The Bruin Blast
Labor Omnia Vincit
Week #3 of the 4th 6 weeks: January 18-22
Habit #3: Put First Things First
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Principal's Corner
This semester will go by quickly. We will need to ensure that your plan is solid in preparation for our continued acceleration to close the achievement gap. Please remember that we must work together to make the most impact for students. Please communicate with each other and help each other adjust your plans for your students. If what you are trying is not moving your students at the pace necessary then try something different. Find yourself a think partner. Someone you know can support your efforts by thinking outside of the box, looking at the student from a different perspective and/ or even a teacher from a different grade level. This semester we will focus in on how students are accelerating and our actions for intervening.
We are all here to improve the quality of education of our Blanton students!!
Please note that our grade level meetings will take place tomorrow (Wednesday, January 20th).
Have a great week of teaching and learning!
HARD WORK CONQUERS ALL!
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COUNTDOWN TO:
As of Friday 1/15:
5th Grade
Math: 45 instructional days
Reading: 46 instructional days
Science: 75 instructional days
4th Grade
Writing: 45 instructional days
Math: 73 instructional days
Reading: 74 instructional days
3rd Grade
Math: 73 instructional days
Reading: 74 instructional days
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Coming up this week:
GRADE LEVEL MEETINGS on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20th
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
STAAR Intervention Academy by Region 10
Where?
Kathryn Gilliam Collegiate Acdemy
Time?
9:00-12:00
Register through Schoolnet using the codes below:
4th Writing: 1000002877
5th Math: 1000002882
5th Reading: 1000002876
Download the January 2016 Calendar:
Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9ZchZR-xt-Fdy0yR3BQUkk2X2c/view?usp=sharing
One Drive (it's in the folder Shared with Everyone):
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Writer's Workshop this week
In a conversation with Mrs. Healey this week, I was reminded of why I love teaching reading. She shared a story of observing students “devouring text” while visiting a campus. Students should be excited about reading and not see it as a chore. Relevant discussions, journaling, and annotating while they read strengthens and reinforces comprehension. Being an avid reader myself, I know the joy that reading brings and how much that joy is multiplied when sharing it with others. Long before Oprah made the idea of Book Clubs famous, my students (elementary, middle school, high school, and college), were fully engaged in text through literature circles, book clubs, independent reading and the like. They couldn’t get enough! I’ve seen evidence of this in our hallways when students are SO excited about what they are reading that they are walking down the hall with an open book in their hands! How cool is that?
Happy Reading!
Dr. Garcia
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ESTAR/MSTAR Winter Screener
As you know, one of our Core Beliefs is that with our help, at risk students will achieve at the same rate as non-at risk students. This is where ESTAR/MSTAR comes in, so this week during our Collaborative Planning PLC we will discuss the Winter Screener results. Through the analysis we will decide the best Diagnostics for our scholars using the Decision-Making Tree. Hopefully by the day that we meet, your students will have finished the Winter Screener. Once we have identified the Diagnostic appropriate for our tier 3A & 3B students, we will be able to see what lessons would be the highest leverage for them to be algebra ready.
All of us are commitment to children and to the pursuit of excellence, which makes our PLC easier a great opportunity to share instructional experiences that work, analyze our instructional practice and adjust it to better serve our scholars. If time allows, our agenda will also include:
- Reviewing the LOs/DOLs for Week #4
- Analyze questions stems on Student Expectations Handbook, Semester 2 (for grades 3-5) that you received during our Carnegie Learning Academy on 1/9. Through the analysis of the question stems, we will reflect on our LOs/DOLs and our instructional practices for the upcoming week, to make sure we are aligned to the level of rigor on STAAR.
- Go over how to explain the lessons (essential knowledge we can our students to grasp) and what activities we could use during class.
With the purpose to better serve you, and provide you with feedback that helps you improve the quality of instruction, I will ask you on that day to fill out a small survey to get an insight of what you consider to be your strengths and areas of growth. As well, what Professional Development you would like to get that help you improve instruction, your level of comfort with me recording you using TORSH, and what type of feedback you prefer after I come in and observe your practice.
Have a great long-weekend & see you on Tuesday refreshed! :)
-Alicia
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We celebrate the GREATNESS in you!!
- Congratulations Mrs. Barcenas on being accepted into the Doctoral Program in education at Texas A & M Commerce!
- "For real this week I stuck to my nutritional plan & made it to the gym three days!!! Jajaja :)" - Ms. Iwasko
Got news to share (birthdays, milestones, anniversaries, etc?), please click on the link below:
Labor Omnia Vincit
We are Blanton PROUD!
HARD WORK CONQUERS ALL!!
Website: www.dallasisd.org/blanton
Location: 8915 Greenmound Ave, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 972-794-1700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieWebbBlantonSchool