Hayes Elementary : November 2014

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Look ahead for December 1st, 2014

Notes from the Principal:

Just a reminder as we sprint to the Christmas holiday break that peer and informal observations are due next week. Remember to take care of yourselves; eat your veggies, take your vitamins, and get your rest. We are not nearly as effective when you aren't here. No one is an expert like you are in your classroom. Our students success depends on your being in the classroom.

Looking at the latest rounds of our benchmark exams it is clear that learning is taking place in our classrooms here at the home of the "Fighting Rutherford's." It is important that we do not allow ourselves or our students to become complacent with the mid-year results. We must continue to focus on instruction, quality instruction, in our classes and ensure that all of our students have the best opportunity to be successful. One thing we will begin to look more closely at is the breakdown and needs of the sub-pops that make up our school. These sub-pops go beyond SpEd and ELL and include Afro-American, Native American, at-risk, etc...

While our focus and direction will continue to stay on the same path as it has been all year we will need to begin transitioning towards a more focused curriculum and incorporating test taking strategies in our daily routines. The conversations with our students needs to carry the same tone and verbiage as the upcoming standardized tests. Our students need to hear the language on the test in every lesson we teach. Test taking strategies need to be taught on a regular basis. Things like how to draw out information from the text, understanding what the question is asking, and making inferences are things that need to be taught on a regular basis in our classrooms. These strategies are not exclusive to our core content teachers but need to be extended into all aspects of the daily routine. Specials teachers can incorporate higher level thinking into their lessons and conversations with their students.

Next week I will continue to discuss, and we will continue to incorporate, these test taking strategies in our daily routines. Keep up the good work!

Shaun Ross

2014 - 2015 Committees:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiU29FazU0VEVJWjQ/edit?usp=sharing

2014 - 2015 Peer Observation:

The peer observation window opened Friday September 26, 2014. I will check periodically to see how everyone is doing on their observations. Please use the link below to find out your partner.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiTHVIdDRnbUNNWnJHMElhR2xfeHNyOGVXajdF/edit?usp=sharing

Peer Observation Guide:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiNXVnZVA1U0Jza2s/view?usp=sharing

Showcase Schedule for Monthly Rise and Shine:

In order for everyone to take a more active role in the Monthly Awards I am asking that each grade level participate in the showcase portion of the Rise and Shine. Everyone on campus will have a month to show the rest of the school what's great about your classes. You can have your students sing, dance, demonstrate, share... Have fun with it!

~~August: P.E./Music~~
~~September: Office Staff~~
~~October: Library/Media~~
November: First Grade
December: Pre-Kindergarten
January: Fourth Grade
February: Kindergarten
March: Third Grade
April: P.E./Music
May: Second Grade

Oklahoma State Blueprints:

http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-academic-standards

Available accommodations for the OCCT:

http://ok.gov/sde/documents/2014-08-07/oklahoma-accommodations-guide

A quick guide to standards and assessments:

English Language Arts: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school year – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Mathematics: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Science: 2014-2015 school year – begin transition to science standards adopted into rule in June 2014; PASS-aligned assessments for grades 5, 8, and Biology 1 for high school for 2014-2105 and 2015-2016 school years.
Social Studies: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies as adopted in 2012; All four social studies assessments are OAS-aligned in Grades 5, 7, and 8, as well as high school U.S. History. All four assessments will be fully operational in 2014-2015.
Fine Arts: 2014-2015 school year – transition to new standards adopted by law in June of 2014, The annual district arts assessment report will be due at the Oklahoma State Department of Education the end of May 2015.
World Languages: 2014-15 school year – PASS standards, no state assessment. New standards will be written beginning fall 2014.
Personal Financial Literacy: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy as adopted in 2008, no state assessment.
Health/Safety Education: 2014-2015 school year – PASS Standards, no state assessment.
Kindergarten: 2014-2015 school year – PASS standards, no state assessments.
PreKindergarten: 2014-2015 PASS standards; no state assessments.

Hayes Elementary Academic goals for 2014-2015:

- All students WILL achieve academically.
- Increase OCCT Reading scores for all subgroups by 25%
- Increase OCCT Mathematics scores for all subgroups by 25%
- Increase OCCT Writing scores for all subgroups by 25%
- Increase the number of students who qualify for promotion in RSA by 25%
- Decrease Suspensions by 25%
- School wide overall attendance to 96%
- Faculty attendance to 98%

Videos Worth Watching:

Laura Trice: Remember to say thank you - via @TEDTalks

Johnny Lee: Free or cheap Wii remote hacks - via @TEDTalks

George Takei: Why I love a country that once betrayed me - via @TEDTalks

Future Ready - via @usedgov

Articles Worth Reading:

November 30 Day Challenge from @TeachThought - via @kschneider44

Thinking about the importance of open ended and effective questioning. - via @JessicaWells18

8 Qualities of Leaders Who Deliver Value Everyday - via @entmagazine

Educate With Heart - via @TonySinasis

What Are We Talking About When We Talk About Standards? - via @HuffPost

The Educational Delusion Scheme - via @jmsprincipal

3 Assumptions We Shouldn't Make About Educators - via @gcouros

Igniting Student Writer Voice With Writing Process Strategies - via @edutopia

The One Simple Question That Leads to Success - via @pickthebrain

US History Teachers Blog: Quizlet and Studying for Tests - via @kenhalla

The Week in Review - A Lifetime of Teaching - via @rmbyrne

For You, My Friend - via @shfarnsworth

Why Education Reform Cannot Work - via @idsnews

Weekly Look Ahead:

Monday December 1, 2014 - Normal school day, Unannounced Observation cycle continues. Peer Observations continue. After school tutorials from 3:15pm to 4:15pm. Part One of Mr. Ross' evaluation at 3:00pm to 4:00pm. OKC Reading Buddies

Tuesday December 2, 2014 - Normal school day, grade level meetings during planning. Mr. Ross to Central Office in the morning. 2 IEP meetings @ 9:00am and 9:15am. NO after school meeting. OKC Reading Buddies

Wednesday December 3, 2014 - Normal school day. November student of the month names due to front office. ELL Training in the Hayes Elementary Library from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. REMEMBER YOU GET PAID FOR ATTENDING!!! OKC Reading Buddies

Thursday December 4, 2014 - Normal school day. After school tutorials from 3:15pm to 4:15pm. OKC Reading Buddies. Staff Holiday Party @ Chilis... Around 4:30ish...? Bring a small gift for the "dirty santa" exchange.

Friday December 5, 2014 - Rise and Shine in the Cafeteria. First Grade is showcasing. Spirit Day! Rumble from the OKC Thunder at Hayes Elementary. TGIF!!!!!!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Look ahead for November 24th, 2014

Notes from the Principal:

Ms. West and I will be conducting some observations before we leave for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Please refrain from showing movies, having two days of make-up work, or any other form of time filler. Utilize these days to include some online activities or have the students create something. Do not waste these days. The holiday doesn't begin until Wednesday, make sure we are teaching until then.

Remember that your peer observations are due by December 13th.

Remember to complete and turn in your safety training course to Ms. Shue. Those are due by December 9th.

2014 - 2015 Committees:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiU29FazU0VEVJWjQ/edit?usp=sharing

http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-academic-standards

Available accommodations for the OCCT:

http://ok.gov/sde/documents/2014-08-07/oklahoma-accommodations-guide

A quick guide to standards and assessments:

English Language Arts: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school year – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Mathematics: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Science: 2014-2015 school year – begin transition to science standards adopted into rule in June 2014; PASS-aligned assessments for grades 5, 8, and Biology 1 for high school for 2014-2105 and 2015-2016 school years.
Social Studies: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies as adopted in 2012; All four social studies assessments are OAS-aligned in Grades 5, 7, and 8, as well as high school U.S. History. All four assessments will be fully operational in 2014-2015.
Fine Arts: 2014-2015 school year – transition to new standards adopted by law in June of 2014, The annual district arts assessment report will be due at the Oklahoma State Department of Education the end of May 2015.
World Languages: 2014-15 school year – PASS standards, no state assessment. New standards will be written beginning fall 2014.
Personal Financial Literacy: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy as adopted in 2008, no state assessment.
Health/Safety Education: 2014-2015 school year – PASS Standards, no state assessment.
Kindergarten: 2014-2015 school year – PASS standards, no state assessments.
PreKindergarten: 2014-2015 PASS standards; no state assessments.

Videos Worth Watching:

HBO's John Oliver on State Lotteries and Education - via @educationweek - Watch on your own time and not around kiddos. Great content, but shown on HBO.

Articles Worth Reading:

Are you smarter than a 19th century student? - via @TEDTalks

What to Do With That Awkward 5 or 10 Minutes You Have Left - via @WeAreTeachers

ReadWorks Offers Thanksgiving-themed Articles and Questions for K-12 Classrooms - via @rmbyrne

I Am A Dad With Stage 4 Lung Cancer, And Here's What I Know Now - via @BloggerFather

Weekly Look Ahead:

Monday November 17, 2014 - Normal school day, Unannounced Observation cycle continues. Peer Observations continue. After school tutorials.

Tuesday November 18, 2014 - Normal school day, GREEN FOLDER PARTY during grade level meetings. Fifth and Sixth Grade teachers will begin looking at the benchmark data.

Wednesday November 19, 2014 - Holiday

Thursday November 20, 2014 - Thanksgiving!

Friday November 21, 2014 - Holiday

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Look ahead for November 17th, 2014

Notes from the Principal:

Welcome back Ms. Johnson!

Continue to keep Ms. Perry, Ms. Wingate's mother and Ms. Lindsey in your thoughts.

This week we will complete the mathematics benchmarks this week, we will talk about the results next Tuesday. We will be completing the exams in small groups and trying to recreate the testing atmosphere that we know is coming up in the spring. If you have an student who is not on an ELL or Sp. Ed. list you need to keep them in your room. With the exception of sixth grade these exams will be taken with pencil and paper. ALL exams, no exceptions, will be taken during the allotted times on Wednesday and Thursday. We are trying to recreate the upcoming O.C.C.T. exams.

Remember that your peer observations are due by December 13th.

Remember to complete and turn in your safety training course to Ms. Shue.

2014 - 2015 Committees:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiU29FazU0VEVJWjQ/edit?usp=sharing

http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-academic-standards

Available accommodations for the OCCT:

http://ok.gov/sde/documents/2014-08-07/oklahoma-accommodations-guide

A quick guide to standards and assessments:

English Language Arts: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school year – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Mathematics: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Science: 2014-2015 school year – begin transition to science standards adopted into rule in June 2014; PASS-aligned assessments for grades 5, 8, and Biology 1 for high school for 2014-2105 and 2015-2016 school years.
Social Studies: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies as adopted in 2012; All four social studies assessments are OAS-aligned in Grades 5, 7, and 8, as well as high school U.S. History. All four assessments will be fully operational in 2014-2015.
Fine Arts: 2014-2015 school year – transition to new standards adopted by law in June of 2014, The annual district arts assessment report will be due at the Oklahoma State Department of Education the end of May 2015.
World Languages: 2014-15 school year – PASS standards, no state assessment. New standards will be written beginning fall 2014.
Personal Financial Literacy: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy as adopted in 2008, no state assessment.
Health/Safety Education: 2014-2015 school year – PASS Standards, no state assessment.
Kindergarten: 2014-2015 school year – PASS standards, no state assessments.
PreKindergarten: 2014-2015 PASS standards; no state assessments.

Videos Worth Watching:

John Oliver Tonight - New Neutrality - View on your own time!!!!

Articles Worth Reading:

Dyslexia in the General Education Classroom - via @edutopia

Relationships plus technology equals...? - via @gcouros

End the 'Easy A's' in Teacher Prep - via @educationweek

Full Circle: A Special Education Teacher's Story of Hope - via @WeAreTeachers

5 Things I Learned to Say That Changed the Way I Taught - via @pernilleripp

And now for a non-election blog post... - via @okeducation

Hanta Yo! - via @james409jason

What it really means to be a public school educator today - via @washingtonpost

Teacher to parents: About THAT kid (the one who hits, disrupts, influences YOUR kid) - via @washingtonpost

What to do when your kid just doesn't 'get it' - via @teachmama

Weekly Look Ahead:

Monday November 17, 2014 - Normal school day, Unannounced Observation cycle continues. Peer Observations continue. After school tutorials. First and Third graders don't forget about our Oklahoma City Tutors.

Tuesday November 18, 2014 - Normal school day, 6th Grade PAL, Character Counts. Grade level meetings during planning period. After school Meeting in the Library at 3:30pm "First 1/4 Review."

Wednesday November 19, 2014 - Normal school day, Winter mathematics benchmarks for Grades 2-5. We will take the exams with our small groups for ELL, SpEd and 504 groups.

Thursday November 20, 2014 - Normal school day, after school tutorials. Winter mathematics benchmarks for Grades 2-5 day two. Small groups for ELL, SpEd, and 504 groups. Mr. Ross at "The great Conversation." Hayes Elementary has been selected to display the artwork for UCO's " A Noble Profession." The National teacher of the year and State teacher of the year will be speaking at this engagement. It is from 3:30pm to 6:30pm at UCO.

Friday November 21, 2014 - Spirit day. Winter mathematics benchmark make-ups. Mr. Ross at "The Great Conversation."

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Look ahead for November 10th, 2014

Notes from the Principal:

Thought for the week: Would you want to be in your class?

Last week I talked about having high expectations, both on the weekly blog and in grade level meetings. I want to continue the theme by talking about the level of expectancy we have for ourselves and others.

We've already discussed that great teachers have high expectations for themselves and their students. So it should come as no surprise that weaker teachers hold their students to a high level of expectation but do not hold themselves to the same standard. Some even hold unrealistic and even harmful expectations for others on the campus as well; the administration must be perfect, parents have to be without fault, and their co-workers should hold them in the highest of regards. Some of the worst expectations a teacher can have is that a student is to pay attention and be engaged no matter how irrelevant the assignment or boring the classroom. They even expect their students to behave no matter how the teacher treats them. High expectations for our students is essential to creating those life-long learners we all know our students need to be.

It is the responsibility of everyone at Hayes to ensure high quality instruction is taking place in every classroom. As teachers, we are responsible for every student that comes through their classroom door. We all know that we don't get to choose our students or the baggage they bring to the classroom. Instead of pointing figures or blaming others it is time to work together and ensure we are productive and on the right track to success.

Continue to keep Ms. Perry, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Wingate's mother and Ms. Lindsey in your thoughts.

We will complete the reading benchmark this week, talking about the results next Tuesday, and finishing the benchmarks with mathematics next week, and talking about those results the following week. We will be completing the exams in small groups and trying to recreate the testing atmosphere that we know is coming up in the spring. With the exception of sixth grade these exams will be taken with pencil and paper.

2014 - 2015 Committees:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiU29FazU0VEVJWjQ/edit?usp=sharing

http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-academic-standards

Available accommodations for the OCCT:

http://ok.gov/sde/documents/2014-08-07/oklahoma-accommodations-guide

A quick guide to standards and assessments:

English Language Arts: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school year – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Mathematics: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Science: 2014-2015 school year – begin transition to science standards adopted into rule in June 2014; PASS-aligned assessments for grades 5, 8, and Biology 1 for high school for 2014-2105 and 2015-2016 school years.
Social Studies: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies as adopted in 2012; All four social studies assessments are OAS-aligned in Grades 5, 7, and 8, as well as high school U.S. History. All four assessments will be fully operational in 2014-2015.
Fine Arts: 2014-2015 school year – transition to new standards adopted by law in June of 2014, The annual district arts assessment report will be due at the Oklahoma State Department of Education the end of May 2015.
World Languages: 2014-15 school year – PASS standards, no state assessment. New standards will be written beginning fall 2014.
Personal Financial Literacy: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy as adopted in 2008, no state assessment.
Health/Safety Education: 2014-2015 school year – PASS Standards, no state assessment.
Kindergarten: 2014-2015 school year – PASS standards, no state assessments.
PreKindergarten: 2014-2015 PASS standards; no state assessments.

Videos Worth Watching:

Articles Worth Reading:

How To YouTube Your Classroom - via @TeachThought

Learning Should Be About Fun and Games In The 21st Century - via @gamesbeat

The Week in Review - The Most Popular Posts - via @rmbyrne

27 Ways to Increase Participation - via @twhitford

Levels of Engagement - via @twhitford

7 Questions To End Your Week - via @twhitford

Gaining Student Attention - via @twhitford

Leveled Math Questions - via @twhitford

There's a Person For That - via @dschoening

A Fair Test: Ban Secrecy - via @grantwiggins

50 Books Like Divergent - via @WeAreTeachers

New Learning That Has Inspired Me - via @TeachThought

4 Keys to Developing Academic Vocabulary - via @TeachThought

The "Want" and the "Way" - via @gcouros

Soft Start to Khan Academy in your Classroom - via @TeachThought

Weekly Look Ahead:

Monday November 10, 2014 - Normal school day, Unannounced Observation cycle continues. Peer Observations continue. After school tutorials. Oklahoma City Tutors begin; they are working with first and third graders.

Tuesday November 11, 2014 - Normal school day, 6th Grade PAL, Character Counts. Grade level meetings during planning period. Veterans day! A.R. Hockey Trip. Afterschool Meeting in the Library at 3:30pm.

Wednesday November 12, 2014 - Normal school day, Winter Reading Benchmarks for Grades 2-5. We will take the exams with our small groups for ELL, SpEd and 504 groups. Ms. West A.P. meeting.

Thursday November 13, 2014 - Normal school day, after school tutorials. Winter Reading Benchmarks for Grades 2-5 day two. Small groups for ELL, SpEd, and 504 groups. Mr. Ross at a Principals meeting.

Friday November 14, 2014 - Spirit day. Winter Reading Benchmark make-ups.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Look ahead for November 3rd, 2014

Notes from the Principal:

Continue to stay focused and committed to the students that walk into your classroom daily. Our students should come in every morning expecting to be challenged and focused on learning. It is crucial that we as educators have high expectations for them; high expectations for their behavior as well as academically.

It is critical that we hold high expectations for ourselves as well as the students we teach. High expectations include establishing procedures and guidelines ahead of time, having a plan and direction for learning, and being on time. Another way to put it might be respecting yourself, your team mates and your school. Speaking of high expectations; we all have our bag of tricks, some might hear me talk about this often, let's make sure when we reach for those tricks in such a manner that we don't accidentally pull out a trick that will cause harm to a student or create a hardship in the classroom. Great teachers utilize their bag once or twice a day; others reach for that bag to the point where they lose their effectiveness. When these tricks lose their effectiveness we run the risk of bringing revenge, sarcasm, and yelling into the classroom. All of us agree these are not the key ingredients to making a successful classroom environment or a place where learning takes place.

Keep Ms. Perry, Ms. Johnson and Ms. Lindsey in your thoughts. Let's have a great week.

2014 - 2015 Committees:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiU29FazU0VEVJWjQ/edit?usp=sharing

http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-academic-standards

Available accommodations for the OCCT:

http://ok.gov/sde/documents/2014-08-07/oklahoma-accommodations-guide

A quick guide to standards and assessments:

English Language Arts: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school year – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Mathematics: 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years – PASS standards, PASS-aligned assessments.
Science: 2014-2015 school year – begin transition to science standards adopted into rule in June 2014; PASS-aligned assessments for grades 5, 8, and Biology 1 for high school for 2014-2105 and 2015-2016 school years.
Social Studies: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies as adopted in 2012; All four social studies assessments are OAS-aligned in Grades 5, 7, and 8, as well as high school U.S. History. All four assessments will be fully operational in 2014-2015.
Fine Arts: 2014-2015 school year – transition to new standards adopted by law in June of 2014, The annual district arts assessment report will be due at the Oklahoma State Department of Education the end of May 2015.
World Languages: 2014-15 school year – PASS standards, no state assessment. New standards will be written beginning fall 2014.
Personal Financial Literacy: 2014-2015 school year – Oklahoma Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy as adopted in 2008, no state assessment.
Health/Safety Education: 2014-2015 school year – PASS Standards, no state assessment.
Kindergarten: 2014-2015 school year – PASS standards, no state assessments.
PreKindergarten: 2014-2015 PASS standards; no state assessments.

Videos Worth Watching:

Articles Worth Reading:

Dear Teacher - via @TonySinanis

11 Fascinating Funeral Traditions From Around The Globe - via @TEDTalks

Sustaining Outdated Practices Will Not Transform Schools - via @E_Sheninger

New Jersey Teachers Lead the Way in Expecting More from Students - via @usedgov

Minneapolis' Worst Teachers are in the Poorest Schools, Data Show - via @StarTribune

In Wash. School Tragedy, Shooter Defies 'Typical' Stereotype - via @educationweek

Teacher's don't like doing busy work, Why would students?

Low-income students are more likely to drop out of high school. We're working to make sure ALL students succeed. - via @usedgov

Why I Hope for Joy! - via @jmsprincipal

Why I'm Voting for Joe Dorman - via @okeducation

Why We Will Need to Defend the Office of State Superintendent - via @brettdokc

A Simple Lesson - via @pernilleripp

The Value of Connecting the Dots to Create "Real Learning" - via @MindShiftKQED

36 Pinterest Ideas for Teaching Kids to use Textual Evidence - via @WeAreTeachers

Weekly Look Ahead:

Monday November 3, 2014 - Normal school day, Unannounced Observation cycle continues. Peer Observations continue. After school tutorials.

Tuesday November 4, 2014 - Normal school day, 6th Grade PAL, Character Counts. Grade level meetings during planning period (Lots to cover.). NO afterschool meeting due to election day!!! GO VOTE!

Wednesday November 5, 2014 - Normal school day, Passport Health from 8:00am to 10:00am

Thursday November 6, 2014 - Normal school day, after school tutorials, Safety Committee Meeting from 7:30am to 8:00am in the Hayes Library.

Friday November 7, 2014 - Spirit day.