Anchor Weekly
A newsletter for Alta Vista Staff~Week of May 4, 2020
Don't Forget! Next Week's Calendar
- Happy Staff Appreciation Week! No Morning Meetings!
- Monday, May 4 at 11 am-1 pm: ALL STAFF pick up FREE lunch from Eastside Rivalry thanks to Transformation Waco
- REQUIRED Wednesday, May 6: "We Care Wednesday" Phone Call to All Families
- Wednesday, May 6 at 11:30 am - 1:30 pm: ALL STAFF pick up FREE lunch and treats from Alta Vista Elementary
- Thursday, May 7 at 5:30 pm: CDMC Meeting (Please share invite with parents!) Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92215390256?pwd=dVAxRk9DeEdLQ0JuTWFMdGE5a1RzUT09 Password: 7X4Haz
- Friday, May 7 at 5:00 pm: Progress Report grades are due (At least 3 each for Reading, ELA, Math, 2 for Science/Social Studies)
UPCOMING: Final Grades due Friday, May 22
Captain's Log
This is the week we usually celebrate staff appreciation week. But I hope all of you know how grateful I am for you hard work EVERY DAY. We do have some treats planned, so make sure you and everyone on your team swing by Alta Vista on Wednesday to pick up free lunch and goodies. Also, don't forget about FREE lunch from Eastside Rivalry on Monday thanks to Transformation Waco.
This past Tuesday, the Transformation Waco Board approved my appointment as principal at Alta Vista Elementary. I am excited for the privilege to continue learning along side you and serving our students and families. I know we face some unknowns moving into the 2020-2021 school year, but there are going to be some amazing opportunities for growth-for students and staff alike. I will be there right alongside you as we work to catch students up and make sure they are receiving a premier educational experience.
Teachers and staff, contract renewals seem to be behind schedule to due the school closures. If you have questions about the status of your recommendation for next year, please email me directly.
Mrs. Helton's Week At A Glance
- Monday-Interviewing applicants
- Tuesday- TW Meetings
- Wednesday-Staff Appreciation Pick Up
- Thursday-Interviewing applicants
- Friday-Leadership Meeting
Staff To-Do List
- Pick up staff appreciation treats (Monday & Wednesday)
- ALL STAFF-We Care Wednesday Phone Calls (4/29)
- Push out assignments in HMH & Envision (Weekly)
- Log Google Hangouts Meetings with students (Ongoing)
- Ideas for Field Day & Awards
- Recognize student effort by adding their story on our Anchored in Excellence Sheet (Ongoing)
- Add items to the Wish List including Summer Professional Development (ongoing)
We Care Wednesdays
We Care Wednesday #8 is the main task for this week. Remember this is REQUIRED FOR ALL STAFF. If you are a non-homeroom teacher, leave your name in the comments column.
In the column for who you contact, please mark just the code (IE: A for Adult, S for Student). If you are texting actively with parents, use A. If you text but don't get a response, then indicate LM.
Please specifically ask parents if they have their needs met (food, toiletries, etc). If they are in need of something, please indicate on the "Mr. Ward" column. He has access to an amazing pantry to help support these families.
Weekly Facebook Challenges
Here are the Facebook Challenges for next week. We hope you will post your own pictures in the comments!
Please sign up HERE for the week of May 11 which will be planned around "Magical Creatures.". We encourage ALL STAFF (not just teachers) to have fun with the idea and sign up for a video activity.
Monday-Read Aloud with Ms. Baker
Tuesday- Rocket Corner Bookmarks- Read and test it out with Ms. Fajardo
Wednesday-
Thursday-
Friday-
If you are volunteering, please send your video to Mrs. Helton the day before it's going to post so she can get it uploaded to YouTube and scheduled to post.
Tech Support & At Home Learning Assignments
- Resources for Online Learning & Assignments for Teacher (including Phase 3 Assignments)
- Ms. Noel created this spreadsheet that you can use to track what programs students are logging into (optional).
Phase 3 Assignments for the Week of May 4-8
Grading Policy
Technology Support & Resources
- Resources for technology support & troubleshooting
- Parents can connects with Ms. Boggess during virtual office hours by calling 254-710-9134
Waco ISD Policies Regarding Instructional Continuity and Remote Working Expectations
See the document below regarding the WISD At-Home Learning Continuity Plan.
Region 12 Professional Development
NEW PHONICS PROGRAM
I am excited to share that Waco ISD will be adopting a new phonics curriculum and will be providing training during in-service for staff to implement along with the Effective Reading training from Heinemann trainers. We know students will be returning in the fall with some large reading gaps, so reading will be a top priority for the the 2020-2021 school year at Alta Vista.
The WISD HB3 committee has narrowed the choices down to two programs which are Fountas and Pinnell Phonics and Word Study Program and Wilson Fundations. WISD has done extensive research with both programs in talking with consultants, other districts and teachers who have used the programs, evaluated with a rubric and sought out other research. The rubric used to analyze the resources can be found HERE (click on 2nd tab).
The reading coaches will be sending out a teacher survey to get feedback on the implementation plan so that's its ready for board approval in May. Please complete this as soon as you receive it.
Rigby Leveled Reader Training
As distance learning continues, we have been asked for more information about the fabulous Rigby Leveled Readers THAT YOU ALREADY OWN with Into Reading and Arriba la Lectura. These readers are perfect for, not only classroom use but at-home distance learning as well. Join one of our webinars to learn how!
The HMH Into Reading/Arriba la Lectura Rigby Leveled Readers are:
Accessible online with a single click
Totally equitable, English and Spanish
Enhanced with audio
Assignable for school and at-home use
Complete with Take & Teach Lesson Plans
Meticulously leveled
Assignable through Google Classroom
Perfect for summer At-Home Reading
The Gold Standard in leveled readers!
Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about your Rigby Leveled Readers. Registration is required. Choose the session that’s best for you and register today!
Option #1: Tuesday, May 5th ~ 9:00-9:45am CLICK HERE to register
Option #2: Tuesday, May 5th ~ 2:00-2:45pm CLICK HERE to register
After you register, watch for a confirmation e-mail from our Host, Alisha Taylor, that includes your link to join the webinar. Certificate of Attendance will be provided following the webinars.
Self-Care for You!
Nutrition! Trust me, I get the feeling that food is sometimes all we can think about while we’re at home just steps away from our kitchen – hunger sets in at just around the 15-minute mark from the last time I ate, can anyone else relate? Trends are emerging during our time of being at home including banana bread, baking your own bread, and lots of cookie recipes. This time at home allows us to branch out and try new ways of integrating fun foods into our diet! There are many different ways for the food we put into our bodies to affect us. I like to think of “taste the rainbow”, Skittles’ logo that applies to eating fun candy and the various colors of all your fruits and veggies!
Integrating wholesome foods into your diet has been shown:
o Decreased risk of chronic disease
o Increase brain health
o Maintain a healthy weight
o Lower cardiovascular markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar
o Decreased feelings of depression and anxiety
Taking into account the 80/20 marker of a healthy nutrition regiment, the 80% can be useful in providing the benefits listed above. However, the remaining 20% doesn’t have to be boring! Make it fun and exciting, or even blur the lines a bit by tricking your taste buds into a healthy dessert! You can even find famous desserts being posted online for you to try!
Disney’s Pineapple Dole Whip!
Ingredients: 1 generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream, 4 ounces pineapple juice, 2 cups frozen pineapple
Directions: Add ice cream, pineapple juice and frozen pineapple to a blender at low speed, and then increase to high speed. Blend until smooth. Use a piping bag with a star tip to recreate the classic Dole Whip swirl—or use a regular ice cream scooper—and add soft-serve to bowl.