Week 2

GREAT THINGS WE NOTICED:

• Jennifer, Sarah and Natalie presenting our SST protocols - Thank you! 
• Doree's strong brain and Danielle's successful teacher! 
• Beautiful personalized student work in Tina's class! 
• Back to School Night!! 

 

 

NUTS and BOLTS:

• Schedule your 1:1 with Cindy by TODAY!
• PE Minutes not longer have to be turned in for verification BUT should be documented in lesson plans AND be available for review by auditors or district personnel.  
• Don't forget to sign up for  Dibels time with Erin (if you need it)
• Each team will be provided with a hard copy of the Playworks play guide to share and reference as needed.  
• SCHED is the new PD Hub... an email was sent to your GMAIL account providing access to SCHED.  This is the place to sign up for PD opportunities in the district - More information forthcoming!
• Mystery Science will be up and running next week - or so I was told.... 
• ALICE Training:  Complete by 8/30!! 
• MANDATED REPORTER TRAINING: Complete by 9/30!
• Take your STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT!  You don't have to read the book to learn your strengths! Find the link to the results survey here.
• We have decided to do our "discipline assemblies" during lunches next week - no class time taken! 
• REEF Teacher Grants Last year, REEF gave $192,756 in grant funds to enrich learning for students across the district. Teacher Grants were awarded in science, language arts, math, social studies, physical education and the visual and performing arts. Since its founding 24 years ago, REEF has given 2,423 grants for a total of $2.13 million.  Applications are available now at the link below, and are due to the district office no later than 4:00pm on September 13, 2019. https://www.reef4rusd.org/teaching-enrichment-grants/   
• A list of professional development offered by the Special Education Department can be located here.   Please have staff sign up through Sched.  This includes monthly Pro-Act trainings.  http://bit.ly/SPEDpdCalendar     

Weekly Focus: 

myLexia provides a data-driven action plan that takes the guesswork out of differentiating instruction by helping teachers allocate computer time (different for each student based on need) for the appropriate students and by focusing the teacher on the greatest instructional needs in the classroom.

Class-level reports on myLexia identify the skill areas in which the student is currently working, the specific skills on which the student needs instruction, the student's progress towards weekly usage goals, and the completed levels with certificates of achievement to celebrate success.

Lexia for small group instruction: 

The "Struggling" report under the myLexia "Action Plan" provides a quick reference for instructional planning. Updated in real-time, the report shows which students are struggling, which skills they are struggling on; it groups students by skill for small group instruction and provides a link to the structured, skill-specific lesson needed. The lesson is planned for you and scripted.  Easy to use!

With access to detailed reports of school, grade, class, and student data, educators can make informed decisions by monitoring student progress and planning instruction based on students’ risk level and needs, helping to prioritize limited time.

With the use of Lexia, both computer time and small group instruction, our students should be showing growth in reading.  If you haven’t already, please make sure to use the resources that are available. 

https://www.lexialearning.com/products/core5/assessment-without-testing

GAME OF THE WEEK:

4 Square Switch Up:

A new twist on traditional 4 square! 

https://www.playworks.org/game-library/4-square-switch-2/

Upcoming Events: 

8/26-9/5 - PTA Fundraiser 

8/26 & 8/27 - Dairy Council Assemblies (times TBD)
8/27 - Co-Admin Meeting - Longi Out 8:30-11:30

8/27 - Staff Meeting 3:00 - E103 - "WIN" Time - Please be prompt! 
8/29 - HIT Foundation Days (3rd and 6th grades)
8/30 - Carrie out (PB) 8:00-11:00
9/2 - Labor Day No School
9/3 - Team Goals DUE!  
9/3 - Leadership Team Meeting 2:55 - E103
9/4 - Lunch on the Lawn! 
9/5 - Principal working group - Carrie Out 8:00-10:30
9/5 - Virtual Principal Meeting - Carrie Unavailable

Birthdays: 

8/24 - James Hara - K-3 - SDC M/S
8/26 - Ron Sheffield - 1st Grade
8/26 - Steve Carrasco - 6th Grade
8/29 - Carol Ortega-Koelling - SDC - K-2 M/M
8/29 - Karla Ramirez - Noon Supervisor
9/2 - Jennifer Jimenez - School Psychologist
9/4 - Kristi Forsythe - 3rd Grade
9/6 - Devin Miller - IA SDC M/S Hall

Week 1

Great Things We Noticed: 

• The First Day of School! 
• Longi getting the school First Day of School ready! 
• All staff going all out during out Playworks training!
• Rhonda Tilton using whole body engagement with her students! 
• Play First, Eat Second - Thank you for your patience this week! 
• THE ROPE at dismissal! 
• Using what you learned and teaching PLAYWORKS! 

Nuts and Bolts:

 

• Schedule your 1:1 with Cindy by TODAY!
• Team Leaders - please Master Schedules completed by Friday 8/16
• PE Minutes not longer have to be turned in for verification BUT should be documented in lesson plans AND be available for review by auditors or district personnel.  
• Don't forget to sign up for  Dibels time with Erin (if you need it)
• Each team will be provided with a hard copy of the Playworks play guide to share and reference as needed.  
• SCHED is the new PD Hub... an email was sent to your GMAIL account providing access to SCHED.  This is the place to sign up for PD opportunities in the district - More information forthcoming!
• Mystery Science will be up and running next week - or so I was told.... 
• ALICE Training:  Complete by 8/30!! 
• MANDATED REPORTER TRAINING: Complete by 9/30!
• Take your STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT!  You don't have to read the book to learn your strengths! Find the link to the results survey here.
• We have decided to do our "discipline assemblies" during lunches next week - no class time taken! 

Friday Focus: 

CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING 

(adapted from AVID Culturally Relevant Teaching: A Schoolwide Approach)

Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) encompasses more than designing engaging activities like multicultural days, research projects or using multicultural literature.  While all of these activities are great for students and schools, CRT encompasses a process that might require you to step outside of your comfort zone and change your thinking about your students and how to best teach them.  CRT is a way teachers can say "I see you as an individual. I respect and celebrate the different background and experiences that you bring to this classroom.  I am here to support, guide, and work with you on your journey to academic, career and personal success." 

The term "culturally relevant teaching" is a "pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referent to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes."  Culturally relevant teaching is the process of developing cultural responsiveness and begins when a teacher recognized the cultural capital and tools students bring to the classroom.  The teacher is able to then respond to students use of these cultural learning tools positively by noticing, naming and affirming when students use them in their learning.  

Creating a culturally relevant classroom requires teachers to achieve the following: 

• Foster a growth mindset within themselves and their students.
• Recognize and understand their own cultural beliefs and biases.
• Realize the critical need to develop relational capacity with their students. 
• Create a learning environment that is safe, supportive, and respectful.
• Maintain high expectations of all students.
• Embrace the importance of equity in meeting the needs of students.
• Provide support of learning through scaffolding and differentiation.
• Bridge connections between home, school and community.
• Consistently evaluate their teaching practices and adopt a willingness to change in order to address the ways in which their students learn.
• Embrace learning and growth for themselves and their students. 

How do you foster these ideas in yourself and your classroom?  How do we foster these in our school?  (You can always comment below...)

GAME OF THE WEEK:

I Love My Neighbor

https://www.playworks.org/game-library/i-love-my-neighbor/ 

Great way for students to get to know one another! 

Upcoming Events: 

8/20 - Team Meeting - 3:00 E103

8/21 - Classified Staff Meeting - 2:00 E103

8/22 - K-12 Principals Meeting - Carrie Out 8:00-12:30

8/23 - Custom School Principal Meeting - Carrie Out 12:30-4:00

8/23 - PTA Fundraiser Kick-Off Assemblies (times TBD) - Fundraiser through 9/5

8/26 & 8/27 - Dairy Council Assemblies (times TBD)

8/27 - Staff Meeting 3:00 - E103 - "WIN" Time

Birthdays: 

8/1 - Lakisha Harris - 6th Grade

8/7 - Cindy Olvera - Noon Supervisor

8/12 - Priscilla Skeet - Preschool Aide

8/21 - Tina Sumerford - 6th Grade

8/24 - James Hara - K-3 - SDC M/S

8/26 - Ron Sheffield - 1st Grade

8/26 - Steve Carrasco - 6th Grade

8/29 - Carol Ortega-Koelling - SDC - K-2 M/M

8/29 - Karla Ramirez - Noon Supervisor