Jan. 24 Updates

**Behavior Data from Q2 will be shared next week**

Remember, Josh, Stephanie, and Kristi will all be out of the building this morning.  Erin is principal designee.


Again, please remember the importance of comments in the report cards.


Updates

• I would like to propose that we switch the staff PD that was to take place on Feb. 17 to Feb. 10.  The topic for this meeting will be PBS and the new Social Emotional Learning Standards.
• Results of the Combined Campaign--$610!  Thanks to all who contributed.  Thanks to Wendy for coordinating this.
• Additional time per day to make up for lost days will not begin on Monday the 27th.
• Alberto has proposed that we remove some memory from the netbooks to be placed in the laptop computers.  This will increase the efficiency of the laptops, however the netbooks would then become web stations only, meaning that they could only be used for web-based applications.  Please let me know how this would affect the way you are currently using the netbooks. 

Important Dates

• 1/27  Optional staff PD to review new MAP and Report Card data (goal is to create guided reading groups)
• 1-27 BOE General Meeting to vote on charter renewal, 6pm at Doyle building
• 1/28 School Based Leadership Team meeting 3:30-5pm in Rigo's Room
• 1/28 DLI informational session for potential Kindergarten parents 6-7 in Art Room.
• 1/30  1st Grade Teachers gone all day for Lead Teacher Teams.  Josh gone in the morning for New Administrator's meeting.
• 1/31  Deep Dive Visit (more info to come on focus of observations)
• 2/4 DLI informational session for potential Kindergarten parents 6-7 in Art Room.
• 2/5 Mondo Site Visit #3
• 2/11 DLI informational session for potential Kindergarten parents 6-7 in Art Room.
• 2/13 Fire Drill 2:35pm
• 2/20 Deep Dive Visit
• 2/21 No School (1/2 day PD, 1/2 day individual planning time)
• 2/25 4th and 5th Grade Concert

January 16 Updates

Updates

• I will share behavior data from Q1 and Q2 next week.  As a reminder, please actively use the PBS board in your classroom, and take time to teach the Cool Tool for February.  I will come around the 1st week of Feb. to see if the PBS board is being used properly.  I'm hoping for 100% of classrooms.
• The Nuestro Mundo Data Warehouse is receiving its finishing touches today.  Please look for an email from Kristi Nelson sharing this in Google Doc format.  Assessments such as MAP and AimsWEB are filled in for you (thanks Kristi and Erin), you are responsible for filling in F&P, WRAP, Mondo, Fact Fluency, and/or NDA scores for students.  Please do this by the end of the day on January 24th.  I recommend filling this out first and printing it off to use when you input report card data.  This will allow us to have all data for all students in one central location.  It will facilitate school wide data analysis and the data will be waiting for you next September when you get your new set of students!
• Nuestro Mundo has been chosen as one of 7 schools in the district to pilot the new look for school websites!
• Please send names to Stephanie (cc me) for Puma awards on Fridays.  I will use the info to make calls home as well.
• We are continuing to ask that all students come to the cafeteria with their winter gear on.  Specials teachers  if you have a class who will be going to lunch directly after your class, please have kids ready to go promptly when the class is scheduled to end..  We have to stick to the lunch schedule as closely as possible.
• Nice work on the Fire Drill, 2:12 with an obstructed exit.  Great work teachers!
• Tragically, there was another school shooting this week.  Please remember to keep your doors locked at all times so that in the event of a code red, the door can be quickly shut and secured.  A video also came out a couple of weeks ago about school security (click here to see video).  Please remember to where your ID at all times and that all adult visitors should have a pink visitor's sticker prominently placed on their shirt/jacket.  If you see an adult without a pink sticker, respectfully ask them if they checked in in the office.  If you see someone suspicious, ask them if they checked in and respectfully offer to walk with them in the office, or call the office if you do not feel comfortable with escorting the person.  I hate to be an alarmist, but we have to be prepared for this possibility in this day and age.
• Projector Lamps are surprisingly expensive.  Please remember to power off your projector when it is not actively being used.  I have seen some classrooms where the projector is left on for the majority of the day, even when kids are at specials or lunch.  I did not budget for replacement bulbs this year and they are hundreds of dollars each.  These bulbs should last for years if we let them rest when not absolutely necessary.

Report Card

• There were some questions regarding F&P levels and grade reporting for Q2.  The concern was that many of our students will be receiving 1s based on "Reads at Grade Level".  I asked around at the principals meeting and the consensus seems to be that this is typical.
• Please leverage the Comments section to communicate more meaningful information to parents about the progress of their child.  This is very important for our parents.
• If you have concerns about a student, please do not let the report card be the first time you are communicating these concerns to a parent/guardian.  Make a phone call home now to express concerns.  Call homes frequently to maintain good communication with parents/guardians.

Josh Out of the Building :-(

I abhor being pulled out of this building.  However, I do have obligations that require this, and it seems that there is a concentration of these obligations over the next few weeks.  I will be gone on the following days:

1/21--All day (Stephanie out on this day too, Kristi Nelson will be principal designee)
1/22--8:00-10:00
1/24--8:00-12:30
1/28--All day (will check in at times)
1/29--All day
1/30--8:00-10:30
2/12--All day
2/14--8:00-12:30

Stephanie will be principal designee on these days unless otherwise indicated.

Important Dates

• 1/20  No School for MLK, Jr. Day
• 1/21  PLC Grant Day Away
• 1/27  Optional staff PD to review new MAP and Report Card data (goal is to create guided reading groups)
• 1-27 BOE General Meeting to vote on charter renewal, 6pm at Doyle building
• 1/28 School Based Leadership Team meeting 3:30-5pm in Rigo's Room
• 1/28 DLI informational session for potential Kindergarten parents 6-7 in Art Room.
• 1/30  1st Grade Teachers gone all day for Lead Teacher Teams.  Josh gone in the morning for New Administrator's meeting.
• 2/4 DLI informational session for potential Kindergarten parents 6-7 in Art Room.
• 2/5 Mondo Site Visit #3
• 2/11 DLI informational session for potential Kindergarten parents 6-7 in Art Room.
• 2/13 Fire Drill 2:35pm

Charter Renewal and other Updates

Good morning everyone, and happy Friday!

Last night the school board discussed the term report for the last 5 year contract and the proposal to extend Nuestro Mundo's charter for another five years.  I was expecting more scrutiny, but the meeting went surprisingly well.  Representatives from the school district, including Superintendent Cheatham, actually led the presentation to the board and firmly supported our school and the importance of our school remaining a charter.

The majority of questions revolved around the rental of the Maywood building, to which MMSD's response was that renting the building is currently the most cost effective option for addressing the overcrowding issues on the east side.

There were a couple of questions regarding the Monona Grove residents attending the school.

At the end of the meeting, Mary Burke asked about the WKCE scores.  I addressed the question by referring to our SIP, our improved school culture, and the staffing changes that were made to stabilize the intermediate grades.

Several members of the board lauded Nuestro Mundo's success and initiative around parental involvement.

It seemed very positive and at this point I believe we have at least 4 votes of the 6 members to renew the charter for 5 more years.

I do also believe that we will have to show drastic improvement in student achievement over the next 5 years, so we have our work cut out for us.

I'll be in the teachers' lounge after dismissal to answer any questions you may have about the charter renewal.

Have a great day!



Important Dates

• Monday 1/13 (1:25)--Fire Drill, Remember, this time we will likely do something to disrupt the normal drill. Get ready to think on your feet!
• 1/15  Josh gone all day at Principal's Meeting
• 1/20  No School for MLK, Jr. Day
• 1/21  PLC Grant Day Away
• 1-27 BOE General Meeting to vote on charter renewal, 6pm at Doyle building
• 1/30  1st Grade Teachers gone all day for Lead Teacher Teams.  Josh gone in the morning for New Administrator's meeting.
• 2/5 Mondo Site Visit #3

2014, Here We Go!

In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.

--Albert Camus,

I hope everyone is hunkered down keeping warm and relaxing.  I'm  missing the excitement of having everyone here in the school building.  I'm certain that 2014 is going to be a great one for Nuestro Mundo...let's make it happen.

Updates

• With mixed feelings of sadness and excitement, I  inform you that the wonderful Becky Smith has taken a position as an advisor in the School of Ed. at the UW-Madison.  While I'm excited for Becky, I know you will all agree that she will be sorely, sorely missed.  She shared with me that she is looking forward to this new direction in her career, but will miss Nuestro Mundo very much.  Becky's last day will be January 17th.  
• The BOE meeting to discuss the charter renewal has been rescheduled for Thursday at 6pm due to the inclement weather.  The vote will still take place on the 27th, meeting starting at 6pm.
• There are two video cameras that have been donated to the school.  One of them is fairly old-school (with the tapes and everything), though the other is a more recent model.  I will give these to Susan to keep for check out in the library.
• Read Your Heart Out is coming up again, who coordinated this event last year?  Please let me know.
• There is a Bilingual Family PJ (pajamas) Fun Night at the Monona Library on Wed., January 15th from 6:15-7:15.  Please share this information with your students and their families.  It would be great if some teachers were able to attend (PJs optional).  Snacks will be offered.

Assessment and Grade Reporting

• Quarter 2 ends on January 24th, which is a half-day for grade reporting.  Please plan to have all assessments done by the morning of the 24th so that we can have that data to analyze on the 27th.  I have asked more clarification from C&A and OMGE about grade reporting for Q2.
• At a minimum, please plan to administer the Fountas & Pinnel or WRAP assessments this month. These assessments are included in how our SIP is monitored.
• I'm looking to see what support we can get for this heavy assessment time.
• Winter MAP test (3rd-5th) starts the week of Jan. 13th, only the Reading test this time.  Please see Erin's email and take advantage of the resources there to prepare your kids to do their best. Remember, the MAP is one of the primary ways our SIP will be monitored.
• ACCESS testing begins this week.  Kristi Nelson has shared the schedule with everyone via Google Docs.

Important Dates

• Thursday 1/9--Fire Drill, Remember, this time we will likely do something to disrupt the normal drill. Get ready to think on your feet!
• 1/9  BOE Instruction Work Group to discuss the charter renewal 6pm at Doyle building
• 1/15  Josh gone all day at Principal's Meeting
• 1/20  No School for MLK, Jr. Day
• 1/21  PLC Grant Day Away
• 1-27 BOE General Meeting to vote on charter renewal, 6pm at Doyle building
• 1/30  1st Grade Teachers gone all day for Lead Teacher Teams.  Josh gone in the morning for New Administrator's meeting.
• 2/5 Mondo Site Visit #3

January Birthdays!

• 4th--Eva Bilger
• 12th--Sanda Steele
• 21st--Delia Hurtado
• 26th--Emily Zoeller
• 30th--Jane Danley

On posting learning objectives/purpose (from the Marshall Memo) 

9. Should Objectives Be Posted in Classrooms?

In this blog post, Grant Wiggins comments on administrators requiring teachers to post daily objectives on the wall, sometimes in the name of UbD-type backwards design of curriculum units. Some schools take it a step further: when students are asked what standard they’re working on, they chorus, “We’re working on ELA Standard B.2.a.i.” “This gets it all backwards,” says Wiggins. “The posting is the means; the end is 

understanding of the meaning of the work and a way to stay on track… The aim is to ensure that students understand goals and how current activities support those goals. Ideally, then, students have perspective and see the value of the work; they understand the why of the current work in order to find it more meaningful and to facilitate purposeful learning, and they have a touchstone for gauging progress (and thus use of time).”

The best test of posting goals on the wall is whether students can answer questions like, Why are we doing this? Why does it matter? and How does it connect to previous work? If students respond, “I dunno” or “Ask the teacher,” it’s not a good sign – and it doesn’t validate the efficacy of the sign on the wall. [Far better to have provocative, well-crafted unit Essential Questions on the wall and frequently refer to them as the unit unfolds.]

“Mandating the Daily Posting of Objectives, and Other Dumb Ideas” by Grant Wiggins

http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/mandating-the-daily-posting-of-objectives-and-other-dumb-ideas/

, Dec. 5, 2013

iPads

As many of you know, the school now has 30 iPads for student use.  These iPads are housed in a charging cart in Sarah Niesen's room.  The iPads were purchased to support a Classroom Action Research project that Sarah and Jane Danley are doing in conjunction with the UW.  Sarah and Jane have also taken courses through MMSD on the management and use of iPads in the classroom.  At this point I consider this year  "pilot" year for the use of these devices in support of language and content learning.  This pilot includes monitoring the effectiveness of the devices to engage students and increase learning, as well as the building's technical capacity to support this quantity of wireless devices.  I hope to continue to build our collection in years to come.

Unfortunately, NMCS does not have a great history for keeping track of technology.  Seven iPads were purchased last year and only 4 remain.  The computer carts are frequently missing charging cords and even computers.  I know we can do better than this with a little more procedural clarity.  For this reason, I am asking that the iPads not leave Sarah's room until we have developed a systematic method for reserving and keeping track of the devices.

Because Sarah and Jane are involved in the CAR project, they will have priority access for the remainder of this year.  I certainly don't want to completely restrict use of the iPads for other students in the building, however.

If you would like to gain access to these devices, please present me (in writing) with your unit and lesson plans detailing how the iPads will support the learning outcomes of the unit/lesson.

Please do not ask Sarah if you can use the iPads.

These are not inexpensive devices, as you all know, and the goal here is to ensure that they are used properly and therefore must be introduced to students appropriately.  Thanks.