and Ms. Goosey. You will begin to rate student writing samples when you return from Spring Break.
For students who are taking STAAR Online:
Please schedule with Mario and Rupa a day and time for them to help your students practice with STAAR Online- providing students the opportunity to practice using the tools, navigating through the test, and answering STAAR test questions. The more practice the more comfortable our students will be the day of the test. Please E-mail Mario and Rupa to schedule a day for students to start practicing for STAAR Online.
Habit Huddle Connection:
We have the opportunity to begin a new Habit cycle this week. What a gift! Are you using the paradigms of the Leader in Me and the 7 Habits in your professional and personal life? Last year, there was a powerful video and letter from Sean Covey about using the Habits to reshape or refocus your life. I hope you will take a minute to read the letter and watch the video. Remember, in order to effectively teach the 7 Habits, we must apply them to our own lives!
- Leader in Me Weekly: https://limweekly.org/reinventing-your-life-with-the-7-habits/
Each week for the next 7 weeks, I will be sharing reminders about the principles and paradigms that shape each of the Habits. I encourage everyone to read these carefully. You just might find you have a few misconceptions or misunderstandings about the habits. This clarity will help you lead your students to deeper understanding of the habits!
And remember what Sean Covey said to the audience at Global Summit...the goal isn't that we/our students are able to simply recite the habits...leaders apply the habits, model them, teach them.
LEARN IT. LIVE IT. GIVE IT!
Habit 1 Connection:
Being proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. You can't keep blaming everything on your parents or grandparents. Proactive people recognize that they are "response-able." They don't blame genetics, circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. They know they choose their behavior. Reactive people, on the other hand, are often affected by their physical environment. They find external sources to blame for their behavior. If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn't, it affects their attitude and performance, and they blame the weather.
All of these external forces act as stimuli that we respond to. Between the stimulus and the response is your greatest power--you have the freedom to choose your response. One of the most important things you choose is what you say. Your language is a good indicator of how you see yourself. A proactive person uses proactive language--I can, I will, I prefer, etc. A reactive person uses reactive language--I can't, I have to, if only. Reactive people believe they are not responsible for what they say and do--they have no choice.
Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about: health, children, or problems at work.
Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern--things over which they have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, or the weather. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our energies is a giant step in becoming proactive.
Change Your Language...Change Your Mindset:
Reminders and Announcements:
Save the Date:
PTA Fundraiser continues this week!
Note: Do not wait until the last minute to prepare for Open House/Leadership Expo and Symposium. This is our last week to make sure students and the building are ready.
Note: All staff, Monday March 2 is Synergize for Symposium. This is for all staff. It has been on the calendar all year. Please plan accordingly.
Monday, February 24:
- Kim off campus at LIM Community Coaching Day
- PTA Adventure Dash Fun Run lessons during specials
- Leadership Teams Meeting, 3:30
- Grade Level PLCs - agenda will be sent to ILT members later - and one or more teams may be videoed to support LIM Symposium Break Out Sessions
- RISE Pop-Up Shop - cash and check only
- Action Teams (rescheduled from earlier in the month - preparing for Symposium and spring events)
Wednesday, February 26:
- Accountability Teams Meeting, 3:15 - 3:45
Thursday, February 27:
- PTA Fundraiser Fun Run during specials
- NISD Expo - are our students prepared? Have parents been informed? Please take action where needed.
- Professional Learning, 3:30
Friday, February 28:
- Sharpen the Saw Clubs Round 2
- 9:00 - 10:00 Symposium Speech Practice with district and campus leadership
- Friday Night Lights
Happy Birthday to You:
Kim Guenther 2/24