Food for Thought
Principal's Weekly Communication -Week of September 21
Inspiration for the Week
School Improvement
To support optimal student achievement (academic and behavior) by utilizing a proactive systems approach for creating and maintaining a safe, respectful and responsible learning environment. We promote family and community involvement. The minutes can be found at this link:
MAP Make Up tests continue. Thank you to Guy and Lisa for organizing. This week at our PLC meeting we learned the purpose of MAP testing, what the reports have to offer and about goal setting with our class and individual students. Monica and Jenni are available to model goal setting with your students or help students set goals. Let us know. Guy is available to help you access your reports. We will use our PLC next week to collaborate on the application of what we learned about goal setting.
Teaching Innovation
Want to Learn More?
Research tells us that when students know the expectations, they are more likely to achieve those goals.
“The starting place for all effective instruction is designing and communicating clear learning goals.”
Robert Marzano (2009)
“I Can” statements empower students, provide a common focus, communicate what is important, build community and engagement and increase motivation and confidence.
As you use I can statements think about the following:
Does your “I Can” statement capture the following information? (What the Students Need to Know, Understand, Do?)
Do 90% of the students in the classroom know where the learning objective is listed?
Do you list the learning objective on student assignments?
How are you communicating this to parents?
Article explaining the benefits of learning targets: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar11/vol68/num06/Knowing-Your-Learning-Target.aspx
Sample of I Can statements used in K-5 ELA Units is now in our Husmann Shared Folder under ELA Units. https://drive.google.com/a/d47.org/folderview?id=0B0qsNkTrIbyWfmI3a3ZCN2FKNVpTbTZkTDZpQzBzTHdCcV9PQnpsLWxMaDhndWhRV3V1YWc&usp=sharing
Did You Know?
Monthly Principal Coffees
We just had our first Principal Coffee. The focus of this first coffee was for us to introduce ourselves, share our educational backgrounds, our leadership philosophies, how we plan to communicate with families and generate a list of topics parents would be interested in learning more about.
Our next Principal Coffee will he held on Tuesday, October 13th @ 7:00 PM in the LMC. The focus of the discussion will be centered around the following questions:
How are we currently providing educational excellence for all students here at Husmann?
How are we currently not providing educational excellence for all students?
What are solutions to enhancing the educational excellence for all students at Husmann?
Online Progress Reports
https://drive.google.com/a/d47.org/file/d/0B8YGPzLTRJcCdlhUNUR0Z2NxR3c/view?usp=sharing
Brief articles have been added to every building's home page/website that includes a link to the videos that Jason so expertly created! (K-5: progress report changes; 6-8: grading changes)
October 5th-Progress report training to Jason Brogan
October 19th Synergy Report card Training
Units of Study
Unit 2 has been posted!. Check your Unit pacing calendar for your grade level.
https://sites.google.com/a/d47.org/d47ccssela/
NOW AVAILABLE: Individual Grade Level courses (All Things K-5, respectively) in which participants will explore the newly revised Units of Study and will share ideas for implementation. Time will be set aside for discussion regarding the new progress reports, rubrics, and record keeping forms that connect to the units. In addition, a class on grant writing is included in the attached catalog for review and registration. Courses begin in October. Register now via the ERO link on the website.
https://ero1.eschoolsolutions.com/user/Login.taf?
ELA Posters for 2nd Grade:
YOU ROCK!
Emily Schaefer ROCKS because she still had our grant meeting with Lori Parrish (I had another meeting). THANKS!-Kerri Tilton
- Kristin Thorsen helped me update a boring lesson on evaluating sources to an exciting one evaluating web sites. She found interesting, humorous web sites for the students to evaluate and taught me how to make QR codes for the students to get to the sites!
Joyce Bell
Bim promised to adjust my projector and when he couldn't make it during the day, he dropped by and fixed it at 8pm in the evening!
Joyce Bell
Jill Khuns adjusted the recycling schedule so that it didn't interfere with EC. -Joyce Bell
Mrs. Brokhof and Mrs. Lahey both deserve a You Rocks from me for working so hard in my classroom! Thank you ladies!-Barbara Brayton
I would like to give a shout out to Cathy Barklow! I love some of the new ideas she has implemented in her classroom this year. She has been so welcoming in letting me take pictures in her room and discuss some of her ideas. She does such a great job setting up a focus wall for the week, setting classroom expectations for noise level and allowing students to reflect on what they are learning.-
Katie Felz
Kathy Kielbasa (aka Gramma Kathy), playground supervisor, for my "you rock" shout out. Kathy walks in to Husmann like a beam of sunshine. She always has a smile on her face, a hug and kind word for everybody. Just being around her lifts my spirits! Thanks for being you, Kathy, and the positive energy you bring. You rock! -
Joy Burney
5th grade rocks for creating a shared agenda to keep their team meetings focused! -
Jenni Atkinson
- Selena rocks for leading the PPS team through IEP Synergy training!
- To my new hallmates: Jill, Rita, Debbie, Cathy, and Lynn for being so helpful and welcoming this school year!-Emily
I want to send a You Rock to Selena for taking on the laborious task of setting up all students a template for IEP progress reports-
Kristin Ziemba
Husmann Happenings Coming Up
9/28
- Vision and Hearing Screening
- New round of Principal Pride Awards
- PLC
- 1st grade rehearsal
9/29
- 5th Grade Band
- Flu SHots
9/30
- 5th Grade Music Rehearsal
- Chorus
10/1
- PPS Team mtg
- Dr. Hinz visit with staff during the lunch hour 11:00-1:00.
- Recycle Day
- Flu Shots
10/2
- 5th grade band
- Husmann Spirit Day-Add to your newsletters