Valentine's Parties - are set for 12:30 - 1:00 pm on Thursday, February 12th. This is an early-out day during parent-teacher conference week. Please get information to parents next week about what is going on your classroom so they can make plans.
Formative Assessment - First, thank you to Mark & Michelle for giving our district an update on what we are up to at Washington! It was good to hear what was going on in the district and see that although we often work independently, student learning is a common target across the board. Next week, our PD over formative assessment will continue at the MS auditorium. We have already received lots of great feedback via the survey. If you have not completed it, please do so now. If you were not in attendance, an email will be coming today to let you know how you will get up to speed before next Wednesday.
Homework Awards - Before you leave today, please turn in to Katherine (slight change!!):
1. The list of students who did not complete their work this week, and
2. The signed responsibility cards from students (please have students write their names on the cards)
Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences - You should begin to explain to students the importance of each child being present at conferences with their parents. The conversation is so much more meaningful when the child is explaining their own progress, triumphs and struggles. There are some AWESOME rubrics and forms located on the Huron Valley website (starting on page 13) to have your students fill out prior to conferences if you want to do student-led conferences. It would be valuable classroom time spent prior to conference week as the goals of student-led conferences are:
♦ To encourage students to accept responsibility for their learning
♦ To teach students to evaluate their academic performance
♦ To engage the parent, the student, and the teacher in honest dialogue
♦ To increase parent participation at conference time
If you want assistance, please see me soon! I'd love to help you set it up for your conferences!
When do we need to be here? - This question comes up each year during conferences and I want to make sure we are all on the same page about times that week. Many of you set up conferences outside the times on the calendar to meet the needs of parents. I appreciate this and I'm sure the parents do too. Know that Friday is an 8-hour comp-day so you must be in conferences or be working within the building that week for 8 hours outside the 8am-4pm work day. A couple teachers have already inquired about seeing if Bob Deter could come over to work with them on webpages and he is tentatively scheduling himself to be here (times to be announced). This would be a great use of time if your conferences do not fill the 8 hours. Also, some teachers have doubled the length of some conferences to ensure enough time for 'high need' students. Great idea too! Your schedule turned in to the office should include your 'office hours' for the week. Further questions, let me know.
Writing & Literacy Work - this has not been forgotten and information will come with our next step with the process. Remember: must focus on multiple tasks (like we ask our students to do) & our work is not a sprint!!
AEA 14 & 13 Merger - (from Connie Maxson, AEA 14 Administrator) "On January 27, the Loess Hills AEA 13 Board of Directors voted in support of the merger with Green Valley AEA 14, effective July 1, 2010. With this vote, the process of bringing the two agencies together begins. Many decisions will be made in the coming 17 months as we develop and implement a new AEA serving the schools of southwest Iowa. The first steps include: Preparation of a Plan for Merger. This plan is basically a “plan to plan”and provides limited detail about the new agency. Mark Draper, AEA 13 Associate Director, and David Van Horn, AEA 14 Associate Administrator, are responsible for writing the plan. Hearings must be held to give the public an opportunity for input in the development of the plan. The plan will then be presented to both boards for approval. It must then be submitted to and approved by the State Board of Education (Department of Education). We hope to submit the plan in April 2009. A joint board meeting is scheduled for February 5 in Red Oak.
Coming up…
February - Guidance will be health & puberty education month!
Feb 2 - Monday Assembly (Hit the Books Assembly at 2:45 pm) & PLC
Feb 4 - Teacher Quality Committee Mtg (4 pm @ Webster)
Feb 5 - Schedules for conference week must be turned in
Feb 9 - Parent Teacher Conferences 2pm-8pm
Feb 10 - AFTER SCHOOL MATH (Houghton State Bank)
Feb 10-11 - Barry will be at ICL Conference (DM)
Feb 12 - Parent Teacher Conferences 2pm-8pm
Feb 13 - NO SCHOOL
Feb 16 - PD @ IPS starting at 7:45 AM
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
January 23, 2009
Homework Awards - Before you leave today, please turn in the list of which students completed their work this week and the signed responsibility cards from students. We will draw names and announce winners during Monday's assembly. Outside of extra recess, I'm still looking for 'group incentives' so let me know if you have thoughts!
5-1 Cleans Up - It was fun to watch 5-1 (plus some extras) greet, clean and help out at Pizza Ranch last night during "Tip Night." What a great turnout and my family enjoyed our dinner out! Jen commented that it was nice to see the kids working to earn money for something they want and I agree! Thank you Ms. Linn for organizing this and to everyone who came out or donated money to the cause.
Writing Probes & Gates - The writing prompts should be completed. Please share the fall and winter writings from students during parent-teacher conferences and keep those on files. In addition to sharing Gates with parents, make sure your updated file is located on the intranet. The shared team document should be updated too - I will analyze this information to share with staff & the school board. Email it to me if you're having issues doing it.
Literacy Work - I appreciated the feedback and discussion Wednesday. If you team already had an agenda/plans for Monday's PLC time, you should hold off on completing the writing matrix until time permits. Norma, Rebecca & I will meet soon to discuss the next step for teams with our writing curriculum work. I will get information to you after our meeting.
Professional Development - What we have done this year during "professional development" time is unlike anything this district has done during the previous five years of Reading First and likely any year prior to that too. The past five years we have had a single focus: reading. During the first five months of this year, we have been involved in multiple tasks and new learnings. At times, this may feel overwhelming to some and unfocused to others. Recent conversations with one staff member lead me to the simple realization: although I believe we have focus this year (improving learning & instruction across all subjects & areas), I have never articulated this or discussed it with you as a staff. What may appear as too many irons in the fire or scattered, does have purpose. What we have done so far this year is amazing. Individually and in teams, we have increased our technology skills, defined our essential outcomes, written formative assessments, began to meet the needs of all our students in math and found time to discuss curriculum with our primary and secondary colleagues. Next week, we will begin to respond to the question we have raised: Are we using formative assessments correctly? What was done during five years of Reading First was great, but the need to work on and improve in the areas left untouched was needed and now we have been given the time to do it. Many have made the connections and come to the understanding that in order to meet student needs, we need to focus on many areas - not just one. It won't get done this month or even this semester, but we cannot stop to focus on one single thing or initiative this year and continue to ignore the rest. I appreciate and value your work, your feedback and your focus on student learning. We have improved student learning and will continue the mission to do so.
Coming up…
Jan 26th – Monday Assembly & PLC
Jan 27th – Iowa Core Curriculum meeting (Shenandoah & Webster)
Jan 28th – Deadline for parents to return sheets; Early Out: PD @ HS (Formative Assessment)
Jan 29th – Barry, Montgomery & Linn PWIMing in Des Moines. :)
5-1 Cleans Up - It was fun to watch 5-1 (plus some extras) greet, clean and help out at Pizza Ranch last night during "Tip Night." What a great turnout and my family enjoyed our dinner out! Jen commented that it was nice to see the kids working to earn money for something they want and I agree! Thank you Ms. Linn for organizing this and to everyone who came out or donated money to the cause.
Writing Probes & Gates - The writing prompts should be completed. Please share the fall and winter writings from students during parent-teacher conferences and keep those on files. In addition to sharing Gates with parents, make sure your updated file is located on the intranet. The shared team document should be updated too - I will analyze this information to share with staff & the school board. Email it to me if you're having issues doing it.
Literacy Work - I appreciated the feedback and discussion Wednesday. If you team already had an agenda/plans for Monday's PLC time, you should hold off on completing the writing matrix until time permits. Norma, Rebecca & I will meet soon to discuss the next step for teams with our writing curriculum work. I will get information to you after our meeting.
Professional Development - What we have done this year during "professional development" time is unlike anything this district has done during the previous five years of Reading First and likely any year prior to that too. The past five years we have had a single focus: reading. During the first five months of this year, we have been involved in multiple tasks and new learnings. At times, this may feel overwhelming to some and unfocused to others. Recent conversations with one staff member lead me to the simple realization: although I believe we have focus this year (improving learning & instruction across all subjects & areas), I have never articulated this or discussed it with you as a staff. What may appear as too many irons in the fire or scattered, does have purpose. What we have done so far this year is amazing. Individually and in teams, we have increased our technology skills, defined our essential outcomes, written formative assessments, began to meet the needs of all our students in math and found time to discuss curriculum with our primary and secondary colleagues. Next week, we will begin to respond to the question we have raised: Are we using formative assessments correctly? What was done during five years of Reading First was great, but the need to work on and improve in the areas left untouched was needed and now we have been given the time to do it. Many have made the connections and come to the understanding that in order to meet student needs, we need to focus on many areas - not just one. It won't get done this month or even this semester, but we cannot stop to focus on one single thing or initiative this year and continue to ignore the rest. I appreciate and value your work, your feedback and your focus on student learning. We have improved student learning and will continue the mission to do so.
Coming up…
Jan 26th – Monday Assembly & PLC
Jan 27th – Iowa Core Curriculum meeting (Shenandoah & Webster)
Jan 28th – Deadline for parents to return sheets; Early Out: PD @ HS (Formative Assessment)
Jan 28th – Student Advisory Group for January has lunch with Mr. Barry
Jan 29th – PT Scheduling; teachers meet at Washington Intermediate @ 3:45 pm;Jan 29th – Barry, Montgomery & Linn PWIMing in Des Moines. :)
Website of the Week
Our very own Links to Use on our Washington webpage!
If you have a link you want added or one that you always have your students use, please email it to Brenda. She will get it posted on this page for you, students and/or parents to have easy access too!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Site of the Month
Answer 20 multiple choice questions correctly to win the Math Olympics. Topics range from basic computation and general math knowledge to word problems with percentages, ratios, and fractions. Math Olympics provides excellent test prep practice for students in grades 4+.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
January 16, 2009
Homework Awards - During this coming Monday's assembly, I will follow up with the students on the importance of getting your classroom work and homework completed. I will explain the following incentives for doing their best: Beginning Tuesday, classroom teachers should keep track of which students are turning their homework in consistently and we will begin rewarding them for being responsible and for caring about their school work. The teacher should check off any student who does not get their homework done on time or misses/losses a classroom assignment. Teachers should turn in their list each Friday after school to the office and we will reward students in several ways. Some of which include an extra recess during Monday assemblies, early lunch & longer noon recess, Ranch Bucks, drawings for Tiger or other t-shirts, etc. If you have additional ideas as how to reward students for being responsible for their work, let me know.
Technology Giveaway - Jill McManis contacted me and wanted me to pass along this exciting opportunity: "Any teacher who received one of the Youth Educational Programs from Modern Woodmen of America can register for the Modern Woodmen of America $10,000 Technology Giveaway. I would love to see our community benefit from this great opportunity for our schools. I spoke with Sandra Guinn and she suggested emailing the link to you and you could forward this on to the other teachers who are using our programs. Click here and then click on the "register online" link and the teachers can fill in their information. It is very simple to do." It is very simple - it took me one minute to complete!
Writing Probes - the writing prompts Michelle explained to you last week need to be completed this coming week (January 19-23). Please allow 30 minutes to complete and if you have questions, ask Michelle or I. The (click here -->) directions can be on the intranet if you lost your sheet.
Upcoming PD - The work you've done the last two weeks with formative assessments, student data, essential outcomes and updating your goals has been great! Next week, all K-5 staff will (re)focus on Literacy, specifically writing. Although we will be doing the same work K-5, you will remain in your respective buildings. We will begin at Washington at 1:30 in Mrs. Timmerman's room so the task for the day can be explained. Starting January 28th, for three consecutive PDs we will be working K-12 again with the focus on formative assessments, interventions and building-wide support for students. This will tie in very well with the work we have already been doing within your PLC and curriculum teams.
Thanks Gene! - A big thank you to Mr. Redd for displaying our American flag in our gym. This was long overdue and it looks great. I appreciate all you've done since you've come on board and I know the staff feels the same way. Keep up the good work!
Coming up…
Jan 16th – Bates gone (conference in D.M.)
Jan 19th – Send home conference letters; Monday Assembly @ 2:55; PLC Time
Jan 21st – Early Out: PD @ WIS (Writing Focus)
Jan 28th – Deadline for parents to return sheets; Early Out: PD @ HS (Formative Assessment)
Jan 29th – Teachers meet at Washington Intermediate @ 3:45 pm; Barry, Montgomery & Linn PWIMing in Des Moines. :)
Technology Giveaway - Jill McManis contacted me and wanted me to pass along this exciting opportunity: "Any teacher who received one of the Youth Educational Programs from Modern Woodmen of America can register for the Modern Woodmen of America $10,000 Technology Giveaway. I would love to see our community benefit from this great opportunity for our schools. I spoke with Sandra Guinn and she suggested emailing the link to you and you could forward this on to the other teachers who are using our programs. Click here and then click on the "register online" link and the teachers can fill in their information. It is very simple to do." It is very simple - it took me one minute to complete!
Writing Probes - the writing prompts Michelle explained to you last week need to be completed this coming week (January 19-23). Please allow 30 minutes to complete and if you have questions, ask Michelle or I. The (click here -->) directions can be on the intranet if you lost your sheet.
Upcoming PD - The work you've done the last two weeks with formative assessments, student data, essential outcomes and updating your goals has been great! Next week, all K-5 staff will (re)focus on Literacy, specifically writing. Although we will be doing the same work K-5, you will remain in your respective buildings. We will begin at Washington at 1:30 in Mrs. Timmerman's room so the task for the day can be explained. Starting January 28th, for three consecutive PDs we will be working K-12 again with the focus on formative assessments, interventions and building-wide support for students. This will tie in very well with the work we have already been doing within your PLC and curriculum teams.
Thanks Gene! - A big thank you to Mr. Redd for displaying our American flag in our gym. This was long overdue and it looks great. I appreciate all you've done since you've come on board and I know the staff feels the same way. Keep up the good work!
Coming up…
Jan 16th – Bates gone (conference in D.M.)
Jan 19th – Send home conference letters; Monday Assembly @ 2:55; PLC Time
Jan 21st – Early Out: PD @ WIS (Writing Focus)
Jan 28th – Deadline for parents to return sheets; Early Out: PD @ HS (Formative Assessment)
Jan 29th – Teachers meet at Washington Intermediate @ 3:45 pm; Barry, Montgomery & Linn PWIMing in Des Moines. :)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
January 13th, 2009 - Tuesday Tip
Dr. Zimmerman's TUESDAY TIP:
During my graduate work, a professor wisely told me to begin keeping a "HABDF" handy ("Having A Bad Day File"). He told us to include things in it that, when opened, would make us laugh and smile. This file located in my desk drawer has grown from one small folder to over three folders and includes many notes, quotes, pictures and items from students, parents and colleagues during my time at Washington Intermediate. Some make me smile and some downright make me laugh out loud still!
As Dr. Zimmerman suggests in his "action" for this week's tip, I would encourage all of you to keep a similar file handy. You never know when you're going to need it. :)
He who laughs, lasts DB
Laugh ... and the whole world laughs with you. Cry ... and you have to blow your nose.
What Dr. Alan Zimmerman Has To Say:
Times are tough. And there may be little you can do about the government or financial policy that is needed to fix these times. But you ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have control over your response to these times or any other times. So what can you do or should you do when times are challenging?
=> 1. Limit your exposure to negative people.
There's an old proverb that says, "Misery loves company." Maybe so. But more accurately, "Misery breeds misery."
Perhaps you've noticed some folks at work talking on and on about how bad the economy is. Or you've heard some coworkers express their anger over the changes in the company. If you're not careful, you'll get sucked into the discussion. You'll add your own comments about how rotten everything is. And as you do, you'll kill off your own positive energy, and you'll end up feeling worse than you did before.
For your own good, limit your exposure to negative people. Don't join them for lunch in the company cafeteria, and shorten your telephone conversations with those people who just want to complain and commiserate.
=> 2. Limit your exposure to negative input.
Obviously, you want to be informed about what is happening in the world, in the country, in your company, and in your family. You want to know enough so you can make the best judgments as to what you should do. But once you know the news, shut it off. After all, the news now ... like the news 5, 10, or 50 years ago ... is almost always negative and almost always repeated. That's why CNN should be known as Constant Negative News. Overexposure to negative input has no redeeming value.
It will not make your life better, help you sleep more soundly, make you more money, or improve your relationships. Negative input will only depress you. Limit your exposure to negative input as you feed your mind good, healthy, nourishing input.
That's what counselor Carla Erickson learned to do. She says, "I've been listening to your MIND OVER MATTER CDs every day for a long, long time, and they have been a wonderful resource for me during the stressful times in my life. I have also given them to my family members, my friends, and coworkers to help them with the difficult situations they've had in their lives. Everyone talks about how well these CDs work."
If you'd like a copy of the MIND OVER MATTER album, along with all the other products I'm giving away, just click here http://www.drzimmerman.com/tools/productinfo/sub.htm
And then ... => 3. Look for humor every day.
Laugh, chuckle, and laugh some more. The medical evidence is overwhelming. Laughter fills your body with mood-lifting, pain-killing endorphins. And all the spiritual literature says that humor is good for your soul. So look for at least three funny things every day. Look for the FUNNY WAY PEOPLE SEE THINGS.
For example, one man said he was driving with his three young children when a woman in the convertible ahead of them stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As he was reeling from the shock, he heard his 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Dad, that lady isn't wearing her seat belt!"
Or look for the FUNNY WAY PEOPLE SAY THINGS. One woman talked about the time she was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle, the phone rang so she asked her four-year-old daughter to answer the phone. She was horrified to hear her daughter say, "Mommy can't come to the phone right now. She's hitting the bottle."
Or look for the FUNNY QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK. It's like the little boy who got lost at the YMCA and wandered into the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks ... with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a little boy before?" The humor is out there, all around you, every day. Look for it and laugh.
And finally ... => 4. Start a humor collection.
Sure it sounds silly. But it also makes sense. You may have a recipe box, a collection of greeting cards you've received over the years, or a carton filled with your favorite magazines. Fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But it would be smart to have a humor collection as well. Find jokes, funny stories, or one-liners, and store them in an old-fashioned manila folder or a file on your computer. And when you're the slightest bit down, spend a few minutes reviewing some of the funnies in your file.
For example, I like to collect one liners. I've actually gone into those touristy junk shops with all those racks of crazy post cards and outrageous bumper strips ... with a notebook in hand ... and written down the funny one-liners.
A few I picked up recently ...
*Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
*One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
*Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
*One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
And I've collected strange questions that make me stop, think, and chuckle for second. A few I wrote down included ...
*If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
*What if there were no hypothetical questions?
*Is there another word for synonym?
*Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
*If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
*Can a vegetarian eat animal crackers?
*If you try to fail ... and succeed ... which have you done?
*Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
*If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to start speaking?
*Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?
*What was the best thing before sliced bread?
*How is it possible to have a civil war?
*If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown, too?
There's no getting around the point that these are challenging times. But you don't have to become challenged and defeated. Take control of your spirit, your mood, your attitude, and your response by doing the four things I've outlined.
Action: Start a humor collection. And once a week, buddy up with somebody to share the funnies you've collected that week.
Make it a great week! Dr. Alan Zimmerman
During my graduate work, a professor wisely told me to begin keeping a "HABDF" handy ("Having A Bad Day File"). He told us to include things in it that, when opened, would make us laugh and smile. This file located in my desk drawer has grown from one small folder to over three folders and includes many notes, quotes, pictures and items from students, parents and colleagues during my time at Washington Intermediate. Some make me smile and some downright make me laugh out loud still!
As Dr. Zimmerman suggests in his "action" for this week's tip, I would encourage all of you to keep a similar file handy. You never know when you're going to need it. :)
He who laughs, lasts DB
Laugh ... and the whole world laughs with you. Cry ... and you have to blow your nose.
What Dr. Alan Zimmerman Has To Say:
Times are tough. And there may be little you can do about the government or financial policy that is needed to fix these times. But you ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have control over your response to these times or any other times. So what can you do or should you do when times are challenging?
=> 1. Limit your exposure to negative people.
There's an old proverb that says, "Misery loves company." Maybe so. But more accurately, "Misery breeds misery."
Perhaps you've noticed some folks at work talking on and on about how bad the economy is. Or you've heard some coworkers express their anger over the changes in the company. If you're not careful, you'll get sucked into the discussion. You'll add your own comments about how rotten everything is. And as you do, you'll kill off your own positive energy, and you'll end up feeling worse than you did before.
For your own good, limit your exposure to negative people. Don't join them for lunch in the company cafeteria, and shorten your telephone conversations with those people who just want to complain and commiserate.
=> 2. Limit your exposure to negative input.
Obviously, you want to be informed about what is happening in the world, in the country, in your company, and in your family. You want to know enough so you can make the best judgments as to what you should do. But once you know the news, shut it off. After all, the news now ... like the news 5, 10, or 50 years ago ... is almost always negative and almost always repeated. That's why CNN should be known as Constant Negative News. Overexposure to negative input has no redeeming value.
It will not make your life better, help you sleep more soundly, make you more money, or improve your relationships. Negative input will only depress you. Limit your exposure to negative input as you feed your mind good, healthy, nourishing input.
That's what counselor Carla Erickson learned to do. She says, "I've been listening to your MIND OVER MATTER CDs every day for a long, long time, and they have been a wonderful resource for me during the stressful times in my life. I have also given them to my family members, my friends, and coworkers to help them with the difficult situations they've had in their lives. Everyone talks about how well these CDs work."
If you'd like a copy of the MIND OVER MATTER album, along with all the other products I'm giving away, just click here http://www.drzimmerman.com/tools/productinfo/sub.htm
And then ... => 3. Look for humor every day.
Laugh, chuckle, and laugh some more. The medical evidence is overwhelming. Laughter fills your body with mood-lifting, pain-killing endorphins. And all the spiritual literature says that humor is good for your soul. So look for at least three funny things every day. Look for the FUNNY WAY PEOPLE SEE THINGS.
For example, one man said he was driving with his three young children when a woman in the convertible ahead of them stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As he was reeling from the shock, he heard his 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Dad, that lady isn't wearing her seat belt!"
Or look for the FUNNY WAY PEOPLE SAY THINGS. One woman talked about the time she was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle, the phone rang so she asked her four-year-old daughter to answer the phone. She was horrified to hear her daughter say, "Mommy can't come to the phone right now. She's hitting the bottle."
Or look for the FUNNY QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK. It's like the little boy who got lost at the YMCA and wandered into the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks ... with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a little boy before?" The humor is out there, all around you, every day. Look for it and laugh.
And finally ... => 4. Start a humor collection.
Sure it sounds silly. But it also makes sense. You may have a recipe box, a collection of greeting cards you've received over the years, or a carton filled with your favorite magazines. Fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But it would be smart to have a humor collection as well. Find jokes, funny stories, or one-liners, and store them in an old-fashioned manila folder or a file on your computer. And when you're the slightest bit down, spend a few minutes reviewing some of the funnies in your file.
For example, I like to collect one liners. I've actually gone into those touristy junk shops with all those racks of crazy post cards and outrageous bumper strips ... with a notebook in hand ... and written down the funny one-liners.
A few I picked up recently ...
*Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
*One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
*Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
*One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
And I've collected strange questions that make me stop, think, and chuckle for second. A few I wrote down included ...
*If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
*What if there were no hypothetical questions?
*Is there another word for synonym?
*Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
*If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
*Can a vegetarian eat animal crackers?
*If you try to fail ... and succeed ... which have you done?
*Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
*If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to start speaking?
*Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?
*What was the best thing before sliced bread?
*How is it possible to have a civil war?
*If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown, too?
There's no getting around the point that these are challenging times. But you don't have to become challenged and defeated. Take control of your spirit, your mood, your attitude, and your response by doing the four things I've outlined.
Action: Start a humor collection. And once a week, buddy up with somebody to share the funnies you've collected that week.
Make it a great week! Dr. Alan Zimmerman
Thursday, January 8, 2009
January 9th, 2009
After School Math – Our first after-school math for the 2nd semester will be next Tuesday. Please discuss your plan as a team. U.S. Bank will be our sponsor.
PLC Next Two Weeks - Thank you to both teams for your mintues. All minutes I have received are posted on the intranet for others to view (if weeks are missing from a grade level it is because I never received the weekly log). From looking over your minutes, it appears you were very productive last week and have much to do next week during PLC time Monday and Wednesday. Looking ahead to January 21st, we will be working, discussing and collaborating on the literacy work that has been done by our building committee members on that team. More information to come.
Skills Iowa - Jim Lippold will be here next Thursday, January 15th in the morning to work with teachers on Skills Tutor and the Assessment website. Please let me know if you want time with him to continue your learning and/or set up something for students, class or team.
Senteo - the handheld assessment tools can be very useful for teachers. Right now, they are not being used too much and teachers may check them out from the media center. A reminder that the Senteos can be used with the Smart Board but also work with a projector or even with out either the projector or Smart Board. The online training (email is below) is very good as I went through 2 of the 3 listed.
Coming up…
Jan 12th – Monday Assemby, PLC Mtgs, Board Mtg @ Webster (6:00 pm)
Jan 13th – After School Math (U.S. Bank)
Jan 14th – PLC Building; Early out
Jan 15th – Jim Lippold of Skills Iowa here in the AM (IPS after school)
- Understanding Poverty workshop @ HS MC (6-8 pm)
Jan 19th – send home conference letters
Jan 28th – deadline for parents to return sheets
Jan 29th – teachers meet at Washington Intermediate @ 3:45 pm
He who laughs, lasts
– DB
PLC Next Two Weeks - Thank you to both teams for your mintues. All minutes I have received are posted on the intranet for others to view (if weeks are missing from a grade level it is because I never received the weekly log). From looking over your minutes, it appears you were very productive last week and have much to do next week during PLC time Monday and Wednesday. Looking ahead to January 21st, we will be working, discussing and collaborating on the literacy work that has been done by our building committee members on that team. More information to come.
Skills Iowa - Jim Lippold will be here next Thursday, January 15th in the morning to work with teachers on Skills Tutor and the Assessment website. Please let me know if you want time with him to continue your learning and/or set up something for students, class or team.
Senteo - the handheld assessment tools can be very useful for teachers. Right now, they are not being used too much and teachers may check them out from the media center. A reminder that the Senteos can be used with the Smart Board but also work with a projector or even with out either the projector or Smart Board. The online training (email is below) is very good as I went through 2 of the 3 listed.
Coming up…
Jan 12th – Monday Assemby, PLC Mtgs, Board Mtg @ Webster (6:00 pm)
Jan 13th – After School Math (U.S. Bank)
Jan 14th – PLC Building; Early out
Jan 15th – Jim Lippold of Skills Iowa here in the AM (IPS after school)
- Understanding Poverty workshop @ HS MC (6-8 pm)
Jan 19th – send home conference letters
Jan 28th – deadline for parents to return sheets
Jan 29th – teachers meet at Washington Intermediate @ 3:45 pm
He who laughs, lasts
– DB
Senteo 2.0
For those of you who need to upgrade your Senteo software to 2.0. I’ll call Mark the resident expert on how to ‘register’ the new software. Talk to him. J
DB
To download the new Senteo 2.0 software - http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Support/Downloads/Senteo/Windows/Senteov2Win.htm
New Features handout for Senteo 2.0 - http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/130791
Senteo FAQ list - http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/115420 DO NOT print…too long.
Senteo 2.0 User Guide - http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/130791 DO NOT print...too long. You are able to save the document to reference though.
TRAINING OPTIONS
Two minute tutorial - http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/tutorials.asp
- Managing class lists using Senteo assessment software
- Creating assessments for use with the Senteo interactive response system
Self paced Senteo 2.0 Online training – ENCOURAGE ALL TO DO THIS!
- You can do it at your own pace
- Register online at http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/online/index.asp - if you have troubles finding it, let me know!
DB
To download the new Senteo 2.0 software - http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/Support/Downloads/Senteo/Windows/Senteov2Win.htm
New Features handout for Senteo 2.0 - http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/130791
Senteo FAQ list - http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/115420 DO NOT print…too long.
Senteo 2.0 User Guide - http://www2.smarttech.com/kbdoc/130791 DO NOT print...too long. You are able to save the document to reference though.
TRAINING OPTIONS
Two minute tutorial - http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/tutorials.asp
- Managing class lists using Senteo assessment software
- Creating assessments for use with the Senteo interactive response system
Self paced Senteo 2.0 Online training – ENCOURAGE ALL TO DO THIS!
- You can do it at your own pace
- Register online at http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/online/index.asp - if you have troubles finding it, let me know!
Guerrilla RTI - Are we making this too difficult?
Washington Staff,
The "RTI" mentioned below is Response to Intervention (aka. IDM-Instructional Decision Making, Pyramid of Intervention, etc.). It is a term you may have heard and likely have attempted in some fashion during your time teaching. A building wide RTI process would be great - but we are not there yet.
This is why I liked this week's tip from Pat Quinn regarding "Guerrilla RTI." I know this is happening in our building through having paras read with students in the morning, a parent volunteer working with students from one classroom, and a teacher finding time to work one-on-one with a student outside the regular schedule.
As we work toward moving to a better building-wide "RTI" (math intervention, more consistent guided reading groups; three tier process, etc.), continue looking for ways to sneak in "Guerrilla RTIs!"
He who laughs, lasts
DB
From: rti@aweber.com on behalf of Pat Quinn
Sent: Wed 1/7/2009 11:28 PM
To: Doug Barry
Subject: Guerrilla RTI - Are we making this too difficult?
All too often, it seems, educators with the best intentions come together to do their RTI planning. Unfortunately, in many cases, the RTI process becomes paralyzed with the nuances of how to get started.
The conversation goes something like this: "Until we have our pyramid of interventions..." "Until we have the perfect screening..." "Until the team looks at the scores..." Until... Until... Until we have everything in place...nothing ever happens!
Nothing is more frustrating that being stuck in the "until" stage. I have seen the excitement about RTI fade as the hours become days and the RTI process turns into planning paralysis. The result is a last minute effort to get the planning done just to meet a deadline. Not good.
I'm here to tell you that you can avoid the frustration that comes from planning paralysis, and its easier than you think. The answer is Guerrilla RTI.
Guerrilla RTI is a "down-and-dirty version of RTI that is NOT as a permanent solution, but is a way to help kids while all the other pieces of RTI come together.
What does this new "Guerrilla RTI" look like? It's simple really:
Find a small group of students who share a common specific deficiency.
Choose an intervention that is research-validated to address that deficiency.
Find a time and a person to deliver the intervention to the small group.
That's "Guerrilla RTI" in a nutshell.
Is it perfect? Certainly not.
Does it help kids? It certainly does.
Let's say your school is stuck in the RTI implementation process, but you have a group of 5th grade students who still do not know their basic multiplication facts. Are you better off sending them off to middle school next year STILL not knowing their multiplication facts, or should you DO something?
You know the correct answer. So take those four students, choose and intervention, and find a time and a person to deliver it. Perhaps the teacher could spend 15 minutes during half of the students' lunch period implementing the intervention.
Never let "perfect" be the enemy of "good".
Let's say you have two students in your second grade class who struggle in a particular area such as Phonemic Decoding Efficiency. Your school is still evaluating TOWRE to see if it is the perfect progress monitoring tool, and there are other pieces of the puzzle still waiting to be put in place. WHY WAIT?
With Guerrilla RTI you could go to the other second grade teachers and ask if they have any students who are also struggling with Phonemic Decoding Efficiency. You might find that there are five students all together. Choose and intervention, find a time to do it, and GO! Perhaps each of the teachers could help the group one day a week during morning recess.
Let me be clear: I am not advocating that you throw out many of the important aspects of RTI such as outside observation for fidelity, progress monitoring, and the like. But I am advocating helping kids WHILE we create the perfect system.
So if you are frustrated like I am at the pace of change, consider implementing some Guerrilla RTI at your school while you wait!
As always, I'm happy to answer your question. Email me or check out www.response-to-intervention.com
Thanks!
-Pat Quinn"The RTI Guy"
The "RTI" mentioned below is Response to Intervention (aka. IDM-Instructional Decision Making, Pyramid of Intervention, etc.). It is a term you may have heard and likely have attempted in some fashion during your time teaching. A building wide RTI process would be great - but we are not there yet.
This is why I liked this week's tip from Pat Quinn regarding "Guerrilla RTI." I know this is happening in our building through having paras read with students in the morning, a parent volunteer working with students from one classroom, and a teacher finding time to work one-on-one with a student outside the regular schedule.
As we work toward moving to a better building-wide "RTI" (math intervention, more consistent guided reading groups; three tier process, etc.), continue looking for ways to sneak in "Guerrilla RTIs!"
He who laughs, lasts
DB
From: rti@aweber.com on behalf of Pat Quinn
Sent: Wed 1/7/2009 11:28 PM
To: Doug Barry
Subject: Guerrilla RTI - Are we making this too difficult?
All too often, it seems, educators with the best intentions come together to do their RTI planning. Unfortunately, in many cases, the RTI process becomes paralyzed with the nuances of how to get started.
The conversation goes something like this: "Until we have our pyramid of interventions..." "Until we have the perfect screening..." "Until the team looks at the scores..." Until... Until... Until we have everything in place...nothing ever happens!
Nothing is more frustrating that being stuck in the "until" stage. I have seen the excitement about RTI fade as the hours become days and the RTI process turns into planning paralysis. The result is a last minute effort to get the planning done just to meet a deadline. Not good.
I'm here to tell you that you can avoid the frustration that comes from planning paralysis, and its easier than you think. The answer is Guerrilla RTI.
Guerrilla RTI is a "down-and-dirty version of RTI that is NOT as a permanent solution, but is a way to help kids while all the other pieces of RTI come together.
What does this new "Guerrilla RTI" look like? It's simple really:
Find a small group of students who share a common specific deficiency.
Choose an intervention that is research-validated to address that deficiency.
Find a time and a person to deliver the intervention to the small group.
That's "Guerrilla RTI" in a nutshell.
Is it perfect? Certainly not.
Does it help kids? It certainly does.
Let's say your school is stuck in the RTI implementation process, but you have a group of 5th grade students who still do not know their basic multiplication facts. Are you better off sending them off to middle school next year STILL not knowing their multiplication facts, or should you DO something?
You know the correct answer. So take those four students, choose and intervention, and find a time and a person to deliver it. Perhaps the teacher could spend 15 minutes during half of the students' lunch period implementing the intervention.
Never let "perfect" be the enemy of "good".
Let's say you have two students in your second grade class who struggle in a particular area such as Phonemic Decoding Efficiency. Your school is still evaluating TOWRE to see if it is the perfect progress monitoring tool, and there are other pieces of the puzzle still waiting to be put in place. WHY WAIT?
With Guerrilla RTI you could go to the other second grade teachers and ask if they have any students who are also struggling with Phonemic Decoding Efficiency. You might find that there are five students all together. Choose and intervention, find a time to do it, and GO! Perhaps each of the teachers could help the group one day a week during morning recess.
Let me be clear: I am not advocating that you throw out many of the important aspects of RTI such as outside observation for fidelity, progress monitoring, and the like. But I am advocating helping kids WHILE we create the perfect system.
So if you are frustrated like I am at the pace of change, consider implementing some Guerrilla RTI at your school while you wait!
As always, I'm happy to answer your question. Email me or check out www.response-to-intervention.com
Thanks!
-Pat Quinn"The RTI Guy"
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Copier
From: Doug Barry
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 8:39 AM
Subject: RE: 01-06-09_bulletin
Late arriving news…
We will be replacing our current copier with a new-used copier on Wednesday. When fully set up, this copier will allow for copy jobs to be sent directly from your computer and will (eventually) provide fax and scanning options. They have a van in the area tomorrow, hence the quick decision and turnaround.
What does that mean for you? The option to copy will be down from 9:15 – 9:45 am tomorrow and there may be some brief training after school tomorrow. Lana from Bro-Business did not think it would take too much time to learn the new copier.
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 8:39 AM
Subject: RE: 01-06-09_bulletin
Late arriving news…
We will be replacing our current copier with a new-used copier on Wednesday. When fully set up, this copier will allow for copy jobs to be sent directly from your computer and will (eventually) provide fax and scanning options. They have a van in the area tomorrow, hence the quick decision and turnaround.
What does that mean for you? The option to copy will be down from 9:15 – 9:45 am tomorrow and there may be some brief training after school tomorrow. Lana from Bro-Business did not think it would take too much time to learn the new copier.
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