Sunday, September 26, 2021

Week of 9/20 - 9/24

Hey Panda Family,


I'm not sure why I love the picture below so much, but I honestly think it summarizes the purpose of our work each day. You may not realize it, but you mean more to your students than you know! You mean more to me than you know! Give a student (or colleague) a hug, high five, or fist bump this week that needs it 😊 It will mean more than anything you can teach them. I promise! 

Here are the Weekly Wrap updates for this week:



LETRS: LETRS is a two-year Reading PD that is required by our state (it is really good - I have already started mine!). If you are on this LETRS PGE List then you will be required to complete the training. The school district understands this training will take time outside of your normal work hours so they will be paying each individual a $750 stipend each year. Here are your next steps:

  • We will have help sessions after school on Monday, September 27 & Thursday, September 30 @ 3:30 in the Media Center (both sessions will offer the same help) 
    • These sessions are optional but recommended 
  • We will watch the LETRS Kick-Off Video
  • We will guide you through how to complete the pre-assessment
  • We will talk you through next steps on completing Unit One Coursework
  • You are not required to attend the afternoon sessions, however the LETRS Kick-Off Video and the pre-assessment need to be completed by this Friday, October 1
    • All directions can be found here - LETRS PGE List
    • You will need to find the email from Voyager Sopris LETRS with your login and password information
    • Should take about an hour to complete video and pre-assessment

Small Group Instruction: As you complete your iReady BOY diagnostics you will be able to see your student's progress in their specific iReady Reading & Math domains. As we have discussed in PLTs, you should use this data to determine how you pull groups for your small group instruction and your intervention time (remember the basketball analogy - working on free throws, dribbling, etc.). We should be working on the specific skills our students need. We expect these small groups to be planned and in effect by October 11.


Progress Reports: Progress Reports need to go home this week. K-2 will complete the narrative Progress Report found here - PGE Progress Report Template (make a copy first). All grades 3rd-5th need to have their grades updated in PowerSchool for parents to be able to view.


PTA Staff Favorite Things (from our PTA President): I hope you all are doing well and enjoying this fall weather, finally! I wanted to send a quick reminder to complete the form below (if you haven't already) with all of your favorite things! You all know how much the parents love spoiling the PGE staff and they are already asking for lists. It only takes a few minutes and we are hoping to get those loaded on our website next week. 




99 Math: This is an awesome resource that we shared last year and they have added a lot more free math games and skills to practice. Make sure to check it out - 99 Math


Printshop: Please make sure you take advantage of Printshop services. We are going through toner and copy paper at an exponential rate currently on our school copy machines. If we continue at this pace we may have limited supplies in the second half of the school year for copies. If you need help using Printshop please see Ms. Owens and she will be happy to help. 



Translation of Documents: As a school, we need to work better to provide our Spanish speaking families with resources in their native language. This will help them access the information easier and stay informed. If you have students in your class whose parents speak Spanish as their home language, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of the WS/FCS translation services found here - WS/FCS Translation Services. Class newsletters, field trip information, etc. would be ideal documents that we should have translated to help meet these language needs. 


Charging Carts:  Let Mrs. Epperley know if you need help with your charging cart.  We can rearrange the plugs to accommodate the size you need!  


Book Fair:  Scholastic Book Fair Oct 11-15; Family Event Oct 16; 10am-2pm
This year we are having a pumpkin contest and are asking each classroom to decorate a pumpkin as a book character or book theme. There are no rules and the pumpkins will be displayed and voted upon during the family event! More details to come! 


Dental Screening: Dental screening is Thursday, September 30.  Grades PreK, K, 3rd, and 5th.  Click on "dental screening" for the schedule.


Observations: Observations for Certified staff that are on standard plans, comprehensive plans, or renewing their license this school year will have their first observation announced.  Click "observation" for the pre-conference questions. 


Testing Updates: Training for NC Check-Ins will be held soon.  We will do this during PLT's. All students in 3-5 will complete the online tutorial prior to testing. Here are important testing dates coming up. 
  • 4th grade R2A - October 14th (select students)
  • 5th grade Science Check-in - October 14th 
  • 3rd- 5th math Check-In - October 15th 
  • 4th and 5th ELA Check-In - October 18th 
  • Make up testing - October 19th-22nd

Parent Communication Logs: A friendly reminder that your Positive Parent Communication Log is due by October 1. All students should receive a positive Dojo message home, a Pandagram, or a positive phone call home by this date. Build that positive collateral with your families. Once your log is complete and filled out, simply print and place in your green Teacher Growth Notebook binder. If you need a Teacher Growth Notebook binder please see Ms. Grubbs. They are located in her office.  



PTA & Hospitality Sign-Up: Please don't forget to join PTA and Hospitality this school year. They both do so much to support our school and your classroom. Here are the links:


PTA Sign-Up 


Hospitality Sign-Up



IF Updates  


LETRS Manual: The LETRS Manuals have arrived!  They are going to be passed out.  But if you want to be an early bird, stop by Jayne’s room to sign yours out.  There is a roster on purple paper that you should initial to say that you have gotten your manual.  DO NOT LOSE THIS MANUAL. There is a second manual, but I will hold onto that until you need it. 


LETRS Training Timeline: Here is a copy of the timeline from the district.  Please print this or put it somewhere that it will remind you to stay on track.  



Intervention Log: As we continue to improve our MTSS processes, we are adding another layer of documentation.  This is an Intervention Daily Log.  In this log, you should note information in all of the areas, including the date, the number of students in the group, the minutes the intervention was actually performed (not what is on the schedule), the materials you used and a brief note about progress.  I have sent this to print shop, but here it is.  I will also put some in the boxes behind Sharon, so please stop by to get one so you can begin this important documentation.  It is also linked to the MTSS button on Canvas.





Items from Previous Weeks


Opening Staff Meeting Presentation: 2021-2022 Opening Staff Meeting



Positive Covid Student Cases or Exposures: If a parent reaches out to you letting you know their child has tested positive for Covid, or has been exposed outside of school, please email Ms. Gardner and myself so we can reach out to the parents and input the case into the district system. Also, make sure you communicate to the parent how to access the child's makeup work while they are absent. 



Attendance due to Student Quarantine: If asked about attendance for quarantine, please share the following information with parents. The attendance procedures from DPI will be followed for the coding of quarantine students in PowerSchool.  The absences will be excused absences.



Asynchronous Work During Quarantines (from district): If students are absent due to inclement weather, long term sickness, or quarantine, teachers should provide playlists or assignments to continue learning through Canvas.  Since we are not using concurrent teaching practices this year, playlists and other assignments housed in Canvas would provide asynchronous learning and continued practice during extended absences.  If an entire class is quarantined, teachers may want to return to teaching the whole class through Zoom or Teams during the duration of the quarantine.  (Note- A device distribution plan may be needed for K-2.)



COVID procedures: Thank you for your patience as we work through the COVID procedures.  We will talk more about this at Tuesday's staff meeting. Below are the 2 letters we send/mail home so you know what they look like. 



Emergency Sub Plans: Please make sure you have created emergency sub plans in case you have to be out on a moment's notice. Your sub plans should have a detailed schedule, any important student information (health info, behavior concerns, etc.), and lesson plans. 



Lesson Plans: Lessons plans should be on your Canvas page. They should be easy to follow and should have these elements: Standards, EQ ("I can" statements), Materials used, Assessment activities (should match standard), and any relevant links. Your lesson plans in Canvas should serve as a blue print for your instruction. If you would like to create more detailed plans for yourself you are more than welcome to, but it is not required. 



Emergency Bookbags: Please make sure you update your classroom bookbag for this school year. Your bookbag should have an updated class roster, your red and green cards, a flashlight, medication for students that have it at school, bandaids, tissues, etc. If you need any of these items please reach out to the front office and we can help you!  



WS/FCS Immunization Clinics (from district): WS/FCS will hold their COVID and flu immunization clinics for employees, employee family members 3 years old and older, and retirees.  The clinics will be held 7:00am-6:00pm at:

 

Wednesday, September 15 • Glenn High School

Thursday, September 16 • West Forsyth High School

Wednesday, September 22 • Education Building, Room 219

Wednesday, September 29 • Paisley IB School

Thursday, September 30 • Walkertown High School

 

See the Clinic Flyer for more information.

Flu Vaccine Flyer - 2021 FINAL - v4.pdf



Morning Announcements: Here are the links to the Morning Announcements for this week.

**Ms. Ceglowski will email out the Morning Announcement links**


Staff Spotlight: From Ms. Jones - Shoutout to Ms. Staley! Each time I have picked my students up from Music she has been doing fun and interactive lessons with them that are super engaging! 





Upcoming Dates:
  
September 27 - LETRS @ 3:30 in Media Center
September 28 - SCC & Wellness Committees @ 3:30
September 29 - Progress Reports Due
September 30 - Dental Screening
September 30 - LETRS @ 3:30 in Media Center
October 1 - Positive Communication Log Due
October 2 - National Custodian Day! 
October 5 - PBIS & MTAC Committees @ 3:30
Oct 4-6 - 2nd grade CogAt testing
October 7 - Staff PD @ 3:30 (iReady PD)
Oct 7-8 - 2nd Grade CogAt Makeup Testing
October 11-15 - Book Fair
October 11 - PTA Meeting @ 6:30
October 12 - SIT @ 3:30
October 12 - PTA Chipotle Spirit Night
October 14 - RTA Test (select 4th graders)
October 14 - NC Science Check-In (5th grade)
October 15 - NC Math Check-In (3rd - 5th grade)
October 16 - PTA Fall Festival from 10:00 - 2:00


Bring on Fall! Hope you've enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend! 



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