Week of January 14th
Hi everyone,
I hope you had a good weekend. I had some good times with my kids and did quite a bit of reading by the fire for my winter coursework at the University. Below I have included some of the events of note for the week and a calendar of noteworthy events.
• Continuing the conversation on race and equity at Awbrey Park (Taking it Up Group)– In November, we sent three teachers to the Taking It Up Seminar to discuss equity and race in 4j SchoolsIt is now January and I’d like to continue the conversation about these important topics with a group of staff. We will be meeting on Thursday, January 24th from 3:00-4:00 in Room 13. Please join us if you would like a cup of tea and maybe a cookie and an important ongoing discussion. Taking it up trained or not, all are welcome to join in this ongoing discussion. In addition, we will be sending more teachers and classified staff to a February training.
• David Nelson’s Hours, Our New TSS 2: He works M,W,F from 7:30-11:00. He will begin this schedule on Monday. Welcome to Awbrey Park David! We will have some 5 more hours of support on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from another TSS soon.
• IXL Software 1st-5th Site License: We have just paid for our IXL site license. David and Melinda will be working hard to make sure everyone has access in the coming days. There are several complimentary online trainings available called IXL webinars. These webinars are free to AP staff at any time.
• Elementary Culinary Contest Announcement from Julie Whittelsley of Nutritional Services:
The Elementary Culinary Competition has been scheduled for Saturday, April 27th at SEHS. Last year, our middle schools competed. This year’s theme will be HEALTHY Sandwiches, Wraps and Salads. We are excited here at Food Services and anticipate a great turnout. We will again try to get the school board members and various other “celebrities” to participate as judges. Flyers and recipe entry forms should be arriving shortly. All entries will receive a free 4J meal voucher to be used at any time.
• Asian Celebration Haiku Contest: 2013.HaikuContest Each year the Asian Celebration has a haiku contest. I don’t know if you have dones this before at Awbrey Park, but I thought you might enjoy this activity with your students.
• Artist in Residence Scheduling: We will begin our Artist in Residence scheduling on January 22nd. Ihave formed a rough draft for the schedule and will be checking in with staff about the compatibility of the schedule. The bilingual artist will be doing a multimedia project with our students including; sculpture, music, and learning Spanish. Her name is Jessica Mendoza. I have included the lesson here: AwbreyPark Lesson
• State school report cards being sent to families – As an FYI, the district is emailing state school report cards home to families this week. Here is our AP Report Card 11-12, that shows how Awbrey Park did last year. I think that we have a lot to be proud of as well as some areas to focus on.
• Social Committee Dues – Please consider giving to the Social Committee Fund if you have not done so this year. The social committee fund helps us support fellow staff members in important life events and for times of fun together. The recommended amount is $20 for staff members licensed or classified. Thank you.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day March, January 21st – Attached is a flyer with information about the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march happening Monday, January 21st if any of you are interested in attending. Danny Glover and other celebrities will be on hand for the event.
• Feb. 1st Awbrey Park PD Day, 12:30-3:30 – Math Task Analysis – It’s a couple weeks out, but I wanted to let staff know the plan for the Awbrey Park PD day on February 1st. The planning time will occur in the morning. We’re teaming up with Howard for a training with Chris Castillero, the new Associate Director of Curriculum and Professional Development – Mathematics. The day will focus on task analysis, looking at the complexity within a lesson and how to potentially use this as a differentiation tool. We’ll be meeting at the Ed Center auditorium from 12:30-3:30. The morning will be your time for planning. Classified staff, are welcome to attend, but if you are not attending, be sure to connect with your primary cooperating teacher and make a plan for how you can best use this time. Also, expect a Jamba Juice on this day since Allan Chinn is generously giving the AP staff a treat for our United Way contributions and participation as a staff.
• Schedule of Events for the Week
Jan. 14 (M)
EasyCBM Assessment-Benchmark Week
2:30-5:00, Joel to Elementary Principal’s Meeting
3:00-4:00, PTO Meeting (Staff Lounge) – Teacher attendance is encouraged. I asked to set it early in case teachers wanted to stop by and say hello. I cannot be present due the elementary principal meeting downtown.
Jan. 15 (T)
9:00-10:30- School Board Member Beth Gerot visits Awbrey Park to tour classrooms and discuss our program.
3:00-4:00, PBIS Meeting in Tami Brittenham’s Classroom
3:00-4:00, Green Team, (Room 13)
4:00-6:00 Joel to Equity Committee Downtown
Jan. 16 (W)
1:45-2:45, Classified Staff Meeting in (Room 13)
Jan. 17 (H)
3:00-4:30, Joel at IEP Meeting in conference room.
Jan. 18 (F)
9:25-9:45, Office Meeting
Instructional Strategy of the Week: Turn and Talk or Think-Pair-Share
Strategies
Below is a great article by Lucy West on the Power of Turn and Talk, sometimes called Think, Pair, Share. Both Christina and I have spent time talking about this strategy and how to maximize it’s effectiveness in our Jon Saphier Sessions. Below is a good article that outlines how to integrate Turn and Talk into lessons every day!
Turn and Talk by Lucy West Article
Here is another link to an English Language Learning Site that gives an excellent video and overview of how to use Turn and Talk in a classroom with ELLs present.
Have a great week everyone and stay warm!
Joel