Hawk Talk
Oh, The Places You'll Go!
Is anyone else asking themselves if it is really the last week of April already? I can't believe how quickly the year has gone! THANK YOU to all of you for your hard work this year and the energy I know you will bring to these last few weeks of school. I appreciate everything you do to ensure our students have a positive learning experience each day!
I will be sending out an email later this week with end of year checklists for teachers. Two items I would suggest starting on early:
1. Please complete the pink/sheets for each student. Once you have completed them, please turn them in to Janette. She will place them in student files for you. :)
2. Please complete the writing progressions/writing folders for each student. If you are unsure of what to place in the folder or how to use the progression, please refer to the email sent from Dr. Porter regarding directions. Directions for what to do with completed writing folders will be included in your end of year checklist.
Important items for week of April 25:
- 5th grade will be MAP testing on April 26, 27, 28. The lab will be closed for testing during this time. We will email each day to notify teachers when the lab is open again.
- Parents will be emailed progress reports on April 26.
- Major Saver limo ride/pizza party is at 11:30 on April 27. Teachers will be notified of which students will be attending.
- NCADA will complete their last visit on April 28. Schedule was provided by Mrs. Gifford.
- Character Assembly will be on April 28 at 3:15 pm (time change due to MAP testing in the morning). Please have students bring backpacks with them, as we will dismiss from the gym.
- We have a mandatory open enrollment meeting on April 29 at 7:30 am. If you are unable to attend, you must find an alternative meeting to attend at another building, per HR.
Important items for week of May 2:
- Staff Appreciation Week! Various things planned throughout the week to say THANK YOU!
- Grades K/1 will be IOWA testing each morning from May 2-6.
- 5th grade will be MAP testing on May 2, 3, 5, 6. The lab will be closed for testing during this time. We will email each day to notify teachers when the lab is open again.
Important items for week of May 9:
- Big Smiles dental visits for individual students on May 9 (based on paperwork completed by parents)
- May 11 - Stranger Danger presentation for Grades K-2 at 9 am; early release at HPE, 15 minute staff meeting to follow
- May 12 - 5th grade track day; 1st grade fishing field trip
- May 13 - K field trip; all school assembly (tentative time is 2:45 pm) -- will be outdoors
Important items for week of May 16:
- Monday, May 16 - Grades 1/2 Science Stations
- Tuesday, May 17 - Last day of school, Activity Day, Final Character Assembly for the year
Reading Workshop
Thank you for your conversation and focused reading last week during our Wednesday session for Reading Workshop! To prepare for this week, please remember to complete your reading ahead of time: Grades K-2 will be reading Chapter 5 from A Guide to Reading Workshop; Grades 3-5 will be reading Chapter 4 from A Guide to Reading Workshop. Since you will be reading ahead of time, we will be focusing time on conversations around the structure of reading workshop, what supports/resources you will need, what next steps are in preparing to implement workshop. When we met last week, we discussed assessment and grading briefly --- if time allows, we will discuss this during our meeting on Wednesday. Prior to focusing on assessment in workshop, it is critical that our team has a firm understanding of the WHY and HOW behind reading workshop. Have no fear --- your feedback has been heard loud and clear --- support and PD on grading and assessment in workshop is coming.
Proud to be Hawks!
As we get closer to the end of this school year and begin to prepare for next school year, we have much to celebrate and much to reflect upon. First, thank you to each of you for your dedication to our students and our team --- I know you put countless hours and energy into making sure each day is positive and focused on learning. Your time and effort are very much appreciated!
Second, as you reflect on the year, I ask you to consider two things: What is something we are doing well as a team? What is something we can improve upon as a team?
Collaborative work is what makes a school function efficiently and effectively --- our students rely on us to work well together so that we can provide an environment focused on what is best for kids. I have shared with our team many times that the goal is to continuously improve - continue to grow. It is important that we each celebrate our individual growth, but it is even more important that we work to grow TOGETHER as a team. As you begin thinking about next year and see visions of reading workshop, Canvas, student engagement strategies....remember to take a deep breath and look to our team for support. We can do this together!
Important Dates
MAP testing dates remaining for HPE:
*PLEASE NOTE: Testing will begin promptly at 9:00 am on each date listed below.
April 26 - Grade 5 ELA - Session 1
April 27 - Grade 5 ELA - Session 2 and 3
April 28 - Grade 5 ELA - Session 4
May 2 - Grade 5 - MATH - Session 1
May 3 - Grade 5 - MATH - Session 2
May 5 - Grade 5 - SCIENCE - Session 1 and 2
May 6 - Grade 5 - SCIENCE - Session 3
*Makeup testing for MAP will occur as possible throughout the testing window. The window will close on May 11.
IOWA TESTING:
*PLEASE NOTE: Testing will begin promptly at 9:00 am each day listed below.
May 2 - Kindergarten and 1st Grade (session to be determined)
May 3 -Kindergarten and 1st Grade (session to be determined)
May 4- Kindergarten and 1st Grade (session to be determined)
May 5- Kindergarten and 1st Grade (session to be determined)
May 6 -Kindergarten and 1st Grade (session to be determined)
April 27 - Major Saver limo ride/pizza party for those students who qualify, will take place at 11:30 am
April 28 --- Character Assembly **NOTE -- time is moved to 3:15 pm due to MAP testing in the am. We will begin calling classrooms between 3:10 and 3:15 --- Please have students bring their backpacks with them to the gym, as we will dismiss from the gym.
April 28 - NCADA visit (schedule was provided by Mrs. Gifford)
April 29 - Mandatory open enrollment meeting @7:30 am, Audrey Henebry will be presenting
May 2-6: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 2- 13 STAR/DIBELS testing window for end of year benchmark
May 9 - Big Smiles Dental visit (individual students will be seen based on paperwork from parents)
May 11 - Wednesday early release, stay at HPE, staff meeting to follow at 4:00 pm (staff meeting will be 15 minute - focused on end of year items); K-2 Stranger Danger Presentation at 9:00 am
May 12 - Track Day for 5th grade, 1st grade field trip
May 13 - K field trip; all grades for 4th quarter should be entered by end of day ; All School Assembly (will be outdoors) - tentatively scheduled for 2:45 pm
May 17 - Last Day of School; End of Year Character Assembly; Activity Day; report cards emailed to parents
Tech Corner
I ask that you reflect on this statement: "We have to change the way we do school."
This is a statement that speaks to how we approach learning in our classrooms and what we picture in our minds when we think of learning in the classroom. With the tech available to use in our classrooms, the 4 walls of the classroom no longer exist. Opportunities for learning are changed and extended through the use of technology. Think back to the SAMR activity we completed where we explored ways to use tech in a meaningful way to change the learning experience --- this is something we will continue to focus on more and more. Our students live in a world filled with tech and will be entering a workforce filled with tech. We have a responsibility to prepare for them the workforce and to integrate technology into the classroom. As you reflect on this school year and start thinking about next year, be thinking about creative and meaningful ways that tech can change the school experience.
Team Reminders
A few reminders for the team:
*As we continue in fourth quarter, there are a few items I ask you to help with in order to ensure student safety and that our building operates efficiently. We will touch base on each of these at our meeting this afternoon as well.
- Student Supervision: Students should be supervised at all times. Please work to ensure that students are properly supervised at all times. What system do you have in place to ensure that students make it safely from point A to point B during the day? How do you work to ensure that all your students made it safely to specials, recess, intervention, lost and found? It is important that we know where all students are at all times.
- Attendance reporting: Classroom/student attendance should be reported no later than 8:45 am each day. If we were to have an unexpected event that required a lock-down or evacuation of the building, we need to know what students were present to start the day so that we can ensure all students are safe. Also, Janette and I begin making personal phone calls to families regarding student absences by 9 am in an effort to encourage regular attendance at school.
- Building Duty Schedules: Please make sure you report for your afternoon/morning duty at your schedule time. The duty schedule was created to ensure that our students are properly supervised at all times, and that we work as a team to ensure that is happening. You have access to the morning/afternoon duty schedule in your Google Drive if you need a reminder of what days/times you have duty. Janette keeps a copy handy in the office as well.
*Be mindful of comments regarding the number of days left in the school year. If a student hears a staff member say "only 70 days left..." --- what is that student thinking? What is the message that might be sent? How might that comment make the student feel? One thing we frequently say as educators is that we never have enough time....let's make sure that we communicate to our students that our time together matters and that we enjoy spending time learning with our students. We have much to accomplish in the time we are granted with our students --- make every day count!