Birdneck Briefing
Week of January 22
Upcoming Dates and Events Week of January 22-26
Due to many events being rescheduled due to snow, and weather expected again this week, the dates below are subject to change:
January 21-27 - Great Kindness Challenge 2018 (info below)
January 22 - Laskin Road (Hilltop) Chipotle fundraiser
January 29 - Snow make up day - School in session
February 2 - End of Quarter 2
February 13 - Report Cards go home
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Birdneck Family,
It looks like we will finally have our first full week of school in over a month. It always helps to review expectations and routines with students when we have extended breaks. What a wonderful way to start with the Great Kindness Challenge of 2018. Please encourage all of your students to complete their checklist for the week and remind them as often as possible what it truly means to sho kindness. We will be discussing instructional pacing and what we can do to prevent "winter slide" in our collabs.
Have a great week of guiding our students to show Kindess!
Captain Out,
RV Yoshida
When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.
Confucius
THE GREAT KINDNESS CHALLENGE IS HERE!
Checklist + Kindness Wall of Fame
Checklists have been delivered! If a student completes their checklist by the end of the day on Friday, their name will be displayed on the "Kindness Wall of Fame." Please turn the checklist in or send me an email and I will put their name on the wall by the gym which will be up by the end of the day.
Spirit Days
Monday - Hats Off to Kindness - Wear a fun hat
Tuesday - Kindness is Our Superpower - Dress up as a superhero
Wednesday - Ride the Kindness Wave - Dress beachy/like a surfer [dress code!]
Thursday - Wild About Kindness - Dress like a wild animal
Friday - Team Kind - Everyone wear Birdneck spirit wear
Door Decorating Contest
Your class will decorate your door with a kindness theme. The judging will occur on Friday, January 26th.
Kindness Stations
This year, classes will participate in kindness stations during their guidance lesson.
In the Classroom
· Create a kindness zone where students can work on their checklist
· Adapt centers or stations to include a kindness themed activity
· Team with an older or younger classroom to do something kind for each other
· Think about something simple you could do for a group in the community
· Create a kindness banner and hang it up in the hallway to encourage other classes and students
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers
Please keep Lisa Baar and her family in mind as well. Her mother's health is not well and she anticipates needing to give her mother much support.
2017-2018 ANNUAL MANDATORY EMPLOYEE TRAINING (AMET) Due Feb. 16, 2018
Based on your job title, your assigned courses will be listed on your personal SafeSchools Training home page under “Mandatory Training.”
A target completion date of Feb. 16, 2018, has been established. Thank you for your assistance in this endeavor.
Completion Date: February 16, 2018
Go to our website at http://www.vbschools.com
Click on Staff
Click on Mandatory Training (AMET)
Three snow makeup days identified, first semester extended due to Winter Storm Grayson
Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) will use Jan. 29 and Feb. 19 to make up two of the instructional days lost during Winter Storm Grayson. Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence has also decided to waive a third snow day for students by using time built in to the 181-day school calendar. The makeup plan includes: For high school students, Jan. 29 and Feb. 19 will be a "C" Day, where they will attend all of their classes during the day instead of following the A/B block schedule. For middle school students on block schedules, Jan. 29 will be an "A" Day and Feb. 19 will be a "B" Day. This makeup plan addresses the first three of six total instructional days missed due to Winter Storm Grayson. With weather forecasts calling for more snow next week, VBCPS' administration will wait to see the impact of that winter weather before making any additional operational changes to the school calendar. Regardless, Spence has determined that the division will not be using days from Spring Break (April 2-6), Saturdays or the Memorial Day holiday (May 28) as makeup days. In addition, with this makeup schedule, VBCPS will still be closed Monday, Jan. 15 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Given the length of time out of school, the division will also extend the first semester from Friday, Jan. 26 to Friday, Feb. 2. Report cards for the second nine weeks and first semester will be sent home Tuesday, Feb. 13. The 2017-2018 school calendar has been updated to include the makeup days and semester changes. The updated calendar is available on www.vbschools.com.
Dyslexia Training
As a result of the new VDOE license renewal requirement for all teaching staff to complete the Dyslexia Awareness Training Module (http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/licensure/dyslexia-module/story.html) housed on the Virginia Department of Education website, VBCPS is requesting that all PreK-12 teachers who teach language arts must complete the forty-minute module during this school year, whether they are up for license renewal or not. Teachers who teach language arts are being asked to complete this to module by the end of the first semester, to ensure that they are knowledgeable when attending meetings in which dyslexia is discussed. As this is a new license renewal requirement for all staff, the completion of this task is being monitored by the Department of Human Resources, Office of Licensure.
Shout Outs!
If you would like to give a SHOUT OUT to a colleague, it is as simple as sending an email to RV to be added to our Shout Outs each week!
Shout out to Kim Melby for continually scheduling, cancelling and rescheduling subs to cover our classrooms! We really appreciate what you do to support our school.
The Energy Bus
Leave Bank for those previously enrolled
To ensure there are enough bank hours for the sick leave bank to remain in operation, all members must be assessed the houlrly equivalent of two days of sick leave for this school year. Your sick leave will be deducted the hourly equivalent of two (2) days which will reflect in your Feb. 28, 2018 paycheck.
You have the option not to participate further in the bank to avoid being assessed. If you do not want to participate in the Sick Leave Bank, a form was put in your mailbox to return to HR by Feb. 15, 2018.
Reminders
-Greet your students at the door each day!
-implement Morning Meeting and student goal setting in your classrooms.
-Teach students the behaviors you expect to see them use
-Social committee dues to Vanessa Dominguez
-Join our PTA.
-Have Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
The mission of Birdneck Elementary is to dedicate ourselves to the success of all children, preparing them to meet today's expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
BIRDNECK VISION
Children are our future. We are dedicated to their success.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120