Pow Wow Principals Press
September 22
Grade Chair Walks on Monday
TRIBE Mentoring
Please take the pre-survey from Crayola!
#KDIslowchat
Conference Reminders
- Begin practicing student-led conferences NOW so the kiddos are ready to roll with it on their big night.
- The following documents need to be shared and signed at the conference: conference summary, reading deficiency letter (if appropriate), Title I Compact, and the sign in sheet. All of these documents are available on the table outside of Ms. Moree's office. Please get them early so you have time to get familiar with them.
- Grade chairs and mentors: Please spend some time with our new teachers to ensure they are familiar and comfortable with all components of conferences.
Congrats to Ms. Norwood, our #VBEVIP! Enjoy the special parking spot, and keep making those nominations on Twitter!
Updates from Ms. Van Brimmer, our Literacy Coach
John's Island Grants: The Learning Alliance has received a new grant from John's Island Foundation to build school resource libraries. Hooray for more books! Last year, we received class sets for every grade level from this same funding partner. Please continue to let us know how those are working for you, so we can share that impact with them! Grades 3, 4, and 5 are currently using the Moonshot Library books as read alouds for Whatcha Reading Wednesday so please take a moment to complete the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddx7dlX4VF4BBj72HWqLuQyibpFC1xKdJZKiduB_QEZgXHeg/viewform?usp=sf_link
I need to know from Grade Chairs what texts you would like so that I can get our orders to TLA. Please let me know ASAP.
Moonshot Library Feedback Form
Please complete this brief survey upon the return of the class set you checked out from the Moonshot Library at your school. Thank you to the John's Island Foundation for the generous gift!
Social Committee -- Please consider paying your dues for social committee. We only have 5 people so far and we want to make sure we have plenty of funds for a fun school year! It is only $20. Please see Ms. Van Brimmer to pay your dues.
RTI Materials: All of the iReady workbooks have arrived and been delivered to your classrooms. Please let me know if you are missing any workbooks as I have been known to have trouble counting! The teacher's guides are available online at the iReady Teacher Toolbox. For the first week, I will be printing these out for you and placing them in your box. In the future, please make sure you log on to https://teacher-toolbox.com/ to access your materials.
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Updates from Ms. Ragley, our Math Coach
Charting a Flight Plan for Change...Empowering Students to Use Math and Think Mathematically.
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe ways in which developing student practitioners of the discipline of mathematics increasingly ought to engage with the subject matter as they grow in mathematical maturity and expertise throughout the elementary, middle and high school years. —Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, page eight
Mathematical Practice #4 Model with Mathematics
What it means?
· Apply mathematics to solve problems arising in everyday life
· Simplify a complicated situation
· Identify quantities in situations and map their relationships using diagrams, tables, graphs and formulas
· Interpret the results and make sure the answer makes sense.
What are students doing?
· Apply the mathematics they know to everyday life
· Write equations to describe situations
· Are comfortable in making assumptions and approximations to simply complicated situations
· Analyze relationships to draw conclusions
· Improve their model if it has not served it purpose
Mathematical Routines –Purposefully structured activities that help children develop procedural fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills, through meaningful practice.
· Math Talk – Number of the Day – Calendar Math – Everyday Counts
o Effective communication about mathematics is essential to help students develop the thinking, self-questioning
· Spiral Review – 4 Square – Question of the Day – Math Moves
o Opportunity for students to revisit and interact with concepts so they remain proficient in the foundational skills needed for higher level work
Mathematics Updates
· Xtra Math – helps kids master basic facts
o Daily for students in grades 3-5
o Teacher must add new students to the program
o Class Reports and Certificates available to print
News Flash!!!!
Captain Wattage, Hero of everything to do with energy, is coming to VBE!
When: Friday, September 29th
Time: 1:00 – 1:10 5th and 2nd grade
1:40-2:10 4th and 1st grade
2:20-2:50 Kindergarten and 3rd grade
Classes will sit at their designated Lunch table for the Assembly. Presented by the National Theatre for Children. Visit http://www.ntcplayworks.com/ to find great interactive activities to use with your class before seeing Captain Wattage.
Updates from Ms. Keeley, our STEM Coach
Science Fair
I will be putting a science fair packet in your mailbox with quick rules guide, form 1 research plan document, and a timeline to keep on track so that the project is paced out in a timely manner.
EVERY CLASS PARTICIPATES.
Date to turn in projects: Tuesday, November 21st by end of day
Science Fair Judging Wednesday, November 29th
Grades K-2 One Class project Grades 3-5 Group projects
What kind of experiment should I do?
Please make sure the experiment is aligned to one of your grade level standards for the second nine weeks. This way not only are you covering the nature of a scientist standards, but also keeps with the curriculum map.
Questions
It must be testable and measurable. You must be able to collect data, so think about how you will be able to graph the data.
Acceptable Questions:
- Does the temperature of a tennis ball affect the height of its bounce?
- Does the flavor of gelatin affect the time it takes it to set?
- Does the type of container affect how much heat is trapped?
Unacceptable Questions:
- What brand of paper towel is more absorbent? (NO BRAND COMPARISONS)
- Which type of bread turns moldy first? (NO MOLD)
- How does a volcano erupt? (NO MODELS)
Variables
Independent – what is the ONE thing that you are CHANGING
Dependent – what you are measuring
Controlled – what you are keeping constant
Procedures
BE SPECIFIC - Start each step with a verb. Include that you are going to repeat for 3-5 trials.
Fall Festival – October 26 5:30 – 7:30
We will have carnival games and prizes provided by the Fall fundraiser sponsor, fall dance, and Trunk or Treat. ALL teachers are invited to attend including decorating your car trunk and passing out candy. This was a very well attended event last year. We are looking for teacher volunteers to help PTA with serving food, running a carnival game for a time slot, and with the fall dance. Please let your grade chair know if this is one of the events that you are helping with. Flyers will be sent home shortly to students.
An Update from Ms. White, the Media Makerspace Specialist:
Reminder - PLEASE! Only the media specialist and media assistant will use the laminator. We have had a major problem this week with individuals trying to do their own - we appreciate that you do not want to bother us; however, we cannot have the laminator broken! It is $375 for a service call...that's BEFORE they even analyze it. We do laminate each day, just be sure to drop off what you need in a folder with your name clearly marked so that we know who it belongs to. If you need something quickly, please let us know and we will try our best to get it done that day.