The Spartan Standard
Creating Coherent Systems That Promote Learning for All
Something to Think About...
Mary Rose's Schedule
Monday 4/21: Department Faculty Meeting
6:00 A-Team
10:45 Teacher Mtg.
2:55 Department Faculty Mtg. @ Dept. Chair classroom
4:00 Dept. Chair debrief
5:30 LCAP Parent Mtg. @ PAC
Tuesday 4/22: Special Schedule--Reverse Minimum Day; CST 10 & 11
9:00 J. Kover & D. Nevin re: PAC use
10:00 Pre-Observation conference
12:00 Teacher Mtg.
2:00 Fire Alarm panel training
2:45 Doctor's appointment
6:00 ASB picture taking
Wednesday 4/23: Special Schedule--Reverse Minimum Day; CST 10 & 11
8:00 Pre-Observation conference
10:00 Observation
Thursday 4/24: Special Schedule--Reverse Minimum Day; CST 11
7:40 Schedule Committee
9:00 Principals' Mtg. @ PDC
Friday 4/25: Special Schedule--Reverse Minimum Day; CST 11
7:45 Calendar
8:15 Schedule Committee
10:00 Observation
4:00 SpartanFest
4:00 CTFLC
Spartan Events
Check out the weekly calendar placed in your mailboxes or the school calendar through Outlook. We have athletic, academic, and artistic events that feature our students. Come and support them! Students love seeing you at their events!
Kudos and Thanks
- Our ASB has been named a gold award winner by the National Association of Student Councils. They are one of about 24 schools that have received this national honor! This award was two schoolyears in the making! Kudos to Scott Tanner for his leadership and DiAnne Cabe for following through.
- Kudos to DiAnne Cabe and the ASB for a very successful AirBand! Students showed much talent. Special Thank You to Tom Hassey for judging and to the custodians, led by Lou Rojas, for the special set up and break down.
- Congratulations to Patrick Doerr for a successful second day CMEA (California Music Educators Association) conference held right here at CVHS's PAC.
- Another Congratulations to Patrick Doerr! He has been named Director of the District Summer Arts Camp.
- And speaking about District Summer Arts Camp, more congratulations are in order! Valerie Ingram will be conducting camp in Dance and Debbie (Nevin) Armstrong will be conducting Jazz Band!
- Congratulations to Charles Batchman for being named Set Designer to the District Summer Theater Institute's production of "Pippin".
- Our Color Guard, under the overall supervision of Patrick Doerr placed Fourth in the Southern California Color Guard Championships. Kudos!
- Congratulations to our Dance Teachers--Valerie Ingram, Sonja Jaime, and Marla Navarette! MPulse placed First and Dance Force Second in the Sharp International Dance Competition. Both groups were also named Most Enthusiastic in their respective categories. Awesome!!
- Kudos to Paul Gil and Eileen Magaraci who presented at the Annual Crisis Training for Administrators held last Tuesday.
Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 23
Walkthrough Focus
As we walk through this week, we will be looking for the following:
- Daily Learning Target and the agenda that supports its completion: How does your DLT transform as your lessons go through the Rigor-Relevance Framework? How does your agenda align to accomplishing your DLT? How does your instructional activity match the rigor of your DLT?
- Students talking to each other using Academic Language: How do you create opportunities for students to work together to use academic language as they engage in higher level thinking or high cognitive tasks?
- Common Core Transition: How do your lessons reflect the rigorous skills in the ELA anchor standards and/or the Mathematical practices?
Faculty Meeting: Departments
We all have to work together. I expect that we all treat each other with respect as we go through this process of determining assignments. Please know that as our population increases or decreases, I will be meeting with Department Chairs to continue getting input on how best to proceed with the schedule. I will also be meeting with the FAC for their advice on how best to construct a schedule that holds the best interest of our students while also considering the needs of staff. Suggestions and solutions are always welcome.
I hope you know that the counselors, Hilda, and I are committed to planning a schedule that will allow, as much as possible, instruction from the very first day. We are building the schedule conservatively, in anticpation of attrition. Please know that I take responsibility for all the decisions that will be made regarding this year's schedule.
The first draft of the master schedule will be shared with staff on May 1, by the end of the day. Please know that as always, I will personally speak to certificated staff whose assignments will be affected.
WASC Update
Where we have been:
- Before we left for Winter Break, Becky Bravo gave a preview of the accreditation process that we will be undertaking to prepare for a visit in Spring, 2015. We learned about the importance of the WASc self-study process and visit.
- We began the WASC self-study process by examining our Mission Statement. We illustrated what our students would look like, say, or achieve if we succeeded in our mission. The illustration resulted in our Student Learner Outcomes.
- Once we determined our Student Learner Outcomes, we looked at data that gave us an indication of how we were progressing towards achieving them. The gap between our "ideal" (mission, SLO) and the "real" (data) formed the basis for our Critical Learner Needs.
- Staff members chose or were assigned their Focus Groups (there are five of them). Focus groups met to look at the criteria for their particular Focus Group and to determine what evidence they will need to be able to address each critereon.
- PLC's were given a list of evidence that Focus Groups needed to look at that they would be able to provide. The evidence consisted mostly of student work, instructional units, or CFA's.
- Last week, during a minimum day, Focus groups met to look at the evidence and address their particular Focus Group criteria by answering prompts that were provided by WASC as a guide. In the course of the discussion, groups also determined additional evidence that they needed to examine to further answer the prompts.
Where we will be going:
- Focus groups will continue to meet to examine evidence to address the criteria prompts. They will determine additional evidence they will need to successfully determine findings for each prompt, and ultimately, each criteria.
- PLC's will continue to supply evidence that Focus groups will need to address criteria successfully.
- Focus Groups will determine the findings for their particular criteria.
- Focus Groups will determine areas of strength and improvement in each criteria, and ultimately for the focus area.
The Big Picture:
- Determining findings in each criteria for each focus group will allow us to learn about ourselves as a school. Ultimately, the findings will support the critical areas of need we have determined to ensure accomplishment of our student learning outcomes and ultimately, our mission.
- Additionally, the findings will support a plan of action to address our critical learning needs.
- Our plan of action will be reflected in our Single School Plan for Improvement. I posit that our plan of action will reinforce and strengthen our existing school plan.
What is Important:
- Your focused participation through discussion and reflection is key at this point.
- The Focus Groups are representative of the different departments we have on campus to allow all to hear what has transpired, and continues to happen, in the different areas of our school. Groups will be able to piece together a collective picture of our school based on these discussions.
For the Common Good
- SUMMER BRIDGE: If you are interested in offering a summer bridge program, please see Becky Bravo or I THIS WEEK, The paperwork has been due and Maria Castilleja has graciously agreed to a very short extension. If you want to offer a short-term session that will strengthen student skills to prepare them for your course next year, Summer Bridge is for you!
- TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE: Have you backed up your files yet? The job aid will be posted on the website, under Staff=>Teacher Resources.
- COMMUNICATION: Thank you to all staff who E-mail or approach me personally with concerns and possible solutions to these concerns. Communication is a two-way process. When we communicate and work together, we can surmount anything.