October 8, 2018
A Communication Tool for the Seven Hills Staff
Empowering Instruction:
"Trust between you and your students and between your students and their peers sets the stage for empowerment. Trust is created by a deliberate focus on our credibility and the 13 Behaviors of High Trust, both of which have been proven to be predictive of trust in an organization. Trust affects our ability to do everything else in the classroom."
- Empowering Instruction Field Guide page 22 -
Don't forget about the 13 proven behaviors we can engage in that will establish and increase trust with our students (page 23 in the field guide has definitions):
- Talk Straight
- Demonstrate Respect
- Create Transparency
- Right Wrongs
- Show Loyalty
- Deliver Results
- Get Better
- Confront Reality
- Clarify Expectations
- Practice Accountability
- Listen First
- Keep Commitments
- Extend Trust
Remember the trust behaviors flow out of what/who you are not what/who you pretend to be. You will be most effective in establishing and building trust when your actions with each of these are connected to personal credibility. Remember the 4 cores of credibility?
You have spent the last 6 weeks building relationships and establishing a culture of trust in your classroom. In order to truly empower students to be leaders of their own learning, you have to know where you stand with trust in your classroom and with your students. Take time before our meeting on Thursday to practice a little straight talk with yourself. List each student in your classroom. On a scale from 1-10 , with 1 being "a little" to 10 being "a lot", ask yourself:
- How much do I trust this student?
- How much does this student trust me?
- How much does this student trust peers?
- How much do peers trust this student?
Total each question, and divide each by the total number of students for an average trust level.
Reflect:
- How will you build trust where there is low trust?
- Which of the 13 Trust Behaviors might help you most right now? Which has the greatest leverage with the students you have the lowest levels of trust?
If you would like to organize your reflection, make a copy of the Google Doc linked here:
We will be reflecting on this on Thursday as part of our safety training.
Accountability Partners:
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hbjmjd1WhoPAs5Tfv1DIyuAFa1yqGpw0hZlWov2FRbw/edit?usp=sharing
Homework Hub:
Homework Hub will launch this week!
What is Homework Hub?
Homework Hub is an opportunity from 7:20-7:40 for you students to get additional assistance and or time to complete their homework with staff that do not have a homeroom class. We can listen to reading, practice spelling words, work on math and so much more.
Where do I send students for homework hub?
Homework Hub meets in the cafeteria on the opposite side from where breakfast eats. Students that eat breakfast can get their food and come to HH to begin working. Once the 7:40 bell rings we send students to class.
Homework Hub Help Needed:
If you do not have a homeroom class we would love your support at homework hub! Please sign up using this link under the dates you are available to help. Ideally we would like to have atleast 2 staff members each Tuesday and Thursday! Thank you! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ag7IvdH0Ss3EbQlFsWh-5WXuwB40dbhCjt8lS8D9B18/edit#gid=0
Habit Focus of the Week: Habit 5
Habit Huddle Connection:
Habit 5 is all about effective communication. How well do you listen before you respond or react...to your peers? to your students? your family members?
From The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey:
"Communication is the most important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training have you had that enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human being? Probably none, right?
If you're like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you're listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame of reference. You check what you hear against your autobiography and see how it measures up. And consequently, you decide prematurely what the other person means before he/she finishes communicating. Do any of the following sound familiar?
"Oh, I know just how you feel. I felt the same way." "I had that same thing happen to me." "Let me tell you what I did in a similar situation."
Because you so often listen autobiographically, you tend to respond in one of four ways:
Evaluating:You judge and then either agree or disagree.
Probing:You ask questions from your own frame of reference.
Advising:You give counsel, advice, and solutions to problems.
Interpreting:You analyze others' motives and behaviors based on your own experiences.
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month:
Are you up for a challenge? Ms. Goosey and Mrs. Bryan will post one challenge a week for you to either read, watch, or respond to. If you complete ALL 4 of the Dyslexia Challenges posted in our Google Classroom within the month of October, you will earn a JEANS or HAT PASS!!! Remember, you must complete all 4 challenges in order to receive the jeans or hat pass. Our goal is to further educate our staff in all areas relating to dyslexia. We want to provide you with a Google Classroom full of resources to help support you and your students, the characteristic of dyslexia, and the steps in the identification process.
Please let Mrs. Bryan and/or Ms. Goosey know if you have any questions! We hope you accept the challenge! (It is optional)
Join our Google Classroom with the code: rqwuql
Let us know if you need any assistance logging into Google Classroom and accessing our assignments.
From the CIT:
Kindergarten DRA:
The DRA2 window is open for Kindergarten. The window closes on October 12.
Mentors:
Please remember to meet with your mentee to set you goal if you haven’t done so. Molly is required to turn in an accountability record to HR by Thursday, so please make sure you turn your information into her via Google Drive by this Wednesday, October 10th.
From the Librarian:
- If you, your team or department would like to have something added to the library collection please add it to this doc. https://docs.google.com/document/d/16wp7P1wg1otJd9p_J_yQ-k1EaANAwrDbdb0kvij3iKQ/edit?usp=sharing
- This week the library will be used for Screening all day on Thursday. Please do not send kids down. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday will be open days for classes to come. Choose a time to bring your class for just check in/out. This will be teacher supervised visits, you will need to assist with checking books in and out. More than 1 class can come at a time if needed. I will be around the building, visiting classes, etc
- Information on Storybook Pumpkin Patch, Please share this info with students and their parents! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q_Ft7zvmhlkR2dXDPNiL6GQP4g1CR7Er_52VqKAajU0/edit?usp=sharing
- Outside of the library there is a black and white makeshift bulletin board. I would love for the staff to put titles and authors (if you know the author) of books you have read and enjoyed. Kids can add to this collection too. To encourage a culture and love of reading, we want our kids to see what we have or are currently reading!
- I could really use some Leaders to help in the library. If you have a 3rd. 4th or 5th grade student that is a self-started, gives attention to detail, and loves the library. Please send me their name.
Campus and District Announcements and Updates:
- RtI: RTI meetings for grade levels will begin this Friday. Tanya will send out a schedule this week letting teams know who we will be meeting about. Please refer to Google Classroom for RTI documents that were shared last week.
- SLO's will be the focus of PLCs this week. This should provide plenty of time for teachers and teams to learn and synergize before they have to be entered in Edugence. Bring an idea of the target skill with you to PLCs on Tuesday.
- Fall Parent Conferences: ILT members should be updating all grade levels with information about this year's parent conference format. We are moving forward with student - led conferences, and the ILT has worked hard to prepare protocols, parent letters, etc. to help support you with this. What an exciting opportunity for students, teachers, and parents. Check the October calendar for conference dates so that you are prepared.
- Latest Edition of the Math Coaches' Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/z42vb
- Latest Edition of the C&I Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/kaczx
- T-TESS Observations are Beginning Now. Your evaluator will be reaching out to you to schedule your observation and pre-conference.
Save the Date:
- No School/FLEX Day (the hours for this FLEX day come from parent conferences in October)
Tuesday, October 9:
- Grade Level PLCs - SLO's
- "Jean-Tober" "Monday"
- Lighthouse Action Teams Meetings, 3:30 start in cafeteria
Wednesday, October 10:
- Fire and Reverse Evacuation Drill - weather permitting
Thursday, October 11:
- 3rd Grade Mega Labs with NISD ELA Coaches
- Safety and Security Training - All staff - this is a change from the master calendar
Friday, October 12:
- Sharpen the Saw Clubs
- 50's Day in Specials
Happy Birthday to You:
Dee Collinsworth 10/8
Please Share This Information With Parents:
50's Day is Friday, October 12:
PTA Reflections:
PTA chapters accepting Reflections art entries until Oct. 26
Northwest ISD school PTA chapters will accept campus entries for the Reflections art contest until Friday, Oct. 26, with local sponsors then submitting advancing entries to the council on Nov. 26. Following the advancement process, a show for the artwork will take place Jan. 10.
Reflections is a program operated by the National PTA and its member organizations for 50 years, designed to help students explore their thoughts, feelings and ideas. The contest is open to students of all ages – from pre-kindergarten to high school seniors – and features a range of categories, including dance choreography, film, literature, music, photography and visual arts.
This year’s Texas PTA theme is “Heroes Around Me.” To download entry forms and obtain information about eligibility and participation, click here. Students must submit their entries to their local PTAs by Friday, Oct. 26, with winners required to be submitted to the Northwest ISD Council of PTAs by Monday, Nov. 26. To submit entries to local PTAs, please drop entry forms and entries together at a school front office. For more information about the Northwest ISD Council of PTAs Reflections contest, click here.
Northwest ISD’s PTA Reflections reception and art show will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at Northwest High School, with the formal presentation set for 7 p.m.