Birdneck Briefing 2019-2020
January 2 - 10
Tentative: Upcoming Dates and Events
Jan. 2 - Teacher of the Year committee 3:00 office conference room
Jan. 7 - Makerspace Grand opening for students
Jan. 8 - NAEP Assessment
Jan. 9 - Staff meeting
Jan. 10 - Gifted Applications Grades 2-5 due by 4:00 pm
Jan. 10 - Voices of Tomorrow resumes
Jan. 13 - Sped meeting
Jan. 14 - PBIS team meeting
Jan. 14 - Grade 1 Parent workshops for gifted applications. 8:30am and 5:30pm
Jan. 15 - Principal meeting ATC
Jan. 20 - MLK holiday. No school
Jan. 21 - PAC meeting
Jan. 23 - Annual Service awards dinner
Jan. 24 - Last day of quarter 2
Jan. 27 - grades due
Jan. 31 - Movie Night 6:00-8:30 pm (rescheduled from Jan 17)
Feb. 7 - 5th grade dance
Feb. 25 - Pizza Bingo
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Birdneck Family,
Happy new year! Welcome back to a brand new year. I can't believe it is actually 2020. This is a perfect time for us to review SOAR behaviors and reset any behavioral challenges that came up before break. Mr. Huff sent an email with links to the videos to help with lessons in your morning meetings.
Captain out,
RV Yoshida
SHOUT OUTS!!!!!
Shout out to all of you who participated in Secret Santa. I really enjoyed the school spirit.
Thank you to Mrs. Biggs. and Mrs. McFarland for filling in as subs and doing such a great job!
You Make a Difference
This teacher is loving and caring. Her students from previous years make an extra effort to come down to the second-grade hallway to get a hug or just say “hi”. She encourages all her students to be the best they can be and has created a warm and welcoming classroom. Her positive attitude and bright smile is contagious among her coworkers and her kiddos. She is willing to assist others wherever needed. Mrs. Rice is an amazing inclusion teacher, her patience, understanding, and openness is so appreciated. You make a difference Kristen Rice! Thank you for all that you do!
Most of you have had some form of contact with Special Education Superhero, Devon Luttrell, because she is so very involved in the functioning of our special education department. She has created such an organized, dynamic, positive and visually supported self-contained classroom that the bosses at OPEC keep sending principals, teachers, and coordinators over to see her classroom as a model for excellence. In addition to keeping her classroom (and quite a full caseload of students with disabilities) running smoothly, she also acts as a mentor for some of our less experienced teachers. She makes herself available to the SpEd & Gen Ed staff each and every day, providing all means of support. Devon also offered to take over the unenviable job of SEC Chairperson. Until you tackle the paperwork and planning associated with that position, you just don’t get it. It takes many hours each week to meet the needs of the Special Ed Committee and she’s learned the position quickly. There’s a reason she’s working most nights past 10pm…her dedication is unmatched. Thank you for all you do for our students and staff, Devon! You make a HUGE difference each and every day.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers
Mr. Huff's grandfather passed away over the break. Chad was very close with his grandfather and has been a caretaker for some time. Please keep him and his grandmother in your thoughts and prayers.
Mrs. Campbell is out on medical leave and seems to be on the road to recovery!
Get your Specialization Badge!
The purpose of this memo is to bring your attention to and provide information about several self-directed professional learning opportunities for teachers that will be offered through the Department of Teaching and Learning (DTAL) beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. You may recall the division launched a series of specialization options for teachers, a full listing of which can be found on the Professional Growth and Innovation SharePoint site (PGI). As a part of specialization in Performance Based Assessment (PBA), DTAL offered badges in PBA Development, PBA Rubric Design and Rubric Calibration, which were well received by teachers this past school year.
To complement the specialization in PBA, DTAL is pleased to be adding a literacy specialization for the upcoming school year. The Academic Vocabulary and Collaborative Conversations badges are a great next step for teachers who completed the Close Reading badge. Teachers who have yet to embark on the PBA or literacy specialization now have six options to take advantage of, allowing a teacher the option of potentially progressing through all three PBA or all three literacy badge courses for the chance to earn a specialization. Each badge is “stackable,” and the completion of all three PBA or literacy badges will result in a teacher earning a specialization badge.
Teachers may participate in division-sponsored specialization courses and earn professional learning badges in the following DTAL sponsored areas:
PBA specialization courses:
•Performance Based Assessment (PBA)Development
•PBA Rubric Development
•PBA Calibration and Scoring
Literacy specialization courses:
•Close Reading: A 30 Day Series Facilitated byDoug Fisher
•Collaborative Conversations: A 30 Day SeriesFacilitated by Doug Fisher
•Academic Vocabulary
*note: the successful completion of all three PBAbadges will result in teachers earning a masterspecialization badge in PBA.
*note: the successful completion of all three literacybadges will result in teachers earning a masterspecialization badge in literacy.
By participating in any of the above badge/specialization courses, teachers will be able to develop and highlight expertise in specific priority areas that are in tight alignment with the division's Teaching and Learning Framework and are designed to further progress toward the division’s attainment of goals stated in the strategic plan, Compass to 2020. A demonstration of mastery in these areas, as identified by earning a badge, will be a preferred prerequisite for job vacancies within DTAL for coaching, specialist and/or curriculum coordinator positions. Furthermore, preference will be given to teachers who have earned any of the above badges when applying for curriculum and/or textbook review committees or other DTAL sponsored committees. Teacher demonstration of mastery leading toward badge/specialization attainment in any of the above areas will also further teacher capacity and can be considered by administrators when determining attainment of the exemplary level of proficiency in the Professional Knowledge component of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Teacher Evaluation Rubric. In addition to earning a master badge and licensure points, at the completion of each course participants will earn points towards earning the Career Teacher Allowance.
While these professional learning opportunities will be self-paced and flexible, there will be key submission dates for final products and/or reflections. All courses listed above will be housed in Schoology, and the registration for each will be completed in Frontline. Specific details regarding course descriptions and submission deadlines are attached and can also be found on the PGI site listed above.
For questions regarding the specializations and badges sponsored by DTAL, please contact Katie Cirilli,
K-12 programs and grants coordinator, at Katie.Cirilli@vbschools.com or 263-1077. Thank you.
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Twitter@BNESeagles
BIRDNECK MISSION
Mission: We build relationships to encourage, inspire and empower others to meet the challenges of today and to foster the love of learning.
BIRDNECK VISION
Vision: We are dedicated to nurturing an inclusive environment to ensure engaging, student-centered learning resulting in confident independent learners.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120