What an amazing 48 days we have been in school. It's been fast and furious for sure and even the most seasoned of us feel like we can't get on top of things. Friends, you are in good company! Keep leading the learning process! THAT is the most important thing you can do. This year is a learning time as we are getting all of our procedures and processes into play. Please know that I am so impressed by what our students are achieving because of your dedication to teaching at the highest level of each standard. You are not missing an opportunity to make each second a learning moment. My focus from now until Thanksgiving is really getting our RtI process in place. Please make sure you are using your intervention time intentionally. Happy Birthday today to our fabulous secretary!!! She'll be back tomorrow! Send her birthday love!
And.... by the by..... my birthday is in 89 days!!!! Y'all know I love a birthday - especially mine! :)
For your blog response (due by Friday, please) I would like you to review our Power of 10 goals. What are we doing well? How can YOU help ensure our goals are met? You don't have to respond to all 10 goals. Find one that you feel is most important to you.
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What
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Every Student Know their
Goal
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Every Student knows and understand their growth goal in every subject
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Family Partnership
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Monthly family events
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Writing Everyday
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Writing every day, every student, every subject
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Attendance (Student and
Teacher)
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Student: H.E.R.O program (Here Every day Ready and
On Time)
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Teacher – rewards for monthly
attendance
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School Culture - Principal Led School Wide
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Mentor Classes
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Student Goal
Sheets
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Individual Educational Growth
Plan
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School
Scoreboard
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School Wide News
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Master
Schedule
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Uninterrupted blocks of teaching time, scheduled interventions, common
planning periods with partners
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AM
Tutoring/RTI
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STEM Infusion
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Student/Subjects
with No Data
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Portfolios
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I know I am going to be better about following through as far as Hink Pinks, math problems and celebrating HERO classes.
I can't wait to hear your ideas!
*****WEEK AT A GLANCE*****
Monday - Keep the learning strong!!
Tuesday - Kona Ice - schedule will be sent out.
Wednesday - Learning with Lauren (ELL training - ITeam meeting)
Thursday - 5th Grade to Veteran's Program at GHS @ 10 a.m.
Friday STEM Night at Lion Football game. - details to come I will be off campus all day for MANDT training (The new CPI training)
Thanks for being such an awesome staff! I truly can't say enough how thankful I am for this opportunity to be on this journey with each of you!
BE AWESOME TODAY!!
SK loves ROCKETS!
As a campus, I feel like we do really well with family partnerships. We always have activities/things planned to involve our students families. I have noticed my students absolutely love it just knowing thei Mom or grandma or Dad is at the school volunteering for something. They don’t even have to be with our class, they are just excited to know they are there. This is an area I feel like I could contribute more to and me more consistent with my parent involvement and communication. I am the first to admit with all the hustle and bustle, I have dropped the ball but am definitely going to get back in the routine and consistent.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jackie! Most parents have given us grace knowing everything is new for everyone. We are putting all of our processes in place. We are getting in a groove and I appreciate you willingness to step up!
DeleteI think we a rocking on several of our powers! I think one thing we could work on is not only celebrate the classes that have perfect attendance but really start to recognize those kiddos that put forth the effort to make sure they are individual H.E.R.O.'s too! They get excited even with a name mention or an extra fuel ticket! One thing I feel that I'm doing right is writing in every subject, everyday! This was one of the things I really wanted to focus on and I feel it has made a huge difference in every subject. It is so very important that our kids carry their writing skills on from grade to grade and continue to build their skills every year. The last thing I ever want to hear from a 6th grade teacher is, "Those kids came from STEM and they can't write!"
ReplyDeleteI think the entire campus has really put a lot of energy into writing in every subject, every day. I know that I could do better about recognizing students with perfect attendance. Y'all feel free to do that in class as well. We can't THINK 6 if attendance isn't stellar! Thanks for all you do!
DeleteI feel like as a school we are doing well in so many areas! Just like Jackie and Karen said, the family partnership and H.E.R.O classes have made such an impact on the students. I have loved attending all the events, and I feel like for the first time I really know my students parents. The kids are also so excited about being a HERO class. They ask me everyday if we are one and remind me to add the letter to our Attendance word. What I feel like I could work on is the writing everyday. In math, I can easily slip it into one of my rotation times, but Science flies by everyday. It has been hard to have time to do a mini lesson, activity, and write within such a small time frame. I do my best, but it doesn't always happen. I realize how important it is for the kids so I will prioritize it and ensure that it is happening every day
ReplyDeleteChan - it's so important to reflect and grow. I see so many things you are doing great! Keep it up and you'll make time for that writing in Science.
DeleteI love the family involvement that we have and the activities that we do with them. I think that that is so important and the kids enjoy just as much. One I do like is the writing everyday in every subject especially for the littles. It is such a good way for them to really focus on their penmenship and formatting their letters and numbers correctly as well as lessening how to make a plan for writing a composition. I feel that that really isn’t stressed enough for the littles and that it should be. With everything that we are doing I feel that writing is something that I have been very consistent with that and my students writing is improving each week. It’s very exciting to see!!
ReplyDeleteI love the work you are putting in to teaching your littles from bell to bell. You don't stop and I am so proud of all of the effort you put in to your classroom. Keep writing! Your kids will be better for it.
DeleteKGJ STEM Academy is strong in so many of our goals - family communication and involvement, positive and inviting school culture/climate, H.E.R.O. attendance. The areas I most want to emphasize when I return, and what I was starting before THE fall, are student goals and STEM infusion. I want my students to know the areas where they excel and the areas that need strengthening. They need to prepare their individual growth goal plan and monitor their progress toward that goal. These areas will be addressed in flexible small groups and during the intervention portion of each day. Another goal is to infuse STEM into more of my lessons using the innovative mindset. Some concepts/subjects naturally lend themselves to this style of teaching. Others require a bit more creative design to infuse STEM,but this is a worthy challenge. I very much look forward to addressing these challenges and goals when I return.
ReplyDeleteWe are ready for you to return. Samantha is doing an amazing job STEMfusing your classroom so 4th grade is primed for that type of learning. I am so thankful we have such like-minded staff! keep getting stronger every day!! We miss you.
DeleteWell lets try this again. As a campus, we are thriving in many of these areas. Parent/community involvement, HERO classes, and school culture just to name a few. As far as myself, I would like to see personal growth in STEM infusion. Before coming to KGJ, I felt like I could do this better. Now that the realities of the school year and life have set it, I am seeing that it is much harder and I am not that great at it. I would personally like to see some training/PD for STEM infusion offered to help me to wrap my head around the concept better.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great! The thing is that you are willing to see what you do well and where you do need/want to grow. Let's look at Region X or places like that - that will be approved. I don't know if they will have anything but we need to start looking. Give yourself a break - we are all learning and striving to be better! You're awesome!!!
DeleteI feel like things are going GREAT here at KGJ! I have never worked at a place where the environment feels like a Family! I feel the Power of 10 Goals are either being reached or that they are in the beginning process (RTI and Portfolios). The parent and community involvement, the HERO classes (Not really my room 😢), and school culture are all rocking! I feel that I am reaching the parent involvement part a lot. I am in contact with most parents as much as possible and they can contact me anytime they need to. I have parents coming to me telling me that their kiddos are so excited to come to school!! I feel that I need to hit more of the STEM infusion. Hard to hit with these Kinders with making sure to get all the PAs in as well.
ReplyDelete-Brian (Don't know why it changed my profile name)
DeleteI think our campus is doing an amazing job with our goals, and I just want to tell everyone that I really appreciate you for all you do!!! This is such an encouraging place to be and I consider myself blessed to be here! As far as myself, I have lots of things I want to do better. I have felt more like a first year teacher instead of a veteran teacher this year. I have felt inadequate in soooo many ways because Kindergarten has changed soooo much since I was last here but I'm giving it my all! One of the things I want to do better Is in writing...we write every day but not in all subjects...yet...but we're striving for it!
ReplyDeleteWow! I think we are all doing well! Like many have mentioned, the family atmosphere is awesome. I began to wonder if the Texas chapter of my life's journey would ever evolve. Thanks to everyone here at the Stem campus I am beginning to feel like yes it's working.
ReplyDeleteI agree that writing is an important life long skill and it's an art. My students are beginning to feel more comfortable and confident. I see them starting to take risks in mathematical and scientific thinking and transferring it to writing claim statements. I firmly believe that one of he most important Power of ten goals is that each student know their own personal educational goals. In doing so, the students is directly responsible for their own learning. It sets the stage and purpose for the learning community and for individual growth patterns. I will continue to seek out ways for students to be risk takers as they grow educationally.
ReplyDeleteEvery Student knows and understand their growth goal in every subject.
I love kiddos taking responsibility for their own learning. It can be tricky when adults want to control so much. Kiddos have to 'learn' how to think for themselves. I haven't been intentional about kiddos taking the time to really think about what their goals are. I will do this tomorrow.
Our school culture is AMAZING! I am ready to try out mentor classes, though. We (3rd) can go down to the littles and be mentors and we can visit the upper classmen to be mentored to. :)
From Gina:I feel like we are the strongest at Family Partnerships. I have loved the Grandparent luncheon, dedication, etc. I'm also looking forward to the Thanksgiving Feast next Wednesday. Building and fostering those strong parent/family relationships is one of the most important things we can do as a school. We will see great rewards from this with partnering with parents for their students overall academic and social success.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that I am doing a good job with student goals. I have individually conferenced with each student over their growth goals for this year. Each students has a growth graph sheet. After each 9 week assessment we met and plot and graph their grade on that sheet. This serves as a visual for each student. I believe it keeps them focused and motivated to reach their personal goals. We also write each day in my class. We better be... I'm Writing teacher, lol.
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From Crystal: I can agree with Gina. I am blown away by our parents and their positive response to our school. Mad scientist day was so much easier with the help of all our parent volunteers. I feel like they are enjoying the opportunities we give them to be a part of the learning for their children.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has posted. We are working hard on many of our power of 10 such as parent involvement and attendance and it is apparent. I do agree with Paige that I would like to have more STEM infusion PD. I don’t yet have enough STEM resources in my teaching basket.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this summer we can focus on cross cutting our curriculum more. That may be a challenge in itself with PAs. But we will get better every year. If we keep our scores up maybe we will have some more freedom with the curriculum.
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