Pleasant Valley Staff Newsletter
Week of November 11, 2019
Our mission is to empower and inspire a community of lifelong learners and leaders.
Our District Goals
1. We will practice fiscal responsibility.
2. We will improve student achievement.
3. We will increase our transparency throughout our communities.
Thank You, teacher leaders for sharing your expertise with your colleagues!
De-scalation Strategies
Dawn Carvaines & Allison SymonsSEL Curriculum
Rachael Grubb & Caitlin Sabo
Best Practices in Checks for Understanding
Sarah Vittardi & Liz Harris
STEM & PBL in the Classroom
Allison Kokely & Dale Pawul
Teaching and Modeling with Authentic Literacy Across all Subject
Kim Feeney
EL Best Practices
Halina Bailey
Our School Improvement Plan
The bolded action steps are what we worked on during the November 5th PD either at PSH or in our TBTs here at PV
Goal 1 By the end of the 2019/2020 school year, 85% or more of our second, third and fourth-grade students will be considered on track and low risk of not passing ELA AIR as measured by MAP benchmark reading scores.
Action Steps (plan)
- Professional development in the areas of authentic literacy, reading, writing, & discussion practices along with the use of effective elements in lessons
- Daily reading instructional routines that include authentic literacy, reading, writing, & discussions and effective elements in lessons
- Daily independent sustained reading in every class
- Gradual Release of Responsibility teaching approach for the RACE strategy to cite text evidence in written responses using common grade-level writing rubrics/checklists in grades KG-4
Goal 2 By the end of the 2019/2020 school year, 85% or more of our second, third and fourth-grade students will be considered on track and low risk of not passing Math AIR as measured by MAP benchmark math scores.
Action Steps (plan)
- Daily problem-solving instruction with the gradual release of responsibility teaching and learning approach linking concepts and skills with the common language of the 8 Mathematical Practices
- Implement evidence-based strategies for teaching and reinforcing board adopted target vocabulary and curriculum maps
- Use of digital resources that provide prevention, intervention, or enrichment to support and adjust math skill-based instruction that provides additional instruction, practice-assignments with feedback
- Use the Reflex Math program with students for 75 minutes/week (15 minutes/day) as a center/rotation/station for mastery of basic math facts to increase accuracy and fluency with problem-solving and with mental math
Goal 3
By the end of the 2019/2020 school year, 100% of third-grade students will meet the requirements of Third Grade Reading Guarantee as measured by MAP and/or AIR assessments.
Action Steps (plan)
- Use of Benchmark MAP Assessments and Third Grade Fall ELA scores to identify students who are “not on track” or have not met the requirements of the TGRG to provide targeted reading instruction
- Use of formative assessments between skill instruction and benchmark assessments to measure learning and to provide further targeted instruction to small groups of students with flexibility with student grouping
- Documentation of individual students’ progress in reading and writing in students’ Leadership Binders (including graphs, goal setting sheets, data, and reflection logs)
- Use of a 4-point informational/expository writing rubric to define success criteria for the end of the year expectations as an instructional tool, student guide, and self-evaluation tool.
Goal 4 During the 2019-2020 school year, the percentage of students with chronic absenteeism will decrease by 2% compared to the 2018-19 school year.
Action Steps (plan)
- Analyze attendance data monthly to identify trends
- Share monthly attendance data with staff, students, and parents
- Communication and collaboration with students and parents who have reached a cumulative threshold of hours equaling 10+ day threshold of absences/ tardies to create an Attendance Meeting to create a Success Plan
Goal 5 During the 2019-2020 school year, the number of referrals coded as Aggressive Behavior, as defined by the Parent/Student Handbook 2019-2020, will decrease by 10% as compared to the 2018-2019 school year.
Action Steps (plan)
- All students will participate in teacher-facilitated Morning Meetings that address Social and Emotional standards and fosters a classroom community. K will focus on Zones of Regulation and Growth Mindset 4 times per week for 15 minutes each day. Grades 1-4 will focus on SEL curriculum at least 3 times per week for 15 minutes each day
Use of Tier 2 interventions (Restorative Practices-ex. Think Tank Activities, CICO, Resiliency Groups) for students that demonstrate physical aggression towards others
Professional Development for staff on Social Emotional Learning Standards and Practices as well as Restorative Practices and book study with Better Than Carrots or Sticks
Food in Classrooms
Our Week...
11.11 STEM Meeting @ 8:00 am Faculty Room
11.11 BFT @ 8:45 Boka's Office
11.11 PVs Veterans Day Program- Wear Red, White, and Blue
- AM 9:45-11:00 am Borns, Carvaines, Schaff, Tomco-Karaffa, Byrne, Symons Youngman, O'Malley, Pennington, Woodworth, Bammerlin, Boutall, Gibson, Pawul, Borosh, Vittardi, Wilber, Borowske, Canzurlo, Eschweiler
- PM 1:45-3:00 pm Bell, Demko, Donato/Moss, O'Shaughnessy, Gigliotti, Must, Stacho, Surges, Allison, Kokely, McSweeney, Feeney, Harris, Passanis, Chismar, Gorey, Neff
* 4th graders can begin seating 20 minutes before the program, followed by 3rd and 1st graders 15 minutes prior, then 2nd and K, 10 minutes prior
11.12 Staff Meeting @ 8:15 PV Lower Gym
11.12 November Fire Drill @ 10:30 am
11.13 Special Education Staff Meeting @ 3:30 pm Faculty Lounge
11.13 BFT @ 7:45 am Feeney's Room
11.14 Flannels & Boots (Get cozy in your Autumn Duds!)
11.14 FAST @ 5:30-7:30 PM Cafe
11.15 PTA Spirit Day- Hat Day
Looking Ahead...
11.18 KIndness Week Kick-off Assembly Times TBA (Groupings; K & 1 and 2-4)
11.18-22 Kindness Week
- Monday- Be Kind: Words that hurt can’t be taken back- Wear Your Shirt Backward
- Tuesday- Dream of Kindness: PJ Day
- Wednesday- Powered by Kindness: Wear your Super Hero Gear
- Thursday- Crazy for Kindness: Wear Crazy Hair, Hat, Socks or Shirt
- Friday- Team Kindness: Wear you Pleasant Valley Gear
11.18-22 TBT Studnet Intervention Discussions Week
11.19 Garden Club Meeting @ 3:30 pm
11.26 Talkin' Turkey Day (wear your fat pants in preparation for Thanksgiving Feasts!)
11.27-11.29 Thanksgiving Break
11.20 BLT Climate Meeting @ 7:45 am Kokely's Room
11.20 PTA Meeting @ 7:00 pm
11.21 FAST @ 5:00 pm Cafe
11.22 STEM Gr 3 Capstone @ 10:30 am Lower Gym
12.5 December Fire Drill @ 1:45
12.5 FAST @ 5:00 pm Cafe
12.6 PST Meeting Schedule TBA
12.9-13 PTA Santa Holiday Shop
12.9 BFT @ 8:45 am Boka's Office
12.10 Staff Meeting- On your own to work on Public School Words
12.11 BLT Academic @ 7:45 am Feeney's Room
12.11 Choir Dress Rehearsal for school @ 10:00 am Lower Gym
12.11 Choir Concert @ 7:00 pm Lower Gym
12.19 Holiday Class Parties
12.20 End of the 2nd quarter- no School for Students
12.20 Professional Learning for Staff AM Individual Prep PM
12.22-1.3 Winter Break
1.6 Classes Resumes
Important Links
Elementary Curriculum Folder
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0ACq1KerGN8VWUk9PVA
ELA K-5 Curriculum Maps
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u36HP8Gl_yYmUQysdu8iT_ib0mzYMfvU
Anticipatory Sets Ideas/Resources
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vmTu7I3B1TLWvBOCPLCvLFSKDU5ShNyM
Data Day
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XO7mZo9ZOZkHci3l8SkqOuygFH_NKrEK
TBT Folder
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/122w2faMIEQJJfBVfFnxL2SnoWKjckCVl
OTES DWSGM Vocabulary Resource
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1969aCuEFTU8q53O6_RUFJLrOP9xct8HP
Student Leadership Selection Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CqkaQT20mqkpc-6cdKhuQKgBBJJ5As7yFe7fH8lWGa0/edit?usp=sharing
Committees and CICO
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_GRbqaYoWy-If0vsFHm3LOV-0m4xMTVWtxIiJbj_BJk/edit#gid=0
7 Habits Resource
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-2I1VrA_LvhNXoyQkZvUWJvWlE?usp=sharing
Brain Pop with BrainPOP Jr. & EL support!
username: pvstars
password: pvstars#1