Team and Family Launcher
Goal-oriented and intentional. Intervention. Authentic Team.
"...the cry is always the same - We want to be free."
The excerpt from Dr. King's speech still rings true for so many change makers in our society today, starting with each of us who have committed to the Freedom Rider journey towards creating a high-quality, positive school experience for our Rocketeers this year.
Just as he highlighted then, there is still, unfortunately, much confusion and trouble still taking place in our nation today. However, each of you have, just he like he did, committed yourselves to helping to ensure that even in spite of societal ills being present, you have and continue to show up to ensure that freedom is felt for everyone in our nation regardless of skin color, zip code and income level. Just like we know from learning about Dr. King's life, what you have dedicated your lives to is no easy decision or task. However, it is one that the most important in ensuring that our society is healed and thrives with everyone moving forward and not just a select few.
In education, especially when we deal with the emotional trauma that our Rocketeers and their families endure on a daily basis, can be difficult and hard to bear at times. But, remember that we "teach in schools and not classrooms" and that there are others who are here to support you and that "...only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars." Push yourself to give yourself grace through the difficult moments and to recognize it as a moment in time given to you that allows you to see the stars of what is possible beyond the present reality. The nearest star to the Earth is the Sun. The Sun comes out after the night's darkness has ended. Continue to look beyond the darkest moments towards the brighter moments that will come behind it. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
Set intentions for this week:
1) Give yourself and others on staff grace during difficult moments.
2) Find the good in everyday. Write down at least 3 happy moments from each day that include a student, team member, family, a solo personal moment, etc.
3) Remain emotionally calm. Find your compass and keep it close all week.
Know that my love is with you at all times and I continue to bow to each of you for the amazing work that you are doing each day.
Thank you for choosing to be goal-oriented and intentional, an intervenor and an authentic team member to lead our Rocketeers and their families towards freedom.
Love you always,
Christa
Focus Areas
Culture Focus Area: Positive Framing
Great teachers almost always put things positively. Positive Framing is a technique that encourages teachers to talk about the now, exhort and challenge, assume the best, normalize the positive, and respect the privacy of the students.
Positive Framing Feedback Cheat Sheet
Positive Framing Feedback Cheat Sheet
Positive Framing Priority Points (focus on the mastery of these points first):
Teachers give precise directions that clarify movement, volume and participation.
Teachers narrate 2-3 students (or groups) within 2 seconds of the direction.
Teachers stating what they want to see happen next.
Precise Directions
Starting with a call to attention (e.g. “Rocketeers, track me in 3-2-1.”)
Not talking until you have every student’s full attention (Do not talk over)
Providing a cue to begin (e.g. “When I say go…”)
Repeating your cue to begin if students start moving early (e.g. “And only when I say go…”)
Clarifying physical movement (e.g. pencils moving quickly, turning and facing your partner)
Clarifying verbal behavior (e.g. silently, in a whisper voice)
Clarifying participation (i.e. the actual action you want students to do)
Checking for understanding through cold call (especially if directions are long)
Behavioral narration
Being seen looking (crane your neck to appear to be seeing all corners of the room) to check for student compliance of directions given.
Using a neutral tone and avoiding false praise when narrating.
Aligning narration precisely to the MVP directions.
Narrating 2-3 students (or groups) who are following directions to set a positive tone, build momentum and ensure directions are heard
Making sure narration occurs within 2 seconds of giving the direction
Narration of 2-3 students before a corrective action is taken.
Live in the Now
Stating what you want to happen next
Naming what visible compliance will look like
Using a neutral tone
Speaking quieter and slower to show you are calm and composed
Economizing on language during the redirection
Non-examples of Positive Framing (Negatively Framed) Statements:
"Kea, stop fooling around."
"Just a minute, Charles, absolutely nobody is tracking except Dyonte and Beth."
"Marissa still isn't tracking."
"I don't see everyone in STAR."
"Tyrone, Jerome, can't hear you."
"You can't participate until you behave."
"I see Danita, Bella and Latecia still talking."
Examples of Positively Framed Directions:
Live in the Now: “Keena, I need your eyes forward.”; “James put your pencil down.”
Assume the Best: “Ooops, it looks like we forgot to push in our chairs, let’s go back and try that again.”
Allow Plausible Anonymity: “Check yourself to make sure you did exactly what I asked.”; “Tigers, let’s raise our hands again with no calling out.”
Build Momentum/Narrate the Positive: “I need four people to put their pencils down, now I’m only missing one, and now we’re ready to start our oral drill.”
Challenge! “Let’s see if we can get our homework out silently in 10 seconds. Ready, set, go!”
Talk Expectations and Aspiration: “The Titans always track.”; “Who has a college level answer?”
Sentence stems to use when positively framing statements:
"________, I/we need your eyes tracking."
"________, put your pencil down/in it the pencil holder."
"Oops, it looks like we forgot to________(action). Let's go back and do that again."
"I need ______ Rocketeers to _________________, and now we're ready to start __________."
"Let's see if we can _____________ in 10 seconds. Ready, set, go!"
"_____________ (name of cohort) always ___________ (tracks, walks in HALLS, raises strong arms, etc.)."
"Who can show us ______________ (HALLS, STAR, a strong arm, a loud and proud voice, etc.)?"
This week during observations and walkthroughs, the instructional leadership team will be observing for evidence of teachers employing Positive Framing when addressing students. During observations and walkthroughs, coaches will be observing to score teachers's use of positive framing and will follow up with you about your areas of strength and growth areas for positive framing during your 1:1s with them this week.
The goal is for every teacher to score at least a 3 on the Positive Framing Rubric. (page 9 of the RSED Student Culture Rubric).
See zoom in of Positive Framing Rubric, below.
Academic Focus Areas
STEP Testing:
Ensure that you are on track to meet your STEP Testing goal by having at least 65% of your Rocketeers STEP tested by the end of this week.
We will send out STEP Completion Charts throughout the week to the HUM team so that you can keep track of your testing completion.
Writing Assessments:
RNNE's testing window for Writing Assessments will begin next Tuesday, September 8th.
Please find your grade level's Fall Writing Assessment Prompt and aligned grading rubric here and began to read over it and connect with your coach about the specific date you will administer it next week during your Humanities block as well as materials you'll need to complete it.
All Fall Writing Assessment data must be entered into Iluminate by COB Friday, September 10th.
Upper Grades Humanities Teachers:
We are zooming on the "I do" portion of Humanities planning and execution of the narrative Reading Comprehension block this week.
We are setting a goal for all upper grades Humanities teachers to be a score of 3+ on the Double Planning rubric (see below for Double Planning rubric rows).
Check to ensure that you have planned your "I do" to follow the framework below when planning lessons and executing them with students:
Comprehension Skills Framework
Preparation:
Pre-work before the lesson begins
Ø Flag the text (Premark book/article for stopping and thinking points) and include exemplar responses on double plans.
Ø Prepare anchor chart and post
Ø Prepare all materials (independent work, folders, pencils, crayons, etc.)
I Do :
Model exactly what the students will do
(5-8 min)
Ø State the objective with clear, precise language
Ø Teach the skill/strategy with pre-planned think aloud from shared experience or text
o Break down the steps consistently
o Chart thinking
o Explain rationale behind the strategy
Ø CFU: What did I just model for you? (students articulate)
Thursday PD
This Thursday, we will be engaging in differentiated PD sessions on Positive Framing skill-building. Your coach will reach out to you by COB Tuesday to identify the session you will attend.
Thursday PD Schedule:
Differentiated Sessions - 2:30-4:00pm
Lesson Plan Revision Block - 4:00-5:00pm (upload revised plans into IP folder and ping your coach no later than COB on Thursday).
Any pre-work needed for the session will be sent no later than COB on Tuesday.
August Community Meeting
Knowing this information will help with any questions that families may have from the Community Meeting. Tomorrow, a hard copy of the PPT deck will go home to families so that they are aware of the important information regarding these topics since our next Community Meeting is not until February.
Quick hits:
- Be sure to send home the Weekly Agenda in your Rocketeers' homework folder each day.
- Check for parent/guardian signatures daily and follow-up with parents/guardians the same day when it has not been signed.
- Be sure that the Weekly Agenda is updated daily for homework assignments and LiveSchool Points.
- Be sure to send home Rocketeer LiveSchool Paychecks every Thursday.
- Be sure to send home the Rocketship Report each week which updates families about information regarding our school. Shout out Mrs. Rogers and Ms. Vega for doing an amazing job each week to ensure that our Rocketship Reports are created, translated, and delivered to classrooms each week!
RNNE Events Calendar
When planning events, be sure to begin sending home to communication to families about the events no later than 2 weeks prior to the event taking place so that families can begin planning their schedules to attend.
- Best practices for communication - flyers sent home in HW folder, stickers placed on Rocketeers prior to and the day of the event publicizing the event's details, phone calls made by parent volunteers to boost attendance and Rocketeers making authentic invitations for the event. Reach out to other grade levels for creative ways to plan events and communicate with families.
Send your flyer to your grade level manager and coach at least one month prior to the event taking place.
All communication sent home to families regarding events taking place must be translated in Spanish as well.
All event flyers sent home to families must be sent to Anabel (avega@rsed.org) to translate four weeks prior to the event taking place so that she can have time to translate it and send it back to you before you send home flyers.
If you have not planned a grade level event or grade level field trip yet, please work with your grade level manager to ensure that you have identified these dates on the calendar.
Staff Opportunity: School Discipline Action Research Team
We will be doing this through the process of Action Research (see image below) in order to provide a solution that is best for our Rocketeers, their families and our overall team. Action research is one of the most common ways of analyzing school discipline and creating improvements.
The school leadership team is excited to convene a team of staff members across various roles to create a shared leadership experience for us all.
If you are interested in being a part of this experience, please plan to join us on Wednesday, September 9th from 4:30-5:30pm in the PD room.
Morning Arrival Responsibilities
Be sure to be outside of your classroom, standing at your door no later than 7:29am so that you are ready for students to begin entering at 7:30am.
-Greet students with a bright smile, firm handshake and name
-Check for uniform compliance - tan bottoms, tennis shoes only, purple Rocketship shirt or plain purple shirt, shirt tucked in and shoes tied.
LiveSchool:
- Update attendance for students into LiveSchool as they continue to enter your classroom up until 9am. This will ensure that students that arrive between arrival time and 9am are accounted for in LiveSchool. Be sure to check for the attendance throughout your morning class in marking students correctly. Each attendance error results in negative financial implications for the school.
- Give LiveSchool Positive Points for Rocketeers who are in correct uniform, present, homework for Humanities and Math submitted, agendas signed and Weekly LiveSchool Reports signed.
LiveSchool Efficiency:
April has increased the data speed of the Internet in the building the best package that Comcast provides. However, if you would like to use a paper LiveSchool chart to record points on during instruction, please see the awesome trackers that Danny created and has used when modeling lessons in classrooms this year.
NE Points + Cultural Breach Tracker
If you choose to use this paper tracker, be sure to enter the data into LiveSchool during your lunch period for morning classes and no later than 2:45pm on regular days and 12:45pm on minimum days so that last period teachers have the most updated points when recording on a Rocketeer's Weekly Agenda. Set a reminder for yourself to remember to do this so that all Rocketeer's go home with updated points everyday.
Whole School Launch
We will begin whole school Launch (taking place on Mondays only) on September 14th so that Rocketeers have at least one day of Launch and one day of Landing together as a whole school. We will provide you with more details next week as we prepare for the first whole school Launch to take place on Monday, September 14th.
Parent/Family Communication
Great ways that helped me to keep in contact with families:
- Use your student roster and identify the families you will contact daily to help ensure that you aren't forgetting to reach out to any families; with so many students, this helped me to maintain regular communication with every family within a three week time period.
- Save all family contact in your phone so that it's easy to find.
- Identify the parents/guardians that prefer to communicate via text message and send a message of celebration to them during the school day. Snap a picture of a awesome test score, their Rocketeer's work, their Rocketeer reading/doing math, etc. and send it to them! I always included the tag line such as "Thank you for support in making this year amazing for your KIPPster! with the picture. Also, a quick note of "Davita led a group discussion today in class that was so deep and high level! She sounded like she was in college!"
- Use headphones with a mic (if you don't have any, purchase a pair $15 or less and submit the receipt for reimbursement) to make phone calls to families on your commute home so that when you're home you can relax. My commute was about 45 minutes, so I would aim to make 5-6 calls during my drive to keep in contact with families. DO NOT MAKE PHONE CALLS WITHOUT HEADPHONES WHILE DRIVING.
- Use the weekly agenda to send messages home to parents/families; I would place a sticker (even with 7th graders) on their weekly agendas to indicate something positive for families and a quick note of concern/missing work if necessary.
- Remind is an online tool that teachers throughout the country uses to communicate with families in an efficient way. My nephew's school uses this and it keeps my mom updated with important information for him throughout the year. She LOVES it! It creates a personalized text messaging system for you to use with family communication.
If you need Anabel to make a phone call home for you during the day, either stop by the front office or send her an e-mail explaining what you what her to communicate to the family. She will use the hour between 3-4pm each day as a designated time to make phone calls home to families since the office is closed during this time.
Check out the awesome ways that teachers are communicating with families via the newsletters that go home to families regularly!
Kindergarten Team Newsletter
- Some highlights include: information regarding their 'RNNE Kindergarten' Instagram account, specific tips for what families can do at home to support their Rocketeer in math and Humanities as well as upcoming events taking place at school.
- Some highlights include: learning standards that she is teaching in math for the current unit, the Habits of Excellence focus area of the month and specific ways that Rocketeers can earn points and Core Value Rockets for it, helpful math websites to visit at home, upcoming important dates and Top LiveSchool Positive Points Earners for her classes.
Ms. Arnold's Sight Word Letter
- Some highlights include: providing information about sight words at school, the goals for the year and specific tips that parents/families can do at home with Rocketeers to help with their growth in learning sight words.
Fall Break Updated Information
Monday - Wednesday are days scheduled as on campus PD days and Thursday and Friday are flexible location PD days.
As the PD Week comes closer, the instructional leadership team will update you with specific information regarding session schedules for on-campus days and deliverable due dates.
RNNE Fantasy Football League
I'm a hardcore football fan - high school, college (SEC) and NFL, so I'm for sure joining!
Shout out Trisha for thinking of and sharing creative ways for us to build authentic team throughout our school!
See e-mail from Trisha, below.
Hey everyone!
I decided to create a Rocketship Nashville League for Fantasy Football this year. Are you interested?!
I know many of you may not have ever done Fantasy Football before, but give it a try! It is a lot of fun, and will give you a whole new appreciation for the NFL.This can also help us to create authentic team, because we will have a lot to talk about! A few of the basics:
1. you will need a Yahoo account (free to create)
2. the buy in is $20, and I'll tell you what the winnings are once I know how many teams we have.
3. The draft is online on Thursday (9/6) at 6:30pm (it lasts about an hour or so for everyone to pick their teams)
I am trying to get 12 teams, so the first 12 that register and pay are in! Let's go!
Click this link to join the league>> YAHOO ROCKETSHIP NASHVILLE LEAGUE
or copy and paste:
https://yho.com/nfl?l=1023894&k=a9d3c7935d332aa5&ikey=163182ecf7bcf8ef
Any questions just email me back or text me! (610) 256-1146
:)
Chats with Shakya regarding Parent Engagement and Partnership
Our RSED Nashville Education Organizer, Shakya Cherry-Donaldson, would love to continue the conversation with you around your vision for a strong community with our students and their families.
She will be emailing you to set up 1 on 1's in the upcoming weeks to learn more about you and your work.
Please feel free to follow-up with her at scherry-donaldson@rsed.org
Home Visits
It's so exciting that SO many of our Rocketeer families have had personal meetings that has established partnership with them!
Home visits are also great opportunities to complete STEP testing for students!
Remember that home visits cannot take place at RNNE in order to be counted as a home visit. You can name an alternative location to meet with a family if they are not comfortable/able to host you in their home.
Last week, Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Salls met with a family at Krystal's to accommodate the family while also ensuring that they are still completing home visits for their Rocketeers - great creative thinking of alternative locations!
Huge shout out to the following teachers for meeting August Data Days benchmark goal of completing at least 47% of their home visits!
Barr
Potter
Koenen
Arnold
Mays
Plever
Frazier
Bing
Linehan
Crosthwait
ECC Team (Coach Elmore and Sanders)
ILS Team (Bowen, Newsom, Weber, Franklin)
Shout out the teachers who have already met their September benchmark goal of 68%:
Barr - 81%
Potter - 85%
Plever - 79%
Parent Teacher Conferences
Our network's report card is still being finalized, but will be ready to share by the end of this week. As soon as I receive it, I will share it out with the team.
HUGE SHOUT OUT to Ms. Barr for creating a school-wide Parent Teacher Conference scheduler for everyone! Each teacher will use this tracker to schedule each of their Parent Teacher Conferences. The front office will also have access to the tracker so that they can assist with scheduling for any parents/families who call in throughout the school day to schedule after you have sent home a flyer to families to schedule specific times. Ms. Barr has also created a flyer to be sent home to families and has already sent it to Anabel to translate; she will share it out with the staff once she receives the translated version back.
Consider pairing home visits and parent teacher conferences together during this time.
Our school-wide goal is for 100% of families to receive their Rocketeer's report card. At Rocketship, no student receives a report card without completing a conference with a teacher.
Physical Space
Shout out to Mrs. Salls - during an observation, I looked down and saw her Rocketeers' desks were neat, organized and all free of trash with all binders placed on the same side of the desk.
Remember, to help with efficiency, name this as a student's job to check for desk organization and that there are no random pieces of trash/paper on the floor underneath the desk or tables. All of our Rocketeers deserve to have a neat and clutter-free learning environment at all times.
Teacher Organization:
This week, focus on organizing your countertops, projector cart and teacher desk area. Please read the teacher organization section of the RSED Physical Space Vision below.
Organization - Adult Level
Students emulate what they see. Moreover, they internalize what we value by our actions. This couldn’t be more true with our organization. They way our desks look will be the way their desks look. As such, all staff have to be aware of how their own organization appears to students.
The power of labeling - everything!
As we design our spaces (both student and adult) we want to ensure that they not only have a high level of intentionality but that they also are clearly labeled and marked such that all spaces can be respected and show the level of thought that has gone into them. Labeling not only supports students’ understanding of the spaces but it also brightens the lines of where everything goes and the focus of our space. It provides additional clarity and structure to all spaces both for kids and adults in a way that allows us to operate more efficiently and smoothly and our attention and focus can be placed fully on learning and pushing our students and selves instructionally.
Below you will find pictures of physical spaces (classrooms and staff rooms) with bright lines and organization as a result of their labeling.
Food inside the classroom
Teachers and staff should not be eating inside the classroom, which means food should not be out. Food should be stored inside the teachers desk and not in sight of students. It’s important we preserve the learning space as a fun but focus place for academic learning that we take very serious.
Teacher desk
Be aware of piles and unaccounted for documents and “things” that could easily be seen as clutter. Ultimately, we want our desks and open spaces to look like how we want our students to look. Piles should be kept to one or two - max. Also, pens and materials should have containers that they are kept in. If any handouts, papers or objects that are given to you over the course of the day should be organized of by the end of the day so that piles and clutter do not begin to pile up.
Projector/Doc Cam Cart
Our technology cards should contain:
1) Doc Cam + projector
2) Pen/pencil container (to prevent random pens/pencils on it)
3) Papers using that current day - all old paper are not on the cart
Easels
Easels should contain markers and materials for the days lesson ( such as: lesson plans and the books/materials for the lesson) However, handouts should not be placed inside/underneath the easel. Old posters or materials should also not also be housed inside the easel. Be sure to keep this space free of old materials.
Countertops
A photo of an excellent countertop is provided below. This countertop only contains 2-3 piles of handouts for the day. All other materials are placed in shelving or organizer. Further, there are not any random objects on the countertops like: Clorox wipes, stay pencils, stickers...etc. Only what is needed is out and everything else is place away in it’s appropriate storage.
April and I will be conducting Physical Space walkthroughs this week focusing on student organization and teacher organization.
Below are the rubrics for each area on the RSED Physical Space Rubric.
Shout out to Mr. Sholar for investing a parent in organizing his countertop space during her visit last week! This is a great way to invest parents in the classroom while also providing them with an opportunity to earn Parent/Family Partnership Hours!
Organized Teacher Counter
Organized Teacher Counter
Organized Teacher Counter
Parent Partnership Hours
As you begin to take inventory of all of the tasks that need to be completed in your classroom, start highlighting tasks that can be delegated to a parent/family volunteer to complete.
Some examples included, but are not limited to:
- Making copies for the week
- Cutting out Core Value Rockets (can be sent home in a large ziplock bag and the parent/family member sends back the cut CVRs)
- Participating in your class lesson (working with a small group, etc.)
- Creating and putting up bulletin boards in the hallway
- Conducting sight word testing - see Ms. Barr's flyer home to parents to recruit sight word testers for her classroom
- Organizing your teacher counter
- Organizing your library - if your library is not organized, this should be the first task you reach out parents/family members about
- Make phone calls to families for upcoming school/grade level events
Reach out to other teachers - especially returning RNNE teachers - about creative ways to involve families in your classroom experience.
If you have Parent Partnership Hours that your Rocketeer families have already completed (STEP testing, making phone calls to other families for you, etc.) please be sure to connect with Mrs. Rogers so that she can add the appropriate hours for each family so that they are reflected correctly on report cards.
Weekly Inspiration: Introducing Mu Phi Gamma Fraternity
This week, Mr. Frazier will live out the words of this quote by convening male Rocketeers and Rocketeer adult men (RNNE male teachers and male Nashville Regional staff) together to begin a journey towards building our young male Rocketeers into strong men.
His group, Mu Phi Gamma Fraternity, will target male Rocketeers in 2nd-4th grade and provide them with a positive, unique Rocketship experience as they matriculate throughout our school.
With all of the negative media coverage out in society about males, it is incredibly encouraging, heartwarming and truly inspiring to know that our male Rocketeers will be equipped with the skills necessary to navigate in society once they leave us after completing 4th grade. It is empowering for them and powerful to know they will have a village of brothers and mentors surrounding them on this journey towards greatness.
Mr. Frazier founded his fraternity three years ago in Jackonsville, Florida and has created a chapter here at RNNE for our male Rocketeers!
Shout out to Mr. Frazier for living out the words of Dr. King's quote: "The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."
Please check out Mu Phi Gamma's video below!