Week 27: March 13-17

Bullock Brief

A week for duty [link here].  

Habit 7 Schedule.  The full schedule is here [link here].

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
E	F	A	B	C

All events can be found on the shared Master Bullock calendar.

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Staff Meeting: 2:45pm in the Platform.  Agenda [link here]

Instruction:  3-5 are conducting a book study on The Artisan Teacher.  We recently read a chapter about overt responses.  I think the chapter is an excellent refresher on the importance of checking student thinking during the lesson.  I have shared that chapter [link here]. 

Discipline: I sent an email about discipline on Saturday.  Please read [link here].  Relationships are at the heart of all that we do.  Always living our vision and mission in all things we do.

AR Celebration: We will be celebrating our super readers this Friday, March 17th.  Students will enjoy the celebration during Habit 7.  We will send a complete schedule on Tuesday. 

St. Patrick's Day: Wear green on Friday for St. Patrick's day.

Q3 testing for 1 and 2:  This week our 1st and 2nd grade scholars will be taking their exams on Wednesday and Thursday.  The complete testing plan can be found here [link here].  Please keep a quiet, respectful environment throughout the building, especially as you transition in the hallways.

Field Trip: It is important to make sure that the fees charged for field trips cover all expenses including taxes, gas and fees for buses and extra expenses.  Many of our field trip this year have required us to use school funds to cover shortages.  At this point, we do not have any "cushion" for those expenses.  Please check with an administrator when setting the price for a field trip.  A field trip template has been created to use for field trips.  Please use the forms located here  [English version] and [Spanish version].

PLCs:  We are continuing our work to address vertical needs in K-2  [link here].  Grade levels are working on writing rubrics and exemplars.  Super job teams.  "The end in mind" is a notebook with the writing rubric for EOY with copies of the S, N and U writing samples. 

1. Create grade level rubrics for writing standards (start with EOY and then move to MOY).
2. Determine ways for students to access and review new words/vocab (Interactive word walls, personal glossary, individualized review, etc.) every day.
3. Create a list of grade level standards that need to be mastered by EOY for each grade level. 
4. Build in spiral review into lesson plans (centers, targeted games, etc). 

3-5 PLCs, we will be discussing high-yield instructional strategies (annotation) and focus on text structure.  We also need to make sure we have consistency with the use of acronyms for helping students remember content or the sequence of steps. 

AVID  (4th and 5th):  We will have 12 visitors on March 14th to observe AVID and the Leader in Me in action.  4th and 5th grade teachers, please make sure you have completed the AVID survey that was sent earlier this week. 

Book Fair:  Ms. Ashworth and her team did a phenomenal job with the Spring book fair.  It was engaging and got our students excited about reading while earning money for our media center.  Super job Ms. Ashworth! 

EOG test date change:  There has been a change to the EOG test date for 3rd grade.  3rd-5th will test the same subject on the same day.

• 3rd-5th reading EOG - May 31st
• 3rd-5th math EOG - June 1st

New Custodian:  I am thrilled to announce that Mr. Derr will be joining our custodial team on Wednesday of this week.  Mr. Derr is coming to us from Southern Lee High School and will soon take over one of our eight regular routes.  Mr. Derr's professionalism and experience will be a wonderful addition to the team. 

New EC TA:  I am also thrilled to announce that Jillian Stone will be rejoining the Bullock team.  Jillian used to be a 1st grade TA.  She has garnered a ton of experience and certifications in working with exceptional needs in her time away from us.  She will be an incredible addition to the EC team.  She will begin on March 27th. 

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RtI:  3-5  RtI this week in Ms. Stone's room March 14th starting at 2:45pm. 

Homework Huddle (including ESL):  The Homework Huddle is underway on Tuesday-Thursday from 2:45-3:45pm each day.  The program will run Tuesday thru Thursday until May 25th.  

Summer School:  Summer School will be held from June 15th - June 22nd for grade 3rd-5th.   If you are interested in teaching summer school, please enter your name here [link here].

Spring Cleaning:  Please work together to make sure common areas (pods, lobbies, etc.) are tidy and clean.  As you are in the those areas, please make sure to store items neatly out-of-sight. 

Leader of the Week (error): I made an error in last week's brief.  You no longer will write in your leader of the week on the board, but please do send your Leader of the Week on Friday at 2pm. We will make an announcement.

Quarterly and EOG Testing Dates: 

• Q3 testing for grades 1-2: March 15th and 16th (through Q3 content)
• Q4 testing for grades 1-2: May 17th and 18th (through Q4 content)
• Cumulative test for grades 3-5:  April 18th-20th (note slight change)
• No grammar for any grade
• Science EOG - May 25th
• 3rd-5th reading EOG - May 31st (please note change)
• 3rd-5th math EOG - June 1st (please note change)
• RTA -June 6th

Instruction tip: Exemplary schools on EOGs
When text structure is the focus for prepping for EOG or summative exams, comprehension goes up.  Knowing text structure is a transfer goal.  It must happen all year.  Students need to be trained to run a marathon with  incremental exposure to longer text.  Students cannot repeatedly train on short passages

1. Students read the title and  think about what the passage might be about.
2. Students circle or underline words in the question to indicate what you are looking for
3. Students read 1-2 paragraphs...then write.
4. Go to questions and look at what they wrote and answer.  They skip what they do not know.  
5. Only go to the text on the questions they do not know.  
6. Students look for signal words or text structure.  
7. Students know there is always a main idea, text structure and vocabulary question.
8. Students identify the test structure BEFORE they read.

Quick links:  PLC schedule [link here].  Lunch schedule [link here].  PLC template [link here].  Retention forms [link here].  Looks Fors [link here].  Max Thompson tips [link here]. 

Visit http://www.meetme.so/StefanieClarke to schedule time to meet with me

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Monthly focus:  Think Win-Win

A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character traits:

1. Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
2. Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others
3. Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone

Please discuss some examples of a win-lose, lose-lose and win-win with your accountability partner this week.

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Should have recently completed (check that it's complete):

Due this week:

• Staff meeting - March 13th
• 1-2 Quarter Test - March 15th-16th
• PTO meeting - March 16th
• ESL parent night - March 16th
• Peer observations due - March 15th
• AVID survey - Due March 15th
• 5th grade band visit - March 17th
• AR celebration - March 17th

Upcoming dates:

• 4th grade field trip and 5th grade temple visit - March 20th
• End of Q3 - March 22nd
• 1st grade San Lee Park - March 22nd
• Spring Portraits - March 22nd
• Early dismissal - March 23rd
• Clubs - March 23rd
• Grade cards due - March 24th
• Student transfer -forms due -  March 31st