Friday Focus - May 30, 2014

Events Next Week:
Tuesday - I will be out of the building on the 5th grade college tour field trip.
*Grades due by 7:30 am
*Please also give Sarah your Honor Roll list and On A Roll names (and reasons) so all certificates will be ready for Friday
Wednesday - 2:20 Bike Safety presentation by Officer Borchardt (have students packed up before hand)
Thursday - report cards to go home
Friday - The final day!
10:00 Assembly
11:00 End of Year picnic
12:20 Dismissal


"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*If you haven't already submitted your End of Year SLO Score Report, please make sure that you click on the rubric box that describes what the # means. This will highlight the score for yourself. Let me know if you have any issues.
*Please refer to Mr. Wallesverd's May 28 email about end of year grading.  I know he's been helpful to fix issues each quarter, but that will certainly be difficult to do after the school year ends.
*Things to turn in to me by the end of next week: SAGE goals for K-3, reading benchmark data for K-5, any reading progress info that you would like to pass on to next year's teachers. Remember that some teachers use binders, folders or other methods, so as this comes to you next year, use what you find helpful and decide what you'd like to dispose of. 
*Student porftolio cards for next year's class lists will be put in your mailboxes.  You can hold on to these as long as you'd like (but they'll need to come out next May again) or you can give them back to me to keep safe until May.
*The Regional Summer Teacher Academy packet should be out to you by Monday.  This is for Wednesday, August 6 and Thursday, August 7 with many great sessions!

Need Some Last Minute Ideas?
*8 Creative Ways to Celebrate the End of the Year with Your Students
*End of Year printables

Friday Focus - May 23, 2014

We have almost made it!!! You all are amazing with all the fun extras you are doing with your students to keep them engaged in learning all the way to the end of this marathon!

Events Next Week:
Wednesday - Staff Appreciation Celebration 3:15
Thursday - Carnival 11:15-12:00 3-5th grade, 12:00-12:45 K-2nd grade

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*I should have the End of Year Checklists ready for you next week.
*I just realized we never celebrated our volunteers this year!  I'm sure you thank them whenever you can, but I would still like to recognize them by sending a thank you card to each volunteer.  Please send me an email or leave a note in my mailbox to let me know if you had any regular volunteers this year.
*Just a reminder for teachers in their evaluative year to schedule a meeting with me in these last 2 weeks to discuss the summative evaluation.  Those of you NOT in evaluation year will self-score your end of year SLO Review form. Please let me know if you have any questions on any of this. And no more stressing about being past deadlines...it will get done and that's what counts! :)

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!
*9 Practical Ways to use your iPad in Teaching
*If you go HERE you'll find a couple of videos on "Powerful teaching with the iPad." I haven't watched these yet, but he often has videos for principals that I find extremely helpful.

Go HERE for the tips

Friday Focus - May 16, 2014

In yesterday's special ed interviews, I enjoyed the times that the candidates asked, "What are you most proud of at Dodgeland?"  The interview team's answers were probably longer than the candidates' answers were for the interview questions.  The list of what I am proud of for this school goes on and on, but I think what I am most proud of is the relationships...you are all dedicated to learning, but you know that relationships with your students need to happen first.  You work hard to meet the individual needs of your students (and for some that is a big list of needs) so that they they can be ready for learning.  You make sure that your students know they have someone in their life who cares for them and school is a safe place to be.  With everything that our school family has been through this year, I am also proud of the staff relationships we have with each other...that we can all celebrate the good things together, but also help support each other through through the bad times.  Thank you for being my 2nd family!

Events Next Week:
Monday - 3/5th grade teachers in  6 Traits Scoring
12:30-1:30 3/5th grade concert rehearsal
1:30-1st grade concert rehearsal
Tuesday - Grade Level PLC Meetings
Friday - I will be out of the building in the morning for the DART Principals meeting (we should have the Regional Summer Teacher Academy information ready to share by next week!)
PM-Walkathon

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Discussion points for Grade Level PLC meetings agendas:
-I will need to get information from each grade level to share with summer school teachers on what needs to be the learning focus for students in the reading/math classes.
-What PD do you need next year?
-How are you keeping students focused in Daily 5/Cafe with end of the year hype?
-Data, data, data...if you've got it to start looking at MAP (I know some won't be done yet).  End of year SLO...if you've got it. (if not, don't worry).
-I'm sure you have a multitude of other things to discuss as a grade level.

Monday Musings - May 12, 2014

Image from AdventuresinLiteracy

I'm continuing to share what I learn as I read Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller. Habit 4 of "Wild Readers" is that they have reading plans.  Miller writes that "the anticipation of another great reading experiences drives our continued enthusiasm and interest in reading (p.136)." Miller also cites other authors regarding having reading plans:

• "The difference between readers and nonreaders is that readers have plans (Kittle, 2012)."
• "For children, setting reading goals and reflecting on progress toward these goals increases their self-efficacy as students (Schunk, 2003)."

How do you as a reader have a reading plan?  I have piles of to-read books at school and at home, keep a to-read list on Goodreads, request books from the public library that I want to read and often pre-order upcoming books from my favorite authors.  How can we help our students to develop this types of "wild reader" habits?  I know that several of you have added a "to-read" form to your students' book bins/binders that are used during book talks, library check-out and Daily 5 book shopping times. 

Why should we encourage students to keep a to-read list, set aside reading time each day, have them keep track of their reading and challenge themselves to try books in new genres?  If we don't, then the students who lack internal motivation for reading may stop reading.  

As we get close and closer to summer I encourage you to continue having conversations with your students about their reading habits, but to also start making those summer reading plans.  Provide lots of opportunities for students to recommend books so that students can leave the school year with a summer to-read list or make summer reading plans.  What other ideas do you have to help students continue the reading habits over the summer that you've been working hard to help them develop?

Here are some ideas I found on Pinterest:

Summer "bucket list" of books to read

Click HERE for printables on this great idea to encourage reading everywhere!

Post: Finish off the year with amazing summer reading plans

Click HERE if you'd like to start your own to-read list!

Friday Focus - May 9, 2014

Events Next Week:

Monday - Elementary Staff Meeting 3:05 in IMC

Tuesday -Tech Tuesday (see "Nuts & Bolts") 3:05 in IMC

Wednesday - "Whatcha do with Technology" Wednesday 3:05 in IMC (repeat of Tuesday)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*Monday's staff meeting will be time for us all to be in the same room (IMC) to create class lists for next year.  This allows for the additional input from special ed/specials teachers as we determine class groupings. 

*The "Tech Tuesday" and "Watcha do with Technology" Wednesday (we had to have alliteration in the name!) will both be the same session that is optional and you are welcome to come to both if you would like.  The topic will be on the basics of using Google Drive (creating/sharing docs, using folders, how to have students share documents with you, how to comment on student documents, how to create a google form/survey for students to complete for you).  Please make sure that you can login before coming (ask Brad/Mark if you can't login). 

Why should you learn about Google Drive? Because next year our students will no longer have an H drive to save their files to in the computer lab and Google Drive will allow students/you to collaborate and allow them to work from home. 

*Please let me know when you (and your 3-5th grade students) have completed the Clarity survey. I can re-email the links/QR codes if you need to get them. 

Monday Musings - May 5, 2014

My favorite season has started...fishing season!  

I just read this great analogy (from Amber Teamann) that I wanted to share with you all...

Are you a good fisherman?

One of my favorite educational analogies is that of the fisherman. An average fishermen goes out on the boat. He knows where the fish are. He knows how to get to them. He takes his big ol'fishing net and he throws it out. He pulls it back in...and whatever he catches, he's ok with. The average fisherman is content with his net full of fish. He packs it up and heads in. What does an outstanding fishermen do? He sees that there are still more fish to be had, ones that aren't caught in the net. He is patient. He is methodical. He targets each one of those fish and catches them. He may have to use different lures. He may have to throw his line out more than once for the same fish. He does what he needs to do in order to catch them all.

(Do you see where I am going with this?)

Our typical lessons are like the fishing net. They're probably going to "catch" 85-95% of our students. But what about those remaining students, that don't get it the first time? You have to reel them in one by one, probably with different materials...but that's what we have to do. In all the work that you do, I know you are making sure you are being exceptional fishermen!

Friday Focus - May 2, 2014

Events Next Week: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! There will be treats in the lounge for you Mon-Thurs and something else special on Friday afternoon.

Monday - Seals on Wheels will be here for students to get dental treatments
Mentors/Mentees meeting in the IMC at 3:05
Tuesday - No Grade Level Meetings
I will be out of the building most of the day at CESA 6 for EP training
Wednesday - Author visit in the Media Center 9:00 for grades 1/2, 10:20 for grades 3-5
Thursday - Family Fun Big Blast Night 5:30-7:00 (I still need help for this!!)
Friday - Staff Social Lunch (Support Staff)
Special elementary assembly in the elem. gym at 2:25

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*We need help for Family Big Blast Night next Thursday.  Please feel free to bring your family for the fun and then help run a station for 30 minutes. We will have several inflatables (bounce house, joust, maze, etc.) Please let me know if you're able to help or can convince a high school student to help!
*In response to staff requests for additional training on Google Drive and other tech info, the Tech Leaders Team is adding optional Tech Tuesdays to the calendar for every Tuesday starting May 13th.  I'll let you know what's on the agenda for each Tuesday.  Please let us know if there's something specific you'd like to learn (the team includes: Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Zastrow, Ms. Abegglen and Mrs. Huelsman).

Blogs, Pins & Tweets...Oh My!
*A site full of iPad app resources (shared by a HS colleague) http://maximizeyourtouch.pbworks.com/w/page/30796448/FrontPage

Just for laughs...