Fabulous Friday Facts
September 2nd
Dates:
Tuesday 9/6: WIN groups start
Wednesday 9/7: 7:45 Staff Meeting Character traits, 6:00 Accountability
Thursday 9/8: IPD Grant Meeting 8am (6/7)
Friday 9/9:
Committee Blurbs from this Week
We are requesting that all grades K-7 have their students do a writing prompt 3 times per year. The first writing prompt needs to be done prior to September 16th, 2016. More information on grading to follow later. Primary Prompt: Tell a story about a time in your life. Upper grades: Tell a story about a time in your life that you learned something.
Math:
GT: The meeting was used to basically catch everyone up to speed in regards to last’s year’s work and to discuss the plan for the identified students this year. Liz already has a good idea of what she will be doing. Elizabeth will be getting direction from Lindsey R and working with Liz as she steps into her new role.
Updating the website will probably be a priority to help communicate with current and potential families about the actual projects in the GT classroom.
We also discussed the plan to use this forum to bring up identified students who are NOT meeting their goal and to brainstorm strategies to get them on track as it relates to their specific SMART goal.
Business: Other committees need to request time for staff meeting time from the Business Committee. We are currently looking at how minimal days will be spent. Please read the link to Article 5 in the contract provided in the coaches’ newsletter.
PD: PD committee determined learning targets for the year: Continue to implement Crew structures and common language for students and staff. Continue to gain understanding of expeditionary philosophy. Continue to develop planning structures and supports for project based learning. Our next staff meeting on Sept. 6 will determine exact wording for our character traits and the order they will be taught in this year. We will talk with business committee to clarify calendar planning but are suggesting the following each once a month: committee meetings, Crew reflection/planning, book study, other/school business.
MTSS:
Cool Opportunity for your Girls...choose a few and recommend this!!
Fall 2016 programming at the Colorado School of Mines:
· DISCOVER TECH for girls grades 3-6, and
· EXPLORE TECH for girls 7th and 8th grade.
As in the past, both programs are lead by female Colorado School of Mines students, and take place on Mines campus. These programs include hands-on, interactive activities designed to keep the girls excited about STEM!
The cost of each four week program is $60 (or $110 for 8 weeks of EXPLORE TECH) and includes a program t-shirt. We want all girls to have the opportunity to participate, so financial scholarships are available for anyone in need (thanks to several companies that partner with Computer Science at Mines).
Registration is now open, and can be completed on our website at http://tech.mines.edu.
If you have any questions about the program, need additional information, or would like to provide an alternate contact, please respond to this email or contact us at stem-tech@mines.edu.
IPD Grant-get your mini wishes
Jeffco iPD is excited to announce the application process for our fifth round of school-based mini grants for Pre K thru 6th grade ONLY! These grants of up to $2500 are funded by Jeffco iPD to foster teacher learning and collaboration that will influence student learning. Applying for a Mini-Grant is a simple process: read the Jeffco iPD Mini-Grant Proposal guidelines, and fill out an application. Each application will be evaluated based on its alignment to the iPD criteria found in the guidelines.
Check out the Jeffco iPD Mini-Grant website where you’ll find the link that is now live.
Please contact Kristen S. King or Carrie Maffoni with questions or for additional information.
Celebrations
Paras, Melissa, Specials teacher from both buildings, office staff, and anyone else who helped support testing at the primary: THANK YOU!! we couldn't have got all testing done some smoothly if everyone had not helped.
Jamie: Thankful for her leadership and ability to keep the 4th grade team organized.
Let's hear more!!! Fill out this form
IEGs
Connect with teammates or coaches to help you gather beginning of the year data or brainstorm ideas.
GT Courses for Teachers
Looking for quality online professional development and/or
affordable graduate credits in gifted education? Look no further!
Course Requirements: A ½ hour webinar on September 13th at 4:00 pm kicks off eight weeks of online learning. The webinar will be recorded for viewing if you cannot attend the live session. You are required to participate in the discussion boards, complete readings, and submit course assignments each week.
Price: $50 for Jeffco Employees, $100 outside Jeffco
Credit Options: Clock hours are automatically included. Each course may also be taken for three graduate credits from Adams State University for an additional $165. Jeffco is no longer offering inservice credit. Credits can be used towards re-licensure, a GATE certificate from Adams State, and/or to prepare for the CDE GT Endorsement.
Registration: Jeffco Employees register through ESS, all others should contact Donette Sis (dsis@jeffco.k12.co.us).
Fall Courses Offered
The Gifted Learner (ESS Code: BGTTGL)
What does it mean to be gifted? The Gifted Learner will introduce participants to the many dimensions of giftedness and how gifted children are served in Jeffco. Learners will explore who the gifted are, how they are identified, and how they fit within the RTI framework. Social emotional supports for gifted learners and working with parents of GT students will also be explored.
Implementing Higher Order Thinking Skills (ESS Code: BGTHOT)
Recall alone is not enough for the 21st Century. The ability to think critically is essential to grasping new information as well as figuring out how to change and adapt to new situations. Thinking skills, even for the gifted, are not innate, but rather must be taught. Groom your students to think critically and on their own. This course will provide resources and research-based models proven effective in the area of Critical Thinking Strategies.
Differentiation for Gifted Learners (ESS Code: BGTDGS)
What is differentiation and how can it be implemented to promote student achievement? What classroom practices are most effective in determining and monitoring the intellectual needs of gifted students? Which instructional strategies are most appropriate for gifted learners? Designed for classroom teachers of all levels, this course will help participants understand the various components of effective differentiated instruction for advanced students.
Implementing the School-Wide Enrichment Model Reading Framework (ESS Code: BGTSEM)
This course introduces teachers to the Schoolwide Enrichment Model-Reading (SEM-R) Framework, a framework for reading instruction based on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Participants will explore the characteristics and instructional needs of high ability, average and struggling readers in order to develop reading instruction that is responsive to individual readers’ needs. Designed for classroom and gifted and talented teachers, class members are expected to pilot the implementation of the SEM-R model in their classrooms or with a cluster or core group of talented readers as the core part of their participation in this class.
Best Practices in Gifted Education (ESS Code: BGTBPG)
This course provides concise, up-to-date, research based advice on what works for gifted and talented youth. Educators, administrators, and parents of gifted children alike will gain insight into curriculum that challenges high-ability students, reaching culturally diverse and low-income GT learners, gender differences, mentorships, and much, much more. Through reading, online discussion, and various activities, participants will make connections between research and practical action in gifted education.
Learning Targets in Action (ESS Code: BGTLTA)
If making small changes in the classroom could lead to a dramatic increase in student engagement and achievement, would you pursue those changes? In Learning Targets in Action, we will be reading the text Learning Targets by Moss and Brookhart and learning the ways to use learning targets in the classroom in supporting students and teachers as they partner during the learning cycle. The course will cover the research behind learning target theory and how to implement learning target theory in the classroom. Participants will engage in learning experiences that will allow them to learn to write learning targets, define success criteria, share targets with students, and effectively use learning targets during the formative feedback cycle. Join us as we explore how small changes in classroom structure can yield significant dividends in student engagement and achievement.
Questions?
Contact Penelope pheinigk@jeffco.k12.co.us or Tonia theffley@jeffco.k12.co.us
Wanna Change the World? There's Nothing to it!
Accountability Agenda
Crew Experience will be the Parent University
You can bring up topic to discuss and vote on to make a change!
ELA Newsletter
Technology fair
Are you using technology to engage students and increase student learning in the classroom? Does technology help you collaborate with other teachers, flip your classroom, or enable a paperless classroom? If so, share your strategies at the Jeffco Tech Share Fair on September 17th at Arvada West High School. Proposals for presentations will be accepted until Wednesday, September 7th. The following link will take you directly to our presenter form. Don’t delay, sign up today! http://tinyurl.com/jtsffallpresent
Not ready to present? Fill out the following form to sign up to attend. http://tinyurl.com/jtsffallattend Don’t miss this free opportunity to learn from over 20 teachers, digital teacher librarians, and vendors who will be sharing ideas and strategies to take back to your classroom and transform learning.
Lexia Core 5
SOARS reminders
Make sure that you have also closed out all old interventions and goals as you don't want to be responsible for these.
Centering on Differentiated, Layered Centers
Early Learning and Readiness, in partnership with the Math and ELA Content Teams, is inviting kindergarten, first, second, and third grade teachers to attend a Centering on Differentiated, Layered Centers session designed to deepen teacher understanding of:
· the workshop structure in math and literacy,
· planning for best instructional practice grounded in Jeffco Curriculum; and
- differentiated math and literacy centers for upcoming units to be shared with colleagues.
Grade level teams are encouraged to attend together. This is a two part learning opportunity.
The Part 1 sessions will be learning and planning.
In preparation for Part 2 session, teachers will plan one layered center around a math strand AND one layered reading center around a literacy strand for an upcoming unit of study. During the Part 2 sessions, teachers will share their literacy and math centers, plan for rollout of centers, and organize materials.
If you have questions, please contact Stacy Oryshchyn, Holly Sexton, or Joan Farrow.