Murphey Memos
Weekly Updates
Loving to Learn, Learning to Lead, Leading the Future
Character Trait of the Month: Courage
Brown's Buzz
Star Staff Member of the Week - Mr. Richard Bock
Welcome Back
Shout Out!
Something to Think About
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something.”
Neil Gaiman
Our Goals
Reading composite from 40.1 to 45.1.
3rd Grade Reading From 28.9% to 30.7%.
4th Grade Reading from 37.9% to 42.9%.
5th Grade Reading from 51.0% to 56.0%.
3rd Grade Math from 44.7% to 49.7%.
4th Grade Math from 34.5% to 39.5%.
5th Grade Math from 37.3% to 42.3%.
By 2019, Murphey will decrease the achievement gap between all students and students with disabilities in reading from a 25.8% gap to a 20% gap as measured by the NC End of Grade tests.
By 2019, Murphey Traditional Academy will reduce the number of office discipline referrals from 58 to 50.
January 7th
- Math/Science PLCs 4
- ELA PLCs – 4, 1, 2
- Latin PLC
January 8th
Math/Science PLCs – 5, K, 1, 2
- ELA PLCs – 4, 5
- ARC coaching day
- Watlington out - training
- 3:10 Leadership Team Meeting
January 9th
- ELA PLCs – 5, K
- Math/Science PLCs – 5, 3
- 3:10 IST
- 2nd grade TRCs
- Thomas out - p.m.
January 10th
- ELA PLC – 3rd
- Brown out - Principal's meeting
- 3:10 BT coffee house
- 2nd Grade TRCs
January 11th
- Plans uploaded by EOD
- 2nd Grade TRC
- Watlington - a.m.
January 12th & 13th
Future Events
1/8
- ARC Coaching Day
- Restorative Practice Training - Select Staff
- Math coaching Day
- Restorative Practices Training - Select Staff
1/17
- CF Meeting - Thomas & Walker
- Brown out - 1/2 day personal; 1/2 day training
1/21
- Holiday
1/22
- Mandated Workday Cancelled - This is a regular school day.
- 4th & 5th data day
- End of quarter
1/28
- 2nd & 3rd data day - rescheduled for 1/29
- Mandated workday - parent conferences
- 2nd & 3rd data data
- IST moved from the 30th due to Equity training
- Equity Training 3 - instead of a Tuesday meeting this week
- CKLA Coaching Day #4
- 5:00 - 8:30 School Showcase (Magnet Fair)
- K-1 Data Day
2/6
- Report cards go home
Announcements
Guidance this week is 2nd and 3rd grades.
The calendar has been adjusted to meet the demands of the weather days. Please access a copy on the district website. Note that our day starts with class meeting at 7:55. We will not adjust anything else. Class meeting will be 5 minutes longer. The workday on the 22nd has moved to the 28th. It is a required parent conference day. The quarter ends on the 25th. We are in school on the 18th and 22nd. We are in school on February 18th and March 28th.
Keep those Box Tops coming! Encourage your students to continue to bring box tops. New collection sheets can be secured from Mrs. Thomas. However, they don't have to have a sheet! Send in the Box Tops. Let's do the math: If one box top is worth .10 and each student submits 50 box tops, that's $5.00, correct? If there are 20 students in your class and each student submits 50 box tops that's $100, correct. So, if each homeroom class collects $100 worth of box tops, that's $1300! We can do it! The money can be used for new classroom headphones and always additional books!
If you need to tell your students what they will be having for lunch, here's the link to the lunch menus: Lunch menus
Make sure you read the January chapter of Growth Mindset Coach. You will need to activities for your class meetings. Also, post this month's mantra in your classroom.
Mid year PDPs are due soon. I will schedule meetings soon after the break. Remember to update your PDP details to describe the progress you are making toward goals. Be sure to include any relevant data.
Second round observations for those on the comprehensive cycle will start this week. Theses observations are unannounced.
Feedback is a Gift - Accept It!
In January, we go in-depth on the concept of person praise (You're so smart) and process praise (You worked really hard on this), and give teachers strategies for incorporating process praise in class. Students should also be equipped with the skills to offer each other appropriate, helpful praise and critique. Teachers who offer feedback only in the form of red check marks or glittery stickers are missing an important opportunity to help students explore steps they can take to improve and make connections between effort and success. Offering specific, timely, purposeful, consistent feedback may have more impact on the growth mindsets of your students than any other practice you engage in this year.
ELA Curriculum Updates
DIBELS/TRC Assessments: The DIBELS/TRC assessment window opens January 8th and continues through February 5th. It is imperative that we complete all of our assessments by February 5th. Classroom teachers will assess their own students on all DIBELS Next measures. We will use an assessment team for the TRC assessments. A schedule will be sent to each teacher with the TRC assessment days. Please begin DIBELS Next assessments right away. You don't have to wait for the scheduled assessment day to complete DIBELS Next assessments. I recommend that you assess at least 2 students per day on the DIBELS Next measures.
Tech Prep for assessments: Make sure that you have updated your iPad prior to the assessments. Simply go to settings and follow the steps for general updates. There should be a red notification if your device needs updating. K-2 teams should have received the new iPad by now. With that in mind, I'll need to collect your former iPad to be put into circulation for classroom use and checkout.
Data Collection Sheets: Remember to update your progress monitoring and any other on the data collection sheet located in the data collection files in the lesson planning folder.
Paideia Seminars will focus on courage in January and February. School wide Paideia dates are forthcoming. Seminar plans will be shared via OneDrive.
Math Curriculum Updates
REMINDER: Eureka Student Books for Transferring Students
When a student transfers from one Guilford County School to another, please send all three books the student is currently working in to the new school. If a students comes to you without materials, please let me know and we'll contact their former school.
New NCDPI Released EOG Tests
NCDPI has finalized a released form for each end-of-grade (EOG) mathematics test. The forms are available in a paper/pencil version and online through NCTest. The paper/pencil released forms are available at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/releasedformsScience Curriculum Updates
Science Fair - Students who will be presenting at the GCS Science Fair will be going to the Natural Science Center on January 23rd. The snow date is January 29th. They will receive help to update their science boards when we get back.
STEM: Greensboro Water Resources Poster Contest
Greensboro Water Resources is sponsoring a poster contest for students in grades K-2. The theme is “Water is Life” and entries are due February 15, 2019. Please see this flyer for additional information and entry forms. Contact Latoya Harris (336.373.4601) with questions.
Title 1 Updates
As you know, Title I provides additional federal funds to use in improving achievement levels of our students specifically in reading and math. One of our largest responsibilities is keeping a documentation file to record how we are meeting the demands of that funding. There are 35 Elements we are required to submit electronically. It isn't difficult but very time consuming and specific. While the "official" checks of this documentation happen three times annually, I've found it's much easier to submit information as we go. Most of the information needed comes from the classroom teacher. For that reason, I've become your friendly pest continuously asking for information.
Here's a list of things needed for Title I documentation for your reference.
Interim and report cards for each quarter from each grade level.
parent contact logs
Parent/Teacher conference logs and documentation
Parent communication including social media posts, newsletters, etc.
Sample data reports
- I still need signed copies of the Parent Involvement policies from each classroom teacher. I will send individual notification if I have not yet received your copies.
Professional Development
AIG Add-On Licensure Scholarship Opportunity As stated in the current AIG Plan, students identified as AG are to be taught by teachers who hold AIG licensure or have completed the district’s AG Professional Development. The AG Department provides a scholarship to K – 8 core subject teachers interested in obtaining their AIG Add-On Licensure. The scholarship provides full tuition to Elon University’s AIG Add-On Licensure Program. The application window is December 10, 2018 – February 8, 2019. For a copy of the 2019 – 2020 Scholarship Application, please click here. Teachers interested in learning more about this opportunity should plan to attend the interest meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 4:30pm. Click here to RSVP. Questions regarding the AIG Add-On Scholarship should be directed to Dee Jordan.