Hey Panda Family,
Week 11 is complete, and after almost 8 months of remote learning some of our students will be returning to us this week! We can't wait to welcome them back to the building 🏫😊 While we may have some nerves about students returning, we will work together to ensure it is done safely. We are all in this together! Here are your updates for the week.
Return to Work: 4th & 5th Grade Teachers are required to work from the building beginning Monday, November 2. This is the last phase-in for staff. Please make sure you fob in. If any staff needs to have time off, or leave campus, they need to complete the white "Request for Leave" sheet.
Election Day: Make sure you don't forget to vote on Tuesday! If you are planning to work from the building on Tuesday, November 3 please make sure to park in the greenhouse parking lot.
Flex Wednesdays: Flex Wednesdays will begin this Wednesday, November 4. All staff will work from home beginning this Wednesday. We will begin by deep cleaning the hallways, bathrooms, gym, cafeteria, pod, Ms. Murphy's classroom, and Ms. Pollard's classroom. We will communicate with staff when we begin to clean all rooms in the building.
Report Cards: Report Cards need to be prepared to distribute by this Friday, November 6. We are in the process of proof reading and signing all report cards. If you would like the office to mail your report cards please let Mr. Elkins or Ms. Gardner know.
Standards Based Report Card Guidance (from district): K-2 teachers, please see the attachment for guidance regarding the standards-based report card for first quarter. Please send home the parent letters in the document for any student that is missing assignments that have prevented you from fully grading a standard. The parent letter will go home with the report card.
Remote Learning Guidance for First Quarter Standards-based Grading
November 5 PD @ 3:30: Our afterschool PD training on November 5 will be for all staff. We will focus on Staff Self-Care for the first half, and then the teachers & IAs will break out in small groups for individualized Wonders training for the second half. Please make sure this date is marked on your calendar. Jayne will be sending out instructions for accessing the PD.
Staff Picture: Our staff picture is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17 during our staff meeting. We will do it first thing at 3:30. We will take the picture outside at the playground. We will take a picture with and without our masks.
District Calendar Updates: Please make the following adjustments on your calendar.
December 22 needs to be changed to a “Break Day (B): No School”
January 7 needs to be changed to “Reserved Day: Teacher Professional Day (RC)”
January 8 needs to be changed to “Reserved Day: Teacher Professional Day (RS)”
The updated calendar can be found here - https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/116178
iReady Lessons for Small Groups (thanks for sharing Ms. Medley): Here are a couple of ways to get to mini lessons that are super helpful for re-teaching and small groups. Keep in mind I'm only ever looking for math, so there may be some variance in reading.
Diagnostic
- Go to a student's diagnostic results (reports-diagnostic results-student)
- At the bottom of the report, choose the domain you want to focus on by clicking it
- Go to the Next Steps & Resources for Instruction.
- Print any of the PDFs for a quick mini lesson
Teacher Toolbox
- Go to Assess & Teach
- Teacher Toolbox (subject)
- Go to the Grade level you want based on the skill you are re-teaching
- Scroll down until you see the lesson you want. The Teacher-led activities are perfect short lessons for small groups. Most are 15-30 minutes
You can also access lessons for higher student small groups this way as well.
Student Screening: Attached is the district presentation for student screening. We have asked select individuals to attend these trainings, but we wanted to share the presentation with everyone so you have it as a resource - PowerPoint Student Screening Process
PGE Health & Safety Cheat Sheet: It was asked if we would create a document that would highlight the important health and safety protocols for Plan B. We have created a two page "Health & Safety Cheat Sheet" for you to reference during Plan B for each part of the day. A hard copy of this cheat sheet will be placed in each staff member's box. Here is the link to the Google doc if you would like to have access to the electronic version https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H8p_0GlaX-5tZRfxsRD_fjBvQvf1b-Lf6KAwYig84ko/edit?usp=sharing
CARES Team Update (from Ms. Ceglowski):
- I know many grade levels gave out 2nd quarter packets today. If you have things left over that can't be picked up, please let me know.
- Continue to refer students who are not getting work done or showing up to live sessions. It seems with many of these students we take two steps forward and 3 steps back. Let me know if they start to slip away again and we will reach out.
- It seems the reality of the transportation restrictions is sinking in with our families. If you are still waiting to hear back from a family that isn't sure, let me know and we can try to help them look at all the options to figure out what is best for them.
- I wish you could hear all the praise you get from families! They know how hard you are working and are so grateful for you!
Packet Materials: I encourage each of you to continue sending out tangible packet materials for your students as needed (novels, worksheets, manipulatives, etc.). Please coordinate the pickup with your families. Every parent that I have talked with mentions how helpful it is to have a combination of tangible and virtual assignments. If the office can support you with this please let us know.
Morning Announcements: Here are the YouTube links for this week's Morning Announcements. Please include them on your Canvas page.
Monday (11/2) - https://youtu.be/2_4XyDuyPW4
Tuesday (11/3) - https://youtu.be/T6NsyYdg_EE
Wednesday (11/4) - https://youtu.be/EDkCjw19gjE
Thursday (11/5) - https://youtu.be/rsu-NeOnGtw
Friday (11/6) - https://youtu.be/hqL4E7IDMn8
From Ms. Keller - I would like to give a shout out to Lauren Phillips for being so helpful this year. I learn new strategies for remote learning and helping keep the kids engaged! I love hearing her ideas and watching her lead her groups.
From Ms. True - Shout out to Bonnie for always having our entrance and grounds decorated so beautifully. I can't say just how many, many visitors have commented that our entrance is so welcoming and that they love to visit our campus.
From Ms. Postle - My shout out is for the 4th grade teachers. Having to make things like Pirate Day fun for a virtual setting isn’t easy and they definitely rose to the challenge. Charlotte loved every activity they did and spent a lot of time telling us all about it. Our 4th grade teachers rock!!
IF Updates
PLTs: Please make sure you follow the new PLT schedule beginning this week. If your grade level changed to Flex Wednesdays it will begin this week. Here is the updated PLT schedule:
2nd grade - Mondays @ 2:30
4th grade - Wednesdays @ 8:00
Kinder - Wednesdays @ 9:30
3rd grade - Wednesdays @ 1:00
1st grade - Wednesdays @ 2:20
5th grade - Thursdays @ 2:20
Wonders data dashboard: Another IF, Megan Houston from Sedge Garden, created this video to explain the Data Dashboard in Wonders. I have posted this on the Canvas page under “Professional Development”. It goes over how to have Wonders grade activities, activities that you can assign to approaching, beyond, and on grade level students, and several other very helpful things. I hope you take a moment to watch it. You will definitely take away something you can immediately implement in your classroom!
New testing windows:
- Kindergarten WAPT 11/9-12/18
- iReady K-3 Reading 1/11-1/15
- iReady 4-5 Reading 1/19-1/27
- iReady K-5 Math 2/1-2/5
- iReady K-5 Reading makeups through 1/29
- iReady K-5 Math makeups 2/8-2/12
- ALL Check-ins and Local Benchmarks are cancelled for 2nd quarter
- BOG testing postponed until we get a start date for 3rd graders
Car Dismissal doc: Here is the link to the Car Dismissal link. Please bookmark it and save it wherever you need to!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QPz_b-GdsNC4c0ZQw8kkcNIxu0OA6ld2ZXnvLh8xtlA/edit?usp=sharing
Here is the embed code:
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRbV1tm59ya2LtKbeOc0Q07Cb137DWRZfxMXpIBZwNa8HDAawoFwNamKb2v5bc87T5p7DiUgl2nUPb-/pub?embedded=true"></iframe>
Upcoming Dates:
November 2 - EC Separate setting & PreK return (Option 1 students return Chromebooks)
November 2 - 4-5 Teachers return to work in the building
November 3 - No In-Person School (Election Day) - Remote Learning Day (asynchronous work only)
November 3 - PBIS & MTAC Committees meet @ 3:30
November 4 - First Flex Wednesday
November 5 - Instructional PD @ 3:30 (Teacher Self-Care & Wonders)
November 6 - Report Cards go home
November 9 - Kindergarten students return
November 10 - SIT @ 3:30
November 11 - No School (Veteran's Day)
November 16 - 1st Grade students return
November 17 - Staff Meeting @ 3:45 (Staff Picture @ 3:30 on playground)
November 18 - Flex Wednesday
November 23 - Remote Learning Day (no in-person instruction)
November 24 - Remote Learning Day (no in-person instruction)
November 25, 26, 27 - No School (Thanksgiving Break)
In this world of technology that we are living in I couldn't help but share this video. It is so sweet and hopefully will bring a smile to your face to listen to these conversations. She has a lot of wisdom that we won't find on the internet :)
That was beautiful! I think I want to live then. But the best part was her advice: Be happy, work hard, exercise and don't expect people to do things for you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great share!
ReplyDelete