Week of 11/28/2016 – 12/2/2016: Finishing Tutorial #7, Proficiency Improvement, Guest Speaker

Monday 11/28: Proficiency Improvement Day

Tuesday 11/29: Guest Speaker

Wednesday 11/30: Proficiency Improvement Day

Thursday 12/1: Tutorial #7 – Group B

Friday 12/2: No School – End of Trimester Grading Day

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Last day to turn in work for Fall Trimester Grading Wednesday 11/30, End of Fall Trimester Friday 12/2.

Homework: None assigned as of 11/22.

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th Grade AVID, and the last week of the trimester!  This week we are going to be finishing up some unfinished business with Tutorial #7, we will be making sure that students have put themselves in the best position for success for their fall trimester grades by having a couple proficiency improvement days where students will have the opportunity to take some of the work from their classes and try to improve on what they have done so far, and we will also be having a guest speaker to talk to us about the climate change case that is being heard in Eugene.  This is a cool opportunity to hear about a case that has national implications that is being heard right here in Eugene – not something that you can say everyday!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 11/21/2016 – 11/25/2016: Tutorial # 7, First College Trip Reflection

Monday 11/21: TRF Support, Binder Check, L&C College Trip Reflection

Tuesday 11/22: Tutorial # 7

Wednesday 11/23: No School – Make-Up Conferences

Thursday 11/24: No School – Thanksgiving

Friday 11/25: No School – Thanksgiving

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  Student-Led Conferences Tuesday 11/22, Last day to turn in work for Fall Trimester Grading Wednesday 11/30, End of Fall Trimester Friday 12/2.

Homework: TRF # 7 due Tuesday 11/22

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID!  This is a short week as we prepare for Student-Led Conferences & also have Thanksgiving Break.  We will be doing a reflective assignment on Monday based on our trip to Lewis & Clark College last week – which the students’ behavior was amazing for the entirety of the trip, I might add.  On Tuesday, Tutorial Group A will present, and then Group B will present next week.  Because I have an 8th grade advisory group, I won’t see you all for Student-Led Conferences, but let me know if you need anything.  Have a fantastic week!

KK

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Week of 11/14/2016 – 11/18/2016: Tutorial # 6, Field Trip to L&C College, Socratic Seminar – continued

Monday 11/14: TRF Support, Binder Check

Tuesday 11/15: Tutorial # 6

Wednesday 11/16: Socratic Seminar

Thursday 11/17: Tutorial # 6

Friday 11/18: (Early Release, Periods 1-3) AVID Field Trip to L&C College in Portland

Upcoming Calendar Dates:  Kordon gone on AVID Field Trip Friday 11/18 (Early Release, Periods, 1-3), Student-Led Conferences Tuesday 11/22, Last day to turn in work for Fall Trimester Grading Wednesday 11/30, End of Fall Trimester Friday 12/2.

Homework: TRF # 6 due Tuesday 11/15

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th Grade AVID!  This week we will be further focusing on Socratic Seminar which is an AVID mechanism for having class discussions based on dialogue rather than debate.  As has been the norm, we have tutorials on Tuesday & Thursday this week.  With the following week being a short week due to Conferences and Thanksgiving, we will only have tutorials on the Tuesday the 22nd for Group A, and Group B will present on Tuesday the 29th on the same TRF.  This way, Tutorial # 7 will be the last tutorial of the trimester.  I have had a couple of people interested in chaperoning the field trip on 11/18.  If you are interested, you need to fill out the volunteer information form on the Kelly website: https://www.helpcounterweb.com/welcome/apply.php?district=eugene, prior to being able to volunteer at the school.  If you have filled this out for Kelly already this year or even last year then you are fine to volunteer, and do not need to fill it out again (the background check that is done by the school district on volunteers is good for two years).  If you have filled this out, and want to volunteer, please email me ASAP that you would like to go, and I will get back to you about what the situation looks like – if we need more chaperones or if we even have room on the bus for more.  As always, you are all awesome, and I hope you have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 11/17/2016 – 11/11/2016: Tutorial # 5, New Tutorial Groups, Socratic Seminar

Monday 11/7: New Tutorial Group Norms, TRF Support, Lewis & Clark College Field Trip Permission Slip Due.

Tuesday 11/8: Tutorial # 5 – Group A Presenting

Wednesday 11/9:  Socratic Seminar, Binder Checks

Thursday 11/10: Tutorial # 5 – Group B Presenting

Friday 11/11: No School – Veteran’s Day

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Lewis & Clark College Field Trip Friday 11/18, Student-Led Conferences Tuesday 11/22.

Homework: Tutorial Request Form # 5 (Due Tuesday)

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th Grade AVID!  At the end of last week we welcomed a few more students into our AVID family.  If you’re receiving this note for the first time, welcome!  We will also be welcoming two new tutors to our class this week.  I have known both of them for a while, and they are very excited to be joining our class.  This will have some great effects on our class.  It will first of all, drop our student to tutor ratio down to about 5/6:1 which is better than the district average.  This will allow students to get more focused help on the questions they are bringing to tutorials every week.  I sent home a permission slip home with all students last week about the field trip with more details about it.  The bus will be leaving on Friday 11/18 at 8:30 AM sharp.  Students need to be at school no later than 8:20.  We will be going to Lewis & Clark College in Portland for a tour, will have lunch on campus (no charge to students), and will come back to Kelly.  We are scheduled to be back around 3:00.  Because it is an early release day, there will be no bus transportation once we get back to Kelly, so you will need to arrange to have your student picked up from school.  Students will be responsible for any and all work that they will be missing due to the field trip.  They will be missing advisory and periods 1-3.  It is recommended that students pick up this work from their teachers in the days leading up to the field trip, and work on the material on the bus ride to and from Portland.  If you are interested in chaperoning for the trip, let me know.  We need to make sure that you have up-to-date volunteering forms filled out before we go on the trip.  Let me know if you need anything.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!

KK

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Week of 10/31/2016 – 11/4/2016: Tutorial # 4, Writing Better Questions for Tutorial

Monday 10/31: How do Costa’s Levels of Thinking relate to me as an AVID student? – Improving our levels of questioning for Tutorial

Tuesday 11/1: Tutorial # 4 – Group A Presenting

Wednesday 11/2: Question banking, Binder Checks

Thursday 11/3: Tutorial # 4 – Group B Presenting

Friday 11/4: (Early Release, Periods 4-6) – Team Building

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Student-Led Conferences Tuesday 11/22.

Homework: Tutorial Request Form # 4 (Due Tuesday)

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID!  This week we are going to be focusing on our levels of questioning before and during tutorials.  The idea is that this will lead to better questions from Points of Confusion being brought to Tutorial by presenters, and better questions being asked during tutorial by group members.  We are also going to work on coming up with questions as a class based on the things they are learning in their classes.  We will use these to create a bank of questions that students can pull from for inspiration if they are having a tough time coming up with questions on their own.  I am also still waiting on details about our field trip on the 18th.  As soon as I know more information, you will as well.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 10/24/2016 – 10/28/2016: Tutorial # 3, Team Building

Monday 10/24: TRF Checklist, TRF Support, Binder Checks

Tuesday 10/25: Tutorial 3 – Group A

Wednesday 10/26: (Kordon Gone) Academic Improvement Day/Make-up Tutorials

Thursday 10/27: Tutorial 3 – Group B

Friday 10/28: (Kordon Gone) Team/Community Building Activity

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Kordon gone Wednesday 10/26, Friday 10/28 & Friday 11/18. University Field Trip: Lewis & Clark College Friday 11/18. Student-Led Conferences Tuesday 11/22.

Homework: TRF # 3 (Tutorial Request Form) due Tuesday 10/25

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID!  This week is an uncharacteristic week for me.  I strongly dislike being away from my classes, and I have to be gone twice this week.  I am gone on Wednesday due to an AVID Elective teacher professional development at Churchill all day, and I am gone again on Friday because the other instructional leaders in the building and I have an all day meeting on our school improvement plan.  At this point, we are starting to settle into a routine in AVID.  I have attached a guide to the “resources” tab that explains what your student should be doing every night specifically from my AVID class – regarding the AVID Weekly packet especially.  Please help us out by checking in with your student that this is getting completed.  The AVID Weekly packet is worth 60% of the grade in AVID, so for it to be missing is not an option.  Please let me know if you need anything.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!

KK

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Week of 10/17/2016 – 10/21/2016: Tutorial # 2, Goal Setting & Tutorial Focuses, Costa’s Levels of Questioning

Monday 10/17: Goal Setting & Tutorial Focuses, TRF Support

Tuesday 10/18: Tutorial 2 – Group A

Wednesday 10/19: Inquiry in a Bag Activity – Costa’s Levels of Questioning, Binder Check

Thursday 10/20: Tutorial 2 – Group B

Friday 10/21 (Early Release, Periods 1-3): AVID does not meet.

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Celebrating Diversity Event Friday 10/21 5:00-7:30: Diversity Event Newsletter, Diversity Poster – English, Poster Diversidad Espanol. Kordon gone Wednesday 10/26 & Friday 11/18. University Field Trip: Lewis & Clark College 11/18. Student-Led Conferences Tuesday 11/22.

Homework: TRF # 2 (Tutorial Request Form) due Tuesday 10/18

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID!  This week we will only meet as a class four times because of the early release schedule on Friday.  Only class periods 1-3 will meet on Friday this week, so AVID will not meet that day.  This week we will be focusing on setting academic goals for the rest of the trimester – as well as what classes our tutorials will focus on, and will complete our second set of tutorials.  If your student is not passing a class, it is a requirement that their next 3 TRFs and tutorials focus on those classes.  We will also spend a good portion of class on Monday filling out our TRFs for Tutorial #2 which will be happening on Tuesday & Thursday this week. Group A will present on Tuesday, and Group B will present on Thursday – unless any student has a burning desire to present early due to a class/project coming up.  Because we do not meet on Friday, this week’s Tutorial Reflection needs to be completed no later than Thursday’s class.  I also was notified that our first university field trip will be happening on Friday, November 18.  We will be visiting Lewis & Clark College in Portland.  I do not have any more details other than the day and location at this time, but be assured that more information will be communicated to you as soon as I know.  The trip is occurring on an early release day so as to minimize the amount of instruction time that your students will miss in their other classes.  Students will be expected to check in with their teacher in their classes for what they will miss due to the trip.  Students will also need to maintain good academic and behavioral standing in order to attend the field trip.  Student-led conferences are also coming up on the evening of Tuesday, November 22nd.  If you would like to request a traditional parent-teacher conference please request this through the office.  This Friday, there is also a diversity event being held at Kelly from 5:00-7:00 PM.  More details about the event will be communicated during advisory this week.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Let me know if you have any questions.

KK

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Week of 10/10/2016 – 10/14/2016: Finish first set of tutorials

Monday 10/10: Finish Tutorials for Group A – whole class

Tuesday 10/11: Tutorials – Tutorial Group B to present

Wednesday 10/12: Complete any missing tutorials, First Tutorial Reflection, Binder Check 3

Thursday 10/13: No School Mid-Trimester Grading Day

Friday 10/14: No School – Statewide In-Service

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Mid-Trimester Grading Day 10/13, Riverwalk party 10/13.

Homework: None Assigned as of 10/9

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID! This week is a short one. We only have three days of class this week, and they will mostly be spent finishing up the first round of tutorials. Mid-Trimester grades will be coming up at the end of the week, and I will be keeping an eye on the students’ grades in their other classes, and will be discussing areas of needed improvement with them. We will be setting improvement goals and targets when we come back the following week, and the AVID site team is actively planning our first university field trip. I hope you all have a fantastic week! Let me know if you need anything.

KK

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Week of 10/3/2016 – 10/7/2016: Finish Introducing Tutorials, Tutors Arrive, and First Tutorials

Monday 10/3: Finish Introduction to Tutorials

Tuesday 10/4: Team-Building with Tutors

Wednesday 10/5: Complete First TRF, Binder Check

Thursday 10/6: Tutorials – Tutorial Group A is presenting

Friday 10/7: AVID class does not meet – Riverwalk Fundraiser Day

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Riverwalk 10/7, Mid-Trimester Grading Day 10/13, Riverwalk party 10/13.

Homework: Bring Cornell Notes to class from academic class on Wednesday 10/5.

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID!  This week we will finish our introduction of the Tutorial process, meet our tutors, and have our first tutorials completed in class.  Typically, half of the class will complete a tutorial on a Tuesday session with the tutors, and the other half will complete their tutorial on the Thursday session, but with the way that the next week and a half lines up before the end of the mid-trimester grading period we will have the first group present their tutorials on Thursday, and the second group present the following Tuesday on 10/11.  Thereafter, we will be on a regular schedule for tutorials.  Again, Tutorial Group A will present this Thursday, 10/6, and Tutorial Group B will present next Tuesday 10/11.  We will spend a lot of time over the next two years working on our tutorials. The work that prepares students for tutorials, the tutorial itself, and the reflection thereafter is worth 60% of a student’s grade.  For this reason, it is imperative that students complete this work on time.  As always, let me know if you have any questions, and I hope you all have a fantastic week!

KK

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Week of 9/26/2016 – 9/30-2016: Cornell Notes Refinements, and Introduction to Tutorials

Monday 9/26: Cornell Notes Revisions & Evaluations

Tuesday 9/27: Introduction to Tutorials

Wednesday 9/28: Partner Binder Check, Introduction to Tutorials cont.

Thursday 9/29: 10-Step Tutorial Process

Friday 9/30: 7th & 8th AVID Community Building

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Open House 9/28, Riverwalk 10/7, Mid-Trimester Grades 10/13

Homework: Learning Styles (due Wednesday 9/28)

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID! This week we will be introducing Tutorials to the students, and further adding layers to our Cornell Notes. Tutorials are one of the major functions of the AVID class, and is one of methods that students get direct assistance on challenging problems or questions from their academic classes. Once we start doing tutorials, our weekly schedule will become more and more regular. On Wednesday this week, we have Open House. There will be an extra AVID presentation from Mr. Miller and me immediately after the main open house activities are complete. This extra presentation will occur in room 8 – next to the office. This is your opportunity to learn more about AVID, and meet the teachers running the program. We estimate that the presentation will take approximately 20-30 minutes. I will be sending home invitations to this event early this week. I’m looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday. Have a fantastic week!

KK

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Week of 9/19/2016 – 9/23-2016: Introduction to more AVID strategies

Monday 9/19: Social Contract, Discuss ongoing SLANT and Teacher Intro activities

Tuesday 9/20: Introduction to Cornell Notes

Wednesday 9/21: Binder Check, Goal Setting

Thursday 9/22: Cornell Notes, continued

Friday 9/23: Introduction to Socratic Seminar

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Open House 9/28, Riverwalk 10/7

Homework: Teacher Intros due Monday 9/19. Student Agreement (overdue)

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to another week of 7th grade AVID! This week we will introduce the AVID strategies: Cornell notes, and the Socratic Seminar.  We will also be doing some trimester goal setting, and setting our group norms in class now that we have had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit. Next week our major focus will be on introducing tutorials and the AVID Weekly packet. I am supposed to find out very soon when our tutors will be coming to class for the first time. In the past they have started around weeks 4-5 or so. A number of students have yet to turn in the AVID Student Agreement. Please make sure that your student has asked you to sign this, and that they bring it back to class, ASAP. I have already posted quite a few assignment scores to Synergy. Be sure to be check ParentVUE, and check in with your student about any missing work. Once we start tutorials in a couple of weeks the items posted to Synergy become more routine and regularized. I hope you all have a fantastic week!

KK

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Week of 9/12 – 9/16: Introduction to the AVID program

Monday 9/12: Schedule Check, Community Building, Study Buddy Contracts

Tuesday 9/13: AVID Teacher Introductions, Overview of AVID Program, Characteristics of an AVID Student, SLANT

Wednesday 9/14: Discussion of SLANT activity, AVID Binder Check Overview

Thursday 9/15: Personality Crests, Binder Checks

Friday 9/16 (Early Release, Periods 4-6): Student Agreement due, Team Building, Binder “Shake Tests”

Upcoming Calendar Dates: Open House 9/28, Riverwalk 10/7

Homework: AVID Student Agreement,

Announcements: Hello, and welcome to the first full week of 7th Grade AVID!  My name is Kyle Kordon, and I will be your student’s AVID teacher this year with the hopes of having them again as 8th graders next year.  Please expect weekly emails from me to give you an idea of what we are covering in class.  Sometimes we will spend a little more or less time on any of the subjects outlined above depending on what the students need.  I will post updates to our class website as necessary during the week, but will typically update it once a week otherwise.  The website is: http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/kordon_k/7th-avid/. If you need anything or have any questions the best way to contact me is via email.  Let me know if you need anything or if you have any questions.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!

KK

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