RANGER STAFF NEWS
September 27, 2015
MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL HOLMES
Greetings!
We are making great strides as we complete our first round of PLCs. This first round has been focused on goal-setting. The communication and collaboration has been engaging in each session as we have all worked together to clarify individual goals. We all have unique talents and the dialogue that has been occurring in PLC has been inspiring for us all.
As we finalize our professional goals, it is important to keep in mind that the outcome is always the success of students. Our intentional actions as educators is what ultimately helps students to progress and demonstrate achievement and/or progress.
Tom Landry is one of my favorite football coaches and the quote below helps me to keep focused on what to do. As we move through this first step in clarifying and finalizing our goals we can now move to the real work of developing an action plan. Our action plan will be derived from our professional goals and Data Dig. You know our WHY (we do what we do for the students); you know your students (interactions and Data Dig); and you have a goal...what is your plan of action?
Remember that everything we do is for the success of our students. Now it is time to plan (individually and collectively) for our students success!
RGE FAMILY UPDATES
We have all had many personal challenges, but please keep Ms. Crumbley and Ms. Curry in your thoughts.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ms. Crumbley (ADA) states that she would be tickled pink if we would all participate in a PINK OUT Day. We have selected Monday, October 5th as our PINK OUT Day. Please talk this up with your students as well.
Ms. Curry is one of our dynamic special education aides. As you know, Ms. Curry experienced a health crisis over the week-end. We wish her all the best during her recovery. We will miss her smile and positive energy during her absence.
I am personally moved by the level of commitment from these ladies and all of you. Each day is precious and it is important that we say thank you and let each other know just how much we care. I am extremely proud to know all of you and I appreciate you not only for what you do for our kids each day, but for your kindness and support for each other. Thank you Ridgegate Family!
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI)
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom. Struggling learners are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning.
FBISD is taking a more comprehensive approach to how we are implementing the RTI process. In the past RTI was overwhelming with paperwork and sporadic meetings. Each campus had a different method to how the process was done.
This year every campus will be following the same protocols for how and when RTI is done. All students (K-5) will participate in Universal Screenings in the areas of reading and math. There is nothing that teachers need to 'pre-teach/teach' in preparation of the Universal Screenings. This is completely diagnostic based on the student's individual needs.
Because this is a new process, there have been many updates and revisions along the way, As we continue to get information and updates it effects how we communicate this to you. I appreciate your patience in this endeavor as we all adjust to these updates/revisions. We all want clarity so that we can begin to move forward. Our campus specialists have done an amazing job in structuring and restructuring plans/schedules based on their trainings and district news.
We are a pilot campus for the district's new approach to RTI. This means that once we begin the RTI meetings, we will have support as to how to move through the process. The good news with this is that all students will be discussed and no one will be left out or overlooked in the RTI process. We should not have any more situations in which a student was not referred, because the new structure of RTI meetings (similar to the AWARE meetings) will require discussion and action for each struggling student.
I will send a detailed e-mail with more information. However, at this time the Universal Screening dates have been adjusted based on new information we received last week.
Common Formative Assessments (CFA)
There will be CFAs this week in the areas of Reading, Writing (editing/revision type questions), Math, and/or Science. There are only 10 questions on the CFAs and should only take a minimal amount of time within the instructional block. Our specialists will be providing the assessments and answer documents for teachers to administer.
The purpose of the CFAs are for teachers, specialists, administrators, parents, and students to gain a formative perspective about where we are in specified content areas within grade levels and across grade levels. For example, although fourth grade is the tested grade level for writing, as a campus we need to gain perspective of how we are preparing students leading into the tested grade level.
The data results will of course be shared within PLCs, but also with campus committees so that globally we can pull together for how we are preparing students. More details will be communicated Monday.
In order to be sure that we have appropriate preparation, the specialists are developing an assessment calendar so that we are all aware of any CFA, DA, STAAR, or any other type assessments is forthcoming. Thank you all for your flexibility regarding this weeks assessments.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SEPTEMBER
28 PLC-1st Grade
29 PLC-PK/Kindergarten
CBLT at 3:45 in the library
30 PLC-SPED
OCTOBER
1 PLC-Ancillary
Universal Screening (K-2) begins for Reading
CFA: 3rd-5th Reading; 2nd-4th Writing
2 PLC-5th
CFA: 3rd-5th Math; 3rd-5th Science
5 PLC-4th
Universal Screening (K-2) ends for Reading
Universal Screening (K-5) begins for Math
PINK OUT Day (in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
6 PLC-3rd
7 PLC-2nd
8 PLC-1st
9 Early Dismissal for students at 12:10 (modified lunch schedule)
PLC-Paraprofessionals at 12:30
PLC-Specialists at 1:30
Parent Conferences until 5:30
The ARC Basket items/donations due to Alvarez/Evans-Williams