September 22, 2017

September 22

Thank you for attending our IPR and our school site focus will continue to be math. Please see Denise Brown if you would like to have Solano Community College students to help in your classroom. You can set up times with SSC after school as well. As long as a credentialed teacher is in the room with them they can work with our students after school.

Message from Dan Lopez about Collaboration

No Excuses University – Collaboration

Culture of Universal Achievement

Collaboration

Standards Alignment

Assessment Plan

Data Analysis

Interventions

“This is the first and most important system that needs to be developed. Once a clearly understood and agreed-to system for collaboration is in place, a staff is equipped to develop the remaining essential systems and address any other learning challenges they encounter.”

When a school embraces a system of collaboration, there are four attributes that need to be included. As identified at the TurnAround Schools Institute, the attributes are:

#1: Based on action oriented commitments

#2: Scheduled well in advance

#3: Driven by professional attitudes

#4: Focused on results

Now…before you move on, re-read the four statements and think about if they represent the collaboration that takes place on our campus.

Based on action oriented commitments: When our teams come together to collaborate, do you leave with “we talked about…” statements or are there actions that are going to be immediately implemented to impact student learning?

Scheduled well in advance: Do we plan for collaboration or does it just happen? True collaboration includes bringing in data (not perceptions or hearsay) and making decisions based on the collected information. Such a process has to be planned so that the proper data can be collected and is the foundation for good decisions.

Driven by professional attitudes: When our team discusses issues, is it done in a professional way? Do you praise one another during times of success and be honest with one another as you respectfully confront concerns. Does our site benefit from strong professional relationships?

Focused on results: Is our collaborative time focused on student results? Do we come to the table and offer solutions? Are decisions based on student needs?

If you don’t collaborate around your students’ academic achievement data, then how do you know if you have alignment?

I took this from Kris's letter to all staff:

The bottom line is that each copy is three cents.  A one page, two-sided copy is six cents. This adds up quickly.  One of our schools spent over $30K on copy costs, not including the cost of the paper. Districtwide, our contract allows for 6,204,000 copies every six months before the overage charges begin.  If we stay within this copy limit, our contract is quite reasonable.  Unfortunately, we have exceeded this amount by nearly 1.5M copies every six months.  The contract with Ray Morgan will expire at the end of 2018-2019.  Over the next year, we are working on a reduction plan for copiers.  (Great news--our Risographs are NOT included in this contract.  Risos are very inexpensive to use!)  Our goal by the end of winter break is to reduce the number of copiers in each school site by 25%.  The leadership teams at each school  will work with the site administrators to identify the copiers to be removed.  This may be large copiers, individual copiers, or a combination of both.  By the start of 2018-2019, we want to reduce the remaining copiers by 25%.  (Yes, this is common core math!)  In the 2018-2019 school year, we will set additional copier reduction targets.  I encourage all of us to work together and be more conscious of our paper copies.  As a reminder, the scanning feature on our large copiers is free.  People can scan to their heart’s content!

BOTTOM LINE at SV: We will need to reduce by 25% whether we get rid of a copier or individual copiers and this HAS to be done by winter break. If you don't use your printer in your classroom please let me know.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: PLEASE become a member of Parent Club by paying membership dues. Our parents do a lot on our campus and by joining it lets them know that we appreciate everything they do for us.

Play: Many of you have taken the challenge and have created formatives in Illuminate and administering unit assessments online. NICE JOB!!

Choose your attitude: Thank you for keeping a positive attitude and persevering through new ELA curriculum! 

Make Their Day:   THANK you so much for sending a student for lunch with the Principal! The kids loved it AND so did I!!

September 15

September 15

No excuses start with us!!

Message from Dan Lopez about Culture of Universal Achievement click to see video

No Excuses University – Culture of Universal Achievement

I want to take some time over the next few weeks to provide additional information about each core area, as they are the foundation of successful schools.

Culture of Universal Achievement

Collaboration

Standards Alignment

Assessment Plan

Data Analysis

Interventions

“Every member of the staff believes that each child is capable of meeting academic standards in reading, writing, and math, AND that the school has the power to make that opportunity a reality.”

When a school embraces a Culture of Universal Achievement, there are six belief statements that go hand-and-hand with the culture. As identified at the TurnAround Schools Institute, the belief statements are:

Belief #1: Every student will be proficient or advanced in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Belief #2: The academic accomplishment of every student is an obsession.

Belief #3: The school can neutralize many challenges students bring to the classroom.

Belief #4: Student achievement is the number one topic of conversation.

Belief #5: A maverick spirit is leading the way.

Belief #6: There are no excuses for poor effort.

Every student will be proficient or advanced in reading, writing, and mathematics: Do you believe you have the ability to provide the necessary support and interventions so that every student at your site will be proficient or advanced? And if you do…are you putting those plans in motion so that you support every student in meeting this goal?

The academic accomplishment of every student is an obsession: Is the academic accomplishment of every student the domination of your thoughts/feelings? Do the decisions you make reflect an unwavering focus on academic achievement?

The school can neutralize many challenges students bring to the classroom: Do our actions and our staff reflect a belief that we have the ability to neutralize the challenges students bring to the classroom? Are conversations about solutions and strategies to support the students to ensure academic success?

Student achievement is the number one topic of conversation: When we discuss the school and the students, is the focus on student achievement?

A maverick spirit is leading the way: WE must be willing to fight status quo. There must be high expectations for everyone who has an impact on student achievement.

There are no excuses for poor effort: No Excuses does not mean no compassion AND No Excuses begins with adults. Are we doing everything to ensure academic success for every student!

Now…before you read any further, re-read the six belief statements and think about if they represent you as an educator. 

The district subscribes to the Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI).  As part of this subscription, teachers can access math tasks, problems of the month, transitional unit outlines, formative re-engagement lessons, etc.

Here are the directions to help navigate the site:

Website: www.svmimac.org

Member Resources

  -To access the member resources input the username and password

Username: svmimember2

Password: century21

Please join us on October 7th for our annual Garden Clean-Up & "Fresh from the Garden" Chili Cook-Off!  Our morning begins at 9:00 a.m. for the Garden Clean-Up, followed by our Chili Cook-Off at 11:00 a.m. Please see below link to register for our Chili Cook-Off and also see attached for more information:

Chili Cook-Off Registration & Volunteer Sign-Up

Chili Cook-Off Participant Application

Chili Cook-Off 2017.pdf

Scarecrow planning is coming up. This year each grade level will be responsible for making ONE scarecrow. If you want an extra one for your class and each teacher wants to make one, please let me know before Oct. 7. Scarecrows need to be finished by October 18. Remember this fundraiser is to raise money for our Ag Program. 

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for taking the EXTRA time and building relationships with students. I know this takes extra time but it really pays off.

Play: Make learning in your classroom engaging.

Choose your attitude: Good teaching is about hard work not a halo.”  --Doug Lemov

Make Their Day:   Thank you for filling out good news referrals and making a student's day!

September 8, 2017

Last week I attended a Restorative Justice training and this week I attended a PBIS training. This is just a reminder of how important both are at our school. Thank you Jessica Reed for the following :)

There is a lot of literature out there about the benefits of restorative practices in the classroom, but a great place for teachers to start is with proactive circles that build a sense of community and relationships in your classes. Remember also that Restorative Practices fit under the PBIS umbrella. This isn’t a stand alone thing or something that doesn’t fit within a PBIS system.  It's about building relationships, student accountability and repairing relationships.  These are cornerstones of any strong PBIS program.  Click on the link to see how this particular teacher wrapped in mindfulness and circles into her everyday morning routine.

Short Video on RP circles

Resources for teachers

What is PBIS?

PBIS basics

Sumdog is Coming:  At Sumdog, we're running free online math contests in school districts nationwide. The contest is open to all schools for students from kindergarten to grade 8 and is free to enter. The math contest starts Friday, September 22nd, and runs until 8pm the following Thursday.  Here's how the contest works:

• Scores are based on accuracy, and questions adapt to each student's ability - so everyone has a fair chance.
• During the contest, students simply play math games on the Sumdog website.
• Taking part is easy. It'll only take a couple of minutes to add your students to their class team.
• You can play at any time during the contest week - either at home or at school.
• The top three classes win a Sumdog subscription to premium teaching tools.

We'd love every student to have the chance to take part. We set up and run the entire contest.

To join, just visit this page: http://www.sumdog.com/contests

SAVE THE DATES: Run/Hide/Fight training for ALL staff on October 3 3:15-4:45
 Oct. 11 3:00-4:00 Superintendent Forum at SV - please plan to attend

Character Trait for September is Responsibility

CLICK HERE FOR RESOURCES

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for your support and kind words for Dylan.

Play: Make learning in your classroom engaging.

Choose your attitude: Good teaching is about hard work not a halo.”  --Doug Lemov

Make Their Day:   Send a student from your class to have lunch with me on Monday.

September 1, 2017

September 1

This picture was taken in the spring of 2017. Dylan's school had a mother/son NEON dance. It was a fun night!! We both danced all night long!! 

As parents we worry. As they go into surgery- we worry even more. Dylan's disease is very rare so we won't know what to expect until they perform surgery. This unfortunately will be the first of MANY surgeries during his life. 

As a family we had a great conversation during dinner last week. We have a weekly dinner regimen. Every night during dinner each person shares the most positive thing that happened to them during the day. Last week Dylan decided to change the question. He wanted each person to share the accomplishment in life that they were most proud of. Chris shared. Maya shared. Then Dylan says, "I am so happy that I got to experience my life with you guys as my family," My thoughts- What? Is he for real? Does he secretly read Hallmark cards when we aren't looking? Poor Grandma had to go after him. I told her good luck following that one. I know with his positive attitude he will always be positive about his disease and accept what comes, but as parents we want to protect them as much as possible. I am going to refrain from my work email and be a mom the next four days. I appreciate the well wishes and will keep you posted how surgery goes. His surgery will be at 1:30pm tomorrow. 

7 Things to Remember About Feedback

1.       Feedback is not advice, praise, or evaluation. Feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to a goal.

2.       If students know the classroom is a safe place to make mistakes, they are more likely to use feedback for learning.

3.       The feedback students give teachers can be more powerful than the feedback teachers give students.

4.       When we give a grade as a part of our feedback, students routinely read only as far as the grade.

5.       Effective feedback occurs during the learning, while there is still time to act on it.

6.       Most of the feedback that students receive about their classroom work is from other students – and much of that feedback is wrong.

7.       Students need to know their learning target—the specific skill they’re supposed to learn—or else “feedback” is just someone telling them what to do.

“Data doesn’t belong to the teacher.  The data belongs to the student and is on loan to you.”  --Damen Lopez

Developing a Commitment to Common Assessment Practices

(Damen Lopez)

The The most successful teams display a clear purpose on the way that they take a joint effort to utilize valuable assessment practices.  These teams exhibit the following characteristics:

1.    Speak the same language, the language of data.  Successful teams continue to go back to the numbers.  While emotion is often an important quality that helps us to nurture and teach from the heart, getting results is the ultimate goal.  If a team is kind and nurturing, but their students are failing then they have not done their job.  Take the emotion out of the situation and look at the numbers.

2.    Share data openly with one another.    One of the most difficult things for us to do as a teacher is to share our data.  We hide it out of embarrassment or fear of being judged.  Successful teams make commitments to looking openly at their data with the purpose to not cast blame, but to help one another.

3.    Take responsibility for all students.  The easiest way for teams to get over their fear of sharing data is to decide that they are responsible as a whole for every student.  Being a team means working interdependently.  This starts with the way you collaborate about students.

4.    Tie assessment to strategies and interventions that work.  It is often said we are “data rich and information poor.”  No one would argue the fact that assessments are crucial to ensuring academic success for students.  However, assessments that are given without plans to turn data into strategies that create success for students are useless.  Simply put:  Once you know where students stand, it is your responsibility to make use of that information and generate academic success as you teach them. The data you collected during your grade level meeting is your starting point.

Great website for Science lessons. 

https://mysteryscience.com/start?district_id=923

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Eat lunch with a student that you may have a difficult time with. BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM!

Play: I have observed many students AND teachers having FUN during our morning walk. Thank you Mr. Kimble for organizing it. 

 Choose your attitude: BE POSITIVE!!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you after school yard duty team. The heat doesn't even stop you from doing the right thing for kids. YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!! SO proud of ALL of our staff and teachers!! Thank you Kristin for helping out!

August 25, 2017

August 25

BTSN:  Back to School Night is scheduled  Aug. 29. Please have parents sign 3 way NEU pledge. Copies will be placed in your boxes. Keep these for your records in your classroom. Students need to sign these too :) Also parent code of conduct copies are in your box. Those are for parents to keep. Parents need to sign that they have read the parent/students handbook and return, copies were placed in your boxes. Waivers to bring devices to school were also placed in your boxes, please hand those out on BTSN. 

Back to School Night social will be from 4:30-6:00

ALL teachers meet in Multi at 6:00 for introductions. Teachers will be dismissed after introductions. I will have a PPT for parents in multi. until 6:15

6:20-6:50 – first classroom presentation

5 minute passing

6:55-7:25- second classroom presentation 

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SIGN IN SHEET FOR BOTH SESSIONS. THESE NEED TO BE TURNED INTO ME. 

You know what they say, "You only have one time to make a good first impression."  So, teachers take great care in the way you set up your classrooms, dress for success, and display personal touches of love. What parents mostly want to know is if the teacher is nice and if their children will be loved during this 180 day learning journey.  

Goals for the first six weeks

Teachers are experts on curriculum and pedagogy, but parents are experts on their own children—how the children absorb information, what delights them, how they show that they’re upset, what comforts them. During the first six weeks, we can create a climate of respect, trust, and collaboration with these valuable educational partners. Here are the three main goals in this early work with parents:

Help parents feel welcomed and valued. Show that you’re excited to work with their child. Reassure them that their opinions, interests, and family culture matter to you. As one parent of a second grader said, “It’s so important to me that the teacher has a welcoming demeanor and shows that she wants you to be part of your child’s education.”

Welcome parents to play an active role. Begin sending the message that you want parents to visit the classroom, send notes, call you, and voice opinions.

Build community among families. Help parents get to know each other. When parents share positive relationships, they’re more likely to get their children together outside of school, take part in school life, and seek help if their children need it.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: I observed colleagues being there for one another when they needed it. SUCH A FISH moment!! 

Play: I have observed well planned Ag. Lessons and students were having FUN!!

 Choose your attitude: If you cannot be positive, then at least, be quiet. 

Make Their Day:  Write a positive note to each student to make their day!!