I Have A WIN Dream

 Teachers,

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

I Have A WIN Dream —

As we start WIN time Monday for 1-3 grades and Tuesday for everyone, I want to share my dream with this program. I think we can get the students that need WIN time to about 10% of our school. When this happens we can have the aides pull students into small groups and teachers can work with the rest of the class on some differentiated activities or small group work. Once that happens we just need to maintain it. To do this we need our Tier 1, what everyone needs, lessons to remain great.  Engaging students, differentiating as students need it, reviewing and assessing to see what each student needs and assessing our lessons, and sharing our success criteria. We have the most amazing teachers in our school. We will always have a couple students in each class that can benefit from a WIN time. And hopefully the beginning of each year we will only need WIN time during the first months. Our next step is to start on Math WIN time. That is a plan we will be working on this year. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“The willow submits to the wind and prospers until one day it is many willows — a wall against the wind.” ― Frank Herbert, Dune

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Mon. Sept. 14 - Early Out Teacher Training Day- Red Bird Training 1:30 Mon. Sept. 14 - WIN Time Starts Tues. Sept 15 - Emergency Drill-Shelter in Place Tues. Sept. 15 - Picture Day Thu. Sept. 17 - Egg Drop Build Day Fri. Sept. 18 - Egg Drop Day	Sept. 21-25 - Friendship Week
September 21-25: Start With Hello Week

What I’m Learning about what Parents can do with their Students This Week —

Dreme Family Math

Homework. What to do for homework. Can’t be drill and kill because not all parents know how to help when a student gets lost. Can be review questions to see what the students remember from the lesson. How do we include parents on the lesson. Dreme Family Math. Real life activities with a math spin on them. Cooking is what they have right now. Geared to adding, subtracting, and measurement right now, but more are in their way.

What I’m watching On The Line This Week—

Pandas help zoo keeper sweep their pen

This reminds me of teaching a lesson in Kinder or First grade. Or just trying to prep while there are students in the room.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.

Diagnostic Grouping Tool

 Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Diagnostic Grouping Tool —

We will be getting a Spreadsheet that we can use to help group our students. It will take the information from the Diagnostic Assessment Spreadsheet and give us the two skills each student needs to work on.  Hopefully, it will be done this weekend and ready to use next week. I appreciate Steve and Michael Eves for all their hard work on this task. We will adjust it to fit your boards you have created. It will also have links to the lessons for each of the skills they will need taught. 

When we start WIN time we are trying to minimize the movement of students into other classrooms. It will be a challenge, but we will do our best as we make our groups. We will have some of the groups work in the Reading Room with the Aides. They will be cleaning desks sanitizing reading materials. I hope to have a better idea about what this will look like on Tuesday or Wednesday before our Data meeting on Thursday. 

Remember our Data meeting is only 40 minutes so the more you have done as a team before Thursday the easier it will be to assign groups and get the lessons ready to teach.

I really appreciate your patience with all the testing we do at the beginning of the year. Somehow we need to simplify this process.The information is great through and very helpful. We will start progress monitoring the 21st. We will have the grouping sheets ready so you know who to monitor and when. We will review Progress Monitoring the week before we start so everyone knows why and how.

Quote I’m pondering —

"Low self-confidence isn't a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered -- just like any other skill. Once you master it, everything in your life will change for the better." -- Barrie Davenport

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Mon. August 31 - Annette Brinkman Mon. August 31 - Acadience Testing Gr. K-1 Tue. Sept. 1 - Acadience Testing Gr. 2-3 Wed. Sept. 2 - Acadience Testing Gr. 4-5 Fri. Sept. 4 - Egg Drop Kick-Off Video Presentation	Mon. Sept. 7 - Labor Day (No School Tue. Sept. 8 - WIN Time Starts Wed. Sept. 9 - SEP Conferences 4-7pm Thu. Sept. 10 - SEP Conferences 4-7pm
Sept. 14 - Teacher Training Day (out at 1:15) Red Bird Training Sept. 8 - WIN Time Starts

What I’m Reading This Week —

Less Jargon, More Grace: Using Language That Parents Understand

Since we are sending emails home to parents to let them know of everything that is going on, this is an article that might help parents understand what we are saying better.

What I’m exploring On The Line This Week—

Week of Inspirational Math(s)

Youcubed is a math site built by Jo Boaler from Stanford. You can download specific videos, mindset resources and tasks or you can make a week-long play list of your favorite activities. These playlists can be shared so others can use your design. This is one part of the site.

Thank you for all you do for students. I really enjoy working with all of you. I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Specials, Emergency!

 Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Specials, Emergency! —

Specials start on Monday. Please be at your Specials on time and stay with your class until they are sat down. Once they are sat, please come to the conference room and we will make sure you are able to get into R4R and My Math/Redbird through Schoology. One we are done you will need to pick up your students from specials. Please be on time so the specialists can clean their rooms for the next grade level. Please help them each day this week of specials.

Our first fire drill is on Friday morning. Yeah. I want to review the procedures so everyone is on the same page. Before the fire drill, please talk with your team to decide which yellow dot you will take your class too. There are 5 yellow dots on the West side of the track for each grade level. I will have grade level numbers on them Monday. Each dot is 6 feet apart. Please keep students an arm away from each other the best you can. Walk it through with your students before Friday.

When the bell rings, line up with masks/shields. We will have the fire drill early so it will be in the 80’s and not the 100’s.  Shut your locked inside door, turn off the lights and make sure your students walk in line to the Yellow Dot. It is not a race. Remember to take a minute to listen outside to make sure everything is ok before you walk out the door. If you are a sweeper, please make sure your team knows who has your class.

At the Yellow Dot, take roll to see if there are any students missing. If your class is all there, tell your team leader everyone is accounted for. If there is a student missing from your class and you know where they are, please tell your team leader and they will text it to Kim/Kelly/Annette/Glen so we can check. If there is a missing student and you are not sure where they are, tell your team leader and they will text that to Kim/Kelly/Annette/Glen to check where that student may be.

Please keep your classes calm and at a low roar so we can talk to the student if needed. You should be able to give them directions quickly, if needed. If you would like to have them sit in their line on the grass after you have taken roll, that is fine.

Please wait until A whistle is blown by an Office member. Once the whistle blows, please walk your students back to class. Boom, there it is. 

Even though it is a drill, we want students to know they are safe and they should treat it as an emergency.

Quote I’m pondering —

"She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails." -- Elizabeth Edwards

What’s Going On —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Mon. August 24 - First Day of Specials Mon. August 24 - Training during Specials Tue. August 25 - Acadience New Assessor Training Wed. August 26 - Acadience Assessor Review Fri. August 28 - Fire Drill	Mon. August 24 - Annette Brinkman Mon. August 24 - Acadience Testing Gr. K-1 Tue. August 25 - Acadience Testing Gr. 2-3 Wed. August 26 - Acadience Testing Gr. 4-5 Fri. August 28 - Fire Drill
Sept. 7 - Labor Day (No School) Sept. 8 - WIN Time Starts

What I'm Reading This Week —

The Power of the Positive Phone Call Home

This strategy will end most behaviors and bring parents to your side every time. It is also a great habit to get into at the beginning of the year. A couple a week does the trick.

What I'm Watching This Week—

8 Secrets to Success

A quick 4 minutes of great thoughts and fun, with a little colorful language. I have his book if you want a quick read.

Thank you for all you do for students especially during this unprecedented time. It has been a stressful week because of the spreadsheet experience, but we got through it. I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Positive Parent Conferences

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Positive Parent Conferences—

What does a good parent conference look like? Just like the students, we need to build a relationship with the parents so if we call home for support they will be more apt to give it to us. Keep notes. Share an experience about their student. Share student data. Positive first and then something the student needs to work on. Always have a plan of something they can help with to support at home what you are doing at school. If there is an issue that needs to be discussed, discuss it as a brainstorming session so a plan comes out of the meeting. And end with a positive note letting the students and parent know the students can do it. Let the parents know that you care and together you will both help their child succeed in school. Let the parents know you are partners in their student’s learning. Most parents know how their child is and if they need help. They are always comfortable enough to admit it or show it. Teachers are usually the bearer of bad news for parents. Keep conferences positive. Keep all your meetings with parents as positive as possible.

Quote I’m pondering —

The more relaxed you are the better you are. That's sort of why I got into acting. I realized the more fun I had, the better I did it. And I thought, that's a job I could be proud of. It's changed my life learning that, and it's made me better at what I do.

—Bill Murray

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Nov. 11-15 - SEP Week out at 1:15 pm Mon. Nov 11 - Veterans Day Mon. Nov 11 - PTA Meeting 12 pm	Mon Nov 18 - Community Council 12pm
	Nov. 26 - Reunification Drill Nov. 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break

Favorite Article This Week —

Students Sitting Around Too Much? Try Chat Stations.

This is an interesting idea. Give students a topic and have them talk about it. What a great way to get them talking about content in English and especially in Spanish where they need the practice talking with each other.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Fourth Grade. Seeing you work together on building your assessments in Schoology was amazing. I appreciate you asking if you can take a day to learn with each other and work on curriculum and assessments. It was a long day, but it was wonderful seeing the outcome of what you did. Thank you for all you do for your students. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Data Nerd

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Data Nerd —

The data is out and the interventions are going amazingly. The data is showing amazing growth in each grade level. If you have not seen the growth in the Conference Room, please stop in and look. When we test in December for PA and Phonics we should see the results we are looking for. We might have a few small groups that need the PA or Phonics and we will keep those groups win. We will have the aides run those small groups and the other aides will work with you in small groups reteaching or differentiating Tier 1 skills. Fluency will be where our focus will be. As fluency builds, so will comprehension skills. We can add in Socratic Seminars, Discussion groups, Jr. great Books, and Literacy circles. These will build fluency and comprehension. What a great day when we are teaching what we need to and not playing catch up.

Quote I’m pondering —

“ When you think someone is a foe, you don't just miss out on feeling their emotions, you also inhibit yourself from thinking their ideas, even if they are right.".-- David Rock

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Oct. 28 - Teacher Training Afternoon Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 - Red Ribbon Week Oct. 29 - 3rd Grade Orchestra Field Trip Oct. 30 - TAT 4th Grade Oct. 31 - Halloween Parade 2:30 pm	Nov. 3 - Daylight Savings Time Change Nov. 4 - Pie with the Principal 9:00 am Nov. 5 - Reflection projects are Due Nov. 5 - TAT 3rd grade
	SEP Conferences - Nov. 11 - 14 Reunification Drill - Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Break - Nov. 27-29

Favorite Article This Week —

The Power of the Positive Phone Call Home

A little phone call home once in a while to share something good about every student will build a relationship when something goes wrong. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you fourth grade. I appreciate your work and help with each other. I appreciate you wanting to build your knowledge of using the LMS in your classrooms. I appreciate that you meet together each week to keep on the same page and help each other with testing and assignments. I appreciate your willingness to learn. Thank you Fourth Grade. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Pie With The Principal

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Pie With The Principal —

Monday is Kim’s first Pie with the Principal meeting. It is something the is doing to get to know the community a little better. It is a forum so parents can ask questions and help them understand anything that is happening at our school. It is also a great time to do a little PR with the parents so they feel comfortable to come to talk with her or with you. It also gives Kim an understanding of what the community needs and is thinking about. Kim is also going to initiate Parent Learning Walks throughout the year. This will be a time when a few parents that sign up can walk through the school to see the great learning and teaching that is going omg in this amazing school. She will talk about something to look for in the classrooms that have to do with students. It is a great way for parents to see what their students are doing. Encourage parents to attend the forum on Monday. It will start at 9;30 am in the library. She will have a few of them throughout the year so parents can come and discuss issues and eat a piece of pie.

Quote I’m pondering —

Stop beating yourself down. You DESERVE to feel good about yourself.— Mel Robbins

What’s Happening —

This Coming Week	In Two Weeks
Mon. Sep 9 - Pie with Principal 9:30 am (parent meeting) Mon. Sep 9 - Teacher Training (out at 1:15) Tue. Sept. 10 - PTA Meeting 12 Fri. Sep 13 - Tuacahn Assembly 10:30 am Fri. Sep 13 - Staff Luncheon	Tue. Sept. 17 - Picture Day Wed-Thu Sept. 18-19 - Dixie State Students Fri. Sept. 20 - Jog-a-thon Fundraiser Start Fri. SEPT. 20 - Meet the Masters 8:15 am
Sept. 23-27 - Just Say Hello Week

Favorite Article This Week —

What to Do When You Feel Like You're Too Behind to Catch Up

I know it is the beginning of the year and we have a lot to do. This is not only for what to do when you are behind, but it is also for doing things that will help you with any frustration. One of the biggest ones is the first thing. Identify something you can do immediately.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you first grade for being the first one to dive into interventions. All grades have worked to get the groups working. I appreciate all the work first grade has done to make it work with each class to make sure students are getting everything they need. It is wonderful to see how you work together as a team and get things done. I appreciate your willingness to adjust for every need students have. Thank you first grade for your work. Thank you for each one of you and all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Positive Parent Conferences

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Positive Parent Conferences—

What should a good parent conference look like at the beginning of the year? Just like the students, we need to build a relationship with the parents so if we call to get support from them they will be more apt to give it to us. Keep notes. Share an experience for the first week or two. Here are a few questions you might ask.

1. What do you see as your child's greatest strengths or skills? Tell me about a time when you saw your child demonstrating these skills.
2. What do you hope your child says about his/her experience in school this year?
3. What are your fears or concerns about your child in this year of school?
4. How and when would you like me to be in contact with you this year? What do you hope I'd communicate with you about?
5. Is there anything else you can tell me about your child that you think would help me support his/her learning?
6. Is there a question you hope I'll ask you about your child?

Let the parents know that you care and together you will both help their child succeed in school. Let the parents know you are a partner with them this year. If you want to talk with them about data, keep it to a minimum and have a plan of something they can help support at home what you are doing at school. Most parents know how their child is and if they need help. They are always comfortable enough to admit it or show it. Teachers are usually the bearer of bad news for parents. Keep this first conference positive. In fact, keep all your meetings with parents as positive as possible.

Quote I’m pondering —

You don't always need a plan.  Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens. -- Mandy Hale 

What’s Happening This Coming Week —

Monday, August 27 - ½ day for students. PLC Afternoon for Teachers. We will keep it short so you can work together with your teams on R4R and Math.

Wednesday, August 29 and Thursday, August 30 - SEP Conferences from 3:00 - 6:00.

Wednesday, August 29 - OEK Starts

Friday, August 31 - Assembly at 1:00 pm.  Reflections, Storytelling, and Bike Safety Month presentations.

Monday, Sept. 3 - Labor Day (No School)

Favorite Article This Week —

Students Sitting Around Too Much? Try Chat Stations.

This is an interesting idea. Give students a topic and have them talk about it. What a great way to get them talking about content in English and especially in Spanish where they need the practice talking with each other.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you, teachers, for all your patience as we get 2nd and 3rd schedules taken care of. This has been a new idea for all of us and we appreciate everyone being flexible as we get the best possible plan for the students and teachers. We really appreciate all the hard work 2nd and 3rd grade teachers have put in to get this idea off the ground. They have each worked many hours getting this put together. The logistics of having the right students in the right places at the right times, as well as getting the teachers time to work together has been interesting. Thank you to the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers for all your hard work. Thank you to everyone else for being flexible. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work.

Progress Reports?

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

Progress Reports?  —

At Community Council meeting today there was a concern that was brought up and I want you to think about how we can address it. A parent wanted to know how we as a school can communicate with parents better the things we are doing at school and the progress their students are making. The suggestion was brought up to use powerschool and input all the tests and assignments we do. I mentioned that we are looking at progress in skills and not just numbers on a test. My philosophy in elementary school is that when we test we are not just looking at how many problems students are missing, but which problems they are missing and why they are missing them. So 7/10 does not always mean they are proficient because they earned the 70%, but that they master the 7 and now it is the 3 we need to look at to help in that area. Observations are also a little hard to input into Powerschool. Numbers do not always tell the full story. But the concern is a good one. How do we let parents know between SEP conferences how students are doing? If there is a concern with a specific concept that parents could help with at home, do they know what it is and how they can address it at home? There are some great things happening in our school in this area. What can you do as a teacher that does not take a lot of extra time, but will give the parents some information about how their student is doing, especially if they were told their student is struggling during an SEP? Communication is important. How do we keep the parents in the loop throughout the year? It does not have to be daily, or even weekly.  Talk about this in your teams and discuss some ideas.

Quote I’m pondering —

“Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.” — George M. Adams

What I’m Watching —

YouTube Channels for Elementary Students

These are some good resources for math videos. I am not saying hand them over to your students and let them go, but there are some great videos here to show or to embed in Powerschool Learning. Make sure you watch them first if you use them with students.

Favorite Article This Week —

The Secret of Effective Feedback

This has an interesting thought about what we are expecting when we assign work. What we do with that work can turn it from an assessment of what the child can do to how we can help the student be a better learner. Interesting article. 

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Fourth grade teachers. for all you do. I appreciate the work you do in your PLC as you work through what is best for students. I appreciate the work Diana does with engagement, getting the students up and moving, discussion with each other, and being excited when you do it. I appreciate the hard work Kristen puts in as she works with her team to form a plan that will carry through the year. Changing what is needed as she learns what needs to be changed. And I appreciate the ideas and tenacity Derrell has to be a teacher everyday after deciding one day to see what this teaching thing is all about. Thank you for being a strong team. Thank you for being willing learners and amazing teachers. Thank you for all you do. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

Twitterpated with Learning

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.

Twitterpated with Learning—

As teachers we should always be the head learner in our classroom. It can be anything, but we should learn something and then let our students what we have learned. Take a few minutes each week and talk to your students about something you learned and see how interested they are in it. That is one of the reasons I do this 5 point Friday each week. I figure that I should be learning something often and sharing it. One way I have kept up with learning new things is on Twitter. It seems silly to spend a little time on social media to learn about education, but it is a hot place for educational topics, if you know how to look. Many of the top education specialists, professors, administrators, and teachers like you are building a personal learning network to learn and grow from professionally. If you are interested, start small and take 5 minutes a week and do a little skimming and reading. So how do you start? Start by opening a twitter account at twitter.com. In your description write that you are a teacher and a few fun things about you. You can add to it or change it later. Add a picture. Then you are ready to do a little learning. Start by tweeting something and following a few people. Use the search and search a few people and click follow. If you have friends on twitter, follow them also. Here are a few suggestions. @gandersen07 @kimheki @dixie_sun @gcouros @alicekeeler @jmattmiller @burgess_shelley @bethhouf @burgessdave

Once you are following other teachers read a few tweets here and there and reply back to them to let them know your thoughts. to do that you hit the reply button and it will automatically add their name. Then you can write a short note and send it on its way. Check back later for a reply. You can also retweet their tweet to share it with your followers. If you have none, we will get you some. If you follow me, I will follow you and so will many of the others you follow. I will get into how to get into chats with other teachers around the world from our same grade level or just with educators in general. But that is another time.

Quote I’m pondering —

"If you have an arrogance that you have nothing new to learn, do not expect your students to have any different attitude." ― George Couros

What I’m watching —

The Death Crawl

When we think we can’t go another step or do one more thing.

Favorite Article This Week —

Data confirm the reason teachers should nag parents about missed assignments: it works

Parent communication is important as we teach students. Keeping them the loop about how they are doing in class can help their student do better.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you Alma and Third Grade. Third grade had the idea of doing a pep rally for testing to get the 3-5 grade students excited and ready for the test. Alma ran with it and had the younger grades make posters and shot the footage for the video. Then she put together the pep rally and  gauntlet of high fives in the hallway. What a wonderful show of support to our upper grades knowing that everyone is behind them. Thank you third grade for the idea, and thank you All for making it a reality. Thank you for supporting our students. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.

What Would Your Keynote be?

Teachers,

Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday. 

What Would Your Keynote be? —

I was at a conference a couple years ago and the keynote speaker was amazing. She taught about bringing the best out in students. She talked about how we as teachers are the ones that help students realize who they can be. Families bring the support and provide direction, but we give students the skills and the learning to make their dreams come true. So thinking about that, I want you to do a little reflection.what part of what you do would you teach to others? You do not have to be better than anyone else, you just need to be good at what you do. What is it that you do that helps students? Think about it. Write a presentation about it. Six slides in a PowerPoint. How would you teach others? How would you explain it? You are all amazing teachers and you need to share what you do with others. So what would your keynote be about? I dare you to write one, even if you never present it to anyone except your team, or yourself. Write one. 

Quote I’m pondering —

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” -John Dewey, 1915

What I’m watching —

The Hunt for the Wilderpeople

This is an actual movie. The link will take you to the trailer. The reason I like this movie is that it shows that when a child has not hope they just keep doing things wrong until someone actually cares and gives them the hope they are seeking. It is also a pretty funny movie. I hope you take a chance and check it out. It is at Redbox. 

Favorite Article This Week —

Confession: I Like Worksheets

This article perked my interest. I am not a fan of worksheets so I had to check this one out.

A Big Thank You —

Thank you for all you do. I love walking through the school and seeing conferences go on. Helping parents see their students progress, and sometimes helping them see their students in a new light. Thank you for taking the time to talk up the students, to make them the focus, to share the good about each student, and help the parents see what they can do to help. Thank you.

I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful 3 day weekend. Enjoy President’s Day.