WIZARD WEEKLY
Week of January 17-20
WORD FROM THE EMERALD CITY
~ We are making A LOT of progress in the Makerspace room! Thanks SO much to Amarisa and Vicki for helping out in there last week! It's beginning to really take shape and should be up and running soon! I am going to send home a newsletter this week informing the parents and letting them know our progress.
~ We are having A LOT of tardies and absences. I know kids have been sick, so a lot of those cannot be avoided. However, when we were looking last week and gathering information for our attendance meetings, there is not a lot of documentation in Aware for students who are repeatedly tardy and/or absent. Please remember that you are responsible for calling parents about absences and tardies when it's becoming an issue. Please document under the "journal" tab on Aware. This takes the place of that truancy spreadsheet we have used in the past. There are quite a few that have nothing listed, and I know you have contacted them. We must document in order to have adequate information in case we file truancy. The courts pretty much throw it out if there is not enough documentation.
~If you are interested in ordering a long sleeved shirt, please let me know. I think we are going to have a bigger variety of colors than I originally thought, and each person can order whichever color they would like. They will be $18. They will be the really soft material that is so popular right now and long sleeved. I should have the order forms this week.
~ Please make sure you are having consistent communication with parents about their child's behavior at school. Please use the behavior calendars that I sent out in order to allow for back and forth open communication. Even parents of students who never get in trouble like to know if their students had a good day. We don't always want to go under the assumption that "no news is good news." Make sure to keep them posted or drop a positive note every now and then. We all need that from time to time, and it makes the parents feel like their "in the loop." Also make sure websites and newsletters are up to date. We have worked hard on our administrative side to keep parents informed in a variety of ways this year. Each grade level/teacher needs to have some form of a newsletter each week to keep the parents updated. You all know your parents and know what source of media they use. If all are online, an online newsletter is fine. But, if many are not computer users, then sending a paper copy may be best.
~ I will be off campus this Thursday morning at a LEAD meeting. I should be back in the afternoon.
Campus News
~We have a PTA meeting and first grade performance this Thursday at 6:00. Please make sure we have each grade level represented at the meeting. I know the first graders have worked SO hard, and they're very excited to show off everything they've practiced!!
~Sign ups for clubs are THIS Wednesday. Make sure you know your time slot and sign up your kiddos! Let me know if you have any questions!
~I still have a few slots left for the Great Expectations training this summer! Let me know if you're interested in attending. It will take place the week of June 5th, and I believe it's the first 4 days. I have 4 slots that are still open!
~ The PRIDE Posse party has been scheduled for Friday, February 3rd during specials. I emailed the invitation last week that you can send home in your students' report cards if they acquired enough points to attend PRIDE Posse. We will have 2 bounce houses and popcorn for the students. If it's nice weather, we will participate outside. If the weather is really cold or rainy, we will have it in the gym.
~ Make sure you are turning in your "word up" level sheets! I KNOW these kids are using the words, so please make sure to encourage them to use them in their speaking and writing, and showcase when they earn the "word up" sticks for the key chain!! Thank you to those who have turned them in, but I know many more are worthy of being recognized.
~ Elk of the Month is right around the corner, and I realized we haven't been talking about the new values that will be used to judge. I will announce those tomorrow, but this month we will be looking for the life principles of: forgiveness, loyalty, optimism, and patriotism (this can be a great teachable moment as the inauguration takes place in a few days).
~ On February 17th, we will be scheduling Donuts with Dads to take place that morning. This will be similar to how it was on Granola with Grandparents. More information will be coming home soon, and I will send an invitation in the next week or so.
Be Vocabulous!
Continue to discuss the vocabulary with your students! It's making a big difference!
Here is the copy of the s'more newsletter about the vocabulary program. It has all the words listed for the year, so you can plan ahead! It has each word listed and the grade level responsible. The kids really enjoyed this last year, and I think this was something I had more comments from parents about than anything! They would comment about their students knowing the meanings of words that they didn't even know. The vocabulary parade was a big hit too. Even the older kids got into it and had fun being creative and participating.
Please turn in the "Word Up" Levels sheets when you have students who display the appropriate use of the words. Obviously, the younger they are, the more "adaptation" needs to occur in order to receive the levels, but the students who received the tags last year, LOVED it!! I will put the "Word Up Level" sheet on canvas!
As a reminder, the way the "Word Up Levels" work, goes like this...
All students will start as rookies and all students will have a chance to move up as many levels as they would like. Spirit Tags (that PTA is selling) will be used for levels 2 thru 5 and when a student reaches level 2 thru 5 they will receive a spirit tag for that level from the principal.
Teachers will nominate students to move up through the levels.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Wednesday, January 18th:
ICLE Walks w/3rd Grade- 9:30
Thursday, January 19th:
Group Pictures today
Kori off campus at LEAD meeting in AM
PTA Meeting/1st Grade Program at 6:00 pm
Friday, January 20th:
Report cards go home
Tuesday, January 24th:
Kori off campus (personal day)
Wednesday, January 25th:
Kori and Bobby off campus at STAAR Training (this was rescheduled from 2/1)
Thursday, January 26th:
Kori off campus in AM at DLT meeting
Kori off campus in PM at Skyward training
Friday, January 27th:
Clubs today: Follow Clubs Schedule
T.Parisi and D. Diffie here for Science/SS curriculum walks @ 9:15
Hoofbeats to Boswell for performance- leave at 9:00 and back at 2:00
Monday, January 30th:
Misty Germaine here for math walks- 12:45-2:40
5th Grade Benchmark
Tuesday, January 31st:
CARE Team Meeting- KG 12:30
5th Grade Benchmark
Monday, February 6th:
World's Finest Chocolate Assembly (8:00 am)
Grades Due
Tuesday, February 7th:
2nd Grade Teachers out at LIINK training (all day)
LiiNK training (K/1/2)- 3:30-4:30
Thursday, February 9th:
ICLE Walks- 4th Grade 8:40
ICLE Walks- 5th Grade 10:20
Friday, February 10th:
Kori off campus in AM- Principal's meeting
Valentine's Day Parties @ 1:50
Friday, February 17th:
Donuts with Dads @ 7:10 am
KORI WERTH - PRINCIPAL
Email: kwerth@ems-isd.net
Website: http://www.emsisd.com/site/Default.aspx?PageID=2336
Location: Fort Worth, TX, United States