Friday Focus - May 1st

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• Introduction to an infographics project in 3rd grade with the assistance of Mrs. Porter. 
• Students explaining how they made a volcano and then showing off it's eruption in science. 
• Students collaborating in partners to create "I spy" books (using Book Creator app) to give to their 4K reading buddies. 
• 1st Graders rehearsing readers theater with amazing expression (to be performed at Grandparents Day).
• Students thinking of the best word (Bootcamp strategy) and giving evidence for why with this exciting picture: 
  

Events Next Week:
Monday - Mentors/Mentees Meeting 3:05 in the IMC
Tuesday - Mid-Quarter reports should go home (yes, it's already that time!)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Staff Meeting added to the calendar: Monday, May 18th 3:05 regarding student iPad transition for the end of the school year. 
*Our next staff meeting on May 11 will include our book study discussion. If you forgot what chapters you were reading:
Group 1: chapter 3 Formative Assessment
Group 2: chapter 7 Stories
Group 3: chapter 12 Freedom within Form
*Tuesday, May 12th is the FFA Petting Zoo-info to come from Mrs. Wehner


Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!
*Just in case you forgot, the Interactive Cafe Menu is filled with tons of online resources to help you with your literacy lesson planning.
*@web20classroom  Apr 28

If the hardest working and most talking person in the room is the teacher, there might need to be a reassessment of whats happening. #edchat

*@BAMRadioNetwork  1h

1 hour ago

Off Task Students? Ten Tried and True Ways to Redirect http://www.bamradionetwork.com/edwords-blog/off-task-students-ten-tried-and-true-ways-to-redirect … #edchat #teachers

Hopes and Dreams Writing

Friday Focus, April 24, 2015

Events Next Week: Badger exam testing still going on for 3-5th grades

Tuesday - Summer school packets should go home. Please take a few minutes to "sell" it to your students before sending it home. Don't forget to include Teacher Recommendation letters for those that need them. 

Wednesday - Workout Wednesday attire :) (Because you have to dress professional on Friday this week)

Thursday - Dodgeland Elementary Subway Fundraiser night--pick up Subway for supper on your way home and our Activities account gets 10%!  Please help spread the word!

Friday - Grandparents Day -please dress professionally so we look our best for our guests :)

Just down the road...

*April 30-May 19th is the window for MAP testing (more info to come in an email)

*Tuesday, May 5th is mid-quarter

*May 15th Documentation Log is due for those in summative evaluation years

Welcome to busiest/fastest time of the year! 

There are SIX weeks of school left. It's up to you how much learning/fun you can fit into the next six weeks. You could try out a new learning strategy or tech tool each week. You can make it a goal to come up with six celebrations at the end of each week or six things to be grateful for!  We can make it the best six weeks of the year!!!!

Here's some ideas to help...

• Awesome end of the year blog post with ideas.
• Make brochures for next year's class.
• Make class yearbooks.
• Create and vote on end of the year awards for each student.
• Top 10 lists.....Top 10 things Mrs. -------- likes her students to do, Top 10 books read this year, Top 10 learning apps, etc.
• 26 end of the year ideas
• Students could create ABC books to survive "___th grade" for next year's students. 
• Plan NOT to make these 8 mistakes teachers make at the end of the year

It's all in how you look at! Some of these projects can last over a few days. So just pick a few and enjoy:)

Friday Focus - April 17, 2015

Thanks to all involved in Badger testing...for your patience and flexibility with all of it, working together to figure out times, etc. With the start of testing and my absence due to illness this week, I've been in few classrooms, but I'm confident that awesome things are happening in your rooms, just like always!

Events Next Week: Badger testing ongoing in 3-5th grades in the mornings
Wednesday - 10:30 Rainforest live presentation (evening performance at 7PM is open to our families at Hustisford High School, $5).
*For Earth Day we will be encouraging students to help pick-up trash during noon recess. If you're interested in helping to take some students walking around the building grounds, please let me know if you can help.
*3:05 - EP Training for summative year staff on Documentation Log and End of Year SLO

Thursday - I will be at CESA 6 for EP training

Friday - Dodgeland's YMCA family night out --feel free to join in the fun with your own children. 6:30-8:30pm for FREE :)


Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My:
*All sorts of links to STEM (Science, technology, engineering and math) resources: http://www.one-tab.com/page/A_li6vtyTM6as9-4JgOfiA
*Stay Balanced as the School Year Intensifies
*"Chunk and Chew" strategy for teaching

Friday Focus - April 10, 2015

Great Things I Noticed This Week:

• While showing a video clip to build background knowledge for a social studies unit, the teacher stopped it a few times to add further details and have students turn/talk to process. She could very easily have just sat at her desk and worked on her computer while students watched the video, but instead she was actively engaged in the learning process with the students while watching the video. 
• After some students got frustrated with their grade level Badger practice test, the teachers gave a below grade level test to help build up their confidence while having the experience of taking the practice test. 
• After listening to a student repeatedly struggle with the same phonics sound in a guided reading book, went right into a mini-lesson on the spot to practice reading different words with the same sound. 
• After a unit on persuasion writing and looking for areas of our school that should be improved upon, the class presented a persuasive essay to me with their reasons of why something needs to be improved at Dodgeland and their ideas to do so (more to come next week on the morning announcements for this). 

Events Next Week:

Monday - Tornado drill in the afternoon (see Mr. Modaff's email for details)

-I know you'll all be disappointed, but I'm canceling our staff meeting due to 3-8th grade needing to meet for last minute preparations for the Badger test. If you didn't read your chapter, you now have an extra month to catch up!

Tuesday - Grade level meetings (plan to talk about Social Studies/Science)

Wednesday - last day for purchases for previously budgeted items

Testing, Testing, Testing

3-5th grade teachers are probably sick of the word, but just so the rest of you are aware, our 3-5th grade students will be taking the Badger exam on their iPads in their classrooms in the morning on the days below.  We are not switching specials schedules or anything, just please always have your classes quiet in the hallways in case a class is testing. 

If you don't have to worry about testing your students, then you may want to pass on chocolate to your colleagues who are! ;)

3^rd Grade: Mon 4/20, Tues 4/21, Mon 4/27, Tues 4/28, Tues 5/5, Wed 5/6, Thurs 5/7

4^th Grade: Mon 4/20, Tues 4/21, Mon 4/27, Tues 4/28, Tues 5/5, Thurs 5/7

5^th Grade: Wed 4/15, Thurs 4/16, Wed 4/22, Thurs 4/23, Tues 4/28, Wed 4/29, Thurs 4/30

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!

*Their Moment

*8 Ways Teachers Can Talk Less and Get Kids Talking More

*Sue Sweeney @APHuG

 · 16h16 hours ago

A5: 2 types of teachers: FireFIGHTERS and FireLIGHTERS. The FireFIGHTERS kill their colleagues' passion. I find my FireLIGHTERS #educoach

*@geometrywiz

16h16 hours ago

A8: Take a deep breath and remember why we’re here. The students! It always re-energizes me. #educoach

Image by George Couros

Pre Spring Break Focus - April 2, 2015

Great Things I Noticed This Week:

• After learning about nonfiction text features (bold words, diagrams/labels, picture captions) students used what they learned to apply it to making their own books on a topic of their choice, using an app of their choice to create the book. 
• Students reflected on their 3rd quarter grades and were writing goals for the final stretch of the year to be sent home with their report cards.
• Staff teamwork to put together our 2nd annual talent show...it was a great evening!  The staff camaraderie was even more evident in the final act of the night: Staff Talent Act (it is a little difficult to see the faces in the video due to the glare of the lights on the stage).

Events Next Week:
Wednesday - Baseball season begins--wear your favorite baseball shirt (and jeans!)
Wednesday OR Thursday - Badger test training for 3-5th grade/testing staff in Room 137 (Pick one day to attend)
Friday - Dodgeland Pride Assembly 2:15
 -4K will be having a bike playgroup outside on the blacktop at 1:45 (just in case you happen to see it out of the window and wonder what's going on)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Thank you to everyone for your continued dedication and focus on learning during this last week of the quarter.  I can recall the last year that we went into spring break with numerous discipline issues, but I think that since you have all kept focus, so have the students. Excitement is in the air as everyone anticipates the nice weather, Spring Break to rest, rejuvenate and have some fun!  While other professions may be jealous of teachers getting spring break off, I recognize and appreciate that many of you also use some of this time to not only rest and enjoy your family, but also to read and do whatever works best for you to "sharpen the saw" so you can come back ready to go full charge for the last quarter. 
*Please do NOT start a countdown to summer with your class. The more you deviate from the norm, the more likely the students are to deviate from the norm! ;)
*I finally have multiple extra copies of the DVD's of the Bootcamp strategies.  Please let me know if you want one and it's yours!
  
Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Making Time for NonFiction Read-Alouds
*I shared this in my google docs for students XPD, an amazing new app that makes it super easy to manage the workflow of google docs with students: Google Classroom App. Here's a blog post explaining it: Getting Started with Google Classroom and Youtube clip: A Quick Look at the New Google Classroom App
* ‏@Eduporium 

4 hours ago

27 Ways #Teachers Can Give (And Receive) Feedback http://ss1.us/a/97UJWryN  via @mikepaul #edchat #edtechchat #edtech #education #edreform

Read about Vocab Relay HERE

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