{Week of November 16-20}
Monday, November 16: Lunch: Breakfast for Lunch
- Happy Birthday Jim Cavens!
- 9:00 - ??: Val @ District Facility Planning Mtg.
- 3:30 ??: District Wellness Team Mtg (Jeffries)
- Due date for the 'Design a School Tshirt Contest'
- Baby Standar expected to be induced today {maybe}
Tuesday, November 17: Lunch ~ Pizza
- 8:00-11:00: 3 Roving Subs for Grade 3 Writing Prompt Scoring
- 12:00-3:00: 3 Roving Subs for Grade 5 Writing Prompt Scoring
- 9:00-12:00: Val @ Admin. Team Mtg.
- 3:30-4:30: District Math Team Mtg. (Aronson, Crawford)
- Espanol Rapido (Spanish) Lessons ~ Grades 2, 3, 4 with Mrs. Jackson
Wednesday, November 18: Lunch ~ Nachos
- Walking Wednesday @ Lunch Recess {I'm trying to learn more from our new 5th Grade Ambassador Club on this...}
- 8:00-11:00: 3 Roving Subs for Grade 1 Writing Prompt Scoring
- 12:00-3:00: 3 Roving Subs for Grade 2 Writing Prompt Scoring
- 3:05: Advisory Team Mtg. (Barcas, Hulbert, Steers, LaFay, Sandeen, Hill, Loper, 1 Parent) ~ We'll be planning school-wide December events - submit any ideas to Val before this day!
- 3:45 ~ District Danielson Framework Class
Thursday, November 19: Lunch ~ Turkey Dinner
- 8:00-11:00: 2 Roving Subs for Grade 4 Writing Prompt Scoring
- 12:00-3:00: 2 Roving Subs for Grade K Writing Prompt Scoring
- 9:00: 3rd Grade Team Mtg. with Val in a 3rd grade room
- Thanksgiving Day Lunch in the Cafe ~ please email Shanna a lunch count and include any adults, expect delays, prepare students for a 'special lunch' and etiquette, and for staff - I invite you to all enjoy a FREE Thanksgiving Lunch on me and desserts by the November Staff Birthday team!
- 3:10 Certified Staff Meeting in the library: {Agenda - Teacher Training Days Agenda}
- Espanol Rapido (Spanish) Lessons ~ Grades 2, 3, 4 with Mrs. Jackson
- Positive Action Lesson with Mrs. Pierce
Friday, November 20: Lunch ~ Hamburger's
- Happy Birthday to Win Hulbert & Jaime VanMiddendorp!
- School Spirit Day!
- Green Team Students collect Recycling 11:45-12:15 (be sure it's only recycling in the bins and set outside of your room)
- Positive Action Lesson with Mrs. Pierce
- 8:10-8:30: Community Mtg for K-2
- 9:00-9:30: RtI Mtg for Blackman, Berg, Barcas, Stanley, & Jepsen (Upstairs Reading Room) ~ Wright cover Stanley
- 9:30-10:00: Kinder RTI Team Mtg. in Upstairs Reading Room (Standar & Saucier) ~ Riches & White cover each room
- 10:00-10:30: Consent Mtg. (in Conference Room) ~ (Anderegg, Smith, Berg - no teacher needed)
- 10:30: Thanksgiving Celebration Parade by Mrs. Hulbert's students {any classrooms who want to see it just sit in the hallway by your room and be spectators. Their theme 'If I can read, then I can...'}
- 10:30-11:30: Annual IEP Mtg. (Saucier, SLP, Jepsen, Anderegg, Berg) - Riches & Wright cover Saucier)
- 12:30-1:30: Annual IEP Mtg. (Hill, Crawford, Berg, Quirk) - Wright cover Crawford
- 1:30-2:30: Eligibility/IEP Mtg. (Anderegg, Quirk, Saucier, Jepsen, Berg) - Wright cover Saucier
{Other NOTES from the DUGOUT}
Writing Prompt Scoring: decide on best practice to score all your writing prompts within time allowed with your team, turn in a copy of student names/final score to Val. You are welcome to work in the Staff Lounge, Conference Room, or wherever you can find space.
Green Team Update: Per the work of Lindsey and Alice on the District Green Team, we now have our very own recycling bins between our school and PLMS. With the help of our newly established 5th grade Green Team of students, they will collect your sorted recycling on Fridays during their lunch time and take it to the bins (with Dean's help if need be). Please thank our Green Team members and 5th Grade Green Ambassadors for making this work again in a much more efficient way. It would be most helpful if your name was on your recycling bin and if you got in the habit of setting it in the hallway every Friday.
Budget Talk: Jodi and I are working on being very transparent where we stand on the budget. The sub budget is about 60% spent and our supply budget for the work rooms is about the same. Yikes! I'm trying to be fiscally smart and find ways to re-balance without saying 'no'. We are almost out of lamination film too. I did approve ordering one more roll but we must think very carefully about what is being laminated. If it's not essential, please don't laminate. I thought what we ordered in August would last us through the 2nd quarter based on your prior year costs. It only lasted 1 quarter. Copy paper is another one we are over budget on already too. Perhaps some things we copy can be reduced to half pages, emailed or scanned to project, or just be done another way if you feel you're going through a lot of copies. My goal is to provide you with a budget overview as soon as I have it ready so we can all be smart about money.
Math Protocol/Expectations for K-5 teachers: Thank you to the math team for helping us clarify and have a purpose for our math screeners. Watch for a clear, explicit plan in your mailboxes! Bottom line Expectation: MCOMP 1st week of the month for all kids by teachers and that's it {besides what the Reading Team will do for RTI Math kids} - MCAP -is your call if you wish to use it for anything.
AESOP: Another great, retired teacher came through this past week and really wants to be put on some 'preferred calling lists' as a substitute...Her name is Nancy Bonominio and she is available Thursdays and Fridays. You should see her name in AESOP now.
Ski's - n- Storage: We now have a nice bin in the office if nordic kids have ski's they need to bring to the office to retrieve at the end of the day. We are striving to keep it neat and tidy and collect ski's only. The rest is encouraged to take to the students cubbies.
Random Students: If I see students wondering inside (mostly during lunch), I will ask them to get a teacher pass to ensure it is OK for them to return to the classroom. For kids who say they can't go outside, we must have a note from the parent and/or Doctor indicating why and a timeline. Students with notes will be staying in the cafe' to read once they are done with lunch or become a lunchroom helper (unless a teacher gives them a pass of permission to go to the classroom). If students say they can't go outside for grade level recess, follow up with the parent and ask for how long and if they have a doctors note. When you're on duty - assign another teaching colleague to house those kids.
Orange Emergency Bags: Who else needed one? {We forgot who we ordered them for}!
Kids in Need: Due to space, we are not going to house a 'changing room of spare outside clothing' this year. Instead, if you see a child who you have confirmed doesn't have a coat and/or the family indicates a need for help, send our counselor an email (or me for now) to follow up and we will get the family/child what they need to keep. If kids simply forget or don't bring their '5 items to go outside, they simply cannot play in the snow (K-2) or must stay dry (3-5). We want to help those who truly need it and we have funds and donated items to give out.
Kathy Richardson Math Anyone? We have been asked by some Lewiston teachers if anyone here would allow them to come visit your lesson on Kathy Richardson Math on December 11th. If you're willing to open up your door, simply email me your time of day that you'd be doing some math from Richardson.
MTI Math Feedback: I will debrief with them today. Stay tuned for any future visits and/or feedback. They were pretty excited when they left our school today and appreciated the nice welcome.
Snacks for Kids who need one: These fresh fruits will be in the main office to avoid sending kids into the lounge. Teachers can come get what you need before snack time or are welcome to send the kid down to get a snack from the office. These are being provided by Heartland Hunger.
Winter Playground Request: I have requested to maintenance to block off our slides and turn off the outside water fountain. I am leaving the swings and tires up for now, as no other school removes theres. If they become too dangerous, please let me know and we'll monitor and determine if they need to be removed.
Annual Safety Inspection: It is over. I love that we didn't panic and prepare anything and just simply got feedback on how safe our school was for fire prevention. I emailed you if there was a violation in your room. Most other things we got verbal recommendation on to keep in mind and to consider adjusting in the future: no furniture or equipment in the hallways, storage rooms must have items on shelves and open walkways, maintenance labeled closets must not contain storage items, classroom ceiling hangings should not be lower than the heights of a door, ventilation/smells in some areas seems distracting, door wedges should not be used, and all exit doorways need to be left very open. Way to be safe everyone! I felt like our feedback was very good.
Old Art Supplies? If you have any art supplies in your classroom taking up space and you'd be willing to share, please take them to the work room and place by the die cuts for us to reuse them and get our art cabinet going next!
Green Team Update: Per the work of Lindsey and Alice on the District Green Team, we now have our very own recycling bins between our school and PLMS. With the help of our newly established 5th grade Green Team of students, they will collect your sorted recycling on Fridays during their lunch time and take it to the bins (with Dean's help if need be). Please thank our Green Team members and 5th Grade Green Ambassadors for making this work again in a much more efficient way. It would be most helpful if your name was on your recycling bin and if you got in the habit of setting it in the hallway every Friday.
Budget Talk: Jodi and I are working on being very transparent where we stand on the budget. The sub budget is about 60% spent and our supply budget for the work rooms is about the same. Yikes! I'm trying to be fiscally smart and find ways to re-balance without saying 'no'. We are almost out of lamination film too. I did approve ordering one more roll but we must think very carefully about what is being laminated. If it's not essential, please don't laminate. I thought what we ordered in August would last us through the 2nd quarter based on your prior year costs. It only lasted 1 quarter. Copy paper is another one we are over budget on already too. Perhaps some things we copy can be reduced to half pages, emailed or scanned to project, or just be done another way if you feel you're going through a lot of copies. My goal is to provide you with a budget overview as soon as I have it ready so we can all be smart about money.
Math Protocol/Expectations for K-5 teachers: Thank you to the math team for helping us clarify and have a purpose for our math screeners. Watch for a clear, explicit plan in your mailboxes! Bottom line Expectation: MCOMP 1st week of the month for all kids by teachers and that's it {besides what the Reading Team will do for RTI Math kids} - MCAP -is your call if you wish to use it for anything.
AESOP: Another great, retired teacher came through this past week and really wants to be put on some 'preferred calling lists' as a substitute...Her name is Nancy Bonominio and she is available Thursdays and Fridays. You should see her name in AESOP now.
Ski's - n- Storage: We now have a nice bin in the office if nordic kids have ski's they need to bring to the office to retrieve at the end of the day. We are striving to keep it neat and tidy and collect ski's only. The rest is encouraged to take to the students cubbies.
Random Students: If I see students wondering inside (mostly during lunch), I will ask them to get a teacher pass to ensure it is OK for them to return to the classroom. For kids who say they can't go outside, we must have a note from the parent and/or Doctor indicating why and a timeline. Students with notes will be staying in the cafe' to read once they are done with lunch or become a lunchroom helper (unless a teacher gives them a pass of permission to go to the classroom). If students say they can't go outside for grade level recess, follow up with the parent and ask for how long and if they have a doctors note. When you're on duty - assign another teaching colleague to house those kids.
Orange Emergency Bags: Who else needed one? {We forgot who we ordered them for}!
Kids in Need: Due to space, we are not going to house a 'changing room of spare outside clothing' this year. Instead, if you see a child who you have confirmed doesn't have a coat and/or the family indicates a need for help, send our counselor an email (or me for now) to follow up and we will get the family/child what they need to keep. If kids simply forget or don't bring their '5 items to go outside, they simply cannot play in the snow (K-2) or must stay dry (3-5). We want to help those who truly need it and we have funds and donated items to give out.
Kathy Richardson Math Anyone? We have been asked by some Lewiston teachers if anyone here would allow them to come visit your lesson on Kathy Richardson Math on December 11th. If you're willing to open up your door, simply email me your time of day that you'd be doing some math from Richardson.
MTI Math Feedback: I will debrief with them today. Stay tuned for any future visits and/or feedback. They were pretty excited when they left our school today and appreciated the nice welcome.
Snacks for Kids who need one: These fresh fruits will be in the main office to avoid sending kids into the lounge. Teachers can come get what you need before snack time or are welcome to send the kid down to get a snack from the office. These are being provided by Heartland Hunger.
Winter Playground Request: I have requested to maintenance to block off our slides and turn off the outside water fountain. I am leaving the swings and tires up for now, as no other school removes theres. If they become too dangerous, please let me know and we'll monitor and determine if they need to be removed.
Annual Safety Inspection: It is over. I love that we didn't panic and prepare anything and just simply got feedback on how safe our school was for fire prevention. I emailed you if there was a violation in your room. Most other things we got verbal recommendation on to keep in mind and to consider adjusting in the future: no furniture or equipment in the hallways, storage rooms must have items on shelves and open walkways, maintenance labeled closets must not contain storage items, classroom ceiling hangings should not be lower than the heights of a door, ventilation/smells in some areas seems distracting, door wedges should not be used, and all exit doorways need to be left very open. Way to be safe everyone! I felt like our feedback was very good.
Old Art Supplies? If you have any art supplies in your classroom taking up space and you'd be willing to share, please take them to the work room and place by the die cuts for us to reuse them and get our art cabinet going next!
{Future Events}
Dec. 3: PTA sponsored "Holiday Craft Fair with Student Entrepreneurs" ~ December 3rd from 3:00-6:00 PM in our Cafe. Applications to participate were due and over 35 kids are planning to set up a 'selling booth'. You'll want to shop here for sure (and tell your friends to come shop too)!
Nov. 23 & 24: Teacher Training Days (Classified Staff OFF this week with students)
Nov. 23 & 24: Teacher Training Days (Classified Staff OFF this week with students)
Jan. 14: Fantasy & a 3D Form Art (2nd Annual MDSD Art): Deadline for submissions January 14, 2016. Teachers may submit up to 2 student works to represent the class. Deliver to Kim Hamilton.
 |
| Weekly Compliment Slips turned into me ... please sign them too! |
- Batter of the Week ~ Sean! Who will be our next Home Run hitter? Lesley
- Dean, Shanna, & Tina for extra time spent helping make the 4th grade field trip the best!
- Andy for his outside soil activity and submitting it to the Star News!
- Sara, Cynthia, Lesley for their work, patience, and creativeness in reworking a schedule
- Jodi & Donna for helping hold down this amazing school this week while I was away. I am so proud of how well everything flowed in my absence!
- Holly for her kind note to compliment so many others!
- Jodi and Donna for covering all the extra duties
- Anne for providing specific writing prompt info for her team!
- Katie for seeking clarity on recess debate from kids
- Math Team for taking on the challenge of finding consensus on our benchmark screeners and their purposes.
- Evonne for her efforts, time, dedication in carrying out the Book Fair!
- Donna for being a last minute helper!
- Carrie for just being an amazing teacher!
- Traci for being so on top of things and having a rehearsal plan for the concerts in December!
- Dean for bringing in snow clothes for kids!
