Friday, October 25, 2019

October 28, 2019


Monday Notes 10.28.19

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Congratulations!
Congratulations to Tasheira Parker who got engaged last weekend! We are very excited for her and her partner Chase. 

Also, congratulations to Sally Blinder who welcomed her first grandson last week! 

We are thrilled for you both!


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CCRPI Score and Climate Rating
Congratulations to everyone again for a job well done! It's an amazing feat to go from a 72.4 to an 89.4!  I sincerely appreciate your commitment to your students, knowing that there is no cap on their ability to learn and grow! 

Here is a breakdown of our score: 
75.4 on Content Mastery which is up 9.1 points from last year
 100 points on Progress which is up 18.8 points from last year
100 points on Closing Gaps which is up 50 points from last year
ALL subgroups made adequate progress in ELA and only our SPED subgroup did not make adequate progress in math. See below: 

We also received our first ever 5-Star Climate Rating! This rating is determined by the staff, parent, and student surveys as well as our discipline and attendance data. Our score improved from a 96.3 to a 98.60.

What we are doing is working. Let's stay the course!! 

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Here is the email which went out to parents on Friday: 

Dear Parents,


This morning, the Georgia Department of Education released the 2019 College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) for all schools in Georgia. Our 2019 score is an 89.4 which is a 17 point increase from last year. The CCRPI is the way the Georgia Department of Education measures schools and school districts and gives them a rating on a 100-point scale. This is a reason to celebrate!

The vast majority of the CCRPI score derives from student performance on the Georgia Milestones End of Grade (EOG)/End of Course tests. While we are thankful to have a snapshot of our performance, we recognize that these CCRPI scores are based on one-day tests, whereas the school year is 180 days. There are many great things happening for our students that are not captured by a single measurement like the CCRPI.


The Georgia Department of Education also released its annual School Climate Star ratings for all schools in Georgia. High Point’s Climate Star rating is a 5-Star which is one star higher than the previous year! We believe that our school has an exceptional climate, and that’s partly because of your support as a parent or guardian. School climate refers to the quality and character of school life – the “culture” of a school. School climate ratings are based on survey results and data from the 2018-2019 school year, and each school is rated on a 1-5 scale, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate in need of improvement.

I have always been a firm believer that our school is more than a single score. The educational world is very complex and it’s difficult to determine our impact on students’ lives by one standardized test. With that said though, we, as educators, can’t help but to place our effectiveness on scores such as this. When your score does not reflect the solid instructional strategies happening every day, the dedication of your staff, and students’ academic and social-emotional growth, it can be disheartening.

This is why we are first celebrating our score by thanking each parent of High Point Elementary. No matter our score, you have been unwavering in your support of our school. You have committed to the belief that we are doing what is best for all children and remained a cheerleader for our school when our scores weren’t reflective of our staff and students’ ability. This score is not just ours but yours as well.

As principal, I am proud to represent a school that continually strives to improve. While the gains we made this past year are significant, we are still committed to improving our practice every day and doing what is best for our students. Thank you for your support as we continue this journey.

Sincerely,


Carrie Pitchford

Principal 

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PBIS Survey
Please click on the following link to give feedback on our PBIS implementation here at High Point. We HAVE to have 80% of ALL staff participate BY TODAY so please take a moment to complete this survey if you haven't already. As of today, only 36 staff members have completed the survey. Thank you! 



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Staff Photo Retake
Our last staff photo didn't come out as well as we had hoped so we will be retaking our staff photo this Wednesday at 3:00 pm. Staff will be nicely dressed for class photos on this day so we thought it was a great time for a retake. Please make sure EVERYONE comes to the cafeteria no later than 3:00 pm! Thanks!

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November 5th Workday
The following people are scheduled for professional development on the 5th: 

TAG - Heards Ferry          8:00-11:30
METIs - Parklane           8:30-3:00
Prek Teachers - Atlanta History Center  8:00-4:00
Art - Carlos Museum        8:30-3:30
Music - Wolf Creek           8:30-3:30
PE - TBD -                      12:30-3:30
SPED - webinar               8:30-3:30 
ESOL - Lake Forest           8:00-3:00

All other teachers will follow the HPES schedule. Questions, please ask. Thanks!!!

7:30-9:00 – Leadership Meeting Room #123
7:30-9:00 - iReady Training for Homeroom Teachers K-5 (Learn more about how to respond to online flags, lessons passed, minutes data and how to pull lessons from iReady to use for small groups)
9:00-9:45 – K and 1st RACE Review
10:00-10:45 – 2nd RACE Review
11:00-11:45 – 3rd – 5th RACE Review
1:00-2:00 – Literably Training 1st-5th Cafeteria
2:00-3:00 - 5th Grade Exhibition Redelivery K-5 

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T-Shirt Order

Ms. Mahle has put together an amazing HPE t-shirt to promote hugs and love! If you are interested in ordering a t-shirt, please email Mahle. Cost will be no more than $15 a shirt but less depending on how many orders the company receives. 
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Mindfulness



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Flu Vaccine Clinic at HPES
Please turn in all Flu Vaccine Forms to Ms. Dickie. Thank you!

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SST Plea


Teachers PLEASE come prepared with grades for this past 9 weeks report card and also bring iReady data that may be available. You may email them to Lib as late as the day before you meet, if you rather. Intervention teachers are already uploading progress monitoring from Fastbridge. Remember these meetings are about looking at the data and determining next steps, so we must have access to the data! Thank you for being intentional about our time together with parents!


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Third Grade Provocation
Third grade is increasing student engagement through provocations! A Fossil “I see, I wonder” scoot around the room gets kids moving while thinking! Young Paleontologists excavate ”rocks” from a chocolate chip cookie and observe, think, and write about rocks and minerals in new ways with new experiences! 



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Fulton County Teachers' Credit Union

Fulton County Teachers' Credit Union will be set up in the 1st Grade Teachers' Lounge TODAY from 11:00 am til 1:00 pm! Please stop by to check out special offerings or support they give educators. 

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Oratorical Competition for 5th Graders
Preparation is beginning for this year’s  Oratorical Competition. The Oratorical Competition is an annual competition sponsored by Optimist International for students between the ages of 6 and 16. Students prepare and deliver a speech on an assigned topic. The duration of the speech is from 4 to 5 minutes speaking.  This year’s topic is, “Just Imagine a World without Boundaries.”  Participating in this competition helps students improve self-esteem, writing, and speaking skills.  There will be students who will need assistance in writing their speech and some students that will need one on one help with presenting their speech.  WE NEED HELPERS!  If you can help please contact Lori Simon. If and when you are needed we will contact you and explain how you can help students. Thank you! This experience takes a village!  

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Growth Check for 3rd-5th



 Starting on November 4th we will have our second iReady Reading Growth Monitoring check. This will be automatically pushed out on the iReady platform and all students will need to complete the assessment before they are allowed to continue working on their pathway. There is nothing you need to prepare, but please let students know to do their best. If you have any questions, please contact Brian. 

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

Monday, October 28th
9:30 am - Prospective Parent Tour
11:00-1:00 - FC Teachers' Credit Union in Teachers' Lounge

Tuesday, October 29th
3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade GA Health Surveys in Computer Lab
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Wednesday, October 30th
Group Pictures and Re-Takes
Grade Level PLCs during Specials
3:00 pm - Staff Photo Retake 

Thursday, October 31st
3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade GA Health Surveys in Computer Lab
Book Character Dress Up Day
Grade Level PLCs After School

Friday, November 1st 


*************************BIRTHDAYS**************************
 
Happy birthday to Mochandra King on the 30th, Alicia Williams on the 2nd and Lindsey Hayes on the 3rd! We hope you all have an amazing birthday! 

Friday, October 18, 2019

October 21st, 2019


Monday Notes 10.21.19

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IOWA Testing This Week
 High Point’s 3rd and 5th graders will be participating in the Annual IOWA Assessments this week.  

The use of electronic devices is not allowed during the testing time period (approximately 8:00-11:00 M-Th). This means all cell phones need to be turned off and students can not log on to the internet.


Please be as quiet as possible in the hallways so we can give students an optimal testing environment. 


Recess will be held until all testing is complete for the day. When testing is completed, an announcement will be made and classes may go outside for recess.


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Thank You!
A huge thank you to the "Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog" Team for hosting our staff luncheon last Friday!!! The food was amazing!! 

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Bert Show's Big Thank You!
Every year The Bert Show collects letters to send to every single soldier serving overseas on Thanksgiving. 
If you would like to participate have students write or draw a letter on a piece of paper (no construction paper!) and drop them off outside Ms. Mokri’s classroom or in her mailbox by October 28th. 
If you have any questions check out the Big Thank You’s website: http://thebertshow.com/articles/bigthankyou/

LETTER SPECIFICATIONS:
• All letters must be on 8.5” x 11” paper or smaller.
• Please do not use glue, tape, staples, cardboard, glitter or otherwise attach anything to the paper.
You can decorate using crayons, markers, pens or pencils.
• NO construction paper.
• Use both sides if you like, but use one page per letter only.
• Please do not send greeting cards or photographs.
• Feel free to include your mailing and email address – sometimes military members will write back!
• Individual letters should not be sealed in envelopes.
• Please do not send anything except letters!

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Flu Vaccine Clinic at HPES
On November 12th, we will be hosting a FLU Clinic from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Flu shots are free for ALL students, no matter if they have insurance or not.

Schedules for each grade level will be sent out on November 4th. 

We are asking teachers to send home letters explaining this opportunity to parents this Thursday. Letters will be in your mailboxes today. 

The letters should go home with the consent form. Consent forms in English and Spanish are in the mailroom. Please get the appropriate number of forms for your homeroom class. Parents HAVE to fill out this form should they want their child to get a flu shot. 

Please return all consent forms to Michelle Dickie. 

Staff can also sign up for a flu shot. It is free as well if you don't have insurance. You must also fill out the Vaccine Consent Form. 

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IB Units of Inquiry Learning Targets
As a reminder, for your IB Units of Inquiry, your Central Idea is your learning target. There is no need to write a new target for each lesson. If you feel the need to break it down in smaller pieces, you may also use your Lines of Inquiry as a target, but your Central Idea is the conceptual learning goal for your current unit of study, students should know it and be able to explain it and the connection to the learning. You may use the already created  and ready to print Central Ideas and Lines of Inquiry located in your 2019-2020 Unit Planner folder under POI Posters.  If you have questions, please reach out to Lib.


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Continuous Learning

Want to engage your whole class more in discussions? Check out this quick article from Edutopia which gives three ways to help students understand the content and then demonstrate their learning. 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-ask-questions-engage-whole-class  


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

Monday, October 21st
IOWA for 3rd and 5th Grade
4th Grade Field Trip 

Tuesday, October 22nd
IOWA for 3rd and 5th Grade
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Wednesday, October 23rd
IOWA for 3rd and 5th Grade
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Thursday, October 24th
IOWA for 5th Grade
Grade Level PLCs After School

Friday, October 25th 
PSC Entered by Today 1st-5th
6:00 pm - Costume Dance

*************************BIRTHDAYS**************************
 
There are no birthdays this week. 

Friday, October 11, 2019

October 14th, 2019


Monday Notes 10.14.19

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Pink Out!!
We have determined this Friday as PINK OUT day to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month and any person who has been affected by breast cancer. We appreciate everyone showing their support and love by wearing pink! 


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Luncheon This Friday!
Thank you to the "Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog" Team for hosing our staff luncheon this Friday!!! This team is putting together their favorite family recipes for us to enjoy.  

Thank you to the following team members: Hess, Hunter, Martindale, M. Conway, Morgan, Churchwell, Bradshaw, Arnold, Faison, and Jones!! 

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Example of Best Practices
We wanted to spotlight Ms. Collins and her clear learning target which was posted and reviewed throughout the math block. Students were 100% aware of what they were working towards and the strategies they could use to help them understand the concept. Way to go!! 



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Bert Show's Big Thank You!
Every year The Bert Show collects letters to send to every single soldier serving overseas on Thanksgiving. 
If you would like to participate have students write or draw a letter on a piece of paper (no construction paper!) and drop them off outside Ms. Mokri’s classroom or in her mailbox by October 28th. 
If you have any questions check out the Big Thank You’s website: http://thebertshow.com/articles/bigthankyou/

LETTER SPECIFICATIONS:
• All letters must be on 8.5” x 11” paper or smaller.
• Please do not use glue, tape, staples, cardboard, glitter or otherwise attach anything to the paper.
You can decorate using crayons, markers, pens or pencils.
• NO construction paper.
• Use both sides if you like, but use one page per letter only.
• Please do not send greeting cards or photographs.
• Feel free to include your mailing and email address – sometimes military members will write back!
• Individual letters should not be sealed in envelopes.
• Please do not send anything except letters!

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IOWA Testing Next Week
From October 21-25, High Point’s 3rd and 5th graders will be participating in the Annual IOWA Assessments.  The IOWA Assessment is a norm referenced test that assesses student’s knowledge in Reading, ELA, Written Expression, Punctuation, Capitalization, Vocabulary, Math, Social Studies and Science. The assessment is completely on-line and will take approximately 90 minutes a day. For the first time, 3rd graders will not be assessed in the areas of Social Studies and Science. 

The use of electronic devices is not allowed during the testing time period (approximately 8:00-11:00 M-Th). This means all cell phones need to be turned off and students can not log on to the internet.

Please be as quiet as possible in the hallways so we can give students an optimal testing environment. 

Recess will be held until all testing is complete for the day. When testing is completed, an announcement will be made and classes may go outside for recess.

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Take What You Need
Need inspiration? Need a morale booster? Need a friendly reminder for how amazing you are? Need a reminder to CARE about yourself and others? Take a card from the bulletin board located at the copier outside of the media center! 


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Learning Profile Focus for October
The "Building the Learner Profile" team invites any staff member to take part in our "Attributes of the Month" by reading a book which exemplifies that attribute. The reading will be pre-recorded and shown on the Morning News during the week. If you are interested in reading a particular book, please email Benita Bearden! 

The attributes for this month are: 
Caring and Risk-Taker  

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

Monday, October 14th
No School Today! 

Tuesday, October 15th
Bus Driver Appreciation Week!
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Wednesday, October 16th 
7:15 am - SGC Meeting in #123
8:00 am - Title I Parent Workshop in Media Center
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Thursday, October 17th
Report Cards Go Home! 


Grade Level PLCs After School

Friday, October 18th 
PINK Out Day! 
Staff Luncheon Room #123

*************************BIRTHDAYS**************************
 
Happy birthday to Riana Kidder on Tuesday, October 15th!! We hope you have a wonderful birthday! 

Friday, October 4, 2019

October 7th, 2019


Monday Notes 10.7.19

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STAR IB Student Celebration
Congratulations to the PBIS committee and its’ first Kona Ice IB STAR student event. Proceeds from the event totaled over $645 which goes right back into the PBIS fund. 

Thanks to all the teachers who really stressed the importance of being here everyday, always on time, and representing the IB characteristics. Keep on encouraging your students every day!

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Grading and Report Cards
We know that there have been many changes to staff's rosters and complications with Infinite Campus. We appreciate everyone being flexible with us while we are all learning a new system!! With that being said, we are going to take this one day at a time and if we need to push back our report card release date, we will! 

Training and Support......
Please join Mr. DiBartolo and Ms. Parker TODAY for grading and report card overview/refresher session. Please bring all your questions regarding roster changes, grading, uploading report card grades, etc. with you to the meeting. We will meet at 3:00 in the Media Center.

Also, Fulton County is not opening up the report card window until October 10th, so we will go over what that looks like when it is loaded from the District. 
If you cannot attend the training and would like the support documents or extra support, email DiBartolo. 

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Enrichment Testing
Mr. Zimbardo will be pulling certain students this week and next for Enrichment Testing. The schedule is below. If you have any questions or if parents have questions regarding the testing, please see Mr. Zimbardo. 

October 7th - 9th 


October 14th-18th

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Principal's Corner
If you would like to preview the Principal's Corner from September that was sent to all parents, please click on the link below. 

https://mailchi.mp/66ae89394307/principals-corner-september

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GA Pre-K Week!!
This week is GA Pre-K Week!!! We would like to celebrate our two Pre-K classes and thank the teachers and paraprofessionals who love, support, teach, and grow our Pre-K students so that they are ready for Kindergarten each year!!! Thank you for all that you do!  


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RFF Day Schedule
All staff are required to report on this day by 7:10 am. 
Breakfast will be provided for everyone!!! 

8:00-9:00 - Leadership Team Meeting in Room #123
9:00-11:00 - Pre-K and K Georgia Organics Training in Art Room
Each grade level = 2 hours of PD scheduled for collaborative work

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Learning Profile Focus for October
The "Building the Learner Profile" team invites any staff member to take part in our "Attributes of the Month" by reading a book which exemplifies that attribute. The reading will be pre-recorded and shown on the Morning News during the week. If you are interested in reading a particular book, please email Benita Bearden! 

The attributes for this month are: 
Caring and Risk-Taker 

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Continuous Learning
If you read my Principal's Corner for September, you will see that I recommended a book to parents called "Unselfie." 

In her book, "Unselfie" author Michele Borba emphasizes her belief that EMPATHY is what children need to be happy and successful.

"Unselfie" introduces a powerful but simple idea that when we teach children to move from "Me" to "We" they can become happier, healthier, and more productive citizens in our world. According to the latest research though, empathy is not innate. We have to work to find ways to teach empathy to our children.

Below is a quick 2-minute video I sent to parents to help them teach empathy. While parents should be committed to teaching empathy, we can also take an active part during Morning Meetings, Reflection Sheet conferences, restorative practices, etc... There are multiple opportunities each day to help students empathize, talk out their problems, and connect with their classmates. 



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From PBIS Team
The PBIS committee wants to say thank you to everyone for making our first Kona Ice day a success! We are working on making it even better for next time! More information coming soon. 

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RTI Behavior Flow Chart

An RTI Behavior Flow Chart has been placed in the 2019-2020 HPES School Information folder on the Google Drive. If you have any questions, please see Midkiff! 

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

Monday, October 7th
GA Pre-K Week!
3rd Grade In-House Field Trip

Tuesday, October 8th
3rd Grade In-House Field Trip
Pre-K In House Field Trip
5th Grade ETT @ 11:45-2:35
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Wednesday, October 9th 
Grade Level PLCs during Specials

Thursday, October 10th
RFF Day!! All staff to report! 

Friday, October 11th 
FC Teacher Workday - All certified employees to report. 

*************************BIRTHDAYS**************************
 
Happy birthday to Jennifer Mokri on the 10th! We hope you have a wonderful birthday!