MM 82017

MM 8/20/17
Good evening staff, we just finished off a very productive week. I want to say thank you for the flexibility of the staff and we are off to a great start in enforcing JSA policies. Administration greatly appreciates the students learning the policy of JAG Bucks, P.A.W.S., classroom procedures, high expectations, and rules. We will be walking through classrooms looking for the "I Can" statements and standards that are being taught. We encourage the staff to continue to review policies and procedures on an as needed basis. We strongly encourage everyone to RSVP and attend the 1st annual JSA Staff Picnic this upcoming weekend. We understand the importance of standards based instruction and the importance of teaching is to teach the subject in a manner where it is impossible to get the answers wrong. Our video from the week is from the founder of Khan Academy.

Grade Chair Staff Members 2018

Good evening, listed below are the grade level chairs who will be able to assist you if you have any immediate questions concerning your area of instruction. If they are unable to provide you with the information, please come and see administration.
Kindergarten: Mrs. Phelps
First Grade: Mrs. Carpenter
Second Grade: Mrs. Smith
Third Grade: Mrs. Boyce
Fourth Grade: Ms. Westbrook
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Overstreet
6th Grade: Mrs. Martin
7th Grade: Ms. Richard
8th Grade: Mr. Dill
Fine Arts: Meredith Mills & Robert Smith

Elementary Updates

Critical: Email on 8/17/2017 from Superintendent Byrd with precautions on the solar eclipse. Please reinforce all of the policies referenced in the email with staff.
                Email on 8/15/2017 from Rachel Pleasant with attachment to send home with students concerning precautions and guidelines.

General:
v  Daily Schedules Posted in All Rooms (including small groups)
v  AR Tracking Visible in All Classrooms
v  Please complete your self- evaluation and begin narrowing the focus for your Deliberate Practice.

ELA:
v Rostering of Kindergarten students is complete. We are ready to begin FLKRS. Coaches were sent information from Julie Noel with directions on access and assessing.
Sticky Standards Updates Are Back! Please share with staff and provide feedback during walk throughs.
Week of August 21

K and 1st in Start Smart Weeks:
A question to ask every week in planning: What tasks will give the students opportunities to see themselves as readers and writers?

2nd: U1W1
A question to ask every week in planning: What tasks will give the students opportunities to increase proficiency as readers and writers?

Introducing LAFS.2.RL.1.1: Students may need support to identify key details that drive the plot.  Guiding questions, such as, “What important details do we find out about the characters in the opening of the story?” or “How do the friends help solve the problem?” give students a focus to differentiate relevant from minor details.

3rd: U1W1
Introducing LAFS.3.RL.1.3: This standard has two learning targets: 1) Students need to describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings). This requires finding text evidence, making inferences, and building descriptive vocabulary for character traits, motivations, and feelings. 2) Students need to explain how characters’ actions contribute to the sequence of events.

4th: U1W1
Introducing LAFS.4.RL.1.3: This standard requires analyzing details to describe in depth a character, setting, or event. “In depth” descriptions require students to interpret and draw conclusions about character personalities, reactions, and interactions that drive the plot. Reading Wonders just does sequence of events, so watch for questioning and organizers to take this deeper.
Also Introducing LAFS.4.RL.3.7 Students need to compare and contrast a written version of text to a visual or oral presentation of the same text. There are task suggestions on the map.

5th: Introducing LAFS.5.RL.1.3: Students need to compare and/or contrast two or more characters, settings, or events using descriptions and text details. 5th graders go beyond surface level to analyze, infer, and compare character traits, perspectives, and personalities, and the effects characters, settings, and events have on one another. Reading Wonders lessons address the 3rd grade standard, so teachers need to plan appropriate 5th grade tasks using guidance from maps.

MATH:
v  Star math is for 1st – 8th grade student use. Please see the attachment for more useful information that will help with implementation and accommodation questions. Schools may also select to have the items read to their 1st grade students when taking STAR Math. There are extended time and audible features that may be used for students with IEPs or 504 plans.
v  Monthly Webinars- We will be offering monthly webinars for LIVE meetings starting September 13th. There is a link on the website for teachers to let us know what topics they are interested in learning more about. Click Survey for Mathematics Monthly Live Webinar Topic Request to put in your requests.
v Module Assessments- The module assessments that were used in IBTP last year are being made

Emails:
Resources:
Link to Power Hour Activity Recommendations
Link to 2017-2018 Power Hour Power Point


Shout Outs for the Week
I want to give a shout out to Ms. France who had her students in group rotations and starting to work utilizing Readers' Workshop on the second grade level. Standards were posted and students were working on grade level. I also want to give a shout out to Mr. Hyun who has the students hitting the ground running working on solving algebraic expressions. Mr. Hyun is using color coding for the students to utilize the distributive property when solving problems. Students were grouped in pods of 3 and able to display learning by explaining how each problem was solved within the classroom. We will give weekly shout outs in the newsletter and will also give shout outs via e-mail to instructors with the whole staff. 

GLOW 4 THE WEEK
Staff members for assisting at car rider duty and bus duty.
Staff members for transitioning students from lunch K - 8. 
Mrs. Holbert for winning 500 dollar grant for asthma safe school. 
ELA department for completing all of their writing essays during the week!!

Formative Assessment
3-2-1, Three things that you have learned, two things you have questions about, and 1 thing that stood out during the lesson. 

Weekly Calendar
8/21/17
Journey Training AP Sweet, Testing Coordinator Training, Reddick, Title 1 Meeting, AP Sitek pm
Solar Eclipse no movement after 1:20, students will remain in classes and we will be on Rainy Day Dismissal.
8/22/17
Collaborative Planning, Unpacking Standards, please have standards filled in prior to arriving at collaborative meeting. Staff needs to focus on planning backwards, beginning with the end in mind. If you need assistance see Administration and Coaches. 
Yoga Club, 7:10 in Dance Studio
8/23/17
Coaches Meeting, Gainey ELA, Pfaff Math (2 Days)
8/24/17
Yoga Club, 7:10 in Dance Studio; PLC MTSS DeeDee Maxwell (K - 8) Teacher Workroom
8/25/17
Spirit Day, Summer Learning Celebration 2:30 - 3:00 JSA Cafe. 

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