#SamuellPride
Week of May 2, 2016
Samuell Feeder Pattern Key Actions
Increasing Student Achievement
Supporting Quality Instruction
Supporting Positive School Climate & Culture
Samuell Feeder Pattern Team,
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every staff member at the eleven schools in the Samuell Feeder Pattern.
I see heroic work every day and am inspired by your dedication and willingness to give it your all.
Thank you for allowing me to work with such a phenomenal group of educators!!
I hope you have a great week!
Menay Harris,
Executive Director,
Samuell Feeder Pattern Schools
Do You Teach Like Batman?
After the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne dedicated himself to his war on crime by traveling all around the world and studying with the greatest teachers he could find. Martial arts? Check. Detective work? Check. Technological wizardry? Check. Driving? Check. Batman is always looking to learn from the best teachers around him and will study a new task until he’s mastered it.
As teachers, we too should be life-long learners, seeking out the best, most experienced master teachers we know, and learning everything we can from them. We should learn about things outside of teaching and see how we can bring those things back to our classrooms. We should strive every day for mastery in our work.
Always Have a Plan
Batman is the man with the plan. Before taking on a situation, Batman thinks through his options and chooses what he thinks the best plan of attack is. Should he enter by the front door or by the skylight? Which is the most to his advantage? Can he set up the Batmobile so it can come crashing into the building at a crucial moment? Teachers, of course, know the value of a well-planned lesson. But Batman always takes things a step further. He has contingency plans for almost any scenario. If he gets knocked out, his mask will zap you if you try to remove it. If Superman goes crazy, Batman is probably the person who’s going to take him down.
Do you have contingency plans? I’m not just talking emergency lesson plans if you’re out sick, but have you thought through how you’re going to handle it if something goes wrong with your perfectly planned lesson? Batman has.
Use the Best Technology
Batman has the most amazing gadgets to help him handle any of the situations before him. Of course, he has all the flashy vehicles, but the best thing Batman has is his utility belt, filled with stuff that he can use to help him save the day. Whether it’s smoke pellets, a grappling gun, batarangs, or access to an amazing supercomputer, Batman uses any and all available resources in his mission.
Are you as a teacher taking advantage of all of the tools at your disposal? Like Batman, you should be constantly looking at everything you have and asking yourself how you can best use it, whether it’s a single computer or a 1:1 program.
Be a Detective
Batman got his start in Detective Comics, and one of my favorite things about him is how much he uses the power of his mind to solve mysteries, whether it’s the Riddler’s clues or a mysterious footprint that he figures out where its soil came from. Batman doesn’t just jump from finding out a person was kidnapped to immediately rescuing them, but has to solve the puzzle of the crime first.
Good teachers are constantly being detectives. If a student makes a mistake in a math problem, it’s your job to figure out why they made the mistake so that you can then guide them toward the right answers. If a student is having a hard time behaving in class, do a Functional Behavior Assessment to get at the root of the issue and help them overcome it.
Surround Yourself with the Best People
Batman doesn’t join any team. He’s on the Justice League, the team of the most powerful, most noble beings in the DC Universe. He’s the best, so he stands with the best. He also constantly proves that he belongs there. He’s also a mentor to some great people with lots of potential like Robin and Batgirl.
What kind of team are you working with at your school? If you’re a connected teacher, who are you connected to? Work at surrounding yourself with the best people you can find, and don’t waste your time on the people who are constantly complaining and not trying to solve real problems. Make sure you’re working as hard as everybody else and proving your worth. You also need to remember to help newer teachers grow and learn so they can also become great teachers.
modified from a post by Dan Callahan, http://remixteaching.com/2013/08/teach-like-batman/
Samuell HS Spartans Have the Power!
Superheroes Work as a Team!
Check out Florence MS Assistant Principal Danny Colbert teaching a class. Florence MS, like all our campuses, knows that it's a TEAM EFFORT!
Thanks Mr. Colbert for ensuring OUR students are successful!
Student Art Work from Pleasant Grove ES is at the DMA!
Counselors Save the Day!
Free Chipotle for School Staff
Chipotle is offering a buy 1, get 1free deal on burritos, bowls, salads or order of tacos in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day.
Teachers, faculty and staff may bring in a school ID to any Chipotle location on Tuesday, May 3 from 3 p.m. to close.
Check out More Deals for This Week and Year-long Discounts for Educators
Principals Get Scholarships, too!
Nancy Bernardino, former JQAdams principal and current SOLAR Prep principal, was surprised on Friday when she was awarded Credit Union of Texas’ 1st annual William H. Cotton $20,000 scholarship.
The scholarship honors William H. Cotton, a Dallas ISD and CUTX trailblazer, and is open to all DISD employees who wish to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree or certification.
Currently attending her second semester at Southern Methodist University, Nancy is pursuing a doctoral degree in PK-12 Educational Leadership.
Congratulations to Mrs. Bernardino for serving as a wonderful role model for our students!
The Fantastic Four at Pleasant Grove ES !
The 4th and 5th grade students from Pleasant Grove Elementary School competed in the 2015 – 2016 University Interscholastic League A+ Academic Competition. This academic competition supports the district’s initiative encouraging students to participate in extra and co-curricular activities. For the first time in the school’s history, the following students placed for this competition; 4th grader Carlos Mondujano, Spelling; 5th grader Emily Castro, Number Sense; Gerardo Galvan 5th grader Social Studies; 5th grader Juan Villa, Spelling and Ready Writing. Pictured with the students are Principal Tremayna Thomas and Assistant Principal and UIL Coordinator Gigi Crowder. Go Eagles!
Richardson ES Celebrates Dia del Niño
Thelma Richardson ES celebrated their first Dia del Niño, All Kids Day. The PTO and volunteers helped to make homemade picture frames for the PK thru 2nd grade while the 3rd to 5th grade received a goody bag.
Children's Day in Mexico started in 1925. This celebration had its origins during the Obregon’s presidential period after the country joined the Geneva Conventions and began looking after the wellness of the vulnerable children affected by World War I. Later, the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted on November 26, 1924 by the League of Nations recognizing that children are the most affected by the war events.
Our children loved to be recognized for being a child! PTO expects to celebrate this for our students every year letting the kids feel appreciated and loved.
The Samuell Feeder Pattern is Looking for Great Teachers!
Dallas ISD Job Fair
The morning session is for elementary campuses and will be 9am-11am.
The afternoon session will be 1pm-3pm and is for secondary campuses.
Saturday, May 7, 2016, 09:00 AM
Emmett J. Conrad High School, Fair Oaks Avenue, Dallas, TX, United States
Titche Students are Little Big Shots!
Students from Titche ES after school mentor and homework club, New Horizons, perform in front of hundreds of guests at a charity auction! Way to go Titche Tigers!!
Saturday School around the Samuell Feeder
Mr. Webers teaching Social Studies at Florence MS
Seniors helping Cafeteria Staff at Samuell HS
Mr. Soto teaching annotating skills at Titche ES
AVID = Success
at its heart, AVID is a philosophy. Hold students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge.
If you are interested in participating in one or both of these visits, please contact your principal. Click here for registration.
Deloitte and PGA partner for Student Success!
Mohamed Mohamed and Ariatna Barcenas each received a $20, 000 scholarship through the Fairway To Success program - a partnership with the PGA and Deloitte.
Samuell HS Students Receive Scholarship from Superintendent
Diamond Love and Mohamed Mohamed each receive $2500 to help cover tuition and other costs at the college or university of their choice. Selection is based on need, character, grades, recommendations and the promise of future success.
Congratulations to Diamond and Mohamed, SUPER Spartans!
Samuell Feeder Pattern Will Represent!
Need Some Ideas for Your Grant???
Please consider applying for this grant. If you are unsure of what kinds of things that may be considered, please check this list of previously funded projects. Your school and students can most certainly benefit from some of these creative projects!!
Grants for Innovative Teaching is a Signature Project of the Junior League of Dallas. Its purpose is to encourage and support excellence in teaching by awarding grants up to $2,000 to Dallas ISD teachers for special and innovative projects that otherwise would not be provided for in school budgets.
Since its creation in the 1991-1992 year, Grants for Innovative Teaching has awarded over one million dollars to Dallas ISD teachers.
The 2016-2017 grant deadline is May 16, 2016 at 5:00pm.
Click here for the grant application and additional resources.
May 10th - May 25th teachers will verify their rosters in order to verify the students will be included in the calculation of their student achievement results.
MAY 19th is the last day that administrators can score the SLO Goal Accomplishment for teachers.
MAY 19th is also the last day to enter extended observations and summatives in schoolnet.
May 23-June 6 will be the teacher rebuttal window in oracle for summative performance evaluations.
June 2 is the last day to conduct spot observations.
June 3 is the last day to hold summative conferences.
UPCOMING TESTING DATES
MAY
9-24--Middle School Gym Performance ACP (Grades 6-8)
16-19--Middle School Art Performance ACP (Grade 7)
2-6--STAAR EOC Algebra I, Biology, US History (9-12)
9--STAAR Math (Grades 3,4,6,7)
9--STAAR Math Re-test (Grades 5 & 8)
10--STAAR Reading (Grades 3,4,6,7)
10--STAAR Reading Re-test (Grades 5 & 8)
11--STAAR Science (Grades 5 & 8)
12--STAAR Social Studies (Grade 8)
2-27--Istation's ISIP Assessment EOY (K-2)
18-26--ACP (Grades 3-5)
27-June 2--ACP (Grades 6-12)
Menay Harris, Executive Director
Samuell Feeder Pattern Schools
Email: meharris@dallasisd.org
Website: www.dallasisd.org
Location: 408 N Haskell Ave, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 972-925-4630