THE STALLION STAR
MAY 8, 2016
Have 2 Minutes and 20 seconds? An excellent tribute to each of you...
IN THE NEWS...
THANKS AND GOOD LUCK!
Since our staff meeting, we have needed to make adjustments to our testing support – so our TIGHT staff is even TIGHTER for Monday and Tuesday this week. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE,,, if anything unexpected occurs in the next few days, please CALL or TEXT me DIRECTLY,,, 440-666-1597, so that we can respond to building needs in a manner that makes it the most conducive to testing.
Unfortunately, tomorrow is forecasting rain. At least kids won’t want to be dreaming to be outside in the sun! However, it does mean that we will need to hold QUIET recess in our classrooms. Please do your best to keep the kids quiet – whisper talks only, keeping in mind that the entire third-sixth grades will be testing until 12:30 and then individuals will still be testing from 1:00 til the end of the day. Quieter activities such as Quiet Ball, Heads Up Seven Up, Who’s missing, etc. will lend itself well. Grade 3-6… we know we planned on your class recess being your scheduled break… depending on how many students use extended time and depending on the type of other accommodations they receive… we may have some small group test administrators or some hall monitors who will be able to assist with giving breaks in the afternoon. Please be patient as we assess and work it out during lunch time. Small group administrators and hall duty monitors, please see Rachel and Joy if/when you become available at lunch.
We appreciate your support!
We want to wish everyone, especially grades 3 through 6, GOOD LUCK!!! You each have worked so very hard to grow our kids! Our kids are very lucky to have people like you in their lives!
Thank you everyone for your support this week! Let’s do this!!!
RETENTION
We spoke with most grade levels this week regarding the process for Retention Considerations. Please remember to use the grade level cover sheet for the entire grade level. Behind the cover sheet should be a conference sheet for each child along with all the documentation checked off and paper clipped to the conference sheet. Retention Considerations are due to Rachel by Friday, May 13th. They should be turned in as a grade level. (Grades 2 and 5 grade level chair, please see Rachel briefly).
PINK/BLUE PLACEMENT CARDS
Most grade levels received information regarding pink/blue placement cards for creating classes next year. If you haven't already, please pick up the number of pink and blue cards that you need for your homeroom. When complete, please attach the goldenrod TRACKING SHEET, the red ESL FOLDER (if applies), any RTI forms completed, and any behavior contracts that may have been used for the student. Pink/Blue Cards are due Monday, May 16th and should be turned in as a grade level.
DISMISSAL
We are seeing an increase of incidents occurring at the end of the day during dismissal. In most of the cases, it has been due to lack of supervision. Please STAY VIGILANT with your dismissal procedures -- this is not the time of year to just release the kids or send them on ahead... it's like opening the cages at the zoo. Be wary that if there continues to be issues at dismissal time, we will be investigating that proper supervision was in place.
STUDENTS - DISCIPLINE/REFERRALS
It's becoming that time of year when the frenzy for summer begins. Teachers, please make sure you re-establish expectations to remind students of our standards and the ramifications for violations, both at the classroom and office level.
As discussed at the staff meeting, we will likely need extra layers of reinforcement to get our students to the end of the year, especially after STAAR is over. Please before considering taking privileges such as Buddy Fun Day or other special EOY events, make sure students and parents are fully aware of the stakes at hand. We will support you, however only when all parties are fully aware of the stakes. Students should not arbitrarily lose a major event without knowing it was at risk of being lost and there should be a specific plan in place that warrants the loss. Some grade levels are using a point system with the letters "FIELD TRIP" or "BUDDY FUN DAY" and so students are fully aware of where they stand. If a student is at risk of losing a big EOY event, parents need to be in the loop and on board as well.
We are seeing an increase of students being sent to the office for classroom level violations. Please when you seek assistance, ensure that the severity warrants an office level consequence. We will refer students back to the teacher for horse-playing, swearing, or basic silliness. If it is a student whom you've handled several times with classroom level consequences, please send documentation of what has been done -- there is a good form on Google drive that is easy to use for those kids with ongoing issues. This also applies to special area and support teachers.
A couple other points:
* Unless it is a serious offense (i.e. fight), the office should not be placing the first phone call to the parent. Nothing is worse than the parent not being aware that there was a problem in the classroom or in specials, and the teacher had not called to describe the issues.
* Don't place students in the hallways unattended, especially if they are upset. Please use your buddy rooms.
* Don't trust students to call parents on their own -- they either don't really call home or they tell the parent a different version of the story. Students may call but should be supervised by a teacher to ensure authentic communication.
* Do NOT just send students to the office to be seen by an administrator or liaison. We had a couple students last week spend over an hour in the office, being entertained by the activities going on and getting out of class (which turns into a reward), because there was no available administrator or liaison.
LIBRARY
Scholastic Book Fair May 17 – 19 (no previews/purchases only)
Student materials are due to the library by Monday, MAY 23rd (because will have a book fair the previous week). Encourage your students to clear fines and overdue books prior to end of the year activities and field trips.
Teacher materials will be due back Friday, May 27th.
SCHEDULES -- ALL CLASSROOM & SPECIAL/SUPPORT TEACHERS
Yes, yes, the end of year is coming upon us... and as much of a pleasurable thought that may be, we need to still be mindful of our schedules. We may not realize what other teachers have planned, especially for STAAR and end-of-the-year assessments/projects. ALL teachers, if there are any changes in your schedules, it is IMPORTANT that you are communicating your changes to ALL involved -- this applies to all classroom, special areas, special ed, and ESL staff. Your changes can have a significant impact on other teachers' plans.
Along the same lines, please try your best to stay on schedule -- we have one more week before STAAR. This includes specials, support, lunch and recess times. Most of our STAAR prep plans involve having central support staff come to our campus on a limited time schedule... just a five minute delay in schedules can impact multiple plans.
LUNCH MONEY
THE DATE HAS PASSED! The cafeteria will no longer accept personal checks!! Do not send any!
ENRICHMENT CLUSTER PLANS
If you will be out on a day when enrichment clusters are occurring, you are responsible for leaving detailed notes about the procedures, as well as your cluster plans. A substitute will need clear and detailed plans in order to understand.
PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
As we near the end of the school year, we tend to get a bit lax with our own professional responsibilities. Please understand that the little things can have an impact on the overall feel of student expectations. If we let up, they will sense the laxness and they will let up.
Please make sure you are turning in jeans passes when you choose to wear jeans on a day other than College Mondays or Spirit Fridays. Also, please know that when you arrive late to school or to duty, there are students not being supervised or undersupervised. Thank you in advance for keeping up with professionalism and communicating to our kids that what we do IS important.
SUBMISSIONS TO THE STALLION STAR
Anyone is welcome to submit entries to our weekly staff newsletter. Please email any submission requests to Carlene by the Thursday before publishing.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR IS COMING ONE LAST TIME!
Tuesday, May 17, 2016, 08:00 AM
ACE Library
ENRICHMENT CLUSTER DATES
THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT A CHANGE IN DATES MAY OCCUR DUE TO UNFORESEEN CONFLICTS -- PLEASE STAY TUNED!!
Spring Enrichment Clusters
Dates:
Cluster Drill- THURSDAY, MAY 12th!!! -- CHANGE!!!!!
Session 1-Friday, May 13th
Session 2-Friday, May 20th
Session 3-Monday, May 23rd
Session 4-Tuesday, May 24th
Session 5-Wednesday May 25th
EXPO- Thursday, May 26th
KUDOS GOES TO!
* ELSA and DONNA WILLIAMS -- for your fabulous facilitation of the first and second grade performance! Amazing what you can get little people to do!
* Carlene and Jessica Lucas -- for making sure our Teacher Appreciation Week came to fruition! You brought a vision to life and did it SPECTACULARLY!
* To everyone who went out of their way to make Principals Day and Teacher Appreciation Week matter!
* Annissa -- for her hard work in organizing Enrichment Clusters! It becomes a science! And for her future efforts spearheading our summer school arrangements -- that is not the funnest of jobs! :-(
DUTY TIME
May 9-13
Farmer - Student Entrance @ 7:20 (Stop students to breakfast at 7:50-Give stop sign to last student.)
Saavedra - Gym - Reading Corral @ 7:20 - Release students one grade level at a time at 7:50
Steinberger - Gym - Reading Corral @ 7:20 - Release students one grade level at a time at 7:50
Cafe -- 2 teachers monitoring cafeteria, 1 teacher in food line
Tanner - Cafeteria @ 7:20 - monitoring students - release tables at 7:50 one at a time
D.Williams - Cafeteria @ 7:20 - monitoring students - release tables at 7:50 one at a time
Burke – Cafeteria @ 7:20 - Expedite Food Line
Afteroon Duty: Clayton – Cones - stand by front cones @ 2:45 to let daycare buses/vans through E.Williams and Dye – Daycare
May 16-20
Wontor - Student Entrance @ 7:20 (Stop students to breakfast at 7:50-Give stop sign to last student.)
Caten - Gym - Reading Corral @ 7:20 - Release students one grade level at a time at 7:50
Baker - Gym - Reading Corral @ 7:20 - Release students one grade level at a time at 7:50
Cafe -- 2 teachers monitoring cafeteria, 1 teacher in food line
Benavides- Cafeteria @ 7:20 - monitoring students - release tables at 7:50 one at a time
Rivera - Cafeteria @ 7:20 - monitoring students - release tables at 7:50 one at a time
Delamant – Cafeteria @ 7:20 - Expedite Food Line
Afternoon Duty: Dye – Cones - stand by front cones @ 2:45 to let daycare buses/vans through Newman and Coleman – Daycare
UPCOMING DATES:
- May 9 -- STAAR MATH (Grades 3-6)
- May 10 -- STAAR READING (Grades 3-6)
- May 11 -- STAAR SCIENCE (Grade 5)
- May 12 -- Grade Posting Window opens for PK/KG; No GLIMs-No Staff Meeting
- May 17-19 -- Scholastic Book Fair
- May 19 -- GLIMs/Staff Meeting
- May 19 -- Grade Posting Window opens for 1st-6th
- May 23 -- Student Materials due in the Library
- May 24 -- Draft Report Cards due
- May 27 -- Teacher Materials due in the Library; FIELD DAY
- May 30 -- MEMORIAL DAY -- NO SCHOOL
- May 31 -- TALENT SHOW
- June 2nd -- 6th Grade Graduation
- June 2nd -- Last Day -- Report Cards go home
AUDELIA CREEK ELEMENTARY
Email: rachel.sanjose@risd.org
Website: http://www.edline.net/pages/Audelia_Creek_Elementary
Location: 12600 Audelia Road, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 469-593-2900