North Oaks Middle School
WEEKLY MEMO 2/22/2016
MISSION/VISION/POP
MISSION: The North Oaks' staff will ensure high levels of learning for every student.
VISION: In order to achieve our mission, we function collectively as a professional learning community.
POP: To enhance and ensure consistency in our PLCs.
Information and Reminders
- Congratulations again to our Teacher of the Year, Rachel Sanchez! We are so proud to have you representing our school! Also, a thank you to the PTA, the office staff, and Mr. Smith for assisting with our celebration on Wednesday morning. Dr. Brown and a number of administrators complimented us several times on our presentation and celebration. Finally, congratulations to those of you that were nominated. We would like to recognize each of you in our next faculty meeting.
- Thanks to those of you continuing to post to our Facebook and Twitter accounts as you see opportunities on campus or at events.
- LoL will not meet this week.
- Remember our Tuesday Chik-fil-A fundraiser. 20% comes back to the school! Please see e-mail from Mrs. Evans for details. You must have your money to the office by the end of the day Monday.
- Please plan for to be on Pep Rally schedule this Friday.
- It's that time again to take care of your PDAS self reports parts 2 and 3. We will continue scheduling formative appraisals. For those of you on the rotation, you still are required to put your goals into a Google doc that was sent out by Mr. Cook. Looks like we will be moving to a new appraisal system next year.
- I am working on student meetings over the next couple of weeks. We will review goals, talk about upcoming testing, behavior, etc. Please let me know if there is something you want me to review with them.
EVENTS THIS WEEK
2/23 Fundraiser Committee Meeting at 8:00 am
2/25 Communication Committee Meeting at 8:00 am
2/24 SIOP Meeting at 8:00 am
2/24 NOMS Christian Organization at 7:55
2/26 Pep Rally
UPCOMING EVENTS
3/2 Faculty/staff meeting at 7:30am and 4:00pm
3/2-3/3 Tutorials for TELPAS
3/4 Awards ceremonies
3/7 Begins Public Schools Week
3/10 Beginning Choir Festival
3/10 Campus movie/ Teacher planning (Tentative)
3/11 PD Day/ Student Holiday
3/14 Spring Break
3/25 Holiday
4/1 8th Grade to HHS
TESTING DATES
2/22 7th SS CFA
2/24 7th Sci CFA; 8th SS CFA
2/25 Grade 6-8 SS CBA (District); 8th Sci CFA
2/16 Grade 6 SS CFA
3/2 Grade 6, 7 Math CBA
3/3 Grade 6-8 Science CBA
3/7 TELPAS Window Opens
3/8 TELPAS Reading Grade 6
3/9 TELPAS Reading Grade 7
3/10 TELPAS Reading Grade 8
3/11 TELPAS Make-up
3/29 STAAR Math Grade 8/ Grade 7 Writing
3/30 STAAR Read Grade 8
5/9 STAAR Math Grade 6/7 (Grade 8 Retake)
5/10 STAAR Read Grade 6/7 (Grade 8 Retake)
5/11 STAAR Science Grade 8
5/12 STAAR Social Studies Grade 8
DUTY SCHEDULE
Auditorium
Sanchez
Cafeteria
Shenko
Portables
Solis
A-Hall
Please be aware that you are on-call for your duty spot. Since we are on the week before a break, please check in with an administrator to be sure we do not need you. Thanks!
Quote of The Week
I just started a book called, Mindset. It begins by describing two mindsets people have, either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. I will continue to pull quotes from the book by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.:
"The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value."
The fixed mindset suggests that "your qualities are carved in stone and creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over and every situation calls for a confirmation of intelligence, personality, or character."
(As I think about this quote, I think about my job. Do I evaluate my effectiveness based on data, or evaluations, or affirmations, or criticisms? Yes, I think I do sometimes. How might I internalize this information and turn it into a challenge or an opportunity to get better at what I do? Good stuff!)
The growth mindset is "based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts- everyone can change and grow through application and experience."
(This reminds me about "persistence" and the "power of choice" described in The Traveler's Gift. A focus on results and a belief in your potential is essential to your success.)
"The fixed mindset makes you concerned with how you'll be judged; the growth mindset makes you concerned with improving."
(So, when you consider feedback from data, surveys, and evaluations...which mindset are you?)
"Those with a fixed mindset want to make sure they succeed. Smart people should always succeed. But for those with the growth mindset, success is about stretching themselves. It's about becoming smarter."
(In an effort to challenge and "stretch" myself this year I am attending an 8 day seminar for Transformational Leadership. We spend a great deal of time on how to effectively move from the status quo and state of mediocrity, to a challenging mindset of innovation. Are you satisfied with what you do in the classroom every day? Does what you do this year look like what you did last year or maybe even the year before?
If we broaden the perspective a bit, the question might be, Are you satisfied with where you are in your professional, spiritual, and personal life? Wherever you are, I strongly encourage a "stretch" - it is invigorating!)
More to come...have a great week!
BK