Week of February 9
What’s Coming Up?
February 9 (M)
Report Cards Sent Home
8:45-10:00, Joel in a Formal Observation
10:30, Design Debrief Meeting
1:30-2:30, Joel to Title Coordinator & Principal Meeting (Ed Center)
2:30-5:00, Joel to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
7:00-8:30, Joel to North Region 4J Parent Information Night: Smarter Balanced Assessment (NEHS)
February 10 (T)
Regular Day
8:00-9:00, Joel at the dentist.
2:45-3:45, Staff Meeting
6:00-7:00, Parent Group Meeting
February 11 (W)
1:45-2:45, PLC Time
3:45-4:45, TLT Meeting
February 12 (H)
8:00-2:30, Data Team Meeting
2:00-3:30, Joel at Talent Ed/ Teacher Evaluation update.
3:00-5:00, Design Meeting
February 13 (F)
Camino del Rio PD/Planning Day – No School
8:00-12:00, Training with Edward Olivos in the morning on Assessment ( All instructional staff are encouraged to attend. This PD is for licensed and classified instructional staff.)
12:00-4:00, Planning Time
6:00-8:00+, Valentine’s Day Family Dance Party at Camino del Rio
February 16 (M)
NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day
February 17 (T)
8:00-12:00, SST in the Library
2:45-3:45, PLT Meeting (Conference Room)
February 18 (W)
Exclusion Day
1:45-2:45, Math PLC Time (Library)
2:45-3:45, PBIS Meeting in Room 8 Classified staff are invited to come. (will be compensated)
February 19 (H)
Regular day
February 20 (F)
Regular day
What’s going on?
Dear staff,
The OALA Winter Conference was a very inspirational experience for me. The administrator’s stories and shared experiences gave me very valuable insight into the work we do every day. Dr. Robyn Duran shared her perspective on equity in schools from a very scholarly yet real perspective. The power of her speech reminded me of how important the student’s story/ personal journey is in our work. My biggest take away was that we can intervene and insert a narrative to shift each of our students’ journey. The difference you make in one child’s life with a message of inspiration can and will make a difference. I will share more of Dr. Duran’s ideas this Friday before we meet with Audrey Lucero and Edward Olivos.
•Staff Meeting Agenda for February 10th
Agenda:
1. Morning Meeting Activity- Led by Joel
2. CAP Update and PLT report- Joel and Karen
3. Decision making grid – discuss and vote- Joel presents and staff decides
4. PBIS Staff Review for Winter and hat decision.- Piper and Joel
•Opinion Article on bilingualism:
Bilingual students Are Economic Gold– Here is a great opinion piece from the San Antonio newspaper. I think the economic factor is one of the most convincing reasons for our students to be in our program regardless of the home language.
• State Testing Exemption (“opt out”) Process, Form and Information – This is more for 3/4/5 teachers, but if a parent requests to opt out of testing or asks for information about opting out of state tests, you can send them to me or you can give them a hard copy or direct them to the opt out FAQ and form on the district website. This form also applies to the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, ELPA, PSAT and ACT,. Here are a few key elements for you to know about this process.
Opt-out option:
• Parents may request an exemption from state required testing to accommodate either:
– their student’s IDEA or Section 504 identified disability or
– their student’s sincerely held religious beliefs.Process:
• To request an exemption, complete the district request form.
• Submit it to the superintendent’s office by March 30 or 2 weeks before the test date, whichever is earlier.
• The district will respond in writing.
Downtown will notify schools when they receive any opt out requests. If a parent asks about the process refer them to the above website.
• Title 1 Newsletter – Here is the latest district level Title 1 Newsletter that went out to all Title 1 Coordinators and principals. This month’s issue is again mostly coordinator specific information and tasks, but there is a nice video that tries to answer the questions: How can student interest and creativity be leveraged to spark growth and achievement? It’s a follow-up story to the “Caine’s Arcade” story that went viral a while ago.
• Academy Day PD/Planning Topics- (All instructional staff are expected to attend)
– discussing strengths and challenges of current assessment tools they
are using
– identifying areas/skills they are not currently assessing but would
like to
– ways to identify a child’s ZPD in a given concept or language
component
– ways to meet the needs of individual and small groups of children at
different levels
– use of ELD and SLD standards to guide instruction and assessment
– oral language assessment (here I could provide an overview of my
research since I’ll be assessing K,1,2 kids in the spring)
• Best Children’s Books of the Year – Dan Santat’s The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend won the 2015 Caldecott Medal for the best American picture book for kids. Here are a few of the American Library Association’s other big awards this year for children’s books:
• Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover (John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature)
• Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (Coretta Scott King award for African-American author and illustrator)
• Gayle E. Pitman and Kristyna Litten’s This Day In June (Stonewall Book Award for book relating to the GLBT experience)
Here’s the whole list of honorees.
Thought some of you might enjoy this…..
Have a good week and look forward to that three day weekend!
Joel
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