Wildcat Roar
NEWS AND INFO FOR WILDCAT STAFF 4.8
Welcome back!
We hope you've enjoyed your break in whatever way you liked! Now, it's crunch time! Look below for some important reminders.
We want to be as clear as possible about expectations. Remember:
- DO NOT TELL STUDENTS TO GET OUT. STUDENTS CANNOT BE PUT OUT IN THE HALLWAY. This includes "versions" of this that can sound like giving students options, telling them they can leave because you know they don't want to be there anyway, etc.
- DO NOT REFUSE TO LET STUDENTS IN YOUR CLASSROOM BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A PASS. If a student doesn't have a pass, they should receive the consequence that should already be consistent and communicated throughout the grade level. The consequence cannot be refusing to admit them into the classroom. LEAVING STUDENTS IN THE HALLWAY UNATTENDED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A PASS IS NOT AN OPTION.
- Follow your schedule. Refrain from holding classes, asking teammates to transition late, splitting classes, etc. If you think you need to split a class, you must get approval from Mr. Abdur-Rahman directly.
- Remember the expectations for transitions and follow them as a team. Use the transition rubric to help you, if needed.
- Stay in your classroom during instruction. This is the most stressful time of the year, and sometimes we may seek to escape stress, just like students who walk out of class. However, please respect the instructional time of your teammates and avoid interrupting classes unless absolutely necessary. We cannot waste one second at this time of the year.
- Instruction should be well-planned and executed. You should be using small groups every single day to provide differentiated instruction that is laser-focused on what specific students need in order to be prepared for Milestones. There are no "free" days, entire class periods to work on projects, etc. If you need time to work on remaining showcase products, this should take place in a small group rotation at this point. Teacher-led, differentiated, test preparation should take place every single day.
- Remember that testing creates a great deal of anxiety for students and staff. Our communication with students should be focused on building their confidence, not berating them and tearing them down. We know that our students have learned a lot, but a lack of confidence can sabotage their success. Speak life and success into ALL of our students. And be kind to each other :-) It's hard out there!
This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some of the events that are steadily increasing and contributing to chaos. We know this doesn't sound warm and fuzzy, but it is necessary to keep structures, routines, and procedures in place. We want to set our students up for success, not failure. As a result, each and every violation of the expectations above, as well as those previously communicated, will result in immediate written reprimands.
If you have any questions, please see an administrator. We are happy to help problem-solve.
PBL TIMELINE - YOU ARE HERE
Due to MAP testing, PBL showcase dates have been rescheduled to April.
6th and 8th - April 18
7th - April 19
Students should be using peer critique and teacher feedback to revise products and refine presentations. All students should know how their products will be assessed and should be preparing for the showcase.
Should Already Be Complete:
- Showcase Plan
- Revised Scope and Sequence for Second Semester
- Project Design
- Entry Event Plan
- PBL Project-Planning Template
- Entry Event
PBL To Do This Week:
- While dates were changed at the request of teams, our focus is on GMAS. Use a small group rotation to put finishing touches on products if necessary, but at this point we should be preparing students for testing. As stated above, do not use entire class periods to let students work on products. This is why it is important to follow through with the project calendar. If you don't follow a project calendar you end up trying to cram a large amount of products in a short amount of time. Use small groups to help you achieve both goals.
May...
- 17 - 8th Dance
- 20 - 7th Field Day
- 21 - 6th and 7th Awards, 8th Field Trip
- 22 - 6th Field Day
- 23: 8th Field Day
- 24: 8th Awards
This is just another reminder of testing dates:
- GMAS - 5/1 - 5/16. Please do not schedule ANY field trips, events, personal absences, etc. during this time period. While all grade levels are not testing at once, it is possible that staff may need to be moved around to accommodate the amount of small groups that may be needed. Any staff member with any certification may be used for testing at any time during this window, including paraprofessionals, support staff, and administrators. Please assume that you are involved in testing and be pleasantly surprised if you are not needed. Of course this has already been stated repeatedly and is in the handbook, but no absences will be approved during testing or the last week of school. All testing dates are considered critical dates and all staff members are expected to be present.
Please click HERE for a link to a shared document that will track each of the required steps that need to take place PRIOR to a child receiving a failing grade on a report card. It is simple to use. Add a child's name to the form and an X to the boxes that are complete. You can also add any comments or notes that would be helpful for admin to know. Most importantly, we will use this information to make sure we are doing everything possible to support our students. Students should be held accountable for their own learning, but it also is up to us to maintain the belief that every child can succeed. Passively allowing a student to fail is not an option.
Instructional Resource of the Week
What are GMAS Study Guides?
The DOE provides study guides designed to help students and parents prepare for the Milestones tests. They are " intended as a resource for parents and students. It contains sample questions and helpful activities to give you an idea of what test questions look like on Georgia Milestones and what the Grade 7 End-of-Grade (EOG) assessment covers. These sample questions are fully explained and will tell you why each answer is either correct or incorrect."
TO DO LIST
- Turn in lesson plans for the next TWO weeks by 8:00 a.m.
- Update the grade tracker (link above).
THIS WEEK
IMPORTANT LINKS AND NUMBERS
Lesson Plans
- YouTube Whitelist: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9VbhfNUemkJWYebOJtE5hF2H6hJF7Q2LCNa6_A9klUpKI5A/viewform?usp=pp_url
- Facilities Request: https://purposebuiltschoolsatlanta.formstack.com/forms/maintenance_janitorial_request
- Supply Request: https://tinyurl.com/ybtnbpwg
- Absence Request: https://tinyurl.com/yas5tbze
- Field Trip Request: https://tinyurl.com/ydx6kr4d
- Media Center Requests: https://goo.gl/forms/DT5rVm8OdUtIzzWh1
- Tech Requests: https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/28827
- Digital Instructional Resources: www.portaportal.com Guest Access: dkemp
- Milestones Blueprints: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-Test-Blueprints.aspx