High Point News
Week of: March 30th, 2015
********NEWS*************************
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Stephanie Kehn and her husband! They will be expecting their first child in September. We are so happy for them both!
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Jeans
Congratulations to Stephanie Kehn and her husband! They will be expecting their first child in September. We are so happy for them both!
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Jeans
This week is jam-packed! We have to finish up student surveys, give practice GA Milestones tests, conduct Pre-K registration, and do Science Day!!!
We truly appreciate all your hard work and we want you to be as comfortable as possible through this last stretch before Spring Break.
Please feel free to wear jeans for the rest of the week!
Science Day
is THIS Friday, April 3rd!
Science
Day Bin pick up tomorrow!
Please pick
up your Science Day bins tomorrow (Tuesday) in the
cafeteria at the following times:
·
Grades Pre-K – 2nd from 7:15 am – 8:00 am
·
Grades 3rd – 5th from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm
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Homeroom Teachers: review the materials in your bin, prior to Friday, to make sure that you have everything you need and are comfortable with your experiment. As a reminder, perishables will arrive Friday morning.
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Homeroom Teachers: review the materials in your bin, prior to Friday, to make sure that you have everything you need and are comfortable with your experiment. As a reminder, perishables will arrive Friday morning.
If anything is missing from your bins, please email Melissa Wilson melissawilson918@gmail.com
BY Thursday a.m.(the latest).
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What I've Been Thinking About…
Below is a great article from a teacher about why she will never use a Clip Chart as a behavior system in her classroom again.
An excerpt from the article.....
An excerpt from the article.....
"I know many proponents of the charts say that some kids just need the reminder to get back on track. They see their clip moved and they want to get back on green. The children know the chart is not a negative thing - it's just a way to encourage them to do the right thing. They need consequences for negative behavior. And the newer charts reward positive behavior. It works for me and my kids like it.
I hear and understand all of these beliefs - some of them are very valid. I held them, too.
But, I just ask you to place yourself in that little person's shoes, looking up at the teacher they want to impress (yes, even the disobedient, defiant, disrespectful ones:) and imagine how they see themselves. How they feel. What will they take away from the experience?"
I hear and understand all of these beliefs - some of them are very valid. I held them, too.
But, I just ask you to place yourself in that little person's shoes, looking up at the teacher they want to impress (yes, even the disobedient, defiant, disrespectful ones:) and imagine how they see themselves. How they feel. What will they take away from the experience?"
Lucy Calkins Writing Training
Who: Writing
Trainers from Columbia University’s Teacher College in NYC (that have worked
closely with Lucy Calkins) are coming to Fulton County
What: FREE 4 day writing training
where the trainers will model lessons in each of the genres of writing and
model the Writing Workshop Framework. They will also provide resources such as
read aloud mentor texts, rubrics, and checklists. The staff developers will
also provide assistance in "unpacking" each unit in a very manageable
way to understand and implement the units with their own students.Where: Location information coming later
When: July 20th-July 23rd
Why: Several schools in our learning community have purchased the Lucy Calkins Units of Writing for all teachers , to be implemented this Fall (including us)
**If
you are interested and/or want more information, click on the following link: : http://goo.gl/forms/7c13xGo5Ph
Due by Friday, April 3rd(before you leave
for Spring Break)
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Reminders Before Spring Break
On Friday before you leave for spring break, please remember to:
On Friday before you leave for spring break, please remember to:
- Clean out any refrigerators and cabinets of food
- Remember to take your plants or animals if you have them
- Turn off all computers and technology
- Lock rooms and cabinets
- Close all blinds
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PBIS This Week
SCHOOL-WIDE REWARD
We have filled up our ticket bin! The students have decided to choose their fun! On Thursday, April 2nd we will have a PERSONALIZED PAWS PERIOD for ALL STUDENTS! Beginning at 1:45 until 2:15, students will be able to choose their fun. Each teacher will be charged with creating a "fun theme" for their classroom (movies, board games, dance party, arts/crafts, etc...) and then students will select which one classroom within their grade level they would like to go to. By Wednesday, discuss as a team which activities you would like to offer. Allow students to choose their Personalized PAWS Period in advance so you know how many students you will have in each classroom and where they will go (50 students want a dance party? Have 2 classrooms for a dance party).
More specific information will come from Ms. Alexander to each grade level chair.
************************************** Buddy Brag Winner!
Congratulations to Mariana Mendoza for winning our "Gift of Time" for March! Thank you to everyone who took the time to recognize your colleagues! New buddy brags will be in your boxes today for the month of April.
More specific information will come from Ms. Alexander to each grade level chair.
************************************** Buddy Brag Winner!
Congratulations to Mariana Mendoza for winning our "Gift of Time" for March! Thank you to everyone who took the time to recognize your colleagues! New buddy brags will be in your boxes today for the month of April.
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Notice: GA MilestonesALL teachers and staff members (K-5, ESOL, EIP, TAG, SPED, Media, Special Areas, and Paras) will need to be trained on GA Milestones testing. Everyone will meet during their specials time when we return from spring break on Monday, April 13th instead of the meeting with Hess.
A make-up meeting will be held Tuesday, April 14th for those who can not make the testing meetings during the day. Ms. Alexander will send out an email to those who need the make-up session.
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*******MATH CORNER*************
Seven Strategies of Assessment for
Learning
Where Am
I Going?
Strategy 1: Provide a
Clear Understandable Vision of the Learning Target
Begin by giving students a vision of the learning
destination. Share with your students
the learning targets and goals at the outset of instruction and again as they
begin an independent practice activity.
There are two ways to do this: (1) present the learning target in student
friendly language; and (2) for learning targets assessed with a rubric, convert
the rubric to student-friendly language.
Introduce the language of quality to students so they know what good
work looks like. Check to make sure
students understand what learning target is at the heart of the lesson by
asking, “Why are we doing this activity?”
For a simple way to create your own learning targets, look
at the Evidence of Learning and Enduring Understandings section of your
math frameworks. Turn these goals into
targets by adding “I can” or “We are learning to.” Add rigor by increasing the DOK level of the
task. The following are from the first
grade frameworks. As you read, turn
them into targets to get a feel for how easy it is.
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
By the conclusion of
this unit, students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
• compare
objects by measuring length
• estimate
the length of an object
• use
objects to measure
• tell time
to the nearest hour and half hour on a digital and analog clock
• know how
the movement of the minute hand relates to the movement of the hour hand on a
clock
• sort
objects by attributes
• identify
sorting rule
• represent
and interpret data
• identify
how many more and how many less
Ideas for Giving Feedback about
Learning
Stars and Stairs
When
commenting on student work, give specific praise as “stars.” Stairs are comments that scaffold students
into the learning target. Ask yourself,
“What is the very next step this student needs to take to improve the work?”
and give one suggestion for the student to focus on. Even your top students have stairs to
climb! Stairs and stars refer
specifically to the learning target to work relates to.
That’s Good! Now This
You can also
try giving structured feedback with using a “That’s Good! Now This:” format. If you want kids to reflect on their work
consider something like this:
MY
TEACHER’S COMMENTS
That’s good!
Now this:
MY
COMMENTS
What I did: (This is where the student reflects on
how the work relates to the learning target.)
Please give special attention to: (This is where the
student asks for help from you.)
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Calculation
Nation! Online Math Gaming from NCTM
Calculation
Nation is a great way for your students to gain more experience with common
core math and strategic thinking.
The games of Calculation Nation®
are organized around content from the upper elementary and middle grades math
curriculum. By becoming a citizen of Calculation Nation®, your child
or student will play online math strategy games that allow them to learn about
fractions, factors, multiples, symmetry and more, as well as practice important
skills like basic multiplication and calculating area — all while having fun.
*****VISUALS OF BEST PRACTICE********
In Ms. Woods Kindergarten class, reading is being brought to
life by doing Close Reads. During the week, she digs deeper into the text by
focusing on specific reading and vocabulary skills. This is vital to our
ESOL population as they begin to understand the language.
In Ms. Hicks 4th grade EIP class, students are
retelling a story from a character’s point of view. They need to write the retelling in the 1st person
and they needed to make it suspenseful. Ms. Hicks gave constructive feedback to
the students that was very specific as well as celebrated the great things
going on too.
“It is important for students to know how well they are doing as
they learn. This is because the knowledge that they are doing well gives
students a sense of achievement which motivates them to learn more. Similarly,
it is also important to let students know when they have made a mistake so that
they will learn from it and take corrective measures. Hence, it is absolutely
essential for teachers to monitor students’ learning and give them feedback.
Feedback can be given to individual students, to a group of them, or to the
whole class. It would be more efficient if the whole class can share in the
monitoring process and the feedback.”
*****WRITERS' GALLERY**********
The writers' gallery/pledge is hosted by Ms. Woods' class this week.
The writers' gallery/pledge will be hosted by Ms. Rutledge's class after Spring Break.
******CALENDAR OF EVENTS*******
Monday, March 30th
TKES Student Surveys being completed
Tuesday, March 31st
TKES Student Surveys being completed
Pre-K Registration
Science Day Bin Pick-Up
2:50 New Kids on the Block Meeting
Wednesday, April 1st
GA Milestones Practice Test (Online Only)
April Fool's Day
College Spirit Wear
CLC Principal's Meeting Held in Media Center (please do not send students from 7:30-12:00)
Pre-K Registration
Science Day Bin Pick-Up
2:50 New Kids on the Block Meeting
Wednesday, April 1st
GA Milestones Practice Test (Online Only)
April Fool's Day
College Spirit Wear
CLC Principal's Meeting Held in Media Center (please do not send students from 7:30-12:00)
Thursday, April 2nd
TKES Student Surveys being completed
Grade Level Newsletters Go Home
Honey Bake Ham - Order by Wednesday
2:50 - PLCs
Pitchford to New Principal's Meeting
Grade Level Newsletters Go Home
Honey Bake Ham - Order by Wednesday
2:50 - PLCs
Pitchford to New Principal's Meeting
Friday, April 3rd
Science Day!
Good Friday
Send your tickets down and change your Student of the Week!
Science Day!
Good Friday
Send your tickets down and change your Student of the Week!
******BIRTHDAYS! ****************
Happy birthday to Taz Quesinberry on the 1st and Molly Groebner on the 4th!!! We hope you both have a wonderful birthday!
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