MONDAY MEMO
Shawnee Trail Elementary, April 4, 2016
SHAWNEE TRAIL MISSION: Why do we exist? What is our fundamental purpose?
- To create a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment, to inspire ALL students to become passionate, lifelong learners.
- To make meaningful and enjoyable connections as we educate the whole child academically, emotionally, and socially.
At Shawnee Trail we believe ALL Means ALL:
- ALL students will learn at their highest levels.
- ALL decisions are based on what is best for students and are aligned with the mission of our school.
- ALL, students and teachers, learn by doing and building on our own strengths and the strengths of others.
Collective Commitments:
Cultivate a collaborative culture of continuous improvement:
- Read all resources before collaborative learning meetings.
- Be prepared to share, listen and participate in all group discussions.
Foster a save supportive and trusting environment:
- Start on time.
- Be engaged 100% of the time. (Leave unnecessary distractions behind and focus wholly on the tasks at hand.)
- Collaborate and contribute equally and meaningfully
Practice all of these collective commitments by asking, “How did we do? Are we holding ourselves accountable for the team’s norms?”
- Be willing to apologize or confront with passion and purpose when a team member fails to honor the commitments.
Celebrate success large and small.
Choice
Last week one of our fifth graders was taking the STAAR reading test for the very first time. He was worried he may not pass and lose his opportunity to take an elective in sixth grade. As we talked, I asked if he had lived in Frisco long. He shared that his family moved here in August from Baton Rouge. When I asked what brought his family to the area he replied, "We came here because we wanted a better life."
A dad enrolling his two sons, in second and fourth grades, told me that he and his wife worked all year on relocating their in-home daycare to Frisco. The rent will be much higher than they are used to paying, the father shared, "But our boys deserved a better education." They researched districts and school communities and chose Shawnee Trail.
What an honor it is to hear these stories and lead a school in which so many families chose to attend. It makes me think of you and the choice you made to be an educator. You all have chosen to be teachers in Frisco at Shawnee Trail and our students are the reason you come to work everyday.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING JUST A FEW OF THE REASONS YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO WORK EVERYDAY!
DON'T FORGET!
The FINAL CAMPUS TELPAS meeting is Wednesday. Please bring:
- Bring unsigned & undated rating rosters.
- Bring writing collections with cover sheets & checklists.
- Make sure that you have collaborated with one other teacher per student to validate the assigned ratings.
It's time to schedule the next round of grade level learning walks!
- Scheduling deadline is March 31st -Heather, Shannon and I need to know what day and the grade level focus.
- April 29th is the deadline for completing this round of walks.
- Learning Walks by Grade Level (Google Doc)
Please complete IV and V of your Individual PL (Professional Learning) Plan form before your summative conference. An electronic copy was shared with you on Sunday, March 27th.
Cafe Trays
Professional Learning
Meaningful Discussion/Academic Discourse
SMART GOAL: Increase student’s advanced academic performance by 5% on campus based CFAs by improving meaningful peer conversations (academic discourse).
STRATEGY: Teacher will teach mini lessons, demonstrate, and provide practice using sentence stems and conversations structures. (Seravallo, Lone STAAR Problem Solving, Kagan Structures and Exemplars)
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: Administrative walk-throughs and campus CFAs will be used to measure progress.
March and April Character Trait Focus is Social Emotional Intelligence
Although there is some disagreement about the exact terminology to use, social and emotional intelligence both refer to the ability to understand your own and others’ feelings and emotions and then to use this understanding to inform your decisions and actions. Socially/emotionally intelligent people solve interpersonal problems quickly by understanding what is upsetting others and being empathetic to these concerns. They tend to recognize when they've said something that made someone uncomfortable and know what makes others "tick.” Socially/emotionally intelligent people are able to thrive in many different relationships and settings because they quickly learn the social rules.
https://characterlab.org/resources/social-emotional-intelligence
Observing Social/Emotional Intelligence
As a teacher, it’s important to recognize that social intelligence is different from just “getting along” with others or following rules. Put a different way: a child who acts out or doesn’t get along with others doesn’t necessarily have a challenge with social intelligence—a myriad of other challenges could be at play. That said, socially intelligent behaviors are also the ones that a teacher might prize in a peaceful classroom. Being socially intelligent could involve:
- Finding solutions during conflicts with others
- Demonstrating respect for the feelings of others
- Adapting to different social situations
https://characterlab.org/resources/social-emotional-intelligence
Birthdays
Jennifer Graves 4/5
Jill Grawe 4/15
Angela Gowan 4/20
Hortensia Hernandez 4/25
Casie Schneider 4/26
Jennifer Trickett 4/26
REMINDERS
National Autism Awareness Month
World Health Day on Thursday
Monday, April 4th
- Kindergarten Round-Up
- 4th Grade SST Meeting (3:15 in room 310)
Tuesday, April 5th
- Instructional Team Leader Meeting (7:15)
- Kindergarten Round-Up Late Night (4:00-7:30)
Wednesday, April 6th
- TELPAS Meeting (3:15 in Pod 3)
Thursday, April 7th
- 5th Grade SST Meeting (3:15 in room 310)
Friday, April 8th
- Good Morning Shawnee Trail
Shawnee Trail Elementary
Email: schaeffp@friscoisd.org
Website: http://schools.friscoisd.org/ES/shawnee-trail/site/home
Location: 10701 Preston Vineyard Drive, Frisco, TX, United States
Phone: (469) 633-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawneeTrailElm
Twitter: @shawneetrailelm