Luling ISD February ENews
Go Eagles!
From this point, the school year feels like a downhill sprint. There are only 16 weeks of school left and I warn you that it will feel like someone has pushed the fast forward button. Most of that is due to all of the activities and events that happen between now and the end of May. We have a lot going on in February with Black History Month activities and events, Saturday STAAR Camp, after school tutorials, the end of basketball season, the start of baseball and softball, 100th Day of School activities, etc. Our students are active and amazing and I enjoy watching them learn and excel!
February is also the month with the highest incident rate for flu. Our custodial staff have been working extra hard to keep our facilities clean and as germ free as possible, however we are still experiencing a high number of flu diagnoses. Please evaluate your child's health condition daily and be sure to remind them to wash their hands frequently!
AVID is Recruiting for 2019-20!
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Shanklin's Dream Wall
Who Am I? Daily Challenge Box
Gerdes's Dream Wall
FEBRUARY SPOTLIGHT STAFF MEMBER
Natali Hartman!!
PRIMARY NEWS!
SHANKLIN NEWS!
Scripp's Spelling Bee!
National Geographic Bee
Did you know that Antarctica is the continent in the Southern Hemisphere which experiences severe winds and is also the driest continent in the world? Our National Geographic Bee finalists knew this answer and more! Congratulations to our finalists for remaining composed with some tough questions that had adults putting on their thinking caps. Our finalists included: David Cruz (Second Place), Angel Corpus, Francisco Reyes, Corinne Partida (Third Place), Jay'Lynn Corpus-Franks, and Cecilio Lara (First Place). They all did an amazing job in our inaugural Geo Bee on January 23! Best wishes to Cecilio as he prepares for the online qualifying test for the State Geo Bee.
Guided Math Groups
Guided Math groups brought learning by exploring back with excitement! Primary and Shanklin teachers analyzed student needs and reorganized groups and learning focus, working towards deeper learning. Our Instructional Coaches work hard to model, guide and facilitate great learning opportunities. Math problem solving requires students to read to learn and think about learning during math. Whatever support the students and teachers need for instruction, the Instructional Coaches provide. Instructional Coaches work tirelessly to equip teachers with best research-based strategies and often co-teach with them until both students and teachers are successful. Students are excited about learning, teachers are excited about teaching! Win-Win!!
“This joy of discovery is real, and it is one of our rewards. So too is the approval of our work by our peers.” ~Henry Taube
GERDES NEWS!
Students Own Their Data!
Students at the Junior High analyze their unit assessment data to determine what they know and where they still need to improve their learning. Students group the questions from the unit into like skills, write “I can statements” based on the skill and then chart their percentage correct. Students write overall strengths and needs statements. Students revisit those skills and track their progress over time.
Student Athletes Take Time to Read
GJH Students Attend Play at Civic Center
GJH students had the opportunity to attend the play coordinated by the city library. The play highlighted Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, Joe Jackson, as well as many other African-Americans who had an impact on our history. Several students even had the opportunity to take part in some of the portrayals.
LULING HIGH SCHOOL NEWS!
Anatomy and Physiology Classes
Ms. Patel is conducting an experiment with students on their sweat glands. Here, Ms. Patel tests two parts of their body (their forearm and palm) for sweat gland activity. To do this, Ms. Patel had the students place a small amount of iodine in both prescribed locations. Once dried, she had the students tape a small paper square on their skin. As they perspired, the iodine transfers from the skin to the paper, turning the starch in the paper blue-black. The amount of blue-black on the two papers was used to conclude the relative numbers of active sweat glands in the two areas. This experiment was devised to reinforce the lessons learned in their Integumentary System unit.
Career and Technical Education
At Luling High School, students continue to explore and take part in the different Career Technical Education (CTE) classes offered. An essential part of CTE is knowledge of the content, skill development and hands-on experience. These concepts give students the confidence and skills that prepare them for any industry certification examination.
Secondary Instructional Coaching
Instructional coaches are an incredibly valuable component in improving academic success for all students. Instructional coaches work with individual teachers, small groups of staff, and entire faculties to provide guidance and support in the areas of curriculum and instruction. “According to Jim Knight... up to 90% of what teachers learn alongside coaches will be retained. This means, that unlike traditional professional development where Knight's research shows that teachers lose 90% of what they learn, coaching can provide an enormous impact” (Dewitt, 2016). At the beginning of this school year, Luling ISD added the position of instructional coach to our team. Amanda Wilson provides just that kind of support to the teachers at Gerdes Junior HIgh and Luling High School. On any given day, one may find Ms. Wilson working one-on-one with a teacher to better understand his or her curriculum resources and then providing a training to the entire staff on a schoolwide writing strategy. Ms. Wilson’s work with coaching teachers benefits all our students.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We are a busy district with lots of opportunities to participate in campus activities!
Keep up with upcoming events by clicking on this link!
https://www.luling.txed.net/apps/events/
Erin Warren, Interim Superintendent
Email: ewarren@luling.txed.net
Website: www.lulingisd.net
Location: 212 East Bowie Street, Luling, TX, USA
Phone: (830)875-3191