Pam's Pages
Week of May 30 - June 2
5th GRADE PARADE - JUNE 1
The 5h grade awards/graduation ceremony starts at 1:00, and the students start their walk at 12:30.
We are asking all grade levels to come out into the hallways to cheer on our 5th graders as they come through the hallways before the ceremony at Spring Forest.
Here is the route:
Come down the stairs, go by the cafeteria (3rd is finishing lunch at 12:30)
Circle by specials (4th grade is in specials at that time)
Go to 2nd grade
Come down the mall area past the library to first grade, kinder, and then by PPCD, medically fragile, pass by the front foyer and then go back to the area across the library and leave through those doors, past the garden and on to Spring Forest.
End of the Year Reminders
Recycle used pencils, crayons, map pencils and scissors so they can be used in art (or for other projects next school year.) The boxes are going to be in the Science Lab on Tuesday, May 31st through June 2nd.
Complete end of year testing and report cards.
- Complete the End of the Year checklist.
- We have not received anything from Operations about having to completely clear the rooms out. However, if you do leave things on the shelves, be sure you wipe the shelves down before you store things - and also again when we come back in the fall.
- As I have done in prior years, I will send out letters over the summer with updated information, with the expectation that you will read the information ahead of time. This will alleviate the need for us to spend time the first few days going over that information.
- For purposes of planning, please remember that SPIRAL will be on Fridays next year.
SUMMER CLEANING (From Operations)
We not only continue to educate our custodial teams on how to clean, but we are educating them on changing the way they “think” about cleaning. Our goal this summer is not only to clean for appearance, but most importantly, to provide our educational staff and students a happier and healthier environment to work, study and play.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
Attention SBISD Educators: The J. Landon Short Mini Grants for Educators Competition is now open!
Click here to access the online application.
The application deadline is Monday, June 20th.
Winners will be announced and will receive funds in September for the 2016-17 school year.
*Note: as this is a web-based application, we recommend completing your application in a Word or Google document and saving your work prior to entering it online.
UPDATE FROM SBISD
- On May 9, 2016, at a scheduled workshop meeting, the SBISD Board of Trustees discussed the proposed district budget for the year ahead. I encourage you to watch the Workshop video to see our Board’s conversation about the budget.
View Video >> (Select Item 5A: Presentation and Discussion of the Draft FY 2017 Budget) - On May 13, the Texas Supreme Court held that the state’s current system of funding public schools is legal and constitutional. SBISD was party to the lawsuit with more than 600 school districts to challenge this model.
View SBISD's response to the court’s decision >>
View press release >>
View SBISD email to community >> - On May 23, Associate Superintendent of Finance Karen Wilson presented the Fiscal Year 2017 Preliminary Budget and its financial assumptions to the SBISD Board of Trustees during its regular monthly meeting. A first public hearing was held. Review the related PowerPoint presentation here, or view the meeting presentation in video at this location (Select Item 5A). A second public hearing on the preliminary budget and the proposed tax rate will be held June 27, when the Board is expected to approve the final amended budget for 2016 and the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget.
- Without significant improvements to the school financing system, Spring Branch ISD taxpayers and our school district will not see any relief from the increasingly burdensome effects of Robin Hood, or Recapture.
- In addition, our district will continue to receive less and less state funding. Next year, we will send $66 million to the State of Texas; by 2018, SBISD will send away $90 million to the state.
Our funding challenges are impacting us today. These challenges have resulted in elimination of some positions in our system and more than $1.2 million in central administration cuts through “stops” and efficiencies, as well as other reductions.
Due to budget projections,the District cannot afford a raise for employees. I have recommended, however, that the Board consider a one-time, 1 percent bonus, with a minimum bonus of $500, for all employees next year. This recommendation is in lieu of a raise. We will continue to review the proposed budget with our Board of Trustees in the weeks ahead, and our desire to take care of our employees remains a high priority.
Despite these challenges, I know that our Spring Branch Family will continue to do really great things for the 35,000-plus students in our highly respected school system.
Together we will find ways to make bright futures for Every Child.
I thank you all for your deep, continuing commitment to our district at this time.
Scott Muri
SBISD Superintendent of Schools
INFORMATION ABOUT STAAR TESTING RESULTS
Key Information*:
There are data quality issues in the files released by ETS, the state testing contractor, for spring results in the first round of 5th and 8th grade SSI reading and math, as well as the End-of-Course file.
In the last week, ETS has issued initial and updated files of End-of-Course results to districts.
End-of-Course data files are missing the results of more than 130 students, largely for Eng I, and majority from Stratford HS, even on the updated file.
Students experiencing technical issues in the online March testing were not all “flagged” in the 5th and 8th grade data files.
Several students were missing on the 5th and 8th grade first administration file.
Results of the first round of 5th and 8th grade testing appeared to go back to districts according to the precode file submitted over a month prior to the test, rather than where the students actually testing. Consequently, results of students who entered the district in the weeks prior to the test were sent to their previous district, and results of SBISD students who left the district in the weeks prior to the test were included in the SBISD data file.
Data verification process in progress, coordinated with campus test coordinators. Any students identified as missing results will be brought to the attention of ETS.
Data verification will continue as the files for the second round of 5th and 8th grade SSI, and the spring 2016 grades 3 through 8 are received.
*Status as of May 24
STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR GENERAL ED TEACHERS WITH INCLUSION STUDENTS
LEARNING MORE ABOUT STUDENTS WITH AUTISM
Trainings Regarding High Functioning Students with Autism
Summer University
Solving the Puzzle-Supporting student with High functioning Autism. August 1, 2016
Free Online Courses at txautism.net
Strategies for working with students with autism in the general education setting.
STRATEGY 1: UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
WORKSHOP #SP1223601
This is the first course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses.
After completing Strategy 1: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) The primary characteristics of ASD: what it is and its prevalence, 2) The behavioral characteristics of ASD, including social characteristics, communicative characteristics and restrictive and repetitive behaviors, and 3) The learning characteristics of ASD, including executive functioning, Theory of Mind, joint attention, and auditory vs. visual processing.
STRATEGY 2: GET TO KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT
WORKSHOP #SP1223602
This is the second course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 2: Get to Know the Individual Student a participant will be able to discuss: 1) The need to prepare before school begins, including talking to previous teachers, reviewing the student's IEP and reviewing the student's portfolio, 2) The need to get to know the family, and 3) The need to get to know the child.
STRATEGY 3: CREATE PREDICTABILITY
WORKSHOP #SU1224754
This is the third course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 3: Create Predictability, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Understanding an individual's need for predictability, 2) Establishing routines: Consistent schedules, 3) Establishing routines: Consistent activities and expectations, 4) Using visuals to support predictability, and 5) Preparing for changes.
STRATEGY 4: ESTABLISH CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, PART 1 -- SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL
WORKSHOP #SU1224755
This is the fourth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. Strategies 4 and 5 address the strategy of establishing clear expectations. After completing Strategy 4: Establish Clear Expectations, Part 1 - Social and Behavioral, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Developing social and behavioral expectations, including the hidden curriculum, and 2) Using visuals to support social and behavioral expectations including antecedent supports, consequence supports and video modeling.
STRATEGY 5: DEVELOP CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, PART 2 --ACADEMIC
WORKSHOP #SU1224756
This is the fifth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. Strategy 5 along with Strategy 4 discuss establishing clear expectations for a student with ASD. After completing Strategy 5: Establishing Clear Expectations, Part 2 - Academic, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Developing academic expectations, and 2) Using visual to support academic expectations, including workload supports, visual accommodations, and assistance supports.
STRATEGY 6: CREATE A POSITIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY
WORKSHOP #SU1224757
This is the sixth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 6: Create a Positive Learning Community, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Fostering a sense of community, including group activities and group interdependency, 2) Promoting awareness and acceptance, including modeling acceptance, promoting opportunities to actively and successfully participate, pull-out to special education and the role of the paraprofessional.
STRATEGY 7: PROMOTE POSITIVE PEER INTERACTION
WORKSHOP #SU1224758
This is the seventh course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 7: Promote Positive Peer Interactions, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Providing opportunities for students to socialize, including sample activities, supporting socialization and peer-mediated instruction, and 2) Providing opportunities for students to work together on academics, including peer groupings and peer-mediated instruction.
STRATEGY 8: USE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTE SUCCESSFUL LEARNING
WORKSHOP #SU1224759
This is the eighth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 8: Use Instructional Strategies That Promote Successful Learning, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Understanding how students learn, including information processing model and breakdowns in the process, 2) Improving attention, including definition of attention, teacher behaviors and environmental supports that decrease attention and support attention, 3) Improving short term memory, 4) Improving long term memory, and 5) Improving output.
STRATEGY 9: USE BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTE SUCCESS LEARNING
WORKSHOP #SU1224760
This is the ninth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 9: Use Behavioral Strategies That Promote Successful Learning, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Behavior management vs. discipline, 2) Using positive reinforcement vs. punishment, 3) Using positive behavioral supports, 4) Using group vs. individual behavior systems, 5) Using behavior contracts and self-management system, 6) Selecting a reinforcement system.
STRATEGY 10: DEVELOP A PLAN TO ADDRESS CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR
WORKSHOP #SU1224751
This is the tenth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 10: Develop a Plan to Address Challenging Behavior, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) "Challenging behaviors" AKA "Contextually inappropriate behaviors", 2) Determining what went wrong, 3) Identifying reasons for behaviors, and 4) Seeking help from special education team.
STRATEGY 11: BORROW FROM THE SPECIAL EDUCATOR'S TOOLBOX
WORKSHOP #SU1224752
This is the eleventh course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 11: Borrow from the Special Educator's Toolbox, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Strategies for working with lower functioning students with ASD, 2) Task analysis, 3) Prompting levels and prompt fading, and 4) Sensory issues in ASD.
STRATEGY 12: RESPECT EACH STUDENT'S DIGNITY AND NEED FOR AUTONOMY
WORKSHOP #SU1224753
This is the twelfth course in a series of 12, 30-minute online courses. After completing Strategy 12: Respect Each Student's Dignity and Need for Autonomy, a participant will be able to discuss: 1) Treating students with dignity, 2) Providing choices, 3) Being flexible, 4) Remembering the student's autism, and 5) Remembering the students are children/adolescents, just like everyone else.
Meadow Wood Elementary
Email: pamela.redd@springbranchisd.com
Website: www.springbranchisd.com
Location: 14230 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: 713-251-6200
Facebook: facebook.com/MeadowWoodElementarySbisd
Twitter: @pam_redd