gator news
News for Savannah staff
April 7th, 2025

Assistant Principal Week

This week is Assistant Principal's Week. While SPED is officially in charge of celebrating Maketia, please join me in honoring her with kind words and gratitudes this week as you see her in the halls. We are SO BLESSED to have this outstanding leader on our team.

Maketia--You are kind, hard-working, thoughtful, patient, and consistent. Our school WOULD NOT be the same without you!!!

Don't Stop Believing

Where does the time go? A week of April is already behind us! We are in the home stretch friends. This week when K-2nd grade met, we talked about the opportunity we have for the last few weeks of school. The going is always tough this time of year. Kids are tired, we are tired, and those sunny summer days are so close we can almost smell the sunscreen. We only have these last few weeks to give our kids all we can.

Here is your challenge this week:

Plan for success
Work the plan
Believe in our kids
Breathe and be kind to yourself

What Is Expected of Me This Week

PLTs: 5th, 3rd and 1st grade will have PLC on Tuesday. Make sure your agendas are updated! Note: Due to intervention groups happening in the PLC room, we will meet with teams in one of the team leads' rooms.

Upcoming Events:

April 7th-11th -- Assistant Principal Week

April 10th -- Boosterthon Reward "Stuffy Sleepover"

April 11th -- Half Day/Reading Academy. Meet in the Library at 1:00. We will have some vertical teaming discussion followed by team planning)

April 17th -- Staff Potluck for TOY celebration

April 17th -- Committees

April 17th -- TOY Parade at CH Collins

May 1st -- The Table

May 7th -- *Tentative* master schedule committee meets (details will be sent to the committee)

May 14th -- *Tentative* Guiding Coalition planning day (details will be solidified at our April 17th meeting)

May 15th -- Campus Lead Team Meeting (GC presents CNA and proposed CIP goals for 25-26)

Week of May 12th-16th -- Class building during planning this week (We will provide details on how we plan to improve our process this year)

STAAR Dates

April 15th -- 4th, 5th, PABS & AFS ELAR

April 16th -- 3rd ELAR

April 16th-18th -- ELAR Make-Ups

April 23rd -- 5th Science

April 24th-25th -- Science Make-Ups

April 29th -- 4th, 5th, PABS & AFS Math

April 30th -- 3rd Math

April 30th-May 2nd --Math Make-Ups

Appreciation Days

Multicultural Week

Grants to Teachers

The DPSF Grant to Teachers process has an update we hope will help you create an even better, focused grant application this year! Think of this as a rough draft for your grant idea. There is a Laserfiche form that will be the pre-step for your 2025-26 DPSF grant application and it can be found here - https://forms.dentonisd.org/Forms/DPSF-GrantPreApplicationApproval. It is open NOW!

You will be asked to describe your grant idea, state what purpose or goal you hope to accomplish and then list the items you wish to purchase. It is ok if you are unsure of the cost – the important part for this stage is the “what” and from “where”.

This form will then be routed to the appropriate departments (Curriculum, Early Childhood, EXPO, Technology, Fine Arts, Library Services, Digital Learning, Bilingual, SPED, Counseling) to ensure that requests for items and projects are in compliance with DISD’s initiatives and guidelines.

If you receive an approval or an approval with conditions, then you will attach a copy of the Laserfiche form to the full DPSF Grant Application that will open April 1 and closes Thursday, June 12 at 5 p.m. If you receive a denial you will receive an explanation so that you will have the information needed to tweak your idea and resubmit. If you submit your request early, you’ll still have time to re-assess and resubmit, if needed! Please give yourself at least 10 days to receive the DPSF Grant Pre-Application Approval back as it must be attached to the DPSF Application before it closes June 12 at 5 p.m.

You will receive an email from DPSF notifying you that the application process is opening up. We’re looking forward to lots of great ideas and innovations!

At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best, EVERY DAY.

challenge students (and ourselves!) with the "learning pit"

***I'm Keeping this article again so that everyone gets the chance to read it--ITs good!!!***

Our Superintendent, Dr. O'Bara, recently shared this article with principals and you may find it interesting as well. As a major overthinker and achiever I am initially terrified of struggle, however, in reflection, struggle has been a powerful instrument for growth in my life. What are your thoughts about the concept of struggle?

Send a Shoutout this week to someone on your team that has struggled through a pit successfully.