Wildcat Update
October 29-November 2
Weekly Schedule
29 - Travis Shaw and Stephen Hall Visit @ 10:30
29 - Storm Drill after announcements
30 - 3rd grade to corn maze
31 - Happy Halloween - Leave as soon as you can - have some spooky fun!
2- Celebration Assembly K-2
Red Ribbon Week!
ALL MATH ICs MUST BE COMPLETED BY END OF OCTOBER!
Email Angie when you have all your conferences completed. Thank you for your time and preparation!
Duties
Team 2:
Saleske, Youngblood, Hightower, Evans, Tillery
Imagination Station: 2nd grade
Best Attendance Last Week
1st - Mrs. Conroy
2nd- Mrs. Youngblood
3rd - Mrs. Hampton
Dr. Anderson Update
from J-
One of my favorites duties in my role is the opportunity I have to visit our 35 elementary schools across our system. With 540 classroom teachers, and hundreds of other teachers and educators in various roles and settings, our ~2,000 students at every grade level are truly blessed to be part of Springfield Public Schools.
The purpose of this is to address the Scorecard. This is the data that your leaders have been bringing forward to you about the performance in our system. This data review is really nothing new- it is data we have been (or should have been) reviewing for years. The difference is that it is now condensed on a few sheets of paper, and being rolled out intentionally on an updated platform.
The Scorecard is not necessarily at the heart of this - it is what it represents that matters most. It represents, factually, the impact that we are making on our students when it comes to how they perform on standardized testing, their attendance, their behavior, and their view of school. In many aspects, there are some great celebrations. In others, there are less-than-desirable points. Concerning these lower points, I'm hearing a variety of responses. For some, there are elevated levels of stress. Others see it as a "bring it" opportunity. The response, honestly, tells me a great amount about the mindset of the adults. How we choose to respond to this is going to be a fairly accurate predictor of the outcome. Whether we believe we can or believe we can't make an impact, we are correct.
Data gives us the opportunity to be reactive or proactive. Whatever our approach, which does matter, let's no make excuses. Just don't. Excuses are a cop-out, and have zero benefits for our students. Going beyond the collective grade levels, and digging into subgroups of students provides rich information that create awareness and inform practices. Please accept this as an invitation to apply the humane use of data to drive excellence into our teaching and learning. Avoid being data-driven (which may lead to fear/stress), and instead be data-informed and purpose-driven (which drives positivity, hope, and being solution-oriented).
Of all that we have going on in our schools, my top two academic-related goals for all our elementary students are:
1) That our students have an academic & meaningful relationship with a caring educator who is their champion. Someone who inspires them, grows them, challenges them, and sees them for who they can become.
2) That our students read and achieve on grade level each and every year in these formative years. This has so much less to do with performance on standardized testing and so much more to do with their current and future success. Think about how better the quality of life is for the student who can read on grade level in elementary, then middle, then high school. Our work at the elementary level can be directly linked to our graduation rates. We are able to identify at a very confident level which elementary students are at risk of becoming a high school dropout: if it is predictable, it is preventable. Think about the variety in opportunities afforded a student who becomes an adult solely based upon their ability to demonstrate the foundational competencies of a learned/educated individual.
Your impact is greater than you give yourself credit for. There is a deep knowledge base about the artistry of teaching, and despite public opinion, not every person who went to school is actually an expert on what good teaching and learning looks like. You are the experts. Please reflect on our Activitate Kickoff from the beginning of the year. You are not "just a teacher;" you are a Teacher. It is a work and calling that is more important and challenging than ever before. Own it. Be Proud. Be insistent for your students, and thank you for being an educator!
-J
Upcoming Dates
November:
2 - Celebration Assembly K-2
5- Texas Roadhouse Night
5- DAY OFF
6 - Professional Day - SPS Activate and then PD at site
9 - All Pro Dad - NO ASSEMBLY
12-16 Book Fair Week
16 - Celebration Assembly 3-4 (Teachers meet Craig's Room)
16 - No Grade Level Team Meetings
17 - Math Olympiad @ Gray
21-23 - No School
26 - iReady MOY Window Opens
Trauam Tidbits
Icebergs are giant floating pieces of ice found in the coldest parts of the ocean. What you can see is just a tiny part of the iceberg - most of it is hidden under the surface.
What is under a child's anger? Embarrassment, annoyed, overwhelmed, grumpy, helpless, worried, uncomfortable, frustrated, sic, shame ,offended. pressured...
Don't forget this can go for adults as well.