May 16 Updates

As I dig out from being out of the building for 3 days, I wanted to at least provide some quick updates for you all.  Keep those kids engaged, up to the very end!

Thanks for all you do!

--Josh

Staff Updates

• Cassandra Fox has accepted a position as a 3rd Grade Teacher at Huegel Elementary School. 
• Emma Brennan has accepted a full time position teaching Special Education at Midvale Elementary School.
• Please join me in thanking these teachers for their years of hard work and dedication for our students. We wish you all the best, and will miss you greatly!
• Emily Zoeller has accepted the full-time IRT position here at Nuestro Mundo!
• Erin Davenport has accepted a position as a Program Support Teacher with Student Services. Luckily, Nuestro Mundo is one of the schools she will be supporting.
• Jane Danley and Sarah Meier will be serving as Bilingual Resource Teachers as of next school year. Jane will be supporting K-2 and Sarah 3-5, though the specifics of the role are still be conceptualized.
• Anamaria Peralta will be joining our staff as our first ever BRS!  Anamaria comes to us highly recommended from Lowell Elementary School.

General Updates

• Memorial Day Parade is tomorrow morning in Monona.  All are invited to join us!
• Thursday June 12th will be a full school day due to the days taken for extreme temperatures in the winter.
• Class Roster Templates for next year have been shared with you.  Please be sure to make a copy (click File --> Make a Copy) and rename before you edit.  Please work together as a team to have these completed by June 6th.
• Instructional Technology Mini-Conferences.  Instructional staff can pick up their laptops early and engage in a 3 hour mini-conference with breakout sessions.  Tomorrow, May 16 is the last day to register before people can sign up for more than 1.  Register soon as one mini-conference already has a waitlist.  

• See this important information about Medication Administration on Field Trips.
• See this information about Keyboarding expectations for next year.

Important Dates

• 5/26 -- NO SCHOOL for Memorial Day
• 5/27 -- Calle PD Date
• 5/28 -- Josh, Erin, Emily, and Kristi out of the building all day
• 5/30 -- Fire Drill, 2:35
• 6/2 -- Staff Meeting (Oracy chapter from the Esamilla book)  Related arts teachers and support staff should attend. 
• 6/5 -- Fire Drill 9:35
• 6/5 -- Deep Dive with Asst. Superintendent Nancy Hanks (10:30-1:00)
• 6/5 -- Kindergarten Promotion (at the end of the school day)
• 6/5 -- 5th Grade Promotion 6:00-8:00pm
• 6/10 -- La Follette Dancers--8:30-9:40
• 6/12 -- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!

May 9th Updates

HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

I want you all to know how much I personally appreciate the hard work and dedication I see on a daily basis.  From a safety/behavior standpoint we are at 54 behavior events rising to the level of being recorded in Infinite Campus, as opposed to 81 last year.

Academically, initial MAP scores are looking very promising for reaching and exceeding the goals we set at the beginning of the year.

You guys have faced more changes in the past two years, than any other school in this district.  New building, new principal, new standards, new curricular materials, new professional development plan, new superintendent, new changes for next year, etc.  The list could go on.  You have faced these changes with professionalism and courage.  I know our students and their families will benefit from your courage.  I'm proud to call myself your principal.

THANKS!

The superintendent was supremely impressed with what she saw and heard yesterday.  Here are a couple of her comments from our debriefing after the classroom observations:

"There is real teaching happening today."
"The focus of your SIP lives and breathes in the building."

Be proud and treat yourselves to more goodies today in the lounge.  I hope you enjoyed the K-cup I left in your mailboxes.

Josh

Updates

• Friday, May 16th, is Virginia's last day here at Nuestro Mundo.  I was hoping we could do a farewell breakfast or lunch.  She is here from 8-3 on that day.
• A reminder that the following people will be away at a conference for the PLC Grant on May 20-22, Josh, Erin, Krista, Sarah N., Sarah M., Imma.  
• I will be sharing a google doc with you that has some FAQs about Educator Effectiveness and the Danielson Framework.
• A group of students from La Follette High School will be doing a presentation of Latin dances on June 10 from 8:30-9:40.  
• Alberto has been able to set up the scanner on the main copier in the office.  Press the "Scan" button, then press "Staff" on the touch screen.  Place the item to be scanned on the glass and press "Start".  Then you can go to the folder in the S drive labeled Lanier Scans, to retrieve your item.  Make sure to delete or move your scanned item out of the Lanier Scans folder immediately to prevent a messy folder.
• In response to the new Behavior Education Plan, which will replace the current Student Code of Conduct, the district will be holding Responsive Classrooms training this summer, August 4-8, at Chavez Elementary School.  See Stephanie for more details.

Kudos goes to...

• Virginia Escudero for creating our Family Center, helping to plan events and fund raisers, crafting and collecting a survey for parents, and the countless other accomplishments she has made toward engaging families.
• Alberto for getting the scanner set up
• Kristen Scott for cleaning out the refrigerator in the teacher's lounge.

Important Dates

• 5/12 -- PBS Team meeting 2:15-3:15
• 5/13 -- SBLT Meeting in Rm. 50, 3:30-5:00
• 5/13 -- K/1 Dress rehearsal, concert at 6:30 pm
• 5/14 -- Josh out of the building in the morning
• 5/15 -- Josh out of the building in the morning
• 5/15 -- 5th Grade Strings rehearsal, concert at 6:30 pm
• 5/19 -- Staff PD for 3-5 (Reading chapter of Escamilla book)
• 5/20-5/22 -- PLC Grant conference in Green Bay (Josh, Erin, Krista, Sarah N., Sarah M., and Imma out)
• 5/28 -- Josh, Erin, Emily, and Kristi out of the building all day
• 5/30 -- Deep Dive with Asst. Superintendent Nancy Hanks (in the morning)
• 5/30 -- Fire Drill, 2:35

Happy Friday Everyone!

I wanted to give you some details about Supt. Cheatham's visit on Thursday so that you know what to expect and we can make the most of the time we have with her in the building.

Here is the schedule:

7:45-8:15 -- Voluntary staff meeting (principal will not be present)
8:20-8:50 -- SBLT meeting
8:50-9:30 -- Classroom visits
9:30-10:00 -- Principal meeting

Don't get too nervous about the classroom visits, they will be brief and meant to be informative for the Supt. to better understand our program and get a feel for our school's culture.  If anything, I'm under the microscope with this visit, not you.

I was actually here for her visit last year, if you remember, and it went very well.

Directly following the Supt.'s visit, there will be a group of educators from Fairfax County, VA, who are trying to go from 50/50 programs to 90/10.  I will provide more details on their visit as soon as I have them. This could also include some classroom visitation.  I will try to talk to you before Thursday about any visitors in your classroom from this group.

Keep pressing on, we're on the last leg of the race for this school year.  Let's finish strong!

--Josh

Kudos goes to...

• Rigo for preparing a great slideshow for the NMI 10th Anniversary banquet.  Yes, there was weeping.
• Jorge and Rainbow--Keeping a level head during the fire alarm scare at dismissal the other day.

Updates and Info

• Check out the newly released School Calendar for 2014-2015.
• Here's and update about TCI Social Studies materials K-3.
• TEN STEPS TO AVOID TEACHER BURNOUT
• Balanced Math and Investigations
• From Marissa--In March, 12 Schools of Hope tutors volunteered for 81 hours!

Important Dates

• 5/2 -- Josh out in the a.m. (Stephanie is Principal Designee)
• 5/2 -- Last day the district will accept DLI enrollment applications from parents
• 5/3 -- Trip for Latino families to UW-Whitewater
• 5/5 -- Staff meeting (remember to read the Oracy chapter of the Escamilla book)
• 5/7 -- PLC Grant Day (Josh and several teachers out)
• 5/7 -- 5th Grade Track Meet
• 5/7 -- Citywide Spanish Spelling Bee
• 5/8 -- Supt. Cheatham visits Nuestro Mundo in the a.m.
• 5/8 -- Fire Drill in the p.m.
• 5/13 -- K/1 Dress rehearsal, concert at 6:30 pm
• 5/15 -- 5th Grade Strings rehearsal, concert at 6:30 pm
• 5/19 -- Staff PD for 3-5 (Reading chapter of Escamilla book)