West Goshen News
December 4, 2015
Cluster learning carrying over...
Karen went into a kindergarten room and heard the teacher tell the students to turn and give academic feedback to each other. They used the criteria guide to do this. They talked to one another about what needed to be included in their work and then explained to one another what they did well and what improvements needed to be made. A quote from a kindergartener that Karen overheard: "he got a smiley face because he asked himself 'do I know these words?'" (which was the thinking question the teacher wanted them to ask themselves).
I was in a 5th grade class this week. At the end of the lesson, the teacher asked the students what type of thinking they took on to accomplish their goal. I heard: "we had to use practical thinking because we are writing a persuasive essay on something we want to persuade our parents we want"; "we used analytical thinking because we had to break our ideas down into good quality examples"; "we used creative thinking because we are creating our own ideas and writing them"; "we used research-based thinking because we have to 'research' back into our background knowledge to take what we already know and decide if it is something we should add to our essay".
I was in a first grade room where I saw students working together during writer's workshop. They were discussing the different parts of their writing and questioning each other on what needs to be included to improve their writing.
WOW! It is amazing to see the transformation in instruction. Over the past 5 weeks or so we have taken thinking to an entirely deeper level. The critical elements from the rubric that really make thinking valued and visible - Standards/Objectives; Questioning; Presenting Instructional Content; and Academic Feedback that we dissected over these weeks have really made an impact on not only the teacher instruction in your classrooms, but the student outcomes!
Even though we are winding this unit down in cluster, continue planning and implementing these critical pieces in your everyday instruction. It will pay off!
Great things happening at West Goshen
A stocking full of Thinking
First Graders giving feedback
Victor has a helper
TLT focus
This week in TLT, we are meeting on Thursday (due to several of us being in Baltimore on Monday). Our focus this week will be on "coaching the coach" when leading post conferences. We will use our critical elements for post conferences that we developed a few weeks back to coach each other on providing feedback to one another to provide the best post conferences to all of you. Thanks to Carrie Markham for allowing me to videotape our post conference for us to use in this TLT.
1st grade teacher conferencing during writing
Playground Update
We will have all grade levels line up on the blacktop. We will have a short (5-10 minute) dedication ceremony with our PTO. On this day, all grade levels can play on this playground during their lunch recess!
Angie is putting together a short video for some expectations on the playground equipment. We would like you to show this to your class before they go out to recess on Tuesday. Angie will be letting you know when it is ready to show!
Great showing of Respect from our West Goshen Way!
Central Office Updates:
Today’s Focus: Growth
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Love that quote! See the link below for the article on how mistakes help us to grow and learn…… Think about – How are you stretching and growing this year to do the things you think you cannot do…J
Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn | MindShift | KQED News
TAP Items:
· National conference: It has been decided that 8 GCS folks will be attending the TAP National Conference; three from the elementary, three from secondary, one from central office and possibly an Executive Master Teacher, if we have that person named by then.
· NIET Site Visits: It has also been decided that all GCS schools will participate in the NIET Site Visits this year. Going forward, there will be more discussion about this topic, and a possible rotation schedule for GCS schools, so that not all schools would participate every year, or something along those lines.
· If you remember last year, we posted and actually recruited and interviewed for the position of Executive Master Teacher. During the middle of this process, we learned that CELL received a grant extension and would be able to provide the support of Regional TAP Coordinator(s). We are fairly confident that there will not be another extension to the TIF grant. In January 2016, it is the district’s intent to post for an Executive Master Teacher position.
Affordable Care Act Enrollment for Eligible Elkhart County Families
Greetings to all. Open Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace began November 01 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. As were identified during the latest Elkhart County Community Health Needs Assessment, health care access and health care coverage are two of Elkhart County’s priority community health needs, and Elkhart General Hospital is committed to addressing our community’s health needs. To that end, EGH’s Health Coverage Enrollment Center helps individuals enroll in various health coverage programs through the Indiana Health Insurance Marketplace and educates on coverage options available. We partner with Heart City Health Center and Bright Point in providing assistance through Indiana Navigators, who are licensed through the Indiana Department of Insurance to provide free, unbiased, and factual information and assistance on the options available through the Affordable Care Act and through the Healthy Indiana Plan. I kindly request that you consider cutting and pasting the following information below (in the paragraph in bold font under my signature below) in your schools newsletters for your families who may be eligible for health insurance through the Indiana Marketplace or Healthy Indiana Plan. I also want to take this opportunity to extend an invitation for you to host an enrollment event for any employees of your school system that may be eligible for the Marketplace or Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). We can provide Indiana Navigators from EGH, Heart City Health Center, and Bright Point on-site to enroll your eligible employees. Also, if you are interested in having fliers go home with your families, we can provide those if you let me know the quantity you will need. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an enrollment event onsite for your employees, feel free to contact me at 524.7503 or by way of return email. Many thanks in advance for helping us spread the word on getting Elkhart County residents enrolled in health coverage, and helping us to improve the health status of Elkhart County.
Patty Gremaux
Director of Community Outreach
Elkhart General Hospital
Phone (574) 524.7503
Phone (574) 294.2621 x4961
Fax (574) 524.7500
Email pgremaux@beaconhealthsystem.org
Web www.egh.org
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by replay e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
Open Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act started November 01, 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. If you or your family needs help in getting health coverage or in understanding choices available for you, there is help available. Elkhart General Hospital, Heart City Health Center, and Bright Point are offering free health coverage enrollment services to assist individuals with enrolling in the Indiana Marketplace. As Navigators licensed through the Indiana Department of Insurance, we provide unbiased assistance with the application and enrollment in the various programs offered through the Marketplace and through Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). Upcoming free enrollment events are:
Saturday, December 05, 2015 9a-12p at Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Avenue, Elkhart
Saturday, January 23, 2016 9a -12p at Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Avenue, Elkhart
You can also sign up for an individual appointment to get enrollment help and information about health coverage options for you. If you have questions or would like more information, please call the EGH Health Coverage Enrollment Line at 524-7586 or 524-7523.
A reminder for principals and teachers:
A board member reported to us that it had been mentioned to the board member more than once by community members, that teachers or principals had not returned phone calls within 24 hours. Maybe there was a legitimate reason, such as illness, but this is a reminder for all of us, that we should strive to return all messages, whether by phone or email, within 24 hours, if at all possible. Thanks!
Upcoming Dates:
4th-7th: IB Steering Committee in Baltimore for Training (Lori, Karen, Ruth, Ryan, Deb, Lauren, Melissa gone)
7th:
7:30 - RtI data meetings in the TAP room
6:00 Cub Scouts Parent Meeting (in the cafeteria)
6:00 - School Board Meeting
6:30 - PTO Meeting (in the library)
8th:
8:10 am - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on the playground
3:05-4:00 - Grades 3-5 cluster
10th:
3:05-4:30 - TLT Meeting
4:30 - Strategic Planning Committee (Lori)
11th:
8:45-10:30 - Principal's Meeting (Lori gone)
14th:
3:05-4:30 - TLT meeting (celebration)
15th:
3:05-4:00 - Grades 3-5 cluster
16th:
3:05-4:00 - Grades K-2 cluster
18th:
Carols on the Wall - 1:45 in the gym