To the Arno staff, for another successful round of conferences. Your professionalism beams through the smiles and happiness that parents display upon leaving your rooms where you demonstrate what wonderful teachers you are for their children.
Great job these past two days and enjoy your weekend, you have certainly earned your rest.
Christmas Story Time
I would like to once again come around to all of your rooms to give you a holiday 30 minute break, and read Christmas stories to your kids. Please stop by or send me an email when you would like me to come in.
Arno Christmas Lunch
It’s that jolly time of year again for the Arno Ball Room to shine for our staff Christmas lunch. Our lunch is scheduled for Dec. 15 starting at 11:00 (you will have an hour lunch) 5th grade, you start around 10 minutes later. I will get out the revised lunch schedule, I know it cuts into some preps- please let me know if I can help. It will be an international christmas smorgasbord with swedish meatballs, stuffed cabbage, Hawaiian chicken, and Stella’s own Spanikopita (yes there will be baklava too), salad, and rolls. Please let us know if you cannot make it. The schedule is below, I know it runs into some prep issues- come when you want or what ever worked for you the last time.
K-1 11:00-11:30 Eat in the cafeteria/ 11;30-12:00 Recess
2-3 11:00-11:30 Recess/ 11:30-12:00 Eat lunch in the classroom
4-5 11:10-11:40 Recess/ 11:40-12:10 Eat in the cafeteria
Founders Day
All nominations will be placed on a ballot and voted on by members present at the December 8th PTA meeting. The name of the person who has submitted the nomination will be kept confidential. However the written description on why the person or program is deserving will be read out loud. We encourage you to submit nominations so that we can reward some of our amazing program lead volunteers!
The person or event that secures the most votes per category will be notified and honored at the Allen Park PTSA Council Founders Celebration! It will be at The Red Fawn on Monday, February 20, 2016 at 6:00 pm. Dinner tickets will be available in the office for purchase and all are invited to attend a wonderful adult evening and celebrate the great things happening at Arno!
!
ART OF GIVING PROJECT
Art Drop Boxes will be available in our office for collection of this project:
The ART OF GIVING is a project that is very near and dear to my heart, just as ART is at the HEART of Blake. Although this project is very personal, with all of us working together, it has the potential to impact and uplift so many others. I began the Art of Giving when my boys were small. The Bowman boys, like many chronically ill children, spent countless hours in the hospital. They tire of the many, often painful, procedures; however, these procedures are their means of survival. Art therapy is a very vital part of these children’s care. It creates a positive direction, allows them to express their emotions about their health, and is a different approach to cope through ART. I have had the rare opportunity to see first hand how amazing art therapy is for these children; please consider joining us during our Art of Giving event, the reward is priceless. ~ Kim Bowman
This digital resource is a great place for kids to keep a reading log, review books, and get reading ideas from their teachers. It is basically Good Reads for kids, but it is private.
Based on the timeline agreed upon by your grade levels, all grades should have administered the Q1 Math Assessment by now. K-4th grades have scheduled the building grade level team analysis of this assessment this week. Please plan to take this time to discuss with your partners. This document is in the shared 2016-17 Elementary Professional Development folder in the District Quarterly Assessment Q1 folder: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eCtEa1RsvdnxQvRkhZMbufs8Jcd3-vFp-zCbQsS4rko/edit
GREAT LITERACY STRATEGY
Inferencing is often a challenge for students, but is such a valuable literacy strategy. Check out this article on teaching inferencing. It can certainly apply to many grade levels with a few adjustments.
I would like to once again come around to all of your rooms to give you a holiday 30 minute break, and read Christmas stories to your kids. Please stop by or send me an email when you would like me to come in.
Arno Christmas Lunch
It’s that jolly time of year again for the Arno Ball Room to shine for our staff Christmas lunch. Our lunch is scheduled for Dec. 15 starting at 11:00 (you will have an hour lunch) 5th grade, you start around 10 minutes later. I will get out the revised lunch schedule, I know it cuts into some preps- please let me know if I can help. It will be an international christmas smorgasbord with swedish meatballs, stuffed cabbage, Hawaiian chicken, and Stella’s own Spanikopita (yes there will be baklava too), salad, and rolls. Please let us know if you cannot make it.
Founders Day
Founders Day is quickly arriving! It is a celebration of all the amazing things going on within our school district. Do you know of an outstanding program, volunteer or staff member? If so we need you to nominate one! You can access applications by using this link or picking up a paper copy in the magazine rack across from the Arno main office.
All nomination forms must be submitted by Tuesday, November 29th
You cab submit your nomination by emailing us at arnopta@gmail.com or by turning it into the main office in a sealed envelope marked “Founders Day PTA.”
All nominations will be placed on a ballot and voted on by members present at the December 8th PTA meeting. The name of the person who has submitted the nomination will be kept confidential. However the written description on why the person or program is deserving will be read out loud. We encourage you to submit nominations so that we can reward some of our amazing program lead volunteers!
The person or event that secures the most votes per category will be notified and honored at the Allen Park PTSA Council Founders Celebration! It will be at The Red Fawn on Monday, February 20, 2016 at 6:00 pm. Dinner tickets will be available in the office for purchase and all are invited to attend a wonderful adult evening and celebrate the great things happening at Arno!
!
ART OF GIVING PROJECT
Art Drop Boxes will be available in our office for collection of this project:
The ART OF GIVING is a project that is very near and dear to my heart, just as ART is at the HEART of Blake. Although this project is very personal, with all of us working together, it has the potential to impact and uplift so many others. I began the Art of Giving when my boys were small. The Bowman boys, like many chronically ill children, spent countless hours in the hospital. They tire of the many, often painful, procedures; however, these procedures are their means of survival. Art therapy is a very vital part of these children’s care. It creates a positive direction, allows them to express their emotions about their health, and is a different approach to cope through ART. I have had the rare opportunity to see first hand how amazing art therapy is for these children; please consider joining us during our Art of Giving event, the reward is priceless. ~ Kim Bowman
I hope you enjoy your much needed break and want to again share how thankful I am to be surrounded by such caring people that devote their lives to kids!
Get some rest and enjoy your break
Christmas Story Time
I would like to once again come around to all of your rooms to give you a holiday 30 minute break, and read Christmas stories to your kids. Please stop by or send me an email when you would like me to come in.
Arno Christmas Lunch
It’s that jolly time of year again for the Arno Ball Room to shine for our staff Christmas lunch. Our lunch is scheduled for Dec. 15 starting at 11:00 (you will have an hour lunch) 5th grade, you start around 10 minutes later. I will get out the revised lunch schedule, I know it cuts into some preps- please let me know if I can help. It will be an international christmas smorgasbord with swedish meatballs, stuffed cabbage, Hawaiian chicken, and Stella’s own Spanikopita (yes there will be baklava too), salad, and rolls. Please let us know if you cannot make it.
From the PTA
Arno Spirit wear is back! Please see the flyers below to some very cool Arno swag
Founder’s Day
Founders Day is quickly arriving! It is a celebration of all the amazing things going on within our school district. Do you know of an outstanding program, volunteer or staff member? If so we need you to nominate one! You can access applications by using this link or picking up a paper copy in the magazine rack across from the Arno main office.
All nomination forms must be submitted by Tuesday, November 29th
You cab submit your nomination by emailing us at arnopta@gmail.com or by turning it into the main office in a sealed envelope marked “Founders Day PTA.”
All nominations will be placed on a ballot and voted on by members present at the December 8th PTA meeting. The name of the person who has submitted the nomination will be kept confidential. However the written description on why the person or program is deserving will be read out loud. We encourage you to submit nominations so that we can reward some of our amazing program lead volunteers!
The person or event that secures the most votes per category will be notified and honored at the Allen Park PTSA Council Founders Celebration! It will be at The Red Fawn on Monday, February 20, 2016 at 6:00 pm. Dinner tickets will be available in the office for purchase and all are invited to attend a wonderful adult evening and celebrate the great things happening at Arno!
Book Fair breakfast
Please mark your calendars for Nov. 22 for a PTA sponsored breakfast in conjunction with the book fair. At the breakfast, you will get to choose your book fav for classroom donation, as well as possibly a door prize. The breakfast starts at 7:30- hope to see you there!
Ahh…the sweet smell of pumpkin, pies, and everything that reminds you of FALL IS HERE!!
Time to rake some leaves into a pile and JUMP ON IN!! WOO-HOO!!! But, jumping isn’t just for kids…adults can enjoy it too in the safety of their own Community Center! So, if you’re a mom, grandmother, aunt, sister, step-parent and have a son, grandson, nephew, brother, or a step-son that attends Arno, come join us for some jumping fun at our annual Mother/Son Night Event! We will have Bounce Houses, food, cotton candy, and a professional photographer to help you capture your night! Have more than one son, grandson, etc. that attends Arno?? NO PROBLEM! You don’t have to choose, they can all join in on the fun (if they attend Arno)! Please see the attached flyer or visit our Facebook page (Arno Elementary PTA) to get the link for the flyer. Save the Date, November 17 from 6-8 pm. We hope to see you there!
-Reflections entries are due today, Friday, November 11 by the end of the school day. Please get your entries into the Arno Main Office so we can discover what your story is. Participants will be contacted with upcoming celebration details once all entries are collected for judging.
Do you know of an outstanding program, staff member or volunteer here at Arno? We need you to fill out a short Founders Day form to nominate them! Forms are available across from the office and links are on our FB page. Please submit them by email at aropta@gmail.com or return to them to the office in a sealed envelope marked Founders Day. All entries received in the Main Office MUST be in a sealed envelope per new rules this year.
The Holidays are approaching fast and we are excited to announce we will have new spiritwear products to offer for everyone on your gift list! Order forms will be going out soon.
ARGH MATEY’S!!! Our Bookaneer Book fair will also be here soon! Another way for you and your students to get something special for the people on your lists and your teachers wish lists! So, save the date for a swashbuckling, good time! Monday, November 28-Friday, December 2nd. Look for a sign up genius to come out soon with volunteer opportunities to earn scholastic dollars to use at the Book Fair!
Speaking of holiday shopping, we’ll see you on Saturday, November 12th getting at the High School for our annual Holiday Fever craft and vendor show and mom-2-mom sale! All these wonderful opportunities to shop and support your school and community! We couldn’t be more thankful!
Founders Day is quickly arriving! It is a celebration of all the amazing things going on within our school district. Do you know of an outstanding program, volunteer or staff member? If so we need you to nominate one! You can access applications by using this link or picking up a paper copy in the magazine rack across from the Arno main office.
All nomination forms must be submitted by Tuesday, November 29th
You cab submit your nomination by emailing us at arnopta@gmail.com or by turning it into the main office in a sealed envelope marked “Founders Day PTA.”
All nominations will be placed on a ballot and voted on by members present at the December 8th PTA meeting. The name of the person who has submitted the nomination will be kept confidential. However the written description on why the person or program is deserving will be read out loud. We encourage you to submit nominations so that we can reward some of our amazing program lead volunteers!
The person or event that secures the most votes per category will be notified and honored at the Allen Park PTSA Council Founders Celebration! It will be at The Red Fawn on Monday, February 20, 2016 at 6:00 pm. Dinner tickets will be available in the office for purchase and all are invited to attend a wonderful adult evening and celebrate the great things happening at Arno!
A few other reminders…..
REFLECTIONS entries are due this Friday
MOM/SON NIGHT is quickly approaching! Turn in those RSVP’s! See attachment if you need another copy!
Hope to see you shopping at the PTA HOLIDAY FEVER craft show and mom to mom sale this Saturday at the high school! If you have a last minute opportunity to volunteer with us at concessions please get in touch with us by responding to this email or messaging us on FB! For those of you who signed up to donate supplies don’t forget to drop them off at Arno tomorrow!
Thanks!
Math resource game
This is a great free math resource for elementary students that is super fun and engaging. It’s a fun adventure game that has kids create a wizard and battle other wizards and creatures by solving math problems to cast spells! It’s fun!
Big THANKS to Brian, Art, and Eileen for an awesome job in presenting Think Central to our elementary staff. Great job to the team, you view their presentation below.
The bookmark has been added to all elementary student Google accounts. It can be accessed by having the students log in to the Chrome devices, then going to the top left of Chrome, selecting “appublicschools.com Bookmarks”, and choosing the Illuminate entry from the list.
Each teacher has edit rights to their own respective page. Any bookmark or document they want their students to see, they can simply add them to that site, and all students will be able to access it from the Chromebooks and lab Chromeboxes at any time.
Lastly, if staff members are logged into Chrome (follow these steps if not), then the staff members can also follow the above steps to access that Share Bookmarks Web Site.
Book Fair breakfast
Please mark your calendars for Nov. 22 for a PTA sponsored breakfast in conjunction with the book fair. At the breakfast, you will get to choose your book fav for classroom donation, as well as possibly a door prize. The breakfast starts at 7:30- hope to see you there!
NEW TO THE WEB
Please visit the newly updated Phys Ed and Art websites created by Ms. Dalton and Mrs. Cunningham! You will be able to keep current on what’s happening in our special areas by visiting these websites often. Links are located on the right side of the blog, or check them out here:
This is not just a great Halloween picture, but a picture of the people who come to Arno everyday, work their hardest, use the best strategies in the classroom, adapt to the flow of new changes, and make every kid feel special at our school! I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate that, and I appreciate you and everything you do. What we do everyday is under the umbrella of what’s best for kids- it’s not easy, we may not always have the time for it- yet you all pull together and make the good things happen- not just the things that the state or feds want, but the kinds of things that build good people through your morning greetings, hugs, a smile, or just words of encouragement. Thank you for all you do as we enter what surely will be a great November!
From the desk of Phil…
It was a SCARY Halloween at Arno….
Progress Monitoring Training Schedule
Dear Elementary Staff,
As promised, Phil Pittman (aka Dr. Dorf) and Matt Sokol (aka Dr. Dibels) will be returning to your buildings to provide inservice regarding the administration and scoring of the progress monitoring component of the DIBELS Next assessment.
Subs will be available to cover your classes during the inservice, and our time together will not interfere with your planning period for that day.
Reading Aides, Reading Specialists, and Speech Therapists may attend any session(s) deemed relevant to your assignment. Resource Room teachers are encouraged to attend during the Kindergarten and 5th grade portions as subs will be available to cover your classes during that time, and you will be exposed to all subtests that involve progress monitoring.
The schedule is as follows, with subtests covered in parentheses:
***Lisa, they have requested if you could join the 5th grade team time, otherwise it puts us short on subs because they are only sending 6 total
____________________
Arno Elementary – Thursday November 10, 2016 (Location TBD)
9:00 – 10:00 am Kindergarten teachers (FSF, PSF, NWF)
Please mark your calendars for Nov. 22 for a PTA sponsored breakfast in conjunction with the book fair. At the breakfast, you will get to choose your book fav for classroom donation, as well as possibly a door prize. The breakfast starts at 7:30- hope to see you there!
From the PTA
HERE YEE! HERE YEE!!!
The elections are approaching fast just like our weekend! Please remember to get out and VOTE!!
Speaking of voting….I vote that we have more cool assemblies like the Rory the Lion Leadership Assembly we had on Thursday, November 3rd! A BIG “Thank You” with much Love from all of us at Arno to Mrs. Warneck for setting that up for us!
Voting will also be taking place for our annual “Founders Day” nominations starting next week. Founders Day is a way for us, as a community and as a school, to show others how much we appreciate and respect all the hard work someone has done “Above and Beyond” in various categories. Some of these categories include: Outstanding Educator, Business, PTA Member, etc. Applications will be available by link on Arno’s PTA Facebook page and an email link to members on Monday, November 7th. Paper Copies of all applications will be available in the main office Tuesday, November 8th. You can submit your completed application by email or turn into the office in a sealed envelope marked “Founders Day PTA”. Voting will take place at our next PTA Meeting which is scheduled for Thursday, December 8th at 6:30 pm in the Arno Cafeteria. Members present at that meeting will have the opportunity to vote on all the nominee’s. The winners of each of the categories will be notified and acknowledged at the Founders Day District Banquet being held on February 22nd at 6:30 pm at Crystal Park Banquet Center. It’s important as a community to show those who do take the time to go above and beyond how much we appreciate them and all the things they do. We can be quick to judge and leave bad reviews, but oftentimes we do not always show our gratitude, so please consider setting time aside to submit a nominee.
Our Reflections campaign is coming to an end soon. Set some time aside to show us what your story is and get your submissions in by, Friday, November 11th.
Mother/Son Night out is approaching! Flyers were put into teachers mailboxes today and should be coming home with your student(s). Please get your RSVP’s in soon. We have had a tremendous amount of support from the community and we hope you can join us for this fun event!
Save the date for our first Book Fair of the school year! Monday, November 28- Friday, December 2nd our Media Center will be transformed into a Buccaneer Book Blast! Look for more details to come in the following weeks, as well as, a sign up genius to volunteer and earn free scholastic dollars while doing it.
Thank you to everyone for all your support. Have a Great Weekend and we look forward to seeing you at a meeting soon!
Remember to check our Facebook page, emails, and the school blog for information.
Roary theLion...
The Media Center is about to be plundered by PIRATES!!! Our first Scholastic Book Fair is almost here! Wee Matey’s can stake their claim to treasure a bounty starting on Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 2nd. So, mark your “X’s” on the calendar and look for further details next week! ARGH!!!
HOLIDAY FEVER 11/12/16
Dear APPS Staff & Families,
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming Holiday Fever event on Saturday, November 12 from 9am-3pm at the APHS. This annual event includes a Craft/Vendor show, Mom 2 Mom sale, Tin-Can Auction and lunch concessions. All proceeds from the Holiday Fever event benefit the PTA/PTSA Council scholarship fund for this years graduating seniors. Please see the attached flyer for event details.
If you would like to volunteer for this event or donate an item for concessions, please click on the Sign-Up Genius link below.
Marshall Hegedus enjoyed a day of being in the top spot at Arno in his role as Principal for a Day (Top Fundraisers). He got to experience first hand all of the work that goes into running a school and how fun it can be to get to experience all of the kids at Arno. Great job Marshall, I couldn’t have done it without you! Mr. Zielinski
Conferences- In this week’s blog
Parent/Teacher conferences this fall will be taking place on Nov. 30 (5:00-7:30) and Dec. 1 (12:45-7:30), Dec. 1 is also a half-day- 11:40 dismissal. This year for conference sign-up, we have once again chosen to use a web based tool called signup genius. Many of you may be familiar with it as a number of Arno staff and the PTA have used it in the past for various events. Using this tool allows you to have the ability to choose times that are best for you while looking over the slots available, as well easily scheduling siblings.
Each teacher at Arno has their own signup genius link to click and choose times. In a couple of weeks, we will be posting all of the links in the blog, and you will get a link from your teacher as well. Simply choose the teacher and click an available slot, then go and repeat for siblings in other classrooms. We will have a computer available in the office if you are not able to access the program. There will not be any paper sign up this year
Remember:
To be on time
If you have more than one child, please don’t schedule back to back as you will need travel time to move around the building
Fun Run fun with Limo and Lunch for our top fundraisers!
We had an awesome time together as the Arno top fundraisers got treated to lunch at Red Robins and a limo to get us there. What great weather we had to head out in our decked out limo!
A special shout out to Red Robin for great service from a very friendly staff, which really topped off the afternoon! Thank you to all of our contributors for the Arno Fun Run!
Workshop
From yesterday’s PD, several course offerings were given that you may be interested in. If you have an interest in group reading instr, Close reading, or Writers Workshop- let me know and may be able to swing some cash for a small group.
After hearing some of the concerns, time seems like a common thread. I found this article for some additional insight…
CREATING A READER’S WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Happy Thursday, friends! Today marks the second week of our Reading in the Wild summer book study. If you are just joining us and missed the first week (Wild Readers Dedicate Time to Read), you may check it out here. Without further adieu, Our hosts for Chapter 1: Creating a Workshop Schedule that Works for You are Jivey from Ideas by Jivey and Chelsea from Flip-Floppin’ Through 3rd Grade.
Today I’m sharing with you the Reading Workshop schedule that worked for me and my group of 5th graders. This year I taught 3 reading classes, each with 30 students. The first class of the day I co-taught with an amazing Special Education Teacher. ohmygoodnessiwouldnthavesurvivedwithouther. My other two reading classes weren’t intentionally ability-grouped, but generally the second class was on-grade level, and my third class was above-grade level.
With that said, I had 55 minute class periods (including a transition time), so most days it turned into 52ish minutes. Our District has a veryspecific format or “blueprint” for classes that I was expected to follow daily. You’ll see the format below – flashback, mini-lesson, guided practice, exit slip, and then, small groups/reading workshop.
Every. Day. Friends. No. Wiggle. Room. So, we made it work!
What are flashbacks?
In our district, flashbacks are 3-5 multiple choice questions that open all of our classes. They are very intentional Common Core spiral reviews of skills. Flashbacks are not intended to review materials being taught right now or even content taught a week ago. Rather, we flashback to topics already assessed. Since I am 1:1 iPad classroom, we use the free Socrative app to take our flashbacks {and it’s AMAZING!}.
What’s a Kagan Structure?
Kagan is all about cooperative learning – not group work – with frequent modeling, celebrations, community building, and brain breaks…sounds fun, right? Kagan structures hold every student accountable and eliminate ‘hogs’ and ‘logs’ in the learning process. Every person in our district is Kagan trained and it has TOTALLY revamped my idea of my classroom. Hands down, it is the best training I’ve received. I have shared more about Kagan here! What about read aloud?
We started every reading with a poem read orally, but in terms of novels read-aloud, each homeroom teacher read with her class before or after lunch for 10-15 minutes.
How Do You Run Workshop?
Fantastic question! I’m going to give you several answers. They show how much I’ve changed as a teacher and how my reading period changed throughout the year.
First, I am about to be really honest with you. I waited way too long before introducing reader’s workshop. Until October or so, my mini-lessons were not mini and my flashbacks were not flashes…With encouragement from my mentor and knowing the importance of the workshop time, I tamed my mini-lessons, flashbacks, and everything in the middle. At first, my “workshop” was very structured. I gave students no autonomy or control. I know, I know, I know. The thought of giving up control hurt my mind and I could fight the nagging question – “Will students really make the choice that they need most or just the one that is easiest for them?” With that said, my first workshop schedule (October – January) looked like this – 13 stations in a 2 week rotation. Students went to 9 stations in the two-week period {one a day, assuming that 1 day out of 10 we did not have time for workshop.} Students did not go to every center.
Students spent 17-19 minutes at each rotation and accomplished one task a day. Students worked in groups of 2 or 3 and were grouped with the closest person(s) academically at that time. I regrouped students every two weeks (if needed) based on Common Assessments (tests), flashbacks, exit slips, and teacher observation. During centers, I kept the below chart on the board so students knew where to go, and a timer going on the TV.
We’re friends now, so let’s be honest with each other…it really wasn’t workshop. In fact most of the actual work was being done by me – creating, printing, laminating, assembling, and checking. The students were LOVING the activities, and they loved working in groups, but it wasn’t sustainable. It was exhausting.
After a literacy coordinator visited during our Professional Learning Community time, my co-teacher and I decided to move more toward the workshop model giving students choice, responsibility, and autonomy using a monthly choice board. (Please note – this was never perfect, but it worked so much better!) Students chose which activity to complete based on the goal we had set for them. They were expected to visit one activity in each learning section (time spent reading, common core skills, word work) every two weeks. Many of the squares take several days to complete, so some students might only make it to 3 squares, while some students (often my students who struggle with building reading stamina) might make it to five or six squares in a two-week period.
If a station required more directions or explanation than I could fit in a box, I included an audio QR code to share my expectations with students, as well as, the “I Can” statement.
With the choice boards, the majority of our workshop time centered around our classroom library. Only in the Word Work column are students not actively engaged with reading material. This was the most important shift with our schedule and truly got to the heart of what reading class should be…reading! Students spent more time reading books of their choice, responding to their reading, and sharing their reader (informally by sitting next to a friend and sharing while reading) or in a more formal way as shown above.
Additionally, only the 2nd and 3rd Word Work choices changed every 2 weeks, so students knew what to expect, and I spent more time working with students rather than managing workshop!
With the choice boards, students still had access to some of our print-and-cut centers/materials, but would often trade an activity out if they needed more practice or if they were struggling with their stamina and needed to change courses. I upgraded from manila folders to more durable and organized Sterilite bins. You can read more about how I organize these materials by clicking below.
While students are at their chosen station, what are you doing?
During workshop, I am doing one of three things (1) conferring with a student (2) assessing students (3) meeting with a small group. When I am conferring with students one-on-one, I use a Google Doc (similar to the one Miller provides in her book) to take notes. In my small groups, we focus on target-intervention (Common Core skills that were not initially mastered). Typically, the same group of student visited me 2 or 3 days, before I take days off to confer or pull another group.
——————-
Well friends – confusing enough? My workshop style definitely changed throughout the year, and by the end of the year, it was glorious! My kids loved having choice and independence. One day we even ditched the lesson plan and workshop-ed the ENTIRE class period. IT WAS AWESOME.
Now, share with me, how do you run your workshop? What works for you and your students? What doesn’t work? If you’re a blogger, awesome! Link up your posts/ideas. If you’re not a blogger, that’s great, too! You can read/follow and comment. We want to hear your advice, thoughts, and ideas for the classroom, too. The more teachers we have joining, the more amazing our classrooms will be this fall! Next week, we will be reading Chapter 2: Wild Readers Self-Select Reading Material.
Classroom teacher will communicate with you if they are having any events to follow
Costumes:
Students will wear their costumes to school.
All costumes must be school appropriate
No play guns or weapons of any kind
Please do not allow your child to wear a mask. Masks tend to slip causing a possible trip and fall accident / injury.
Parade Path:
Weather permitting. We will be outside for our parade. Our plan is to start the parade with our Kindergarten classes. We will walk through the building picking up each class and exit door # 8(5th grade doors). We will walk around the inside perimeter of the playground fence, and then down the way to enter through the office main door- the best place to stand and watch would be on the outer perimeter of the fence, and along the sidewalk to the office. Each class will then proceed back to their classrooms
INTERVENTIONS
At this time, as we embrace the MTSS model and attempt to provide early interventions for our students, our 31A intervention providers will be focusing on providing interventions to students in ELA ONLY at this time. I am well aware that there are students needing extra support in math. In addition to the extra time you are able to provide to these students, please plan to utilize volunteers to reinforce math skills. In January, we will reassess and adjust as needed.
As a result of a state grant, we will now have 6 intervention people plus Cathy ad Barb.
K-2 people will be outright assigned to a grade level for support- but still work under Barb
3rd– will be assigned the new 35 A person (Carrie Vaughn at the conclusion of long term)
4-5- will be serviced through Title 1 in all core areas
Barb and Cathy will then be reserved for students that we determine are most at risk (tier 3) and need that extra time. Many of their students will come from the Child Study Team Meetings
Remember, that as the classroom teacher, you are still responsible for the CORE plus Tier 2 interventions (Extra reading group, skills group, parent volunteers, grade level student sharing, etc.) that gets at that extra time as we do not have the personnel to take care of all our needs per room.
Thank you for your support with this initiative.
From the PTA
Happy Friday, Caring Cougar Families!
It is the weekend before Halloween and all the kids are getting excited for….CANDY and Dressing up! Please be safe out there while you’re having fun collecting all your goodies!
Our Gumball Drive is at its end and it looks like we have a BERY tight race between 3 classrooms- Ms. Stanley’s Kindergarten Class, Mrs. Martinchick’s First Grade Class (there’s that name again…didn’t her class all ready win something? HeHeHe), and Ms. Amonette’s Second Grade Class! Results will be posted later this morning, so make sure to ask your students who won!
Our Limo Ride and Lunch with Mr. Zielinski has been scheduled for our top Grade Level Winners of the Fun Run! This grand and glorious escape (we meant, lunch) will take place Wednesday, November 2nd from 10:30 am-12:30 pm!
Our Spirit Wear is in and distributed! We are very sorry for the delay, but we had an overwhelming amount of orders and some last minute orders that we wanted to make sure got processed. We did not anticipate it taking as long as it did, but we’re sure the next round of orders will be handled more efficiently! Look for new products being offered just in time for Christmas!
Thank you to everyone that attended our first Skateland Skate Night of the year! Everyone had fun skating, falling, and even dancing their way through the night! A BIG THANKS to Tania Bassett for chairing this event! She did a tremendous job and we look forward to working with her again at future events!
We had a lot of families show up to our first “Family Dinner Night” at Applebee’s! Thank you so much for supporting your PTA by dining out! We hope everyone enjoyed their visit!
Our Reflections Contest is in high gear! “What Is Your Story”? Everyone has one, let’s show the world yours! The contest ends November 11thwhen entries are due.
Our Richard Paul Anti-Bullying Assembly took place yesterday, Thursday, October 27th. We hope everyone took home some good information as to how to prevent and stop bullying!
Our next PTA Meeting will be held this Thursday, November 3rd from 6:30-730 pm in the school cafeteria. Come on out and check us out! Learn what’s going to happen with the Fun Run Money we raised. Sign up to volunteer at an event or even chair one! As always…FREE Babysitting is available!
Have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND! We look forward to seeing all the costumes in the school parade this Monday!
Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need
At Albemarle County Public Schools, flexible classrooms empower student choice, increase student engagement, and improve student participation.
AUGUST 4, 2015
Overview
Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need
Flexible classrooms give students a choice in what kind of learning space works best for them, and help them to work collaboratively, communicate, and engage in critical thinking.
Since implementing flexible classrooms, Albemarle County Public Schools have noticed that:
Their students’ grades have improved.
Their students seem happier and more engaged.
Their students are participating more and having more invigorating conversations.
How It’s Done
Giving Students a Choice in How They Learn
“From day one, I’ve said, ‘You may sit anywhere you like as long as you’re safe in our classroom,'” says Katie Collins, a Woodbrook Elementary School second grade teacher.
Becky Fisher, the director of educational technology at Albemarle County Public Schools, is interested in learning about the thinking that drives student choice. “What we’re really striving for are those choices that have a lot of thought behind them. We want kids to really be strategic about where they go,” Fisher says.
She painted the picture of walking into a classroom and seeing kids:
Lying on the floor
Sitting at low tables on their knees
Standing up
When Fisher walks into a classroom, she asks the students the reasoning behind why they choose their particular learning space.
“Why are you standing right now?” she asks one TK student.
“Well,” says the student, “we’re using math manipulatives, and I move better when I’m standing up than when I’m sitting down.”
Fisher once heard a kindergarten student articulate that she was a belly reader. She loved reading on the floor while lying on her belly, her class was reading, and that’s why she was sprawled out on the floor. “That’s awesome that, at five or six years old, you know your preferences,” Fisher says. And that’s critical to their work.
Justin, a seventh grade student from Sutherland Middle School, was also able to articulate his preferred learning environment. He chooses a table and chair, unlike the couch that many of his fellow students choose. “When I get down into a couch and am more comfortable, it’s almost like it’s a bit distracting. It’s not exactly the environment I want to be working in, but for the other people, clearly they have their optimum working environments,” Justin says.
Krishan, also in seventh grade at Sutherland, likes that his teacher gives him a choice in how he works. “Since she lets us choose, we ultimately choose what’s best for us. We work better together and individually,” Krishan says.
The First Step
According to Lisa Molinaro, the principal of Woodbrook Elementary School, the first thing that needs to happen for Albemarle teachers to successfully create a flexible classroom is:
The teacher must have a vision for his or her room.
The teacher must be willing to say, “I’m going to throw out some of this stuff. I don’t need this traditional schooling equipment.”
Design a Collaborative Learning Space
“We’re really looking at how we support kids working collaboratively,” Fisher says. “And we can’t do it if we’re isolated in rows and every kid is an island.”
She believes that Albemarle classrooms work well with these design elements:
They have at least three kinds of classroom seating.
They use flexible bookshelves.
Instead of individual workspaces, they use large round or rectangular tables, or put four desks together to form a more collaborative space.
“You’ll see flexible bookshelves that can be moved so that the room can be totally opened up — or little nooks and crannies can be created — so that everybody can see everybody, and we can participate as a community,” Fisher says.
Create a Variety of Seating Options
“My kids love to be under things, behind things, around things,” says Collins about her second grade classroom. “We have five-gallon buckets in my room that we sit on. We sit on crate seating that I made in my backyard out of a crate and some plywood and some foam. And I also just threw a lot of pillows on the floor.”
For classroom seating, Collins also uses:
Couches
Chairs
Bunk beds
Canoes
Fund Your Flexible Classroom: The DIY Approach
Teachers at Albemarle use these low- to no-cost strategies to furnish their classrooms:
Seasonal purchase: Teachers purchase furniture from college students the week that they leave campus after graduation or for the summer. This is the time when students often want to get rid of most of their belongings, and they will give them away or sell them at a cheap price.
Parent donations: Teachers ask parents for furniture. Cheryl Harris, a seventh grade language arts teacher at Sutherland, asks her parents to donate furniture at the beginning of the year. She started to build her collection by saying, “If any of you have a couch or a chair that you have just sitting around, the kids would like to read on it, and it could be a reading corner.” The flow of donations grew and grew from there because parents wanted to contribute to their kids’ learning environment.
Previously used: Teachers purchase items in good condition from a Salvation Army or Goodwill. Second-hand shops in upscale neighborhoods or college towns will usually house quality finds.
Crowdsourcing: Teachers set up a crowdfunding campaign, like DonorsChoose, Classwish, or GoFundMe, and have their students send their online campaign to family, friends, and parents to raise money for classroom furniture.
Fund Your Flexible Classroom: The District Approach
Over the past ten years, Albermarle district leadership has been very intentional in changing the physical nature of classrooms. Although not every classroom in its 26 schools has gotten a makeover, when the district budgets for a furniture-replacement cycle, there are some core pieces to redesigning a classroom. Before picking those core pieces, teachers need a vision for redesigning a classroom, and they should be willing to get rid of the traditional school furniture for more innovative pieces.
When comparing quotes for traditional and more innovative furniture, Fisher was delighted to learn that the cost is almost the same. “You pay roughly the same amount, and our durability has been good. There has been no reason to not go in that direction,” she says.
When Albemarle “does” a room, you’ll see:
Flexible seating: Albemarle provides at least three different choices of seating for students — so you might see a stool, a beanbag, or chairs that look more traditional but allow kids to rock without tipping over.
Teacher stations, not teacher corners: Instead of a teacher corner taking up 25 percent of the classroom, teachers have workspaces similar to students’ workspaces. The amount of real estate teachers now use is minimal, giving more space in the classroom for creating student corners, or the ability to move furniture around.
Flexible tables: Many tables have wheels on them, making it easy to reconfigure a room. Albemarle also chooses big tables, round or rectangular, to support collaborative work. Tables can be written on, as well as flipped up, converting them into whiteboards. They also come in different heights — some are standing desks, others are more traditional heights, and some are low to the ground.
Evolving the classroom space to meet students’ individual needs impacts how they learn, how they interact, and the entire classroom experience. Moran has noticed that when a learning space evolves, students’ work improves immensely, their grades improve, and “just the conversations they have with each other are so invigorating to hear,” Moran says.
All staff websites or blogs are listed in the Blogroll on the right side of this blog’s main page. Keep up the great work in creating a web presence for your classrooms!
Next Wednesday, October 26th, we have our Applebee’s Fundraiser at the Allen Park Applebee’s. A No-Hassle way to take your family out for dinner and help support your PTA!
Thursday, October 28, from 6-8pm we have our first skating party at Skateland of Woodhaven! Come on out and skate, glide, dance, trip, and stumble through a night of fun!
Our Gumball Challenge is kicking up and almost coming to an end. It is a close race between classes. Get your Membership Forms in to add more gum to your class machines! A more detailed update will become available next week!
Our next PTA Meeting is coming up soon, Thursday, November 3rd at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria! Come check out what is going on and what we will be doing with all the Fun Run money!
We really could not be more grateful and thankful for all the hard work that went into the Fun Run! The rewards for the top performers are as follows:
Each Grade Level Winner will get a limousine ride with Mr. Zielinski to lunch at a restaurant in the area. For 3rd Grade, there was a tie, so both students will get to go out to lunch! For the overall student winner he will get to be, “Principal for the Day!” The Class Winner will receive a Pizza Party.
And without further ado….YOUR 2016 FUN RUN RESULTS AND WINNERS…..(Drumroll Please…)
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!! Details about the lunch will become available in the next couple of weeks! Remember to check the Arno Elementary PTA Facebook page for updates and events, as well as, past school blog posts.
Have a Great Weekend!
CHECK THEM OUT ON THE WEB
Exciting news from the world of specials! Check out new link to the AP Elementary Tech website! Way to go, specials staff, in stretching your limits to help connect our families to your important work!
I am so proud of our staff in responding to the feedback from our families on their preferred method of electronic communication. All staff websites or blogs are listed in the Blogroll on the right side of this blog’s main page. Keep up the great work in creating a web presence for your classrooms!
MTSS Resources
Please allow some time when possible to review the resources and research on MTSS . We have our first child study meetings next week and I am looking forward to addressing our needs. I love this simple, problem solving pic that illustrates the process of intervention.
Information re: DTE match grants for Wayne County Schools
Dear Educators,
On behalf of the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, www.iimd.org I’d like to inform you that we received grants that will allow us to help students k-12 to start “Thinking Globally and Act Locally”. Up to $5000 matching grants can be use to implement our global learning and cultural awareness programs, where we will be able to providing you with International Facilitators to share their global and cultural skills in fun in education experiences.
Our curriculum is designed to be hand on education, teaching basic communication in different languages, indoor and outdoor games, field trips to area museums and different ethnic communities, arts & crafts, etiquette, food, music, and dance from different countries. We also can provide cultural attire’s fashion show to help the children understand the different civilizations that make our country a nation of nations. Please review attachments and let’s meet to make this unique camp possible for your children. It’s our task to build bridges of unity, harmony, peace and understanding in our global community. For furtherinformation please feel free to contact me at 313.871.8600 ext. 226 or email me atnada@iimd.org.
IIMD gearing up to celebrate 100 years of services on immigration matter, social services and global education with 94 ethnic groups affiliation
Classroom teacher will communicate to you about any other events
Costumes:
Students will wear their costumes to school.
All costumes must be school appropriate
No play guns or weapons of any kind
Please do not allow your child to wear a mask. Masks tend to slip causing a possible trip and fall accident / injury.
Parade Path:
Weather permitting. We will be outside for our parade. Our plan is to start the parade with our Kindergarten classes. We will walk through the building picking up each class and exit door # 8(5th grade doors). We will walk around the inside perimeter of the playground fence, and then down the way to enter through the office main door- the best place to stand and watch would be on the outer perimeter of the fence, and along the sidewalk to the office. Each class will then proceed back to their classrooms.
Run Club begins…
Professional Development Feedback
Please know that our admin team carefully considers your feedback in order to make future plans, and adjust as necessary. We are already working on the agenda for November 8 in response to the needs you have shared. Also, here is a summary of the Compass Points activity completed in each of your small groups: Summary Of Compass Points 10-12-16
Just a reminder that all Safe Schools modules must be complete by October 30. If you are a member of the teaching staff that had incomplete Safe Schools modules, I sent you an email last week. If you did not receive an email, you are complete! As of last week, most of our teaching staff had completed Safe Schools.
CHECK IT OUT
Educator Evaluation Effectiveness Ratings
Now available in the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS)
What a great day it was this past Friday, sunny skies- perfect weather for the annual PTA fall fundraiser Fun Run. It turned out to be quite a celebration as our cougars were moving around around the track to some tunes, and they were joined by a huge turnout to root them on, as well as join them in their walk. A Huge Thank You to all of our PTA members, especially Kelley Ellis, who chaired the event for making this a blockbuster fundraiser! Also, a big thanks to Katie Jensen, who organized the staff end and all staff for their participation in this year’s event. Please see below for a PTA message and link to Fun Run Pictures.
Arno Staff
We are humbly grateful for the tremendous support of our Fun Run! We have experienced such unparalleled enthusiasm & dedication to make the event successful this year!
Our hearts are overflowing and the Arno PTA community is thoroughly blessed because of your efforts!
Friday was a day filled with sunshine, laughter and smiles! We hope you experienced the same soul filling energy from this event as we did. We witnessed such joy!
Joy not just from the students but from staff, the numerous volunteers, and families that came out to take part in this event.
We are amazed by the generosity of the Arno community to assist in the Fun Run in order to provide for our PTA plans this year!
We love you. We hope you will enjoy this link to view & share the pictures. There are many pictures, a lot actually. We have so much to be thankful for how could we possibly narrow it down
To keep you updated in our school wide process this school year…
We met as a committee this past Tuesday for a half-day. We current have Heather Manson, Sarah Kalis, Megan Schultz, Todd Creutz, Beth Wesley, Jeanine Haskin, Cathy Gorski, and Guy Desjardins.
Our consultant covered all of the school wide Title 1 components and went over other plans from buildings that have went through the process
This process is completely encompassed around the school improvement process
Our next step is to meet in Nov for a full day to start work on specific areas
There will be a total of 6-7 full day meetings that will end with submission to the state for approval
I will keep you updated on the process as we move forward
Our Goalie Vinnie suits up for the teacher match!!
Red Wing’s Share Positive Message
Arno had a special visit from the Red Wing’s Assembly Program yesterday with the positive messages of a good educations, and dedication towards exercise and healthy eating habits. The program also passed out prizes and included an awesome hockey 1:1 shoot out between teachers and students- the students walked with victory with a 3-1 win!!!
3rd Grade Reading Public Act 306
Beginning in 2017-18 schools must begin interventions to insure that 3rd graders will successfully pass the 3rd grade reading assessment when the bill takes effect in 2019-20. Schools must do this by:
Screening kids in grades K-3
Diagnosing reading difficulties, notifying the parents and then develop an individual reading improvement plan
Making sure that the student’s teacher has the necessary skills to remediate the deficiency. If not, provide PD and use an Early Literacy Coach to help that student & teacher.
The goal: make sure that student passes the 3rd grade reading assessment in the 2019-20 SY.
The bill outlines the responsibilities of Michigan Department of Education in developing these assessments, the contents of the parents “read at home plan”, professional development content and the qualifications of an early literacy coach.
If all these interventions result in the student still not passing the 3rd grade reading assessment, CEPI will send a letter to the parent stating that the child cannot advance to the 4th grade. There are, however, ways to get around this retention:
The students achieves a 3rd grade reading level on an alternate assessment OR
The student’s portfolio demonstrates proficiency by work samples OR
Parent requests a good-cause exemption OR
The student is proficient in all other subject areas except ELA
If that child does move to the 4th grade, more interventions are required and outlined in the bill:
Teacher must be the highest evaluated grade 4 teacher in the school OR Assign the student to a reading specialist
Daily reading and small or 1-1 reading interventions throughout the school day
Continually assess student progress
Parents to continue a “read at home plan”
Exemptions:
Students with an IEP
Student is limited English proficient with less than 3 years of instruction in an ELL program
Student has received intensive reading instruction for the last 2 years and still demonstrates a reading deficiency
Student has been in the school for less than 2 years
Student cannot be retained more than once
Beginning June 4, 2019, if a district DOES NOT have the number of teachers and coaches necessary to provide these interventions, the district must develop a staffing plan and post that plan on their website, explaining who is currently teaching, their qualifications and how that district plans to meet the requirements of this law.
Beginning In 2020, and every year thereafter, districts are required to report to CEPI the number of students retained in 3rd grade.
Submitted by,
Kathy Merry
Wayne RESA
Google Tools for Special Needs
Please check out this site for info on google tools for special needs, but you may also find things you can use as interventions for those who are struggling.
The Teaching Diverse Learners (TDL) Web site, is a resource dedicated to enhancing the capacity of teachers to work effectively and equitably with English language learners (ELLs). This Web site provides access to information — publications, educational materials, and the work of experts in the field — that promotes high achievement for ELLs.
Classroom teacher will communicate to you about any other events
Costumes:
Students will wear their costumes to school.
All costumes must be school appropriate
No play guns or weapons of any kind
Please do not allow your child to wear a mask. Masks tend to slip causing a possible trip and fall accident / injury.
Parade Path:
Weather permitting. We will be outside for our parade. Our plan is to start the parade with our Kindergarten classes. We will walk through the building picking up each class and exit door # 8(5th grade doors). We will walk around the inside perimeter of the playground fence, and then down the way to enter through the office main door- the best place to stand and watch would be on the outer perimeter of the fence, and along the sidewalk to the office. Each class will then proceed back to their classrooms.
Launching Daily 5—The Six Most Important things to Remember
Here are six things to keep in mind when launching Daily 5.
One of the most important things to remember is that it’s all about the class sitting in front of us, not last year’s class, and not the class we dreamed about all summer. Every decision is based on the needs of the current group. When we keep this at the forefront of our daily work, it is much easier to flex to meet their needs. If a group is more wiggly, we provide more frequent brain and body breaks. If they come to us without strong behaviors of independence, we build stamina in tiny increments.
When introducing the 10 Steps to Independence for any Daily 5 choice, we add the I-chart behaviors they are ready for. If students are able to focus on our direct instruction for only a few minutes, we start with two or three behaviors instead of all six. We always start with “Read the whole time” and “Get started right away.” We’ll add one or two more each subsequent round, and continue with the 10 Steps of Independence. Older students, or those with Daily 5 experience, may be able to attend to all the desired behaviors on day one. Again, it is all about the students.
We find it most successful, regardless of student ages, to go through the 10 Steps of Independence three or four times a day during those first days of school. We typically start our day by launching Read to Self with the 10 Steps of Independence. We go back through the 10 Steps and I-chart again after recess, once more after lunch, and again at the end of the day. The more students practice, the more quickly the launch will go and the more successful it will be.
Remember the importance of brain breaks. Think about how tired we are those first days of school! Children need many brain breaks throughout the day. These brain breaks can be long ones (going outside to review or introduce the playground rules, practice waking to music or gym) or short ones (hop up and sing a silly song, have older students stand, turn, and talk about anything from their favorite summer moment to their favorite song, TV show, sport, and so on.) Frequent brain breaks enable students to be more successful when we ask them to focus on classroom procedures and learning.
Perhaps most important, we remind ourselves each and every day that we love this job and these students. Attitude is everything. We truly love being part of their learning journey and strive to treat them honorably and respectfully.
And above all, we need to have fun!
21st Century Learning at Arno…
When walking into room 122, you’ll notice that the classroom looks different. This third grade learning space doesn’t have traditional desks or tables for 26 students.
Instead, Mrs. Warneck’s classroom has a variety of seating options.
There are stools, yoga balls, wobble cushions, video game chairs, regular chairs, yoga mats, standing tables, a standing desk, a sitting desk, ottomans, bean bags, beach chairs, small tables, clipboards, and a new carpet space, which the classroom recently won from Jabro Carpet One in a voting contest. This furniture arrangement is called Flexible Seating and — in addition to the students viewing it as fun—research says Flexible Seating has positive impacts on student learning.
Here are some examples:
helps students attention spans which results in higher achievement
makes students more actively engaged in the classroom
gives them an active outlet without disrupting their learning
makes them more physically fit
motivates students to want to come to school
helps those with ADHD and Autism, along with other special needs
helps develop a sense of community among the students which improves their social skills
helps them to become independent learners
ACCESSING AND ENTERING DRA DATA IN MISTAR DNA
To get last year scores:
Login through MISTAR — Menu — Analysis — MISTAR DnA
Click on Dashboard, under reports:
create a report,
in the Tags: click diagnostics,
search and current year and previous year scores are there.
Click on last year for that years scores.
Steps for entering current scores for this year:
Click on dashboard,
click on View Assessments they may already have it in their favorites or district favorites
Click on whatever grade Diagnostic Reading Scores
Do not click on “Third Grade Diagnostic Reading Scores 2015-16 report” but
on the ribbon on top of page, there is overview, information, columns and responses, click down arrow on Responses
click New Enter/Edit
then click “find students” and they can edit it by Enter Responses by Column or Student.
If there are any questions, call Shirlann Clarke at x1082 who can walk you through it.
Steve @Traverse City- Barb Chuby is Teacher in Charge
Count Day
Oct 6
Steve @TC
Fall Picture Day
PTA Meeting 6:30
Oct 7
Steve @TC
FunRun per schedule
Challenge
Congratulations!!!
What exciting news Arno received this past Monday. Our first grade teacher, Mrs. Dawn Watson received a “Teacher of the Week” Award from WNIC,
after being nominated by a parent. After finding out she won, Mrs. Watson had this to say “I am honored that one of my students nominated me for the WNIC Teacher of the Week. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with the students at Arno. We get to learn, love and laugh together everyday! I get to see their faces light up and their big smiles when they’re successful. I get to help them when they struggle, pick them up when they fall, hug them when they’re not well and guide them through learning challenges. I am a lucky teacher indeed! In addition to working with my wonderful 1st grade classroom family I have THE BEST 1st grade teaching team and colleagues in the field. It is an honor to receive recognition for doing the work that I love and I look forward to celebrating with my colleagues and classroom family when WNIC comes to visit us on Thursday morning.”
Code Purple Clarification
Please be advised that the Purple cards in your classrooms are for exclusive use to notify the office or any other staff member that you need a Code Purple called for MEDICAL reasons only. If you have a behavior type emergency, you may call the office for my assistance- or call for Team NCI to come to your location. I will look into a Red Card to indicate an emergency other than medical for your room.
Goal Meetings
Please remember that there is an Oct. 31 deadline for the goal meetings to happen. I have met with several of you already, but not all. Observations will start mid-October
From the desk of Mr. Dawson:
Dear Staff,
The following timelines have been established for the 2016-2017 school year:
Teacher Self Evaluations due in STAGES: October 31, 2016(Probationary Staff), June 9, 2017 (Tenured Staff)
Professional Goals/Student Growth Goal due in STAGES: October 31, 2016
Observation/Walk Through (1): Administrator deadline of December 31, 2016
Mid year Review (Optional): If Administrator wants to meet, the deadline is February 28, 2016
Observation/Walk Through (2): Administrator deadline of May 1,2017
Final Evaluation Meeting to review progress: Administrator/Teacher deadline is June 9, 2017
Completed Evaluation signed off in STAGES: June 16, 2017
BY: RACHEL LYNETTE
Keep Your Students Engaged with “Turn and Talk”
I am so happy to introduce Sally DeCost from Elementary Mattersbecause I pretty much love everything she writes and I would have been thrilled if she had taught my own kids. She does her research and she is tons-o-fun, so you will not want to miss this one.
I’m a big fan of the brain!
I have no formal training or education about the brain, but I read a lot and think a lot about how the brain learns and
what we can do as teachers to get the most we can out of the individual brains in our classrooms. It’s fascinating stuff!
Most of the information I’ve learned pretty much backs up what I already knew about teaching, but now there’s
evidence to back it up as good teaching practices!
Today I wanted to talk about a little trick that helps keep young brains engaged and focused on what they are supposed
to be learning. It’s called “Turn and Talk”. (Some call this “Think, Pair, Share”. Whole Brain
Teaching’s version is called “Teach, OK”.)
Here’s what happens:
After a few minutes of a lesson, the teacher tells the children to “turn and talk” about what they just learned. The
children immediately turn to face their assigned “turn and talk” partner, decide who will go first, and start a very active
conversation! I require my students to use as many gestures as they can, which I typically introduce before
the “turn and talk” time. (I tend to be very dramatic when I teach! No one could ever say I’m boring!) The
conversation goes back and forth until they’ve had enough time to review. The teacher then asks for volunteers
to share with the whole group, or the teacher simply shares what she heard partners say. This happens several
times during a lesson, keeping the students busy and engaged throughout the lesson.
It might be necessary to do some re-teaching if the kids aren’t quite on track. (Isn’t it nice to find this out right
away?) I’ve been known, after a “turn and talk” session, to say “this is what I heard…” But in reality, I didn’t hear
that, I just wanted the kids to think I heard it, because that’s what I wanted them to learn. It works every time,
and they never know!
Here’s why it works:
Kids are wired to connect. Just like adults, they need to interact. (Sitting for hours and “just listening”
won’t produce much learning-I’m sure you already figured that out!) Teachers need to give information
in “chunks”. Experts recommend no more than 2 – 4 chunks of information at a time. Then the learners
need time to process. Students need to take frequent breaks from listening and take time to process what they
are learning. They need to review and think about it.
Plus, kids need to move, and kids need to have fun! These are basics of brain based learning, and “Turn and Talk”
fits the bill! I’ve seen this work from Kindergarten all the way through college, and beyond. Think about
your own professional development workshops and seminars: don’t you appreciate the opportunity to talk to
your peers and process the information?
Here’s how to set it up:
Take plenty of time to demonstrate how “Turn and Talk” works. I find having students modeling in front of their
peers grabs their attention. Show them how to sit “shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee”. Make it very clear
that they are to keep talking the whole time, even if they have to repeat what they’ve already said. Show the
children the importance of gesturing and mirroring the gestures. I also find they benefit from a demonstration
of “what NOT to do”! I’ve been know to be very amusing when I model that part! (If you make them laugh, they’llremember! That’s another aspect of brain based learning!)
Choose “Turn and Talk” partners at the beginning of the lesson, teach a little, then say “Turn and Talk”!
Feel free to download my Turn and Talk Poster by clicking the image below. There’s also a version
if you prefer to call it “Think, Pair, Share”!
It’s been a pleasure to guest post for Rachel at Minds in Bloom!
Sally is a very experienced teacher of 36 years, having taught all grades from Preschool through 8th grade, except
4th. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education and a master’s degree inCreative Arts in Learning.
She has taught 2nd grade for several years now. She loves sharing her teaching experience and her passion for
brain based learning on her blog.at Elementary
Matters and selling at her Teachers Pay Teachers store. She also has a Pinterest board on Brain Research!
PTA Mad Science Night
From the Dry Ice bubbles to Bernoulli’s Principals on air pressure, Arno students got a fun look at how science works in our world. We had many families show up for the educational fun, and were able to enjoy cookies after the show compliments of the Arno PTA!
Roary the
