Noticias de Nuestro Mundo

Friday, November 14, 2014

Week 11 Update

Parent Teacher Conferences

Although a primary purpose for Parent/Teacher Conferences is to report to parents on the academic and social/emotional progress of their child, it is important to do this in a "parent-friendly" way. It helps to put yourself in the shoes of the parent, who may not be familiar with the assessments, levels, and other language that seems commonplace to us. These are conversations about human beings, not numbers. Below are some resources you can use to prepare for the conferences:

MMSD DATA USE GUIDE

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES TIP SHEET (English and Spanish)

PALS 1-2 DATA USE GUIDE

Strengthening Family Engagement Through Parent-Teacher Conferences

*MAP DATA USE GUIDE WILL BE SENT TO 3-5 TEACHERS SEPARATELY

Remember that teachers are required to record P/T Conferences in Infinite Campus. Click here for instructions.

All teachers should be available through 7:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 19th. The following Wednesday, Nov. 26th, teachers are not required to work as compensation for P/T Conference time.

Please let Anamaria know if you require interpretation during your Conferences.

KUDOS

To Kristen Scott and Vanessa Sanchez who had 12:2 and 14:2 ratios (respectively) for positive reinforcements to redirections during observations this week!
To Courtney Klaetsch and Kiersten Audy for being open to peer observation!
To Lizette and Kristen for being the first grade level to complete assessments and enter data into the Warehouse.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

K-5 teams can request a virtual visit from a Math Teacher Leader via Google Hangouts to provide timely and responsive support at the team level as they plan for core math instruction. "Visits" can be specific to your team, or groups of teams across the district may hangout at the same time around a specific topic. You may even be able to connect across the district with like teams in order to create a longer-term planning support group. Interested? Meet with your teams and fill out the Googleform to request a time. Teacher Leaders will then set up a Google Hangout time for a virtual visit. Teams are asked to inform their Math Lead and Principal of request.
Please be sure to enter data into the Data Warehouse. If you are unsure how to do this, consult with your grade level team.
**Mon Nov 17 Math Workshop with Kerry Motoviloff**

PBS

Check out this cool website with all kinds of tools and resources around Positive Behavior Supports.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Week 9 Updates

[To read this information in blog format and to access the calendar of important events, click the link at the bottom of this message] Check out the cool new background design!
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Year to Date Attendance Rate: 97.67%
Goal for 2014-2015: 97%

#1 in MMSD!

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The Code Red Drill was very well-done yesterday. We were joined by 4 officers from Monona Police Department, who all left with a good impression of our school. The kids were very quiet, it was impossible to tell which classrooms were empty and which were not, which is exactly the situation we want to create in the event of an armed intruder. All door windows were blacked out, and all but one door was locked. I want to take a minute to discuss the unlocked door. Remember, in times of crisis, it is common for our brains to fail us. When the Code Red was announced, a teacher panicked a bit and immediately went to lock her door. The problem was that the door was already locked, and the teacher actually unlocked it unknowingly. This is why routine and drill is important for safety in the case of an emergency situation. If your door is always locked, you will not second guess yourself when a situation arises. A good lesson was learned yesterday. That is why we drill.

Kudos--Laura G. for her dedication to her students.

Reminders

Teachers should return completed tallies to Cecilia by Monday Nov. 3
3-5 Teachers, click here for the Spanish version of the MAP progress report explanation sheet.

SBLT--On Tuesday, Nov. 4th, the leadership team will be meeting to analyze MAP Reading data. All are welcome to attend, 3:30-5:00 in Sarah N.'s room.

Important Information

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Nov. 19th. Students will be released at 11:35 on that day. If you have parents who have not signed up for a conference, please contact them as soon as possible to set something up.
The make-up/compensatory day for the Fall and Spring P/T conference evenings is Nov. 26th. More information here.
Assessments: Josh has asked that fall fountas & pinnell, wrap, and mondo assessments as well as number development/fact fluency assessments be completed by the end of quarter 1 (Nov 7) Please be prepared to use either reading or math assessments in our data dig staff meeting Monday, Nov 10. WRAP Assessments: 3-5 teachers are co-creating a document with acceptable responses on comprehension. To input, click https://docs.google.com/a/madison.k12.wi.us/document/d/1aRLCTNuvGpq3D7w7q4b4viIduA6LeqmrYdAly74wZLs/edit
Math: Singapur math workbooks are to be ordered for students to build fluency during independent work time. Emily is currently collecting requests for levels. To place your order, 1) administer Number development assessment 2)complete class profile located https://drive.google.com/a/madison.k12.wi.us/?tab=mo#folders/0B932mxg0ed0mRGw4ZkgwLXRGRGs 3) invite students to use the "try it" pages to ensure these are indeed the appropriate resource 4)input the amount of each book you'd like to order on this doc https://docs.google.com/a/madison.k12.wi.us/spreadsheets/d/1Dk_3kxislUnLbnpqcvGIshH9LFClgWRBY02q-YHLQq8/edit?usp=sharing
Professional Development: GLT meetings first week in November: problem solving with students receiving intervention; Monday Nov 10: Data Dig; Friday Nov 14 half day: Anti-bullying, grr, and metalanguage
Teachers can learn more about using MAP results during a live interactive webinar on Monday, Nov. 3, from 4-5 p.m. For more information visit the MAP website.

Please welcome Kyle Luedtke to our building as new computer tech. Kyle started this week.
Also, a new SEA, Carlos Lozano will start on Tuesday, Nov. 4th. Please help me make Carlos feel welcome.

Video of the Week:

See Ross Greene's, author of The Explosive Child, Kids do Well if they Can.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Week 8 Update

In a continued effort to support you with Educator Effectiveness, next week's meetings will be devoted to sharing your EE Plan with your team to get feedback. This is a requirement for teachers who are in a Supporting Year, and suggested for teachers who are in a Summary Year. I will send an agenda based on my meetings with summary-year teachers in a separate email.

If your team has already done this, please contact Emily for other options for your meeting time.
On Monday, an FAQ will be shared that was co-developed by MTI and district administration to clarify Monday structured planning time. I feel that we as a school are really leveraging this time to be of most benefit for our students, thank you!

Kudos!

To Lisa Smith for her enthusiasm and care when working with our students. We are so happy to have you!
To Bettina for her willingness to help staff and students alike. Your work is so appreciated!
To Megan Neveau for contributing to our music program and building relationships with kids during her student teaching time here. You will be greatly missed, but we wish you the best of luck with your next assignment!