December 18th, 2017

Monday Notes 12.18.17

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

Spelling Bee Winner!

Congratulations to Laura Avalos for being our 4th/5th grade Spelling Bee Winner last Friday!!  Laura will be representing High Point at the County Level Spelling Bee in January!  Scarlet Graber was the runner up and will go to the County Spelling Bee should Laura not be able to. We are very proud of all our students who participated!! Please take a moment to wish them all congratulations!!!

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Georgia Health Surveys for 3rd-5th 

Please make sure you are bringing your class on time to the computer lab this week! The schedule is below! 

December 18^th

7:45-8:10 – Collins

8:10-8:25 – Milazzo

10:10-10:30 – Ittig

10:30-10:50 – Nobles

10:50-11:10 – Silverman

11:10-11:30 – May

1:00-1:25 – Gilmore

1:25-1:45 – Jones

1:45-2:05 – Hawkins

2:05-2:25 – Cefaratti

December 19^th

1:00-1:20 – Jannausch

1:20-1:40 – Strafford

1:40-2:00 – Johnston

2:00-2:20 – Rosenbaum

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Georgia Personnel Survey

The Georgia School Personnel Survey (GSPS) is the state required survey to determine our overall Climate Star Rating on CCRPI. ALL staff is required to take this survey!

The survey needs to be completed prior to Thursday!! 

Please click on the link below! 

http://gshs.gadoe.org/personnel

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TKES Sign-Offs

The county will be pulling TKES reports on December 21st so please make sure you have signed off on each walkthrough/formative AND the mid-year conference before you leave Thursday!!!! If you have any questions, please ask! 

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January 4th and 5th 

The following will be the schedule for the 4th and 5th day work days: 

January 4th - Teacher Work Day; grades and lesson planning (YOUR day)

*Weight Watchers Informational Session at 2:30 in Media Center! All Welcome!!

January 5th - Professional Development Day

* Sessions for specific teachers: Art, PE, SPED, ESOL, TAG, Vanguard, Music, Learning Architects, and PD as assigned

* 11:00 - 12:00 - IB Visit Feedback (3rd-5th) Roberts Portable

* 1:30 - 3:00 - Math Benchmark Review (3rd - 5th) Rm #123

* 1:30 - 2:30 - IB Visit Feedback (K - 2nd) Roberts Portable

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Money for Classroom Organization

You have 3 days left to place your order for items to improve the aesthetics of your classroom like bins, curtains, small seats, etc... 

Complete and submit your order using Office Depot. Put your name and the word "grant" in the notes section. 

If you would like chairs, bean bags, etc... that can't be found on the Office Depot website, please submit the specific order to Colleen. Thank you!!! 

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Ugly Sweater Contest

Wear your ugliest/tackiest holiday sweater this Wednesday!!!! Our PTO will be coming around to judge and we will announce the winner at the end of the day!!!! 

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Blessing in a Backpack

We still have some spots open for the blessing in a backpack program. If you become aware of any students that would benefit from having  additional food on the weekends, please email their names to Wooden. 

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Money for Morning Activities

Grade level chairs - don't forget to turn in your "grade level order" to Colleen by December 20th! 

Collaborate with your team about supplies/items which could replace "morning work" and give students a chance to have fun in the morning! Some examples are: playdough, coloring books, board games, puzzles, mazes, etc.... 

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Holiday Sing-a-Long

We will be having our annual Holiday Sing-a-Long Wednesday! Please bring your classes to the cafeteria at the following times: 

Pre-K-2nd @ 7:50-8:20

3rd - 5th @ 8:35-9:05

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Picture Perfect Collection in Media Center

Our new Picture Perfect Science book collection is available for you in the PROFESSIONAL collection in the Media Center. The Professional Collection is in the Media Workroom behind the brown wooden slatted door.

Feel free to check out what you need! 

If you would like Mrs. Dennis to show correlating digital media to your students during media center time, just let her know the time frame and which books you are studying! 

Thanks! 

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KSU Coach

Schedule: Due to my change in schedule last week, I will only be at High Point on Tuesday 12/19. 

Highlights: There are plenty of engaging ways to keep students occupied as winter break approaches. If you are using Google Classroom, check out these Holiday Activities - http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2017/12/winter-activities.html. There is also holiday fun accessible through the school activities library on Seesaw. Try out these digital ways to encourage students to reflect on their plans for the holidays and winter break.

Notes: How do you connect with parents? Dojo is great tool for management and communication. You can save paper and share an online newsletter/flyer through the website, https://www.smore.com/. Twitter is a venue for connecting to others and seeing activities in action. 

DON'T FORGET about Seesaw! Seesaw can give parents the opportunity to see what's going on in your room. They can review their student's work and stay engaged in what students are learning about.  

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

Monday, December 18th

9:30 - Prospective Parent Tour
4th Grade Holiday Party

Tuesday, December 19th

K and 1st Grade Holiday Party

Wednesday, December 20th

Holiday Sing-A-Long
Ugly Sweater Contest
2nd and 3rd Grade Holiday Party

Thursday, December 21st 

F&P Data Due on the Team Google Drive
5th and PreK Holiday Party

Friday, December 22nd
No School! Happy Holidays!

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

Happy birthday to Brian Madej on the 20th and Vickie Reeves on the 28th! Also a very happy birthday to Nicole Cefaratti on the 1st of January!!! We hope you all have an amazing birthday!!! 

December 11th, 2017

Monday Notes 12.11.17

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

Welcome!!!

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Jeananne Corradino as the new art itinerant teacher! Ms. Corradino will be here Fridays and we are very happy to have her! 

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Georgia Personnel Survey

The Georgia School Personnel Survey (GSPS) is the state required survey to determine our overall Climate Star Rating on CCRPI. The past two years we have been at 4 stars our of 5. Our goal is to get to 5 stars out of 5 because we feel like that represents High Point!!!!

The survey includes 31 questions and is for all certified and classified staff members who work at least 50 percent of the day in the school. At least 75% of certified and classified staff members must participate in the survey to be eligible for the School Climate Star Rating. 
Most teachers should be able to participate in the GSPS using their classroom computer. The survey is also accessible using a tablet or smartphone. 

Survey responses are anonymous and will be submitted directly to the Georgia Department of Education for analysis. Results from the Georgia School Personnel Survey will not be available to the public and will not be posted online. Since our school will not be able to receive any feedback from this survey, if you have any questions or concerns that might impact your rating, please set up an appointment with Pitchford so that she can address it. 

The survey needs to be completed prior to the winter break!!! Thank you!!!

The Georgia School Personnel Survey link is posted below. 


http://gshs.gadoe.org/personnel

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Afternoon of Indulgence!

We are excited to announce our 3rd annual "Afternoon of Indulgence" next Tuesday, the 12th!! Please join us in the cafeteria from 3:00 - 4:30 for light refreshments and wonderful services such as massages, manicures, and eyebrow waxing.

Also, the following vendors will be here as well so you can shop for your loved ones (or yourself) if you would like: 
Ivey Lane designs
Karen Wasserman
Darden’s Delights
Noonday jewelry and handbags
Janie Gurley Art

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Holiday Party

If you have not already done so, please sign up for our Winter Holiday Party!!!!! This is normally on a Thursday and is in place of PLCs!! We want everyone to be able to make it!! You can pay as late as Wednesday. If you are not able to make it, please email Pitchford. 

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AJC Newspaper Online

We now have access to the online version of the Atlanta Journal newspaper for instructional use.

To access the AJC ePaper, go to the AJC ePaper Sign-In Page. 
Class Username: highpoint 
Class Password: buddy 

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Money for Classroom Organization

As you might have already read in the Leadership Minutes, we received grant money from Northside Hospital to improve the organization and aesthetics of the classrooms. 

If you would like bins, curtains, small seats, etc... for your classroom, please do the following by December 20th: 

Complete and submit your order using Office Depot. Put your name and the word "grant" in the notes section. 

If you would like chairs, bean bags, etc... that can't be found on the Office Depot website, please submit the specific order to Colleen. Thank you!!! 

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PBIS

Reminder: The PBIS Team would like to reward one student in your class as being an especially great PAWS Up student on the playground for the month of December. 

Please email Beth Owens the student's first and last name that you would like to recognize for PAWS Up Reflective/Cooperation on the PLAYGROUND. The Wendy's coupon will be placed in your mailbox. 😊

Thank you for supporting PBIS Tier 1 Behavior Interventions!

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Money for Morning Activities

As you might have already read in the Leadership Minutes, we received grant money to incorporate more play in Kindergarten. We have decided to share the money with 1st - 5th grade as well. Before the 20th, please do the following: 

Collaborate with your team about supplies/items which could replace "morning work" and give students a chance to have fun in the morning! Some examples are: playdough, coloring books, board games, puzzles, mazes, etc.... 

Your grade level chair will turn in a "grade level order" to Colleen by December 20th! 

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Holiday Sing-a-Long

We will be having our annual Holiday Sing-a-Long on December 20th! Please bring your classes to the cafeteria at the following times: 

Pre-K-2nd @ 7:50-8:20

3rd - 5th @ 8:35-9:05

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Media Center

All Teachers and staff who have items checked out from the Media Center—

Please complete your mid-year Media Tech inventory and return it to the media center by January 5th. Instructions will be in your mailbox Monday on bright pink paper. 

Thank you!  

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KSU Coach

Schedule: I will be at High Point on Tuesday 12/12, Wednesday 12/13 and Thursday 12/14. 

Highlights: The snow was beautiful on Friday! How could your students reflect on their experiences? Try using Seesaw to document photographs of your class experience snowfall...or using the drawing and recording tool to tell a realistic fiction tale about snow...or read a book about snow and compare and contrast the characters' experiences to students'.

Notes: Have you used Epic! before? This digital collection is a great way to expand your classroom library. Offer students choice based on their interests and you'll be surprised at their engagement and excitement. Try it out at https://www.getepic.com/

Don't Forget! Check out my website to view my calendar, arrange meetings, schedule co-teaching times and learn new things! https://www.smore.com/0j3th 

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Chorus Concert

The 4th and 5th grade chorus concert was a huge success!!! Thank you to Ms. Reich and her students for putting on such an entertaining and impressive "mini-musical!!!" 

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

Monday, December 11th

Tuesday, December 12th

3:00 - Afternoon of Indulgence

Wednesday, December 13th

Thursday, December 14th 

3:00 - Holiday Staff Party

Friday, December 15th
8:00 am - 4th and 5th Grade Spelling Bee

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

Happy birthday to Janet Lee on the 13th!!! We hope you have an amazing birthday!!! 

December 4th, 2017

Monday Notes 12.4.17

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

Welcome!!!

Please join me in welcoming Edna Henry, as the new categorical assistant to a student in Kindergarten! Edna comes to us from New York and we are very excited to have her at High Point!!! Please join me in welcoming her! 

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Afternoon of Indulgence!

We are excited to announce our 3rd annual "Afternoon of Indulgence" next Tuesday, the 12th!! Please join us in the cafeteria from 3:00-4:30 for light refreshments and wonderful services such as massages, manicures, eyebrow waxing, and more! 

Also, we will have vendors selling items such as clothes, jewelry, make-up, art, and more so you can shop for your loved ones (or yourself) if you would like!!! We hope everyone will join us!!

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Holiday Party

Please join us for the 2017 HPES Staff Holiday party for some fun and a Taco Bar! 
Bring your $10 to Kristen Mayhall by Friday, December 8th.  There will also be a raffle for everyone who signs up! 

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Book Fair

All classroom teachers: please don't forget to create a "wish list" at the book fair. Our wonderful PTO likes to purchase any remaining books for your classroom library that weren't purchased by parents. Make sure you post your wish list as soon as possible! 

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Principal's Blog

Please click on the link below to see the Principal's Blog for November. 

 http://mailchi.mp/08a6d6756966/principals-corner-november

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Chorus Concert

Please join us this Wednesday at 5:30 pm for the 4th and 5th grade mini-musical "Once on a Housetop." The book fair will also be open for anyone who wants to make a purchase for themselves or for their classroom. We hope to see you here! 

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PBIS 

December Focus: Playground

Please remind students to be reflective and cooperative as they play! 

Idea: It would be really cool if you selected a student or two showing these attitudes during recess and reward them with Buddy Bucks! This could encourage students to display this behavior in other areas too!

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Holiday Sing-a-Long

We will be having our annual Holiday Sing-a-Long on December 20th! Please bring your classes to the cafeteria at the following times: 

Pre-K-2nd @ 7:50-8:20

3rd - 5th @ 8:35-9:05

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iReady "Buddy Brag"

Hess pulled the instructional usage report for iReady for the last 4 weeks and the following teacher had 85% of her students meeting the 45+ minutes of instruction on iReady with over a 75% pass rate: 

Ana Strafford

Way to go Ana!!! 

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KSU Coach

Schedule: I will be at High Point on Tuesday 12/5, Thursday 12/7 and Friday 12/8.

Highlights: How do you encourage students to work on their typing? Help your class get more practice with keyboarding skills by accessing Learning.com lessons through Launch Pad. You can also have your students complete their writing online through Microsoft Office 365 or Google Docs. 

Notes: Check out the updates to my website to see highlighted tools, awesome work from around the school and my calendar for the next few months (https://www.smore.com/0j3th). I use the platform 'Smore' to create digital flyers - they could also be utilized for parent newsletters! 

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Attendance

See below for our grade level attendance data for September-November. 

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iRead Shout Out!

Hess pulled the usage data report for iRead for the past 3 weeks and the following 

K-2 teachers have met the requirements of putting their students on a minimum of 3 days a week for a minimum of 15 minutes each time:

                  Abernethy, Foster, Negrin, Pereira, Todd, Churchwell, Cornibe, and Mahle.

Way to Go ladies!!!! 

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IB Continuous Learning 

Wanting to find out more about the International Baccalaureate Program? Check out our High Point weebly for articles, videos, research and more!  You can use this link, or click on the flags on the High Point Website  to get started!

https://high-point-ib.weebly.com/

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Visuals of Best Practices

Ms. Todd’s & Ms. Pereira’s class demonstrate their learning using student voice! Each is unique and goes beyond learning into action!

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

Monday, December 4th

9:30 am - Prospective Parent Tour
3:00 - SGC Meeting in #123

Tuesday, December 5th

2:50 - NKOB and Para Meeting
Run-Off Elections Being Held

Wednesday, December 6th

5:30 - Winter Concert

Thursday, December 7th 

Book Fair Begins
2:50 - PLCs 

Friday, December 8th
Book Fair Ends!

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

Happy birthday to Stephanie Cole on the 6th! We hope you have an amazing birthday!!!