Rountree Report
August 31, 2018
Welcome to the long weekend!
I hope you are making plans to relax and enjoy some extra time off!
We are off to a great start! It is obvious in each of your classrooms you are on target in making relationships the focus. You have established classroom essential agreements and are starting to see your classrooms become small communities. Now that the strong foundation is built it is time to set high expectations, create targets and goals, and support students in reaching them.
There is a lot of content in the report this week so you might want to save it somewhere to refer to again next week.
The safety team met last week after my visit with the office of emergency management. There were some big "aha" moments and you will be getting new information shortly regarding your placement for storm drills. The district has a new crisis plan template and we are in process with updates. It should be to you sometime next week. Keep in mind safety is a collective responsibility so if you see someone or something out of the ordinary report it. Please also be mindful of checking doors as you walk by to be sure they are locked.
Here are your reminders--
- Don't forget to complete your PTA $200 reimbursement form! You still have plenty of time but, I don't want you to forget.
- Donuts Tuesday! Thanks for joining PTA and showing your appreciation for all they do for us. The final Owla total was $11,000. Totally amazing!
- Schedule your Math observation with me (see the IC section below)
Upcoming Events
September 3
No School (in case you forgot)
September 4
Dr. Anderson will be doing a site visit at 1.
REQUIRED safety training 4-6
September 5
I will be out for a little bit in the morning for PTA Site council.
ELI Reading Buddies 10:30-11
Intruder drill 2:30
Cookies and Cranes 3:45-4:30
September 6
Wear your "One team One dream" t-shirts
Early dismissal
September 7
Health Fair 9-11:30
Monthly assembly 3:00
IC's
Off Site Observations
Dyslexia
FAQ’s on Dyslexia Screening
As with any new initiative, there have been many questions surrounding dyslexia screens. Please share the following links with staff as needed. For a quick FAQ guide, check out the 10 Things To Know About The New Dyslexia Requirements. Linked here is our detailed SPS Plan for Identifying Students at Risk for Dyslexia. For additional questions, please reach out to Amanda McCaleb at almccaleb@spsmail.org or 75423
Lesson Plans
Lesson Planning is an important required component of each of the IC's. A sure way to make sure grade level standards are being taught is through lesson planning. This keeps instruction time intentional and purposeful. I am linking a Canvas discussion as a place for you to share ideas about lesson plan formats/organization with each other. Not a requirement but if you have a suggestion or tool please share!
If you do not have a target to aim for you will not hit anything.
Lesson plans will change and I understand sometimes they are planned and changed the day before. This is understandable and supports our focus on student inquiry and student directed learning. We however, must have a goal and a purpose for each day to support standards mastery and maximize student achievement. Each of you may have a different way of housing your lesson plans. I have seen some in large binders, some are electronic, some are individual daily sheets on your desk or small group table, some are integrated in with your U of I planner. I am fine with whatever works for you. I am also fine with multiple formats to write plans on. The main thing is that you are able to produce them when asked. I am not asking you to turn your plans in. I just want to be able to quickly see the standard being taught and support you in setting goals and targets for mastery. If you have questions please feel free to ask. The most important elements to include are:
- Purpose/Objective
- Mini-lesson focus/standard being taught (on grade level)
- Small group plans (both groups meeting with you and those working in stations/centers)
iTeachMO
#iTeachMO
The 4th season of #iTeachMO is just around the corner. The theme for the year is Make an Impact. Each month the chat will be aligned to Growth Plan Indicators. The first chat is Make an Impact: Build Real Relationships. (Indicator #2.1, 5.3) The power of the chat comes from a variety of educators learning together. Please encourage participation as you seem fit!
Tuesday, September 11, 8CT by following #iTeachMO on Twitter.