February 27, 2009

Wednesday PLC - Thank you to the teams for sending me your teacher logs and data. Both teams' focus on formative assessment and ITBS data and preparation has increased. If you need additional data from last year's ITBS results (individual, class & grade level), please let me know. Next week's early out will be devoted to PLC team time again.

Observations - Thank you to the seven teachers have scheduled their last of four (on cycle) or only formal observation (not on cycle). I still have a few who need to schedule a time and we only have 2 weeks left!

Parent-Teacher Conferences- Thank you for getting your information to us as I have included the overall results below. Our percentage of students attending with parents has increased each of the past three years! Full results are posted in the lounge. I have talked to several teachers who have already made up conferences and/or plan on making them up this week or next. If you are having a hard time making it work, please see me today so I can assist.
Percentage of conferences held = 96.1%
Percentage of students attending = 79.2%
Percentage of conferences w/ both parents attending = 32.0%

Fire Call - In case you may have heard about the fire department's response to alarms at Inman, Mr. Schmidt sent this out this morning: "Last evening a fire alarm was sounded for the Inman Primary School as heat and smoke was noted in the food service area. There was no actual fire but some smoke. After the fire department turned the problem over to school officials and a local electrician, it was determined that a booster fan in the duct work above the kitchen area had burned. The subsequent heat and smoke caused the alarm system to be activated."

Monday Assembly - Mrs. Burnison has written, directed and will lead a small group of staff members in performing the adapted production, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, for the student assembly on Monday. Teachers are welcome to delay their PLC work to enjoy the production, plus there is no admission charge!

Webpages - Deb Drey is willing to work with teachers and teams to help with setting up and/or improving your webpage. Please contact her directly.

Dates to Note
March 2 - 2:55 Read Across America Assembly; PLC Time
March 4 - Early Out/PLC; Teacher Quality Mtg (4 pm @ Webster)
March 5 - Parent Advisory Meeting (7 pm)
March 9 - Board Meeting (6pm @ Webster);
March 9 - PTO Meeting - Spring Carnival Planning (IPS Media Center @ 7 pm)
March 11 - End of 1st Quarter
March 13 - 2 hr Early out - Indvidual PD Time
March 14 - Spring Break begins

Ms. Linn's Website of the Week!

Just in case you didn't get her emails. :)

http://www.timesaversforteachers.com/

February 20, 2009

Teacher Data Forms - During three of the past four staffings I have attended, the classroom teacher data form was not completed prior to the meeting. When the staffings are set up, these forms are provided to the teacher. An example would be in a staffing email appointment I received today from Mrs. Brown. Within the appointment email, the data form document was attached. There is no reason this form should not be completed by all teachers who work with the child ahead of time even if the classroom teacher plans to attend the meeting. It can be filled out electronically or pen/paper. Thank you for making this happen from this point on in the year.

Wednesday PLC - The next four early outs will be devoted to your PLC teams' work. I know you have much to do so please prioritize what needs done to help focus your efforts. As mentioned, Geri Parscale is very impressed with your work and progress this year! Although we may feel like we have a long way to go - we have come a long way this year! Next Wednesday, we will have a short meeting before PLC time (1:15 pm) on Wednesday for all teachers at Washington who are there (classroom, SPED, title, & teachers of specials) during PD. We will meet quickly about 3 items - Write to Learn, recess, & questions about budget this spring.

Observations - As mentioned last week, most teachers have 1 observation to complete before Spring Break which is only three weeks away. If you're not on cycle, you must still complete one formal observation and it is your responsibility to schedule the observation.

Parent-Teacher Conferences - If you need assistance rescheduling conferences, please let me know. I would be happy to make a call or send a letter if needed.

Tip Night - Ms. Linn's class will be doing a 2nd tip night at Pizza Ranch this coming Thursday from 5-8pm. Please join us out to support her classes' efforts to add technology to the classroom and building! Nearly $400 was raised during the first event.

Monday's Assembly - Monday's student assembly will include recognizing the winner's of the bullying scripts and posters. Students will perform their bullying scripts for the assembly. Please begin bringing the students into the gym after 2:45 so we are ready to go at 2:50 pm.

Dates to Note:
Feb 23 - 2:50 Bullying Assembly; PLC Time; Board Meeting (6pm @ Webster)
Feb 24 - ICC Team Mtg (Barry in Shenandoah); After School Math - Bank Iowa sponsor
Feb 25 - Early Out/PLC; 1:15 brief mtg (Timmerman's Rm)
Feb 26 - School Improvement Advisory Committee Mtg (6:45 pm @ Webster); Pizza Ranch Tip Night
March 2 - 2:55 Read Across America Assembly; PLC Time
March 4 - Early Out/PLC; Teacher Quality Mtg (4pm @ Webster)
March 9 - Board Meeting (6pm @ Webster);
March 9 - PTO Meeting - Spring Carnival Planning (IPS Media Center @ 7pm)
March 11 - End of 1st Quarter
March 14 - Spring Break begins

February 12, 2009

Formal Observations - Please schedule your observation between now and Spring Break. It will be here before we know it! I have a few teachers on cycle who need their fourth observation and everyone not on cycle needs to schedule one. This is your responsibility to get it done so do it sooner than later! I have extended the deadline for portfolios to April 3rd. The sooner you get them to me, the better.

PD Credit - If you are taking the PD/PLC for credit this semester, you need not fill out a course approval sheet. The roster from the course will be given to Mr. Schmidt and he will do a 'mass approval' for this course.


Daily Recess Policy - Please note the following board policy (adopted June 26, 2006) we need to begin following on a regular basis. This may change the way you handle punishment for missing work and may require us to look at other possibilities as a team or building.
Daily Recess: Elementary schools should provide recess for students that:
* is at least 20 minutes a day;
* is preferably outdoors;
* encourages moderate to vigorous physical activity through the provision of space and equipment; and,
* discourages extended periods (i.e., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity.

Physical Activity and Discipline
Employees should not use physical activity for discipline during the regular school day nor withhold more than 50% of daily recess activities.

Spring Testing Change - This spring, we will have some changes in our mandatory 2nd assessment. We will be moving from the ICAM tests and Stanford 9 at the 4th, 8th and 11th grades to using the Northwest Educational Association's (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). These assessments are curriculum-aligned computerized adaptive tests that accurately reflect the instructional level of each student and measure growth over time. We will begin using them this spring at the 5th grade level and hope to expand from there. The change in assessment will not only save the district money, but the MAP assessments provide instant results and can be used four times a year to make the data more useful to teachers.

Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences - Thanks to those who have emailed or given Stephanie your conference results already. Information the office needs from PT week:
__________ Number of students in your classroom
__________ Number of conferences held
__________ Number of students who attended conferences
__________ Number of conferences with both parents attending

Dates to Note:
Monday - Pyramid of Interventions PD (7:45 am @ IPS)
Tuesday - PWIM ICN session (4:00 pm - Barry, Linn & Montgomery)
Thursday - SAT Meeting (3:15 pm)
Friday - 4th grade field trip to Holland's Performing Arts Center
Feb 23 - 2:55 pm Assembly - Bully Presentations
Feb 23 - PLC Meetings
Feb 24 - Iowa Core Curriculum meeting (Barry @ Shenandoah)
Feb 24 - After School Math (Bank Iowa sponsor)
Feb 25 - Early Out (Bldg PLC)

"No person was ever honored for what he received.

Honor has been the reward for what he gave."

Calvin Coolidge, 30th U.S. President

February 6, 2009

Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences - please refer to last week's post below regarding conferences and your schedule for the week. I do need your conference schedule and "office hours" before you leave on Friday. Emailing them to me is fine. Information the office needs following conferences:
__________ Number of students in your classroom
__________ Number of conferences held
__________ Number of students who attended conferences
__________ Number of conferences with both parents attending

New District Server - Please note that the new exchange server for the school district could be installed next Thursday, 2.12. There will be various times when the service is down. Please plan your lessons and day accordingly. If you are sharing data with parents on the intranet or Internet, you will likely not have access to either during conferences on Thursday.

Thank you! - We all appreciate Mrs. Smith's work and presence during the time Angie has been home being a 'new mom.' You stepped in, stepped up and did a wonderful job with our kids and were a vital part of the Washington Intermediate family! We know we will see you around the rest of the semester here and there, but we do thank you for helping us out over the past 5 weeks!

Coming Up...
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

Sites of the Week
Free Graphic Organizers - http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/
Tons of free, usable graphic organizers. Ready to print or copy and paste onto Word or SMART Board Notebook.

Google Earth - http://earth.google.com/ (Free download)
Whether for your own use, individual student computer, or using with a projector/SMART Board, this is a very cool educational tool. Current globe/maps, current environmental issues, historical maps, etc. Google never ceases to amaze me.

He who laughs, lasts
DB