Thomson Staff Newsletter
November 16, 2015
Important News & Notes
'Sum' Fun Family Game Night
I am very excited for this Thursday's 'Sum' Fun Family Game Night! Thank you Lisa for thinking outside the box and bringing forth an idea that will be fun for Thomson families and promote math concepts and skills. Since a great deal of time and money is spent on parent involvement, we will be evaluating this event using the MDE evaluation tool as part of School Improvement. Please remember that all certified staff are expected to be here from 4:30 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. with the actual event running from 5-7 p.m. If any other staff members would like to volunteer to help, please let Lisa know right away. Thank you again to everyone involved in the planning of this event!
Data Days-Focus on Student Learning-Follow-up
First and foremost, I would like to say how impressed I am with the data presented at Data Days. By focusing on establishing routines, procedures, and expectations, you were able to help your children make huge gains in reading. As I shared last week, this group of students came into school with nearly the same DIBELS scores, but they ended the first marking period much higher than students in the past. The scores are listed below:
Building - 77% At or Above (70% in 2014)
Early 5's- 73% At or Above (100% in 2014)
Kindergarten-78% At or Above (70% in 2014)
This is wonderful news! Again, as you meet in PLCs this week I encourage you to continue the conversation about what you can do to meet the needs of the top 30%, not just the bottom 30%.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Follow-up
Thank you all for the time, preparation, and honest conversations you had with parents. As I walked around the building and sat in on conferences, I heard parents sharing how pleased they are with the start of the school year. While we can always make improvement and will be taking a good look at our Parent Satisfaction Survey results, it is nice to hear that parents feel that their child is really cared for when they are at school...this does not happen by accident, it happens because you are truly all putting 'Kids First' and it shows.
Also, as you finish up those last few conferences with parents, please remember to turn in your total conference percentage sheet.
Early Release Schedule
I will be putting the Early Release Schedule for the rest of the year in your mailboxes this week. The schedule follows the DEA Contract and ensures that no one teacher misses more than one planning period due to Early Release Days. I have already shared the schedule with Michael so that an extra set of eyes was able to look it over, but if you see something that we have missed, please let me know right away.
Tis' the Season
As you will see, the Adoptive Family Giving Tree is up in the lounge. If you would like to purchase a gift for the family that has been adopted for this Holiday Season, please simply take a tag or two off the tree and write your name next to the number on the clip board next to the tree. Thank you for your generosity!
Security Reminders
The tragic events of this weekend serve as a grim reminder that we live in a world faced with inherent evils and challenges. The new thinking we must all embrace is one of hoping for the best, but preparing for the unexpected. Whether threats come from foreign or domestic sources we have procedures in place to enhance safety of all who come through our doors. This includes:
-Wearing ID badges in plain sight.
-Entering the building through the main entrance when students are present.
-Keeping classroom doors locked and having access to your room keys at all times.
-Keeping a class list with you during drills and enforcing drill protocols with students.
-Refraining from opening a locked door for a colleague returning from lunch, propping open a door while you run to your car for that forgotten item or while your class goes out for gym or an extra recess.
-Noticing and reporting suspicious activity; being a set of observant eyes.
While these protocols may seem simple and sometimes a "nuisance" we need to be aware that the small things sometimes make the biggest difference. A quote I read from Fred Rogers (Mr. Rodgers) this weekend was, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." What a wonderful message of hope! Thanks for doing your part to keep our school a safe environment for students and each other!
Staffing News
As you may or may not know, Rachel Wheaton will be having surgery this Thursday and will be out a minimum of four weeks. Lauren Reed, a certified teacher and parapro from Siple Elementary, will be serving as Rachel's long term sub. Lauren will be working with Rachel Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Please help me welcome Lauren to the building and wish Rachel a speedy, but restful, recovery.
Important Information/Reminders on Requesting a Substitute Teacher
Please remember that if you have any issues regarding AESOP, you need to contact Sharon Hazard who has replaced Mindy Winter. If you email Mindy, who no longer works for Davison, it does not automatically get forwarded to Sharon. Sharon can be contact at shazard@davsionschools.org or by calling 591-0810 or by her in-district 4 digit extension 2010.
Also, remember that if you need to put in for a sub due to illness, do so as soon as possible. After 6:00 a.m. most jobs seem to go unfilled, which as you know causes coverage problems, pulling staff from their assigned positions. While I certainly do not want staff coming to work sick, I do thank you for your help with this!
Upcoming Child Studies
Our next Child Study date is Tuesday, November 17th. As you finish the first marking period, if there are students who you have concerns about please notify myself and Maida. It is also important for you to notify parents that you will be bringing your child to Child Study. Please remember that any student who is brought to Child Study should first be discussed at PLCs and documented in SIDR and strategies from the PLC discussion should be tried. Our next Child Study date is December 16th.
Important Upcoming Dates
This is a very busy week!
Monday, November 16th-PTO 6:30 p.m. Thomson Lounge-Laura Johnson is the teacher rep.
Tuesday, November 17th-Child Study Meetings; ELA Meeting 4:15-6:15 p.m. at Central
Wednesday, November 18th-Staff Meeting, 7:35 a.m. (Agenda: Family Math Game Night, PPSC Update, Cool to Care Challenge); Parent University, 6:00 p.m. at the High School
Thursday, November 19th- Fundraiser Pick-up 4:45-7:30 p.m.; 'Sum' Fun Family Game Night, certified staff should plan to attend from 4:30 p.m. -7:15 p.m.; Social Studies Meeting
Friday, November 20th- Leadership Team Meeting, 7:30 a.m.
Monday, November 23rd- DIP Meeting 4:15-5:15 p.m. in the Cardinal Center Board Room
Wednesday, November 25th-Lockdown
Thursday, November 26th-Happy Thanksgiving! No School...
Friday, November 27th-No School...Black Friday-Happy shopping to those who venture out!
Quotes Worth Reading...
" I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say 'because of you I didn't give up."
Who will you inspire today?
Birthdays and Celebrations
Here are our upcoming birthdays: Emily Williams, November 18th...Happy Birthday!
Also, don't forget to sign up for the Crock-Pot recipe exchange in the lounge if you plan on participating.