Sunset Housekeeping Notes
November 26th-30th
Message from Mrs. Hafey
I am so thankful for the time I had with my family! Sometimes you just need to slow down enough to enjoy the blessings all around us! I hope that you too had a chance to relax, reconnect with family and friends, get caught up on the house chores, and took some time to complete a hobby! It is important to always use this time to recharge for the coming weeks! As you plan for your students, please keep in mind our Mission: Sunset will educate and inspire students to thrive in an environment of change. I challenge you to think deeply about your planning - are your lessons meeting the rigor of our mission? If not, we are not meeting our students needs! Please remember our Rays of Sunshine at Sunset:
1. Targets - make sure you and your students know where the are headed
2. Matrices - document/log your students work and growth or areas that need your attention
3. Deep Planning - if you are not adequately planned, you are letting your students down - BE PREPARED
4. Bulldog Notebooks
5. Writing in the Computer Labs - 3-4 days/week for grades 3, 4, 5 - grades 1 and 2 building stamina
5. LOVE YOUR STUDENTS: greet them EVERY morning and send them home with a direct send off at the end of EVERY day
Remember....Every child needs an adult who is crazy about him or her in order to grow up!
--Urie Bronfenbrenner
Have a super week! I love you all!
Sincerely,
Hafey
Rigor
Quick Check....
Is the content you are teaching rigorous enough?
Are you just "giving" or leading?
Are you holding your students accountable at all levels?
Ideas:
1. Error analysis in math - put up a problem with an incorrect answer and have the students determine if the answer is correct or not and then explain where the mistake was made - this can be used in whatever skill is being worked on
2. Computer Lab writes - asking and expecting students to CUPS/CUPPS BEFORE asking for your help
Repetitions....
Are you repeating enough?
Are you giving multiple opportunities for students to say, do, practice?
Are you checking for mastery or just moving on because iti s the next day?
Remember
Gifted/Talented Readers: 1-4 Repetitions
Average Readers: 4-14 Repetitions
Struggling Readers: 14-40 Repetitions
Disabled Readers: 40-200 Repetitions
Wait for it.....
All students learn at a different pace and we need to honor the time it takes for all students to participate and engage with the learning in a way that makes sense to each of them. Let's try not to unintentionally take that opportunity away from them.
Think Abouts....
- When you pose a question, give all students an opportunity to write an answer. Suggest they do it that way. Before you go to the whole class, ask them to talk to partner sitting next to them. Then, only after all children have spoken to each other in a low stakes forum, ask someone to share what they talked about. This "Think, Pair, Share" allows students to engage with the question without any one student monopolizing, or the teacher answering for them.
- When the room is quiet, simply wait. It's uncomfortable for them too, but it signals to kids that it's important enough to wait until they are ready. If you need to speak, just say, "I'm comfortable in the quiet. Take your time." I've also been known to make jokes about my own discomfort. When the first few hands shoot up, keep waiting for another 10-15 seconds, encouraging the group to get more hands up. "Nothing personal, but I want to see more hands."
- Try to create a classroom culture that doesn't require hand-raising as the means for answering. Have some random system that requires all students to be thinkers and participators. Use popsicle sticks with their names on it, choose a card that students represent. Let them pick each other. But foster a culture that students know is about everyone learning.
- Take a deep breath and count to 10 in your head and then do it again to try to slow yourself down.
- Develop a culture that makes students the questioners and puts them at the center of the classroom. In a student-centered space, there is an abundance of productive noise, so if silence isn't your thing, this will help you over that hurdle.
- Have backchannels available for introverted students. Oftentimes, they have a lot to say but are not comfortable in front of large groups of people. Having a parking lot helps all voices get heard.
We had 94% show for Parent Teacher Conferences! That is amazing! Thank you for working so hard on these 2 nights! Please reach out, if you haven't already, to try and catch up with those that missed this evening!
Sneak Peak at the Week
Dibels Testing This Week: ALL Students
Monday: Chess Club Meets
Tuesday: Media Club Meets
Monday, November 26: Monday Morning Meeting - new teachers - Erin, Katie, Betsy, Emily -
bring all matrices that you have (Math, Science, Writing....) and your
IPAD
Monday, November 26: CST/IEP - 8-10
Monday, November 26: Curriculum Meeting 4-6 - Hafey/Neton/Zimmerman
Tuesday, November 27: Staff Meeting - 3:30-4:45ish
Wednesday, November 28: Seatbelt Challenge - see below....
Wednesday, November 28: Admin. Collab - 8:30-2:00ish
Wednesday, November 28: New Teacher Training 4:00-5:30pm
Thursday, November 29: Rti- Daniel R - 3rd grade
Thursday, November 29: Data Team Meetings
Thursday, November 29: BOE Meeting - Hafey/A. Jones recognition, Ali and PLTW team
presentation - 6:30pm
Friday, November 30: 1/2 PD with Mel and 1/2 PLAN
Seatbelt Challenge
On Wednesday, November 28- Megan O'Toole will be on campus with a few others from the hospital, MRH, EMS, CPD, Sherriff's department, and the fire department to "catch" our parents wearing their seatbelts! The goal is to help raise awareness of the importance of seatbelts! Please let me know if you have any questions!
ELAP Plans
I will be placing student ELAP plans in your boxes! Please REVEIW and make sure it is doable on your end! Most of the goals set are grade level content and work! Remember, YOU are ultimately responsible for these goals! If you have read over them and have any questions, please let me know! If all looks good, then please sign and give them all back to me! I will then scan them into Alpine. If you'd like a hard copy, please let me know! I will be giving Kim and Diane a copy of all the plans as they too will be working with the students!
Critical Friends Meeting
We will be holding our 2nd Critical Friends meeting on Thursday from 3:30-4:15. Currently we do not have anyone signed up. If you are wanting to sign up for this team to help brainstorm with you in regards to behavior or academic please let me know asap! If not, then we'll cancel this meeting!
Staff Meeting Agenda
1. Parent Survey Results
2. Data Share Out - Predictions - numbers needed to make growth
3. TBD....
Tasks needing your attention
1. Update Wonders in the lounge
2. Empty out your mailboxes (I'll even do my own!)
3. Be sure to give any signed READ plans to Hafey to scan in
4. Check out your Dibels data....
5. Work with your grade level partner(s) and report out to Hafey the topic, the date, and the date in which you will meet to group grade against a rubric
Mel's next visit to Sunset - December 12 (Wednesday)!
Private Practice Session...
I continue to challenge each of you to implement a Private Practice Session at least once in the next 2-3 weeks - with a student.....Please keep in mind the following components in order to be successful:
1. Don't be sarcastic - be sincere....
2. Be consistent - if you a Private Practice Session - follow thru - no matter what and no matter the number of times...
3. Focus on the giving up of YOUR time, rather than taking something away...
Thank you....I wish you luck! I'll continue to be watching for challenge acceptances!!!!
Write On Demand Time...
Writing On Demand
Purpose of Writes on Demand:
**Build Stamina
**Independence in the Writing Process
**Use of a common Rubric
**Check Point – Formative Assessment for Teachers and Students
Goal:
All students will be able to complete an entire piece of writing – from the planning stage to a final draft within a 45-50 minute time-frame.
Expectations:
**Every 6 weeks
**Same Grade Level Prompt for the current writing genre
**Same Rubric used to assess
**Same delivery – roll out method
**3rd, 4th, 5th – Computer Lab
**Grade and swap to check grading reliability
**Keep to share with parents and students
Dates:
Week of October 8th
Week of November 26th
Week of January 28th
Week of March 11th
Week of May 6th
Winter Wonderland
When: December 14th, 5:00-7:00pm
Be sure to have communicated with Becky your Basket Theme!
Be sure to communicate with your parents to begin collecting items for your basket!
A basket will be given to you.
Basket items need to be collected by Friday, December 7! PAC members will put baskets together!
Please plan on participating during this event (all or some of the time) - all schools will be invited! Great PR opportunity!
If you have a child that needs hours for this night, please let me know - we will need volunteers to run the different stations!
If you have questions, please email me and I'll share out the answer to all staff - as it is probably a question that many may have!