January 25th, 2016

High Point News

Week of: January 25th, 2016

*****************NEWS****************

Welcome!!!!
Please join me in welcoming Ver'o Ingram who is now serving as our Special Education Categorical Assistant in second grade. She is replacing Mr. Douglass's position. 
Ver'o comes with a lot of experience working with students and we are very happy to have her!! Please welcome her if you see her in the hallways! 

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GLOBAL CONNECTIONS VIA TECHNOLOGY

Are you looking for ways to connect your class to the world via technology? Here are a few ideas to get you started. If you'd like to try one of these ideas out with your class or write them into your IB units, invite Lib and Brian to help you out!

Grades 4-5

CNN Student News http://www.cnn.com/studentnews

CNN Student News is a ten-minute, commercial-free, daily news program designed for middle and high school classes. It is produced by the journalists at CNN. This award-winning show and its companion website are available free of charge throughout the school year.

Grades 2-5

NewsELA https://newsela.com/

This is a searchable database of current news topics that can be sorted by grade level and reading domain. Once you create an account, you can digitally assign topics, give quizzes, and send topic directly to your students. Students can create an account with their new FCS email address.

Grades K-5

Smithsonian Tween Tribune http://tweentribune.com/category/junior/ 

This is a searchable database of current news articles that you can instantly adjust the lexlie level of the text! Imagine having your entire class connect to the topic by reading the same article adjusted to their own personal reading level.

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Office 365 for Students
Beginning today, our students in grade K-5 will be set up with an Office 365 email account through Fulton County Schools. We will be sending out letters to parents explaining this on Thursday. The letters will go home in their Thursday folders so please be on the look out for them. 
Informing your students about their email account is purely OPTIONAL! 
Please see Brian Madej for questions or concerns. 

More information and the student letters can be found on the Fulton County website @ 
http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divisions/acd/learnteach/Pages/Office365.aspx

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No Place for Hate
High Point is joining hundreds of schools across the country in building a community of respect, character, and unity in our school. No Place for Hate is an initiative through the Anti-Defamation League that recognizes schools that are going above and beyond to create schools that foster safe and anti-bullying and biased environments. To become a No Place for Hate school, we have to meet a number of criteria including creating a student committee, having students and teachers sign a resolution of respect, and completing three school wide anti-bullying and diversity education activities. Our 5^th grade peer leaders will serve as our committee, and they are already hard at work planning and initiating activities to help us reach this goal. Next week, we will focus on the No Place for Hate Promise that all students need to sign. The peer leaders will discuss this on the morning announcements throughout the week, and a representative will bring a copy of the pledge to your classroom on Friday morning for your class to sign. 

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TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT IN YOUR CLASSROOM

If you are looking to bump up your teaching and integrate more technology, then Brian would love to help. As part of his Vanguard membership, he is required to mentor 5 teachers by supporting their goals and current technology use. The range of topics and tech uses is wide open. You could be a beginner or expert, and he has also purchased some fun tech toys that you could use in your classroom if you participate. Interested? Contact Brian now!

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What I've been thinking about...

What did the longest study on happiness conclude? 

According to this TED Talk, it's all about relationships. We might think it's money or fame (I know I bought a Powerball ticket) but the true key to happiness is the relationships we form. 

I believe this is also the key to "work happiness." Education is a difficult job and we need relationships to help us feel important, supported, appreciated, validated, etc... Relying on our colleagues and forming positive relationships might just be the way to a "good life." Check                                 out the video below! 


http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness 

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PBIS

ALSO......

Have you visited http://www.pbisworld.com/?  Teachers this is a great (and free) resource to use for tracking data with fidelity and forms for documentation of behavior interventions. This website gives multiple suggestions of things that can help with student behaviors from impulsiveness to tardiness. 

************VISUALS OF IB*************

Ms. Cahloun and Ms. Daniels took IB Transdisciplinary learning  to a new level at High Point last week!  They blended their studies of Colonial America with their science investigations of simple machines and created an opportunity for students to solve a real problem that people in Colonial days faced using two or more simple machines.  Students worked in teams to design and market their product, then presented using a model of Shark Tank.  Judges inquired about costs, design, marketability and practicality and decided whether to invest or pass! Students showed well thought out answers to difficult questions and mastery of simple machines and Colonial times!

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https://blogs.ibo.org/sharingpyp/2016/01/19/a-powerful-journey-from-central-idea-to-action/ Great article about how a 1st grade class  embraced  their central idea and took action!  Especially interesting, for economic units on the horizon!

******VISUALS OF BEST PRACTICE*******

In Ms. Negrin’s 1^st grade class, she utilizes this chart as a closing (or informal assessment) for many lessons in all subject areas. This chart gives students a choice to determine which learner profile they are exhibiting and a sentence starter to begin conversations about what they have learned. In addition, she uses their writing to reflect on her teaching practices for the lesson and what she can do to better engage the students based on what they are inquiring, knowledgeable, thinking, and reflecting.

Inquirer: One question I still have is…

Knowledgeable: Today I learned…

Thinker: Something I found interesting was...

Reflection: The most important thing I learned is...

*******WRITERS' GALLERY**********

The pledge and writers' gallery is hosted by Ms. Evan's class this week.

The pledge and writers' gallery will be hosted by Ms. Ellis's class next week. 

******CALENDAR OF EVENTS*******

Monday, January 25th 
9:30 am - Parent Tours

Tuesday, January 26th

2:50 - Faculty Meeting

Wednesday, January 27th

TOTY and PEOTY Interviews and Observations
PLCs with Long
2:50 pm - PBIS Committee Meeting
3:00 pm - SCC Wine Tasting by Reservation Only

Thursday, January 28th

2:50 - PLCs

Friday, January 29th 
Student of the Week Certificate

******BIRTHDAYS! ****************

Happy birthday to Julie Ellis TODAY and Jenna Chapman on the 29th!!! We hope you both have an amazing birthday!!!