Connections to Students (and Staff!)

As I have reflected on what Dr. Babbit spoke about on Friday, so many things rang true, and made me think of the students we take care of every day.  I thought his message was simple, but not without a sense of responsibility.  What can we do?

I also came across this video this weekend, also with a simple message.  When someone is in need, whether it be a student or a colleague, the best thing we can do is to show empathy - to listen and connect.  Houlton does an amazing job connecting with our students, as indicated by the parent survey and our student perceptions - but I'm asking you to take about 3 minutes to watch this as a continued reminder of the importance of making connections.  Thanks.

Brene Brown: Making Connections (YouTube)

1-25-19 Professional Learning: Priority Standard Alignment to MAP

MAP and January 25th

Staff,
As you are wrapping up your MAP testing, I wanted to give you some reminders about the upcoming January 25th PD day. Our building SMART goal and your SLOs have an increased emphasis on using MAP data as some of our targets. The rationale for this shift is it's more predictive of students being college and career ready. Below is our overall district SMART goal and the two Houlton targets using the MAP.

District SMART Goal:  By the end of 2020-2021, 70% of elementary students will score proficient/advanced on the Forward Exam in ELA (92%ile of WI schools based on 2016-17 Forward Exam Data).  

Houlton MAP Growth Target for Spring 2019:  70% of 1st-5th grade students will meet their spring to spring growth target.

Houlton MAP Achievement Target Spring 2019:  68% of K-2nd grade students will meet the college and career benchmark (scored at the 61st percentile or above on the Spring Reading MAP).

After the mental health training on January 25th, you'll have time to continue your work connecting the priority standards within the ELA curriculum maps with the concepts and skills in NWEA MAP continuum to plan whole group mini lessons or guided reading. Your focus will be on the months of February and March. You will need:

• a device to access reports if you want to take a look at from NWEA; we will be providing K-5 teachers a hard copy of their winter class breakdown by goal and 2nd-5th grade teachers the winter class breakdown by projected proficiency. 
• your ELA curriculum map if you have your own notes on them; each teacher will get a hard copy of the learning continuum document and a copy of their grade level ELA curriculum map. 

 This time is meant to support teachers' mid year SLO, aligned with our SMARTgoal and also anchored to the standards, within our core ELA curriculum, that we've prioritized. Here's a link below is the full day schedule for January 25th:  Jan 25th Schedule for Staff

Finally here are the two video tutorials that were created to support teachers in the alignment process - connecting our Priority Standards from the ELA Curriculum Guide to the NWEA MAP continuum. These will be shown on the 25th, but I wanted to share them with you ahead of time if you want to preview them.  

• Primary Example
• Intermediate Example

Please let me know if you have any questions - I'm looking forward to a great day of learning!
Sue

• 
  

Safe Learning Environment

Students need structure to give them the message 

that the classroom is a safe, 

predictable place where learning happens.   

                                                                              -Robrt Marzano

As we watch the Trauma Sensitive School video modules, we are reminded of the things we can do in our school environment to support the social and emotional well-being of our students.  One of the things we can provide is a safe and predictable classroom learning environment.  I'd like to take it a step further and commit to a safe and predictable schoolwide learning environment.

An effort to support this is our Superstar Seekers, who will be watching for exceptional hallway behavior each day this week.  Superstar behavior includes quiet voices, walking feet, and getting to and from efficiently.  Our two Superstar Seekers will be secretly looking for a class following hallway expectations PLUS one staff member who is demonstrating the hallway expectations. The winning classes and staff member each day will get Starbursts for their superstar behavior. Winners will be announced at the end of each day. Here are some resources if you want to remind your classes: Hallway Poster and Hallway Cool Tool.  Our secret seekers will be notified - but to the rest of us, it's a secret!  

The purpose of this is to not only create a safe and predictable learning environment, but also as a PBIS "booster" to remind us to seek and affirm the superstars, wherever they are!

Here's to finding a school full of superstars!
Sue

Planning for January

Upcoming Professional Learning in January

Jan Richardson Training

Jan. 29th: K/3rd Guided Reading PD

Jan. 30th: 1st/4th Guided Reading PD

Jan. 31st:  2nd/5th Guided Reading PD

Assessment Summary for classroom teachers

There is an assessment summary sheet (paper copy) for each guided reading level lesson. If you have the F & P done for your targeted group of students, you will have all the information you need to fill out the assessment summary. It may be helpful to do that with Lori, or with as a PLC as you are ready. Filling it out is not hard, just may be helpful to do with someone else.  Please check with Sue or Lori if you have any questions.

Please bring the following information from 1 group:

1. Lesson Plans
2. Running Records/Micro Records
3. Assessment Summary Sheet
4. Lesson/Records folder (or however you organize these materials)
5. Any notes or reflections

January 25th - Professional Learning

Trauma Sensitive Schools - Training (8:00-10:00)

HHS Auditorium, speaker Dr. Babbit, to include all elementary staff

Elementary Common Messages (10:00-10:10)

HHS Auditorium, Teaching and Learning, to include K-5 teachers, reading specialists, and special ed

Correlation of Priority Standards and NWEA MAP Assessment Data (10:30-12:00)

Hudson Prairie, to include K-5 teachers, reading specialists, special ed

You will be asked to bring a device, winter data (printed for you), and your ELA curriculum guide (if you have a hard copy)

Goals:

• Increased understanding of ELA Priority Standards for February/March
• Correlation between Priority Standards/ELA curriculum guide to NWEA MAP continuum to plan whole group mini lesson, with options for small groups/guided reading
• Robust conversations and planning to meet the needs of students related to the Priority Standards

Lunch/Work Time (12:00-4:00)