Spruce Scoop
Joy. Hope. Resilience.
October 14 - 17, 2019
Principal Taylor's Message
I wanted to say thank you all for being engaged in the learning on Friday, whether you were on campus or in your district led PD~ we were all learning! As a reminder and connecting to our last staff meeting ~ we are always focused on our community, collective approach to making sure our scholars are College, Career, Military Ready. CCMR!!!
Regardless of the content we teach we want to shift and expand our approach to our standard. We want our focus to be ON GRADE LEVEL and ABOVE. This translate into a common language of Meets and Masters- not thinking only about EOCs, but what it means to be on grade level and above, regardless of the content. If we all have the mindset and start to communicate to our scholars that we want them to meet and exceed their grade level standard, that raises the bar.
This is not something that changes over night but it takes all of us to shift our shared understanding and how we communicate this to each other and our scholars. We are trying to prepare them to:
- need no or minimal remediation in post secondary education,
- be able to step into a career vs. a job,
- take on the critical thinking that is needed in college or technical, military career fields, and
- equally important navigate life with strong 21st Century soft skills such as - communication, collaboration, decision making, conflict resolution, advocacy, prioritizing, etc. .
Be Elite in Your 20 Square Feet!!
If not us who, If not now, when!
F. Taylor
Proudest Principal in DISD!!
Exemplars
Ask for a clip board if needed. Bring questions to our ILTs and we will collectively ensure that we are all on the same page and moving forward! As a reminder the expectations are:
- Exemplar in hand,
- include the Exemplary criteria (as listed in our rubric - sent out twice)
- Independent Practice
- DOLs
3rd Six Week SWAG
Below is the link to register to the 3rd Six Weeks High School SWAG, which will be held at Spruce High School on October 28, 2019 from 5:00-7:00 PM. Similar to last SWAG, we will offer training for all core content areas and will be focused on EOC courses.
Please have your teachers to register for SWAG by October 21, 2019.
TARDY SWEEP(S) THIS WEEK: (10/14 - 10/17)
Tuesday, 10/15 - After the 7th to 8th transition
At the end of these transition periods please lock your doors at the tardy bell and do not allow students in who do not have the tardy/detention pass as before. When they return to class with the pass, please allow them back in and mark them tardy in attendance.
Student ID Creation and Distribution
Projected Date that all students should have IDs: Monday, October 21
Dr. Porter will be emailing teachers directly with the schedule.
20 Days Left!
Compliance Videos - Due Date 10/31
- Staff meetings (Tuesdays or Wednesdays, once a month)
- Sporting Events
- Fine & Performing Events
- Campus Wide Events
- Testing Days & Campus Testing Meetings
Staff meetings are subject to change. The goals is to communicate monthly staff meetings via the calendar and to have one a month.
Week of 10/14 Highlights
Friday - WE ARE OFF!!!
It is important that we recognize ALL the Excellence in Teaching occuring in all of areas of our academic programs. The highlights are on a weekly rotation throughout the year. Each content/department will be highlighted on a weekly basis.
Spruce Big Read: Into the Beautiful North
Spruce scholars from ESL Reading and English IV classes launched a journey into the beautiful North this week. The Dallas Big Read, a partnership with DISD and The Dallas Public Library, provides students the opportunity to community around a common book. The program launched this week, with an reading of the novel Into The Beautiful North, by Luis Alberto Urrea, a story about a Mexican village without any men and the group of young women who go to the United States seeking defenders, learning truths about themselves along the way. The book depicts the contradictions of the US-Mexico border, the blending of cultures & economies, as well as the division between countries.
Spruce readers received copies of the novel and will participate in community events including discussion groups, staged readings, craft projects and a Skpe talk with the author.
Learn more about author, Luis Alberto Urrea, and the novel at: https://www.arts.gov/national-initiatives/nea-big-read/into-the-beautiful-north .
Read and participate in citywide events by viewing: https://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/events/nea-big-read-beautiful-north .
Catch a Timberwolf Staff member being ELITE in their 20 Square Feet, Joyful, Hopeful, Resilient, SEL Champion, or simply did or said something that was the spotlight of your day/week!
Thank you for taking a moment to highlight your fellow staff member! You made someone's day!!
Spotlight on Mrs. Langworthy & Mr. Hastings!
Way to go to our awesome teachers for jumping in and taking time to share their expertise and passion with their peers. Presenting in front of your peers can cause major nerves! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and being mindful of our adult learners. Appreciate you both!
Spotlight on Ms. Curtis and Mr. Roberson
Ms. D. Williams writes:
Ms. Curtis FLS TA
Mr. Roberson TC TA
Going above and beyond! Greatly appreciated!!!! 😊
spotlight on the ap teachers
Thank you to all of the AP teachers at the meeting on Friday for your openness and collaborative spirit. I am looking forward to working with such a great team of educators and supporting you all in building a program that offers new opportunities and choices for our scholars at Spruce! GO TEAM!!!
Spotlight on Ms. Doyle
I would like to thank Ms. Doyle for getting Green Team kick started with brand new trash grabbers and a fresh group of students! Best co-sponsor ever!
Spotlight on Mr. Hastings
Mr. Hastings professional development session was outstanding and very much something I want to incorporate in my room. He was extremely organized with great handouts and his timing and sense of humor made it interesting to learn. I was surprised it was his first time to do professional development.
Spotlight on Ms. Taylor
The World Languages Department is putting Principal Francine Taylor on the Spot because of her outstanding administrative support for our Department and for the student body at Spruce High School. We know we are not the only ones who agree with the fact that she has worked tirelessly to ensure the academic and professional growth in our school.
Spotlight on Mr. Daniels, Coach Alexander, and Coach Washington
Spotlight 1
Mr. Daniels spent the day Thursday, October 10 as a substitute Biology teacher! As the instructional lead for Science with his own class, the coach to a team of approximately 15 teachers, the leader of a department with 2 vacancies (one STAAR tested subject), Mr. Daniels STILL managed to engage teachers on Friday during professional development day. He is one of the hardest working, helpful, and positive people I know. AND he deals with a very bossy and demanding appraiser-Ms. Cameron daily.
Spotlight 2
On Friday, October 4 with 3 out of 4 school monitors absent, Coach Alexander jumped right in to action to help out by checking bags at the metal detector! We can always count on Coach to help manage students with an upbeat, hilarious, and “get it done” attitude.
Spotlight 3
Wednesday’s fire drill was conducted by our new safety coordinator for the 2019-20-Coach Washington! This is a new duty this year for Coach, and as he put it-we “took off the training wheels” on Wednesday. Kudos to him for being vested in our students and staff safety!
Spotlight on Ms. Draper
Congrats to Ms. Draper and the results earned by our awesome AP Scholars on their AP Spanish test. Thirty eight scholars took the assessment and 79% scored 3 or higher. We were only 7% below the state. Ms. Drapers scholars were in close proximity to the TX score distribution for 4s and 5s.
This was accomplished facing many challenge as the AP teacher last year left in December and Ms. Draper only had access to the scholars during after school tutoring and Saturday sessions. Hats off to you Ms. Draper!! Elite in Your 20 Square Feet positively impacted our scholars.
WAIP information that is specific to an individual, team, grade, content, will be emailed directly.
Mr. Sharp
Ms. Lad
Dr. Youman
Super Spruce FAFSA & TAFSA Night!
Parent / Teacher Conferences
Pizza and Salad for Parent Teacher Conferences
NAF Advisory Board Meeting
Younglife Spoils Us :-)!
Thank you for spreading the love and positivity!
Staff Parking in Rear
MANDATORY CLOCK IN
- Monitors & Parking Attendant: 7:30 am
- Administrators: 7:50 am
- Clerks: 8:00 am
- Teacher Assistants: Ranger 7:30, 8:00, or 8:15
- Teachers: 8:15 am
8:20 AM Duty Begins
Please be at duty post ready to go a couple minutes early so that doors are opened at 8:20am. Teamwork makes the Dream Work!!
Tardy AM Procedure (Amended for 'C' Days)
Rear Entrance - ALL DAYS (9:00 am to 9:20 am)
- Our late door entrance, rear of campus/upperclassmen entrance, is open from 9:00 to 9:20 am.
- Scholars will be given a colored tardy pass (see picture BELOW) with the time/date written on it by late door check in monitors (Rubio/McWhorter/Espinoza). We need this process to be fast and will only involve the monitor putting the time/date on the slip and sending scholars off to class. Students may pick up breakfast but they have the time/date stamped on their pass and are to move quickly to class (5-7 minutes).
- The late door (upperclassmen entrance) is closed at 9:20 am.
Front Door Entrance - A/B DAYS (9:21 am to 9:40 am)
- Scholars that arrive after 9:20 am enter through the front of the building and check in with Ms. Edison.
- Between 9:21 am and 9:40 am scholars will receive the colored tardy pass from Ms. Edison or designated staff member when she is absent.
- If a scholar arrives after 9:40 am they will sign into the Late to School Log and be escorted to ISS for the remainder of the period.
Front Door Entrance - C DAYS (9:21 am to 9:48 am)
- Scholars that arrive after 9:20 am enter through the front of the building and check in with Ms. Edison.
- Between 9:21 am and 9:48 am scholars will sign into the Late to School Log and be escorted to ISS for the remainder of the period.
Teacher Moves:
- Every student that has arrived late should be allowed into class and still be marked tardy in attendance by you the teacher.
- Every* student should have a pass and show their teacher their pass upon entrance into class. ( * See exception below)
- Teachers should check the time on the pass against the time the student arrives in class to make sure it is reasonable. If not, teacher should follow-up accordingly with appropriate student interventions such as student conference, parent contact, etc.
- No teacher hallway passes allowed before 9:45 am. There are some scholars in the halls with hallway passes, please let's NOT slip on this expectation.
- The color of the tardy pass this week is SALMON.
* exception - Keep in mind tardy passes will not begin being issued until 9 am. That means students arriving just minutes before 9 am will not be getting a pass yet will probably still be tardy to class. Please allow some leeway with students within the first 5 - 10 minutes of class time each day for not having a pass depending on what time they actually come through the metal detectors. This is a great opportunity to have a conversation with your student about not arriving at the last minute to school and being caught in this awkward situation of being asked for a pass and not having one.
Monthly Fire Drills
BEFORE THE DRILL:
· Review the e-mailed evacuation map for your floor;
· Review the e-mailed color-coded buddy system and find your buddy teacher/staff member; and
· Print a copy of the attendance rosters.
DURING THE DRILL:
· Use the proper stairway/exit,
· Exit the building quickly and orderly with students,
· Take attendance and ensure that all students are present once outside,
· Communicate to your buddy and person in charge of your stairwell if a student is missing, and
· Wait for the bell to ring before re-entering the building.
AFTER THE DRILL:
· Use the proper stairway/re-entry point,
· Enter the building quickly and orderly with class,
· Report DIRECTLY back to class with students,
· Take attendance and ensure that all your students returned to class, and
· Reset class and resume teaching and learning.
H. Grady Spruce High School
Located in the heart of the Pleasant Grove region of Dallas, Texas, H. Grady Spruce High School serves a diverse population of students and their families. Our neighborhood maintains a strong tradition of community, hard work, and pride. Families have made Pleasant Grove their home for generations, and many of our students can claim a legacy of Spruce alumnae that go back to the founding of the school.
H. Grady Spruce High School was built in 1963, replacing Rylie High School. The school is named for Henry Grady Spruce, a native of Omen, Texas, who earned degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Chicago. He devoted much of his 35-year YMCA career to youth, including 25 years as director of the Dallas YMCA's Camp Crockett near Granbury.
Email: frataylor@dallasisd.org
Website: https://www.dallasisd.org/spruce
Location: 9733 Old Seagoville Road, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 972-892-5500