Let's Connect with the Curriculum - UPDATES!

Here are some updates from the wonderful world of curriculum!

DIBELS:
Our BOY Benchmark window ended last Friday, 9/24 - Moore had 100% completion, yay!  Thanks to EVERYONE who helped on the Sweep Teams and thanks to classroom teachers for letting us interrupt your day!  The Progress Monitoring window started this week for kids who are RED.  I sent out an email with all Progress Monitoring directions and a chart to keep track of your students.  FYI -- Students who are GREEN in DIBELS are considered "average" (like a "C" on the grading scale).  Green is nothing to be overly excited about... We MUST push those kids!  (There will probably eventually be an "above Green" category.)

STRATEGIC READING INSTRUCTION:
As a district, we are all trying to improve our reading instruction.  According to the National Reading Panel, there are five critical areas (The Big 5 - Most of you probably know these!):
-Phonemic Awareness:  Teaching children to use letters to represent phonemes (the ability to manipulate sounds)
-Phonics:  Teaching children to match oral sounds to print
-Fluency:  Improves with repeated reading procedures that offer guidance and feedback (NOT just speed reading... Should include teaching inflection, punctuation, prosody, etc.)
-Vocabulary:  Looking in a glossary is not enough!  Students must be able to classify words, make connections, use new words in oral and written language, learn prefixes and suffixes, etc.
- Comprehension:  Teaching comprehension strategies is key!  Students must be exposed to both narrative and expository text!

PEPs:
As per my email, all PEPs should be completed and initial conferences should occur no later than November 12th.  Try to focus on 3-4 goals and document all interventions.

QUARTER TESTING:
This year we will operate on a more standardized Quarter Testing schedule.  Mark your calendars!  Tuesday, October 26th is Reading; Wednesday, October 27th is Math with a Calculator; Thursday, October 28th is Math without a Calculator.

IMAGINE IT!:
We began Unit 1, Lesson 1 in all K-2 classrooms this week.  We are all in this together!  I have tried to begin making appearances in each K-2 classroom to observe Imagine It! lessons.  In all of my visits, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching teachers introduce the lion, show letter stories on Smartboards, read big books, teach the new alphabet song - The kids are so engaged!  Let's try to feed off of their energy!  We will have an Imagine It! consultant visit on Thursday, October 14th to do a model lesson in each grade level.  More details to come.

QUARTER SPREADSHEETS:
No, it's not quite that time yet, but I have gone ahead and entered all class lists on teachers' spreadsheets (for those who want to get a head start on entering data).  On the Staff Shared folder, there is a folder titled "Data Sheets 2010."  Teachers can find directions on how to enter data as well as classroom-specific spreadsheets.  If you are interested in locating data for your students from last year, I have left old data sheets in the folder titled "Data Sheets."

SMILE:
If your desk looks anything like mine, there are post-its EVERYWHERE reminding you of what you have left to accomplish and a mile-long To-Do list.  Take a breath, smile, and remember to celebrate all you've accomplished today.  A long time ago I heard the following quote that has stuck with me for years:

"To be happy in life, all you need is something to love, something to do, and something to look forward to."

 Don't Forget!
-October 1st:  Transportation Day
-October 7th:  PTA Bingo Night
-October 19th:  Gateway Meeting
-October 26th:  1st Quarter Testing - Reading
-October 27th:  1st Quarter Testing - Math (with a Calculator)
-October 28th:  1st Quarter Testing - Math (without a Calculator)

We've Got Spirit Yes We Do...

CHECK OUT THE WINNERS FROM OUR DOOR DECORATING CONTEST!!!

The WINNER:  Mrs. Lipe's Class!!  Congratulations!





2nd Place:  Miss Hahne's Class!



Honorable Mention:  Mrs. Cason's Class!



Honorable Mention:  Ms. Peoples' Class!



Honorable Mention:  Mrs. Davis' Class!



Honorable Mention:  Mrs. Sneed's Class!



Honorable Mention:  Ms. Warden's Class!



Learn How Your Child Can SCORE at Moore TONIGHT!

Tonight we will be KICKING OFF the new school year at Moore's Curriculum Night!  If you want to learn how your child can SCORE at Moore, come to your child's classroom tonight from 6:00-6:40 or 6:45-7:25.

This is a GREAT opportunity for parents to find out about classroom policies and procedures, curriculum, grading, rules, etc.

In order to get in the spirit of our football-themed Curriculum Night, teachers have been busy at work decorating their doors.  A panel of judges went around today, evaluating doors based on creativity and spirit.  The winner will be announced tonight at "half time"!!  I will post pictures of the doors soon!!

Can't wait to see the hallways busy and classrooms full tonight!!

 Upcoming Dates to Remember
-TONIGHT, September 23rd:  Curriculum Night 6:00pm-7:30pm
-September 24th:  Wake Forest Athlete Read-Aloud with 4th Grade
-September 28th:  4th Grade MAKE-UP On-Demand Writing Task
-October 1st:  Transportation Day
-October 22nd-28th:  1st Quarter Testing Window

Remember: We're Here for the Kids

Happy Monday!  If only we could get everyone as excited about Mondays as they are about Fridays. :)

Last week was a crazy, long, busy, never-ending week.  For EVERYONE.  For me personally, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, administering DIBELS assessments and teaching in 1st Grade classrooms.  I rarely if ever sat down, and at the end of each day I was beyond exhausted.

Now, we all know that I love to run.  And you'll probably get sick of my running comparisons.  But last week, I realized that when I am running, it's just me and the pavement.  Nothing else matters.  It's my moment of peace, my minutes of clarity, my time of solitude.  The whole world seems to melt away, and it's just me and the road ahead.

I feel the exact same way about working with kids.  In all of the craziness that ensued last week, everytime I sat down with a class of students or a single child, all of the chaos disappeared.  Nothing else mattered.  Not my to-do list, not my exhaustion... nothing.  It was just me and the kids.  It was all about the kids.  And that's how it should be.

Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in what we have to do, that we forget why we are here.  I've been working hard both personally and professionally to BE PRESENT (one of the mottos of the FISH! Philosophy).  Somehow, it's so easy to be present when I'm in the company of a child.  Maybe because children live just that way - They aren't thinking about what they have to do after school, or what they even have to do in thirty minutes - They innocently live in the moment.  If only we could all train our minds to do the same.

So let the background noise melt away, forget about the chaos of your day, and every time you are in the presence of a student, BE PRESENT.  Don't ever forget that we're here for the kids.

Upcoming Dates to Remember
-September 21st:  4th Grade On-Demand Writing Task
-September 23rd:  Curriculum Night 6:00pm-7:30pm
-October 1st:  Transportation Day
-October 22nd-28th:  1st Quarter Testing Window

Parents, PTA, Pizza, and a Picnic in the Park

Last night was our annual PTA Picnic and boy, what a turnout!  We ordered 800 slices of pizza, had a sound system set up playing awesome music, boys playing football on the field, students in rollerskates practicing their skills... It was so fun!  Everywhere I looked, people were smiling.  Parents, teachers, students, the DJ - All I saw were teeth!

Anyone who was there HAD to have felt the energy.  I drove over to the picnic feeling quite tired from a crazy, busy week - But it was impossible to stay tired because everyone was so energized!  Teachers were even dancing as they passed out pizza, singing some of their favorite songs.

WOW.

I'm going to quote a student I wrote about in an earlier post:  "Man, I LOVE this school!"

Upcoming Dates to Remember
-September 21st:  4th Grade On-Demand Writing Task
-September 23rd:  Curriculum Night 6:00pm-7:30pm
-October 1st:  Transportation Day
-October 22nd-28th:  1st Quarter Testing Window

It's All About Pace

I have to start with a little toot of my own horn - On Sunday, I successfully completed my first half marathon -- With a great time, too!  It was one of the best life experiences I have EVER had.  The energy of the crowd, pushing my body to its limits, the sense of accomplishment when sprinting across the finish line!!  While running I had many miles to think (13.1, to be exact!).  It dawned on me that running a half marathon is a lot like a school year.  You start the race all pumped up and energized, but you're gasping for air when you reach the finish line.  You have good days (miles) and rough days (miles).  You use all of the tools you've learned in training to find success, and you look to those around you to find extra motivation.  (I LOVED the guy at mile 11 who held a sign that said, "Your feet hurt from all the butt you're kicking!")  Mostly, it's all about pace.  You can't focus on the end, or the task seems way too daunting.  You have to take it one mile, one day, one step at a time.  You have to BE PRESENT, live in the moment, set small goals, and push yourself through difficult times.  Most of all, your belief in yourself can NEVER falter and you HAVE to maintain a positive attitude.  I honestly think I ran the entire race with a huge smile on my face.  I was hurting, I was tired, but I was PUMPED.  I celebrated the small successes at each mile marker, and that is what we should do as educators.  Don't focus on EOGs, don't count down the days 'til our next break... Don't even think about what's on your plate tomorrow.  Think about TODAY, right now.  In an hour, celebrate all you've accomplished so far today.  Reward yourself, pace yourself, be excited about who you are and all you have to be proud of.

On August 25th, we were all side-by-side at the starting line, PUMPED up, excited, refreshed.  Don't forget that feeling.  Let it hover over you during the hard times, remember that emotion, force it to live on.  There's nothing quite like crossing the finish line, getting a medal around your neck, and realizing that YOU MADE IT.

Upcoming Dates to Remember
-W-APT Testing Window for Kindergarten:  August 31-September 28
-September 7:  DIBELS Training for NEW Teachers 3:45pm
-September 9:  DIBELS Refresher Training 7:30am
-September 13-24:  DIBELS BOY Benchmark Window
-September 21:  4th Grade On-Demand Writing Task
-September 23:  Curriculum Night 6:00pm-7:30pm