Birdneck Briefing
Week of February 12
Upcoming Dates and Events Week of February 12
February 12 - PBIS Team meeting
February 12 - Transfer Vacancies posted
February 13 - Report Cards go home
February 14 - Happy Valentine's Day
February 15 - Staff get together @ Tubby's Tavern
February 15 - PTA election of nominating committee
February 16 - Grade 2 quarterly data meeting for teachers 8:00 am
February 16 - Grade 3 Quarterly data meeting for teachers 12:00 pm
February 16 - 9:00-10:00 Voices of Tomorrow
February 16 - Grade 2 dental program 1:00 Library
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Birdneck Family,
We've been focusing on the area of students disposition this year, particularly goal setting. We are beginning the second semester so we need to reflect on student progress and adjust supports and instruction as necessary. As we complete our quarterly assessments please remember to revisit student's personal academic and social goals with them. They should be setting new goals or revising their current ones if necessary to keep up high expectations throughout the year.
Don't forget to complete AMET training if you haven't done so. It is due Feb. 16th and is a requirement for all employees. We will be reviewing the book Energy Bus on February 22 in our staff meeting. If you haven't finished reading you will need to have it completed by then.
Thank you to all of our staff who joined us for Pizza Bingo. It was a huge success and the students had a great time! Our sense of community continues to grow. I hope you are all able to join us March 8 for the Ice Cream Social where your students will share what they have been doing in Innovation Lab. This is a great time for our staff and parents to see all of the amazing things our kids have been creating, problem solving and learning in the iLab.
Captain Out,
RV Yoshida
Reminders
-2017-2018 ANNUAL MANDATORY EMPLOYEE TRAINING (AMET) Due Feb. 16, 2018
-Greet your students at the door each day!
-implement Morning Meeting and student goal setting in your classrooms.
-Teach students the behaviors you expect to see them use
-Social committee dues to Vanessa Dominguez
-Join our PTA.
-Have Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2017-2018 ANNUAL MANDATORY EMPLOYEE TRAINING (AMET) Due Feb. 16, 2018
Based on your job title, your assigned courses will be listed on your personal SafeSchools Training home page under “Mandatory Training.”
A target completion date of Feb. 16, 2018, has been established. Thank you for your assistance in this endeavor.
Completion Date: February 16, 2018
Go to our website at http://www.vbschools.com
Click on Staff
Click on Mandatory Training (AMET)
Shout Outs!
If you would like to give a SHOUT OUT to a colleague, it is as simple as sending an email to RV to be added to our Shout Outs each week!
Justine- Our nightly custodian, you are friendly and do a fantastic job! I enjoy seeing your smiling face every afternoon. My classroom has never been cleaner:) and you really brightens up the afternoons/evening at BNES. Welcome!!!
Heather Crabtree - You are a true inspiration to all! No matter how you are feeling or how the day is going, you are committed to your students; your love for them and others radiates from you! Thank you for your positive attitude and passion for working with others.
Molly Searfoss- Where do I begin? You are amazing! You are always smiling, no matter what your day is like. You are there for everyone. Your students and co-workers adore you! Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for your patience and your kindness.
Mrs. Hartman- You are doing a wonderful job with your first graders this year! Your patience and love for them shows each and every day. Thank you for being such an amazing teacher!
Mrs. Chapman- Thank you for being such an insightful teacher. You wear many hats in your class and I thank you for all of your patience and openness this school year. There have been some rough times, but you have met the challenges head on. It has been a pleasure working with you and getting to know you.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers
Staffing: Transfer procedures and Transfer Fair
Our enrollment continues to decline and we will unfortunately be losing classroom positions this year. Mr. Yoshida will work closely with Mrs. Bair to monitor enrollment and share any changes with central office in hopes that enrollment grows. Mr. Yoshida notified our teachers designated as priority transfers on Friday and will talk to TA's on Monday morning. If you have not yet returned your intent form, it was due last Monday and is needed in the office to assist us as we create staff assignments for next year. Please know that some assignment changes will be necessary due to allocations, and the reduction of classrooms in some grade levels.
• In accordance with School Board Regulation 4-12.1, VBCPS will be considering priority and voluntary transfers simultaneously again this year. Teachers who are on Performance Improvement Plans are not to be selected as priority transfers and do not qualify for voluntary transfers.
• The “Transfer Meet and Greet” event is scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2018, at Green Run HS from 4:30-6 p.m.
• Teachers who have been designated as priority transfers and those who are eligible for consideration for voluntary transfers may attend.
• Classified employees who have been designated as priority transfers and those who are eligible for consideration for voluntary transfers or promotions may also attend the Meet and Greet.
• During the week following the Meet and Greet and thereafter, interviews for priority transfers who indicate interest in vacancies will occur.
• Only teachers who will be on continuing contract during 2018-2019 (currently P3, PC, or C) and who are not on Performance Improvement Plans are eligible for voluntary teacher transfers.
• A teacher who receives a voluntary transfer must spend three years in that assignment before being eligible for another voluntary transfer. (A teacher accepting a voluntary transfer for the 2018-2019 school year will be eligible for a transfer in fall 2021.)
Please note that only the Department of Human Resources is authorized to make employment offers and provide official notification of approved transfers. Please contact your staffing specialist with any questions.
Counselor Newsletter
Joy Fair 2018
Participants should R.S.V.P. to PGI@vbschools.com by Feb. 21.
If there are questions regarding the Joy Fair, please contact Akilah Ellison, professional learning specialist, at 263-6972 or Akilah.Ellison@vbschools.com.
Innovation Lab, Recycling Program, Pearl School, Kindness Rocks and Learning Garden
Updated Human Resource Forms
-Request for Separation of Employment (formerly named Request for Resignation of Employment)
-Application to Donate Personal Reasons, Annual, or Sick Leave
-Sick Leave Bank Application for Membership
-Family Medical Leave Act Leave Packet, Personal Illness
-Family Medical Leave Act Leave Packet, Family Member’s Illness
-Family Medical Leave Act Leave Packet, Birth/Placement of a Child
Career Teacher Allowance Application Process
The Career Teacher Allowance Application for 2018 will be available for downloading from the Intranet (Forms/Human Resources/Career Teacher Application) beginning in February.
Every teacher requesting consideration for a Career Teacher allowance needs to:
•Complete the 2018 Career Teacher Allowance Application;
•Collect supporting documentation as directed by the building principal to verify actions in each of the four categories of the form (teachers should keep all of the supporting documentation with a copy of the completed application for their records);
•Request the signature of the building principal on the cover sheet between Feb. 1, 2018, and the last day of school, June 18, 2018; and
•If applicable, include a copy of the National Board Certification if not already on file in the Licensure Office.
All applications must be scanned by a designated school office member into LaserFiche using the LaserFiche Document Drop folder and the Career Teacher Application template. Once the application is successfully scanned, teachers should retain the original documents for their records. Applicants will be notified by email upon receipt of their application Once the Career Teacher Allowance Application is reviewed and processed, the teacher will receive another email indicating approval or denial of the application.
Teachers with questions about the allowance application, or needing assistance with the completion of the application, may contact John Ogden, human resources specialist, at 263-1133 or John.Ogden@vbschools.com.
PBIS updates
Hello Birdneck Eagles!
As we continue implementing PBIS supports within our Birdneck community, it’s time to finish teaching our school wide expectations. Your PBIS team has worked hard to provide you with lesson plans, as well as additional ideas to encourage your students to engage with the behavior matrices.
It is our hope at Birdneck to create a common language centered around behavior expectations by teaching these lessons. “Research and experience has taught us that systematically teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. It also establishes a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm. Finally, the use of these support strategies has been shown to result in dramatic reductions in the number of students being sent to the office for discipline in elementary and middle schools across the United States and Canada.”-pbis.org.
Beginning Tuesday, February 6th, it is the expectation that all Birdneck staff use Morning Meeting time each day to teach the expectations. Below you’ll find the schedule, as well as the link to the video and lesson plan for this week. Please watch the video by tomorrow and begin working on explicitly teaching our hallway expectations using the lesson plan provided. You will also find the link for additional engagement activities. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Feb 5-9 Hallway Expectations
· Introduction Video https://drive.google.com/open?id=17tIVoZ7qwu6W49wNz4L1NH02bHfaKffx
· Lesson Plan https://drive.google.com/open?id=1z1V8CrLZCqAJLpHzsWJ_PjhpRBOKvyPVfqNekpBPS7o
Feb 12-16 Bathroom Video and Lesson Plan will be sent out next Monday 02/12/18
Feb 19-23 Bus implementation will begin.
Additional Activities- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hamYtrIFHup7SgYIkzDxB3qWIYoSb8PqzIEzss3mh-o/edit?usp=sharing
Remember, we use the same teaching process for behaviors as we do for academics. Teach, Model, Practice, Reinforce(Eggs!), and Reteach. We look forward to seeing you and your students come up with some creative ways to teach, learn, and practice our school wide expectations!
Thank you for all that you continue to do to support our students.
The Energy Bus
Dyslexia Training
As a result of the new VDOE license renewal requirement for all teaching staff to complete the Dyslexia Awareness Training Module (http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/licensure/dyslexia-module/story.html) housed on the Virginia Department of Education website, VBCPS is requesting that all PreK-12 teachers who teach language arts must complete the forty-minute module during this school year, whether they are up for license renewal or not. Teachers who teach language arts are being asked to complete this to module by the end of the first semester, to ensure that they are knowledgeable when attending meetings in which dyslexia is discussed. As this is a new license renewal requirement for all staff, the completion of this task is being monitored by the Department of Human Resources, Office of Licensure.
Leave Bank for those previously enrolled
To ensure there are enough bank hours for the sick leave bank to remain in operation, all members must be assessed the houlrly equivalent of two days of sick leave for this school year. Your sick leave will be deducted the hourly equivalent of two (2) days which will reflect in your Feb. 28, 2018 paycheck.
You have the option not to participate further in the bank to avoid being assessed. If you do not want to participate in the Sick Leave Bank, a form was put in your mailbox to return to HR by Feb. 15, 2018.
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
The mission of Birdneck Elementary is to dedicate ourselves to the success of all children, preparing them to meet today's expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
BIRDNECK VISION
Children are our future. We are dedicated to their success.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120