Hello everyone,Raise your hand if you're exhausted.
What a week. Starting on Monday is hard.
All in all, though, I'd rate this week pretty highly; it could have been a lot more complicated than it was... but it wasn't. From my perspective most things went pretty much okay from day-one... intake, dismissal, transportation, lunches, recesses, enrollments, classes, behaviors, staff... just about all of it fell into place pretty smoothly from the moment we opened our doors on Monday morning... thanks to all of you! I really appreciate your tenacity, commitment-to-the-cause, and willingness to go with the flow. Because of you, we're through our first week with but a few minor ripples. Thanks!
Sign-ups, duties, pledges, and paperwork
Thanks, as well, for signing-up for committees. I am still in the process of going through all the lists and sending emails to each committee encouraging the membership to establish a time for a first-meeting. I'd hoped to have that done by this point in the week, but it's going to have to wait another day or so. Thanks for your patience.
Otherwise, I've got everyone's HQ and Professional Expectations forms back. Thanks! Still waiting for a few of you to enter your Emergency Contact info and your Classroom Management plans.
Thanks, also, for getting your recess schedules to me as soon as possible.
Next week, please remember to have your parents and students complete a School Compact form. Open House (Thursday, 22 Aug.) is a great time to get some of these done. Don't forget: you need to sign them too. Please bind them together with a paperclip when you've got them all done and drop them in the basket next to my office door. Thanks.
I'm sorry if my 8:15 morning reminders have bothered some of you. It was not my intent to call you out for not being on duty, but rather it was my hope merely to remind you of it. Thanks for being attentive to these important responsibilities.
TPEC Rubric Meetings
As our first somewhat informal CT meetings next week, we'll get together as teams without the RTI Specialists (they're baseline testing) in the Science Lab to discuss the new TPEC rubric and the Science Lab schedule. Our teams will meet on the following dates and times:
- Tuesday, 20 Aug.
- 9:10 Fourth Grade
- Wednesday, 21 Aug.
- 1:05 Second Grade
- 3:45 Fifth Grade
- Thursday, 22 Aug.
- 9:10 Third Grade
- 10:10 SEI
- 1:05 First Grade
- Friday, 23 Aug
- 1:00 Kinder
- 2:00 Specials
Big Brothers / Big Sisters
Laurel Clossey, BBBS Program Coordinator writes:
"Greetings Marshall Staff and Faculty! We are excited to be partnering with Marshall Elementary School once again for our School-Based Mentoring Program through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff.
Our program mission is “To foster positive youth development by providing weekly support within the school environment through one-to-one relationships with adult mentors” Students in 1st through 5th grades are matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister with similar personality and interests. This is a friend and positive role model that can share communication, help with homework, build self-esteem, have fun, and enjoy new experiences together. Child safety has always been our agencies number one priority for many years.
The School-Based Mentoring group at Marshall school meets once a week for two hours. Every Monday 3:20-5:20pm, beginning on September 9th. We have a staff-person that is a facilitator at each mentoring session who chooses an activity and helps the matches. There are group arts and crafts or sports activities, and always one-on-one time for “Littles” and “Bigs” to connect and grow their friendship. Students come to us mainly by teacher or counselor referrals. These referral forms are simple and will be found in the Big Brother Big Sister box in the mailroom at Marshall. I will pick any referral, contact the parent/guardian and conduct a parent interview as well as a child interview and work on finding a “Big,” or a Mentor for the child that will be a great fit together.
We are looking for kids referred to the program that may have different needs not being met at home or school, or who have different risk factors. Also students who will have fairly steady attendance for the program, whose family is supportive of their child getting a mentor, and who have a genuine interest in the program. We do not match children that do not want a Big Brother or Big Sister.
Please take a moment to refer any students you may have that could use a special mentor. Also, feel free to contact me with any additional questions, ideas, or concerns!
Sincerely, Laurel Clohessy School-Based Mentoring Program Coordinator –Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff"
Open House Night
We're on this Thursday evening, 22 August, for our annual Open House Night. Here's the schedule:
5:00 -- Doors open; flyers will be distributed at the door; folks will sign-in, visit classrooms, and sign up for PTO and Councils in the entryway
5:10 -- Announcement: "Parents, please join us in the Gym for a quick 15-minute informational meeting about Marshall School. You have an opportunity to attend this meeting now or at 6:00."
5:15-5:30 -- I will welcome them and give a quick run-down of a few things including pick-up, drop-off, parking, Tax Credit, and Title 1.
5:30 --Parents dismissed from Gym; folks will visit classrooms.
6:00 -- Announcement: "Announcement: "Parents, please join us in the Gym for a quick 15-minute informational meeting about Marshall School now."
6:00-6:15 -- will welcome them and give a quick run-down of a few things including pick-up, drop-off, parking, Tax Credit, and Title 1.
6:15 -- Parents dismissed from Gym.
6:15-7:00 -- Folks will visit classrooms
7:00 -- Announcement: "Thanks for coming to our Open House this evening. We hope you had a great time and that we see you back at Marshall on a regular basis. Don't forget to visit us online to keep up with all that's going on around here. You'll find us on Facebook or at marshallelementary.blogspot.com. Good night."
Morning Math
After you've completed your Pledge Of Allegiance and Moment Of Silence each morning, please commit to dedicating the time-period from 8:45 until about 9:15 to Morning Math. As I've visited your classrooms this week I've observed several teachers already beginning to build this time as a routine. Thanks! I am confident that this additional commitment to teaching discrete math skills and problem solving strategies will be of great benefit to our students.
We are in the process of ordering support materials for Math review at each grade level. Likewise, it's recommended that you look at the Problem Of The Day components of your Envision Math materials as a resource for this morning time. Rocket Math materials are also a great review/reinforcement and these resources have already been copied and filed for your use in the Teacher Workroom.
As you're teaching Math, whether in your daily Math-block time or during Morning Math, remember to focus on the Common Core State Standards For Mathematical Practice:
Calendar
- Monday, 19 Aug.
- AIMSWEB Baseline testing begins (all week)
- Coe at Admin, 1:00-4:00 -- Reasor has the helm
- Tuesday, 20 Aug.
- PBS Committee meeting, 8:15 in the Library
- Wednesday, 21 Aug.
- Coe at Elementary Admin, 7:30-11:00
- Friday, 23 Aug.
- Faculty Meeting (Title 1 and TPEC), 1:30-2:15
