Happy Holidays!

Good morning everyone,

I want to take a quick moment to congratulate you once more for what we have accomplished in the past 4 months.  I keep hearing from many of you about how different the school culture feels in terms of safety and engagement on the part of the students.  I am confident in saying that our school is the safest in all of MMSD.  Your consistent efforts to hold students to high expectations is the key to making this happen.  Thank you.

I also appreciate your willingness to analyze your teaching practices, put yourselves out there and take risks.  Grade level team meetings continue to be powerful venues for aligning and improving the quality of instruction taking place in the classroom.  Sitting down with me and analyzing your own teaching on video is well outside the comfort zone of many.  Thank you for taking risks and keeping an open, analytical mindset.

When I take a step back and consider the school from a bird's eye view, I see movement in the right direction.  We still have many roadblocks to clear, but I'm confident in the expertise and dedication of those in this building to keep this complicated work moving forward.

Get rest, recharge your batteries, and prepare for the second leg of our journey together this year.

To paraphrase Pat Benatar, You are the Warrior!

Happy Holidays!

-Josh


Updates

• Delia Hurtado has accepted an SEA position at Orchard Ridge.  We are sad to see her go, but this is a more convenient commute and there are significant needs at this school that will benefit greatly from Delia's expertise.  Please join me in thanking Delia for her years of service for the students of Nuestro Mundo.  Her last day will be January 10.
• Mayra Falcon Pineda, an SEA from Hawthorne, has been hired to replace Delia.  She will begin on January 13.
• A teacher reported that some magazines she ordered for her class were taken from the work room.  Please do not take anything from the work room that has someone else's name on it, regardless of how long it has been there.  If you know where these magazines are, please return them to Luz Celedon or to the bookroom.
• The printer known as Q8, in the office near Marissa's desk, has been decommissioned.  Please use Q5 instead of Q8.
• The staff bathrooms near the lounge are starting to look like a beauty salon.  Please do not leave items on the shelves in the staff bathrooms.  The shelves are meant to hold items a teacher may have with them in the moment.  Please remove personal items from these bathrooms.
• To reiterate Jorge's message--Please do not leave food in your rooms to attract unwanted visitors. Anything left in the refrigerator at the end of the day will be thrown away.

Kudos

• Chris Powers for a fantastic 2/3 concert!
• Kristen Scott for being nominated for the Kohl Teacher Fellowship!
• Jorge Araujo for hosting the Christmas party!

Charter Renewal Update

As some of you may know, Nuestro Mundo's charter must be renewed by the MMSD Board of Education every five years, and we are now in year 5 of our second contract with the district.  Nuestro Mundo, Inc. has been working hard preparing a term report to reflect on the last 5 years and present a plan for the next 5 years for the MMSD Board of Education to consider.  The following is a timeline of what comes next in this process.

• 12/16/13--NMI submits revised term report to MMSD
• 12/27/13--NMCS renewal report materials sent to BOE for review
• 1/6/14--NMCS renewal report reviewed at BOE Instruction Work Group
• 1/27/14--NMI renewal report sent to larger BOE for review and vote (this is where they vote to continue the charter for 5 more years)
• 2/3/14--NMI contract reviewed at BOE Instruction Work Group
• 2/24/14--Final vote at BOE regular meeting on contract (this is where they vote on the particulars of the contract)

Please plan to attend the BOE Regular Meeting on January 27th if you are able.

Light Reading

• Interested in learning more about the Smarter Balanced Assessment that will replace the WKCE next year?  Click here.

December 9-13

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. 

-Samuel Johnson

Please remember this as you are being asked to do things a little differently than in the past.  In speaking with all different grade level teams and teachers, I've found that those who approach Gradual Release, Shared Reading, and Focus lessons with intellectual curiosity and a positive mindset have been the most successful in implementing these practices in the classroom.

Two weeks before the big break.  What is it that each child needs to improve as a communicator, a reader, and a mathematician in the next two weeks?

Think about it and make it happen,

Josh

Kudos

• Susan Janik won a $1,500 grant to purchase an interactive whiteboard for the library!
• Marissa Gerhke--In November, we had 7 Schools of Hope tutors serve a total of 32 hours, plus almost 20 hours from Katie the BAT. 38 students received individual tutoring in literacy, and 23 received individual tutoring in math.
• Daniela Ocampo--for coordinating a herculean tamale fundraiser.  Over 2,000 tamales made and sold by Nuestro Mundo staff and parents.

Updates

• Daniela out of the building today.
• Josh out of the building Wed. morning.
• Fire Drill changed to Friday morning at 9:30
• Next Monday, Dec. 16, will be our next Deep Dive.  The Deputy Asst. Superintendent, Nancy Hanks, will be visiting again.  You can expect an observation by two or more staff members on this date.  These observations are non-evaluative, and meant to be a way for us to collect evidence as to the progress of the school improvement plan.  We will be looking for evidence of Focus Lessons, setting a purpose for the lesson with students, and structured turn-and-talks.

Grant Opportunity

From the Meemic Foundation:

We understand that it can be difficult to find funding for programs, events or projects that can enhance students’ classroom experience. That’s why we are excited to provide you information regarding The Meemic Foundation, a non-profit organization created by Meemic Insurance Company. The Meemic Foundation has been providing financial assistance in the form of grants to schools, educators and support staff since 1992, thus impacting more than 1.5 million students.

To deepen that impact, the Foundation is currently accepting grant applications for funding up to $500. Are you looking for funding to support a field trip?  Need books for your classroom?  If there is a special school or class project that is in need of financial assistance, let the Foundation help support that endeavor. Please visit our websitewww.MeemicFoundation.com  for information on the Foundation as well as to apply for a grant.

We also encourage you to pass this opportunity on to your colleagues and others who may be interested in applying for a grant.  The application deadline for the current grant round is December 31. If your grant is chosen, funds would be available in mid-February. If that deadline is not possible, don’t worry, grant applications are accepted any time.

The Meemic Foundation over the years has had the pleasure of providing funds to some of the most creative and passionate teachers anywhere. Their stories inspire us to continue funding projects that affect our students and support the educational communities where we live and work.

Any questions regarding the Foundation can be directed to Roy Hinz at roy.hinz@meemic.com. Roy serves as the Community Advocacy Administrator for the Foundation.

Important Dates

• 12/9: PLC Grant team meeting 2:00-3:00 in Rigo's room
• 12/9: PBS Team meeting 2:15-3:15
• 12/10: 2/3 Music Concert 6:30-7:30 in gym
• 12/12: SBLT Meeting 3:30-5:00 in Kiersten's room
• 12/13: Fire Drill 9:30
• 12/16: Deep Dive Visit
• 12/16: Staff PD
• 12/19: Gina's B-day
• 12/21: Winter Break begins!
• 12/26: Vanessa B-day

Thanksgiving Week

Good morning everyone,

Over the past two of weeks I have spent a lot of time in classrooms observing your practices.  I have seen many amazing things and together we have identified some specific areas for improvement.

I have also observed Ebenezer (3rd grade) die at least 4 dramatic imaginary deaths.  Most by sharp metallic instrument and once by bear claw. :-)

A general message I would like to convey is that the professional development received during 1st and 3rd Monday PDs should be implemented in the classroom as soon as possible.  If its not perfect at first, that's fine. Muck through it and refine along the way.  If you need more resources let me know.

Let's make this a learning-packed short week, and then enjoy a few days off with family and friends.

Josh

Celebration

• Kristen Scott was awarded the National Board Certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  This is a very rigorous application process and the selection process is equally as rigorous.  Congrats to Mrs. Scott for achieving the highest certification offered for teachers!

Updates

• You may have noticed that speakers have been installed in the hallways and main office.  This is in response to the code red drill in October.  The Assistant Superintendent's office provided funding for this project so school funds could be used elsewhere.  The Building Services department prioritized this project over all others.  It would be great if we could send a few thank yous to Mike Herrting and Joe Anderson from the kids.
• No speakers were installed for the playground, so please make sure someone has a walkie-talkie at all times during recess.  An extra walkie has been placed in the bookroom behind the printer for easy access.

Y5210

• Steve Youngbauer, Director of Food Services, has asked Nuestro Mundo to join the Y5210 Classroom fitness program.  He is impressed by our commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle among staff and students.  Please go to this link to find our more about the program.  Let me know if you are interested.

Important Dates

• 11/26--PLC Grant Meeting 2:00-3:00 in Kristen's Room
• 11/27--School-Based Leadership Team 3:30--5:00 (Rigo's Room)
• 11/27--Thanksgiving Luncheon (alternate lunch times)
• 11/28-11/29--No School: Thanksgiving Holiday
• Dec. 2nd--Staff PD
• Dec 5th--Mondo Site Visit

Attendance and Lunch Count Procedures

Please use the new recording sheet for breakfast and lunch starting today.  If you started yesterday, that is fine.  The expectation is that all teachers begin today and have this sheet turned into the office no later than 8:40 a.m.

Do this first thing when you get to class, some of you may decide to build this into your breakfast routine.  Some of you have established routines in the classroom.  Either way is fine, but it is very important to have these into Daniela by 8:40.

Why?

Daniela has to make phone calls home for every student who is absent, if their parents have not already notified us of the absence.  Depending on the day, this can be quite time consuming.

The reason we do this is to be sure that all kids are accounted for everyday.  This is district policy, every school is required to make these phone calls.

In the past the expectation was to have these in by 9:15, some consistently are turned in later than that.  This means that phone calls home are pushed back sometimes to after 10:00a.m.

This is a matter of safety.  If a child is expected to board the bus at 7:45, and for some reason does not, if we do not figure out that the student has gone missing until 10:00, that is over two hours during which the child is unaccounted for.

We have to speed this up.  Please get those attendance/lunch count forms in by 8:40.

Thanks,

November 18, 2013

"No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship."

Over the next few months, the bulk of my time and energy will be devoted to observing your teaching practices and reflecting upon those observations with you. I will be asking you to step outside of your comfort zone and closely analyze your practices and behaviors as an educator. This process will require openness, honesty, and the willingness to put yourself out there. Our students and families require this of us.

Our standards have changed, our assessments have changed, the very field of immersion education is always evolving, and therefore we must be adaptive, reflective practitioners.

I look forward to this time of learning and improvement that this process will lead us to.

-Josh


Updates

• If you have not completed the Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey, please do so before Dec. 2nd. You should have received an email with a link to this survey and a passcode. This will offer me good feedback to improve my own practices as your principal.
• Grade-level Team Meetings will continue to be facilitated by either Kristi, Emily Z., or myself, to support you in collaboration with one another. The end in mind is to move toward a structured analysis of your grade-level data to help inform instruction and intervention.
• Please remember to use the "Bully Incident Report" in cases where a parent presents a concern to you about their child being bullied here at school. Please see Stephanie if you need assistance with this form.

Important Dates

• 11/18--Staff PD 2-3:30 in the Art Room
• 11/18--PLC Grant Day Away in the Conference Room, many subs in the building.
• 11/19--9:15 Fire Drill
• 11/22--Picture Retakes in the Lounge
• 11/22--6-8pm Liderazgo/PTO meeting in the cafeteria
• 11/27--Thanksgiving Luncheon (alternate lunch times)
• 11/28-11/29--No School: Thanksgiving Holiday

Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

-- Vince Lombardi

As I reflect on the last few weeks, I perceive a serious flaw in my efforts to lead this school through some significant changes particularly around the Multi-Tiered System of Support. I realize that I have put you in situations of having to take on an complex new system and having to make difficult choices about who will receive intervention, when, and in what language. All of this, without providing opportunities for team building, for creating norms for collaboration, and specific skills we all need to work through these difficult changes and decisions we must make.

Rookie mistake.

I've learned an important lesson about school leadership through this process. Over the next few weeks, I would like to take some time to work on some of these things with each grade level team. It may seem like we are taking a step back, but I feel that this is an essential component that I was too eager to skip over.

This will move us forward.

Have a great day everyone,
Josh


Kudos

• Becky Smith--for making lunch a community building event.
• Kristi Nelson--for guiding us through a complicated WKCE schedule without a hitch

Updates

• Channel 27 News will air footage of our Kindergarten and 1st graders in the cafeteria on 11/25 on the 10pm news, and 11/26 in the morning news. Hopefully they will play footage of the "Gracias por la comida" song.
• I have placed an extra walkie-talkie behind the printer in the book room to be used for recess. Please make sure that at least one person has a walkie out on the playground at all times. In the event of a code-red, this will be the only way to communicate with those outside.
• From Alberto: Please turn off your projectors when they are not being actively used. This will prolong the life of the bulb by years. These bulbs are expensive.
• We now have a plastic grocery bag collection box in the foyer. We could win a park bench made out of recycled bags if we collect enough bags, please promote this with your kids, great lesson opp for environmentalism/being a part of a community.
• When Custody Battles Occur: Remember, It is District practice to not take sides in family disputes because in the end we need to work with both parents.  Therefore it is essential that we remain neutral.  The only way to do that is by not agreeing to write letters or testifying in court.  If a teacher gets pressure from a parent have the teacher tell the parent that this is what they have been advised by legal services and refer the parent to call us.  That way the teacher is not put in the middle and the parent can be mad at us down here.

Having a Bad Day?

No doubt about it, what we do everyday is not a walk in the park. Here's an article letting you know how to deal with bad days as a teacher.

Important Dates

• 11/09--Girls on the Run 5K, Parent School Partnership 10am-12pm in room 50
• 11/11--PBS Team Meeting 2:15pm, PLC Grant team meeting 2pm
• 11/12-11/15--Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 11/12-11/14--3rd Grade takes the WKCE
• 11/13--Josh, Emily, Kristi, and Kristen out all day
• 11/15--No School
• 11/16--Parent School Partnership trip to UW!
• 11/18--PLC Grant Day Away--Josh out all day, many subs in building
• 11/18--Staff PD: TAG Presentation
• 11/19--Fire Drill 9:15am

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Hi Everyone,

WELCOME BACK STEPHANIE!!

Just a Clarification on P/T Conferences:

• Teachers must be available for 3.5 hours Tues. (12th) and Thurs. (14th) 5:30-7:30.  From what I understand, these times have to be part of the schedule.  
• Teachers can have off all day Friday as long as conferences are done.  
• No comp time available (in return for the option of having Friday off)

Additionally

• There is a new Conference Tracker in Infinite Campus--click here for directions for use.
• Materials for all teachers to give during P/T conferences can be found by clicking here.  (Many of these will be provided for you, so you don't need to print out)

3-5 Grade Teachers

• Please plan to share the Student Goal Setting Sheet from the NWEA website.  I will work with Kristi to get these printed out for you.  This shows students' scores from the Fall MAP and provides their specific growth target for the year.  That way you can (student, teacher, and parent) work together to develop a plan as to how to reach the growth goals.
• I realize that our MAP testing was interrupted and some kids were not able to finish.  The likelihood of the them having a make-up opportunity is slim, especially by P/T Conferences.  For these students, please provide other sources of data.

November 1

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.

--Roy Goodman

We're in the thick of it now, let's keep our heads up. Behavior has settled down this week, but I know I'm not the only one feeling assessment-laden. Let's make sure these assessments are used to improve teaching and learning. That's where our discussion lies for this month.  

I continue to be inspired everyday by the commitment, passion, and expertise I see everyday in this school.

I've seen students talking to each other in structured ways in nearly every classroom I visited this week. Great job!  

Next week I will be focusing on looking for evidence of gradual release of responsibility--Focus lessons, Guided work, Collaborative learning, quality independent work. I'll try to stop in during literacy time at least once per classroom.

Thanks for all you do!

Kudos:

• John Wheeler and everyone else for making the Puma Run such a success!
• Chris Powers for an amazing drum corp and color guard presentation!
• Kristen Scott for beginning another Parent/School Partnership cycle!
• Kristi Nelson for tackling the WKCE logistic beast like a champ.
• Erin Davenport for guiding us through the wireless MAP pilot with grace and composure.
• Emily Z. and Sarah M. for all their work in initializing a Multi-Tiered System of Support for our students!
• Lucia and Maxi for keeping our students well nourished!

WKCE:

The test begins Monday 11/4.   4th and 5th graders will test next week, 3rd graders will begin the following week (11/12).  We really need to enforce quiet hallways all day for the next two weeks.

K-2 teachers, please plan to have your students write letters or draw pictures for the 3-5 kids wishing them luck on the test and to do their best.  This is a K-5 effort, and I think this would serve as a great encouragement for the kids taking the test.  Next year, we will do this the week before the test.

Updates:

11/1--Mondo Site Visit

11/1--Day of the Dead (evening event cancelled)

11/2--Parent/School Partnership (Kristen is looking for a few teachers to be present)

11/4--WKCE Begins

11/4--Staff Meeting 2:00-3:30, focus on Close Reading through a shared reading activity

11/7--1st Grade Teachers gone for district-level Lead Teacher Team work

11/9--Parent/School Partnership (Marj Passman presenting from the BOE)
11/12-14--Parent/TEacher Conferences
11/15--No School

11/13--Leadership Team Meeting

11/18--PLC Grant Day Away

11/19--Fire Drill

Question of the Week:

Do you know your students with disabilities' IEP goals? If not, you can look them up in IC. If you do not know how to do this, ask the student's case manager. We are all responsible for the learning and well-being of our students with IEPs.

From the District:

OMGE--Get free Credits from Edgewood and priority access to GLAD training, to find out more click here.

Parameters for sending jobs to printing services, click here.

Walk-Through Data

Happy Short Week!

The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it
-William James 

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I feel like this quote exemplifies our daily work.  The hard work you are all doing now will bear fruit long into the future.

Some data from last week's walk-throughs:

In 12.5% of visits I saw evidence of students talking to each other in structured ways (2 out of 16).
In 68.8% of visits I saw evidence of visual scaffolds for use as a reference for students to use advanced language in conversation (11 out of 16).

Granted, these visits were short and because of the higher percentage of visual scaffolds, I assume that these essential student-to-student conversations happen more often than I was able to observe.

Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) suggests a 10 and 2 rule for reminding teachers to let the kids do the talking.  This means that never more than 10 minutes of input from the teacher at a time, with 2 minutes for students to talk to each other about the material through a turn-and-talk or similar structure.\

This week, I will remain in classrooms for at least 10 minutes and would like to see evidence of this.

Here is a two-minute video with some cool ideas for whole group discussion strategies: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-participation-strategy

Updates: 

• Staff PD today at from 2:00-3:30, focus Gradual Release of Responsibility
• Printing services is at least 2 weeks back-logged, plan accordingly
• 10/23--Puma Run
• 10/24-10/25--Staff PD in the a.m., planning time in the p.m.
• 10/29--"Deep Dive" Visit from Nancy Hanks (more info will be shared at staff meeting today)
• 10/31--3rd-5th grade assembly (WKCE Pep Rally)
• 11/1--Día de los Muertos event in the evening
• 
  

Mid-October Updates

Hi Everyone,

This is a lengthy blog entry.  Take it in chunks, but please read all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The following quote is from an article I recently read about the important role of oral language  in literacy development:

“Not only are oral language skills linked to the code-related skills that help word reading to develop, but they also provide the foundation for the development of the more-advanced language skills needed for comprehension”

– Cain & Oakhill, 2007

This reaffirms for me that we cannot have 'reading closely and citing text' (Reading standard 1) without the accompanying 'collaborative conversations' (Speaking and Listening standard 1) in our School Improvement Plan.

This week is going to be a busy one, but in my walk-throughs, I will be looking specifically for evidence of students speaking to each other in structured, scaffolded ways.

Please click on the link at the bottom of this email to go to the blog site.  At the bottom of the blog, you can add comments.  Please consider contributing some ideas for structuring student-to-student talk in the classroom.  What works for you?

Updates:

--John's iPad returned safely and anonymously!--

--Classroom Budgets must be used by winter break, don't hesitate, use it or lose it!

--This month is Anti-Bullying Month.  The Student Council will be organizing an all-school assembly during and directly after Community Breakfast on Monday, Oct. 21st to confront bullying head-on in our school.

--3-5 teachers, Click to access Delicious, Nutritious Wisconsin curriculum.  These lessons should be worked into our instruction throughout the school year.

--

TAG Focus Groups

In preparation to draft a TAG Policy, as advised by the Transition Team, the TAG Office will be recruiting principals and teachers to participate in several focus groups. These groups will meet outside of school time. Dates and places will be before the end of October and will be announced soon. Meetings will be approximately 1 hour in length.

DLI representation would be greatly beneficial to this group.  Let me know if you are interested.

Dates to Remember

10/14

• Kindergarten PALS window opens
• Early Release (Individual Planning Time)
• Code Red procedure review at 3:30 in the lounge
• Story-Telling Night at the Monona Library

10/15

• Josh out in the a.m., Erin out all day
• Code Red at appr. 2:15

10/16

• Marj Passman from the Board of Education will visit in the a.m. interested in eating lunch with teachers in the lounge

10/17

• Josh out all day (presenting the WI Seal of Biliteracy at the WIDA Conference, wish me luck!)

10/18

• All Bucky Book orders due, please turn these in as soon as you get them this week
• 3rd Grade Field Trip in the p.m.

10/23

• Running of the Pumas

Office Updates:

CHANGES IN THE BACK OFFICE

For your convenience the following has been added to the back of the office:

-white and colored paper in the steel cabinet next to copier

-folder on the bulletin board next to the fax machine with cover sheets.

-clear bin next to the copier for items left in fax & copier (all items left in here will be recycled at the end of the month)

Becky & I will try to keep these areas regularly stocked with extras in the work room.

Please keep the back area clean as it is visible to parents and visitors. The office should always be in an impeccable condition. All piles of used colored paper should be returned to the pile of the same color. 

CLASSROOM DISMISSAL TRACKER

I have placed a bus with each classroom teachers name on it. Starting next week we will start to use them to track which classrooms have dismissed.

The idea is to stick it as you leave on the front door. I can then glance over and check to see if we are missing a classroom.

You can pick up your classroom bus on the way back to your classroom.

NEED AN ELECTRIC PENCIL SHARPENER?

I have a few extras. Please send me an e-mail if you'd like one.

WANT LAST YEARS YEARBOOK?

Free to the first 5 who respond

Celebrate Smiles, Keyboarding, and Other Updates

Hi Everyone,

Again thank you for making such a big deal about my birthday yesterday, it meant a lot to me.

I am going to start using titles that reflect the content of each blog instead of "Week 5, etc" so that we can easily go into the archives and find specific information through the blog.

Please take a few moments to complete this 5-question survey about this blog to provide me with some feedback as to its efficiency: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NDG3P9V

Nuestro Mundo in the News

See this article in Madison Connect, MMSD staff newsletter about our Liderazgo/PTO meeting in which parents had an opportunity to discuss the new school report card and school improvement plan: https://pubinfoweb.madison.k12.wi.us/node/3199

Staff Meeting

Monday, October, 7th, will be our monthly staff meeting.  We will start out with a few business items and then have breakout sessions based on the effective use of Mondo and Calle materials during our literacy block.

Please plan to be in Sarah Niesen's room by 2pm sharp so we can get started and end on time.  Thanks!

Keyboarding

We are required to begin keyboarding instruction from 3rd through 5th grades in preparation for the SMARTER Balanced Assessment next year.  Thanks to Sarah Niesen and Susan Janik for taking the initiative in keeping up with this.  Below is some information and a link.  

A Google spreadsheet was shared with relevant staff that has student usernames and passwords.

The code for adding students on the log in page for your school is: nuestro

The link for your school is in the application launcher and on the library site for each school. 

I added some videos to share with teachers in your building as well. I will continue to add them as requests come in...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsDvLt9YRAlv5NIvcnBKErg

We will address this together soon to clarify and move forward with the keyboarding instruction.

Celebrate Smiles

Dentists will be set up in the building Monday-Friday of next week to provide free dental services to some of our neediest kids.  Representatives of the program will be coming around during the day to get students whose parents have signed up for this service.  Please welcome these reps and the dentists into our building and thank them for their services.  

Big, Huge, shout-out to Carolyn Chadderdon, the most amazing school nurse in the city of Madison, for coordinating this important program.

SIP

The School-based Leadership Team will be meeting on Tuesday afternoon 3:30-5:00pm to finalize the Professional Learning Plan and thereby finalizing our School Improvement Plan.

Free Fruits and Vegetable Program

FFVP Procedures 2013-2014

What:

• Snacks of fresh fruits or vegetables will be delivered to your classroom.
• Program aims to combat childhood obesity and expose kids to various fruits and vegetables.
• Teachers are asked to talk about the fruit or vegetable of the day, as well as reinforce healthy eating habits, while snack is being served.
• Some kids will more readily eat the snacks than others.  The rule is that everyone has to try at least one bite of the snack.
• Research on the program has revealed that students more readily choose to eat fresh fruits and vegetables in middle school when compared to students who did not have access to this program.

How:

• Maxima Mazarriegos   has been hired to prepare the snacks for distribution in the morning.
• Morning snacks will be delivered to classrooms by 10:00am.
• Those who have afternoon snacks will find their snack, gloves, and boats labeled in the FFVP refrigerator in the lounge.  You will be responsible for picking up the snack and taking to your room.  Rolling carts are available to help transport the snack.  I recommend rotating who gets the snack for each grade level weekly.
• Teachers will get a bucket full of snacks for the day, gloves, and disposable “boats” for each student.  Gloves must be worn at all times when handling food.
• The idea is for the teacher to distribute the snack and talk about it.
• We will try to have interesting talking points ready for each day’s snack.
• Please return buckets and serving utensils to the lounge when snack time is done.
• Maxima will take care of washing dishes and setting them to dry for the next day.

When:

• Begins Tuesday, October 1^st.
• Snacks provided Tuesday through Friday only.
• 3^rd-5^th grades will offer snack in the morning.
• K-2^nd in the afternoon.

Field Trip Procedures

Hi Everyone,

I am writing this as a separate blog entry so that you can easily retrieve it in the blog archives when you need a reminder.

Josh

Fieldtrips

General

·      Fieldtrips (including walking) must be planned and approved 3 weeks in advance by submitting a Fieldtrip Approval Form to the principal. Remember to 1^st to check the master calendar for any interfering events.

·      Once approved the secretary will add fieldtrip to the master calendar.

Communication

• When a field trip has been approved, please send an email to all affected related arts teachers, Support Staff, CC teachers, and interventionists notifying them of the date and time of the trip.

Transportation (if applicable)

·      Transportation arrangements are set up by school secretary.

·      A confirmation e-mail will be fwded to you with pick up and drop off times. This e-mail also includes the cost per bus. This will help you calculate the cost per student.

 Sack Lunches

·      If you need sack lunches please highlight and indicate need “SACK LUNCH” at the top of your Fieldtrip Approval Form.

·      Sack lunches will be ordered by the school secretary.

·      A roster with highlighted names of students who will be eating a sack lunch should be submitted to the office with attendance the day of the fieldtrip.

·      Teachers are in charge picking up school coolers & lunches to keep sack lunches a safe temperature.

Cost (if applicable)

·      The teacher is in charge of calculating fieldtrip costs.

Chaperones

·      Must check-in at the office and wear a visitor’s tag.

·      Must pay to attend fieldtrip (same student rate).

Tracking Money

·      Keep a roster for each fieldtrip and keep track of who paid and who didn’t. This should be submitted to the office one week after thefieldtrip took place.

·      Highlight names of students requesting a scholarship.

·      Send a reminder slip after the fieldtrip to those who haven’t paid.

·      Submit deposits daily

Week 5

What an amazing event we had last night!  Lot's of positive feedback from parents, despite the long lines.  I appreciate the extra effort and hard work everyone put into making the night a success.  Thanks to teachers for inviting parents into your classroom.  Thanks to Anne for preparing the flags.  Thanks to Susan for organizing and managing the book fair (we sold over $1,800 worth of books in 3 hours and gave a lot of IOUs).  Thanks to Daniela for organizing and emceeing the cultural presentations.  Thanks to Rainbow and Jorge for setting up and cleaning up at the end (it was a mess).

Tell me where else does an elementary school convert into a discotheque after hours?  And where else do so many students, teachers, custodians, and food service professionals have so much talent.  No where, that's where.  I better step up my game. :-)

Nuestro Mundo rocks!

Quick Reminders

9/27: 4th and 5th grade out in the am for field trip
9/27: All-School assembly at 9:00am (we'll ask 3rd grade to come down first, then work our way to K)
10/1: Projected date to start FFVP.  The refrigerator is not here yet, everything else is set to go.
10/3: October Fire Drill at 9:35 a.m.
10/7--10/11: Celebrate Smiles (more info to come from Carolyn and me about this free dental care program for our kids)
10/8--Principal Experience: Wes Sparkman (2nd grader Rain's father)  will be joining us in the morning.
10/9--PLC Coaching Day: Several staff members including me, Erin, Imma, and Sarah M. will be out all day
10/10--Erin out all day for IRT Meeting
10/16--Marj Passman, our Board of Education liaison will be visiting in the morning and would like to have lunch with teachers in the lounge, as schedules allow
10/17--Fall semester Code Red Drill, 9:45--we'll have a meeting to review procedure beforehand

Fire Prevention Month-October

The Monona Fire Department has reached out to us as a partner for Fire Prevention Month.  They have invited any classroom to schedule a time to visit the station.  They have also offered to come to presentations here in the school.  Please let Daniela know if you are interested and we'll try to coordinate this as opposed to everyone working independently.

Good News Club

Some of you will remember this club from the Frank Allis days.  A group would like to use our space after contract hours for Faith-based afterschool club.  I'm looking for a teacher willing to volunteer the use of their room for this club.  Please let Daniela know if you would like to offer your room.

End of Week 3

Hi Everyone,

My confidence in all of you to carry this school closer and closer to our lofty goals grows with each passing day.  You make this school a special place.

This is our last day with the amazing Abreu Corniel kids (Adamaris in 5th, Samuel in 2nd).  I know they are both feeling sad about having to leave.  If you know them, please make a special effort to see them today.

Next week in my classroom walk-throughs I am going to be looking specifically for evidence of "Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport".  This will include teacher interaction with students as well as student to student interaction.

Remember, kids won't learn from you if they don't trust you and feel that they are cared for.

Reminders

• Fun Run/Walk begins today at 1:30.  Related arts classes that are in conflict with this are cancelled for today.
• Tonight from 6-8 is the PTO meeting.  I will be presenting our school report card and school improvement plan to parents.
• Monday Sept. 23 is our staff PD day.  We'll meet in Sarah Niesen's room from 2:00-3:30.
• Thursday, Sept. 26th is Open House/Book Fair/ and International Night.  The Book Fair will be open 5:30-8:00, Open House from 5:45-6:30, International Night 6:30-8:00 (potluck and presentations).
• After this event, I expect things to settle down quite a bit, I think until Day of the Dead in Nov.

PLC Grant

You may have noticed several subs in the building on Monday of this week.  The reason for this was to allow for a team of teachers to participate in a State Personnel Development Grant through DPI.

This is a 5 year grant centered around improving literacy outcomes for intermediate level students with disabilities with a focus on the development of professional learning communities (PLC). The 3 big ideas of a PLC are:

• focus on student learning
• focus on teacher collaboration
• focus on results
  
  

Only 26 out of 99 schools who applied for this grant were selected. Nuestro Mundo was the only school in Madison to qualify.  

The grant gives us access to our own PLC coach, Edie Holcomb, with whom we will meet one day a month (hence the subs). The group will meet without Edie, at least one other time per month to keep the PLC work and learning fresh.

This is a great opportunity for our school. The long-term vision is that the core group of teachers participating in this grant will disseminate this learning to all staff. After the 5 year grant cycle, I envision the PLC model used consistently by all teachers in the building. For more information about the PLC model follow this link.

Presentation Carts

Alberto is in the process of updating all presentation carts with laptops.  Please do not remove anything from the carts.  All cables, wires, and devices that are on the presentation carts should remain on the presentation carts.  This way we can ensure continued use of the carts.  If you are missing something and are tempted to take it off the cart, please let me know and we'll find what you need.  Also, please do not take cables and wires from other devices and add them to your cart.

Color Printing

Unfortunately, my plan to put the color on the network isn't going to work out due to a hardware problem with the printer.  If you need color printing, send me an email with an attachment and allow at least 24 hours.  I'll put the printing in your mailbox.  Remember to use this sparingly it is expensive, but don't shy away from color printing when you need visuals to make input comprehensible to students learning in a second language.

Mid-week Blog

Behavior

It appears that the honeymoon is over. :-)  I want to give a shout out to our support team--Kristi, Laura, and Erin--for being proactive first about positive behavior, but also for responding quickly and efficiently to crises as they pop up.  Thanks!

Let's all be extra diligent about reinforcing expectations in common areas such as the cafeteria until these expectations are internalized by the kids.

Thanks also to Sarah Neisen, Kristen Scott, Cassandra Fox, Vanessa Sanchez, and Courtney Klaetsch (please let me know if I missed anyone) who have provided me with names for positive calls home.  Your names will be entered into a drawing to use the principal's parking space for a week!  I'll announce the winner by the end of the week.  Make those calls yourselves and keep those names coming for me, it means a lot to our families!

Reminders

• Tomorrow is our first Fire Drill at 9:30.  We will review procedures this afternoon at 3:30 in the lounge.
• Fun Run/Walk on Friday from 1:30-2:30
• PTO meeting on Friday night 6-8pm
• Monday will be a PD for all staff from 2:00-3:30 in Sarah Niesen's room.

Assessment

We are currently in a sort of assessment limbo.  Use what you know to begin forming differentiated groups for guided reading and number development.  Spring 2013 data, ACCESS data, running records, fact fluency interviews, some of you are dabbling with the Calle and Mondo assessments.  If you need assistance with any of these please reach out to Erin or me and we'll get you the support or training you need.

Fall Assessment Dates:

• Sept. 16-Oct. 11--English PALS (1st grade) Working on a plan to support you with this.
• Sept. 30-Oct. 11--AimsWeb/Mide will be administered by member of UW's research team
• Sept. 30-Oct. 4--MAP testing (3rd-5th): Erin will be sharing the schedule shortly, library will be equipped for test taking this week and will not be used.  Susan is working on a plan to bring the library to you, thanks Susan!
• Oct. 14-Nov. 8--English PALS (Kindergarten)  Working on a plan to support you with this.
• Nov. 4-15 (tentative) WKCE (3rd-5th)

Classroom Budgets

Please make sure to keep a close eye on how much you have spent of your $100 classroom budget. Note that if your bill goes over you should swipe the card to only spend up to $100 and you will be in charge of paying the overage. PLEASE DO THIS as there is no way to pay the District or the school back for going over. 

We have a tight budget so please remember to stay within your allowed amount. Also remember to state TAX exempt before checking out. You could be saving tax money to put forward to another needed item.

Nuestro Mundo, Inc. Intern

See the below introductory message from our NMI intern Virginia Escudero.

Teachers and Staff of NMCS,
My name is Virginia Escudero and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am an international student at Madison College. I will be joining Nuestro Mundo Inc. team as an intern for the academic year 2013-2014.
A little about me: I am originally from Panama, and I have been leaving in Madison since 2009. I obtained a bachelor degree in Law and Political Sciences in my home country in 2007. After my graduation, I worked in the Office of Legal Aid for the Panamanian government where I served low income families with legal issues. After a few years of service, I decided to further my education here in the U. S. I have always a desire to helping others, so I decided to enroll the Human Services program at Madison College. After completing my program, I plan to complete a Master's in Social Work, and complementary studies in International Relations.
Throughout my life I have participated in diverse volunteer experiences. I am an active member in the community. I participate in activities that promote cultural exchange and enhance people's understanding of Latin American traditions and customs. I have also volunteered for: The Lupus Foundation of America, Centro Hispano, Neighborhood House Community Center, Susan G. Komen Cancer society, Luke's House Meal Program, Big Brothers Big Sister of Dane County, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, Wisconsin Medical Association, International Capoeira Angola Foundation, MMSD Summer Institute, YMCA.
 I am thrilled to begin my journey with Nuestro Mundo Inc. because I very interested in the different programs this organization manages, and I am excited to gain knowledge that I could apply to my field of studies. My goals will include connecting parents with various resources, and advocating for a better education for children; so that we can contribute to close the achievement gap. In addition I would like to help parents to become active members of their community.
 I will be working with different organizations and activities at the school:
-Parent Involvement Resource Center
-Liderazgo Parent Teacher Organization
-Parent School Partnership
-Dual Language Immersion Citywide Coalition
-Other projects: media outreach, grant writing, website design, and other projects assigned by my supervisor Libbey Meister. 
virginiaenmi@gmail.com or (608)556-9562
Saludos Cordiales,
Virginia Escudero