Leaders Leading Learners
Curriculum & Instruction Newsletter September 4, 2015
Affirmations
The New Arrival Center at Bryan High School and the English Language Arts Academy at Jane Long are off to a great start! Estefany Fuentes and Melida Rivera are doing a great job building relationships with their students, implementing the new curriculum, and providing engaging, student centered activities to help their students acquire the English language.
Coaching Tip
Jim Knight --Focus on Teaching
Core Content Area News
All PRINCIPALS
Zero Years Experience Teachers
Principals, please look at the Google doc we started a few weeks ago and ensure that your tab is correct. Please check the following:
- the names & teaching assignment of all ZERO YEARS EXPERIENCE teachers (including those hired during the spring of 2015) are correct and complete.
- the names of MENTORS of the zero years teachers are correct. These teachers are highlighted in YELLOW on your campus spreadsheet.
Please email Kelli Norgaard BY SEPT. 9 to communicate the list is checked, updated, and the correct information is listed on the contact list for these first year teachers. This partnership provides new teachers support and the tools they need to be successful, so it is imperative that this is correct. We do not want to miss anyone! Last week 5 principals responded after this announcement was made, so if you are one of the 5 that already responded, you do not need to respond again.
- Elem principals click here
- MS principals click here
- HS principals click here
Secondary Principals
Meeting Reminders
All Pre-AP, AP, and IB teachers are encouraged to attend the Fall Pre-AP Vertical Team Meeting on Monday, September 14, from 4:30 to 6:30 at Davila Middle School.
All Read 180 and System 44 teachers are encouraged to attend the Read 180/System 44 Cadre Meeting on Thursday, September 10, from 4:30 to 6:30 at Bryan High School, Blue Campus.
PLC/Team Meeting Information
Click here to review a template option regarding PLC/Team Meetings.
New BISD Walkthrough Form
The BISD teacher walkthrough form is complete and available in Eduphoria! under PDAS. Thank you for your valuable feedback, as the update was truly a collaborative effort.
Instructional Coach Handbook
Click here to review the Instructional Coaches Handbook.
BISD Instructional Coaching Model A Partnership Approach
Click here to review the BISD coaching model.
Calendar Invites
C&I will send calendar invites for the principal and content coordinators to meet each six weeks (IR campuses will have a monthly meeting). Please accept these invites or let us know as soon as possible that you need to reschedule.
Elementary Principals
The CLI Engage Online Platform for PreK officially launched on Sept. 1
Tools include: Online Circle Manual, eCircle Professional Development Courses, Progress Monitoring Tool- formally known as the c-Palls Assessment, Administrator Classroom Observation Tool, and a Classroom Observation Tool. Online courses will be available September 8. Teachers and administrators will receive access to the platform this week.
TAMU Basketball Game
Please mark your campus calendars for Monday, December 7 as the 3rd Annual Elementary School Day at Reed Arena. We are so excited that we get to provide this incredible event again for all BISD 4th & 5th graders.
Calendar Invites
C&I will send calendar invites for the principal and content coordinators to meet each six weeks (IR campuses will have a monthly meeting). Please accept these invites or let us know as soon as possible that you need to reschedule.
Professional Development News
Upcoming Events:
New Teacher Induction
Please remind Zero Years Experience teachers how critical it is that they attend our induction & support meetings. We were missing about 50% of the secondary teachers at this week's first NTI meeting. The first meeting for our elementary teachers is Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 4-5pm at the Kemp-Carver Library. Secondary teachers will meet again on Sept. 22. Thank you for your support.
Principal PLC
Please take a moment and register here for Tuesday's Principal PLC. We are asking that all principals bring their DATA NOTEBOOKS to the meeting.
Edgenuity Teachers
Please inform Edgenuity teachers that we are providing an additional training. Teachers or administrators that are interested in receiving training and/or additional information regarding Edgenuity courses may attend the training September 15th, 3:40PM at Rudder HS.
Campus Professional Development Requests
If you have specific campus professional development needs please request trainings in Eduphoria under Helpdesk.
Bilingual/ESL News
All Principals
Bilingual Framework:
The week of September 7 will be week A for our Bilingual Framework.
Beginning September 1st through October 31st, bilingual teachers may write proposals for supplemental funds. These supplemental funds may only be used for research-based ESL and Spanish instructional materials that meet the needs of at-risk ELLs.
Elementary Principals
We are inviting all Bilingual teachers in grades 1 - 5 to come out and review the SLAR District Assessments for the 2nd six weeks. The purpose of this event is to get teacher feedback on the actual items as well as to let them see the depth and complexity of the questions. This event will take place on September 24 from 3:30 - 5:00 at BHS SIlver room 1200. This is not a mandatory event but feedback from Bilingual teachers will be greatly appreciated. This is a come and go event since we have different campus release times.
Our first set of Elementary Bilingual/ESL Pláticas meetings will be here soon. We will be offering two separate sessions: the first will be for K - 2 grade teachers and the second will be for 3-5 grade teachers. Both of these sessions will be held at BHS Silver room 1200 from 4:15 - 5:30. Please use the links below to have your teachers register for their respective training session in Eduphoria:
Bilingual/ESL K - 2
Bilingual/ESL 3 - 5
Elementary Campus Principals will get an email from the Bilingual Department regarding the teachers that need to attend a makeup session for the Dual Language Institute. Due to the fact that we had several campuses with multiple teachers who did not attend, we are hosting three session dates for this training. You will have the option to request that your teachers each attend one of the following sessions:
September 17, 2015 from 8:30 - 3:30
September 24, 2015 from 8:30 - 3:30
October 1, 2015 from 8:30 - 3:30
Calendar Invites
C&I will send calendar invites for the principal and content coordinators to meet each six weeks (IR campuses will have a monthly meeting). Please accept these invites or let us know as soon as possible that you need to reschedule.
Special Education News
All Principals
Special Education Update
September 10, 2015: The Special Education Leadership team will meet with all special education teachers and paraprofessionals from 4:30-5:30pm at Bryan High School Auditorium.
Thank you for your willingness to work with the special education department while the translator for ARDC meetings is on medical leave.
The Special Education Department is requesting that all special education teachers attend PLAAPF and IEP Training on September 8th from 3:30-4:30 or September 14th from 4:15-5:15 in the Rudder Presentation Room.
Curriculum & Instruction Department
Email: leslie.holtkamp@bryanisd.org
Website: www.bryanisd.org
Phone: 979-209-1049
Twitter: @bisdambassador