Spartan Scoop #21
January 24, 2016
Thought for the week from Mrs. Doss: Intrinsic Motivation in Students
The link above has great thoughts for teachers to consider when working with students. We have to be cognoscente of our words with our students. This article is one to give us some thought in that area. Our students often need a lot of modeling and help with verbalizing especially when they are coming from a variety of homes. We are the first adult to set the tone of the day for these children in our building. This is important to remember.
Building Items:
Teacher Work Rooms/Lounges - Teachers and Staff, the teacher work rooms and lounges are not places for students. Please do not send students to get a soda or pop popcorn. The workrooms and lounges are places in the school specifically designed for staff use. Confidential conversations take place in those rooms at times and confidential copies are printed there as well. If students hear or see this information you have just broken confidentiality for students in our school. This is a huge liability and one that is not going to be won in the courts. Also, do not send students to make copies for you. As mentioned above, students are not allowed in the workrooms/lounges for any reason. Another problem is that you have to give your copy code to students. This is something that should not be shared with anyone, especially students.
Floating Work Day Explanation - The Floating Work Day is designed to assist you in possibly leaving for summer vacation one day early at the end of the school year. If you have logged 8 hours that you have worked outside of your contracted time and you have been officially checked out by Angie or me, you do not have to come back for that last day after students have gone home for the summer. This being said, if you are not officially checked out by an administrator or your room is not "summerized" you must come back to work until those items are complete. Please submit the Floating Work Day to me by May 1. CO wants the hours documented in 2 hour increments.
PBIS Challenges for Students: Last week I gave students something to work for. I made the announcement that if 98% or more of our students went without a referral for the week I would wear a St. Louis Cardinals jersey to work. After reviewing our data, 7 out of 532 students received a referral. This means 98.7% of our student body did not receive a referral. I will be wearing a Cardinals jersey one day next week. Because Wednesday is my Coaching Day and I am out and about all day long, I will be wearing Cardinal red on that day. I always said I'd do anything for students!
Lunch 5s - Remind students that every class that has a 5 at lunch for last week and this week will earn a hat day during the week of Feb. 1. As far as I could tell every class had 5s this past week. I will double check with Vicky just to make sure. Sometimes students do not update their shields so I have to cross check with the master sheet.
Vision Items:
In order to keep this from occurring the template letter for the Spring will be set up in a business style letter with the address as part of the heading of the letter. Teachers will be responsible for filling the heading out and giving the correct mailing information as part of the letter for Melissa to use as a resource. This makes it easier for her, versus looking up and sorting through our SIS student/parent information.
Retention Meetings: These begin this upcoming week. Please check with Melissa and Dee to schedule for Dave and Angie to attend. Angie will be out Monday and Tuesday of this next week. If you have not shared these letters with Angie or Melissa digitally please do so-- we will make a digital file on Google for each grade and classroom.
Digital Data Wall: This is still under construction as we get all things in order. Monday CLT will be spent focused on this tool for part of the time. A guide tab will be added to each grade form to give more specific directions and guidance for coding. This is to help with any confusions.
Reading Program Discussion: In February we will have Journeys come visit and present regarding their program. Mrs. Stoddard wants ALL teachers using the ELA programs for instruction to attend. This meeting is on the calendar for 2/4 and starts at 4:00 @ GBE Library. Thank you to all grades for sending me your thoughts and questions to share with Mrs. Stoddard.
Angie will be around to Team meetings this coming Friday to discuss Reading Programs and the Literacy meeting in February.
Monday CLT: We will meet again in the Computer Lab. The goal is to finish coding STAR and SLO data. As stated there will be an added tab with specific directions to give clarification. After we finish this, those that have not sent their topic assessments to Mrs. Patrick will need to input that data. The second half of CLT will be spent having teachers use the link set up for MAP assessments. This will provide hands on time to use the universal tools. Mr. Bailey will be there as a resource.
Calendar:
Monday, 1/25 - District Tech Committee Mtg. at CO. Start time 4:15. If you are on this committee please be in attendance.
Angie out at PLC conference all day.
Monday, 1/25 - Spartan Tutoring begins once again. We will have an added group of ELL students that will be led by Mr. Barker, from the High School, in the Eagle's classroom.
Tuesday, 1/26 - Angie out at PLC conference all day.
Wednesday, 1/27 - Dave's Coaching Day
Thursday, 1/28 - Angie's Coaching Day
Friday, 1/29 - Jeans Day for Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake - $2
Tuesday, 2/2 - Math Fun Night at GBE - 5:00-6:30
Peer Observations are due to Dave by March 1, 2016. Dave will take digital and hard copies of these forms.
Floating Work Day Logs are due to Dave by May 1, 2016. Please send them to Dave digitally.
PD Logs are also due to Dave by May 1, 2016.
Lollipop Moments:
Thank you Brandy for working hard to get assessments back in our hands for students that have had changes in teachers. You efforts were above and beyond! Angie
Thank you to Ashley Patrick for putting in extra time after school to teach us about Google Sites - Dave
Thank you Ashley Patrick for taking a TON of extra time and accepting the challenge to create our Digital Assessment Wall. We love having you as a resource for our new teachers and bringing some insight to use from the K-2 side. Angie
Thank you to everyone in Mr. Howen's room for making many changes in your daily schedule to accommodate our new student - Dave
Thank you to everyone for enduring and being patient on Friday during our CLT make-up to view data and begin our process of collaborating over assessments and results we are seeing from our students. I have to apologize for copying the wrong guide for STAR, in my rush. Actually turned into a blessing, as we investigated the resource on STAR to see that it had been updated from what I had in my file from Andrea. Angie
Thank you to Ken Bailey for being a great resource on Friday morning. He plans on attending again on Monday as a guide and resource. Angie
Thank you to Melissa for all of you work in putting on our Christmas Social Friday evening. We are very lucky to have these ladies in our office! Angie
PD items:
http://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/dr_spencer_kagan/ASK38.php