BAMS Staff Newsletter
September 21, 2014 - Volume 2, Issue 3
It's a Great Day to Be Great!
Bessie Allen Middle School - SLO
COMING SOON!
Opinion Writing
News and Notes
- If you feel driven to donate money or items for the Team Room, donations can be given to Kim Broten or Jenny Stahl. Do what feels good!
- We will be surveying our students again regarding our technology initiatives. We use a program in our district called Clarity which is our data warehouse for technology usage. This surveying process will be similar to last year's plan. You will be receiving an email from an EMT member in October that will outline how to administer this to your students. It will again be a brief survey.
- Fidelity Checks - If your team hasn't begun to do random fidelity checks of iPads, please find time to do so this week. This can be as simple as doing one per day of a random student in your room. Doing these checks are vital to keeping students safe.
- The grading scale has been changed on Skyward to reflect our new scale for this year. Thank you, Joan for your help with this! If you have any questions, stop in the office.
- When planning and thinking about field trips, know that each grade level will have access to $1000 of PTO funds to offset costs. Please let me know if any family concerns with payment for trips come up. I want us to do whatever we can to allow our students to have these experiences.
- Tech-Free Friday - We will start Tech-Free Fridays in the lunchroom in October. The purpose will be to encourage students to have positive conversations with each other on Fridays during lunch. I'll communicate this to students as we get closer to a start date.
- Training Videos for STAR - Please continue to make progress towards completing the 4-days worth of training videos for STAR. Please see Julie, Connie, or myself if you have any questions. The window cannot be opened for us unless STAR feels that we have done enough training.
- Thanks for your support with Tuesday Tie Day. Looking Sharp, BAMS!
Out of the Office
The following times I will not be in the building or will be out of the office:
- September 22nd - 1:45pm - STAR Webinar in DMR
- September 24th - 8:30am-10:00am - BCT Meeting - Team Room
Oriole Way - Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe
- HOW MANY BAMS BUCKS HAVE YOU HANDED OUT THIS YEAR?
- The Oriole Way Team will be having a work day on the 23rd to plan out celebrations, drawings, and other PBIS to-dos for the entire year. Once completed this information will be communicated to staff. Please see your grade level representative if you have any ideas for us to be thinking about.
- When written a student up for a Major behavior, please contact me right away so the behavior can be dealt with in a timely matter.
- NEXT Meeting - September 23rd, all-day work day
OASYS and Teacher Effectiveness
- Surveys Students - Due by October 15th
- SLO Selection and Approval - Due by October 31st
- 2 Classroom Visits - Due by End of the Year *I strongly encourage you to get to other buildings and see the great things happening and challenges they face. Our job is not easy at any level!
Click Here for a link to Teacher Effectiveness Info from CESA 6
Click Here for a Teacher Effectiveness Calendar for EDUCATORS/SPECIALISTS
Dates to Remember
- September 22 - Medical Care Plan Meetings - During Team Meetings
- September 23 - Tuesday Tie Day
- September 24 - Staff Meeting
- September 26 - 8th Grade Oriole Leaders Field Trip, 7:30am - 6:30pm
*See Google Doc titled "2014-2015 BAMS Yearly Calendar" for a look at events for the entire year.
Staff Meeting Agenda
Staff Meeting: September 24 - 2:50-3:30pm - DMR
Agenda:
- Dan Sitter - Welcome and Intro
- Reflections on Block Schedule, SSR, SSW
- Standard 3 - Instructional Delivery - Look Fors and Red Flags
- Building SLO and Building Goals - Testing Materials Handed Out
- STAR Update
- News and Notes
Next Meeting: October 10 - 12:50-1:15pm - DMR
Blackboard Connect Messages
We use a system called Blackboard Connect to send mass messages to families. Please let me know if you need anything communicated.
Messages sent this week:
- Reminder About Tuesday Tie Day - Sept 22