Monday Memo
December 16-20
Vulnerability Friday!
When I went into administration, I made the leap due to a deep love for curriculum and supporting all students. However, after being in the trenches for five years, I have found that it is the relationships that mean the most to me and keep me coming back day after day. Your support and kind words give me the courage to tackle the toughest days. Thank you to all of you for sharing your vulnerability with me as well. I applaud you for courageously tackling (now more than ever) a job that continues to add responsibilities onto an overflowing plate while trying to reach a moving target. We are on this journey together, so please remember to reach out to your accountability partners and those that you emailed on Friday when you are feeling overwhelmed with work and life! It takes a village to raise a child, and we have around 510-that's a big village! Let's continue to support one another, lift each other up, and acknowledge each other for the hard work that everyone does everyday! The culture that we have at Alward is unique and special...let's continue to embrace it and use it to help us "champion" for our students and each other.
I hope you all have a fabulous week as we head into winter break! Have a safe and wonderful holiday with your family and friends. Enjoy this time and remember to disconnect for the majority of your break so that you can truly come back recharged for the winter stretch!
~Mel
RAK Holiday Countdown Calendar
- RAK Challenge-Have your class pick a couple of things that they can do to spread kindness around Alward-RAK calendar.
- RAK Elf Grams-Another activity is to write an Elf Gram to classmates, staff members, or family members.
Shout Outs
Thank Yous and Staff Appreciations
- Thank you to Kristin, Betsy, and Stephanie for managing all of the holiday events and organizing the chaos that comes with them! You are truly an amazing team!!
- Thank you to our PTC Santa's Secret Shop Committee Chairs and volunteers! It is such a fun event for our students, and they are so excited to give gifts this holiday season!
Nuts and Bolts for the Week
To Do's and Updates:
1. 2X10-Let's Build Relationships!
- Adopt a student in your class that you are going to give 2 minutes of your time to build a relationship with him/her every single day.
- Remember to keep it separate from academic time.
- Be intentional, compassionate, and devoted!
2. Star Testing Window-Dec. 4-Dec. 20
- Retest all students during the window of Dec. 4-Dec. 20
- Data Dialogue Documents
- Reading Data Spreadsheet
- Math Data Spreadsheet
3. AES Holiday Spirit Week Calendar
4. Five Days Before Winter Break-Treats from Melanie (I switched the order--I forgot about the Staff Holiday Breakfast!)
5. Staff Holiday Breakfast: Wednesday, Dec. 18th @ 8:00 a.m.
6. Holiday Parties: Enter Your Party Times into the doc linked.
All parties must end prior to 3:00!
- PK-2nd Grades: Thursday, Dec. 19
- 3rd-5th Grades: Friday, Dec. 20
7. Guest Reader Wednesday, Dec. 18th
- Sign up for a time slot...our specials teachers will be coming around in the afternoon on Wednesday to read one of their favorite picture books to your class.
8. All School Movie Friday, Dec. 20th
- Our Super Hero Specials Teachers are at it again and will be doing two all school movie showings so you can have an extra long planning as we head into break. More details to come from our amazing Specials Teachers!
Star Testing for Grades 1st thru 5th
Enter data into math and reading spreadsheets by Jan. 9th!
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019, 08:30 AM
AES
PTC Sponsored Staff Breakfast
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2019, 08:00 AM
AES Teacher's Lounge
Guest Reader Wednedsay-No Super Switch!
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2019, 01:00 PM
AES Classrooms
AES Holiday Parties Grades PK-2
- PK 12:45-1:45
- KDG 2:00-2:45
- 1st 12:35-1:25
- 2nd 1:00-2:00
Thursday, Dec 19, 2019, 12:30 PM
AES
Staff Christmas Party
Thursday, Dec 19, 2019, 06:00 PM
Signatures Coffee & Espresso, Balsam Drive, Hudsonville, MI, USA
AES Holiday Parties Grades 3-5
- 3rd 1:00-2:00
- 4th 1:30-2:30
- 5th 10:00-11:00
Friday, Dec 20, 2019, 10:00 AM
AES
All School Movie Friday
Friday, Dec 20, 2019, 09:00 AM
AES Gym
Winter Break
Friday, Dec 20, 2019, 04:00 PM
Hudsonville, MI, USA
School Wide Initiatives
1. PBIS Tokens:
Electronic Behavior Referral Form-Use this doc to fill in behavior referrals.
Paper Behavior Referral Form-Use this doc when you are out on recess duty. You can give this form to the classroom teachers. Classroom teachers then turn this doc into Betsy to enter into our system.
- AES Behavior Data Slide Presentation
- Behavior Tracking Form: If you need a document to track minor behaviors or behaviors that are increasing in frequency for your own data, make a copy of this spreadsheet.
Tokens: We will be increasing the number of tokens to 84 (fill up your chart two times) to earn a token party!
- Have your class celebration! Please see the linked handout for celebration ideas and restrictions.
- Resources and support materials for PBIS
Restorative Circles
2. #aesreads: As we embark on this new school year, please help me spread the love of reading by sending me or posting pictures of reading to our Facebook page. Include the hashtag #aesreads. These pictures can include:
- students reading
- teachers reading
- staff members reading
- students or a class sharing a favorite book (book review)
These pictures can also be in or out of school. Spread the word with your families as well!
3. Reading Goals: As you walk around the school, you may have noticed the bulletin board with reading goals for this year. Our "main event" goal this year is to reach 100 million words read! As we reach 25 million words read, the whole school will earn an "event" incentive for their reading efforts that ties into our "Greatest School on Earth" theme. Let's start the year off strong and shaow the community our "reading strength."
4. AES Champions SOAR: Recognize a student or staff member that goes the extra mile to "SOAR." You can fill out this google form or fill out a postcard in the office. Leave the filled out postcard in the mailbox in front of Kristin's desk.
5. AES Champions: We will choose AES Champions by drawing out one name from your PBIS tokens at the end of each month (random).
6. Sunshine Fund Committee Update: Sunshine Fund Committee now has links in the staff notebook for Fund Guidelines and a Request Form. Please check out these two links!
7. Sharing Our Story:
- Please make sure to update your classroom blogs at least twice a month!
- If you would like to utilize ClassDojo as your main line of communication with your parents, please make sure to include a link on the main page of your blog.
- Email me when your blog is about to expire. I will upgrade it with school funds so that you do not have to do this!
8. Jean Fund Fridays
- $1/Friday
- $20/Semester
- $40/year
9. Teacher Evaluation:
- 3W Walk-thru Observation-teachers on cycle [minimum one-two per observation cycle]
- Face-to-face Mtg after 3W Walk-thru Observation-within 24-48 hrs of 3W Walk-thru
- Pivot Observation with Noticings and Wonderings-teachers on cycle [minimum one per observation cycle]
Popular Links
- Pledge Schedule-Patti's class will be kicking off the year by saying the pledge. When you class is done saying the pledge, pass the torch onto the next class listed. Thank you!
- Medical Alerts: Please pay close attention to the medical alerts for your class and grade level! We have a lot of different food allergies and severe medical needs in some classes this year.
- Peanut and Nut Free Classrooms Update: This year, all classrooms will be peanut and nut free.
- Grades/teachers with peanut/tree nut allergies include: PKB, KD, 1D, 1T, 30, 4L, 4H, 5B, 5C
- PK, KDG, and Grade 1 will have a food-free birthday treat policy.
- First grade needs to pay attention to products made in a peanut/tree nut factories. These items are not allowed for snacks. Be safe by having students wash their hands after snack with soap and water.
- Cafeteria-peanut/nut items are allowed for all grades except Ms. Terpstra's class. Students that consume peanut butter or nut products will wash their hands with soap and water or baby wipes after they eat lunch in the cafeteria. We will continue to have peanut/nut free tables.
- School Staff Absence Request Form
- Going Home Changes (End of Day Changes)
Sunshine Fund Committee Update: Sunshine Fund Committee now has links in the staff notebook for Fund Guidelines and a Request Form. Please check out these two links!
2. Data Spreadsheets
3. Matrix with PBIS Lessons Attached
4. Drill Procedures: Review the drill procedures with your students!
5. 5D+ Updates from Anne Armstrong
6. Kalpa Updates:
- Tracking IEP Mtgs, CST, Risk Assessments Slide Presentation (45 minutes or longer)
- AES Google Form for tracking IEP, CST, 504, Risk Assessments
- Mtgs must be 45 minutes or longer before/after school or during your plan time
- Count for Merit Pay after you have attended 3 meetings.