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

Week 3

Great week everyone!  I really feel the simplicity of the beginning of the year shedding away to reveal the complexities of our students, families, and our work.  This is what makes our work so challenging and rewarding.  I am so proud of what I'm seeing in classrooms and common areas.

As we work to systematize Positive Behavior Support in our building, please remember the following:

• Consequences should be restorative and should reflect the undesirable behavior in terms of severity
• "Skin your own skunk"--meaning handle level 100 behaviors yourself.  Do not pass consequences off to others.
• Nothing goes further than relationships and motivation in encouraging positive behavior.  
• Let's build a culture of pride in oneself and in our school.  Don't talk down to students.  Rather, use "I believe in you", "I expect your best because I know what you are capable of" type statements.
• All adults are responsible for all students.  
• Communication and reinforcement btwn classroom and related arts teachers is key.

Important Dates:

• Monday 9/16: Several staff (including me) at all day PD for the PLC grant
• Tues. Josh out of building in the a.m., Erin will be designee
• Thursday the 19th: first Fire Drill at 9:30 
• Friday the 20th, Fun Run/Walk 1:30-2:30
• Friday the 20th, Liderazgo/PTO meeting 6-8pm at the school
• Friday the 27th, Assembly 9:00-9:45 (review of assembly expectations and procedures needed)

Student Initials in emails
I have received several emails that refer to students by their initials.  It's difficult for me to figure out who these students are.  In the future, please use initials in email subject lines, but refer to students by first name and last initial within the body of the email.

Partnerships

• Anyone interested in partnering with a school in Argentina, let me know.
• We will be starting the Free Fruits and Vegetables Program the first week of October.  Please work together as a grade level team to decide when in your schedule would be a good time to break for a snack.  Snacks will be delivered to your classrooms on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays only.  More details to come.
• If you are interested in attending a training on the Green and Healthy Schools program please contact Elisabeth Olson at  elisabeth.olson@wisconsin.gov or 608-264-9258.

Computer Situation
We are missing 3 iPads, several laptops, and many laptop power cords.  Come on people we can do better than this.  It's important to me to be a responsible steward of public tax money.

Please do not take laptops from the carts for your personal use and never remove power cords from the carts.  Alberto is re-configuring all laptops and updating presentation carts.  Please do not disassemble updated presentation carts.  There may be a few laptops available for check-out for teacher use after this process is complete.


From Daniela:
Supplies

Do you need any of the following

-stapler

-pencil cup

-tape dispenser

-scissors

-electric pencil sharpener (new teachers priority) 

Reply to Daniela with your needs.

Work Room

By the end the week the work room should be up and running (with permanent mail boxes). In the mean time don't forget to pick up your mail from the temporary mailboxes on the low counter in the main office. Any packages that have arrived are located next to the temporary mailboxes.  Please send home pink student handbooks with students today.

Copy Machine

Please be gentle with the new copy machine. Remember to take your originals and to keep this area clean as it is visible to all parents.

Deadlines 

September 13th-Update Voicemail

September 13th-Anyone interested in performing for International Night?

September 20th-E-mail Daniela Classroom Rotations (Who grades what areas) so that I can finish rostering.

Mid-Week Blog

Hi Everyone,

Over the summer, among other things, I studied hours upon hours of video footage of teachers teaching while honing my observation skills using the Danielson Framework for Teaching.  This framework is what every teacher in the state of Wisconsin will be evaluated on starting next school year.  As the year progresses, Erin and I will be bringing this framework more and more into the school-based PD you will receive.

I'm sure you'll agree that this framework represents a comprehensive and worthy target for all of us as educators.

Over the last couple of days, I have been slipping in and out of your classrooms practicing my ability to notice certain elements of the framework.  Specifically Domain 2 of the framework which focuses on Classroom Environment. This is what I've been working on noticing:

• 2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
• 2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
• 2c: Managing Classroom Procedures
• 2d: Managing Student Behavior
• 2e: Organizing Physical Space

I am very pleased with the routines and procedures that are being practiced and internalized, as well as by the rapport I see developing between teacher and students.  You will find that there is little new in Danielson's framework, but it is a great way to think about great teaching.

For a brief summary see the Danielson smart card:  

For more detail see the full framework:

My goal is work with you to identify strengths and needs and to support your professional growth.

Business Items:

• Josh will be out all day tomorrow, Erin will be the principal designee.
• Daniela and I want to minimize PA announcements during instructional time.
• We will try to avoid making announcements between 8:45 and 3:00.
• This means everyone must check email mid-day.
• Teachers must be extra vigilant to notify the office if you are deviating from your schedule.
• If you have not let Erin and myself know when your team will be meeting to discuss student data during the week, please do so asap.
• Many of you have indicated a night to attend the Liderazgo/PTO meeting.  Please remember to do this by the end of the week and put it on your google calendar.

Thanks,

Josh

Week 2

Wow, what a week.  I appreciate everyone's extra effort, in my absence, to practice and improve the procedures we have in place for arrival, lunch, and dismissal.  Before I left I saw straight lines, quiet hallways, happy children and adults!  Let's keep it up this week.  Remember relationships, routines, and safety.  Ease in to the academics.

Important Dates:
9/9--Individual Planning Time after Early Release (1:45-3:47)
9/10 & 9/12--Girls on the Run--Please send participatin girls to the art room at dismissal (Thanks Anne!)  This group will meet on Tues. and Thurs. for the next 9 weeks.
9/11--Josh will be out all day at monthly principal's meeting
9/16--First SPDG Day Away--There will be many subs in the building this day, Josh will be away too.  Remember to set up your sub for success with quality lesson plans and by setting expectations with students.
9/19--First Fire Drill--We'll meet briefly after dismissal on the 18th to review procedures.
9/20--Liderazgo/PTO meeting--Please sign up as a team to attend at least one meeting this year, this would be greatly appreciated by parents.  Related Arts, Interventionists, CC and other support staff please sign up as well.  A Google spread sheet has been shared with you so you can record meeting dates called "Liderazgo/PTO Sign Up".
9/23-9/27--Book Fair!  Specific dates and times within that week forthcoming.
9/26--Open House/International Night--This will be a traditional open house with the book fair available to parents.  The night will end with a potluck and some presentations representing the varied cultural backgrounds in our school.

Okay, enough for now.  I can't wait to see everyone again!

Remember, as educators we are dealers in hope.

Josh