Halliburton Happenings
September 7, 2015
Goals for the Week
As we enter our four day week together, the goal for the Learning and Leadership team, a.k.a. Jamie, Tonya, and Lisa, is to gain a better understanding of your teaching styles and professional goals so we can support you throughout the school year.
Tomorrow during PLCs we will create our look for form in preparation of our colleagues visiting our rooms. We will look at your PLPs as well as the Learning Platform Rubric to pick out two or three goals to obtain feedback on from classroom visitors. No preplanning is needed on your parts. We will work through the entire process of review individual goals, creating the forms on Google, and then creating the QR codes to put outside of our classroom doors.
The Learning Leadership Team also created a look for form to assist in collecting data as we are visiting classrooms daily. The form provides us an opportunity to have a focus when we visit classrooms for us to talk with you and each other and to use to make data driven decisions. Each time we complete a look for form, it will be e-mailed directly to you. The look fors will be changing as we move throughout the school year. Click here for a sample!
The purpose of the two different forms is to collect data, to drive instructional practices, to better meet the needs of our amazing students. Please let me know if you have questions or comments about either of the aforementioned items. Looking forward to being in your classrooms this week and being part of engaging work designed for students!
Which hats do you wear?
International Dot Day
In the spirit of celebrations, we will have a dot contest. With your teams, create the coolest Dot Day shirts (or ties, Mr. K) to wear next week with jeans on Dot Day. The team with the coolest shirts wins bragging rights and a dot-licious prize! Happy creating!
PLCs at BES
- Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
- Connection educators to their most valuable resources...each other!
- Meet every Tuesday
- In Lisa's room, most of the time
- 9/8: Goal setting and creating look for form, review PLP and Learning Platform Rubric, no prior prep
- 9/15: Tony Zahn mini activity, come with questions about science curriculum, Stem Scopes, or Depth and Complexity
- 9/22: Kerissa Bearce designing engaging work and integrating technology, come with TEKS you want to design work for
- 9/29: Classroom visits and debriefing using look fors forms
- If you are unsure of your PLC group and/or time, please see Lisa
Celebrations
- Thank you to each and every one of you for your attendance and participation on curriculum night!
- Many of you attending the dyslexia simulation last week. Thank you for going the extra mile with your professional learning!
- Three day weekends to recharge and refresh!
- Toured a family last week who complemented the friendliness of all they met on staff from the front office staff, to classroom teachers, and special area team members. What a great compliment from a perspective family!
- Thank you to Tonya for sharing the importance of goal setting with our fabulous fourth graders!
Week at a Glance
Monday
Happy Labor Day!
Tuesday
PLC Day, Lisa's room
Vertical Teams Meeting 3:10 p.m. in the Library
PTA Spirit Event Menchie's 3:30 - 5:30 ~ If attending, feel free to wear a BES shirt and jeans all day!
TSR Part I Due
Lots of splendid learning!
Wednesday
Lots of splendid learning!
Thursday
Lots of splendid learning!
Friday
Picture Day: Please have your grade-level walkie-talkies on to make the picture process a little smother. Thank you!
Spirit Day
Technology Week 1 List Due
Lots of splendid learning!
Staff Handbook Spotlight: Staff Attendance
Absences for Teachers
Teachers Always notify the Principal, Assistant Principal, and Team Leader 24 hours in advance if you know you are going to be absent. If emergencies arise before or after school hours, notify all of the above by text message or phone call. It is your responsibility to input information online in the substitute system (AESOP) to assign or obtain a substitute. If you are feeling ill at night, it is best to secure a substitute right away even if you are unsure if you will need one in the morning-a substitute can always be cancelled. (i.e. You’re not feeling 100% when you leave campus and you are unsure of how you will feel in the morning). Subs that are called for on the morning of an absence are not likely to get filled. If your class does not have a sub when you are absent, your class will be divided among the other teachers on your grade level. Paras or other non-homeroom teachers will NOT be used to cover classes when no sub is available.
Personal Days Personal days may be used for any appropriate reason. Both sick and personal days are cumulative.
According to GCISD Administrative Regulations All campus-based personnel will request discretionary leave from the principal or designated assistant principal three days (72 hours) in advance of the requested absence. The request shall be submitted in writing (email). The campus administrator will consider the impact of the employee’s request on the educational operations of the campus and then respond to the employee within 24 hours of receiving the request. If the employee does not receive a response from the principal, the request is considered granted.
Discretionary leave requested for the following occasions shall be submitted in writing to the principal or designee at least one week in advance of the day(s) requested.
the day before or after a school holiday
days scheduled for STAAR tests
days scheduled for end-of-semester or end-of-year exams
days scheduled for professional or staff development
For Discretionary Leave requests requiring one week advanced notice:
Please email the principal with the date you would like to take a personal day and the name of the sub that you have contacted that can cover for each day. If approved, the principal will forward the request to the district HR department.
Jury Duty Staff members called for jury duty notify the principal, assistant principal, team leader, and administrative assistant when summoned. Upon returning from jury duty, bring the notice from the court to the administrative assistant. The notice, indicated dates and times, will serve as documentation for payroll.
Aesop The procedures for entering absences and obtaining/assigning substitutes for teachers is available online at: https://www.aesoponline.com/login2.asp. If your absence does not require a substitute, you will use the call-in system. Make sure you are aware of the system you will be using and familiarize yourself with the procedures prior to an absence. If you have already confirmed a substitute, send the Principal, Assistant Principal and Administrative Assistant an email. The Administrative Assistant will enter it in the system.
For staff whose position does not require a substitute Absences will not be entered in AESOP, but will be entered into Skyward for approval. Please notify the Principal, Assistant Principal and Administrative Assistant of these absences as well.
Who am I???
Alecia Engle come claim your PrIzE!!! You were the first one to correctly guess our very own Brittany Chapman speaks both English and sarcasm and worked at a roller rink for her first job.
This week's mystery staff member clues:
Educational Philosophy: Teachers have 3 loves: the love of learning,the love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two together.
Best Gift: A horse. When I was 12 my parents got me a horse for Christmas- It was AWESOME!!
TSR Part I
Tuesday, Sep 8, 2015, 06:00 PM
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Bransford Blast
Where in the World...
Here's a two week preview, as of the typing of this newsletter. Please check the board in my office for a more minute by minute schedule.
9/8: Dr. Ryan & Dr. Shiver a.m., PLC rest of the day, Menchie's 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Desserts with the Principal 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
9/9: Principal meeting
9/10: BES :)
9/11: BES :) Picture day! Say cheese! :)
9/14: BES :)
9/15: PLCs with Tony Zahn all day, afternoon staff meting
9/16: Principal Meeting
9/17: BES :)
9/18: BES :)
Jamie Halliburton
Email: jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net
Phone: 806-441-6518
Twitter: @BESHalliburton