Wm. Adams Middle School
Faculty and Staff Newsletter • Oct. 17, 2016
Pink Pep Rally on Monday!
Morning Duty This Week • Oct. 17-21
Please remember to be at your duty station by 7:58. Morning Duty ends at 8:12.
Kandace Fox - Station 1: Outside main entrance
Briana Garcia - Station 2: Corridor to the gym
Christina Garcia - Station 3: West entrance
Casey Haliburton - Station 4: 100 wing between 112 and 114
Gennie Lopez - Station 5: 200 wing between 207 and 209 (monitor from 207 to 216)
Seferino Mendietta- Station 6: Outside Library by tables
Denise Garcia - Station 7: 300 wing between 303 and 306 (monitor from 303 to 301)
Krista Garcia - Station 8: 300 wing between 312 and 314 (monitor from 312 to 316)
Sandra Garcia- Station 9: 400 wing between 404 and 406 (monitor from 406 to 401)
Emily Gonzalez - Station 10: 400 wing between 409 and 414 (monitor from 407 to 416)
Cindy Gutierrez - Station 11: Outside 400 wing by east entry
Andrea Harder - Station 12: Bus Stop
*If you know in advance that you will be absent, please alert administration in order to have someone monitor your station in your absence.
Afternoon Duty This • Oct. 17-21
Afternoon Duty This Week
Kanace Fox - Station 1: Flagpole
Briana Garcia - Station 2: Outside near the gym doors that face east
Christina Garcia - Station 3: Outside near the covered walk
Casey Haliburton - Station 4: Outside near the covered walk
Gennie Lopez - Station 5: Outside near the covered walk
Seferino Mendietta -Station 6: Outside the cafeteria
Denise Garcia - Station 7: Outside the cafeteria
Krista Garcia - Station 8: Outside the gym on the south side
Sandra Garcia - Station 9: Bus Stop
Emily Gonzalez - Station 10: Bus Stop
Cindy Gutierrez - Station 11: Bus Stop
Andrea Harder - Station 12: East Exit
*If you know in advance that you will be absent, please alert administration in order to have someone monitor your station in your absence.
Remember to use caution!
Enrichment Class
- Monday - ELAR students rotate to science teacher
- Tuesday - Science students rotate to math teacher
- Wednesday Math students rotate to social studies teacher
- Thursday - Social studies students rotate to ELAR teacher
- Friday - Students remain with the teacher of record for their Enrichment class
This schedule, or something similar, will allow you to see all of the students in your team at least one additional time a week. This is a perfect time to utilize activities that you do not have time to accomplish in the regular class period.
Six Weeks Exam Schedule
Friday has been deliberately left open so that tests can be scanned, if need be, and grades can be entered before the end of that school day.
PBIS Corner
http://www.pbisworld.com/behavior-descriptions/out-of-seat/
Do some of your students exhibit impulsive behaviors? Check out this link:
http://www.pbisworld.com/behavior-descriptions/impulsive/
What about students who do not complete their work or do no work at all? Check out this link:
http://www.pbisworld.com/behavior-descriptions/low-or-no-work-completion/
Learning Rounds Nov. 1 and Feb. 2
Learning Rounds is a 4-step process whereby a "problem of practice" is identified, classroom observations are made, debriefing occurs by the observers, and a focus is established for the next step or level of work (City et al., 2009, p.6).
These classroom visits are approximately 20 minutes in length and those observing are focusing on a particular "problem of practice." The problem of practice may be a lack of student discourse in the classroom related to the day's objective. The observation team observes classes for about 20 minutes to gather descriptive evidence -- what they see and hear---related to the problem of practice. Observations are made by a team consisting of fellow teachers, administrators and central office directors/personnel.
After all observations have been completed, the team meets to debrief and share their results. They discuss the next level of work and make recommendations for the teachers and administrators in order to make progress on the problem of practice. Everything is anonymous. They take their evidence and prepare it for sharing with the staff. (City et al., 2009, p. 8).
Why have Learning Rounds?
This is a learning process. City, Elmore, Fiarman, and Teitel believe that "you don't improve schools by giving them bad news about their performance. You improve schools by using information about student learning, from multiple sources, to find the most promising instructional problems to work on, and then systematically developing with teachers and administrators the knowledge and skill necessary to solve those problems." (p. 8-9).
This fits hand in hand with our TAIS work to improve student performance at William Adams Middle School. If you see a team of teachers and an administrator walk into your classroom, please do not let us interrupt your teaching. Carry on as if we are not there. Our goal is to visit every classroom at some point and to work together with you to make systemic changes on our campus.
City, E.A., Elmore, R.F., Teitel, L., Fiarman, S.E. and Lachman, A. (2009) Instructional rounds in education: A network approach to improving teaching and learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Publishing Group (H E P G).
••• Wednesday's Staff Development Assignments •••
The staff development sessions will run from 7:45 - 12:15 with lunch from 12:15-1:15. Please see the information below for locations. After lunch, report to Alice High School activity center for the mandatory Active Shooter training. Those attending GT sessions will need to make up the Active Shooter Training the following week.
Math - WAMS room 308 for PLC Planning with Patricia Thornton*
Science - PLC Planning in WAMS Library*
Social Studies - AHS, Room 210, with GiGi Lott*
Spanish - Vertical Planning at AHS
Health - department planning at AHS
P.E. and Athletics - AHS Gym
Music/Band - AHS Bandhall
Art - WAMS, room 200
Counselors - Home Campus
Librarians - AHS library, upstairs
Reading Specialists - MTA Planning at Dubose, Room 212
Clerks - Home Campus
Instructional Paras/Special Education Paras - ELL and SpEd training at Saenz Elementary
Special Education Teachers - go to the session for your content strength
*GT 30-Hour and 6-Hour update: If you are in the process of obtaining your 30 hours of GT training or need your 6-hour update, you need to attend this session in the AHS library.