Raymore Update: 8/26/13
News for & about our staff family & PLC!
Wish You Well!
Leadership Jobs!
Activity to Unite!
Wish You Well: An Update from GG
Conscious Discipline
8-10:30 This group eats lunch like normal at their class's lunch shift.
Vaughan/Allen--Janice Robertson
Murphy--Connie Clark
Riker--Amanda Carver
Thompson--Lautzenhiser
Sorrick--Mrs Braden
Trutzel--Patterson
Zelinko--Danette Newton
11-2 This group eats lunch 10:30-10:55
Willis--Janice Robertson
Spiller--Connie Clark
Parnell--Patterson
Mason--Lautzenhiser
Doerhoff--Braden
Moots--Carver
Copeland--Newton
2:15-4 This group wears jeans!
Spencer--Janice R This sub can "float"; Catie is absent.
Goodwin--C Clark
Grimes--Amanda Carver
Bradley--Lautzenhiser
Clark--Newton
Heil--Patterson
Cain--Braden
Monday, Aug 26, 2013, 07:30 AM
Coordinator room-Karen & Linda!
Tues Collab-Allison will now be here ALL day helping with visuals! (We'll see Cheris in Sept!)
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013, 09:30 AM
Computer Lab-Collab plan times
Click HERE for Debbie Miller: Letting Kids Dig In *Takeaways from the PDN Common Core training
See Erica, Jennika, Lauren, Meredith or Michelle for more details.
"It used to be that, once I’d determined the focus of children’s reading work for the following day, I’d spend most of my time planning the lesson. I’d find that “just right” book, figure out where I’d think aloud and what I’d say, and identify places where I’d ask children to talk with each other about something specific.
Nothing wrong there—but here’s the shift: Now, once I identify our learning target, I no longer dive into planning the mini-lesson. Instead, I plan what students will do during work time to grow as readers and get smarter. What will they read, write, and talk about? How can I engage them so that they will be able to increase their stamina and sense of agency, independence, and grit? How will they demonstrate their understanding of the learning target?
Once I know what kids will be doing during their work time, planning the lesson falls right into place. I ask myself the following questions:
*What will students need most from me in order to do their best during the work time?
*How will I show them?
*What resources will I need?"Click HERE for Debbie's reference to Richard Allington's 6 elements of instruction that every child should experience every day. *Takeaways from PDN CC cont.
Are You Willing? (Commitment structure from Conscious Discipline)
From our 8/21/13 PLC Faculty Collab: Allison asked us...
From my RP reading list: Cultures Built To Last: Systematic PLCs at Work (DuFour & Fullan, p. 2-3)
- It requires significant changes to traditional schooling practices that have endured for over a century. SRR In particular, it changes the way that just about everyone relates to each other in the school and across schools and the system. Leader in Me/Shared Leadership/Accountability
- It is certain to create conflict! 2nd order change
- It is multifaceted. Leaders (teachers, principals, etc.) do not have the luxury of focusing on only a single aspect of the organization that requires attention. It's hard, not because we're doing it wrong but because ensuring learning for all is just hard...but our kids are worth it & we can do it!
- It is a heuristic process of trial and error. There is no formula to be followed that guarantees the desired outcomes. Much of the cultural change involves working through complexity, finding out what is working and what isn't, and making adjustments based on the data. Invention reasoning!
- It never ends! Creating the commitment to continuous improvement inherent in the PLC process means you never "arrive." Growth mindset
Teachers: Check out Common Core sample test items to use, esp. the "performance events," in either Gr3 or 4!
Rigor & Relevance Tidbit
F.A.I.L.="First Attempt In Learning"
Take-Aways from Admin Mtg 8-21-13
- Running Start for Kindergarten summer school- Stonegate teachers report enormous success in kids learning how to "do school" and marked difference socially and academically among kids who did/did not attend; feedback from them & parents was overwhelmingly positive. July 14-August 6, 2014 RP is considering expanding in all elementaries. If you're kindergarten certified, I encourage you to think and consider this. RP wants to ensure our kids have every shot at readiness.
- Springfield Public Schools is moving to a year-round calendar (roughly the same total days of school). Stay tuned for news from them about hopeful success as they move away from the centuries old "agrarian calendar."
- Reminders from our July law conference:
- Hotline Calls-If you suspect abuse/neglect, immediately notify principal/AP/counselor who will aide in class coverage and you will jointly make the call with the P/AP/C. If you aren't sure but wonder about abuse/neglect, still immediately call the P/AP/C.
- OCR-Section 504 Be very cautious about following best professional, consistent, practices; documentation is critical, including contacts with parents, curriculum marks/grades, etc.
- Emails: Just use good judgement :) Specific recent reminders: Be sure to keep things professional/factual and only include people who “need to know”. Deleted email can be retrieved. If you have to use a student’s name, use only one student per email. Caution using professional email for personal communication because it could be read/reviewed. Even when you don't name a child, their identify could still be reasonably inferred.
- MLS: Missouri Learning Standards are the title of those standards our state Board of Education approved/adopted. Missouri controls the standards for Missouri’s students. Currently they reflect the CCSS. Our local district will always maintain our local standards, calendar, assessments, and instructional programs; RP controls what kids learn here in our classrooms. You are in a great position to communicate with parents who are worried or confused, and there is both worry and concern in certain circles.
- K-4 students will receive Gmail accounts so they can access Chromebooks to research/design, take assessments you create in Google forms, etc. We will need to prepare careful, proactive PR for parents about the why/need and the safety steps involved. Please refrain from notifying parents until we know more.
- PTR Assessment Templates for K-2 were provided by district to each teacher, shared with the principal and reading interventionist. These are fantastic and thank you to KRISTIN M whose brainchild this was!
- Learning Target Grids for all K-4 Kudos to SETH for creating these initial templates! These will be used in all of our sister schools too :) After meeting with a few of you, we have some deeper curriculum conversations still occurring that will drive updates to these grids to make them meaningful and relevant for YOUR use :)
2013-14 DATES & TIMES (as of Apr. 4, 2013)
August 19-Sept 3 Fall SRI window
August 26-Sept. 20 Acuity Predictive A window
August 27-29 PTR training session (4-8 pm @ Academy Building) Moots, Polley, Patterson
Sept. 3- Oct. 15 Fall AIMSWeb window
Sept 10 PK-6 Vertical Collaboration (4:15 @ Academy Building)
Sept. 13 Midterm of First quarter
*Fall P/T Conference times
*Oct. 23 K-6 staff times 2:00 - 8:00pm
*Oct. 23 7-12 staff " 1:00 - 7:00pm
*Oct. 24 K-12 staff " 12:00 - 8:00pm
*Winter At-Risk Conferences
*Feb. 18 K-12 changed to 9:30 - 7:00 staff reporting times
*9:30 PLC / Collaboration
*12:30 - 7:00 At-Risk ConferencesRaymore Elementary School & Early Childhood Department
Email: michelle.hofmann@raypec.org
Website: www.raymoretigers.weebly.com
Location: 500 S Madison St, Raymore, MO
Phone: (816) 616-4210
Twitter: @ms_hofmann