March 30th, 2015

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

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! 

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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 – 2^nd from 7:15 am – 8:00 am

·         Grades 3^rd – 5^th 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.

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.....

"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?"

http://teachinginprogress.blogspot.com/2012/10/why-i-will-never-use-behavior-chart.html

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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 20^th-July 23^rd
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 3^rd(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:

• 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. 

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Notice: GA Milestones
ALL 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.

http://calculationnation.nctm.org/

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 4^th grade EIP class, students are retelling a story from a character’s point of view. They need to write the retelling in the 1^st 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)

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

Friday, April 3rd
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!