Friday Focus - October 28

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• Students engaged in a math lesson with the SMART Notebook app to allow each of them to engage in the digital manipulatives/math tools on their iPads. 
• Students practicing the strategy of making a mental picture in their mind as they were reading...a skill that has huge crossover in all subject areas, especially when reading and figuring out what word problems are describing and asking for. 
• Kindergartners drawing a picture of something "close to their heart" (they actually repeated this to me!) and then writing sentences to go with it and labeling different parts of their picture. Seeing these little 5 year-olds deep in writing this early on is always amazing to me!
• 4K students practicing their jolly phonics sounds and writing their letters...the building blocks to be able to start writing in Kindergarten!
• A student book group with deep discussion led by the teacher asking questions that required students to refer back to the text to quote directly from the text (as the standards call for). Students had already left post it tabs to label parts where they had questions or thought were important when they read on their own. 
• Some fun trying to figure out optical illusions in art before creating their own artistic optical illusion.
• ALL grade levels have WIN up and going! :) :)

Events Next Week:
Tuesday - I plan to announce the students of the month at 8:05. If your names aren't in the google doc, please add them!
Friday - End of 1st Quarter (Grades are due Monday, November 7th by 7:30)
Future dates:
Tuesday 11/8 - Election Day--we'll have a student election (details still being worked on for this)
Wednesday 11/9 - Report Cards Distributed, Fundraiser Pick-Up
Friday 11/11 -Veterans Day Assembly


"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*If you're still looking for a professional learning activity, EdCamp Beaver Dam is still an option on Saturday.
*Report Card reminder from Mr. Wallesverd: For end of quarter: It is important that final quarter grades are being given and then saved correctly. Every student on your class list must have some sort of grade recorded (A,B,C,D,F,P,I,PS,FL,NG,X,M,W,NG) for storage in historical grades of the Q1 term. This is the case for all MS and EL class sections and is needed so that that we can send this required information to the state

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!
*Great post from last week's Daily Cafe Newsletter on how the little things that we don't even realize that could be affecting our relationships with students: It's the Little Things
*It Really Happens...great story from a teacher on how positivity(ending the negativity) really works!

Friday Focus - October 21, 2016

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

• 4th graders had a large color coded version of the break-apart model in a page protector so while they are solving word problems with subtraction they can solve using a dry erase marker in a larger space with the color coding visual (or choose to create their own model in the small workspace in their workbooks).
• Several teachers walking students through the process of rereading math word problems, stopping to ask questions reread for understanding: What is this problem about? What is it asking? What information does it tell us? Let's act what is happening.  These are all great strategies for students to learn how to keep rereading for meaning, those close reading skills that apply to math!
• Several teachers all in one room meeting with different book groups and conferring with individual students...it is so great to see regular/special education staff collaborating to meet all students' needs together and you could not even tell who was a student with an IEP needing extra support or not!
• Our 5th grade music/choir class going through vocal warm-ups and some tricky tongue twisters. Can you sing "cup of coffee in a copper coffee cup" 10 times getting faster each time at each step of the music scale? I couldn't keep up! They were sounding amazing!

*Have you noticed something positive at school; either in another classroom, anywhere in the building, help from a colleague or positive comments heard from a student, parent or community member? If so, please let me know so I can add it to my Friday Focus any week!

Events Next Week:
Monday - optional EP session on SLO/PPG worktime with assistance if needed
Wednesday - Picture Retake Day -Marie will call down when you can send any students that need their pictures to go to the stage.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*I know I probably don't have to remind anyone of this (because you all say how much you lack time to teach what you need to), please make sure that any special Halloween classroom activities/parties are just an event and not a half-day ordeal. The more you get out of the regular routine, the more your students will get out of the normal routine and you're likely to see more behaviors. 
*My November principal's newsletter (on the back of the calendar) is all about math facts/fluency, but also references the parent letters in Math Expressions. Please make sure to send those home as they come up through the units. While Math Expressions is no longer new to you or your students, it is likely the parents first time with your grade at Math Expressions.
*Just a heads-up that we will be collecting non-perishable food items during November to donate to the Gathering Source.
*Please help me to recognize students that are working hard, making great progress or going above and beyond to be bucket fillers. It only takes a moment to share with me about a student here: http://bit.ly/despostcard  You don't have to do it now, this will be added to Marie's daily staff announcements to use throughout the year.
*The 5-7th grade Robotics team will be meeting in Room 120 after school on Tuesdays (and maybe some other days), because it's a space that we can leave our robot parts/playfield in. Just giving you a heads up in case you wonder why there are students in there after school. If you use the room for a student group during the day, please don't let students touch the equipment (that will be covered up, but may look interesting to peek at!)

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Students and Goal Setting (in writing)
*Bethany Hill ‏@bethhill2829  Oct 15

A1: A positive mindset opens doors for kids. A negative mindset slams them shut and locks them tight! #satchatwc #KidsDeserveIt

The Weekend Wrap

My apologies for not getting this out in time for a Friday Focus. I'm sure you can all understand how the week also got away from me with P/T Conferences, preparing for our professional learning day and then I had an all day grad class on Saturday.  


Great Things I Noticed This Week:

• A class stopping early on Friday to reflect on their week, adding to a class chart of what they were proud of learning/accomplishing this week. The teacher then took a picture of the chart to share with parents in Class Dojo. Just think about how that can change the conversations at home about what their children did at school!
• A teacher read-aloud for the mini-lesson: the teacher stopped several times to check for understanding/comprehension throughout, giving 30 seconds each time for a quick partner share so that all were engaged in responding. She stopped before getting to the end to make sure to keep the mini-lesson "mini" and left students hanging and waiting for more to find out what happens!
• A quick class building activity during a morning meeting of 4 corners: they went to the corner of their favorite book genre and then had 2 minutes in their corner to share why they like that genre and some of their favorite books.
• I honestly heard nothing but positive comments from parents that I passed as they were leaving from their Parent/Teacher conferences. The positivity in the building was amazing. I sat in a number of meetings in which the student's strengths were highlighted first and then areas to grow were shared in a manner of dedication to help the student grow. 
• Our work together on Friday was not easy...but you all rolled up your sleeves and got to it. A huge celebration is that WIN will be starting for all grade levels, with focus! Together we will help our students exceed their potential!

Events This Week:
Thursday/Friday - we will have some people here checking on our wifi. This means that you will likely have a couple of men (with visitors badges) in your room for about 5 minutes with devices to check.
Friday - I will be out of the building at a meeting for DACs
Next Monday (Oct 24) at 3:15 is an optional EP session to provide you with worktime and my assistance to help answer any questions that you may have as you complete your SLO's, Self-Reflection, PPG and Surveys.

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*Thank you for the great sharing of tech integration on Friday! Here's a google doc to see what everyone shared so you know who to go to for questions if you want to add their tech tool to your toolbox of tech integration: Tech SmackDown
*For those of you who are on your summative year for evaluations I will be scheduling meetings with each of you to discuss your SLO. I should have an email of further details out to you soon.
*If you would like to add a musical to your entertainment for this week, then I'd like to recommend going to see Godspell in Beaver Dam...with one of our own teachers on the stage. If you don't know who, you'll have to find out and then show him your support!
 (Yes, I know I just narrowed down the possibilities quite a bit.)

Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!
*The 6 Week Check-In for Writers Workshop

Friday Focus - October 7, 2016

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*The mom of one of our new students shared that her daughter used to cry every day before school, but now that she's at Dodgeland she loves coming to school and even says she wishes school was on the weekend!
*When I visited with one of our students at the Homecoming football game he told me, "I hate the weekends." When I asked why he responded, "because I would rather be at school all the time."
*First graders skyping with a class in Kansas as part of their involvement in the Global Read Aloud. They asked each other questions to learn about how different a suburb and rural community are.
*A couple of IEP meetings in which the teachers started out by sharing the gains the student had made and highlighted the strengths. Please keep in mind to share those little wins in parent/teacher conferences!
*2nd graders reading about different types of communities in Pebble Go...great integration of literacy and social studies!
*Help from Mr. Klueger to try out "recess meditation" instead of recess detention with some students that could benefit from learning some calming strategies after poor sportsmanship incidents at recess.

Events Next Week: Get some extra sleep this weekend and pack your favorite healthy snacks to keep your energy up!
Monday - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4-7:30pm
Tuesday - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4-7:30pm
Wednesday/Thursday - Vision Screening
Friday - PD Day


"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:
*For P/T Conferences next week, please try to stick to your schedule so that parents aren't waiting in the hallway for too long. It would also be a good idea to post a sign like this one on your door:

*For those of you who have ELL students in your classroom, Mrs. Fobes or Ms. Nehls will be scheduling a time to meet with you to share their ACCESS test scores so you're aware of their English Proficiency levels and be able to collaborate on supporting their individual needs.
*The Friday Celebrations list has been updated with changes. You can find it HERE (or it's always in the DES Staff handbook google folder).
*The schedule for October 14th PD will be coming out soon, but you can know the agenda will include: data analysis, SLO magic in Educlimber, grade level team planning time for WIN, and of course a little bit of collaborative fun! :)


Blogs, Tweets & Pins...Oh My!!!
*Tips for Productive Parent Conferences
*Teachers Tell Individual Students How Special They Are
*Instant Mini Lesson Follow-Up