November 13, 2017
A Communication Tool for the Seven Hills Staff
Give Thanks:
Expressing gratitude is one way to fill emotional bank accounts...for yourself and for others! I know most of the staff has seen the Shawn Achor video, "The Happy Secret to Better Work," but I think it is worth sharing with new staff and reviewing with returning staff. You can watch the TED Talk by clicking the link below. Shawn suggests taking time every day to reflect on something you are grateful for. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to challenge each of you to take time this week to think about filling emotional bank accounts with an expression of thanks and gratitude. Take time each day to write a thank you note or email or post a celebration on the staff celebration boards:
- Monday: Thank a grade level teammate
- Tuesday: Thank a grade level teacher staff member
- Wednesday: Thank a parent
- Thursday: Thank a paraprofessional or support staff (custodial, cafeteria, etc.) staff member
- Friday: Thank a specialist, administrator, specials, special education, etc. staff member
Shawn Achor "The Happy Secret to Better Work":
https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_workLiteracy Learning Cycle:
The fall literacy learning cycle has generated an awareness and increased the sense of urgency for writing. How will you be intentional in the planning and delivery of writing instruction for the rest of the year?
- provide opportunities to engage students in revision and editing of text. The invitation to notice structure is an effective instructional strategy. If you feel like this is becoming a checklist part of your skills block, I encourage you to visit with Rebecca Maddox, Hayley, or me to discuss meaningful ways to engage students in discussion about the text.
- teach the conventions to secure with fidelity in each grade level, and hold students accountable across content areas and writing opportunities to applying the conventions. If your grade level hasn't already done so, you might consider comparing application of conventions in writing journals to application of conventions in science notebooks. We must model appropriate conventions and have high expectations for application, in all writing opportunities...including student created posters that hang in the halls, math notebooks, science CERs, etc. Hayley has created a graded level conventions to secure anchor chart for you to hang in your classrooms. These will be provided very soon.
- make skills block an regular and important part of the literacy block.
- hold students accountable to good handwriting. One easy strategy is gentle and intentional reminders when you are modeling. "Notice how my letters are sitting on the line, when you write, you need to check to see if your letters are sitting on the line" etc. In K and 1, if you are practicing handwriting during skills block, please make sure you are also modeling proper letter formation.
Opportunity to Write: We know that the opportunity to write is critical to the development of the writer. How many completed writing pieces do your students have in their writing notebooks? Reader's response notebooks? How many regular opportunities do your students have to write in other content areas? How frequently are you providing feedback to the writer?
Aligning Academics:
4Dx With Staff:
- Several staff members need to complete the 2 reflection on scoreboards. These were due on Friday. Make sure you are staying up to date on our professional learning.
- Reread pages 77 - 102 in 4Dx. This chapter is all about creating a cadence of accountability and the WIG session. The ILT worked to create a PLC Learning Cycle that included components of the WIG session, and teams have used the cycle for 2-3 PLC sessions. The cycle is pictured below. Thank you ILT for your work on this. As you reflect on the reading, what connections do you notice in the PLC cycle?
- Complete your next blog post By Monday, November 27, 2017: http://7hillsleads.blogspot.com/
4Dx With Students:
- Don’t forget these awesome 4DX readers theaters from The Leader in Me Website. This will help students see the connection between their work on their WIGs and the scoreboards! :) If you haven’t already shared these with students, this week during Habit Huddle would be great! https://theleaderinmeonline.org/en/student-learning/readers-theater.html
Habit Focus for the Week: Habit 3...First Things First
Wonder
Staff Sharpen the Saw Opportunity:
On Friday night there will be a special 20/20 story about an real world "Wonder." Hayley has offered to host a campus watch party at her house for the show. More details are coming soon. The preview to the special edition can be watched at https://www.facebook.com/ABC2020/videos/10155419365844934/
Student Activities:
As a follow up activity to the field trip, you and your students can make their own customizable Wonder face and select the precept! To complete this activity, visit here:
- https://create.wonder.movie/ 3-5th this would be fun to do during Habit Huddle and post on door of your classroom with their favorite precept shared to date.
- Students could then write a reflection from the movie and book study. The reflection could focus on the qualities of leadership found in the movie. What connections to the habits can your students make? The activity can then be placed in Leadership Notebooks in the My Leadership section.
- There should be some follow-up activity to the movie and completion of the book study and read aloud. What other ideas has your grade level had?
Precepts for the Week:
- Monday: Life is like sailing. You can use any wind to go in any direction. - Robert Brault
- Tuesday: If you are lucky enough to be different, don't ever change. - Taylor Swift
- Wednesday: It costs nothing to be nice. - Harry Stiles
- Thursday: To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. - Reba McEntire
- Friday: The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible.
Staff Meeting Prep Work:
Staff - we will use this information in our staff meeting on November 30! Please make sure you have carefully considered these questions.
Bring the reflections you completed in our last meeting. The reflections were written on a piece of white folded paper. If you lost this paper or were not in attendance at the last meeting, the questions that you need to reflect on before coming to the meeting are:
What would our school look like and feel like if everyone were inspired by the same core set of beliefs (think about our campus beliefs)? What if everyone was on the same path to those beliefs and the Wildly Important?
What if everyone on your team had a common purpose?
What matters to you most about our school?
What do you want MOST for your students?
What do you want most for your team?
Could you make decisions and solve problems based on what matters most to you?
What will it take to make what you want MOST a REALITY?
Campus and District Announcements and Updates:
No PLCs this week: We do not have a scheduled PLC this week. If your team hasn't engaged in Observe Me walks yet, this would be a great week to spend 15 - 20 minutes of your planning to provide feedback to a peer, supporting their personal and professional growth.
Recess Monitoring: Staff on duty at recess MUST actively monitor all areas of the playground. One staff member needs to be monitoring the field and another needs to be monitoring the playground and blacktop. The best places to stand are down by the backstop, between the chickens and the backstop, and at the top of the hill on the backside of the playground. If you have three staff members, the third staff member can stand on the blacktop side of the playground. Thank you for your active monitoring to ensure student safety.
Just a friendly reminder that if your grade level/team is signed up to clean the lounge for the month, please ensure that it is happening. This could be done at the end of the week or throughout the week when you team is eating? Its up to you. Please remember to clean the microwaves and leave the lounge the way you would want to find it! :) Thanks so much for holding your end of the respect agreement! Please check the schedule below and set a reminder on your calendar or phone! :) Thank you!
Please ask students to check the lost and found this week.
New changes to STAAR! ALL students are now allowed to use both a dictionary and thesaurus on both the reading and writing STAAR tests!!! WooHoo! In order to make sure we have enough supplies for testing days, ALL teachers please complete the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYFemNFDEpERL4pWW9I9S5zBLW87Vt53GvzKFSfcSzpo0XAw/viewform
From the Lighthouse Team...Leadership Jobs Primary- https://docs.google.com/a/nisdtx.org/drawings/d/1nXdn7yiz3twtz9Z-WfsVB0Mk-QGO-c2g--D4leDXQCQ/edit?usp=sharing 2nd-4th Grading period job reflection
https://docs.google.com/a/nisdtx.org/drawings/d/1Vvmm3ea_lT5UnWnXccapQg5_xKHs-1Hri22tT4tFn34/edit?usp=sharing 5th and 6th Grading Period job reflection
Have you read Dr. Warren's Friday Update?
Save the Date:
Habit Focus: Habit 3: Put First Things First
It's Generation TX Week! More details will be sent on Monday, but Monday is green and black day. Wear green and/or black with your jeans on Monday. Communication will be sent to parents as well.
Book Fair Week
- LHT Meeting; 3:30
- Scoreboard Walks; 3:30
- Wear green and/or black with jeans
- Holiday Lunch
- No jeans, professional dress
November 15:
- No math planning with coaches due to curriculum writing this week
November 16:
- Staff Sharpen the Saw Block Party; 3:30 - 4:30
November 17:
- Sharpen the Saw Clubs
- Wonder Field Trip, 3-5 grades (students should wear their red "Oh the Places I'll LEAD" shirts)
- SST B
Happy Birthday to You: