Spartan Scoop #23
February 21, 2016
Thought for the week:
Conscious Discipline Brain Research is one that marries well with PBS. It helps us see and understand how our students' thought processes tie into the direct behaviors we see within the classroom.
The only way to soothe the survival state is through the creation of safety
The only way to soothe an upset emotional state is through connection.
The executive state is the optimal state for problem-solving and learning.
http://consciousdiscipline.com/about/brain_state_model.asp
Building Items:
Please read the bulletin and the GBE Calendar - Many people were surprised by our fire drill last week even though it was advertised in the bulletin and the GBE calendar. Please take the time to read our information. It is important to you.
Intruder Drill - On Friday, 2/26 we will be having a staff intruder drill beginning at 7:55 am. We will practice the three button response system. The 3 buttons are Control, Alt, B. Do not share this with any student, parent or visitor. We would only use this in a situation where we had an aggressive intruder in our building or on the school grounds. Only push the 3 buttons if you personally see the aggressive intruder or you personally hear gun shots or other majorly aggressive sounds.
Patience - This is the time of the year where our patience can run thin. Please follow the same PBS protocols today as you did in August or September. Just because a student exhibits the same behaviors 3 or more days a week every week, that does not mean that his/her typical behavior jumps from a think sheet to a minor. If it was a think sheet in August, it is still a think sheet in February.
Student Behavior -Continue with positive reinforcement of behaviors. Our data is looking good over the past 2 weeks. 13 discipline referrals this past week (12 students). We also had 12 students last week. The previous two weeks were 21 and 28.
Mrs. Doss is supplying popsicles to all classes that received 5s at lunch from 2/8 to 2/12. She will award the popsicles on Wednesday, 2/24.
Mr. Samuel is giving away another hat day to all classes who can receive 5s every day at lunch from 2/16 through 2/26. The hat day will be March 1st.
Recent Common Behaviors
Pre-corrects for those behaviors
Cheating
We can assume that a student should not use books while they take Reading Counts quizzes, but I want you to remind them of this prior to testing. When giving assignments be very direct on whether students should be doing this on their own or if they may work with a partner or partners.
Physical Contact
Prior to recess or going in the halls, remind students to keep hands to themselves for safety purposes.
Bus Safety
Before going home remind students to have a safe ride home and to follow our guidelines of being respectful, responsible and safe.
Theft
Remind students that if something does not belong to them that they cannot take it. This is stealing.
Away from the Assigned Area
Remind students that they must take the most direct route to another location. In fact, if a student is going to the office, tell them exactly how you want them to get there.
Disrespect to Staff
Let students know that as adults you ask a lot out of them. One thing you will not do is ask them to do something that is unsafe. Any request you give is a reasonable request and they should follow it without rolling eyes, making a noise, or refusing to follow the request. Let the students know that they have a choice to follow the request or not. Following the request results in a positive outcome, choosing not to follow the request will result in a negative outcome.
How to Check your Lunch Account: Go to SIS
click on the little house in the left corner
Click on the arrow button in the Actions box (in the middle of your screen)
Then click my lunch account
**This is a reminder that staff members cannot carry a negative balance on their meal accounts. Central Office keeps a close eye on this and expects you to have a positive balance. Please make a payment as soon as you can.
Peer Observation is due March 1 to Dave.
Floating Work Day Form is due May 1 to Dave.
PD Log is due to Dave May 1.
Did you hand out 50 PBS tickets an hour last week? If not, why not? When we focus on positivity we will breed positivity.
Mr. Samuel's Weekly Challenge - Come into work telling yourself it will be a good day. What you think generally turns out that way. Positive thoughts bring about positive results.
Calendar Items:
Monday, 2/22 - CLT - Meet in the Music room briefly, then work on SLOs, Data Wall or Viewing MAP videos. Dee is out all day, District Tech Mtg. 4:00
Tuesday, 2/23 - Angie’s Coaching Day, 5th Grade CARE Team Mtg. 7:45, PBS Lesson @ 9:20, PDC Mtg. 4:00
Wednesday, 2/24 - SPED Staffing 7:45, GBE Literacy Mtg. 7:45, Dave’s Coaching Day
Thursday, 2/25 - Dave out all day, Angie’s Coaching Day, Social Team Mtg. 7:45, ICC 4:00
Friday, 2/26 - Bowl For Kids’ Sake $2 Jeans Day; Intruder Drill for Staff using 3 Button Alert 7:55Vision Items:
CLT: Meet briefly in the Music room at 8:00 am.
Afterwards, teams please follow what I sent out on Friday as directions for this week's CLT.
Here are the details if you missed the email:
Here are three things teams need to focus on during this collaborative time:
1. SLO's -- as a team scoring these and making sure that unified and fidelity in scoring is happening across the board within the teams. Looking at question items as you score that a number of students are missing.
2. After scoring Data Wall work as a team-- make sure Data is being entered into the Data Wall-- SLO's look at how they have moved from the last data point to this next one-- make some decisions on students based on what you are seeing-- for the push back in math time each morning we are using to move these students. Please make notes on our kids that have made movement and those that are falling behind or are stagnate. I would like to meet with teams next week to discuss these students.
3. MAP Videos need to also be viewed prior to 2/29. This is not the official training piece only. Ken will be here on the 29th to go over the mandated training and clarify questions. The viewing of the videos done prior so each of you can come with any questions at that time and our time be used wisely.
**Note on the video links-- the old links have been deleted. Please do not let those confuse you. Mr. Bailey had removed the pieces that were applicable to the 2015 assessment.
MAP Practice for Students:
There are two mandatory requirements from classroom teachers from this point on.
1. You must stay with your class the first two weeks of practice, Week of 2/15 and 2/22, during Computer Lab and help Mrs. Buxton assist students. Mrs. Buxton and I have discussed that each of you will be there to assist, and I will make an announcement each morning to remind teachers.
2, Teachers must take 30 minutes every Friday and carve out a time that you use the practice and the tools as a whole group with your students.
https://sites.google.com/site/moberlyassessment/home/map-eoc-resources
Data Wall: As you give your topic tests and SLO's please enter these scores into the Data Wall yourself OR you can send them to Mrs. Patrick to do so. We would like to try to move to everyone entering these themselves to save time and get us used to entering our data and coding it for data discussions in the future.
SLO's ARE DUE to be completed and submitted into Talent Ed by the end of the month. We expect everyone to be finished by 2/29/2016.
SMART GOALS-- those of you that are not doing an SLO will have a Smart Goal that you have been working on this year. This is required to also be updated with the data by the end of the month. This allows us to also print these off and use when we go over Summatives with each of you.
CWG DATA MUST be kept up to date and shared with Sheila Thurman form NE-RPDC. We are required to give her five set data points. Please make sure to keep these up to date and shared with Sheila and myself. I have sent out her email previously, but will again. She has emailed me this weekend asking for all data to be updated in order to keep our funding from the grant.
Her email is: sthurman@truman.edu
District Items:
- Super Grant Applications are due next Friday, February 19th. They are to be sent to Mrs. McCluskey electronically or hard copy with your administrators signature. Please give it some thought and apply.
- No Tax Bond Issue in April: Remember we as district employees can ONLY educate while on contracted time and we can not use district resources to promote the Bond Issue. Please do not use your school email to encourage people to vote for the Bond issue. The main pieces of this issue to communicate is
- This is a NO TAX INCREASE $9.5 Million Bond Issue
- This issue will address safety and security. Every building except the HS will have the main entrance addressed for security reasons.
- NP and EP will be handicap accessible through the main entrance
- NP and SP will have additional classrooms build to alleviate the need for the trailers
- The Performing Arts area of the HS will be renovated. This will include the Band and Choir rooms.
Staff Birthdays:
February
Dawn Rasdale-8th
Brandy Forsyth- 12th
Tessa Rivera- 16th
Dee Noel-17th
Melissa Slater - 21st
Ashley Patrick-21st
Lollipop Moments:
Angie and Dave