EAST PAULDING MIDDLE SCHOOL
October 1, 2018
FACULTY AND STAFF NEWSLETTER
Thoughts to Ponder
Two thoughts....one is instructional based....one is the classroom management based...both are powerful and can lead to improved student engagement and growth.
After you discipline a student, is your relationship stronger or broken?
Why?
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/01 - 1st 9 Week Posting Window Opens
10/02 - Fall Picture Day - Staff Photo at 7:50am
10/02 - Faculty Meeting - 4pm - Cafeteria
10/04 - Math/ELA RTI Meetings - Planning - 601
10/05 - End of 1st 9 Weeks
10/08 - 4H Meeting - NBI - Some students will miss NBI
10/08 - 6th and 8th Grade RI #2
10/09 - AdvancEd Visit - 12:00-3:45
10/10 - 1st 9-Week Posting Window Closes
10/10 - 8th Grade PSAT
10/11 - 7th Grade RI #2
10/11 - Behavior RTI
10/11 - 8th Grade Reality Fair
10/12 - RI #2 Make-up - All Grades
10/15-19 - PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE WEEK
10/15 - 8th Grade SS Benchmark #1
10/16 - 8th Grade Science Benchmark #1
10/18-19 - Savannah Trip
10/18 - Para PLC - 2:45 - 601
10/19 - 1st 9-Week Grade Reports Go Home
Fall Picture Day
Below is the information you need to make your picture morning run smoothly. IMPORTANT - our staff photo will be taken at 7:50am. If you are late, you will not be in the staff photo.
7:30am 7:50am - Individual Staff photos can be taken for those of you who arrive early
7:50am - Staff photo
7:55am - 8:10am - Continue Staff Individual photos
Please make sure that your individual photo is taken before 2:30pm.
Literacy
I appreciate the effort that I have seen in ELA, Science, and Social Studies thus far to support our students with a weekly literacy focus. Math will continue to grow with support from our district curriculum coordinators, although many of our math teachers have been and continue to support literacy within math on a daily basis. I am excited to see how PE/Connections is supporting our district initiative.
For those of us who may be new to the challenge of implementing literacy within our contents, we may find ourselves falling back on some previously utilized methods that do not yield the desired results. These methods should not be utilized in any content. Examples could include:
1. Pop-corn reading
2. Read-aloud audio versions
The teacher should only read aloud to model fluency, questioning, and vocabulary, and silent reading should only be used once all students are truly engaged.
If and when you find yourself drowning outside of your content bubble while trying to support student literacy, remember that there are natural supports for literacy within your contents.
Below, I have listed some of those.
ELA
1. Reading novels, short stories, poems, and other forms of written work that are produced at an appropriate Lexile level
2. Challenging students at and above their current Lexile through the use of research-based reading strategies to grow vocabulary and comprehension skills
3. Peer, group, and classroom discussions to determine student comprehension and challenge thinking
4. Student-produced written work that tells a story, shows understanding, and/or supports their beliefs or opinions.
5. Interactive word walls and/or anchor charts that highlight key and new vocabulary
Social Studies
1. Reading and analyzing primary and secondary documents that are produced at an appropriate Lexile level
2. Challenging students at and above their current Lexile through the use of research-based reading strategies to grow vocabulary and comprehension skills
3. Using DBQs where comprehension skills truly meet writing skills and students are challenged to support their comprehension with facts and evidence
4. Interactive word walls and/or anchor charts that highlight key and new vocabulary
Science
1. STEMscopes provides many Lexile leveled passages that support your curriculum
2. Challenging students at and above their current Lexile through the use of research-based reading strategies to grow vocabulary and comprehension skills
3. Science Literacy Framework which focuses on purposeful reading, productive dialogue, and meaningful writing
4. Argument-Driven Inquiry where students provide a written investigative report to a guided question using evidence, data, manipulatives, text resources, discussion, and peer support
5. Interactive word walls and/or anchor charts that highlight key and new vocabulary
Math
1. Using the Math Workshop model in it's true form where math literacy is a focus
2. Reading real-world math problems where students must identify and comprehend key vocabulary to determine the correct path towards a solution through the use of context clues, decoding, vocabulary knowledge, models, diagrams, etc.
3. Completing error analysis where students have to evaluate, develop, and communicate an effective plan to solve a complex problem
4. Interactive word walls and/or anchor charts that highlight key concepts and new vocabulary as well as how to read charts, graphs, and data to determine solutions
PE/Connections
Many of you will find that appropriate strategies for your content can be connected to one or more of the core academic contents listed above. However, if you are having a difficult time finding where your content fits, below are some specific ways that you can support literacy within all contents.
1. Reading forms of appropriate Lexile leveled text that provide students another avenue to access the content of your curriculum outside of hearing you tell them
2. Challenging students at and above their current Lexile through the use of research-based reading strategies to grow vocabulary and comprehension skills
3. Student-produced written work that illustrates comprehension of your content
4. Interactive word walls and/or anchor charts that highlight key and new vocabulary
Holy October Batman!!
1. The end of the 1st 9 weeks comes quickly. Please make sure that you are maintaining an updated gradebook so parents aren't surprised. Additionally, please make sure that you have balanced assessments (formative vs. summative). The 1st 9 weeks is officially over on 10/10, and any grades submitted after that date will be considered 2nd 9-week grades.
2. AdvancEd will be visiting on October 9th. Please remember to plan no assessments for that day. The AdvancEd observer will be observing students and what they are doing while also paying attention to your role as the classroom facilitator.
3. 8th Grade will be taking the PSAT on 10/10. We will let you know of any schedule changes.
4. 8th Grade will be participating in the Reality Fair on 10/11. This may also result in a schedule adjustment. We will keep you posted.
5. Parent Teacher Conference Week is officially the week of 10/15. If you want to get a head start on those, you can schedule them for the week prior. All information has been provided. Don't forget that all invitations should go home on 10/03.
6. 8th Grade will be going to Savannah on 10/18 and 10/19. This means all of your conferences must be completed if you are going on that trip.
Again, stay ahead of the calendar, and let us know if you need support.
NBI and the Reading Inventory
The 2nd administration of the RI will begin on 10/08. The week of 10/08 will also be the final week of the first round of NBI support. We will not have NBI during Conference Week (10/15) or utilize the literacy structure the week of 10/22. We will update you with plans for the week of 10/22.
As we move through the week, please encourage your students to do their best on the 2nd round of the RI. Thank you again for all of your hard work planning and supporting all of our students!
Technology and Infinite Campus Support
Additionally, an email from technology was attached to this newsletter email detailing how to obtain Infinite Campus support. Please make sure that you follow the appropriate steps if you need support.
ABSENCE ANALYSIS
Final stats for the month of September include:
Total Absences - 44.3
Personal absences - 17.5
Sick Absences - 26.8
I appreciate everyone's efforts to be at school every day!
October Birthdays
Debbie Griffin- 3rd
Laurei Parker- 11th
Monique Prince- 14th
Andy Aarons- 15th
Kara Bechtel- 16th
Jill Barron- 19th
Scott Calta- 22nd
Cherie Divin- 23rd
Courtney Burchfield- 29th
Leigh Stone- 30th
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Contact Information for Tom Alverson
Email: talverson@paulding.k12.ga.us
Website: http://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/Domain/29
Phone: 678-350-8027