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Learning Together
Office of Instruction Newsletter - Template
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Message from Troy D. Olin, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
Israeli-Palestinian Crisis
As we head into the weekend, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that it’s been a difficult two weeks for many in our school community impacted by the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis. As a community of educators, it’s important that we play a supportive role during this time; whether it’s providing opportunities for open discussions about managing trauma or helping students process their emotions and gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of this sensitive topic.
This Education Week article is one of many resources available on the NYSED webpage. I encourage you to check them out and continue to lean into our commitment to ensuring a safe, welcoming and affirming environment.
Eclipse Resources
As you may know, students in the Outdoor Club at Gates Chili Middle School have been selected to serve as Community Eclipse Ambassadors this year!
The designation awarded by the Rochester Museum and Space Center (RMSC) makes GCMS Outdoor Club one of 50 organizations to serve as ambassadors tasked with exciting and educating the community about the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Each month, a section of the district e-newsletter will be dedicated to sharing student-curated resources, interesting facts, information and/or activities about eclipses.
In addition, GCMS teachers and Outdoor Club advisors Dorothy Brenneis and Lisa Dorofy have curated teacher resources for use in the classroom. These resources can be applied to a wide variety of subject areas and are available in Schoology using the access code: PZPX-DZND-KFR9H.
Top Workplaces Survey
If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to complete the survey and provide your feedback.
A reminders to note:
- If you do not receive the survey email this week, please check your spam or junk email for a message from “Energage Survey.” To open the survey invitation, you may have to confirm the email is not spam.
- If you deleted the survey email accidentally, you will receive a reminder message that includes another access link.
- Please do not forward the survey email to a colleague. Each email has a unique code to prevent multiple responses from a single person.
Contact Energage at 1-800-749-0187 or email communications@gateschili.org if you have questions.
Equitable Grading Practices
Growth Mindset vs. Traditional Grading Practices
At all levels throughout Gates Chili, we talk to our students about having a growth mindset. We encourage them to persevere, and to continue to try even if they fail during a first attempt. With a growth mindset, mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities.
How is this related to our grading practices?
Homework, classwork, and independent practice are all opportunities to help students learn content and practice skills. When we assign a grade to each of these tasks, what messages do we send about mistakes? When do students have the chance to learn content and practice skills without mistakes affecting their overall grade? How much weight do these practice activities hold in a student's overall grade? These are things for us to think about and reflect on this year as we examine our own practices and learn how we can be more equitable in our grading.
"But if we don't grade it, they won't do it!"
This is a common concern, and students do need practice. They spend hours practicing in other aspects of their lives - sports, music, TikTok dances. They do understand the concept of practicing to improve their performance. We need to make this connection explicit so that the purpose of their assignments is clear, and their grades are accurate reflections of their learning.
Instructional Focus: Learning Targets and Success Criteria
Students understand their learning targets and success criteria and have high expectations for their own learning.
Students can talk about what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will demonstrate their understanding.
Both learning targets and success criteria have been found to have a positive impact on student achievement.
Learning targets should drive every decision we make as teachers and every action that takes place during a lesson. More importantly, students should understand the purpose and how to achieve the learning target through success criteria. Providing students with the success criteria helps students monitor their learning, know what they have accomplished, and areas they may need support.
Pro Tip: Check out Stage One and Two in our curriculum units to support the development of learning targets and success criteria. Reach out to your teacher leaders and instructional coaches for additional guidance or with questions.
Family and Teacher Conferences
A family/teacher conference is an opportunity for conversation with families and to provide more comprehensive information about student progress at school.
At the elementary level, a conference day to meet with families is scheduled in December. Though there is not a scheduled day for conferences at the secondary level, they are encouraged. Secondary teachers should consider opportunities to include students to attend or even lead the conversation when appropriate.
Conferences can help strengthen relationships with individual families and support student learning at every level.
When planning for conferences, points to consider:
- Share what their student is learning and the different topics/skills/strategies that have been introduced.
- Share examples of the student’s learning (i.e. work samples and relevant assessments) and discuss strengths, progress over time, and areas for growth.
- Discuss how you support their student’s learning.
- Ask the family what they are noticing about their student as a learner and provide an opportunity for any questions they may have for you.
- Share how families can support their student at home.
- For elementary families – remind them how to access student progress reports through the SchoolTool parent portal (Linked HERE).
Professional Learning
Gates Chili Professional Learning Plan Team
Did you know that Gates Chili has a Professional Learning Plan Team (PLP Team) to support all things professional learning?
This team meets 6-7 times per year and has representatives from each building. This hard-working team includes Sam Marollo (Armstrong), Darci Antinelli (Brasser), Cynthia Wilson (Disney), Ryan Fitzgerald (Paul Road), Robin Williamson and Kenyala Rollins (Middle School), Laura Braid and Jeanine Agnello (High School), Mike Munski (Coach) and Teri Marsh (District Office) and collaborates to:
- review, update, and streamline professional learning processes
- improve clarity and transparency of professional learning processes and procedures
- review and approve professional learning proposals aligned with GC vision and PL strands
- serve as a conduit between building staff needs and the PLP Team
- review and update the District Professional Learning Plan annually
This month, PLP Team representatives will spend a few minutes during a faculty meeting to share updates and review the Professional Learning page on the staff intranet that is being created to provide answers to frequently asked questions and support routine processes staff should follow when seeking out PL opportunities. Please see your PLP Team representative with professional learning questions or suggestions!
Unique Professional Learning Collaboration: Learning Labs
If you have worked for the district for a few years, you may remember Learning Labs as part of the 1:1 district technology rollout.
GOOD NEWS! This powerful learning opportunity is back and has been re-imagined to be organized opportunities for teachers to engage in the work of learning together with an Instructional Coach or Administrator.
Learning Labs are designed to offer job-embedded professional learning that fosters collaborative communities in which educators can learn from one another and collaborate to enhance instructional practices. At this time, Learning Lab participants are identified in conjunction with working with GC Instructional Coaches and/or GC administrators, and will follow a structured process that includes collaboration with a coach, observation in a host classroom, and time to debrief and plan to implement strategies in your own spaces.
If you have questions or an interest in exploring if a Learning Lab is right for you, reach out to your administrator or one of our instructional coaches!
Riddle Me This...
Congratulations to Sean Johnson, Keri Martin, and Connie Vacek who were the first three to respond to last month's riddle correctly - A Candle
If you know the answer to this month's riddle, click HERE to submit your answer. The first three (3) people who answer the riddle correctly will receive a special prize in their mailbox next week!
Good luck!
October Riddle: What English word has 3 consecutive double letters?
Check out "Learning Together" on the third Friday of each month!
The Gates Chili Central School District is dedicated to fostering curiosity, growth, and diversity within our school community. The district celebrates and embraces differences and strives to dismantle exclusion, bias, racism, and prejudice of all forms.