Hoot Hoot Herald
August 7 - 11
Dear Doss Staff:
I hope your summer has been relaxing and productive for you!
I had the pleasure of visiting China this summer with 4 Doss students, their parents and 16 Anderson HS students. It was an amazing learning trip! We traveled from Shanghai to Beijing and visited museums, a famous silk factory, walked on the Great Wall, stood in Tiananamen Square and much, much more!
All of these were great experiences but my favorite memory of the trip was when we visited the Jiefanglu Elementary School. We talked with Principals about education in China (30-40 students per class and two teachers) and we sent our Doss Owls off for two days of learning at the Mandarin only school. The students used their language skills and did a great job learning about Chinese culture through this school experience. That was really fun and rewarding to see!
After returning from China, I got to spend some time in Colorado with my family for rest, relaxation, and fun.
And now, here we are starting another year together. I am excited and ready to go!
Our two new APs have hit the group running and our office staff is a buzz!
We are planning fun and engaging back to school Professional Development for you and are organizing for another great Doss year.
I can't wait to see you, hear about your summer adventures, and begin our work together!
This summer I also spent time reflecting on what is working well and what needs to improve! Here are my professional goals for this year:
1. Be in classrooms.
As an admin team, this is priority one. We want to be available to you, give instructional feedback, and see the great things that you are doing with students everyday.
2. Improve communication.
As a big campus with minimal support staff, we have to have clear systems for communicating, sharing information and providing/receiving feedback.
3. Develop and support teacher leaders:
I want to continue to develop teacher leaders through our committee work, demonstration classrooms, and other leadership opportunities.
4. Mentor and support all new staff:
This includes all new teachers and my new admin staff.
5. Nurture, support and grow our positive campus culture:
We have an amazing school with deep, rich traditions and extremely hard working, talented staff members. Let's continue to lift each other up! Solve problems together when they arise! Give each other the benefit of the doubt! And row , row, row our boat...together. We've got this!
As you can tell, I am very focused, excited, and motivated to make this -THE BEST DOSS YEAR EVER. Let's do this together!!!
Here we go!
BACK TO SCHOOL SURVEY:
You should have received a brief survey from me today regarding faculty meetings and the yearly PD plan. Please take that survey by the 11th.
CREATIVE LEARNING INITIATIVE:
This year, the Anderson Vertical Team will be joining the rest of the district by being trained on Creative Learning strategies for the classroom. These strategies include incorporating drama, arts, and music into the regular curriculum. At Doss, we will train all staff but we will be implementing the push in lessons at Kindergarten.
This is not a new program, but instead, new strategies for your tool belt which have been proven to increase student engagement and improve instructional results. Many of you already use some of these strategies! This CLI training will increase our awareness of the importance of multi-sensory learning for all kids and will give us some easy to implement ideas for classroom instruction.
We will have access to a CLI coach and will be given funds to support campus wide art, music, and drama based events.
For more information, go to: https://www.austinisd.org/finearts/cli
Also, check out the following link! Find teaching strategies, facilitation plans, videos, and more for implementing drama-based instruction in your classroom: http://dbp.theatredance.utexas.edu/.
SEL:
Throughout the Leadership Institute for administrators, we were reminded of the importance of our SEL program for our kids and for our staff. Dr. Cruz reminded us, "you can't take care of others, if you aren't taking care of yourself". I really value this message. I see so many of you taking care of your kids, your grandkids, your parents, your siblings, your pets, not to mention...your kids at school. This year, we will remind you and support you in your efforts of self-care. When we are calm, happy, and rested, we are able to better support our kids and we are better to each other. When our students feel happy, safe, and cared for...they are better learners. SEL is not just a program in a box, it's part of our culture. We will spend time this year thinking about how we can consistently integrate SEL throughout our day and school year.
DISTRICT LITERACY PLAN:
Last year Jodi provided training on sustained reading time for kids. Many of you measured students' initial sustained reading abilities and provided support to grow that throughout the year. The next steps include conferencing with students and providing specific student feedback. We will continue our work on the Literacy Plan and discuss how literacy can be supported in all subject areas.
BLEND:
Last year, the Anderson Vertical Team piloted BLEND! Some of you took off with this! We now have some campus experts to help us with this continued work. BLEND is a learning platform designed to house information / content for students to learn. We will continue to explore BLEND this year to see how it can best support learning at the elementary level and how it can make our work more efficient.
GT:
There are significant changes to the GT program this year. I have not yet received all of the updates/changes, but once I do, I will train the staff. One change that I have been told about is that new GT referrals for grades 3-5 will occur in the fall ONLY and new GT referrals for K-2 will occur in the SPRING only. More information to come.
BACK TO SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING:
August 10th:
12:30-3:00 New teacher orientation - Conference Room
3:00- 3:30 Mentors and new staff - Conference Room ( I will be contacting mentors next week)
August 11th:
8:30-9:30 Back to School Breakfast Doss Cafeteria
Optional (but SUPER FUN). Meet new staff and kick off the new year!
August 14th:
7:00-7:40 Grab and Go breakfast at Doss front lobby (then we can carpool to Hill)
8:00-11:30 Staff Development - Creative Learning Initiative Hill Elementary
8:00-11:30 SPED staff - develop student schedules - Doss Elementary
11:30-1:00 Team Lunches on your own
1:00 Teachers get Class Lists
1:00-4:00 Planning and Prep for all Classroom teachers
1:00-2:30 SPED staff Meeting - Conference Room
August 15th: WEAR BLUE OR WHITE!
7:15 - 8:00 Breakfast Doss Jane Willis Library
8:00-11:30 Professional Development - Doss Jane Willis Library
11:30-12:30 Lunch provided on Campus
12:30 -3:30 Grade Level Teams will meet with Admin to discuss students and team
needs in the Conference Room.
12:30-1:00 Kinder
1:15-1:45 First
2:00-2:30 Second
2:45-3:15 Third
12:30-3:30 Prep and Planning - other classroom teachers
Off Campus PD for special groups of teachers:
1:00-4:00
PE -Covington Elementary
ART - Austin HS Cafeteria
Music - Austin HS, Choir Room and Library
World Languages - Baker Center - Cafeteria
Resource Teacher- Eastside Memorial HS Theater
SCORES Teacher - Travis HS
LifeSkills Teachers - Rosedale
August 16th:
7:30-8:00 Breakfast provided by PTA Doss Jane Willis Library
8:00 -8:30 Doss TEAM Pictures in New Doss Shirts
8:30-11:30 Staff Development
11:30-1:00 Lunch on your own
1:00- 3:30 Grade Level Teams will meet with Admin to discuss students and team needs in the Conference Room.
1:00-1:30 4th grade
1:45-2:15 5th grade
2:30-3:30 Special Areas
August 17th:
8:00-9:00 Come and Go breakfast provided by NW Hills Methodist Church in
Cafeteria
8:00-4:00 Prep and Planning
9:00-10:00 SPED staff / Janna's office
10:00-11:00 Admin meets with teachers with high needs students as needed
5:00pm -6:00pm Principals, Popsicles, and Postings! -
Class lists posted and introduction of new APs. Come and go for community to meet the APs. Staff not required.
August 18th:
11:00-1:00 Meet the Teacher
1:00 Grab and go lunch provided by the Doss PTA!
IMPORTANT DATES
August 7 - 11: New student registration
August 10: New teacher campus orientation
August 11: Pancake Breakfast for Staff 8:30-9:30, Doss Cafeteria (meet new staff)
August 14: Teachers Report Back
August 15: Campus/District PD
August 16: Campus PD
August 17: Teacher prep and planning
August 18: Teacher prep and planning and Meet the Teacher
August 21: First Day of School
What questions do you have?
Computer Lab Schedule Coming Soon!
Calendar
New student registration
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8TH
New student registration
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9TH
New student registration
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10TH
New student registration
New Teacher Orientation
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11TH
Pancake Breakfast for Staff, 8:30-9:30, Cafeteria
MONDAY, AUGUST 14TH
Welcome back teachers!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 15TH
Campus/District PD
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH
Campus PD
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17TH
Teacher prep and planning
Class Lists Posted, 5:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18TH
Teacher prep and planning
Meet the Teacher, 11:00-1:00