What's "Growing" On @ Cannon?
Staff Information & Updates 05/16/16
From the Principal's Pen...
I have provided a link below to a folder that has all of the resources you need. In the PLP Document Folder, you will find both PLP templates (the narrative form & the one with the boxes), as well as other related documents (LEAD 2021, Portrait of a Graduate, & Learning Platform Rubric, Portrait of a STEM Teacher). As a reminder, staff can choose either of the PLP templates to use, based on your personal preference. Remember that you will need to make a copy of whichever template you use and move it to your own PLP folder to complete. After you make a copy of your desired form, please add it to your own PLP folder, within your grade level folder. You will need to create your own folder for 2016-2017. If you are not planning to return to Cannon next year, you do not need to create a PLP. If you are changing grade levels, please create (move) your PLP in the grade level you are moving to.
Click here for the Cannon Staff PLP folder & PLP Document folder. Need a thinking partner? Visit with your colleagues about their PLP plans, summer PD opportunities, or reach out to Lisa, Anne or myself!
"If we can be excited about teaching every day, that’s great, but if we become passionate about our own learning, the differences we can make in schools moving forward will be immeasurable." George Couros
Proud to be your principal,
Tona :)
Lisa's Coaching Corner
Teacher College Reading/Writing Workshops
Trent Deberry and Alyssa Newman have conducted workshops at four schools in our district to which we were able to send 6 teachers. They have a high level of expertise in reading/writing workshop and have helped teachers to enhance their reading/writing instruction in GCISD. Trent and Alyssa contacted Dr. Newell recently about the possibility of hosting a workshop (or set of workshops) in our area that would be available for teachers to attend for a fee.
While we have some offerings provided in-house this summer, this is a great opportunity to learn from experienced “Teacher College” trainers. The time frame for their offerings will likely be the first week of August (one-day sessions) at a cost of $100-125/per day, per teacher). Tona is willing to send teachers to this training so please email both of us if you are interested so we can help facilitate registration.
They have provided a survey link to get a gauge of the level of interest so they can finalize their class topics and schedule. If you are interested in this, please complete it.
STAFF LOVE & JOY!!
Jessica Kim - Graduated with Masters in Education
Brenda Milum Becomes Brenda Mimi!
Jennifer Schultz - Engaged!
Dates to Remember
5/16 Final UCAN to plan YEN
5/16 Cubs Night Out @ Pluckers
5/17 PTA Talk & Tea 7:45-8:30 - A Focus on Literacy
5/17 PLC Week B - 5th grade 2:00-3:30
5/18 NRH20 Music Festival - choir trip
5/18 Kindergarten Walk to Botanical Gardens 10-12:30
5/18 PLC Week B - 4th grade 2:00-3:30
5/19 LPAC meetings with Anne & Alejandra - be prepared!
5/19 PLC Week B - 3rd grade 2:00-3:30
5/19 Young Engineer's Night 6:00-7:30 pm
5/20 Career Day - K-5
5/23 Author Visit - Candance Fleming K-2 12:15-1:00 in gym; 3-5 1:45 -2:30 in cafeteria
5/24 5th Grade College Day!
5/25 2nd grade Awards Ceremony - 8:00-9:00 am
5/25 1st grade Awards Ceremony - 9:15 - 10:15 am
5/25 Kindergarten Awards Ceremony - 1:30-2:30 pm
5/25 Student Placement forms due to Tona
5/26 Field Day!
5/27 Bad Weather Makeup Day - Student/Staff Holiday
5/30 School Holiday - Memorial Day
5/31 3rd grade Awards Ceremony - 8:15 - 9:15
5/31 4th grade Awards Ceremony - 1:30-2:30
6/01 5th grade Awards Ceremony - 8:00-9:00
6/01 5th grade EoY Picnic
6/2 Last Day of School - Early Release 11:45
6/3 Teacher Work Day - last day for teachers!
6/3 EoY Staff Celebration Breakfast - 7:30 - 8:30 library
LAST WEEK: A PHOTO REVIEW
2nd Grade Makes Local History Come Alive
Based on the program, Daytrippers, these scholars walked to Main Street last week to film a video segment about a specific Grapevine historical landmark that they had thoroughly researched.
Students at GHS, who are enrolled in classes to study videography/filmmaking, are helping our scholars edit their video segments, to add that extra-professional touch!
What a great way to master required SS TEKS and make local history come alive! Great job 2nd grade team!!
Engineering Mini-Golf Courses in 4th Grade
It was hard to miss all of the construction AND engagement in 4th grade last week, as the scholars got busy bringing their designs to life! This learning experience not only provides lots of opportunities for creative & critical thinking, it is a wonderful example of a self-directed project which allows the scholars to take charge of their own learning, as they demonstrate their understanding of many content standards, from force & motion to geometry!
Great work 4th grade! Thank you for designing a meaningful project that will benefit our entire school community!
T-Mobile Hot Spots For Cannon Families!
Technology Services has secured a large number of these hot spots to provide to GCISD families in need. LEAD 2021, GCISD’s strategic plan states that the district will provide and allow for multiple avenues for students to choose learning opportunities, communicate globally and ensure every student can access digital learning 24/7.
A T‐Mobile hotspot will be checked out to identified families at Cannon and will be available for their use as long as they remain in GCISD and meet program requirements. Internet access that is provided through these devices is filtered and is limited to acceptable educational sites as determined by GCISD. Students are
allotted 1 GB of data per month per hotspot.
This is great news that will support our campus technology goals for our scholars! These devices will begin to be distributed during the next two weeks at Cannon!
Summer Reading For Our Cubs!
Help us communicate ways to keep our Cannon scholars involved in reading throughout the summer!! Please review & share the information below about iStation access for students & parents during the summer. Also, please help us spread the word about campus & district reading opportunities in Tina's Smore below.
iStation:
Did you know that students can use Istation throughout the summer months to combat Summer Slide? Istation believes a break from school needn’t be a break from learning. These printable brochures for teachers and parents explain how to access Istation at home. Need a brochure in Spanish? You can get one here. Think a video might work better to help inspire summer reading? Our Istation characters Justin Time and Paige Turner put together a short video about using Istation Home during the summer. Please share this video with students and their families:
Watch Paige and Justin discuss Istation Home.
Please help your students start the summer months at the place that is right for them! Have them take the ISIP assessment at school in May, so that when they begin home use during the summer months they are placed correctly into the adaptive curriculum in Istation Home.
REMINDERS & UPDATES
- FINAL PLANNING FOR YEN! BIG thanks to all of our staff for their hard work within their Engineering Strand teams to plan for such a fun night! The plans are coming along very well, as we now have over 10 EXPO exhibitors scheduled, as well as a fun Young Engineers Photo Booth being created! As a reminder, please add any items that you are requesting as donations from parents to this document ASAP. We are actively communicating with families to request these donations. Please include the following "blurb" in your communications with parents this week, to help us promote this event! Also, BIG thanks to Megan Pettit for her help in creating this photo to promote this event!
Mark your calendars now for our 2nd annual Young Engineer's Night on Thursday, May 19th, 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Visit the Engineering EXPO in the gym to see exhibits & demonstrations with experts from Hewlett Packard, UTA Mobile Robotics, Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, Mouser Electronics & more! Participate in hands-on engineering design challenges in the engineering strand of your choice throughout the evening.
- STUDENT PLACEMENT FORMS Please get with all members of your team, including GT & Sped teachers, so that you can all work together to create classes for next year. Remember to include any information that will be helpful for next year's teachers as they welcome students into their classrooms. Please be sure to ask if you have any questions about this process. The student placement forms need to be turned in to Tona by the end of the day on Wednesday, 5/25. Before you turn in these forms, add student names to group lists in your grade level folders found here. Please refer to example class list that is in the folder, as well as the direction page in this folder, if you have any questions.
- GCISD EXPLORES PARENT INTEREST IN ELEMENTARY EXTRACURRICULARS In the fall of 2015, the district solicited parent, staff and community member feedback through an engagement tool, ThoughtExchange. Upon reviewing the feedback the district received, it became apparent that our elementary parents were interested in adding extracurricular activities to the school day. While it will not be possible to add these types of activities during the school day, the district is exploring the possibility of adding fee-based opportunities for students after school hours. A survey is being shared with all GCISD parents for feedback on interest level and the types of extracurricular activities they would like to see offered.
- MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR END OF YEAR STAFF BREAKFAST - We will gather as a staff on the last staff work day, June 3rd, from 7:30-8:30 am, in the library, to celebrate our school year and say farewell for the summer! Breakfast will be provided for all staff. We will also use this time to share important summer reminders, say farewell to staff that is not returning next year, present service awards, and enjoy some final fellowship time for 2015-2016 Mark your calendars now for this staff event!
GCISD Professional Learning Opportunities
REMINDERS ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY PD
There are some FABULOUS instructional technology PD opportunities this summer that we want to make available for you to attend.
*NEW* The TIA conference in Denton is scheduled for July 19th & 20th. Let Tona know if you are interested - $35 for both days will be paid for you! Check out this conference HERE.
TOTS and Technology, sponsored by TCEA - Frisco from July 24-26. If you are interested in attending this conference, please let Tona know. The registration fee is $279 per person and Tona will pay for the first 3 teachers who send an email to her, stating that they would like to attend AND why! Check out this conference here!
ElementaryCON: EDventure Awaits - Region 11 June 23-24 Angela Maiers will be the keynote speaker at this conference and the learning sessions will be with local master elementary teachers and leaders with a focus on implementing technology in literacy, math and more. Click here to read more about this opportunity. Tona will pay for 3 teachers to attend
iCreate - Region 11 June 20-22. Click here to learn more about this! The first 3 teachers to email Tona to express interest in attending this will have their registration paid for!!
TO DO LIST
- Set a timer and complete daily attendance ON TIME!
- Finalize YEN plans in UCAN on Monday.
- Help promote our YEN information to parents.
- Check May dates that have been added & update your calendars.
- Communicate EoY Celebration Ceremony dates to parents.
- Review all of the summer offerings in the GCISD Summer PD Smore.
- Provide feedback on the Teacher College Reading/Writing Workshop survey.
- Plan for End of Year grade level ceremonies.
- Share summer reading opportunities with parents!
- Work with team student placement information for next year. Add student names to class list forms. Due to Tona by 5/25
- Tweet & blog about all of the great things you are doing in your classroom/grade!