AVID October 2017
Post date: Oct 10, 2017 3:30:13 PM
In this month’s AVID Newsletter you'll find information on the AVID Center program manager visit, KHS financial planning night, AVID elementary successful students at VVE, KHS AVID contract signing day, KHS AVID strategy of the month, a WICOR strategy for working with text-dependent questions, AVID Weekly article information, and AVID professional development opportunities.
Spotlight on Bloomington AVID
AVID Center Program Manager Visits
Gina Gamnis, the AVID Center Program Manager from the central region of the United States, visited Bloomington recently. She had a chance to tour Indian Mounds Elementary, Valley View Elementary, Valley View Middle, and Kennedy High Schools, as well as meet with a variety of teachers, district leaders, and school board members at ESC. Gina was very impressed with the level of AVID implementation at all of our Bloomington schools, and was especially impressed with our students!
What is a Successful Student?
Fourth grade students in Mrs. Rhoades class at Indian Mounds Elementary discussed the traits of successful students. Collaboratively, they developed lists of what successful students have on the inside (characteristics/strategies) and what they bring (tools) to school and home to support their academic success. Individually, students created models of themselves as successful students with words and images. These were placed in the front of their binders.
KHS Financial Planning Night
AVID juniors and seniors and their families had an opportunity to learn about financial planning for college recently. Two representatives from Thrivent Financial provided tips and ideas for applying for college in a financially savvy way. These included when to complete the FAFSA, information about the difference between the cost of college attendance and actual out-of-pocket expenses, and steps to take to get the best financial aid package.
VVM Tutorials
Students in 7th and 8th grade AVID elective classes began tutorials recently. For many, the process of guiding a classmate to understanding a point of confusion on a piece of schoolwork through leveled questioning techniques was a brand new experience!
AVID Strategy of the Month at KHS
When you find yourself searching for something to do while waiting for copies at Kennedy, look no further! The AVID Strategy of the Month is conveniently located on the bulletin board behind the copy machine. Site coordinators Trisha Meyer and Kristin Donnelly encourage anyone interested to read about the strategy, make copies, and use it with students!
View the video above to see all students, individually, with their signed contracts!
All AVID students at Kennedy High School signed their AVID contracts during a ceremony on Friday, September 22. By signing the contract, AVID students agreed to maintain satisfactory citizenship and attendance, maintain the AVID binder contents, come to class prepared with completed work, commit to a minimum of two hours of homework nightly, and maintain a strong GPA and high grades in each class.
AVID Resources
WICOR Strategy of the Month
AVID Weekly Article of the Month
Elementary: Flower with a Cockroach Gardener
This graphic “Flower with a Cockroach Gardener,” describes a plant-insect interaction between a Japanese plant and cockroaches.
Secondary: Teens Constantly Connected, Increasingly Unhappy
This article describes how the internet and Smartphones have played a role in the mental health of the iGen population.
All AVID Weekly articles, lesson plans and activities are archived monthly and are available in the following Google Folders for anyone to access and use:
AVID Support and Events
FREE AVID Elementary Workshop (8:30 - 3:30)
- October 26: Fairbault, MN
- November 15: Columbia Heights, MN
- To register go to my.avid.org-event registration-Central Region Events
FREE AVID Elective Teacher Workshop (8:30 - 3:30)
Topics include using the “WHY” to inspire achievement and deepening your CCI knowledge (schoolwide domains)
- October 24: Edina, MN
- November 14: Fridley, MN
- To register go to my.avid.org-event registration-Central Region Events
FREE AVID Site Team Workshop (8:30 - 3:30)
- November 9: Eagan, MN
- To register go to my.avid.org-event registration-Central Region Events
FREE AVID Showcases (9:00 - 1:30)
See AVID implementation, share best practices, and learn more about AVID hands-on. The showcase experience includes AVID Elective/Elementary and content class observations and a chance to speak with experienced AVID site team members and students.
- November 14: Pullman Elementary, South Washington County
- November 16: Nicollet Middle School, Burnsville
- February 6: John Glenn Middle School, St Paul
Online AVID Support
Daily/weekly elective class lesson plans
Informational/instructional videos, handouts and downloads covering many AVID Essentials, including Writing, Inquiry, Tutorials, Data and Site Teams.
*If you would like access to any of these resources and do not currently have an account on my.avid.org, contact Kelly Killorn-Moravec