Monday, we have some Wit and Wisdom Walkthroughs, email went out.

Early Out on Wednesday, the plan is to start ASAP,  please try and go straight from pickup to Makerspace/Art Room sit with teams and we'll start and end as efficiently as we can.  We have a couple planned activities.  Bring a device.

We have added an iPad to the desk in the Media Center.  It will only go to the library page.  The screen (at left) is to a page called "Scout".  It's a simple search browser for the library.  It will tell you what books we have that match the search criteria, if it's available, and where it is.  "Where it is" may be hard for some titles.

I’ve added a family-facing Fall Conferences page to our parent website with reminders about sign-ups, what to expect when families arrive, book fair info, and more. If you’d like to take a look, it’s all here:
🔗 Fall Conferences – West Rapids Parent Info

Feel free to skim through so you know what families are seeing!

A Few Staff Tips & Reminders for Conferences (instead of a meeting 😉)

• Add us to your list:
  If you have any conferences you'd like Clayton or I to attend, or ones we should be aware of, please let Geraldene know so we can plan ahead.

• Keep your radio handy:
  It’s fine to keep it off during conferences, but having it nearby is helpful in case anything comes up.  Channel 1.  Office staff will have radios on during conferences.

• Plan your setup with a clear path (for you) to the door:
  It helps with traffic flow and supports a safe exit if needed.

• Using a timer? Great — just set it up respectfully:
  Try saying something like:
  “I hope you don’t mind — I’m going to set a timer to help me stay on track so I don’t fall behind. It’ll give us a heads-up when we have five minutes left.”

• Need to wrap up a longer conference?
  A helpful tip: begin standing and walking toward the door while wrapping up your thoughts. Families will usually follow your lead, and it’s a natural way to transition out of the room.

• Honest and clear is kind.
  Families appreciate knowing where their child shines and where they need support. Thoughtful honesty builds trust. If you’re unsure how to phrase something or want help planning a conversation, don’t hesitate to reach out — I’m always happy to help.

Thanks for all the preparation you're doing to connect with families. The time and care you bring to these conversations really matters.

I wanted to share a quick summary of what I presented at last week’s School Board meeting. The focus was to lift up the great work happening at West Rapids — and to share a few words directly from our students.

You can watch the full student video here: https://youtu.be/hTHA_hGc0EQ
And here’s the full meeting link if you’d like to view the full presentation or other agenda items.

Highlights I Shared with the Board:

• Year Two as a K–2 Building: With one full year under our belts, we’ve had a more confident and consistent start. Staff collaboration is strong, and routines are smoother.

• SEL Support and Relationship Building: Changes like recess before lunch and staff-led lunch supervision are making a difference. Erika, our AmeriCorps team member, is providing valuable SEL support.

• Instructional Alignment: Teams are leaning into Wit & Wisdom planning and learning UFLI Foundations while holding onto strong Orton-Gillingham practices.

• Operational Updates: Earlier drop-off and revised dismissal procedures have led to a calmer start and a smoother, earlier end to our day — freeing up time for planning and student support.

• Culture: I shared how proud I am of the positive, collaborative spirit you all bring each day — it’s noticed and appreciated.
  
  

Student Voice:

I also shared video clips of students answering the following questions (video in this post)

1. What do you like most about your school day?

2. What’s something you’ve learned this year that you’re proud of?

3. Who helps you at school, and how do they help you?

4. What do you like about lunch and recess?

5. In Wit & Wisdom, what’s a story or topic you’ve really liked learning about?

6. What do you like about UFLI time?
   
   

Their responses were heartfelt, joyful, and a great reminder of why we do what we do.

Sean

The Book Fair is on site.  Staff preview will be after school this coming Tuesday.  It will be setup in the Hub. I have removed all of the toys and trinkets (pictured with this post), there were a lot.  There are two boxes of posters, those will come out at night.  During the day will be straight up books.

We aren't doing a kids' wish list visit.  Classrooms, please communicate to your famiies when they are coming through.

Past items:

We will use the new volunteer system to assign volunteers.

Classroom dates, afternoons of: 11/12-11/20

Book Fair classroom visit signup: https://calendar.app.google/LzCupcSVxzY9nmRk9

The Book Fair will also be open during conference nights and the conference Friday.

Book Fair Preview

 ~ Sean

GRHS Football will stop in during the day on Thursday, November 13.  In the morning before they leave for the cities.  I do not have a final time yet.  Guessing between 10 and 11am.

November Early Out Plans

Below is the draft I’ll share with staff. We can finalize the 11/26 activity together at our BLLT meeting on 11/20.

Date

Focus Area

Plan

Nov. 5

Prepare for Conferences

K–5: Review family communication expectations. Staff should individually read the guidance and use the time as needed. I’ll highlight any key items.

• Please read through the document still...  This is one item that I do not remember doing next year but will get done Tuesday morning at the latest to go home next Tuesday:

  • Report Cards: Printed by the office and given to classroom teachers to send home every quarter within one week following the staff end of quarter work day.

Nov. 12

Prepare for Conferences

K–5: Continue preparing for conferences. Right to work.

Nov. 19

Curriculum & Instruction

K–5: Collaborative planning, Wit & Wisdom student work analysis, and use of collaborative protocols.

Nov. 26

Positive Building Culture

K–5: BLLT-planned activity — to be finalized together on 11/20.

Walkthroughs are one of the ways we stay connected to instruction and support consistent implementation across the building (and District). While they’re not intended to create stress, I also recognize that for some, they’ve caused anxiety — especially around concerns about pacing, being in the “right spot,” or fear of doing something wrong.

I want to be clear: we do expect to see core instruction happening as scheduled and curriculum being implemented with fidelity. At the same time, we understand that thoughtful deviations — like extending fluency practice or revisiting a concept — are sometimes necessary and reflect strong instructional decision-making. Occasional shifts based on student needs are not a concern.

When we notice patterns that consistently stray from the expected routines or materials, it’s not about catching mistakes — it’s a signal for us to ask more questions. It might point to a system issue we need to adjust, or an area where an individual or team could use more support. Our goal is always to partner together, not to critique from a distance.

Walkthroughs will continue, and I’m committed to being transparent about what we’re doing, why, and how the information is used. Here’s an overview of the different types currently happening:

• UFLI Walkthroughs: Clayton and I may stop in for brief check-ins. If there’s a specific focus, we’ll communicate that ahead of time. Otherwise, these are informal visits to see UFLI in action across classrooms.

• Wit & Wisdom Walkthroughs: These vary in purpose. Some are informal, and we may not even ask what lesson you’re on. However, later this month, Carol Copp and Zac Erickson will be joining us for a focused walkthrough using the Wit & Wisdom Implementation Health tool. In those cases, they’ll ask what specific lesson you’re on so they can follow along with the lesson plan during the observation.

I’ve asked them to support us in this process, as Clayton and I aren’t able to gather the same level of detail without additional help.

The rubric they’ll use is attached to this post. These walkthroughs are designed to help the implementation team observe curriculum use, student-centered instruction, and engagement across classrooms. They’re not tied to teacher evaluation and are focused on identifying strengths, trends, and areas of support across the building and district.

• Science Walkthroughs: We’re beginning to check that science instruction is happening as scheduled. I’ll follow up with each grade level to confirm the typical days for science — I know this varies (e.g., Kindergarten begins in January, 1st grade is weekly, and I’m still confirming for 2nd grade).

• General Walkthroughs: Sometimes Clayton or I are simply walking through to stay connected to what’s happening. These may not have a specific focus and aren’t being used to collect data.

While not all walkthroughs are designed to provide direct feedback, please know that we are always open to questions or follow-ups. If you ever want to ask about something we observed or share how it felt in the moment, we welcome the conversation.

FYI: https://app.smore.com/n/gk052-west-rapids-family-connection

• November Menu

Check your spam for messages from: Zac Erickson <invitations@projectread.ai>.  I should be able to resend it if it has expired.

All staff should have received an invite to Project Read.AI (check your spam folder if you haven’t seen it!). This tool is designed to make reading instruction, lesson planning, and data reflection faster and easier by using AI aligned with evidence-based literacy practices.

Before you hit delete, take a few minutes to explore it — it can save time and provide powerful support for planning, intervention ideas, and text-based instruction.

Here’s what Project Read.AI can help you do:

• Create UFLI-aligned lesson supports and small-group activities

• Generate comprehension and vocabulary questions for Wit & Wisdom

• Develop phonics, decoding, and differentiated reading materials

• Summarize or adapt texts for K–2 learners

• Draft parent blurbs and quick intervention ideas aligned with structured literacy

How It Can Help During Conferences

Project Read.AI can also be a valuable tool when preparing for parent-teacher conferences, helping you quickly personalize resources and examples for each child’s reading development.

Examples:

• Generate at-home practice ideas tied to specific phonics patterns or sight words a student is working on in UFLI

• Create family-friendly explanations of reading skills, such as blending, segmenting, or comprehension strategies

• Suggest book lists or short text examples that match a child’s independent reading level or Wit & Wisdom topic

• Provide talking points for how parents can support fluency and vocabulary development in everyday routines

Project Read.AI can help make your conversations with families more specific, supportive, and actionable — giving parents tools that align with what their child is already learning in class.

Is anyone already using Project Read.AI? If so, please share how you’ve used it and what you’ve found most helpful!

This year we added a teacher initials column on the Daily Student Dismissal Changes: PM Dismissal Changes & Transportation Numbers sheet to help us double-check any changes that come in later in the day.

We know it’s not realistic to keep refreshing the list all afternoon, which is why we ask families to call in any updates at least one hour before dismissal. Please make it part of your end-of-day routine to check the list once near dismissal and initial when done.  Then when the office checks prior to pickup, we know who may need to be contacted.

So far this year, we’ve processed 1,048 changes — about 25 per day! Of those, 697 were checked and 351 were not, giving us a 67% average (a D+ 😅). Let’s work together to raise that grade to an A and make sure every student gets to the right place safely at the end of the day.

We will use the new volunteer system to assign volunteers.

Classroom dates, afternoons of: 11/12-11/20

Book Fair classroom visit signup: https://calendar.app.google/LzCupcSVxzY9nmRk9

The Book Fair will also be open during conference nights and the conference Friday.

Book Fair Preview

 ~ Sean