Smoke Signals
We Are Family!
Week of December 17-20, 2018!
- 12/17: Merry Monday and PJ Day
- 12/17: Office 365 migration complete! See directions below.
- 12/18: Festive Flannel Day
- 12/19: Holiday Sparkle
- 12/19: Meet Derrick Hershey after school
- 12/20: DEER Day and PJs - See info below
- 1/4: District Implementation Day - See schedule below
- 1/7: District Collaboration Day - See schedule below
- 1/7: Grading window closes at 4 pm - See info below
A BIG Thank You!
Outlook Email Migration
Everyone should now be migrated over to Office 365. If you are having problems, please email Betsy. Here are the directions for accessing Outlook 365 for the first time.
Sawnee DEER Day - Dec. 20th
As our semester and ‘That’s a Wrap’ celebrations come to an end, we will be holding a school-wide DEER Day on 12/20! This will be a full-out reading day (no winter centers, movies, or clean-up sessions on the 20th).
Here are some ideas to help you create a fun and engaging DEER Day:
- Create a fun atmosphere (flashlight reading, bringing blankets for the floor, use the interactive board to show a winter wonderland and low playing music in the classroom, etc.)
- Create different experiences for literacy (storyline online reader, guest mystery readers, read to another class, etc.)
- Encourage students to have a stack of different things to read (magazine, novel, picture book, poem, sales ad of toys, etc.)
- Have students create a poster of their favorite book to hang around the school for a gallery walk…..encourage students to put the title, author, and a short description of the text.
- Model for students: Teachers bring their OWN stack of reading materials and pick a comfy spot to join the kids.
- Read in different areas: Visit the media center, outdoor classroom (bundle up), spread out in the hallway, sit by the Christmas tree in the front, etc.
District Implementation Day - 1/4/19
7:30-8:30: Breakfast provided by Sawnee
8:30-12:00: Work in your rooms
1:00-3:30: Afternoon of learning at West Forsyth HS - Agenda for January 4th/ Map Included
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R7yRITrQZfv12aQzFHqNRXKMtMCcrAWRw2Da1VrPt1g/edit?usp=sharing
***Bring your laptops and scissors for fabric cutting
On January 4, 2019, all elementary teachers will be participating in a short breakout session at WFHS. Our teachers will be engaging in a conversation about their favorite books…adult literature, favorite read alouds, etc. We’re encouraging you to relax & READ over the break! Bring a title or two that you’d like to share with the small group.
District Collaboration Day - 1/7/19
1:30: Faculty Meeting in cafe 1
***The morning times at West Forsyth HS may fluctuate slightly. We're still waiting to hear the definitive times for our speaker.
3 Bes Q&A - We need your feedback!
Universal Screening
When we return in January, we'll begin screening every KK-3rd student and all targeted students in 4th-5th. This is a huge task that requires the help of our support staff in order to screen hundreds of students in a reasonable amount of time. Kayla will send out more detailed information/scheduling before the end of the week so that you know how support schedules will be impacted (EIP, IRR, Gifted, EL, etc.).
Overbooked: A Sawnee Reading List
The Notorious RBG by by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik - this book takes a look at Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life, pop culture status, role as a feminist icon, and major cases/decisions.
Columbine by Dave Cullen - this book combines ten years of research to reveal the truth and the misconceptions about this horrific event. Cullen examines the why and the lasting impact of the events of April 20, 1999 in Littleton, CO on our country.