ALICE ISD- ISC Gazette
October-November 2017
This edition
Thanks for all you do to help the students and parents of our district. In this issue you can learn about the Tax Ratification Election, the upcoming Alice ISD 6th Annual Parent & Family Engagement Conference, view pictures about the Literacy Night events held and learn about Science Fair, History Fair, Destination Imagination and more.
Also included are some professional development tips and resources.
Tax Ratification Election
This is how it works:
There are two funds- Maintenance and Operations (M & O) and the Interest and Sinking Fund (I & S). Our current total tax rate is $1.33. By moving 6 cents from the Interest and Sinking Fund to the Maintenance and Operation fund we can generate an additional $750,00 from the state funding the first year and increase that over the next several years. This additional money will be used to fund pay increases for ALL district employees.
Even though there is no change in the total tax rate, voter approval is needed to move these pennies. The Maintenance and Operation fund will increase by six cents, but the Interest and Sinking Fund will DECREASE by that same six cents.
We want to educate everyone that although the M & O fund will increase by six cents, the I & S will decrease. Again, NO CHANGE in the total tax rate. It has been $1.33 and will remain $1.33. Please share this info with voters.
If you have questions feel free to contact Anna Holmgreen or Dr. Alma Charles.
Grades and Attendance
It is so important to keep grades posted in a timely manner so parents are aware of their child's progress. Upper grades can post grades by ID number (to maintain confidentiality) and remind students of missing work.
6th Annual Parent & Family Engagement Conference
Upcoming Event! Parents and Community Members Get Ready!
Come join the excitement at the 6th Annual Parent & Family Engagement Conference being held on Saturday, November 11, 2017, at Alice High School from 7:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The Alice Independent School District invites you to come discover just how beneficial community and family involvement can be in the lives of students.
Our theme this year is Finding Families in Our Community. Parents will enjoy a Saturday filled with enjoyable, engaging and informational presentations and will be treated to a free breakfast, free lunch, and numerous door prizes. Also, free child-care for Alice ISD school children ages 5 - 11 will be provided.
Clifford the Big Red Dog will be on-site visiting the children and reading to them in the child-care area! Free books will be given out to parents attending the literacy presentation and each child will also receive the book How Do You Hug a Porcupine?
Date: November 11, 2017
Place: Alice High School
Time: 7:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Breakfast served from 7:45 a.m. - 8:20 a.m.
Lunch Menu:
Enchiladas, rice, beans and dessert
Chicken burgers for children
Conference Topics
Throughout the morning, attendees will be able to choose from a list of six sessions on various topics that span across many grade levels. The sessions offer important information on topics that have an impact on the children and parents in our community. This year we will have three (3) session rotations. The topics to be presented are listed below:
- Success Starts at Home [based on Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets]
- Early Meaningful Literacy Experiences Lead to Later School Success [Free books]
- Cyber-bullying, Privacy and Sexting - Protecting Your Online Reputation
- The Teenage Brain
- Developing Healthy Male Identity
- Recognizing and Intervening on Self-Harming Behaviors: What to Look For & How to Help
A variety of local merchant vendors and informational booths will be on-site for parents to visit while in attendance. Local agencies will be on hand to answer questions about services. While in between sessions guests are welcome to visit our Silent Auction area to place a bid on items of interest.
- Session 1 8:30 - 9:30
- Session 2 9:50 – 10:50
- Session 3 11:10 – 12:10
*Lunch to be served at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will receive a lunch ticket when they sign in at the registration tables in the morning. If child care is needed parents need to turn in a preregistration form to their child’s campus ASAP. Childcare provided for Alice ISD students ages 5-11 years.
Alice ISD Parent & Family Engagement
Superintendent Dr. Alma Charles welcomed the guests and presented information regarding the upcoming Tax Ratification Election. Shortly after, Dr. So’Nia Gilkey, Social Work Program Director for Texas A&M University – Kingsville began her presentation. She provided parents with information on how children should use effective coping behaviors when difficult emotions and emotionally distressing situations arise. This session specifically explored the use of cutting as a coping behavior in youth, identified what causes this behavior, and provided more effective ways that children can use to manage feelings and emotions. Alice ISD is appreciative of Mr. Rick Del Bosque, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Alice for allowing us to use the facility.
The next meeting will be taking place on Thursday, November 30th from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Santo Nino de Atocha Church in the Tecolote community. The topic of the meeting will deal with family literacy. Menudo and refreshments will also be served.
Self-Harm Behavior - What it looks like and how to help your children.
Dr. So'Nia Gilkey - TAMUK Presenting
We had a great turn out for the event
Memorial and Dubose Intermediate Students Attend Dr. So'Nia Gilkey's Presentation
Kudos
Alice ISD is fortunate to have many employees working towards advanced degrees. Thanks to you all for modeling life-long learning for our students.
Response to Intervention
Remember to code all RTI students in PEIMS and to send out parent letters to all students receiving Tier 2 and 3 interventions.
Remember! Always keep parents informed!
Here are some other reasons why some parents like RTI:
- Students continue to receive their core instruction in the general education classroom.
- The increasing levels of support mean that if the first intervention method doesn’t work, there are other options before special education.
- With RTI, our schools aren't taking a “wait and see” approach to their child’s learning. Students can start to get extra help before they fall so far behind that they need to attend summer school or repeat a grade.
- Progress monitoring means that if their child is referred for special education services, there’s already documentation about which type of instruction has not been helpful for their child.
District and Campus Science Fairs
January 8th- Registration and Set-Up
January 9th- Judging and Awards Ceremony
Campus science fairs should all be held before December 8th.
Science Fair Links
Math Process Skills...Where the Rigor Lives
For several years teachers have been hearing about 'rigor'. It is that five-letter word with which we have a love/hate relationship. Just what does rigor mean anyway? Simply put, rigor means to "think more about it." How do we do that? A great way is to start by thinking about the process skills as much as we think about the content skills.
Across the state of Texas, ALL students (K-8 and next year in Algebra) are working on the same seven mathematical process skills. These skills represent "tools to know" and "ways to show". It is important to realize that these skills are NOT isolated. They are taught through the activities that the teacher uses in presentation of the material. So, it is vital that teachers intentionally incorporate the process skills in doing lessons. Often we assume students have these skills in their "mathematical toolbox", when in fact, they do not. They do not know how to approach problems or how to persevere in solving them.
These process skills apply to real-life situations. The questioning by teachers and discussion between teacher and students and between students themselves is key in teaching these process skills. Activities such as the high-yield strategies are excellent ways to build in these process skills.
In each grade level these are labeled 1.A-G. The student is expected to:
A) Apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace;
B) Use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information,
formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and
evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution;
C) Select tools, including real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and technology as
appropriate, and techniques, including mental math, estimation, and number sense as
appropriate, to solve problems;
D) Communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple
representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as appropriate;
E) Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical
ideas;
F) Analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate mathematical ideas;
and
G) Display, explain, and justify mathematical ideas and arguments using precise
mathematical language in written or oral communication.
When your students are working in class are they using various stimuli? Can they think about the problem in different ways? Try this in math situations---ask some if - then statements.
If the Surf Shop had 322 shirts instead of 3,221, then how would that change the strip diagram, equation, solution? (Activity from Algebra for the Young Minds workshop.)
Use some of your PLC time thinking about the stimuli you are using and the thinking the students are doing.
Look at the last four skills. Did you notice all the words like "communicate", "justify" and "explain"? Please make sure that students are engaging in discussion with both the teacher and others when doing their work. It will make a HUGE difference!
Literacy Nights
Here is a summary of just a few:
Schallert students and parents learned about fluency, reading strategies and played some hands-on games.
Noonan celebrated literacy night with a carnival theme and had games geared towards literacy. There was a book walk, ball toss, duck pond, fishing pond, and other fun filled literacy activities. Along with the activities, students were treated to corn dogs, cotton candy, popcorn and face painting that they earned with tickets from participating in literacy activities. It was a huge success.
Dubose students and parents gathered to learn more about literacy as well. Information was shared about Accelerated Reader and how to help improve their child's reading abilities. Students played a few games and enjoyed Smores, too.
Schallert
Parents Listen Intently
Hands On Activities
A Great Crowd Attended
Noonan
Dubose
Dr. Stottlemyer introduces the session
Ms. Holmgreen shares information about AR
Dubose crowd gathered for snacks during literacy night
Reader's Workshop
Reader’s Workshop is a framework of reading instruction that includes components that support comprehension and vocabulary development, differentiation of instruction and independence. The rationale behind reading workshop is that it allows teachers to differentiate and meet the needs of all their students. Reading workshop encourages kids to develop a love of reading and it provides opportunities for kids to practice reading strategies independently and with guidance from their teacher.
Interactive read aloud – teacher reads a selection aloud to students engaging in a series of activities such as: previewing, predicting, questioning, story analysis, feature analysis and responding.
- Rationale: Read aloud promotes a love of reading, stimulates the imagination, and helps students develop an ear for the vocabulary and structures of language in print. It allows the teacher to introduce new reading strategies, and to model or demonstrate them by thinking aloud. It provides models of fluent reading; develops a sense of story/text, develops vocabulary and encourages predictions. Read aloud also builds a community of readers and develops active listening.
Shared reading – using an enlarged text that all children can see, the teacher and students read text together promoting discussion, problem solving and critical thinking.
- Rationale: Shared reading allows the teacher to model reading strategies, provides students with essential demonstrations of how reading works and what readers do to construct meaning. It demonstrates an awareness of text, develops a sense of story or content, teaches students strategies for decoding unknown words and for construction meaning from the text, develops fluency, phrasing and reading strategies. It also increases comprehension and allows for students to see themselves as readers. They feel comfortable and experience fluency when joining in the reading of familiar texts, provide students with a safe, nonthreatening environment in which to practice new and familiar reading strategies.
Guided reading – Teacher works with a small group of children who have similar reading needs. The teacher selects and introduces new books carefully chosen to match the instructional levels of students with increasingly challenging levels of difficulty. The goal is to increase comprehension and encourage independent reading.
- Rationale: Guided Reading promotes reading strategies and offers students the opportunity to practice their reading skills. It increases comprehension, encourages independent reading, and allows the teacher to monitor individual student’s progress. The teacher may need to prompt students to apply their knowledge of reading strategies when difficulties arise, provide further support, or regroup students according to their needs. It expands student’s belief in their own ability as a reader and consolidates or extends their understanding of a text. Readers are carefully prepared when being introduced to a new text, and various strategies are explicitly taught. Ongoing observation, assessment and running records help to inform instruction and grouping of students is flexible and may be changed often.
Guided Reading: Introducing Books
You may want to do the following when planning your book introductions:
- Write down one or two sentences about the main idea of the book.
- Jot down the page numbers of the illustrations that you can use to discuss concepts.
- Pick vocabulary that you want to use in conversation and/or explicitly define as you provide the introduction.
- Write down words that might be difficult for readers to solve that you might want to call attention to in the text or write on the board.
- Jot down information about the author, illustrator, or genre.
- Write down processing strategies that you want to reinforce.
- Note something special about the text features or book layout.
- Note unusual language structures that you want to make accessible to readers.
- Decide on the number of pages you want the students to read in this time period.
- Decide what you want readers to do when they finish the assigned reading.
from Guiding Readers and Writers p. 231
Professional Development and Support Corner
Environment and Class set up
To start look at your class set up. Can you get to each student easily? Many times we set students up in groups. Another option is a U shape. This allows the teacher to circulate and observe student work quickly and efficiently. It also eliminates the back corner position.
Is there a procedure for turning in papers? How about how you pass out papers? Check out this video for some tips that will save time (a teacher's most precious resource).
Passing out Papers/Tight Transitions
Taking Control of Noisy Classrooms- this one is pretty basic, but powerful!
Taking Control of Noisy Classrooms Pt. 2
The Art of Questioning
Here are a few things to add to your "to try" list.
- Try to pause after asking a question. Many teachers only pause a second or two before calling on a student for an answer. Instead, try waiting 5 seconds (count 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005). This gives ALL students time to process.
- Try to avoid calling on a student immediately before, or after asking the question. Instead of, "Chris, what are the multiples of 5?" or "What are the multiples of 5, Chris? Ask the question, pause 5 seconds and THEN call on a student. This easy switch allows thinking time for students and asks ALL students to listen to the question. Take it one step further and ask the question, pause 5 seconds, have students turn to neighbor and share and THEN call on an individual.
- Try to avoid frequent questions which require a yes or no answer or rely mostly on memory. Even when the student gives the correct response, there is nothing that tells the teacher or other students how the answer was obtained.
- Try to follow up student responses. Ask "Why?" This eliminates student guessing and helps explain how answers were obtained.
- Try to avoid repeating a student answer. Instead ask another student to repeat the answer or expand on it. This is another method that encourages student participation. Even if students say, "I don't know." Ask someone else and then go back to that student to repeat the answer.
- Try to encourage participation by occasionally asking for students to write their responses. This gets all engaged and allows you to circulate and check answers to ALL...and you can see who doesn't understand, even though they do not respond orally.
Here are a few videos you may find useful:
Educator's Bookshelf
Teach Like a Champion by Doug LeMov
LOVE this book by Doug Lemov. It includes a CD with videos showing examples in real classrooms.
TPT by Himmele
The First Days of School
"The best-selling book ever on classroom management and teaching for student achievement with over 3.8 million copies sold. The book walks a teacher, either novice or veteran, through structuring and organizing a classroom for success that can be applied at any time of the year at any grade level, pre-K through college.
What are your favorite resources?
National History Day 2018
Every year National History Day® frames students’ research within a historical theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national, or state history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past. This year’s theme is Conflict and Compromise in History. The intentional selection of the theme for NHD is to provide an opportunity for students to push past the antiquated view of history as mere facts and dates and drill down into historical content to develop perspective and understanding.
Grades 6-12 participate in two divisions, grades 6-8 (Junior), grades 9-12 (Senior). Social studies teachers at these levels have been provided a timeline of events, culminating in the district fair, tentatively scheduled for January 29 & 30. Students with winning projects will participate at the Coastal Bend Regional History Day Fair on Saturday, March 3rd at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
National History Day (NHD) Teacher Resources:
http://nhd.org/conflict-and-compromise-history
Destination Imagination 2018
Alice ISD is proud to have a total of 21 teams (18 challenging and 3 Rising Stars) from various campuses preparing for upcoming Destination Imagination (DI) competitions. Team members will be getting a hands-on introduction to prop building, theatrical skill, dance, and music on Saturday, November 4th. While teams are learning skills to augment their Challenges, DI coaches are invited to attend the Challenge Dig, which is led by “Challenge Masters” and allows coaches a front-row seat into the real meat of what it takes for teams to be successful in DI competition. Good luck to all of our teams.
Texas Performance Standards Project
The Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) is a resource for providing differentiated instruction to gifted/talented (G/T) students (and can be used for providing enhanced academic opportunities for all students). The TPSP provides a coherent package of standards, curriculum, and assessments for use in G/T programs from kindergarten through high school.
All students participating in the GT program at Alice ISD will submit a portfolio. Students may choose a group project or to work independently.
For more information, follow the link: http://texaspsp.org/index.php
AHS December STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) Schedule
English I
Monday, December 4
Algebra I
Tuesday, December 5
English II
Wednesday, December 6
Biology & U.S. History
Thursday, December 7
Alice ISD
Email: anna.holmgreen@aliceisd.net
Website: aliceisd.net
Location: 2 Coyote Trail, Alice, TX, United States
Phone: 361-664-0981