#sanfordbookpushers
sept 28 Putting the ELEMENTARY back into elementary school
The new schedule starts on October 1: add 10 minutes to each day
What does this mean at Sanford
a. official dismissal time is 305 (instead of 255).
b. announcements will begin at 255 (instead of 250)
c. our goal is to open the bus ramp at 300 (instead of 255)
d. pack up times will be edited on the Sanford Staff Reference Guide
e. each moment is precious, remain engaged with your students through the entire end of day and dismissal process. closing circles can seal the day by reviewing the day's work and setting the tone for the next day. And, closing circles can continue with bus riders even when walkers, van riders, and parent pickups have dismissed.
Number Talks
Number Talks definition: 5 to 15 minutes classroom conversation around purposefully drafted computation problems that are solved mentally.
A teacher from each grade level attended a PD this week on Number Talks. In addition, there are teachers/teams who have consistently implemented Number Talks in their classroom for the past year or two. Follow up PD will be offered. Our initial action steps for the implementation of Number Talks (K-5) at Sanford are listed below:
Action Item:
Connect with the person/people on your team who attended the training OR are familiar with the Number Talk strategy.
Build your own back ground knowledge
Grade level leads should begin to lead planning of the computation to be used for the daily Number Talks
This all leads to the expectation at Sanford that Number Talks will be implemented daily in each classroom.
Conferences and Documenting Family Communication in Synergy
This Friday, October 5 is a "half day for dismissal" for students. The purpose of this day is to encourage Conferencing throughout the week and the month of October.
Conferencing should be ongoing over the course of October with a goal of having interaction with all of your families by Back to School night on Thursday October 25.
Conferencing can be done face to face or by phone.
Communication with families should be documented in Synergy Communication Log. I find it helpful when I need to contact a family member to review the Communication Log in Synergy prior to contacting the family as it provides important information that can guide our discourse and next action steps.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sept 28 Student Records Checklist due to Brian mailbox (and other items due-see Due in September document)
Oct 1 Wear Blue-Anti Bullying month starts
Oct 1 Scout Recruiting Event 630-730 (teachers do not need to attend)
Oct 2 Fall picture day
Oct 4 Classroom Walkthrough visits 1:00-3:00
Oct 5 Half day dismissal 1140am
Oct 9 Progress Reports go home for grades 1 and 2
Oct 10 Sanford #sanfordbookpushers and problem solving PD Day 315-415
Oct 22-26 Red Ribbon Week
Oct 24 Wear Red
Oct 25 Back to School Literacy Event 530-700 (all teachers expected to attend) Just Announced
Oct 29 MP1 Posting window opens
Nov 5 MP1 Ends
Nov 6 Teacher Workday
Nov 7 MP1 Report cards due (email Brian when Marked Complete)
Nov 14 Report cards go home
Concrete (use of tangible tools) and representational (use of visual support) is evident in this fifth grade lesson characteristics of odd and even numbers in fifth grade Kristie McCray's class
Kristie McCray circulating during the lesson to glean formative information and support her students
Brittany Henry took the math small group to the students--on the carpet with the tools she needs to teach the lesson
Observational Look Fors next week
Learning Targets: Learning targets are posted and referenced at least 3x during a lesson. The goal is for the students to articulate the LT so they connect the activities they are assigned to the Learning intention.
Math Curriculum implementation. The math lessons are aligned with the NNPS Curriculum expectations
Morning Experiences K-5 (see email sent earlier this week on this topic)
Hallway Program
Student work products should be emerging and be posted in the hallway by your classrooms. When you post student work, please include a Learning Target that goes with it.
Take a moment and look outside of your classroom, if you do not have student work products posted, please work toward this next week.
PALS testing in grades 1 and 2 this week as we assess the students and maintain our structures as consistently as possible. Thank you teachers for your work on the PALS Assessment.
Alex Hilton is trying carpet dots to encourage his kindergarten students to remain in their spot on the carpet.
Book Pusher display emerging in Rachel Letchworth's first grade class
2nd grade implementing student choice in Morning Experience
Word building tool in a 2nd grade Morning Experience in Lindsey Childs classroom
Using the tools we have as a morning experience in 2nd grade
A first grade Morning Experience
Student choice in first grade Morning Experience
Can you predict what will happen next.
You guessed it--prediction is under study in the current Reading unit in first grade
Officer Whitaker goes over a soccer game he attended to see this third grader play
First Six Weeks Corner by Suzanne Ramirez
This Week’s social skills were beginning and ending a conversation. These are great skills for our students to have as we begin to have them working collaboratively. One of the things we can add to this is accountable talk. What are the classroom expectations for conversations? What do conversations look like, sound like and feel like in your classroom? See below for an anchor chart you could use to help students remember.
Teacher Attendance Reminder
Prize Patrol
Randomly selected among teachers who attended a Curriculum Chat:
Alex Hilton, Tammy McFarland, Rachel Grochowski, Ashley Nemo, Brittany Henry,
Melene Skeeter
See Brian for your prize selection