Monday Morning Message
Week of January 7, 2019
Lets play along in their world for a little bit this year and learn alongside our students. Lets look for opportunities to validate their thinking and learn something new. I invite you to join me in these 12 months before the year of perfect sight as I adjust the way I see!
Looking at Monday and beyond:
- Tina Nell took a paraprofessional position at ZMS to better meet her family's needs. This leaves us with an important role to fill in our resource room as Katie and Shirley hold down the fort. Please be patient as they cover service minutes and please spread the word in the event that you know of someone who might be interested in the IA position.
- Use the open Second Step time on Monday for an extended community circle or to work on your SEL Inquiry. We will not have an all school assembly as we might have originally indicated.
- We will be welcoming a few new students to Eagle throughout the week! Lets make an extra effort to greet familiar and unfamiliar faces alike.
- If you have not signed up for MOY conference, please see the section below and do so ASAP!
- Updated recess schedule. Those affected were notified before break, but here it is for all to see. Click on the second tab at the bottom.
Upcoming Dates
January 7 - First Day Back After Winter Break; Begin MOY Conferences
January 8 - Elementary Admin 8:30-10:30 @ UE (Andrew)
January 9 - Law Enforcement Appreciation Day; Celebration Event at Corteva 10:30-1:30 (Andrew & Molly)
January 10 - Book Room Brainstorming Session 3:30-4:00
January 11 - Last Day to Post Q2 Grades by 8:00 AM
January 15 - LT Mtg 9:30-11:30 @ ESC (Andrew)
January 21-25 - Kindy CHAMPS 7:50-8:50
January 22 - Staff Share @ 2:45, PTO mtg @7:00 PM
January 23 - Dad's Club Mtg 7:00 PM @ Rush on Main
January 25 - Winter PTO Enrichment Grants Due
February 2 - Super Dad's Saturday - Corn Hole Tourney
MOY Conferences
- All ZTEP Plus teachers will need to sign up for a Mid Year Conference. We will talk about your goal(s), peer observations, and all things Domain 5.
- I would also like to have Mid Year Conferences with all teacher's who are in their 1st or second year with ZCS. This is a nice opportunity for us to catch up half way through this year, take a look at the Teacher Effectiveness Rubric, and chat about anything else on your mind.
- Anyone else interest in signing up for a Mid Year Conference is more than welcome to although not required.
PLC Updates and Future Think Tank Opportunities
Note: This is a repeat from before break, but perhaps you would like to take a second look at some of this information.
Math: The Math PLC is working to unpack the standards in order to create enduring understandings for each grade level. Once they finish, they will begin to create essential questions to go with each enduring understanding.
Wellness: The Wellness PLC has been discussing the idea of how actions speak louder than words. There are some cool things already going on with promoting positive actions. They want to positively promote Wellness and Second Step related actions seen in our building. This could look like making a list of all the great things we see our kids and staff doing. Maybe we create a board or use windows in a common/highly trafficked space for teachers and students to all add to. Could we do a “Kindness Couch” segment to share some of the observed actions on the announcements? Using hashtags? Wellness PLC will chat with grade level teams and see what they think. When we come back from break, they will talk about what this will look like.
Literacy: The Literacy PLC spent the last two sessions diving into performance tasks for the Scope and Sequence work (phase II email from Kris Devereaux). they looked at characteristics of strong performance tasks, brainstormed ideas for possible performance tasks, and generated questions. Additionally, they spent some time digesting the upcoming ILEARN blueprints and online tools. We explored the performance task component samples online.
Inquiry: Thank you Beth and Kandiss for working through your SEL Inquiry and to the Think Tank Team (T3...catchy name, huh?) for providing feedback back on December 4. We would like to expand this invaluble opportunity for us to learn with and from our colleagues.
I, Andrew, am jumping into the Inquiry PLC's space, using the lines below, to share out the plan moving forward through second semester.
- First, here is the link to the recorded Think Tank from last week. The sound is excellent!
- Second, I would like for every grade level/team/individual to have the opportunity to bring an idea/plan through this process. Our T3 members have made some dates available to allow everyone a chance to gain feedback on a lesson, unit, or project. Some ideas could be 3rd grade specialty animals, 4th grade famous Hoosiers, an upcoming persuasive writing unit, integrating more technology into math lessons, etc.
- Each of the following dates will have two 30 minute time slots. I am happy to help you gain that 30 minutes back by covering a recess/lunch duty for you the week that you sign up.
- Talk with your team and sign up here!!!
PLC Corner
Below is the remainder of our PLC schedule for 2018 and the beginning of 2019! Evidence and Outcomes/Performance Tasks - Phase II of our Scope and Sequence is set to be complete by the end of this month. The feedback I received was that instead of working on your own time with your grade level, folks preferred our Phase I approach of using Fridays during grade level PLC time and include myself and our coaches. We will plan on diving in this Friday with 2nd and 4th grade.
Please review emails from Kris Devereaux sent 11-30-18 and refer to the link in the section above that was shared out by our Literacy Team. We can plan on meeting in classrooms so that you have materials more readily available.
1/11 -2nd and 4th PLC; 1st and 3rd Grade Level Collab Time
1/18 -1st and 3rd PLC; 2nd and 4th Grade Level Collab Time
1/25 - 2nd and 4th PLC; 1st and 3rd Grade Level Collab Time
2/1 - 1st and 3rd PLC; 2nd and 4th Grade Level Collab Time
Kindy (Alternating Thursdays):
1/17
1/31
MTSS (Multi Tiered Systems of Support) for Behavior
Diane will be our point person and first layer of support. As we move through the process, teachers will have the opportunity to bring the students in need to our MTSS Team for further collaboration, support, and brainstorming.
More information will be provided at our January Staff Share.
2019 Eagle Elementary Science and Engineering Fair
The 2019 Eagle Elementary Science and Engineering Fair will be held on Tuesday, February 5, 2019! This year’s theme will be centered around the idea of improving human health. Students who are interested may pick up a permission slip in the front office. Permission slips are due back to the front office NO LATER THAN the Information and Brainstorming Sessions on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.
Classes will have an opportunity to view projects during school. We will also invite participants to display their projects on Wellness Night.
If students compete in the EE Science and Engineering Fair, students in 1st-4th grade could possibly advance to the Central Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Marion University in February! Take on the challenge to participate in a school-wide science and engineering competition and possibly a regional title!