The Buzz 12/7/15
What you need to know to be in the know...
Our Mission:
Chandler Elementary will create a safe and positive environment where all students and adults work together using 21st century strategies to achieve high academic growth.
4C - Creativity and Innovation
*In a world in which good design is increasingly used as a means of differentiating objects of mass production, creative design skills are highly desired in the labor force.
*Howard Garner - cited "The creating mind" as one of the five minds needed in the future, and stated, "To cultivate such a mind we need an education that features exploration, challenging problems, and the tolerance, if not active encouragement, of productive mistakes.
*Sir Kenneth Robinson - "Creativity is as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status."
*Robert Sternburg (Tufts University) - Successful indivdiduals are those who have creative skills, to to produce a vision for how they intend to make the world a better place for everyone; analytical intellectual skills, to assess their vision and those of others; practical intellectual skills, to carry out their vision and persuade others of its value; and wisdom, to ensure that their vision is not a selfish one.
What is creativity and innovation: (P21 defines it as being able to...)
*Creative Thinkers
-Use a range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
-Create new and worthwhile ideas (both radical AND incremental concepts)
-Elaborate, refine, analyze, and evaluate original ideas to improve and maximize creative efforts
*Engage in Creative Collaboration
-Develop, implement, and communicate new ideas to other effectively
-Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives, incorporate group feedback into the work
-Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work, and understand real world limits to adopting new ideas
-View failure as an opportunity to learn
*Implement Innovation
-Act on creative ideas and make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in which the innovation will occur
Where can I find resources for creativity and innovation?
*The Kennedy Center has created ARTSEDGE to inspire and give practical examples of how to incorporate the arts into their curriculum. Great resource that include searchable lesson plans. https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators.aspx
*22 Simple Ideas for Harnessing Creativity in the Classroom - http://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-in-classroom-trisha-riche
*40 Ways to Make Time for Creativity in Your Classroom - http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/08/10/40-ways-to-make-time-for-creativity-in-your-lessons
Reflections on creativity and innovation:
*How can you model creativity and innovation for your students?
*How can you encourage creativity and innovation in your classroom?
*How can you incorporate more creativity and innovation in your lesson plans?
*How can you encourage students to be more creative and innovative?
*How can you and your colleagues work together to improve your pedagogical practices involving innovation and creativity?
Safety Packs
Work 15 Hours or More Per Week?
Want to Work More Hours?
Pop Machine Price Increase
The money raised by this machine supports events/celebrations such as the staff Christmas party and teacher appreciation week among others. Now that GCS has settled their pop contract, it is apparent that we will have to raise the cost for a bottle of soda. After Christmas break the new cost will be $1.50.
Color Coded Communication Key
Orange - PTO
Blue - Office Communication
Green - Nurses office
Pink - Cafeteria
White - Classroom
Yellow - Outside entitites
If you have a flyer or information to send home, please keep this in mind.
Save the Date
Thinking about Participating in the Hour of Code
Whether you’re considering participating in Hour of Code for the first time, interested in starting a coding club, or something in between, this webinar has something for you. Join us for the next eLearning Lab webinar, Hour of Code and Beyond, on Tuesday, December 1st at 4pm Eastern. Learn about Hour of Code resources and training opportunities from a representative of code.org and hear from three educators who are supporting coding clubs and organizing Hour of Code events in their schools. Use the link below to register for the webinar.
Just for Fun...
Growth Mindset
Nate Shenk in 3rd Grade has been using a mountain climbing analogy to teach growth mindset. Check out his visual in the front of his classroom. After talking about what a mountain climber needs to do to accomplish the goal, each student copies their own “mantra” promoting growth mindset to post on their locker. Here are some of those statements you can see in the 3rd grade hallway. Thanks for sharing, Nate!
I will try & try again.
Do my best!
Good thing the alphabet has 25 more letters!
I will not give up even if I don’t know!
Be awesome.
I need to try harder.
I will try again until I get it!
I will try my best next time.
I will never give up!
I’ll try my best!
If I don’t succeed, I must try & try again.
Have courage.
Don’t give up. You can do it.
Stay on track. It’s your only chance.
If I don’t get it, I will try and try.
Even if this is difficult, I am going to try again, I AM!
Look how far I’ve come.
I made a mistake. Let me try it again.
TLT Update
From Central Office...
Today’s Focus: Growth
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Love that quote!....It reminds me of the article that Lori Shreiner recently shared ..I believe it originated with Terri Hussey. See the link below for the article on how mistakes help us to grow and learn…… Think about – How are you stretching and growing this year to do the things you think you cannot do…
Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn | MindShift | KQED News
TAP Items:
· National conference: It has been decided that 8 GCS folks will be attending the TAP National Conference; three from the elementary, three from secondary, one from central office and possibly an Executive Master Teacher, if we have that person named by then.
· NIET Site Visits: It has also been decided that all GCS schools will participate in the NIET Site Visits this year. Going forward, there will be more discussion about this topic, and a possible rotation schedule for GCS schools, so that not all schools would participate every year, or something along those lines.
· If you remember last year, we posted and actually recruited and interviewed for the position of Executive Master Teacher. During the middle of this process, we learned that CELL received a grant extension and would be able to provide the support of Regional TAP Coordinator(s). We are fairly confident that there will not be another extension to the TIF grant. In January 2016, it is the district’s intent to post for an Executive Master Teacher position.
A reminder for principals and teachers:
A board member reported to us that it had been mentioned to the board member more than once by community members, that teachers or principals had not returned phone calls within 24 hours. Maybe there was a legitimate reason, such as illness, but this is a reminder for all of us, that we should strive to return all messages, whether by phone or email, within 24 hours, if at all possible. Thanks!
Affordable Care Act Enrollment for Eligible Elkhart County Families
Greetings to all. Open Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace began November 01 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. As were identified during the latest Elkhart County Community Health Needs Assessment, health care access and health care coverage are two of Elkhart County’s priority community health needs, and Elkhart General Hospital is committed to addressing our community’s health needs. To that end, EGH’s Health Coverage Enrollment Center helps individuals enroll in various health coverage programs through the Indiana Health Insurance Marketplace and educates on coverage options available. We partner with Heart City Health Center and Bright Point in providing assistance through Indiana Navigators, who are licensed through the Indiana Department of Insurance to provide free, unbiased, and factual information and assistance on the options available through the Affordable Care Act and through the Healthy Indiana Plan. I kindly request that you consider cutting and pasting the following information below (in the paragraph in bold font under my signature below) in your schools newsletters for your families who may be eligible for health insurance through the Indiana Marketplace or Healthy Indiana Plan. I also want to take this opportunity to extend an invitation for you to host an enrollment event for any employees of your school system that may be eligible for the Marketplace or Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). We can provide Indiana Navigators from EGH, Heart City Health Center, and Bright Point on-site to enroll your eligible employees. Also, if you are interested in having fliers go home with your families, we can provide those if you let me know the quantity you will need. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an enrollment event onsite for your employees, feel free to contact me at 524.7503 or by way of return email. Many thanks in advance for helping us spread the word on getting Elkhart County residents enrolled in health coverage, and helping us to improve the health status of Elkhart County.
Patty Gremaux
Director of Community Outreach
Elkhart General Hospital
Phone (574) 524.7503
Phone (574) 294.2621 x4961
Fax (574) 524.7500
Email pgremaux@beaconhealthsystem.org
Web www.egh.org
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by replay e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
Open Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act started November 01, 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. If you or your family needs help in getting health coverage or in understanding choices available for you, there is help available. Elkhart General Hospital, Heart City Health Center, and Bright Point are offering free health coverage enrollment services to assist individuals with enrolling in the Indiana Marketplace. As Navigators licensed through the Indiana Department of Insurance, we provide unbiased assistance with the application and enrollment in the various programs offered through the Marketplace and through Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). Upcoming free enrollment events are:
Saturday, December 05, 2015 9a-12p at Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Avenue, Elkhart
Saturday, January 23, 2016 9a -12p at Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Avenue, Elkhart
You can also sign up for an individual appointment to get enrollment help and information about health coverage options for you. If you have questions or would like more information, please call the EGH Health Coverage Enrollment Line at 524-7586 or 524-7523.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
- Mr. Leon Bauman - Sunday, Dec. 6
- Mr. Nate Shenk - Tuesday, Dec. 8
Calendar Items
Monday
Cluster 7:15/3:10
Chess Club 3:00
Tuesday
Kindergarten to Greencroft Caroling
Chandler TLT 3:15
Wednesday
CPI Training 12:30-2:30
Orchestra - 3:45 (GMS)
Staff Meeting 3:10-4:10 (Cafe)
Thursday
Orchestra 2:55-4:00 (Music Room)
Friday
Success/Support Staff Meeting 8:35
Nutcracker Field Trip
Just in case you forgot...
Chandler Fall Fundraiser
If you receive additional orders please send them to the office. Goods will be delivered before Christmas. Classroom winners will be announced ASAP. Thanks for all your help with the PTO fundraiser this year!
Staff Meeting Follow-Up
Thank you all for your hard work thinking the Process Standards, chunking them into friendly language, and thinking about how these can be practiced in the classroom. Hopefully you know more about what they are, and had good conversation about their impact in the classroom.
Charts from the meeting are up in the staff lounge. For more information about the Math Process Standards I would recommend the site www.illustrativemathematics.org for more information and examples. These habits of mind will help our students be able to make sense of and problem solve complex math situations.
A good next step would be to introduce them to students using "kid-friendly" language as you incorporate them into your lessons.
Also, please be sure you complete the exit ticket if you haven't had time.