Welcome back! I hope everyone got to rest, relax, spend time with family, or do whatever it is that charges your batteries. I got to spend some much needed time with my wife and son. He amazes me everyday. I hit a hole in one playing golf with my father, something that we will be able to share for the rest of our lives. I bought a new car, something I will be paying on for the rest of our lives as well.
We are closing in on "that time" again, the dreaded testing season. We as teachers seem to lose sleep, stress out and increase our dosage of coffee, Red Bulls, or chocolate to an unusually high level. We, as a staff, need each other now more than ever. The OCCT exams can't be avoided, they are like those Cialis commercials that come on TV right before we sit down for dinner, they can't be avoided nor are they appealing. Complaining doesn't help the situation, it only makes tensions rise and places more unnecessary, negative, energy on the exams. What we have to do... embrace "that test." Testing, like the slogan Forest Gump started, happens. It will happen ever year, no matter how the format changes or what standards are being measured. The OCCT exams are beyond our control so why are we allowing it to determine our attitudes? Continue to teach! Send the message, repeatedly, that our students are going to be successful. Remind them of their eating habits, the necessity of sleep, the importance of test taking strategies, etc... Most importantly, and it should go without saying, keep those high expectations for ALL of your students as well as the consistent procedures that have been in place throughout the year.
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger! How are you going to create a positive impact for our kiddos?
Let's have a great week!
One final note: Please keep Ms. Roland and Dr. Henderson in your thoughts. Ms. Roland is on bed rest and Dr. Henderson received word that she has a malignant tumor in the ear that has been troubling her.
Generic Morning Announcement: Done DAILY, no exceptions!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dAG5eWCok&feature=youtu.be
2014 - 2015 Committees:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3lrYycQKGUiU29FazU0VEVJWjQ/edit?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 5th
February: Kindergarten - March 6th - Canceled due to SNOW!!!!!
March: Kindergarten - April 3rd
April: Third Grade - May 1st
May: Second Grade - May 22nd
*** Oklahoma State Blueprints: ***
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!
March: Kindergarten - April 3rd
April: Third Grade - May 1st
May: Second Grade - May 22nd
*** Oklahoma State Blueprints: ***
Available accommodations for the OCCT:
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:
Melissa Fleming: Let’s help refugees thrive, not just survive - via @TEDTalks
Linda Hill: How to manage for collective creativity - via @TEDTalks
A Roundtable with President Barack Obama: The Cost of Education
Articles Worth Reading:
Thompson: Oklahoma City Makes Top Ten (Suspending Black Secondary Students) - via @drjohnthompson
Cynical School Choice Stunts Ramp Up In Oklahoma -via @okobs
Where Have All The Teachers Gone? - via @nprnews
The Honest-To-Goodness Beginner’s Guide To Twitter For Teachers - via @TeachThought
Stop Waiting for Your Inspiration. Go Find It. - via @WeAreTeachers
Teachers Deserve Better - via @E_Sheninger
A Shift in Perspective on the Role of the Principal
Prescriptive Intervention - via @troymooney
41 Things I Know About Education - via @TonySinanis
5 Common Misconceptions About Bloom’s Taxonomy - via @TeachThought
How Prepared Are They? - via @benjamingilpin
What I’ve been learning about math - via @1223Andrea
How to get kids to read independently - via @washingtonpost
Is AR Killing the Love of Reading? - via @laffinteach
Curiosity Is as Important as Intelligence - via @HarvardBiz
Keep One Unpublishable, Private Journal to Improve Your Writing - via @lifehacker
How language can affect the way we think - via @TEDTalks
For Helicopter Parents That Help Too Much - via @TeachThought
Why the global economy is growing, but CO2 emissions aren’t - via @washingtonpost
Work is Love Made Visible - via @Jennifer_Hogan
Will Higher Teacher Salaries Pay Off? - via @educationweek
Districts Work With Families to Curb Pre-K Absenteeism - via @educationweek
10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking - via @TeachThought
Tips to Engage 21st Century Students - via @medkh9
Empathy - via @TroyMooney
TheJenRoberts Report - via @JenRoberts1
Weekly Look Ahead: Formal observations are open.
Monday March 23, 2015 - After School Tutorials, Normal school day
Tuesday March 24, 2015 - 5 IEP meetings, Normal school day, PAL afterschool, No Faculty Meeting after school UNTIL NEXT WEEK. Grade Level meetings, 3rd through 6th, in classrooms.
Wednesday March 25, 2015 - 1 IEP meeting, Normal school day - ELL Professional Development in the Hayes library. You get $$$$. (We also don't have a faculty meeting this week so you can attend.) Grades due for report cards!
Thursday March 26, 2015 - 1 IEP meeting, After School Tutorials, Normal school day, GROUP AND SPRING PICTURES - NO JEANS, PROFESSIONAL DRESS!
Friday March 27, 2015 - Mr. Ross and Ms. Green to "The Great Conversation" (try saying it in your best announcer voice.) 1 IEP meeting. BLT meeting, postponed to next week because I am at "The Great Conversation"
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