Monday Memo
October 21-25
Laughter is Good for the Soul
Shout Outs
Thank Yous and Staff Appreciations
- Thank you to Michelle Plaggmeyer for all of her help in the cafeteria and filling in for Matt. You have truly helped support our school, and we appreciate you!
- Thank you to our Reading Committee for all of their planning and preparation for our Third Annual Literacy Night! We cannot wait to share the love of reading with our families this Wednesday! Thank you to all of our volunteers as well! This event wouldn't be possible without your help!
- Thank you to our PBIS team for orchestrating a great assembly and team activities to kick-off our Alward teams on Friday!
- Thank you to Shelly for getting Alward teams ready to go and to Kristin for looking over the teams. Putting teams together is a big undertaking, and I truly appreciate all you did to get the master doc ready for Friday!
Nuts and Bolts for the Week
To Do's and Updates:
1. ALERT, ALERT!! Continue working with your class on ordering lunches. Numbers started to improve at the end of last week.
2. Safety Update: Keep doors closed and locked
- Why-multiple safety reasons
- If there was an emergency in the building, we are ready to initiate a lock down easily.
- If there is an emergency in the hallway, there is privacy and less distraction to classes that are learning.
- If there is a student eloping, doors closed and locked keeps students from darting into classrooms.
- Please do your best to help us implement this plan for the safety and security of our students. Thank you!
3. Parent-Teacher Conferences Sign-up-Create your Sign-up by this Friday! I can come help your grade level team this week!
Go to signup.com and log in.
How to Create a Sign-up for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Make sure that you have at least 3 more spots than you have students to provide options for your families to sign up for conference times.
How to Link to AES Group Fall 2019 Parent-Teacher Conferences Page
Scroll down to steps listed under “To Add or Remove your SignUp from another Organizer's Group Page”
Our school’s promo code is: 8LX4J3QK 8LX4J3QK
Alyssa, Brooke, Jodie, and Victoria-You can schedule your conferences with your students the week of February Oct. 28-Oct. 31-consult with their teacher's to pick a time.
We will send this information out for all remaining parents on Friday, November 1 in the Alward Action.
If you would like me to attend a conference or hover outside your door, please enter the conference time, student’s name, and your name into the document linked here. I will do my best to attend as many as possible.
Please make a master list of your conferences and submit to the office.
If you do not know how to find out who has signed up for conferences, please come see me, and I can show you how to pull up these names.
Dinner will be provided by PTC!
Enter in your attendance percentage here.
4. PBIS Updates:
Tokens-UPDATE!!
- Many classes earned 35 tokens. Pass out the tokens to students that earned tokens-you can mark them if you'd like so that you know that students are using them once...maybe with a blue dot that is quick. Keep the tokens that have your class' name written on them to reuse.
- Continue to work towards earning another 35 tokens.
- At any time this month, draw out a card for your Alward champion. You can hold all of your tokens until the end of the month to draw out an Alward champion or you can draw out a card with the last set of tokens in your pocket chart at the time of entering a name. Either way works!
Walking in the Halls Clarification
- When going past classrooms that are learning, use level 0 voice.
- Walk on the right hand side of the hallway.
- Students have been doing a great job with this! Keep it up!
Restorative Circles
5. Star Testing Progress Monitoring Window
- October 7-25 (reading and math)
- Enter data into the reading and math data spreadsheets by November 4th!
6. Progress Monitoring Data Dialogue Window
- November 4th-8th
- Reading Data Spreadsheet
- Math Data Spreadsheet
7. Teacher Evaluation:
- 3W Walk-thru Observation-teachers on cycle [minimum one-two per observation cycle]
- Face-to-face Mtg after 3W Walk-thru Observation-within 24-48 hrs of 3W Walk-thru
- Pivot Observation with Noticings and Wonderings-teachers on cycle [minimum one per observation cycle]
8. Halloween Parties and Parade
- Determine a time for your Halloween Parties with your grade level team.
- I left last year's times on the sign-up form for you to look at. Feel free to change this time.
- Parade will be at 2:00 again this year. The parade will go outside on the sidewalk again. We will have a viewing area next to the sidewalk for parents and younger siblings.
- Remember that younger siblings are not permitted at parties. Parties are for parents/guardians that have a background check on file. These must be updated early. Please remember to put this reminder on your blogs. Thank you!
9. IRIP Letters -Going out at Parent Teacher Conferences
The CSTeam will meet with classroom teachers of students that will be getting an IRIP letter prior to parent teacher conferences-during our next data dialogue mtgs.
IRIPs will be given to parents at Parent-Teacher Conferences.
We will need to get a parent signature on every IRIP.
10. Hudsonville Education Foundation Grants:
- Due November 17th
- Online application can be found here: http://hudsonville education foundation,org/grantapp.html
- I must approve these before they are submitted!
School Wide Initiatives
1. PBIS Tokens Overview:
- Each homeroom teacher will get a pocket chart and tokens
- Plan with your class how you would like to celebrate once you receive 35 tokens
- Tokens will be passed out to students exhibiting SOAR expectations from teachers, paras, recess aides, lunch staff, ANY staff member.
- Tokens can also be passed out to teacher for whole classes exhibiting SOAR expectations from ANY staff member
- Students will write their names on the back and place the token in their class's pocket chart.
- Once your class receives 35 tokes, email Melanie to announce your class on the announcements!
- Have your class celebration! Please see the linked handout for celebration ideas and restrictions.
- For the month of October, classes need to earn 35 tokens to earn a class celebration!
2. #aesreads: As we embark on this new school year, please help me spread the love of reading by sending me or posting pictures of reading to our Facebook page. Include the hashtag #aesreads. These pictures can include:
- students reading
- teachers reading
- staff members reading
- students or a class sharing a favorite book (book review)
These pictures can also be in or out of school. Spread the word with your families as well!
3. Reading Goals: As you walk around the school, you may have noticed the bulletin board with reading goals for this year. Our "main event" goal this year is to reach 100 million words read! As we reach 25 million words read, the whole school will earn an "event" incentive for their reading efforts that ties into our "Greatest School on Earth" theme. Let's start the year off strong and shaow the community our "reading strength."
4. AES Champions SOAR: Recognize a student or staff member that goes the extra mile to "SOAR." You can fill out this google form or fill out a postcard in the office. Leave the filled out postcard in the mailbox in front of Kristin's desk.
5. AES Champions: We will choose AES Champions by drawing out one name from your PBIS tokens at the end of each month (random).
Popular Links and Reminders
Reminders:
1. Attendance and Lunch Count: Please submit attendance and lunch count by 9:15 a.m. This will help us stay on top of absences and ensure that our students get what they need for lunch! You do not need to send lunch cards down to the office. Please keep them in your classrooms and make sure to carefully count and enter lunch counts. Thank you!
2. Drill Procedures: Review the drill procedures with your students!
3. Peanut and Nut Free Classrooms Update: This year, all classrooms will be peanut and nut free.
- Grades/teachers with peanut/tree nut allergies include: PKB, KD, 1D, 1T, 30, 4L, 4H, 5B, 5C
- PK, KDG, and Grade 1 will have a food-free birthday treat policy.
- First grade needs to pay attention to products made in a peanut/tree nut factories. These items are not allowed for snacks. Be safe by having students wash their hands after snack with soap and water.
- Cafeteria-peanut/nut items are allowed for all grades except Ms. Terpstra's class. Students that consume peanut butter or nut products will wash their hands with soap and water or baby wipes after they eat lunch in the cafeteria. We will continue to have peanut/nut free tables.
4. Blogs:
- Please make sure to update your classroom blogs at least twice a month!
- If you would like to utilize ClassDojo as your main line of communication with your parents, please make sure to include a link on the main page of your blog.
- Email me when your blog is about to expire. I will upgrade it with school funds so that you do not have to do this!
5. 5D+ Updates from Anne Armstrong
6. Kalpa Updates:
- Tracking IEP Mtgs, CST, Risk Assessments Slide Presentation (45 minutes or longer)
- AES Google Form for tracking IEP, CST, 504, Risk Assessments
- Mtgs must be 45 minutes or longer before/after school or during your plan time
- Count for Merit Pay after you have attended 3 meetings.
7. Jean Fund Fridays
- $1/Friday
- $20/Semester
- $40/year
Popular Links
- Pledge Schedule-Patti's class will be kicking off the year by saying the pledge. When you class is done saying the pledge, pass the torch onto the next class listed. Thank you!
- Medical Alerts: Please pay close attention to the medical alerts for your class and grade level! We have a lot of different food allergies and severe medical needs in some classes this year.
- School Staff Absence Request Form
- Going Home Changes (End of Day Changes)
2. Data Spreadsheets
Star Progress Monitoring Window
Star Reading
Monday, Oct 7, 2019, 09:00 AM
AES
Book Fair
Monday, Oct 21, 2019, 09:00 AM
AES Library
Literacy Night-Greatest Readers on Earth
Link for RSVP Google Form-You can post this link on your classroom blogs, also!