The Yuletide Villager
Week of March 26, 2018
The vision of GCS is to inspire success and a lifetime of learning.
The Pierce Group Meeting for ALL STAFF 5-21-18 @ 3PM
Pierce Group Benefits
The annual enrollment period for our Flexible Benefits Plan will be April 2, 2018
through June 12, 2018. Our school date will be announced as soon as we are contacted.
A note from a peer...
Labsites make history at MES! Thank you Bobbi for your kinds words to everyone.
UPDATED INFORMATION
Test Prep Success
Coming up...our Championship Celebration!
- Week 3 of March Madness has no challenge. Week 3 is leading into our Spring Break. Students will not be given school-wide challenges.
- Remind students that MVPs of the tournament will be named for teams.
- MVPs are determined by teacher recommendations and iReady data
- We will put up our leaderboards and let students know if they are needing to do extra to will one of the two championship titles.
- When we return in week 4 we will have our final challenge and name our winners with an assembly in the Gym
- All coaches, refs, and supporters are asked to wear your team shirts on the remaining Fridays of our event (3/23 and 4/13)
- Remember there will be no ties.
- Ties will be broken using iReady averages for time on task for team members and scores for the task complete during our time MM timeframe.
MVP
Two for Reading and Two for Math
At least one student per grade level will be named based on teacher suggestions, and iReady Data in the RANDOM NAME SELECTOR PROGRAM
LEADERBOARD
Who's Who with March Madness
March Madness - March 5th - March 28th
Teams:
Kinder - Carolina Blue Hoop Five
1st - Duke Blue Game-Changers
2nd - Red Hoopstars
3rd - Pink Ultimate Cats
4th - Orange Dynamic Dabbers
5th - Crimson Jokers Wild
TAs- Purple The Miracle Workers
AU - Green Goal Getters
- Support Staff - Black or White
Please, complete the focus survey below...it was also delivered via email (complete only once)
Focus for Title I inclusion
No personal information is being collected in this survey. All information is used solely to improve our schoolwide practices based on our comprehensive needs assessment and stakeholder input.
MES If You Give A Student A Device
DLC for Teachers
If You Give A Student A Device - Click here to check
This form list all PD from Teresa this year.
Thank you, T. Thomassen, for taking such good care of our Tech needs and working to improve our competency through meaningful professional development.
8 Things I Learned When I Put Standing Desks and Flexible Seating in My Classroom
These teachers put standing desks and flexible seating to the test!
WeAreTeachers Staff on October 11, 2017
Standing desks and flexible seating are among teachers’ most wished-for items. With so much research and support around the benefits of standing, moving, and fidgeting, it’s no wonder these supplies are making teachers’ lives easier. But are they really that great?
To find out, we recently sent three teachers a set of standing desks and flexible seating chairs for their classrooms. Trevor Muir (TM), Elizabeth Peyton (EP), and Anna Mauk (AM) all tried the items with their students, in upper elementary, middle, and high school respectively. Here’s what they learned. (You can also hear Trevor talk about his experience through the Facebook Live event we did with him. He talks to the Safco experts about the benefits of standing desks for modern classrooms.)
1. Standing desks are great for collaboration.
On numerous occasions, I’ve had students work around a standing desk during collaborative work time. They like having a break from sitting and having a desk at chest height has been good for conversation and discussions. –TM
2. Flexible seating really works.
We used stability ball chairs, and the lack of a back and the cushion seat made it very comfortable for students to place one knee on the chair while balancing with the other foot on the floor. This posture allowed them to gently sway back and forth as they worked. –AM
3. Kids need to move…a lot.
You know how when you watch a baby or a toddler, you can’t believe how much they move around? So much so that it’s exhausting to watch them? Turns out that when they’re not confined to a desk, middle school kids are no different. At first, this was incredibly distracting. Gradually, I realized that it was somewhat distracting to me, but it wasn’t bothering the other kids at all. And those few kids who were constantly in motion still seemed engaged and focused. In fact, I heard from the teachers who have those students later in the day that their behavior had been better, and I suspect all the movement during my class period may deserve some of the credit. –EP
4. Students who are natural fidgeters really come into their own.
By not having to be as stationary, and getting to move their legs and body more while they work, they are then able to focus more on the tasks at hand. The sway bar on the bottom of the desk where they can rest their foot has also been great for them because it’s another way to keep moving while staying focused. –TM
5. Students love having the choice to sit or stand.
All teachers know that students love options, and this definitely applies to the seating. By having the standing desk available to them, they are given another option of where and how they work in class. This simple addition to the room means a lot in terms of their ownership of the space and how they use it. I’ve even had to start a rotation system for who gets to use the standing desks each day. Students are treasuring the option of getting to work in class in a new way. –TM
6. A single shelf goes a long way.
The handy shelf on the desks meant no one’s water bottle is in the way. Water bottles sweat and leak and spill and get knocked off of desks. All. The. Time. They are responsible for most of the messes in my classroom. But, with the water bottle tucked away on the shelf, even if it sweats or leaks, the students’ papers and books aren’t damaged, and I doubt that they will be likely to be knocked off of the shelf since it is out of the way. –AM
7. They’re a conversation starter.
The kids were excited about the desks, but they weren’t sure why, exactly, we’d gotten them. We used that opportunity to talk a lot about health, the risks of a sedentary lifestyle (which, incidentally, we force on our students much of the time), and the way the body and brain work together. We talked about learning styles, and how moving often helps people remember things, and how difficult it is to focus when you stay in the same position for a long period of time. Hopefully, the kids will apply this to the time they spend studying and working on homework, too! –EP
8. The view is always good.
Students who are at the standing desks can easily see the board at the front of the room because, just like in a theater, they are elevated slightly above the students at regular desks in front of them. Prior to having the standing desks someone’s head was always in the way. –AM
DUTY WEEK B
School Events Agenda
- Observations for the final round are underway! Please make sure you available to follow up within two days of your visit.
- Benchmarks and Check-ins makeup this week -
- Monday- Grades due in PowerSchool w/ printed reports to Mrs. Smith by 5 pm
- Tuesday - Wildcat of the Month breakfast
- Teacher Meeting after school @ 3 pm
- Wednesday - Kinder Easter Egg Hunt
- Thursday -Field Day
- Friday - Good Friday Holiday
Looking Ahead:
- National Teacher Day
May 8, 2018 - National Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7-11, 2018
ARE YOU RENEWING THIS YEAR 2018?
See me if you have questions...
PLEASE, by all means, do not let your teaching license expire!
CHROMEBOOK UPDATES
- Each user should shut down Chromebook after each use.
- click on the tray on right.
- click shut down button.
- Closing the lid does not shut down Chromebook.
- Teachers, please open any and all Chromebooks to update weekly.
- Chromebooks need to be shut down daily. This will ensure at least one restart a day to install updates.
- Chromebooks can be used after re-start as needed.
New SCOOP from DPI
Make Referrals Here:
MES Social Worker - Whitney Hill
Please use this referral form for student Social Work Request.
MES School Counselor - Eric Otis
Please use this referral form for student School Counselor Request