Panther Updates
News, Resources and Learning for Panther Staff, 3/20/17
Coral Reef Has Been Planted and is Growing in MakerSpace
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March Staff Meeting on Thursday, March 23 at 7:45.
Several staff have asked me how to integrate global learning into their daily instruction. In order to respond to this we will be treated to a global experience from a Visiting International Faculty (VIF) currently teaching at Stough Elementary. Our guest, Katie Gourlay from Glasgow, Scotland will share some ideas for how she exposes her students to international learning as part of her common core instruction. Please be on time and ready to start at 7:45.
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News of Note
Label Personal Items:
Help students label personal items. Encourage parents to write names in coats and other items. We will return items that come to the office if we know to whom the item belongs.
How to Handle Phone Outages:
If the phones aren't working at PUE, as happened last Thursday, we will send an email to teachers, make an announcement on the intercom, and send phone message/email/text to parents. You may get emails from parents. If you do, please forward dismissal or emergency information to Becky Britt or the Front Office. You may need to send someone with the information to the office. The only phone we have that isn't digital is the emergency cell phone that is a County phone. The number is 919-624-8872. It is for emergency use only so if you communicate this number to parents make sure to include that information. If cell phones aren't working, we send smoke signals and write a bunch of little notes to send out with the carrier pigeons. (No we don't- just checking to see if you read this.)
March PTA Meeting has been moved from Tuesday, March 21 to Tuesday, March 28. Please alert your rep of the change.
Early Release, March 24th: In response to many of our staff who have asked for differentiated K-5 digital math support for their students for intervention through enrichment we have been researching a program called Dreambox suggested by a member of WCPSS Math Department team. I had an opportunity to talk with reps from the company (one a former WCPSS teacher) and to attend a workshop at NCTIES. Then, last week Kayla, Lara and I had a phone conference with a Dreambox regional rep to find out how we could get a short-term trial of the program through the end of June. I have also talked with a principal of an elementary school currently using Dreambox that is quite pleased with student growth. ALL TRACKS should be at the professional development in the afternoon.
For those who didn't get to check out the preview of the program please take time to review the links below.
DreamBox Learning is different. We recognize that students grouped by age are not always ready for the same concept, taught the same way, at the very same time. Importantly, DreamBox Responds differently according to strategies students use, the scaffolding they may take advantage of (among many other data points) and not just whether they answered correctly or incorrectly.
The DreamBox teachers that build our curriculum and lessons are certain that to help teachers effectively differentiate, data has to be actionable, not just available – this takes on heightened importance when you support students working across multiple grade levels and below grade level. Here is one way we think about partnering with teachers and this video shares one specific way we do that.
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Want to Judge a Science Fair?
Judges Needed for Elementary Science and Engineering Fair at Meredith College
A former 5th Grade Science Fair Judge for Pleasant Union recently contacted me to see if any Pleasant Union staff would be interested in judging at the Meredith College Science and Engineering Fair. See details for the event below:
Date: Saturday, March 25th
Place: Meredith College
Time:7:45-about 1PM (for elementary)
Lunch is catered and free. They do need to know if you have food allergies
T-Shirt- You get one, free,, but send size.
Training is held briefly before projects are viewed, first by the judges, and then with the students. Each judge just gets a certain number to judge.
Contact Scott Ryals directly with your interest ASAP, with your name, T Shirt Size, allergies if any. Volunteer Link.
His e-mail: scot.ryals@ncdenr.gov
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Track 1 out duties for the weeks of: 3/20-3/24
AM Hallway- Shipley
AM Carpool- Newman(Put out cones to block carpool through-lane at 8:45)
AM Breakfast- Brown
AM Bus- Lavin (Write down bus arrival times)
Lunch- Fitzgerald, Lavin, Newman, Wilburn, DeCain, Brown, Renfrow, Bednar
PM Hallway- Barber (corral bus students and supervise)
PM Carpool- Hymel, Wilburn, Renfrow, DeCain (Hymel- Call car numbers beginning at 3:40 PM, Renfrow and Wilburn in the cafeteria, Wilburn outside with students/safety patrol.) (Wilburn- Please get the speaker out of the office conference room to set up.)
PM Bus- 3/20-3/24 Schoenebeck