Week 31

Great Things I Noticed: 

• Christina Ramierez working hard to finish up ELPAC and Reclassification!
• Clarissa working with Arlington High School to set up our chronically absent students with a high school mentor! 
• Kinder students learning all about the life cycle and applying that knowledge to their narrative writing!
• Catepillars turning into butterflies all over our campus!
• Carol OK working with nutrition services to expand our garden area! 
• Hawthorne Leadership working hard on moving us onward and upward with our goals and common commitments!  

 

 

 

 

Nuts and Bolts:

• Summer school invitations:
  -Invitations are in your boxes
  -Please send home to 5-10 students in each classroom
  -Send home, make sure they are compete and turn into Clarissa
  ^{-Clarissa has additional forms - DEADLINE is April 28th!} 
• Clarissa and I are starting to use the electronic walkthrough forms.  If you see us looking on our phones while in your class, check your response form on Google.  Please feel free to stop by and talk to us or email us about our observations!
• 3-6 Grade:  You should schedule at least ONE interim assessment PER WEEK between now and the beginning of the CAASPP test.  Please follow through on the plans you sent to me - we want our students to be comfortable with testing system.
• Student of the Month certificates are due to Cindy by Wednesday - 4/25 
• Lunch on the Lawn in Wednesday in the courtyard - all lunches
• This is the time of year we want to squeeze all the knowledge we can into out student's brains!  Please use your instructional time wisely and remember that every minute of instructional time counts! 
• This is also the time of year to RETEACH our 4 school rules - use examples of what they mean and look like in the cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms and playground.
• Fill out the MAP survey here.

Focus:

Second Set Partners:  

Using second set partners helps our students with the listening element during our structured collaborative conversations and reinforces the idea of retelling using academic language and complete sentences.  During second set partners students listen to their "normal" partner and then turn and tell to a second partner what the first said, using thier name.  

You can find a video of this process here: 

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/second-set-partners-sfusd 

This strategy reflects one of the 5 essential practices to teach ELD.  I have attached the graphic below - and will be placing a copy in your boxes.  

The video is a Kinder class, but how can this tool be applied to all grade levels and how can this strategy be beneficial for our ELD students?  

Upcoming Events: 

• 4/23 - 6th Grade awards assembly - Sycamore Canyon
• 4/23 - Pear Deck PD - 3:00-4:30
• 4/24 - PIQE Starts
• 4/24 - 6th Grade Interviews for Chemawa AVID - 8:30-3:30
• 4/24 - PTA Meeting in library 3:15
• 4/24 - RUSD Employee Recognition Ceremony (Mr. Hara - Teacher of the Year, Kirsten Wilson - Classfied Employee of the Year)
• 4/24 - 5th Grade Field Trip - Nixon Library
• 4/25 - Leadership Team - 2:55 - Library
• 4/26 - Kinder Team at Eureka Launch
• 4/26 - 1/2 Day Principals Meeting (Carrie)
• 4/26 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Part I)
• 4/26 - Mr. Hara's class field trip  - Arlington Sports Park
• 4/27 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Part II)
• 4/27 - SOTM Assemblies (Regular Times)
• 5/2 - 5/4 - Ed Elements Conference (Carrie in San Francisco)
• 5/2 - Kinder Kickoff - 3:00-4:00
• 5/3 - 4th Grade Eureka Launch PD
• 5/3 - Aspiring Leaders Presentation (MPR in use 3:30-5:00 - lots of district people here)

Week 30

Great Things I Noticed:

• Liz and the lunch crew returning to a broken freezer and making it work!
• So many grade levels embracing Engage NY and getting ready for the transition to Eureka!
• Ms. Ramirez working HARD to get our kids and teachers through the ELPAC!
• Ms. Masi never giving up with a difficult student and working to get the SAP Behavior support! 
• Our ENTIRE Special Education Team managing the high number if IEP meetings and referrals!
• Cindy  - She is working so hard to get all of our orders in and done before all of the deadlines... and using all of her skills to get us what we need! 
• Debbie - she is always friendly, helpful and welcoming at the front desk! 

Nuts and Bolts:

• Summer school invitations:
  -Invitations are in your boxes
  -Please send home to 5-10 students in each classroom
  -Send home, make sure they are compete and turn into Clarissa
  ^{-Clarissa has additional forms - DEADLINE is April 28th!} 
• Clarissa and I are starting to use the electronic walkthrough forms.  If you see us looking on our phones while in your class, check your response form on Google.  Please feel free to stop by and talk to us or email us about our observations!
• 3-6 Grade:  You should schedule at least ONE interim assessment PER WEEK between now and the beginning of the CAASPP test.  Please follow through on the plans you sent to me - we want our students to be comfortable with testing system.
• Team  Leaders:  Turn in Pink/Blue form updates ASAP - I would like to get these out this week
• If you did not hear from me personally, you are remaining (unless something changes) in your current grade level assignment.
• Team Leaders:  Please send me your team's designated ELD time by Tuesday
• THIS is the time to reteach behavior expectations (especially to our upper grades).  Take the time to discuss the 4 school rules and how they apply to different areas of our campus.  Take the time to complete some Character Counts lessons.  

FOCUS:

Avoiding the Sping Slump - 

That time on the calendar between the end of spring break and the beginning of summer vacation can be the longest of the school year.  Sometimes is hard to get back into the groove and return to a normal routine.  Especially when you have field trips, testing and end of the year fun!  Here are a few ways to stay motivated and focused after Spring Break: 

Create Attainable Goals: 

There is nothing more satisfying then creating a goal and reaching it. Whether it’s to spring clean your classroom or get through standardized testing, make sure that you set a goal and stick to it. Once you achieve your goal, you will feel motivated to set another one and another one. Then, before you know it the school year will be over. Remember to start small then work your way up to more complex goals.

Keep Healthy:

Eating the rights foods and getting enough exercise (and rest) will help you stay focused at work and make you feel more energized to accomplish all of your goals.

Don't Procrastinate:  

I will write about this later.

Keep Your Routine:

Even with all of the schedule changes and exciting events.  Keep to the routines you have established since the first day of school.  If you students are used to doing it, then keep doing it.  They thrive under structure and routine, especially when change is all around them.  

Be Mindful: 

Learn to live in the moment and use your mind to control your negative thoughts. This will help quite your mind and focus your thoughts. Take some time each day to just sit and breathe. This will help relax you and help you focus. By doing this each day for a few minutes you can increase your memory and attention span. When you are relaxed, then you are more apt to be motivated.

Live in the Moment: 

Summer countdowns are fun, but can also distract us from the great things happening every day in our classrooms.  Springtime is not a sentence we have to serve until Summer Break.  Stay positive and focused on the daily needs of your students and colleagues.  We still have a lot work to complete before the school year ends! 

Upcoming Events: 

• 4/18 - Staff Meeting 2:55 - Mentors Share Out (ELA, MATH, SCIENCE, TECH)
• 4/19 - 1st Grade field trip
• 4/20 - Team Leader PD - Library
• 4/20 - Hara's Baby Shower - Library
• 4/23 - 6th Grade awards assembly - Sycamore Canyon
• 4/23 - Pear Deck PD - 3:00-4:30
• 4/24 - PIQE Starts
• 4/24 - 5th Grade Field Trip - Nixon Library
• 4/25 - Leadership Team - 2:55 - Library
• 4/26 - Kinder Team at Eureka Launch
• 4/26 - Full Day Principals Meeting (Carrie out ALL DAY)
• 4/26 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Part I)
• 4/27 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Part II)
• 4/27 - SOTM Assemblies (Regular Times)

Shameless Personal Plug Section of Blog: 

My son will be performing in the Riverside Children's Theater production of Cinderella on April 20-22 AND April 27-29 at Arlington High School's Theater.  It is a great show and fun for the whole family - 

If you are interested in tickets - you can find them at: https://bit.ly/2Hoxnug 

PLEASE put the name "Brown, B" in the "family name" box when you purchase tickets.  

You might be told you are on a "wait list" - but FEAR NOT! 

 Tickets are being released for general admission!  

Thank you for supporting the Arts in Riverside! 

Really Shameless Personal Plug Section of Blog: 

HEY LADIES! 

I am having a Cabi Clothing Party on Saturday, 4/21, from 2:00-5:00 (20121 Whiterock Lane) - If you are ready to refresh your wardrobe with some high quality, colorful, spring pieces - STOP BY!  I love Cabi and many of my pieces come from the Cabi Line.  Click here to find out more about Cabi - Bring a friend!