Oh, frabjorus day! Callooh! Callay!
Spring Break is here!
Yes, HERE!
And all the brithy doves did gyre and gimble
Such a wonderful day.
What's the plan for Monday, April 4th?
Review evacuation plan at 9:00 a.m. - see everyone in the library
Get your head back into the game....consider this a self-reflection time which can also activate your mind for where you left off before break. Here's what I'd like you to do (consider it a menu) from 9:30 until 11:00 ish:
* Complete your Summative Self-Evaluation
* Spend 30-60 minutes updating your CITE evidence
* Import your class roster to your EPR and share with teachers
(If you don't want to spend a chunk of Monday morning doing this, and you want to allocate a bit of time over break doing it, then the time is yours on Monday.)
Leadership Team Meeting at 2:30 p.m.
EPR's
I hope to hit the submit button on our EPR template today or Saturday. You should ten be able to access your EPR and input your class roster. Be sure to share with Pam, Doug, Chelsea, Brooks, Elisha and Josie.
Some of you may want to work on this over break -so just letting you know.
CITE Evidence Suggestions:
For those who want the jump on this.
We all need to add a few new pieces to refresh what we did in the fall/winter.
You don't need to try to add evidence for every single element.
Ideas:
What's different between now and what you were doing at the beginning of the year?
A 2nd/3rd Backward Plan to show consistency.
Professional Development you've applied in your classroom (the protocols we were learning on Wednesdays, the Lucy Calkins Writing/Reading, Math Review, word work, book clubs, - consider explaining the impact the implementation has had on your learners
Winter Voyages
Field Work
Integration of learning outcomes you've collaborated on with other colleagues,
Coaching Cycles,
attach a couple of your blog posts you've sent to parents,
Assessments you are using now that you weren't before
Photos showing student work at the beginning of the year and a photo of what they can do now,
DRA's showing growth
Writing sampleswith brief description
Student products/Summative Assessments
Examples of how you have guided students through conflict and repairing relationships
Screen shots of emails showing communication with parents
Explanations of committees, participation, coaching, leadership
Photo of anchor charts and what they mean to the learning
Documentation panels that tell a story (with a brief description)
Explanation of work you have done with the support of the Assessment office PLC
Providing feedback to students
Instruction to coach students with Critique Protocols
*That's a long sample list! Pick a few that you feel demonstrate your growth. Even if they are still rough, you are trying and that shows risk taking and implementing new learning.
(Write brief descriptions about the impact of what you have done. Think of using words like, 'as a result, students have increased...'; 'the impact of this is...', 'student engagement is high because...' Consider including what you have discovered; will try next; change; next steps, etc.
Field Work...
Michelle's Crew doing what real people do!
Work at the coffee shop!
Mary Beth's Crew:
Time with their preschool buddies (their service work). It was their turn to plan the morning. They have been working on dinosaurs so Mary Beth's Crew supported them in creating dinosaurs with playdough and habitats. Creating took a lot of collaboration! Looks like Mary Beth's Crew is learning what it means to teach!
More Field Work...
If you can't go to the field, you bring it to the library!
First Grade was discovering - live and in person about birds of prey and so much more.
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| You know, the Eagle is an impressive bird, but when you see it live and up close - that experience stays with you forever. |
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| During the presentation, the facilitators used raw rabbit meat and explained it's role in providing these birds with the food they need. Brooks seized on the opportunity to solve a challenge we have here at school with our ever growing bunny population. He had the kids vote on whether we should offer up our bunnies to this cause. How responsive and clever! Ask him how it went. :) |
*We can thank Dana and Jen for the snow...they had outdoor fieldwork planned for Friday. What a good idea on the last day before a break, right?! Somehow scheduling outdoor fieldwork when the weather is wonderful, always calls Colorado weather to turn upside down! Sorry ladies!
Congratulations Kim!
Battle of the Book Warriors
Need a book recommendation for the break?
Check out the books that these kids read for Battle of the Books, Kim says they're all excellent!
The Mighty Miss Malone (Christopher Paul Curtis)
Kensukes' Kingdom (Michael Morpurgo)
A Dog Called Kitty (Bill Wallace)
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (Kate DiCamillo)
Night of the Twisters (Ivy Ruckman)
The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate)
The Music of Dolphins (Karen Hesse)
Dear Mr. Henshaw (Beveryly Cleary)
How to Eat Fried Worms (Thomas Rockwell)
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Alice Dalgliesh)
Gifted Identification Process:
Follow up just in case you are confused with the packet of forms.
The form teachers need to fill out:
The Gifted Education Referral-
Looks like this:
The Rating Form:
Looks like this-
Questionnaire:
What if you gave this to all your kids?
Especially at the beginning of the year, or give it now and pass it on to next year teacher...or, students could write a letter to next year's teaching team introducing themselves and include the questionnaire? Maybe this questionnaire form can support students in their work for their Showcase of Learning?
Parent Letter: Tweaking this a bit
This process is new for us and we are learning how. For this first initial go-around, we are going to wait to send the parent letter, until the end. So, you will turn in the completed pieces and the committee will review them. If it looks likely that the student will be identified, then we will send the parent letter. Make sense?
Much longer post than I intended...
always so much information to communicate
AND
so, so much to celebrate!!!
Have the best break!!
See you all far too soon!
Deborah
