It has been such a fantastic week. What a difference it makes to have KIDS IN THE BUILDING! I love watching you give all of your effort to engage with your learners and am so pleased with the virtual and physical learning environments you have created for our children. Tomorrow is Patriot Day. Feel free to show your red, white, and blue love!
DID YOU KNOW:
- that your Meet the Teacher and Curriculum Night Presentations should be attached to your district website? If you haven't already done so, please attach them to the tabs added to your sites by next Friday.
- Tuesday, September 15 is Dot Day? There is a collaborative class book template in Pages to go along with the Dot book for Dot Day. Thanks to Stephanie and Priscilla for planning creative Dot Day experiences to go along with this iBook, as well!
- Specials will deliver learners back to your spaces after Team Time? Please make sure you are there to receive them. Also there is no need to bring their backpacks to Team Time.
- CISD will offer families the option to commit to either in person or distance learning for the second grading period, which begins on Tuesday, Oct. 12? The commitment form process for the second grading period will begin on Monday, Sept. 21 and end on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Parents will only fill out a form if they are changing their commitment for the second nine weeks. Be on the lookout for more details soon.
- even though the window opens, we will NOT begin MAP testing for one more week at Lee Elementary? We want to create a schedule for you to use and also want to wait for the "kinks" to be worked out with virtual testing. Please do not plan for MAP testing during the week of Sept 14.
- our GTI Specialist, Ayesha, has a S'more to update you on all things GTI? Check it out!
MORNING AND AFTERNOON DUTY CHANGES
With so few learners, we are ready to shave down the number of staff members on arrival and dismissal. Please review our updated duty schedule that will go into effect TOMORROW (Friday). If we inadvertently left you off, or you WANT to have an additional duty, please let us know. We will use these assignments for the remainder of this 9 weeks. For car duty, please read our arrival and dismissal plan for expectations to help our parents learn the routine. We will not host a car pool lane at this time. There will be dots placed six feet apart for car riders to stand/sit on for dismissal. Car riders should have a spot outdoors, not inside, now. PLEASE send your learners to the bus and car dismissal areas PROMPTLY at 3:03PM. If you keep your learners longer, you hold every other staff member and famiLEE up. We will still use this google document to let you know your bus and car order. Bus duty, please alert Leigh Ann when all of your learners were placed on the bus so she doesn't send buses off that are missing children.
FLEX LEARNING ON WEDNESDAY
All staff will be attending BULB training on campus at 3:15 on Wednesday. Training will be from 3:15-4:15 and you will be granted an hour of flex credit. We will be trained in-house by some fabulous folks. We will also dedicate time during this training for you to update your professional and campus goals in Strive. Our campus goal will be related to the Vivatek boards and will be emailed to you before Wednesday's training.
SAVE THE DATE
Curbside pickup starts September 23 from 11:00-1:00. Please share this interactive flyer with your families in addition to these two graphics.
RETURN TO SCHOOL COMPLIANCE COURSE:
If you are like me, this task has dropped down on the "to do list." Please work to get the Return to School Compliance Course completed by Friday.
VIRTUAL STAFF, WE NEED YOUR HELP
Virtual teachers, I KNOW how badly you crave engagement with the children and other staff while you are on on campus. It PAINS me to restate this, but I am directing you that if you are a virtual teacher that you make best efforts to stay in your teaching spaces and in spaces around the building that you HAVE to go to. To begin with it is about your health. We recognize you want to help and also be around children, but we NEED you to follow the campus expectation to wear your masks if you are around the building and to stay in a minimal amount of spaces. If you are with your team or others, please remain at least six feet from one another with your masks on. Rainy recess time can take place on the pavillion, not in closed classrooms. We are doing our best to keep our virtual teachers mostly interacting with others outdoors, not indoors. Please talk through situations with Chantel if you have to disregard this request.
OFFICE HOURS C&I SUPPORT
CISD is offering optional times for staff to collaborate and meet virtually with members of the curriculum team. These are available for administrators, educators, paraprofessionals or staff members who have questions or want to brainstorm ideas about lesson design with the team. Click on the link to view dates/times. Also, we have included the content specialists/depart chair meetings for the year as well. Click here for link! PARENT COMMUNICATION
Do you keep a parent communication log? This is a good idea for both positive and not so positive conversations. In education: if it is not documented, it didn't happen. Also, think about picking up the phone (instead of emailing) when you have an issue that could potentially escalate. We have a caring staff, and typically if there are issues, it is due to miscommunication. When a parent has your listening ear and hears your voice on the other end showing concern, most problems will be solved. Please always inform Admin if you have a "tricky" conversation.
COACH'S CORNER
All of us want our learners to be successful and their academic levels to increase. Small group instruction has a significant impact on student achievement. Here are some basic questions about small group instruction answered:
What are the benefits of small group instruction?
- Learners get personalized instruction.
- Learners and educators get feedback.
- The educator can re-tach or pre-teach a skill.
- Build confidence through collaboration.
How are small groups organized?
These groups should be fluid. Small groups should be based on frequent and on-going progress monitoring and assessments. Educators can sometimes, also form diverse groups based on abilities to work collaboratively during independent work time.
What are the other learners doing?
The challenge of small group instruction is the management of other students who must be engaged in meaningful assignments during independent work time while the teacher is working with a small group. For independent work time to be effective, assignments and activities should be selected that are designed to directly reinforce concepts taught during whole group literacy or math instruction. These activities and assignments should be meaningful and not just “busy work”.
[SMALL GROUP TEACHER]
ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK
“SUPER teachers work with students in small groups to target instruction and meet students’ needs. They know that students’ needs are not one size fits all, so they don’t teach the same lesson to the whole class. They understand that some students already know certain information while others have not experienced it before. Everyone has different needs.”
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Celebrate Freedom Week
MAP Testing Window Opens
Sept 15- International Dot Day
Sept 16- Convocation Shirt w/Jeans
Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)
Sept 17- Constitution Day
Sept 18- Last Day to order CISD Ed Foundation T-shirt
CISD Return to School Compliance Course Due
Goals Entered into Strive Due
Link Meet the Designer and Curriculum Night presentations on your Lee Websites
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