EAST PAULDING MIDDLE SCHOOL
January 12, 2018
Today, I learned that the outstanding work you did last year to support the students of EPMS not only helped us exceed our target score of 74.1, but the hard work you did also gave us the distinction of being named a "Beating the Odds" school. Being named a "Beating the Odds" school means that we scored higher than similar schools.
This is the 1st year that EPMS has been designated as a "Beating the Odds" school. Congratulations and thank you for the job you do each day to support our students!!
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
Think back to your "resolutions"...how are you doing after 3 weeks have passed? Are you being consistent with eating healthy, exercising daily, investing in your family, spending time with The Man Upstairs? If so, all of those "small" things will eventually lead to a greater accomplishment. Or, are you struggling and falling back into hold habits?
The bigger question is, "What are you saying to yourself and others?" Are you "selling it" through your words and thoughts or are you "demonstrating it" through your actions? If you are only "selling it", you will eventually and incidentally sabotage your ultimate goal, and you can always start again. However, if you get tired of starting over then it may be time to stop "quitting". If you are "demonstrating it", I have two words for you . . . KEEP GOING!
Now...let's think about this in terms of our responsibilities as educators. Have we CONSISTENTLY demonstrated what we set out to do at the beginning of the year or are we "selling it"? We have a good plan in place; it is focused, and it allows us to control what we can control. If you are "demonstrating it", KEEP GOING! If you are "selling it" or if others are allowing you to "sell it" along with them, its time to refocus.
CONSISTENCY!
UPCOMING EVENTS
1/15/18 - MLK Holiday
1/16/18 - 6th Grade Science Benchmark
1/17/18 - Science PL with Sarah Graham at DWIC
1/17/18 - PTSA Soup Day
1/18/18 - 7th Grade Science Benchmark
1/18/17 - Fire Drill
1/19/18 - 1st Semester Academic Celebration
1/19/18 - 8th Grade Science Benchmark
1/19/18 - PE/Connections Title II Day
1/22/18 - SBIT - 7:45 - 816
1/22/18 - Beginners Canvas Training with Jenna Barton - 502
1/23/18 - Paraprofessionals PLC Meeting - 3:15pm - 816
1/25/18 - Co-Teaching PL - Planning - 816 (Only Co-teaching pairs should attend)
1/26/18 - TKES Walkthrough #3 Due
1/29/18 - Intermediate Canvas Training with Jenna Barton - 502
1/30/18 - 8th Grade Parent Night for HS Registration
1/31/18 - Early Release - 1:35pm
1/31/18 - Faculty Meeting - 2:00pm - Media Center
2/5/18 - Advanced Canvas Training with Jenna Barton - 502
2/9/18 - Special Olympics Bowling
2/9/18 - Leadership Team Meeting - 7:30am - 816
2/13/18 - Valentines Day Dance - 4:00-5:30pm
2/14/18 - PBIS Meeting - 4:00
2/15/18 - Drop-in Support for SIP Initiatives - 816 - During Planning
2/19 - 2/23 - February Break
don't forget to attend the Canvas PL designed for you!
Staff Attendance
REMINDER: If you need to leave for any reason prior to the end of the work day, please speak with Mrs. Raley, Mr. Jacobs, or Mr. Alverson for approval.
1st Semester Academic Celebrations
Homeroom Teachers - Please review the honor roll lists sent out by Mrs. McDaniel. If a student did not attain honor roll for both 1st and 2nd 9 weeks, please let Mrs. McDaniel know by the end of the day on Tuesday.
ALL As and Bs
Students who earned All As and Bs for both 9-weeks and the 1st Semester will receive a PTSA sponsored treat during NBI on Friday, January 19th. We will call these students to the gym at approximately 8:55.
ALL As
Students who earned All As for both 9-weeks and the1st Semester will receive a PTSA sponsored lunch on Friday, January 19th. As your class is reporting to lunch, these students will come by the front office conference room where they will receive a Chick-Fil-A lunch (sandwich, brownie, and chips).
DATA TEAMS AND CFAs
During PL on Thursday, Mrs. Burford reminded PLCs of their data team responsibilities. The expectation was that your PLC was reviewing and reporting data monthly through the use of a CFA. Some of our teams have not met since October 31 (the last day to complete meeting #1). Since I have been at EPMS, a large majority of the professionals in this building have stated that vocabulary needed to be a focus. We have listened, and through our SIP and Data Teams, we have highlighted vocabulary as a focus.
However, if our PLCs aren't monitoring student progress CONSISTENTLY through the Data Teams process, we are simply "giving lip service" to what we have said is important.
"We are what we CONSISTENTLY do, not what we say we do."
Please let us know if you need admin support with the Data Teams process.
Maintaining Focus
TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE PHOTO BELOW
Obviously, M = Math and ELA = well....ELA.
- The black number in each section is the number of students the grade level department felt confident they could move.
- The 1st red number indicates the percentage of students who scored Level 3 or 4 on last year's Milestones assessment, and the 2nd red number indicates the percentage goal for this year. (For example - 6th Grade Math has a goal of increasing their Level 3 or 4 students from 39% (16-17) to 54% (17-18).
- The blue number is the percentage increase goal.
Remember, these goals do not solely belong to Math and ELA, these are school-wide goals, and you can support them through several ways:
1. Utilizing reading strategies within your classroom (PALS, Paragraph Shrinking, Reciprocal Reading, etc)
2. Focusing on academic vocabulary through Data Teams and the use of CFAs
3. Utilizing Learning Targets and Anchor Charts to help students make connections to what they are doing and what you what them to learn
4. Ensuring students are being allowed to attend their NBI groups CONSISTENTLY
If you need help with supporting our SIP goals, planning for the use of reading strategies, or if you need to make sure your students are reporting to their designated NBI group, please let us know.
paulding county school district accreditation process
2017-2018 School Improvement Plan
STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES
1. Teachers will utilize academic vocabulary and anchor charts to increase student achievement in the classroom.2. Teachers will provide specific daily learning targets as a tool to direct student focus for each class period and monitor student progress via feedback and assessments.
WHERE ARE WE NOW
We are beginning the 2nd Semester, and it is important to regain the momentum and direction we had throughout the 1st Semester. It is important to reestablish the expectations in your classroom that students are an important part of our SIP focus. Continue to practice your daily focus of embedding academic vocabulary into your conversations and activities, creating or referencing at least 1 anchor chart each day, and writing and referencing a student friendly learning target throughout your lesson each day.
MONITORING
We will continue to monitor our SIP through formal and informal observations. Continue to refine and improve your practice of implementing learning targets, anchor charts, and vocabulary. I want to challenge you to hold yourself and your teamates accountable to stretching their limits. Our ultimate goal is to develop a building full of teachers who encourage and help each other become the best teacher they can.
MOVING FORWARD
3 words....Direction, Focus, Support.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
1/13 - Jessica Wilson
1/21 - Stephanie Carpenter
1/27 - Vaughn Irby
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Contact Information for Tom Alverson
Email: talverson@paulding.k12.ga.us
Website: http://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/Domain/29
Phone: 678-350-8027
Facebook: facebook.com/eastpauldingmiddleschool
Twitter: @epmsraiders