Team Thomson News & Notes
September 11, 2016
Important Information for You!
5D+ Self Assessments, Growth Plans, and a Little Reading PD
First and foremost, I want to thank you for your reflective self assessments. There are two very different ways to look at this process. One, check it off, get it done. The second and one that will improve your teaching and the learning in your classroom is to be self reflective and honest with yourself about your practice in relation to the groups of students you have had in the past and those that sit in front of you today. By spending time reading through the rubric and instructional framework documents you are already impacting your craft.
I am excited to begin holding Growth Plan meetings with staff this week. Please remember that for all certified staff, except GSRP, these were due by Sunday, September 11th. This will give me time to read through them before my meetings with each of you. Again, the Growth Plan is about looking at yourself as an educator and improving based on school improvement, the students before you, and your self assessment.
If you haven't already gathered, the 5D+, while it will be used for evaluation at the end of the year, is really about the process of discussing what teaching and learning look like, what teachers are doing AND what students are doing. While going through the first four days of training, one dimension that stuck out to me was Purpose. In going through the rubric for this dimension, I realized that this was an area that we would probably need to focus on. With other elementary principals, I began a book study this past week on the book, Learning Targets, Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today's Lesson. I believe that we have been good at posting learning targets and maybe even referring to them at the start of the lesson, but I don't know if we have been using them in order to help students develop a deeper understanding. I plan to share with you as we work our way through the book. This week I am going to share a few lines for you to think about and possibly discuss in your PLC this week.
- A learning target is not an instructional objective.
- The most effective teaching and the most meaningful student learning happen when teachers design the right learning target for today's lesson and us it along with their students to aim for and assess understanding. (Remember what Ben said in our training, "Learning targets have an expiration date of one.")
- Learning targets are student-friendly descriptions-via words, pictures, actions, or some combination of the three-of what you intend students to learn or accomplish in a given lesson.
Balanced Calendar-Intersession will be here before we know it...
Christine Kuzinski, Hahn Assistant Principal and Intersession Director, shared last week at our General Administration Meeting that they are still looking for academic, support, lunch, and secretarial staff. If you are interested, please apply via the Davison Community School website. As registration comes to a close September 23rd, the final hiring will be completed based on the number of students at each level.
With that said, I would like all classroom teachers to put the following in their classroom newsletters under the heading, Intersession One Will Be Here Before We Know It:
Intersession One will be here before we know it - registration ends soon! It may only be the fourth week of school but there’s already excitement in the air about the district’s first intersession opportunity this fall. In fact, there’s less than 30 days of school before the Fall 2016 intersession takes place October 24-27, 2016. In order to attend, students must be registered by September 23. Registration can be completed online via the Davison Community Schools website or via phone or in person at the Davison Community Enrichment and Recreation (DCER) office located on the north side of the Davison Alternative Education building.
Watch DOGS Kick-off
I sent an email last week, but our Watch DOGS Kick-off will be held this Thursday, September 15th. If you have ever had the opportunity to volunteer for this event you know that it is so fun and special to see the dads come to school with their little ones. I hope that if you are able, you will consider volunteering to help with this event. If you are able, please let me know...you won't be disappointed!
Early Release Next Wednesday, September 21st
As you know, Wednesday, September 21st is our first Early Release Day. Students will be dismissed at 1:28 p.m. All Certified Staff, all Paraprofessionals, and the Challenge Coordinator will attend 3 hours of building PD that will go from 1:45-4:45 p.m.. Ours Specials Schedule will not change for this first Early Release Day, but will be adjusted for the next three. Our three hours will be divided into two segments: ELA-Handbook & Word Study/Behavior-Majors & Minors review and classification & Behavior Intervention Steps. Both of these topics fit within our building SIP and district focuses.
PLCs Kick-Off this Week!
This week is our first official PLC Week. While I know that you have all been working together already, make this time intentional. Think about our district and building SIPs, the 5D+ process, and the student strengths and needs...how can this time with your PLC colleagues be used to better the teaching and learning in your classrooms?
Let's rock this first full week of school!
Quotes Worth Reading
"Appreciate this moment, stop and look around you. Be thankful for all you have and where you are because this time next year, nothing will be the same."
-R.H. Sin
Thomson Elementary
Home of the Thomson Teddies!
And..
Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin!
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 617 East Clark Street, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-0911
Celebrations & Announcements
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Week of September 12th-PLC WEEK! STAR Testing Window Opens
- Tuesday, September 13th-Tornado Drill; ELA Meeting 4:15-6:15 p.m.
- Wednesday, September 14th-Picture Day, SMILE!; Staff Meeting, 7:35 a.m. (Agenda: Megan Rule, Health Review; Thomson Trading Post)
- Thursday, September 15th-Watch DOGS Kick-off, 4:30-7:00 p.m.
- Monday, September 19th-PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 20th-Playground Monitor Meeting, 10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, September 21st-Early Release Day, PD for teachers, paras, and Challenge Coordinator 1:45-4:45 p.m.
- Thursday, September 22-Elementary Principals Meeting