Week 7

Great Things I Noticed

• Lots and lots of Art!  
• Learner profiles of all kinds on bulletin boards throughout the school!  These students will be ready to set their goals and complete their profiles!
• Character Counts work throughout the grade levels!
• 2nd graders classifying rocks!
• 1st graders editing and revising writing using evidence!
• The attendance trophy for our elementary cluster!
• Pie in the Face! 

Nuts and Bolts:

• Construction starts Monday on our new Kinder portable.  
• Please contact us with your students shoe needs ASAP - we need to take advantage of this opportunity!
• Kinder classes are picking up from the cafeteria  - NO parents should be on campus without checking into the office first
• We are planning a new "Hawk Walk Club" to encourage students to walk to school - send us your ideas!
• Gallup Survey window is open - we will be completing as a certified staff on 10/18.  Classified staff will have computers set up in the library for your convenience.  
• Red Ribbon week is October 23-31 - this year's theme is "Your Future is Key, So Stay Drug Free" 
• Please consider giving to the United Way - We are planning incentives if we increase our donations this year.  More information at the Staff Meeting
• Per Ed Code 52720/52730 Pledge of Allegiance and appropriate patriotic exercises must be completed every morning.  Let me know if you have any questions about this.
• Don't forget to sign up for a booth at our Fall Festival - it should be a good time!
• Shared Leadership Team - Innovate Ed will be coming (10/23) for our instructional design day - please mark your calendars.  I will let you know how we will arrange the day ASAP
• Several of our teachers will be at the Character Counts Conference next week - I can't wait to see what they learn! 

Friday Focus

Keep It or Junk It

"Keep it or Junk it" is a strategy to help students drill down to the important ideas found in text.  This strategy helps students develop evidence based writing and to critcally read text for useful information.  

This video: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/help-students-analyze-text from Teaching Channel shows a 5th grade teacher in Oakland using the strategy with two of her classes.  The video is close to 15 minutes long, but you see her change her strategy as her class changes.  She also uses a reading strategy called "Jump in and Read" that keeps the students engaged during the reading review.  

Here are the basic rules for Keep It or Junk It: 

"Keep It or Junk It" compels students to sort, categorize, summarize, justify and includes collaborative conversations!  The students are showing and telling their thinking with this strategy and they will be more than ready, at the end of the process to write with strong evidence.  Remember that, as with any new strategy, it takes time and practice to refine.  I would encourage you to try "Keep It or Junk It", especially with your science and social studies units.

Upcoming Events:

10/16-10/23 Gallup Survey Open for Staff

10/16-10/20 Cindy Out

10/16-10/20 Miles of Smiles (MPR)

10/16  RUSD Board Meeting - 5:00

10/18  Staff Meeting (Learner Profiles) - 2:55

10/19  Great California Shake Out  - 10:19

10/19  6th Grade Field Trip

10/19  School Site Council

10/19  EL Contact Meeting

10/20  TK/K Field Trip

10/23  Instructional Design Session (SLT Team)  

10/25  Dr. Hansen's Visit

10/25 Team Meeting 

10/26 Picture Make-Up Day

10/26  Principals Meeting (Carrie)

10/26  State of the District (Carrie and Clarissa)

10/26  Fall Festival - 4:30-7:00