Monday Morning Memo - Week 35
5/20/18
Dear Poupard Staff,
Four to go! At each Leader of the Month lunch, I ask our students two questions:
1. Whats your favorite thing about Poupard?
2. Whats one thing you'd like to see us do better, or change, or add in the future?
I thought it would be insightful share the responses I've been hearing from students to these two questions. Students shared how they appreciate everything that Poupard has to offer, from our amazing library selection, to varied specials, the 7 habits and our Leader in Me program. One overwhelming response to that first question has been how much students love their teachers. Their love isn't easily earned but our teachers have earned it by being there for our students, listening to them, and caring about them.
One of the common responses to the second question shouldn't surprise any of us, many students want additional recess and improvements to our playground. Outside of those changes, students mentioned how they would want to see their peers making better choices, more leadership jobs for students at school and examples of their future selves around the building. I'm providing this information as a kudos for all our great work but also as a road map that our Poupard Leaders are asking for us to create. Juggle these student suggestions in your brain over the next week or so and let's revisit the topic to how we can achieve this vision.
Sincerely,
Ali
Week at a Glance
PLC @ 8:15
Ali @ Elementary Principals Meeting from 1-4
Homework Club 3:45-4:30
Tuesday, May 22nd - C Day
Fire Drill at 9:45
Staff Meeting 4-5
Chess Wizards in Library from 3:40-4:40
Wednesday, May 23rd - D Day
SIT Meeting at 7:15
5th Grade to Parcells 9:30-11:00
Thursday, May 24th - A Day
Adolescent Health for 4th and 5th Grade
Homework Club 3:45-4:30 - Last Day
Friday, May 25th - B Day
Third Grade to Michigan Outdoor Adventure
Spirit Day - Wear a Poupard shirt
Student Birthdays
5/20- Malik Copeland
5/21-
5/22- Tre'Von Anderson, Qwentin Hicks
5/23- Charles Rocho, Henry Rocho
5/24- Eva Wearing
5/25-
5/26- Jameer Jackson
5/27-
5/28-
5/29- Da'Mari Jackson, Payton Passmore
5/30-
5/31-
Staff Birthdays
5/31- Paul Miller
Nuts and Bolts - Updated 4/15/18
- 4th and 5th Grade Teams, please have your students complete the LiM Student Survey by June 1st. https://archive.theleaderinmeonline.org/assesment/index.php/983666/lang-en/token/f2d98280635b0020a3860ab6dbe8faf9/newtest/Y
- All staff should meet with Cindy to schedule their observation. You will be scheduling three dates (Pre-Observation, Observation, and Post-Observation).
- Dragon Dollars have been handed out. Please use these to acknowledge the positive behaviors you notice from our 4th and 5th graders. Please only hand out one at a time.
- Please remember to take your Walkie Talkie with you outside when you take your students outside for an extra recess. The office staff has had a tough time locating individual students at the end of the day and it can be especially challenging with one person.
- The School Improvement Team is looking for books in good shape for Poupard's Literacy Night in May. If you find some, get a receipt and give them to Lori Woz.
Important Dates
5/21 - PLC (Class Placements), Ali @ Elementary Principals Meeting
5/22 - Staff Meeting from 4-5
5/23 - SIT Meeting
5/28 - Memorial Day - No School
5/29 - Field Day, Vertical Team Meeting
5/31 - Service/Safety Baseball Game
6/4 - PLC (Class Placements)
6/8 - Class Placements Due to Ali via Google Doc
6/11 - PLC (No Meeting - Report Cards)
6/14 - Staff EOY Party
Important Links
Article of the Week: Questions Students Should Ask When Reading Nonfiction Texts
In this Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacyarticle, Kristine Rodriguez Kerr (New York University) reviews Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategiesby Kylene Beers and Robert Probst (Heinemann, 2016). Kerr salutes the rising prominence of nonfiction texts in schools but pushes back on the definition of nonfiction as “things that are real” and “not fake,” especially with adolescent readers. “The reduced definition implies that the task of reading nonfiction is to simply learn and absorb information,” says Kerr, “rather than to question and consider the information being presented.” Beers and Probst suggest three questions with which students might approach any nonfiction text:
- What surprised me?
- What did the author think I already knew?
- What changed, challenged, or confirmed what I already knew?
“Reading nonfiction with these big questions helps students develop habits of questioning that puts their own knowledge in conversation with the nonfiction text,” says Kerr. Students’ mindset should be “open and receptive, but not gullible.”
GP Writing Assessment Calendar
April 23-May 9: K-2 testing window
May 10-23: First reads by teachers/Google reporting
May 25: Papers returned to board office
May 29: Judges Meeting with 1-2 judges and distribute papers
May 29-June 8: Second Reads by Judges
June 11-22: Third Reads