Poynter Patriot News
Weekly Staff Bulletin
April 11-15, 2016
Hello Everyone,
One of the great things I love about Poynter (amongst a thousand other things) is our connection to kids. So many of you have established such wonderful relationships and connections to students and families. This week, John Matsuo who is the Principal at Lenox Elementary sent out this video about the connections between teachers and students. It is AWESOME!!! As I was watching it, I can see the faces of Poynter students and their reactions. It truly is inspiring. I think I am going to just remind kids how much they mean to me and see what their reaction will be.
Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFaJdBq78lc&feature=youtu.be
Have a great week ahead.
Jon
Mission:
Poynter Middle School community invests in every student to help them develop skills for high school with progress towards college and career readiness.
Vision:
If…
Connection
- attendance increases through tracking, responding, and communicating with students and families
- multiple pathways are utilized for school to home connection such as phone calls, emails, postcards, home visits, school community events (back to school nights, parent conferences, ice cream social, AVID family nights, Latino Family Nights,
- relevant extracurricular activities (such as clubs, sports, performances) are offered and available
Instruction
- rigorous instruction from bell to bell by all staff is a priority
- Professional Learning Communities create common assessments and examine data to drive reflective instruction
- explicit academic language instruction is a priority through strategies such as sentence frames, scaffolding, direct instruction, Depth of Knowledge, Constructing Meaning, FIELD
- teacher training and implementation of strategies are supported and is part of the culture of Poynter Middle School
- students are taught to become better organized through the use of AVID strategies
Culture
- equitable supports focusing on individual needs are implemented within our academic teams
- fostering a culture of respect, safety, and being connected are a value
Then…
Every student will develop skills for high school with progress towards college and career readiness.
Motto:
Middle School Matters
Coaches Corner---Cherylen Marshall
During academic seminar this week, we discussed the purpose of instructional rounds and started talking about the protocol we will start using this year. For this protocol, we will be using the data collection style of noticings (description) and wonderings. The discipline of description is the core practice on which rounds are based and is quite unfamiliar and counterintuitive for most educators. It must be learned and some other habits - like using general and judgemental language or jargon - must be unlearned. The kind of observing we will be doing focuses not on teachers themselves, but on the teaching, learning, and content of the instructional core. What is the task that students are working on? In what specific ways are the teacher and students interacting in relation to the task? Description is the evidence of what you see, not what you think about what you see.
Description Without Judgement
Teacher asks, “How did you figure out this problem?” Student explains.
Students followed directions in the text to make circuit boards.
Teacher said, “Write the words that I spell in the blank spaces. S-P-O-T. D-O-T.”
Task: Find different ways to create a total of 31.
Student 1 wrote in math journal:
5+5+5+5+5+5+1 = 31
10+10+10+1 = 31
S2: 20+9 = 03
S3: 41-10 = 31
2+3 x 3+16 = 31
Student 1 asks student 2: “What are we supposed to write down?”
Student 2: “I don’t know”
Source: City, E. Instructional Rounds in Education and Instructional Rounds in Action
College Spirit
College Future
Think College
General Information for all staff
*Snow day make up for Classified--Please talk to Jon, Nabil or Katie (when she returns) about making up the snow day. Some of you have already done so and if already approved you are good to go.
*SBAC testing has started----Now is a great time to send out messages to parents and students about coming to school with a good nights sleep, with breakfast (if possible), and do their very best.
*A Huge Shout-out to our Track team and Coaches. Poynter had a great second track meet of the season. Poynter competed against 4 other schools and did a fantastic job. The next track meet is this Thursday at Liberty High School.
*Day of Silence---This Friday the GSA is sponsoring a Day of Silence. Students who will be participating will have a card indicating they are participating for the day. If you have questions please see Vanessa or Michaela.
Current Week and March At A Glance
Monday-April 11
3:20 Musical Rehearsal
3:30 Track practice
3:30 TRIO
3:30 Migrant Extended Day Tutorial
Tuesday-April 12
Wildcats/Pilots mtg. 8:00-8:45
11:00 Attendance Team
MESA 3:15-5:00
Bike Club 3:30-4:45
Musical Rehearsal 3:20
Track practice 3:30
3:30 Migrant Extended Day Tutorial
Wednesday-April 13
Academic Seminar---Licensed--Teams
7:50-8:50 Chess Club
GSA 12:00-1:30 (1st lunch Ceccarelli, 2nd lunch Byrne)
1:30 CARE team
Musical Rehearsal 3:20
NUTS and BOLTS meeting 3:20
Track Practice 3:30
Thursday-April 14
Boxers/Vikings meeting 8:00-8:45
Spanish Placement Test-Homeroom (8th Grade)
7th grade MVP Reward Room 22-25
8th Grade MVP Reward CAFE
Equity Team meeting 3:30
Bike Club 3:30
Musical Rehearsal 3:20
Track Meet 5:00 at Liberty High School
Friday, April 15
8:00 Team Leader Meeting
Day of Silence
Saturday, April 16
Saturday School 8:00-10:00
Upcoming Events:
4/19 and 4/21 Incoming 7th grade nights 6:00-7:45
4/20 SOLV campus clean-up
4/25 SBAC math starts
4/28 VIP ticket event
4/29 Be Connected "UNITY" assembly.
Remember Monday is AVID gear, Tuesday is Tie Tuesday, Wednesday is Poynter Gear, Friday is college or Liberty gear.
Thought of the Week
Poynter Middle School
Email: pedej@hsd.k12.or.us
Website: www.hsd.k12.or.us
Location: 1535 NE Grant St, Hillsboro, OR, United States
Phone: 503-844-1580
Twitter: @poynterms