Veterans Day - Please plan on doing a Veterans Day activity within your literacy block on November 11th. We received a good DVD regarding Veterans Day - this short DVD can be found in our media center or can be watched on the web at http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/jlhewitt.asp. A writing activity (writing a Veteran, letter to editor, reflection, etc.) in combination with the video would be great. Other actvities can be found on the web (example from About.com). This Friday through next Thursday, I will give a Veterans Day quiz question each morning and will announce the answer/explanation the following day.
Technology - A couple tech-items I need each of you to assist us with starting today. :) First, the question about shutting your computer down each day has come up several times. This is highly recommended for each staff member. Unplugging the computers is a bonus but not required. More tips can be found on the University of Colorado IT website (there you go, Bob - CU gets it right!!) Not related to saving energy, but related to saving time is forwarding of emails - please refrain from forwarding emails to "All Staff" or your building if it is not directly related to educuation, learning or the school. I appreciate your attention to these two items.
Differentiation - From Kelly and Christy doing Rocket Math, to Barb tutoring first thing in the morning, to Jan monitoring high achieving students on the computers, to the teams' willingness to allow students to do independent study if they already know the grade level math content, to many more unnoticed but not minor interventions going on daily - I appreciate the staffs' desire and hard work to do the extra things it takes in an attempt to meet the critical questions #3 & #4:
3. How will we respond when they do not know it?
4. How will we respond when they already know it?
Speaking of Critical Questions - The Iowa Core Curriculum team discussed yesterday how our critical questions easily could (and should!!) apply to behavior expectations of kids. As you think about our behavior plan and upcoming 4th grade life skills curriculum, ask yourself and reflect upon our critical questions:
1. What do we want our students to learn? (essential, guaranteed & viable expecations)
2. How will we know they are learning? (observation and referral data)
3. How will we respond when they don’t learn? (Timely, directive, systematic intervention)
4. How will we respond when they do learn? (Timely enrichment/extension - leadership opportunities)
Dates to Note:
Nov. 6: 5th grade reading party at the Y, 12:30-3:00
Nov. 9: Good News items are due to office
Nov. 10: PTO mtg, 5:30, WIS Braymen's Rm; Board mtg, 6:00, Webster
Nov. 11: Veterans’ Day - 2 hour early dismissal - PD; 3:00 pm assembly at MS auditorium
Nov. 12: Young Readers’ Week – HS Unity Council members coming to read to students
* 5th – 9:00-9:30
* 4th – 9:30-10:00
Nov. 18: Cutoff for midterm grades
Nov. 23: Grades due by 4pm
Nov. 25: Midterms go home; Indv PD & Turkey-break begins at 2:30 pm.
“It is of virtually no use to 'teach' a student something he or she already knows.”Technology - A couple tech-items I need each of you to assist us with starting today. :) First, the question about shutting your computer down each day has come up several times. This is highly recommended for each staff member. Unplugging the computers is a bonus but not required. More tips can be found on the University of Colorado IT website (there you go, Bob - CU gets it right!!) Not related to saving energy, but related to saving time is forwarding of emails - please refrain from forwarding emails to "All Staff" or your building if it is not directly related to educuation, learning or the school. I appreciate your attention to these two items.
Differentiation - From Kelly and Christy doing Rocket Math, to Barb tutoring first thing in the morning, to Jan monitoring high achieving students on the computers, to the teams' willingness to allow students to do independent study if they already know the grade level math content, to many more unnoticed but not minor interventions going on daily - I appreciate the staffs' desire and hard work to do the extra things it takes in an attempt to meet the critical questions #3 & #4:
3. How will we respond when they do not know it?
4. How will we respond when they already know it?
Speaking of Critical Questions - The Iowa Core Curriculum team discussed yesterday how our critical questions easily could (and should!!) apply to behavior expectations of kids. As you think about our behavior plan and upcoming 4th grade life skills curriculum, ask yourself and reflect upon our critical questions:
1. What do we want our students to learn? (essential, guaranteed & viable expecations)
2. How will we know they are learning? (observation and referral data)
3. How will we respond when they don’t learn? (Timely, directive, systematic intervention)
4. How will we respond when they do learn? (Timely enrichment/extension - leadership opportunities)
Dates to Note:
Nov. 6: 5th grade reading party at the Y, 12:30-3:00
Nov. 9: Good News items are due to office
Nov. 10: PTO mtg, 5:30, WIS Braymen's Rm; Board mtg, 6:00, Webster
Nov. 11: Veterans’ Day - 2 hour early dismissal - PD; 3:00 pm assembly at MS auditorium
Nov. 12: Young Readers’ Week – HS Unity Council members coming to read to students
* 5th – 9:00-9:30
* 4th – 9:30-10:00
Nov. 18: Cutoff for midterm grades
Nov. 23: Grades due by 4pm
Nov. 25: Midterms go home; Indv PD & Turkey-break begins at 2:30 pm.
- Carol Ann Tomlinson & Kristina Doubet (2006)
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