Friday Focus - February 21, 2014

Great Things I Noticed This Week:

• A Daily 5 mini-lesson on using text features. The teacher modeled marking up the text (on the SMARTBoard for all to see) to "train" their eyes/brain to start noticing the important text features before starting to read (since a lot of students skip important text features). Students were then given time in partners to practice on their own copy of a similar text.
• After the DART meetings, one class started having students use the online program MobyMax.  Students took a "placement" test at the beginning and it assigned them activities that they need to work on. 
• I've enjoyed a handful of conversations with teachers about MAP data analysis.  I appreciate the time and thought you all are putting into tracking student progress and using the mid-year data to impact instruction for the remainder of the year.  (FYI: I have not approved any mid-year SLO forms yet, because we are going to review some together as an admin team so that we are consistent across the building levels.)

Events Next Week: *Our "Seals on Wheels" dentist will be here next week to provide students with dental treatments. There are no scheduled appointments as she's seeing a number of students.

Monday - Dodgeland's Got Talent!!!  Come and enjoy the talent show 6:30 - 7:30.

Tuesday - Grade Level PLC Meetings (Since we missed out on data analysis Monday afternoon, please bring the reports/forms you were given to use this time for that. You can also continue any discussions needed for WIN planning).

3:05 Elementary Staff Meeting

Thursday - Mid Quarter -send progress reports home for those not attending P/T Conferences

-P/T Conferences 4:00 - 7:30 

Friday - Staff Social Lunch

The following week: Read Across America week!!!

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*My schedule is filling up fast for P/T Conferences. Please let me know if you have a conference you would like me to attend and I will see if I can fit it in.
*For many of you, there may be two late nights next week (Talent Show and P/T Conferences). Please rest up and take care of yourself so you don't get run down with all the bugs that seem to be going around. :)

Blogs, Pins & Tweets...Oh My!
*@Katie_M_Ritter  Feb 19 A1: NEVER start with the tech tool/app… take the tech "out of it" First ask: What are you trying to get students to do? #1to1techat

*Using Series Books to Model Comprehension and Anchor Thinking 

Click HERE for a 5th grade blog post on assessment portfolios

Go HERE to read the 6 Steps