Week of September 5th

JOIN PTA!

The Goal Is 100% Faculty Participation!

If you haven't already, please join PTA!! They do SO much for our students and staff throughout the year and this is a super-easy way to support. You can join online here

*IF YOU JOIN, PRINT OFF YOUR RECEIPT AND PLACE IN KOEN'S BOX FOR A PRIZE!

Back to School Night Documents

• Plan as a team so there is consistency among the grade level

• Include Title 1 and GT information

• Sign In Sheet (please put in Koen's box when done)

For the grade level presentation:

• This is Curriculum Night, so please focus on the expectations for academics, what students will be learning, grading, homework, and information pertinent for your grade level. Talk about the essentials the students will master, the fun things your grade level does and how they can support/partner at home.

• Things that can easily be found online or the website (dress code, absences, etc.) should only be one slide of your presentation (if even one slide - you don't need to discuss these things). The majority of the presentation must focus on curriculum and specific grade level information.

• Please include your grade level classroom management plan (expectations and rewards).

A Strong Start for September

We are already almost done with August and are welcoming September! Melinda and I have been throughout the building in and out of classrooms and we are so proud of the work you have already done in such a short time.

As you know, this year our focus is strengthening our tier one instruction and making sure the rigor is met for the grade level standard. If you set the expectation, our students will meet the expectation!

As we approach September, we will be focusing on the following “best practices” for our walkthroughs (PK-5^th grade). These best practices have been established through discussions in previous years with CE classroom teachers on gives us our most “bang for our buck” in student growth.

1. A language rich classroom by providing opportunities to talk, read, write and listen.

This is done with:

-Talk Moves

- Students justifying answers

- Students listen to the responses of others and agree or disagree with explanation

-Students repeating the learning of others

-Students speaking in complete sentences

-Partner work

-Stop & Jot and then share your thinking

2) Confer individually with students or in a small group to provide actionable feedback (active monitoring)

3) Learning Target is posted and referenced. Students know the essential question that they are to be able to answer by the end of the lesson.

It is hard to hit a target if students cannot see it. I do not care how the LT is written. I care about how a student uses the target. How will the student know they are successful at the end of the lesson? Let them know at the beginning of the lesson and make sure you “check-in” throughout the lesson and then again at the end of the lesson (thumbs up, thumbs down, exit ticket, a formative assessment). (see attached LT rubrics: Are you a 1,2,3,4? – these are optional, just sharing ideas)

Feedback will be given in multiple ways : Sticky Note, Conversation, Strive Walkthrough Form. Feel free to provide feedback to each other during your TAG ME observations.

Sub Folder

As always, sub plans are REQUIRED.

Many times we are left without plans because it is a last minute absence. This is not fair to the sub or your team. We have a hard time getting subs and when they show up with no plans, they will not return.

You are required to have sub plans. Teachers - put in the work now so you do have to do it when you are not feeling well.

Teachers are people, and people get sick or have sick kids of their own or have emergencies. To make sure you are ready for one of life's unexpected hiccups, each teacher needs to be prepared.

What does that mean exactly? What is expected for sub plans?

All teachers should have the following in an easily accessible place that team members also know the location of:

1. A PRINTED current roster of their homeroom class that will be used by the sub to take attendance.

2. Printed rosters of any class rotations the teacher will have for the day.

3. Information re: accommodations, behavior plans, medical concerns, etc. for students

4. Detailed schedule - including routines and procedures

5. Lunch/Recess Duty information

6. Dismissal instructions

7. "Emergency" sub plans - activities that can be quickly pulled out and used in case of a true emergency

*We get behavior from students when we do not hold high expectations and this causes subs to not want to return to campus. Please have plans for all students that are academic (no coloring pages)

Substitutes will not be able to access your files - SO - activities should not be technology based unless the students have access (iStation, DreamBox, etc).

TEAM LEADS - Make sure to check your teams sub plans and know where they are.