Eagle Updates
January 12, 2020
Congratulations to our School Bell Award Nominee!
From Mrs. Barry:
It's been a fabulous week back at school! The best day was TUESDAY, when our sweet Eagles returned. It's amazing to us to see how much they've grown in just two weeks! We are excited about this new semester!
On Monday, our staff spent the day in training. Specifically, we reviewed Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs. A PLC is an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.
There are three big ideas surrounding a PLC:
- We accept learning as the fundamental purpose of our school and therefore are willing to examine all practices in light of their impact on learning.
- We are committed to working together to achieve our collective purpose. We cultivate a collaborative culture through the development of high-performing teams.
- We assess our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions. Individuals, teams, and schools seek relevant data and information and use that information to promote continuous improvement.
In addition, four critical questions guide the work of a PLC:
- What is it we want our students to know and be able to do?
- How will we know if each student has learned it?
- How will we respond when some students do not learn it?
- How will we extend the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency?
A major part of the PLC process is collaboration. At MWE, we believe ALL students are OUR students. Though one teacher may have someone is his/her homeroom or even grade level, each and every Eagle belongs to each and every staff member. As such, we employ flexible grouping and other collaborative strategies to meet the needs of all children.
A results orientation in PLCs means that we operate under a cyclical process where we:
- Gather evidence of current levels of student learning
- Develop strategies and ideas to build on strengths and address weaknesses in that learning
- Implement those strategies and ideas
- Analyze the impact of changes to discover what was effective and what was not
- Apply new knowledge in the next cycle of continuous improvement
All of this is done through the use of common goals and targeted, critical skills and knowledge in each grade level. Assessments play an important role as they not only inform us to what students know or have learned, but also inform us of changes we need to make to instruction.
Our amazing teachers work within PLCs to provide the best possible education for your children. All work revolves around our shared mission, vision, goals, and commitments/core values. If you are interested in more information about PLCs, the reference we use is "Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work," which highlights the work of Dr. Richard DuFour.
Thank you for the support you give us as we continuously seek to improve our teaching and student learning. Your partnership is critical to our success and greatly appreciated!
Welcome home to MWE!
TEA School Report Card for 2018-19
The 2018–19 School Report Cards (SRC) are now available on the Texas Education Agency’s website at http://tea.texas.gov/perfreport/src/index.html.
The purpose of the SRC is to inform parents and guardians about a campus’s individual characteristics and its academic performance.
For those who would like greater detail about the information in the SRC, the 2018–19 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) Glossary is a useful resource. It contains definitions and data sources for all the information included in the SRC; the data in the SRC is a subset of that published in the TAPR.
The TAPR Glossary is available on the TEA website at https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/perfreport/tapr/2019/glossary.pdf.
The administrative rules that govern the SRC (19 TAC §61.1021) are available on the TEA website at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter061/ch61bb.html.
If you have questions regarding the SRC, please reach out to Mrs. Barry at lynne.barry@springbranchisd.com.
What's going on with the buses???
This also applies to the morning routes. Buses are doubling up, causing the bus to be a little earlier or later than normal. In addition, they will have more students than normal.
Transportation is working diligently to find solutions to this situation; however, they anticipate this will continue until further notice. Thank you for your patience, and we will continue to send Remind notices informing you of the current afternoon status.
Academic Volunteer Training - This Friday!
Prior to the training, please complete the volunteer registration form on the SBISD website, checking both "Meadow Wood" and "Tutor" on the application.
https://www.springbranchisd.com/engage/register-to-volunteer
Lunch with MWE Leaders - This Friday!
This is a come-and-go, informal event! Mrs. Barry and Ms. Vendetti are looking forward to chatting with you!
Parent Night - January 22nd: Student Success Initiative (SSI)
Per the Texas Education Agency, the Student Success Initiative (SSI) grade advancement requirements apply to students enrolled in grades 5 and 8 who take the STAAR reading and mathematics tests. It was enacted by the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999 and modified by the 81st Texas Legislature in 2009.
Currently, a student who is not successful on the reading and/or math STAAR in grades 5 and 8 may not be promoted to the next grade unless he or she completes all required accelerated instruction. This instruction may require participation of student before or after normal school hours, during summer, or before the beginning of the next school year.
The goal of the SSI is to ensure that all students receive the instruction and support they need to be academically successful in reading and mathematics. This effort depends greatly on schools, parents, and community members working in partnership to meet individual student needs.
Please join us on Wednesday, January 22nd at 5:30 to learn more about SSI at MWE. We will be going over the TEA flowchart, discuss students in special programs, and reviewing the process here at MWE. Though this is designed for 5th grade parents, all parents are welcome.
Pre-Kinder Lottery NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Beginning January 7, 2020, through January 30, 2020, Meadow Wood will be accepting Lottery Applications for our 2020-2021 Pre-K Class. The lottery is for any child turning four years old before September 1, 2020, and who lives in the Meadow Wood attendance zone. You may come to the school to fill out the application or download the form here or on our website. However, you must bring in the form to the school by the deadline to be considered for the lottery. The drawing will be held January 31, 2020, at 8:30 a.m.
If you have any questions, please call Susan Snelling at 713-251-6204.P
Projections for 2020-2021
Grade levels will consist of the following:
- Pre-K: 1 teacher
- Kinder: 4 teachers
- 1st grade: 4 teachers
- 2nd grade: 5 teachers
- 3rd grade: 4 teachers
- 4th grade: 4 teachers
- 5th grade: 4 teachers
Please note that these are PRELIMINARY projections. SBISD's Board of Trustees will vote on final staffing allotments in March.
It's "testing" season...
- Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) - In addition to testing done at the beginning of the year, MAP is also taken mid-year and at the end of the year. The purpose is to monitor student growth. All students in Kinder through 5th grade take MAP.
- Running Records - Running records are a method of assessing your child's reading progress by systematically evaluating reading and error patterns. It captures both how well a student reads, their reading behaviors and their comprehension. All of our Language Arts teachers are trained to take formal and informal running records, and all students participate in this assessment. Though done continuously, formal running records are only completed at certain times during the school year.
- Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment Scale (TELPAS) - This system looks at English reading, writing, listening, and speaking growth for our students for whom English is their second language. Only these students participate in TELPAS.
- State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) - STAAR testing begins in third grade. Third graders take tests in math and reading; fourth graders take math, reading, and writing; and fifth graders take math, reading, and science. In addition, we give "released" versions of the test early in the semester to inform instruction and to give an opportunity for students to practice is a "real" setting.
We know this is a lot of testing, especially combined with regular classroom assessments. We do our very best to meet the requirements of the state and district while minimizing the interruptions to regular classroom instruction and routines.
Save the Date!
Plan to join SBISD on Saturday, February 1, 2020
for our annual Parent U!
This half-day event features presentations for families with elementary students. District and area experts will offer an array of topics ranging from academic success, the whole child, supporting students with special needs, and parenting skills.
The Health Fitness and Student Wellness Department will provide fun activities for kids in PreK – 5th grade while parents attend sessions. Spots for kids are limited.
Please mark your calendars.
Registration and more details to come soon.
SBISD Parent U: Supporting Success
for Every Child (PreK-5th)
When: Saturday, February 1, 2020
Where: Northbrook Middle School
(3030 Rosefield Dr., TX 77080)
8:15 – 8:50 am – Registration
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Learning Sessions
Questions?
Contact FAMILYE3@springbranchisd.com or 713-251-2284.
Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Roundup for Parents
Thursday, February 20, 2020
5:30p.m.-6:30p.m.
MWE Library
Please come and meet our Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, tour the school and learn about our fabulous early Childhood Program here at Meadow Wood. This event is only for parents new to the grade level for 2020-2021. Please share this information with your neighbors!
A few reminders....
- Report Cards went home on Friday, January 10th. Please check your child's Friday Folder, sign the envelope, and return! Thank you!
- Meadow Wood opens, and staff is on duty, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Unless your child has tutoring or a club, for safety, please do not drop them off early.
- Please remember that students should only be dropped off through the car rider line. No students should be dropped off in the parking lot or on the street. You are welcome to park and walk your child into the building.
- January 20th is a school HOLIDAY!
Please mark your calendar for these important events!
January 15
School Store
General PTA Meeting (9 a.m. - Cafeteria)
January 16
Mentor/Mentee New Year Party
January 17
College T-shirt Day
Hands on Science - 5th grade
Academic Volunteer Training (10 a.m. - Multipurpose Room)
Lunch with MWE Leaders (11-1 - Multipurpose Room)
January 20
HOLIDAY
January 21
Hands on Science - 3rd grade
January 22
Garden weeding
SWAG Meeting
CSHAC Meeting
Parent Night (5:30 - Library)
January 23
Hands on Science - 1st grade
January 24
Lunar New Year Celebration
January 28
International Festival
January 29
Hands on Science - Kinder
January 31
SBISD Spelling Bee
January Specials Calendar
International Festival
The International Festival is a wonderful event that celebrates Meadow Wood's rich cultural diversity. It is a fun-filled evening where students and families share and learn about cultures and customs of various countries. During the event, students will be issued passports and be able to visit booths where they can sample food and learn about a country's language, history, geographical location, flag and much more. There will also be games and fun-filled activities that are sure to delight everyone.
Parents, we invite you to represent your country by bringing photos, information about your country, samples of food, clothing, music, crafts, or interactive activities. If you are interested in doing so, please email Eugenia Boada at eugenialabanca@yahoo.com
Join us on Tuesday, January 28th between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. for this fun-filled event!
Sponsor Spotlight!
Chick-fil-A is a valued supporter of MWE. Please show your love and appreciation by visiting their Memorial & Dairy Ashford location for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.