Cool Cat News
Principal Brief
April 30-May 4
Cool Cats,
We are in the final weeks - "Those who settle for mediocrity say, I'll do it later and rarely do. Champions don't say anything. They just do it now." This is the time we finish strong and give our BEST!
Class lists are due by the end of the day on 5/7. Please develop classes with the help of sped, ESL, dyslexia and admin. We are still in EOY testing so data cards might not be complete. Please complete data cards by 5/22. Class lists need to have the first and last name and if the student has a special need (sped, esl, etc.) Please keep in mind the learning needs of the students; strengths and weaknesses. Complete class lists on this google doc. After EOY testing is done, separate data cards and give them to me with the grade level divided into their new classes.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zPCt1d2pqjDiMcYQ_CwRjzaSrlGehDfIRdJvmy2REew/edit?usp=sharing
We are asking that each staff member be on two committees for 2018-2019. Para's - please sign up for a decorating committee. Teachers - if you are a team leader and a PLC leader those are are your two committees, so you do not need to sign up for anything else unless you want to.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JHbTQexGHBhEKB6ZQNDHkcAQAohxiJmUze6rEMtPzW4/edit?usp=sharing
The EOY checklist will be placed in your boxes next week. Paras- you will turn in the EOY checklist to me and keys to Rita at the end of the day on May 24. We will have a short staff meeting at 1:00 to say good-bye on 5/24. Teachers - please have your EOY checklist completed by 2:30 on May 25. If you are needing extra time, please let me know.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Shawna #proudprincipal #hartmanpride #nbrs2017
Upcoming Dates
4/28 Saturday School 8-11:20am
4/30 Teacher Appreciation Week Begins
5/1 Principal's Day, Rotary Club - Books for each student, Team Leader Meeting 3:05-4:00
5/2 Staff Meeting STAAR Training 3:05, We will have a quick STAAR refresher with the staff to highlight important pieces of STAAR testing (like not talking about the test, bubbling on the answer documents, waiting for testing coordinator to pick up tests). We also have EOY procedures. After EOY procedures, staff who are not involved in testing may leave.
5/3 K Field Trip to Arboretum, Oral Admin training
5/7 McDonald's Night (Sp Ed & Sp Services) 5-7pm, Class Lists due to Shawna by 4:30pm
5/8 Critterman for PK in Library @9:30am &12pm
5/9 RTI Team Meeting, School Nurses Day
5/10 G1 "Go Fish" Musical @9am & 7pm,
5/11 STAAR Pep Rally (James Ward Magic Program) 8am, Breakfast with Mom 6:45am, T4 EOY Awards names due, PTA Street Dance 6-8pm, PD Plans due to admin
5/14 Nothin' Bundt Spirit Week for PTA, STAAR Math testing Grades 3 &4, Potato Bar for Staff provided by office team
5/15 STAAR Reading Testing Grades 3 & 4, K-2 RTI meeting, Lunch provided by Horace Mann (Rothermel's) for staff
5/16 3-4 RTI Meeting
5/17 Grades/Awards due (for EOY Awards), Book/Movie Part with extended teacher planning 8:30-10:30am, PTA Council Luncheon @ ESC @12pm, Senior Reception @ 3:30, Talent Show Rehearsal @2:45-5pm, PK Family Celebration Picnic 5-6:30pm
5/18 Wylie Way Day of Celebration, G4 WISD Track Meet, Royal Wedding Party (fancy hat day), G3 Market Day
5/21 KInder Promotion Breakfast at 8:30am, KInder Promotion 9:30am, Science Garden Celebration 1:30pm, PK/PPCD Promotion 6pm, (AM) 7:15 (PM) @ WEHS,
5/22 G4 Promotion Ceremony 8:30am, Term 4 1st-3rd Awards 1:30pm, Senior Walk 10am, Talent Show Rehearsal 2:45-5pm, Data cards due to Shawna - please sort cards into classes for 2018-2019 school year.
5/23 K-4 Field Day
5/24 Early Release Day for Students at 12:40, Hartman's Got Talent Show @8:30am, Cafeteria will serve sack lunches, Last Day of School for paras, turn in your keys to Rita and EOY checklist to Shawna. Staff good-bye for summer meeting at 1:00 in the LIbrary.
5/25 Teacher work day 8-3:00pm, EOY checklist completed to Shawna at 2:30pm.
Mike Schmoker on Writing Across the Curriculum
In this article in Educational Leadership, author/consultant Mike Schmoker says that having students write across subject areas, if accompanied with lots of reading and discussion, could have more impact on college and career success than any other practice. His argument:
• The powerful impact of writing – “Decades of research attest to writing’s unrivaled ability to facilitate understanding and help people evaluate, reconstitute, and synthesize knowledge,” says Schmoker. “Writing enables students to generate their best thinking in its most effective form.” That’s why, when business and industry hire new workers, they look for writing skills over managerial skills.
• What works in classrooms – Content-area writing is basically “thinking on paper,” says Schmoker. Students need to:
- Read texts (or examine data), underlining, annotating, or taking notes;
- Zero in on the notes, quotes, or underlined passages that are central to their analysis;
- Write to explore, clarify, or explain how these portions support the student’s arguments, observations, or interpretations.
- Do this kind of writing (as short as a paragraph, as long as a term paper) on a regular basis – every week, and at the end of every unit.
Frequent, text-based argumentative writing is the best way to put students on the path to long-term success.
• Prompts to promote higher-order thinking – Here are some writing prompts that help students make coherent arguments:
- Evaluate the credibility of a scientific theory, a mathematical solution, a politician…
- Explain why you agree (or disagree) with a fictional or historical character...
- Analyze/interpret/debunk a math or science model or data table, a work of fiction…
- Compare and contrast two musicians, artists, mathematical arguments, works of drama…
- Make recommendations or propose solutions for some real-world quantitative problem or social/environmental problem…
“I can tell you from experience and observation that students find such questions and prompts highly engaging,” says Schmoker. “They activate the intellect and lend purpose to learning in every discipline – including math, where writing is essential but grossly underutilized.”
• Not letting grading discourage frequent writing – “Individually correcting errors on student papers is among the least efficient uses of a teacher’s time,” says Schmoker. “The most powerful, time-efficient way to improve students’ writing is through focused, whole-class instruction. Teachers should model one aspect of writing, with each step followed by student practice, during which the teacher observes (and addresses) whole-class patterns of progress or need on that writing skill.” Repeating this cycle of instruction, practice, and feedback through a lesson, anchored by examples of good writing displayed on a document camera, “guarantees better writing,” says Schmoker – with the teacher grading only a few student writing products.
Planning for 2018-2019 - The Cool Cats are Traveling to New Heights! This is your designated continent! Lunch will be provided for the winning hall!
R- Time Every Wednesday!
Rtime for Better Relationships! 10 minutes every Wednesday!
- Show good manners and respect at all times.
- Care for everyone and everything.
- Follow instructions with thought and care.