Brooklyn Park Post
Week of January 20th
Week-at-a-Glance
Mission: Rigorous Instruction, Enriching Experiences, Positive Relationship, No Exceptions..
Walk Through Focus this Week: Writing
Monday 01/20- Martin Luther King Day
- No School
Tuesday 01/21: Special Ed Meetings/Spirit Day BPES
- Professional Learning Meeting @ 3:40 CDM
- PTA Meeting @ 6:00pm
- Rodney out for Cluster Meeting ( morning)
Wednesday 01/22:
- Intermediate Reading Collaborative Planning
- Primary Math Collaborative Planning
Thursday 01/23:
- AM Professional Learning: CDM @ 7:40am
Friday 01/24: Ron Clark Houses( please wear your colors)
- Leadership @ 7:30
- Color Assembly @ 2:00pm 3rd Grade
- Rodney, Melissa, Laurie out from 10:45-1:00 Celebration and Essay Winner Celebration (Nauman's Class Dominick Amador Jr.)
- Rodney out for afternoon
- PTA Event ( Chuck -E Cheese) 5-9
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind- Chapter 2: The Rules for Engagement ( TSI Focus Reading)
Synopsis: This chapter reveals the 5 core rules for engagement that will help you build a foundation for success.
The 5 Rules for Engagement:
- Upgrade your Attitude
- Build Relationships and Respect:
- Get Buy-In
- Embrace Clarity
- Show Your Passion
Last week we introduced these rules and gave a brief overview. This week we are going to dive a little deeper into the first two rules.
Rule 1: Upgrade Your Attitude
Engage students every day! Students need you to believe in them so that they can believe in themselves.
Solutions You Can Use:
- Use Affirmations: Make a choice to engage every students, every day of the week. Don't forget to affirm students as well. Affirm them for showing up on time, being seated, etc.
- Give Yourself Permission to Fail: Always have a backup plan for what to do or say, when something doesn't work. Forgive yourself when something doesn't work.
Rule 2: Build Relationships and Respect
"Students don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care." (pg.23)
Solutions You Can Use:
- Share a bit of yourself every day: Each week, try to share one story about yourself. (family, dreams, hobbies, etc.) Try to know each student a little bit better than the day before.
- Respect your students: Students who respect you know you are a professional who is looking out for their long-term best interests. To earn your student's respect, you must respect them."You don't need to like your students' world, but never disparage or criticize a student's background, heritage, or culture." (pg.25)
- Upgrade your interactive language: During every interaction with your students, make eye contact and affirm the good in them. Show you value them.
Guiding Questions:
1. How do you build relationships with all your students? ( whole class)
2. How do you build relationships with students with behavior concerns?
3. How do you build "value" with them? How do they build value within each other?
4. How do you share yourself? Are you letting your students know that you are human?
( Professional Learning)- A De-escalation Exercise for Upset Students
1. Divorce or family separation
2. Poverty/lost of income/homelessness
3. Mental Challenges
https://www.edutopia.org/article/de-escalation-exercise-upset-students
Above is a good tool for your toolbox. Sometimes, out kids just need a minute to relax and reflect.
Math Updates:
County Assessments are quickly approaching. We are excited to see what growth our students are going to make!
As always, if you need any support in math, please reach out. We are here to help!
Reading Updates:
The focus is writing for the next two weeks.
Our walkthroughs will be looking for the components of a mini lesson. If you are teaching writing at a different time than what is in the instructional schedule, please let us know .
“let us know how your literacy team can support you”
Social & Emotional Updates:
1. How am I using my Dojo Store to support kids?
2. What incentives do I have in place to support my students?
3. Have I scheduled a parent conference or invited a parent to shadow her child?
4. Is the student bored or needs a change of seat?
5. Do we need to consider a class switch?
7. How can Laura Wells, Aileen or Karyn support me?
Additionally, we cannot send students to the office without a note or documentation.
Walk Through Data- Week of January 13th
- Our focus this week has been the CRA Model. We were not able to get into everyone's classrooms, but the classrooms we did get into, we saw evidence of the CRA model.
- Please remember to use this model to bridge learning! This will help student explain/justify their reasoning.
TESTING UPDATES
CogAt- 2nd and 5th (paper pencil) January 6, 7, 8, 9
Access (WIDA) – 1st-5th
Technology based. -Computer Lab and / or Media chrome books
January 8, 9, 13, 14
Benchmarks-chrome books and computer lab
Language Arts
2nd January 23 @ 1PM
3rd Sheehan-January 22 in lab only at 8:50
Chandler- January 21 in lab only at 8:50
Reed- January 24 in lab only at 8:50
4th January 23 @ 9 AM
5th January 22 @1pm
Math
2nd January 28 @ 9AM
3rd January 27 @9AM
4th January 29 @ 9AM
5th January 24 @ 10:45 AM
Social Studies
3rd January 21 @ 1PM
5th January 27 @ 1pm
The WIDA ACCESS FOR ELs testing window is from Wednesday 1/8/20 – Tuesday 2/11/20
During that window, normal ESOL pull out will be on hold, and testing will proceed as follows:
- First grade: Wednesday, January 8, Thursday, January 9, Monday January 13, and Tuesday, January 14 at 11:40 am*
- Second Grade: Thursday January 9, Monday January 13, Tuesday, January 14, and Wednesday, January 15 at 10 am*
- Third Grade: Wednesday, January 8, Thursday, January 9, Monday January 13, and Tuesday, January 14 at 9 am*
- Fourth Grade: Wednesday, January 8, Thursday, January 9, Monday January 13, and Tuesday, January 14 at 1:10 pm*
- Fifth Grade: Wednesday, January 15, Tuesday, January 21, Wednesday, January 22, and Thursday, January 23 at 1:10 pm*
*These times do not interfere with lunch of Cultural Arts.
Beginning on the 15th of January, Kindergarten WIDA Access Testing will begin, and it must be done one-on-one and, in some cases, on two different occasions. Ms. Gerardo will be pulling K students throughout the day until all students are tested.
From the Principal's Desk
Staff Shout Outs
-Laurie and Tracy- They supported us when we needed additional support for behaviors.
-Susan and Rachel for leading our 3rd grade showcase. Our kids were awesome. Thanks Karyn for attending.
- Staff for attedning our PTA Movie Night and Fundraiser. Please come on Friday night to Chuck-E Cheese.