Teacher Brag Board

Check out my office door to view your picture and "I am thankful" leaves. Thank you for taking the time to complete them!

 

Important Dates

 

Check out the right side of the blog to view:
 "Important Dates" for the remainder of the month and the COUNTDOWN to Winter Break!!!

Tuesday's Meeting

1.    Conference scheduling (Library) 3:45-4:15

2.    PLC Presentations 4:15-5:00

Each grade level will work as a team to present the first strategies. Please have the Presenter Form completed prior to the meeting.

                                          i.    3^rd grade-Strategy 1

                                         ii.    4^th grade-Strategy 2

                                        iii.    5^th grade-Strategy 4

Please let me know if there is anything additional that you would like to discuss at the meeting.

 

Achievement Board Winner

All of the achievement boards look great! I love seeing all the creative ways that you are showcasing student work. It was a very close contest, but ultimately Susan Wagner had the highest rated board for the fall. Susan please let me know what day you would either like to come in an hour late or leave an hour early.

 

The achievement boards were evaluated using the same rubric we used last winter:

1. The achievement board is eye-catching
2. I am able to understand what the class is learning about.
3. The achievement board communicates a message of high academic expectations.
4. The student work clearly reflects the "I Can" statement.
5. Student work has written feedback from the teacher.


The next few weeks will be hectic, but please try to update your achivement board by January 15.

Attendance Policy

Please continue to contact parents after 5 tardies or absences. You can either call, email, or talk with them at dismissal. Once you have contacted the parent, please notify me, so that I can keep documentation. If you chose to email the parent, the letter that Nicole emails to parents is great! I provided her template below. Thanks, Nicole!

Good morning,

I am writing to let you know that Austin has 5 tardies so far this year. The South Arbor tardy policy has been developed to emphasize the importance of each student being in the classroom for the entire class, as well as arriving on time to school every day.  Learning the responsibility of getting to class on time is an integral part of South Arbor Academy's standard of excellence, which prepares students for success.

In our school, instructional time is viewed as a precious resource. Consequently we view chronic tardiness as a serious problem. Please note that as outlined in the Parent Handbook on page 41, once a student reaches 10 unexcused tardies, the parents must attend a meeting to create an Attendance Corrective Action Plan. Thank you for your support in ensuring students make maximum use of class time and learn to be punctual.

Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter,

Ms. Nesseth

Bathroom Rotation Activities

Thank you all for your flexibility and understanding in regards to the new bathroom rotation schedule. Kim offered the idea that students could practice math fact flashcards, silent read, or practice states and capitals during the bathroom rotation. We both thought this would address the concern of effective use of time. The next day, I saw Sandy’s class reading silently in the hallway.” Motivated by Kim and Sandy, I did some research to provide you with additional ideas. I got all of these ideas online. You can find more by googling, “educational sponge activities.” According to Education World, “Sponge activities soak up those in-between minutes with easy-to-implement challenges that motivate students to stretch their minds in new directions.” Do NOT feel obligated to implement these activities, this is just a suggestion!

 

MATH:

·         Dice Math: "Students stand beside their seats, and I roll a die," Te Maari explained. "Each time I roll the die, students add the number to the previous total, keeping a running score. Students can sit down at any time during the game, accepting the total at that point as their final score. For example, if a student sits down after three rolls of the die showing 4, 6, and 1, he or she has a score of 11. The game continues until someone rolls a 2. The students still standing lose ALL their points -- because they've been greedy! The seated student(s) with the highest score wins."

·         Math fact cards: practice basic math fact (addition, subtraction, using flashcards

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS:

·         Grammar: Have one student call out a noun, a second student call out an adjective, and a third student call out a verb. Ask a volunteer to use all three words in a sentence.

·         Storytelling. Tell the first two or three sentences of a story, and then ask each student to add a sentence. The last student should complete the story.

·         Silent reading: Students could either read from Open Court, guided reading book, or independent book.

·         Spelling: Sparkle is a spelling practice game. It also forces them to be good listeners. Pronounce the spelling word that is to be spelled. The first child says the first letter. The second child says the second letter. The third child says the third letter, etc. If they miss, they sit down on the floor and the game continues. Do NOT repeat the word and do not repeat the letters that have already been called out. After the last letter of the word has been given, the next person must say "Sparkle." The person after the sparkle person has to sit down. Pronounce the next word until the last person left standing is the winner.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

·         States and Capitals: Call out states and have students name the capital. Call out capitals and have students match them with the state.

• Geography: Challenge students to identify where various geographic locations (continents, countries, cities, landmarks, bodies of water, etc.) are on a large map. Provide clues as needed

GENERAL:

·         Assessment Review: Invite students to develop 5 assessment questions (with answer sheet) and then exchange papers with a peer for an impromptu review.

·         Alphabetize: Go around the room and ask students to name foods, cities, countries, boys' names, or girls' names in A-B-C order. (For example: Asparagus, Beef, and Crepes; Albuquerque, Boston, Columbus; Argentina, Botswana, and Cambodia; Aisha, Brittany, and Camilla.)

 

MORAL FOCUS:

Card Name Game: When I have a few minutes to spare the students love to play the “card name game.” I have all of their names written on a playing card. While seated at the carpet, I distribute one card to each child (making sure no one has their own name). When their name is called they have to say something positive about the person on the card. This has really helped them to learn about respect and treating others how they want to be treated. It is fun and only takes about five minutes.

"Unpacking" Common Core

While planning with the fourth grade team we came across a Common Core Standard that all of us were unsure of. So, I did some research trying to find an example of that standard and I came across some documents prepared by North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The documents “unpacked” the Common Core standards for Math and English/Language Arts by providing examples of each. I thought this would be a great tool for each of you because:

“The “unpacking” of the standards done in this document is an effort to answer a simple question “What does this standard mean that a student must know and be able to do?” and to ensure the description is helpful, specific and comprehensive for educators.”

I put them on the U-drive under your grade level folder. ALP I put 5th-8th in the ALP folder.  I hope you find them useful.

Exit Tickets

While reading the Marshall Memo, Robert Marzano listed four types of prompts for exit slips. Maybe this might be helpful to someone...

• Prompts to check for understanding – The teacher might ask students, “What are you most confused about regarding what we did in class today?” The slips might lead the teacher to re-teach a particular concept, break students into groups for help in different areas, and perhaps use expert students to run some of the groups.

• Prompts to promote reflection – The teacher might ask students, “How hard did you work today and why?” or “What could you have done today to help yourself learn better?” and then follow up accordingly.

• Prompts on instructional strategies – For example, “How did the group work today help you understand the content? What are some things you’d like to see during group work in the future?”

• General teaching suggestions – For example, “What is something I should be doing to improve your understanding of the content?” Marzano says this sends an important message to students – “that everyone is a learner, even the teacher – and that there’s no shame in admitting you’re not doing well at something and seeking help.”

“The Many Uses of Exit Slips” by Robert Marzano in Educational Leadership, October 2012 (Vol. 70, #2, p. 80-81), www.ascd.org

 

Dates

 

·         Monday, November 26^th: I will announce the Achievement Board winner.

·         November 21^st – 23^rd : Thanksgiving Break

·         November 27^th: PLC meeting

o   Grade level presentations

·         November 29^th : Math Night:

·         November 30^th :

o   End of 1^st trimester

o   $1 Jean day

o   Book Fair begins

Amazing Student Work

Jenny’s 5^th and 6^th grade students just completed an Autobiographical Sketch unit. Students were asked to write an autobiographical sketch organized around a theme important to their life. They talked about how the autobiographical sketch should not just be a listing of important events in their life, but that keeping a theme in mind, identifying and explaining the events that have happened in their life and related to this theme. Her students concluded this unit with oral presentations.  One of her student’s oral presentations STOOD OUT. The theme of Matthew D.’s autobiographical sketch was animation. For his “visual” part of his oral presentation he created two different videos. Check out one of them below! It’s truly AMAZING! 

Shout Out

Big shout out to Dena and Tim who organized the Intermediate Hall Mock election. You did an amazing job! Thank you for your time and dedication. More photos can be found by navigating to:  U-Dive › Yearbook   › 2012-2013   › Mock Election.

Thank you

 

Thank you Dena, Kristen, Susan, and Tim for covering lunch duty last week. Thank you to Jenny for sacrificing her lunch for two days.

As soon as I asked, all of you responded, “Sure, no problem!” I know that I can ask anyone from the Intermediate Hall for help and you would respond the same. I appreciate being a part of such a great team.

Dates & Reminders

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, November 14^th:

·         Charles Sturdivant, our DSQ, will be visiting the building.

Thursday, November 15^th:

·         Achievement board will be judged this Thursday. The winner gets to either leave an hour early or come in an hour late.

Tuesday, November27th:

·         PLC: grade-level presentations

Friday, November 30th:

·         End of 1^st Trimester

Don’t forget:

·         PLC-Grade-level presentations

·         To wear your school name badge everyday

·         Submit work samples to Kim for the effort bulletin board

·         Bring your sub folders to your O3 this week

·         At some point this week, I will be coming around to take your picture for the Brag Board.

Heroween Activities

I enjoyed visiting all of the Hero-ween celebrations in the Intermediate Hall. All the students seemed to have a blast.

In Tim’s class the students worked in stations. The students were engaged in creative activities that kept them occupied and organized.  Read below for his description.

Stations:

1.      Pumpkin Painting – Students paint and decorate a mini gourd as their hero.

2.      Fall Themed Cookies – Students decorate and eat a fall themed cookie

3.      Pumpkin Bowling – Outside station where students knock down 2-liter bottles with a pumpkin

4.      Food – Students eat the normal food brought in.

5.      Fall themed Bingo – You can find online bingo board makers and use whatever words you like.  Piece of candy as a prize.

Each station rotates to the next station every 10-12 minutes.  It give them just enough time to get the activity done without belaboring it, and the kids look forward to something new each time.  You do need to have at least 5 parent volunteers, but with so many parents wanting to help or randomly showing up, it keeps them occupied.

Sandy created academic activities for 3^rd grade that were engaging and educational. She created Hero bingo and Pumpkin estimation.

·         Hero Bingo: The students wrote down the names of heroes from a master sheet on their bingo card and she called/described their accomplishment/contribution. (For example: the first person to step on the moon.)  The students used candy corn as their bingo chips.

·         Pumpkin estimation: The students worked in pairs to estimate the pumpkin’s height, circumference, number of lines, weight, and number of seeds. Then the students measured the pumpkin to check the accuracy of their estimation.

Below are the sheets that Sandy used.

Pumpkin EstimationHeroween BingoHeroween Bingo Words and Definitions

Congratulations

Congratulations to Nicole who got engaged on Halloween!!! Now the real fun begins…wedding planning!

Brag Board Leaves

Don’t forget to turn in your personal “thankful leaves.” On Monday, I will be coming around to take your picture to add to your leaf. So be prepared. J

Walkie Talkies

Earlier this week I sent an email about walkie-talkies. Please make sure that you take your walkie-talkie with you whenever you take your students to the library, recess, and reading buddies.