Friday Focus, January 29

When I came across this quote by Vincent Van Gogh, I couldn't help but think of all of you. There is so much that goes in to each day of school from bus duty, hallway passings, calling home to parents, 1:1 student conferences about academics or behavior, individual support for some of our neediest students, the list goes on and on...and that doesn't even include the work that goes into the great teaching/learning that happens each day! In addition to the day to day work you do to make this the best school for our students, there are countless times that you are working together as a staff to collaborate or problem-solve together for a solution.  Not every solution works out perfect for everyone, but I know that you always keep what is best for students at the forefront.  That's why we're here.  As the school year moves forward, let's continue to work together, supporting one another, and, more importantly, supporting our students.  TOGETHER we can continue to move forward to make Dodgeland the best school for our students.

Events Next Week:
Wednesday - Workout Wednesday :)
  *Staff Meeting at 3:10 in the IMC
Friday - consumable supply orders due
 *2nd Qtr Dodgeland Pride Assembly at 2:30pm

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*New rule with mylearningplan forms: I'm ok if they're late...no working on them super late at night. I can see if you submit them in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping. They're not more important than sleep! Plus, I'm not caught up to check them yet.
*I am still working on ACCESS testing for our ELL students (next week is the deadline) and am feeling my normal guilt of not being out in classrooms to see all of the great things you're doing. I plan to see all of your faces again soon! :)

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*3 Quick Tips for Small Group Strategy Lessons (in writing)
*Student Writing Reflection
*5 Ways Video Can Increase Student Ownership of Learning (Many of you saw our new SWIVL toy...here's some ideas to use it!)

TinaVannatterSDR ‏@TVannatterSDR  8 Dec 2015

"Perfect" isn't "DONE". If you're waiting until you're perfect, you'll never start. Kevin Honeycutt @slateinwi

Friday Focus - January 22

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• Our 5K/2nd/4th graders put on a great music concert! 
• 1st graders sharing their informative writing pieces with me that started with a question to hook their reader and comparisons to help the reader understand. I had a couple of students point out to me other things in their writing that they included and cited authors that did the same in their books. It's hard to believe that I was having that conversation with 1st graders!
• 5K students using their Jolly Phonics to sound out words all the way up to a challenging 10 letter word!

Events Next Week:
Monday - Grades due by 7:30

Wednesday - Workout Wednesday attire
*Grade Level PLC's
*12:30 Ronald McDonald "Caring" presentation for grades K-5
*3:15 EP Training on Documentation Log (optional refresher for those in summative year)

Thursday - Report Cards to be distributed
Friday - Bandorama concert at 7pm (our 5th grade band will be performing)

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

• Classroom/Special Education teachers: could you please take a few moments today to answer a few questions about your current status in Writers Workshop on this survey: HERE  There are 4 questions, but you don't even have to answer all of them...just whichever questions you have a quick response to. Thank you!!!
• For Grade Level Meetings: Christina and Kay will lead us in technology discussions. Bring whatever device you are comfortable with or whichever device you have a specific question about.  The agenda will include:
• Check in:
  • How are things going?
  • How are things going with the Digital Citizenship Books?
  Updates:
  • Website
  • XPD, Formative Assessment & Technology
  • Summer Boot Camp
  • Personal Learning in Spring
  • Filter
  Activity/Tool:
  • Connect with Schoology and TMP
  • Swivl
• The consumable supply order packet for you to submit is not for our math books or other curriculum materials. I'll have that budget request info for you in the future. 
• I am still working on ACCESS Testing for our ELL students, but am aware that there are students that still need to make-up or complete the MAP test. If it's possible to have them complete it in your room, that would be super helpful. I will be planning to be in the computer lab for MAP testing on Friday (more details to come out later next week).

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!

*One Little Change in How You Talk to Your Kids Can Help them Be More Successful

read more about teaching how to write a summary HERE

Friday Focus - January 15, 2016

Image from Krissy Vensodale

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• Students across the grade levels writing informational pieces. It has been very interesting for me to see how our students are all doing the same kind of writing work, but at different levels in each grade level. We have students that are very interested in their topics, learning more about them and seem very interested to be writing about them.
• A grandparent shared that while they in an unexpected situation her grandson told her this would be an experience for him to write about...she heard what we've been working on and can see just from this experience how our students see themselves as authors and can find moments in their life to be able to write about!
• I saw several times throughout the day where teachers are sneaking in extra minutes of learning time:
• Snack break for read aloud, practicing math facts and practicing spelling (those were different rooms, not all at once!)
• Reviewing vocabulary words while waiting in the hallway for a specials class.

Events Next Week:

Monday - I will have a "shadow" with me on Monday (a teacher completing some of her principal practicum hours). She's excited to join me to see the great things happening here at Dodgeland!

Tuesday - 2:00pm K/2/4th grades music concert rehearsal. Concert is at 6:30pm. 

Thursday - Badger attire day

Friday - Early Dismissal 12:20 (Lunch/Recess is changed to 11:00-12:00) for Report/Planning

*Grades will be due by Monday, Jan 25th at 7:30

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*Mark your calendars for the annual Art Show on Tuesday, March 8 4:00-6:00pm. Parents love coming to see the incredible art work/projects that our students have created with the chance to order products with their work on it. It would be great if students could also do one piece in your classrooms that ties in with what they're already learning (the sky's the limit here) to also have on display. Just please make sure you read Mr. Mane's email for the criteria, because it does have to be a specific size with no glitter or other stuff that could affect it being scanned into a machine. 

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!

*Close Reading Like a Genius -you all know that I love the Big Bang Theory and this blog post uses a scene from the show to how they are close reading (plus, how can I pass up watching the Big Bang Theory again?!)

*@jimknight99  Jan 13Empathy is at the heart of it all, don’t you think? Without empathy there’s no learning, no relationship.

Click HERE for the post

Friday Focus - January 8, 2016

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
I enjoyed my time being in each classroom to read and talk about books/reading with students. I was truly amazed by how many of our students/classes are so passionate about books. Our students are already on track to be lifelong readers---they know how to steal minutes of reading time throughout their day, they know how to make plans for their next books to read, where/who/how to get ideas for additional books to read...everything that Donalyn Miller's research on lifelong readers found in her book Reading in the Wild. 

Events Next Week: Crossing Guard Recognition Week
Monday - I will be making an announcement about Crossing Guard Recognition week to ask for students to sign some cards at lunch time (our crossing guards always come in for coffee on Tuesdays so I'd like to give them their cards then).
Wednesday - I'll be out of the building with some other staff for Educlimber training
*Just a reminder that grade level meetings were moved to January 27th

MAP Testing Follow-Up:
*Notes from your thoughts/discussion on Wednesday can be found HERE.
*We all recognize there are a number of factors that could hinder a student's score, just remember what is in your control ("crumple" up the list of those that aren't!). How you message the reason for MAP testing can help contribute to your students' growth mindset and purpose for putting their effort into it. By giving them breaks if they seem tired or breaking up each test into two sessions, you can eliminate students getting tired or bored during the test.
*If you will be wanting me to join you in your classroom or the lab for testing, please let me know ahead of time so I can get it on my calendar. If you have a testing emergency you can either email me or call me to help track me down.

*If you are testing on iPads:

• Remember that issue with the site being blocked? Prevent that issue by showing your students this quick screencast BEFORE you get them started on testing: MAP Testing on iPads
• 1 thing I forgot to address in our meeting is that you also need to check Casper focus to make sure all of your students are in there (if you got a new student and don't use Casper except for testing, then you will likely be missing them). The directions we followed to add students in Casper focus were HERE.  If you need help with this, please just email the name of who is missing and I can do it for you. 

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!

*Be the Learner Your Kids Need

*@justintarte  

2 hours ago

If we expect students to embrace failure, we must model it. Must be safe to say “I tried this, & it didn’t work." via @DouglasReeves #edchat

Welcome Back staff memo

I hope that you all enjoyed a restful holiday vacation--time to disconnect from work thoughts, time to enjoy family and friends and to just enjoy time to relax. It is amazing how refreshing the holiday break can be to come back to start an amazing 2016!

If you're feeling any trepidation about getting up early for the first day in 11 days, I completely understand! It's hard for adults and kids to get back into the swing of things after such a long break. This is a great time to re-connect with students and let them do so with their classmates by giving them time to talk about what they did over break (otherwise they'll create their own time to talk to one another!) Keep in mind that you will likely need to review/rehearse procedures before getting everyone back into the full groove. Here's a great post on this topic: Ideas for Working with the January Slump

Events this week:

Wednesday - staff mtg at 3:10 in the IMC

Friday - I'll be at CESA 6 all day

Planning ahead:

• MAP testing winter window is January 11-29
• F&P Benchmark testing should be completed by January 26 (for those below benchmark in the Fall and for teachers using F&P for SLO data). Please add updated levels to the google doc
• I will be pulling ELL students for ACCESS testing by the end of January and will email details out to those with ELL students later.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

*If you haven't already done so, please share your topics of interest for our upcoming DART day HERE.  If you missed Dr. Thompson's email on this, here's an explanation of what this is for:

On February 15, we will join our colleagues from Hustisford, Horicon, Mayville, Lomira and Oakfield for a morning of collaborative learning.  This year, there will be one session of grade-level and/or departmental sharing, followed by two sessions of DARTCamp (similar to the EDCamp model  but with pre-planned topics of discussion).  During these DARTCamp sessions you will select a topic of interest and learn from others with a similar interest.  

*A small group of staff members has held two meetings with the public library directors from Reeseville, Lowell and Juneau.  The purpose of the meetings has been to build a collaborative environment to mutually support the literacy work being done both in our school, as well as in the public libraries.  

If you would be interested in joining this group, the next meeting is  Monday, January 11 from 3:15 to 4:00 PM in the MS/HS side of our library.  

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!

*Great idea to do with your students: Knowing Yourself as a Reader

*I hereby resolve to...