Anchor Weekly
A newsletter for Alta Vista Staff~Week of November 6, 2017
Don't Forget! Next Week's Calendar
- Student-Teacher-Parent Conference Week ALL WEEK
- Book Fair ALL WEEK
- Computer Lab closed for ISIP ALL WEEK
- First Grade Math Training with Region 12 on Tuesday, November 7 from 12:30-3:00
- Bilingual Teacher Portfolio Training on Tuesday, November 7 at 4:00 pm **Mandatory for Bilingual Teachers**
- "We are Family" District Parent Involvement Event on Tuesday, November 7 at 6:00 pm at University High School
- 2nd Six Weeks Awards Lists due Wednesday, November 8 Find form here: https://docs.google.com/a/wacoisd.org/spreadsheets/d/1Y_X9OO48at-R_M5eHwxe55ktRzyb8e0AryjgQDCru8c/edit?usp=sharing
- District Science Test on Wednesday, November 8
- Lunch & Learn on Thursday, November 9
- BU Basketball Game for 3rd-5th Grade on Friday, November 10
No Faculty Meeting or PLC Meetings Schedule due to Parent Conferences
COMING UP! Thanksgiving Lunch (11/16), Early Release/House Parties & LLI Training (11/17)
Calendar Link: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=wacoisd.org_ok91siiqr44vtt9t99o7ije19k%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Chicago
From Your Captain
Collaborative planning is of the components of the Waco Super 7 Strategies. As you are working with your team on common planning, make sure you are discussing stations activities. We have seen some great ideas that could easily be replicated in other classrooms. Share and learn together!
Make sure you are on time and present each day for morning and afternoon dismissal duty. We need all hands on deck each day to ensure the safety of our students; this is a campus expectation for all staff members. The Family Car Dismissal Team will meet for a short meeting on Monday after dismissal to discuss some ideas. Teachers (or their aides) should be picking up students when the bell rings at 7:45 am from the cafeteria or gym/library.
Conscious Discipline
Classroom Tip: Morning Meeting is a great way to discuss the weekly school commitment. You can ask a different question each day like:
-What do kind words sound like?
-How can you be kind to others, even if you don't like a person?
-Why is it important to use kind words?
-How do you feel when other people don't use kind words to you?
-Do you have some ideas on how we can do a better job at using kind words?
November Makerspace
Istation
Students MUST HAVE scratch paper and pencil when they are doing Istation Math. Hand it to them; do not rely on students to get up and get paper because most students will not ask.
Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
RTI
Thank you for keeping your identified RTI Tier II and RTI Tier III student's forms up to date in Eduphoria / Aware / RTI. Remember specific academic and / or behavior goals and interventions need to be set at the beginning of each six weeks.
Goals
Reading goals can be tied to increasing overall reading level, fluency and accuracy based upon BOY Rigby results and / or increasing upper level skills such as comprehension. Math goals can be tied to results from Campus Common Assessment results. Students maybe working on basic computation skills or higher skills like word problems. Each math intervention group has a specific goal that it is working towards. See your math intervention plans (with goals) here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzPtZw5xT-LdWFJXNHRUOV9hRjA?usp=sharing
Interventions
RTI Tier II Reading and Math interventions can be what you provide to your student in class (small group , one on one) and/or what they receive outside of your class (pull out). The Data Wall Mrs. Helton has posted in Google Drive is a great place to find a list of interventions. IStation can be considered an intervention too: Tier II = 60 minutes a week and Tier III = 90 minutes per week.
RTI Tier III students should receive above and beyond what an RTI Tier II student receives; for example, before or after school interventions.
Progress Monitoring
Progress Monitoring RTI Tier II progress notes need to be entered at progress reports and end of six weeks. RTI Tier III progress notes need to be entered every week. Use data points to reference growth or lack therefore of; for example, limited growth based upon ISIP report on vocabulary in Sept being 20% and Oct being 22%. Common math assessments are also a good tool for measuring progress since they are specific to the student's intervention goal. Common math assessment results are posted in each grade level's math intervention folder.
Texas Education Agency has opened up lots more STAAR accommodations for students in RTI Tier II and III; for example, extended time and oral administration. However, we have to have valid RTI histories for our students before these can be implemented. Thank you for taking care of your student's RTI.
Accommodations
Some examples of accommodations are:
- Indivdiualized Structured Reminders
- Math Manipulatives
- Supplemental Aides (Pictures of: math charts, graphics, science graphics, fraction bars, shapes, money, etc.)
- Extra Time
- Oral Administration
- Content & Language Supports (Online only)
- Calculation Aids
- Spelling Assistance
Online resource about accommodations: http://lead4ward.com/docs/Quick_Look_Designated_Supports_Locally_Approved_2018_REV.pdf
**SPECIAL NOTE: Accommodations as listed in a 504 or Special Education plan are required to be implemented by law. This is NOT optional. **
Counselor's Corner
Packs of Hope
What has over 450 good things and Alta Vista's name on it? Our first deliver to Packs of Hope from our donation drive! We will continue collecting items until Wednesday, November 15. Thank you for your help in meeting our student's hunger needs each weekend by donating to Packs of Hope.
November Character Connection
November's character trait is responsibility, which is defined as "taking ownership of what you say, what you do and what is expected of you." Students will be taking a closer look at Alta Vista School Motto and identifying four areas where they can demonstrate responsibility: 1. self care / home , 2. school , 3. community and 4. the world. Students will work on identifying ways to be responsible in each area and realizing part of being responsible is owning up to times when we have "OOPS" or make mistakes. Thank you for you part in helping our students develop responsibility.
Make A Wish
You should have received a class copy of the Make a Wish forms in your boxes this week. Below are the directions that were included with the copies. If you have any questions of concerns pleace contact Mrs. Freeman or Mrs. Maynard.
Directions
- Provide each student with a copy of the writing prompt “What I Want for Christmas and Why”.
- Do not tell your students it is for Make a Wish or that they could get what they write about. Many of the student’s might know from past experience that it’s a possibility and might say as much. Just smile and remain neutral in your response; for example, “You think so?” or “We’ll see.”
- Encourage the student’s to use their best writing skills including capitalization, punctuation and legible handwriting. Papers do not have to publication perfect ; however, we can’t make their wishes come true if we can’t understand what they have written. Younger students should attempt to write for their own self but a teacher / aide can transpose based upon oral statements from the child.
- Read every paper you receive. Pick the two that you feel should be finalists and place the their papers on top of all other papers. Also, hand write their names in the space below and feel free to add any comments or additional information you feel needs to be known .Return your entries to Mrs. Freeman or Mrs. Maynard no later than Thursday, November 9th or sooner, if possible. Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Maynard will look through the 50+ finalists and narrow it down to 30 for submission to University High Make A Wish on Monday, November 13.
Tentative Thanksgiving Schedule
ALTA VISTA THANKSGIVING LUNCH SCHEDULE
Thursday, November 16, 2017
10:10-10:40 PK-Scott
10:13-10:43 PK-Terrell
10:15-10:45 PK-Picazo
10:45-11:15 K-Williams
10:47-11:17 K-Alvarado
10:50-11:20 K-Bearden
10:53-11:23 K-Martinez
11:15-11:45 3rd-Ballard
11:17-11:47 3rd-Long
11:20-11:50 3rd-Foreman
11:23-11:53 3rd-Hampton
11:45-12:15 1st-Somers
11:47-12:17 1st-Snell
11:50-12:20 1st-Breeding
11:53-12:23 1st-Greer
12:15-12:45 2nd-Haskett
12:17-12:47 2nd-Barnard
12:20-12:50 2nd-Noel
12:23-12:53 2nd-Helms
12:45-1:15 5th-Spark
12:47-1:17 5th-Gillaspy
12:50-1:20 5th-Drake
12:53-1:23 4th-Sharp
12:55-1:25 4th-Rawles
12:57-1:27 4th-Martinez
1:00-1:30 4th-Mattoon
Specials Times
Pre-K 12:25-1:15
Kindergarten 9:20-10:10
1st Grade 8:30-9:20
2nd Grade 11:05-11:55
3rd Grade 1:20-2:10
4th Grade 2:10-3:00
5th Grade 10:15-11:05