December 20, 2012

Snow? Yes, please.

Calendar

Week of January 7th:

Monday January 7th:
* Welcome back!
Planning and transitioning
* Appreciation Circle for Hanni 3:00 p.m. in the library

Tuesday, January 8th:
* NO RTI meeting
* Severe weather drill 10:00 a.m. (use to be called Shelter in Place)


Week of January 14th:

Tuesday:
* RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday:
* All School Meeting

Friday:
NO STUDENTS
Teacher Work Day (gotta love that!)

Restorative Practices

This week I had the pleasure of processing with a student as he uncovered that his actions had not only impacted a student, but the whole Crew since they had witnessed the physical incident. The shock on his face as the realization hit him that students might now be afraid of him and worried that it might happen to them! 

What moved me most was the authentic remorse he felt at having let himself down. He expected more from himself.

The student decided he needed to make this right with his whole Crew and teacher. He addressed his Crew, with mic in hand, and tears in his eyes as he told them he wanted to apologize for hurting a student in their class and that he knew that they were probably afraid of him. He told them he gave him his word that it wouldn't happen again. The Crew accepted his apology.

Can you imagine the guts it took to stand before his entire Crew?

How did we find authentic, creative and meaningful opportunities to play this week?

Keep your eye out...Neil wants a light up vest for next year!

Thanks for initiating our festive holiday wear day Hanni!
Even the adults need to play!

Family heirloom! 

Have to look close because of the poor pictures,
but Ms. Josie's has some real happenin' earrings!

Ms. Jill resisted the temptation of wearing Karl's glitter suspenders and tie -
she thought it would be too exhausting to
explain to first graders over and over
why she is wearing 'boy clothes'. LOL

Santa???
Oh sure...now all the guys will want red pants....

These are the special times -

"We put puzzles together - and only at this time of year." Jodie Lamb

"Christmas Eve dinner is an appetizer dinner. We also always have biscuits and gravy for Christmas morning, evvveerrryyy year." Chelsea Johnson

"You'll laugh - my family grills steak or salmon and shrimp. We always open one present on Christmas Eve." Lisa Beckman

"All the kids with us - when the family returns. We always do a nice hike on Christmas day - me and my husband." Rebecca 

"I'm looking forward to making and giving my baking, that I've done for staff, for my family. I have biscuits and gravy on Christmas morning." Brittany

"Looking forward to reading all piled on one bed together - the whole family and dog, squished with extra blankets! We go to Kentucky every year for Christmas and we always make and eat 'smoinked osters' and do a giant jigsaw puzzle - the whole family." Jill

"Times with family and friends. Going to San Francisco to meet my girlfriend's family for the first time." Josh

"Hanging out with celebrities, riding through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh with a dreamy hunk, shopping on Rodeo Drive" (Kristin said to make it exotic...) Here's what she really said:

"Hanging out! I hope it snows! Walking Lucy! Maybe going shopping...family stuff. Being an usher at 9:00 Mass on Christmas." (I think that sounds just as exotic!) Kristin

"Really looking forward to flying on Christmas day to Chicago to be with my brother. We (her daughter is going too) fly stand by so that will be an adventure. We always play 'catch phrase' and it gets into a bloody battle - girls against the boys - gets intense but so much fun!" Dolores

"Being with my babies. Chad has the two weeks off too." Hanni

"We have rolled pancakes for Christmas Eve dinner. We'll be in Kersey for Christmas. Looking forward to sleep!" Jody Giggy

"Got rid of all my stuff - we are 'clutter busting'! I'm looking forward to time to think about things other than school. Time with Larry." Kathy

"Snowshoe around the golf course with my dog off the leash! Reading for FUN!" MaryBeth

"We always look at Christmas lights. We always go to my sister's house. This will be the first Christmas with my mom living here." Sarah

"Couch time. Finishing Rome and Season Two of Shameless. Time with my husband. Clean up my art room in the basement to do some art!" Noreene

"We spend Christmas Eve and home before going to family on Christmas day. Looking forward to going to see the Hobbit with my dad. Jodie doesn't last more than four hours these days so she's done by evening." Bill Brown

"Reading, Running, Resting (yeah...right!). Going to California for Christmas and looking forward to time with friends and family. I'll really miss doing fondue on Christmas Eve (she says with a pouty face)." Julie

"Resting in my pj's with a book. Getting my holiday letter written - late! We put real candles on our tree (her German roots) and we light them on Christmas Eve while my husband stands there puckered and freaked!" Andrea

"You know, I'm making ravioli like we do every year. I tried to talk my daughter into something else but they insist. We always have ravioli as a side dish. I'm also going to be spending lots of time with my grandchildren over the break!" Josie

"Going to Taos to see Levi and found out some friends will there at the same time!

After the goat sacrifice (Bill and his humor!)...On New Year's Day we always have black eyed peas for luck!" (Noreene says you have to have cornbread too.) Bill Dowdle

"We go to my Mom's and have dinner that is sent by my grandmother in Vermont. She sends Beefalo. Cross between beef and buffalo. My Grandpa had a Beefalo farm in Vermont up until about five years ago." Doug

"We always have bagels, lox and Mamosa's on Christmas morning. We're taking one of the residents to Matt's Mom's for Christmas - the resident has never been out of the building. We'll also go to Chatfield to the Botanic Gardens for the light show." Marci

"We'll go see the Trail of Lights at Chatfield. Everyone makes a gingerbread house. All the family is coming on Saturday - 15 people! We'll watch Christmas Vacation. (She'll be having one!) I'd like to try some snowshoeing over break." Diana

"Chillin. Laughing. Hanging out with family and chillin. After Christmas we get together and all go to the thrift store where buy something for the specific person who's card we drew and buy them something." Tyler

"I get to meet by baby niece, Aspen. We'll be flying to Reno after Christmas. My mom will play the piano and we all sing Christmas Carols. We have a $5 gift tradition." Lauren

" We exchange gag gifts, get rowdy and ridiculous with games, go shooting... and laugh a lot. And then there are those grandbabies....I'll have the whole family home for Christmas - and I feel so lucky. After Christmas, my husband and I will spend some time in Grand Lake cross-country skiing and then to Steamboat to downhill ski. Looking forward to snuggling up with my husband in front of a fire with a book." Deborah 

"Staying home with Brayden and Tom on Christmas and then going to our other families later. I'm looking forward to working on the nursery - changing it to a girls nursery. Maybe we'll pick out a baby name!" Elisha

"Going to St. Louis where I grew up to be with my Mom, Dad, sister and her tribe. Looking forward to time alone in the car on the drive. Beth will fly out to join me. When we get back we'll spend time in the mountains snowboarding." Kenny

"Driving to California to spend time with Mark's family and the rest of my family who doesn't live here. A road trip! Oh, in my new car! I have a new Outback after my car got totaled in the accident. When we get back we'll be skiing and hanging out." Lisa

"I don't know! We'll be moving in January so guess we'll spend time packing. Oh - going for a pedicure, yes, definitely getting a pedicure!" Dana

"Just staying home with family and playing cards. I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing!" Linda

"Love and hug my grandbaby. I wrote a song this week so I'll finish that. We're going to try making ravioli." Cheryl

"Christmas Eve at my place and Christmas at Mom's. The boys will join us at some point. Looking forward to some time alone. I'll be finishing up the art work I've made - it's made me so happy to be doing that!" Pam

"Going to the Catholic Church to listen to the choir performance. My in-laws join us for Christmas. Oh - we have several trees, but we have one we call the 'old fashioned tree'. We have a tradition of putting only handmade ornaments on it that we've made through the years and when the family is all together we decorate the tree. The kids and grandkids search the tree for the "Christmas pickle" ornament. A very old ornament passed down for years. The one who finds it gets a special present from Grandma. I have yet to find it! I am also looking forward to letting my body recuperate." Eric

"My sons birthday is on Christmas Eve so we've switched our traditions to be Max's birthday. This is the first time my parents are coming to our house, we usually go there. We're just hanging out at home this year. Oh - on New Year's we have the tradition of making fondue and raclette and we're hosting it for 11 people!" Wendy

"We do lots of seafood at Christmas. Just with friends because my family is all in Italy. We will be staying home over the break." Zina

"I'm driving home to Rapid City, South Dakota to my sisters for Christmas. We cook together with Christmas Vacation playing the background. We might go up to Breckenridge to ski - that's the plan anyway." Heidi

This Christmas,
may you feel peaceful and contented,
knowing what Christmas means to you
and celebrating it your way.

Have a very, very special holiday break!

Deborah

My grandson, Koby

and grandaughter, Hadley

just had to share...

December 13, 2012

Blooms Taxonomy According to Seinfeld

Calendar

December 17 - 21:

Wednesday-
Parent Orientation 8:00 a.m.
NO All School Meeting
Professional Development: Eportfolio and uploading documents in the library - bring your laptop!
(It's essential that you come to our PD session with your reflection from Restorative Practices so that you can upload your reflection with help. If you have other documents you want to upload in your Eportfolio this would also be a good time. Liz Walhof from staff development will be with us to walk us through how to do all of this!)

Friday-
School IN session
1st grade Field Work to Kings Land Restaurant
Staff Holiday Party at MarySue's after work

CITE Standard 3: Instruction

How would you answer these questions?

How should principals, when observing, determine if teachers are planning and delivering instruction that is important, modern, rigorous, relevant, aligned, integrated and transferable?

How should principals, when observing, consistently evaluate instruction for rigor, engagement and differentiation?

How could principals create a sense of urgency for teachers to improve their instruction?

When looking at CITE Standard 3, which of the elements will require more support for teachers?

Here's what some of you said...

How should principals, when observing, determine if teachers are planning and delivering instruction that is important, modern, rigorous, relevant, aligned, integrated and transferable?

See it - observe it.

Looking at student work.

Student responses when you ask them questions.

Ask teachers a few questions to see if they've thought it through.

See if kids can talk about why it's important.

If you see teachers supporting students.

How should principals, when observing, consistently evaluate instruction for rigor, engagement and differentiation?

Do more than a formal observation - unscheduled.

Pick out the kids you know are struggling or above grade level and see if they've been scaffolded.

Look at student work. Is the work scaffolded?

Observe differentiation through guided groups, one on one, texts, assessments, level of questioning, participation level..

Talk to students about what they are learning and why.

Notice what the teacher is doing to provide more support and look at student work and their engagement with it.

Create a check list that could quantify.

Ask the teacher to show and share - confer on the fly.

How could principals create a sense of urgency for teachers to improve their instruction?

Ask to see stuff.

I don't think you can.

Meet with teacher to help them feel supported to move on.

It will be different for every teacher

Create an action plan with time lines.

Everyone is already feeling that way.

Feedback.

When looking at CITE Standard 3, which of the elements will require more support for teachers?

Didn't get answers to this question yet. Everyone knows that CITE Standard 3 is about instruction. We all don't know what every element is from memory. So, take a look at standard 3 elements and get back with me about which element, you individually, could use some support growing towards.

Restorative Practices

I received the following email this week from a student:

   Dear Ms.Deborah,

  I'm sorry for making me and my brother late today. So last night I didn't get much sleep last night. Then when I got up this morning I was cranky. Then after that I went to go find my ski mask, and I wouldn't leave my house until I found it. Then my mom left to get my brother to school so he wouldn't be late but he was. But we live 15 minutes away from school so I had to wait 30 minutes to go to school. So I hope you could forgive me.

                                                                                                    One of your students, XXX

Hi XXX,
Thanks for your email. I'm glad you have figured out how your choices have affected others. How did you repair/fix the problem with your mom and brother?  

Sometimes I wake up cranky too.  It is important to be to school on time since Morning Meeting is so important to turn a cranky day into a good one - and we don't want you to miss out.
I accept your apology. Thank you.
Warmly,
Ms. Deborah

How have you noticed students restoring relationships

and taking ownership for their choices?

As you look at the pictures, think about the questions I asked above...

Here are things I 'see'...

What do they mean? 

A final persuasive letter as it has gone through the stages to be published.

This one will make you grin...

And More Peeks Into the Life of our School

Invasion of the Santa Hats!
Thanks Lauren for leading ASM!

Orchestra

"Boy Band"

Ms. MarySue's Crew Musical

Raku firing - integration

Second Grade invites parents in as the audience for the persuasive letters that were written by students.

Have a great weekend!

Deborah

December 6, 2012

Feedback: Everybody wants it

I hear from parents all the time how much they enjoy and appreciate the blogs you have each created. Since we have moved away from the days where students went home with worksheets that showed what they were learning (yeah, right..) we are faced with the challenge of how we make the learning visible to our parents.
 Added to that challenge is the way our kids work. They are engaged in constructing new understandings by working collaboratively; they work to build understandings and then do something with them - project based or performance based assessment. Meanwhile, time ticks by while students are active and engaged, but parents remain a bit 'in the dark'. That is why your blogs are such an essential piece of helping parents understand the changes in education. Through your blogs you do an amazing job of showcasing what the learning looks like and what the learning experiences are that students are engaged in. This is critical! The report card won't give them this level of information.

As we move to our new report cards, the feedback from SAC was that the language of the GVC's (yeah, parents will definitely need some support understanding all of this) is complex and a bit hard to grasp. That's true - so...if we could begin to use some of the language of the GVC's in our blogs as we label pictures and the work/learning that students are doing, then perhaps we can slowly and gently help parents begin to understand how it is that students:
(example from 3rd grade GVC's)

"Construct short cross-curricular research and writing projects; develop questions for further research/inquiry; ethically gather, and interpret relevant information, cite sources, and communicate information through various media."

Do you know what I mean? Let's start using some of the language of the GVC's with kids and with our parents as we help move them towards a deeper understanding of what a World Class Education looks like!

Thanks for taking the important time to create your blogs to provide the essential feedback to parents that they are hungry for (and they are hungry!). Your blogs are critical! Nice to know that what you spend time doing really makes a difference!

Calendar

* Time to be sure to communicate to your families that school IS IN SESSION on Friday, December 21st - unlike the other district schools on our modified calendar. In addition, students DO NOT attend on Monday, January 7th, but come back on Tuesday, January 8th. We can't over communicate this information. :)

December 10 - 14:
Tuesday -
RTI meeting 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday -
Parent Orientation 8:00 a.m.
All School Meeting: Featuring MarySue's Crew Musical and Band and Orchestra
Professional Development - Report Cards
MarySue's Crew Musical 6:30 p.m.


December 17 - 21:

Wednesday-
Parent Orientation 8:00 a.m.
NO All School Meeting
Professional Development: Eportfolio and uploading documents in the library - bring your laptop!
(It's essential that you come to our PD session with your reflection from Restorative Practices so that you can upload your reflection with help. If you have other documents you want to upload in your Eportfolio this would also be a good time. Liz Walhof from staff development will be with us to walk us through how to do all of this!)

Friday-
School IN session
1st grade Field Work to Kings Land Restaurant
Staff Holiday Party at MarySue's after work

* Coming up and you'll need to include on your calendar "Choose Your Life" presentation on January 9th (Wednesday am). More information to come. This presentation was coordinated through our Anti-bullying team. It was decided not to include K-2 and the presentation is best suited for 3rd through 6th grade.

New Report Card Update:

Our new report card form was approved by our SAC on Tuesday night. Some thought it had way too much information and others thought it was perfect. Guess there's no way to create a document that will be perfect for everyone. The report card is in final stages of creation and I'll have it to you as soon as it is completed. You can start your comments anytime and just save them in a word document and cut and paste them into the report card on Wednesday. You'll have all of Wednesday afternoon to stow away somewhere and get those done. Please, please try to complete them in just that afternoon - that is our goal. Keep in mind that the place to channel the most energy is into the document with the 4 C's and the comment section. It is clear from the feedback I've received from all the parents I've run this document by, that those two areas mean the most to the parents - and they are the audience for this document!

It is also important that you give some thought to what the learning experiences have been that are the way the kids have been working on the GVC's (the descriptors in the content areas of the report card). This way, you'll be prepared if any parent asks you, "So, how do the kids do...." This could also lead your thinking about what you might include in the comment section.

I think in the future we'll be thinking of ways to write the GVC's in a language more like what you see on the 4 C's page of the report card - more of what those GVC's look like at the learning experience level. 

I will be sending you an email to forward on to parents explaining the new document.

Peek Into the Life of our School

Lots of ownership here - students are voting whether they want to change the room around.
You can see, they voted to do it.
Then, they decided what needed to be replaced, what additions, what would be eliminated, where things would be located...
in kindergarten.

The kids voted on which big book they would read.

Using the three modes of learning to learn letters -
hear it, say it, do it -
This is the letter Z
The kids are taking a Zzzzzzz(sleeping)

Movement is crucial!
Chelsea teaches yoga in kindergarten

I don't have a picture of the 'Breath of Joy' - but ask Chelsea about it -
it's wonderful!

Doug started badminton in PE
It's part of his Life Time Skills Unit -
things to do for the rest of your life and with your family and ways to stay active.

In addition to badminton there's cup stacking, tennis, jump rope and
Chinese jump rope,
 rock climbing, golf, and archery
in this unit.

The essential role of 'teacher'.

A clay mustache 

Tier III support

We do need to teach this.
How are we doing this in an authentic way?
Time to share!

Santa hats on the rise!

Have a great weekend!

Deborah