Birdneck Briefing
Updates-Info-Links Weeks of April 17-21
FYI Weeks of 4/17/17 to 4/21/17 College Awareness Week
4/17 Return from break
4/18 Little Feet Meet (Tallwood HS) Students will need to be ready to load busses by 9:15 a.m.
4/19 PAC meeting 3:00 in Flexible Learning Space
4/20 Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast 8:30
4/21 Lynnhaven MS feeder school visit 9:30-11 (5th grade)
4/22 Kindergarten SAPLINGS Fieldtrip (Francis Land House) 8:00-12:00
4/26 Staff Meeting for all staff
This is your Captain Speaking!
Hello Staff,
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. I hope you all were able to relax and have fun during the break. We are making it to the home stretch and your students have made so much progress. This is a great time for me to summarize some of the things we have been working on this year. We began the year with our focus of building relationships and collaboration. We've had professional development to help us build relationships and community with our students using Responsive Classroom strategies. The Birdneck Briefing from February 24th (Responsive Classroom Edition) https://www.smore.com/vyx9t can be used as a resource for you to go back to view sample videos. We've learned many strategies to help improve classroom management, most of which are related to relationship building. In collabs we've talked a lot about integrating the curriculums and are exploring PBL.
Now that we are back from break we will continue to focus our relationships with students, parents, and our colleagues. After a break is a great time to reinforce the behavioral and academic expectations you have for your students.
Captain out,
RV Yoshida
Reading Rocks!
Do you want more proof that reading aloud is good for your students! Consider taking a look at this site. Lots of great information to consider as a teacher, as well as to share with your parents, to encourage the good habit of reading aloud to their student... at any age!
Math Matters!
What Can We Learn From Countries That Effectively Teach Math?
Click here to read the full article.
Boaler and Zoido go on to recommend that math teachers focus on presenting students with visual, engaging tasks that let students grapple with the problem, test out various strategies, and thus gain a deeper understanding of core concepts. They point to research showing that students who solve problems by memorizing algorithms use a completely different part of the brain than those who work out the problem with various strategies. They posit that if the U.S. wants to improve the math abilities of its young people, it must heed the research and switch approaches.
Tech Talk!
“This year we started working in Google Classroom with our book study on “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”. Some teachers have already begun delving into the use of Google Classroom with their students. There are so many different ways to transform how you interact with your class that it can be difficult to know where to start and see the potential.
A really great educator and blogger to follow is Alice Keeler. She has a ton of user friendly ways to get started in Class using add-ons and extensions. You can find her page with a quick google search of her name or you can click here to see a collection of posts. She does have some books we can look at for a book study but there are tons of FREE resources. Go check them out and let me know if there is something you are interested in checking out for next year. Contact Lindsey Comfort if you have are inspired or have any ideas and would like some support.
Want to be blown away? Check out this video of 4 year-olds in Google Classroom- “
REMINDERS
Reminder: Check on your PLP points
Reminder: Greet your students at the door every morning
Reminder: Have fun at work!
PLP Opportunities
As noted in the Road to Gold document distributed at the Administrators’ Conference, one focus area for school staff for 2016-2017 is to make use of resources, including professional learning opportunities, developed to build awareness around personalized learning, a critical component of Goal 2 of the strategic framework, Compass to 2020.
Personalized learning resources include the following:
Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ Personalized Learning Website- http://vbplearn.weebly.com – This site is continuously updated with resources, videos, and artifacts aligned with the VBCPS definition of Personalized Learning.
Personalized Learning Overview and Introduction to Essential Components (Online) – This online course is running continuously through Apr. 30, 2017. Participants receive three Professional Learning Program (PLP) points for completion of the course.
Wading into the Waters of Personalized and Blended Learning - This site-based course can be provided by each school’s instructional technology specialist(s).
Join our PTA
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Join the PTA! Our goal is to have 100% Staff participation!!!!!!!!!
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Check out the PTA website at http://birdneckpta.weebly.com/
Licensure: Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP)
All teachers new to Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) are required to meet the Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP) within the first year (12 months) of employment.
This is a licensure requirement for the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).
Your TSIP requirement must be completed no later than: May 31, 2017
Between now and June 30, 2017, please work with the Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) to identify the dates and times to take and pass the TSIP tests in your school. Make every effort to complete this requirement prior to the end of this school year.
Additional TSIP testing sessions will be made by appointment through the Department of Human Resources during the month of July 2017.
For questions about licensure requirements and other options, please email your licensure analyst:
Last names beginning with A-Gn ............ Patti Perger, patti.perger@vbschools.com
Last names beginning with Go-N ........... Leslie Miller, leslie.miller@vbschools.com
Last names beginning with O-Z .............. Ila James, ila.james@vbschools.com
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
The mission of Birdneck Elementary is to dedicate ourselves to the success of all children, preparing them to meet today's expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
BIRDNECK VISION
Children are our future. We are dedicated to their success.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120