Monday Memo
Week of January 18, 2016
WICKERSHAM ELEMENTARY
School Announcements & Updates
February Parent Teacher Conferences
Please use this link to enter your schedule for Parent Teacher Conferences. There is a tab at the bottom for each teacher. This way, teachers of siblings and supporting services can see in real time any changes and cancellations that might occur. The office will also reference this spreadsheet if any parents call with questions.
Report Card Free Text Comments
Elementary Students requiring free text comment reports have been placed in mailboxes. Only students with competencies of 1 or 4 will be on the report. This report will be re-run again next week to catch any new grades that may be entered this week. Please let the office know if you have any questions.
All comments must be submitted on schoology prior to being used on the report card. See timeline below for dates related to report card entries.
January Workshops
January Workshops begin Wednesday! Please review the attached schedule to determine your meeting location. Please sign in at the music room entrance door prior to attending your session. Enjoy!
Goal Setting Doc/Parent Conferences
Please see email for template the PBIS Team shared, for you to reference, that we will use for each student to set individual goals. Please remember the focus should be on the student learning behaviors needed to accomplish the goals. The office will be printing and providing color copies for each teacher.
Encourage students to reflect on their own progress of utilizing the student learning behaviors. The numbers at the top are for students to check or star at the conclusion of each week during the third marking period. After conferences, each student goal should be taped on their individual desk and reviewed weekly to reinforce the desired learning behavior and individualized goal.
As you start to begin these discussions with students, I encourage you to watch this TedTalk on goal setting and learning behaviors. Although it is not something I would share with students, it is thought provoking for us as professionals.
“If you want to achieve your goals, don’t focus on them…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PP3p4_4R8
PD-Sign In
In order to maximize time, we will follow the below procedure for PD Sign In’s:
DURING PLC/WWWW
· LOCATION: ENTRY AREA BY THE MUSIC ROOM
o AM SESSIONS-SIGN IN UPON ARRIVAL
o PM SESSIONS– SIGN IN PRIOR TO LEAVING
WHOLE GROUP SESSIONS IN MEDIA CENTER
· PASSED AROUND DURING PD
MID YEAR MEETINGS
Please begin to prepare for Mid Year meetings. A follow up email will be sent with specifics. The purpose of these meetings will be to review student growth and progress. We will discuss student data, SLOs, and O/S/E.
Student uniform needs
Please ensure you call home regarding any student uniform needs. The health room is not equipped to supply uniforms for day to day needs.
If you learn of any specific family/student need of uniforms, please direct them to the main office so they can complete a uniform request form for the Uniform Bank.
We would also appreciate any uniform donations for the Health Room for emergency purposes.
CDT
The window is open for Reading and Math CDTs, grades 3-8.
Please see previous Monday Memo from December 21st for additional details. Be mindful of scheduling impacts for specials and computer lab/cart.
Morning Meeting Focus: Responsible in the Classroom
District Updates & Announcements
Report Card & Grade Files INFO
The grade files for elementary will be opening early and the schedule has been adjusted to not only allow enough time for teachers to enter grades, but also allowing adequate time for administrators to verify free text comments before parent/teacher conferences.
Grade files open for teachers
January 12 @ 2:00pm
Grade files close for teachers
January 25 @ 6:00pm
Admin review free text comments
January 26 – Feb 1
· DO NOT wait until the last day to enter grades.
·
· A news bulletin will be posted in Teacher Access Center tonight stating that the grade entry dates have changed along with a link to a document with some tips to resolve problems that teachers had during MP1.
Marking Period 2 Report Card Information
Similar to Marking Period 1, Gancom will be printing the English version of the Report Card Companion Document which is to be distributed with all elementary report cards. These will be delivered to each building the last week of January.
Several important documents, which are noted below, have been added to the Intranet for buildings to print as needed. These may be accessed using the following pathway- log onto the Intranet/Office of Teaching & Learning/Documents/Report Card and Promotion Standards/Elementary Grading Guidelines.
- Spanish pdf of the Characteristics of Successful Learners Rubric
- Marking Period 2 Spanish Report Card Companion documents K5-5
- Marking Period 2 Nepalese Report Card Companion documents K5-5
BrightBytes Survey
The School District of Lancaster will once again administer the BrightBytes survey in all schools to continue to have statistical data for analysis and to help us in planning for technology integration and the use of 21st century skills. This year the data collection window will be set from February 1st – February 29th. (Based on feedback from last year, this year’s window is longer to provide more flexibility to schools.)
The survey takes 10-minutes and should be administered to all students in grades 3-12 (as many as possible for the most accurate results) and all teachers and school administrators.
As noted previously, the survey is research-based and uses statistical modeling to help generate results and analysis. It is provided free to the SDoL through the IU13. It helps the SDoL by providing consistent district and building-based data around technology integration, access and use. Feedback is organized around CASE (classroom, access, skills, and environment).
More information about how to access the survey will be provided closer to the opening of the window. Questions may be directed to Michael Slechta or Terry Tippett.
Sumdog Math Competition
Sumdog’s first Lancaster-Lebanon Math Contest of the school year will start Friday, January 15th through Thursday, January 21st. It is free and there are prizes to be won. The contests are aimed at grades K–8, but if a teacher feels this is an appropriate level for other students, they are also welcome to join. Students can play online either at school or at home using the website or the app. In order to join in the fun, teachers can enter their class here: http://www.sumdog.com/enter_contest. Please make sure all students have completed the new diagnostic before starting any contest. You can contact info@sumdog.com with any questions.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
See someone going above and beyond...email or leave a note for Mrs. Mercado so we can celebrate and acknowledge each other through the staff spotlight section of the Monday Memo!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR MAKING OUR MONTHLY CELEBRATION A SUCCESS!
CHECK OUT THE MAIN LOBBY FOR A SLIDESHOW WITH HIGHLIGHTS!
Week-At-A-Glance
MONDAY 1/18/16
- MLK Jr. Day-NO SCHOOL
TUESDAY 1/19/16
WEDNESDAY 1/20/16
- WWWW-1st Session 7:45-8:15 a.m. See email for specific locations and groupings
- ALL K5 & 3rd Grade, Lipisko, OUT for LDC Training
- Wertman-Out PM
- AM - Parent Attendance Meetings- See Schoology for Meeting Schedule
THURSDAY 1/21/16
- Parent Breakfast- Library Closed 8:45-10:00 a.m.
- 3:45-4:15 PD- WWWW
- Book Swap Family Event 6-7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY 1/22/16
- National Reading Day Celebration All students will "curl up" with a book from 2:30-3:00 p.m. to celebrate National Reading Day.
- Reading Incentive-An announcement will be made for grade levels who have reached their goal. Grade levels that met the goal will be allowed to wear "comfy clothes, bring a stuffed animal, and will participate in National Reading Day!" (Teachers & staff included)
LOOKING AHEAD
1/28/16- K5 & 3rd OUT for LDC Training
1/29/16- PBIS Training- Team Members Out: Hart/Lipisko/Snyder/Mercado/Wertman/Melendez-Swinton/Kopp/Crawford
January Birthdays
1/31 Deb Schnader