Announcements December 20

Wink's Words

When we come back from break, we will have had a great time with our family and friends.  I sincerely hope that you get lots of rest during the break.  I enjoy the break because the down-time helps get my creative side going.  By disconnecting from the hustle, we can reconnect with our inner self.  I hope that you will "disconnect" and reconnect with your self as well as your family.

Lunch Tomorrow

Papacita's will be served in the library during your normal lunch time.  We have volunteers to cover students for recess so you can have a 45 minute lunch.  See you then!

Friday Party Instructions & Checking Out Kids

The parties are set, and here are some last minute instructions for homeroom teachers.

• First, when students are checked out by their parents, they will need you to complete the check out ticket that is place in your box.  Fill in the student's name, your name and date.  The parent will have to deliver the ticket to the front in order to check their child out from school.  
• Second, if you have concerns or issues, please contact your AP.  They will be moving about your hall during your party.
• Third, build those relationships.  The partnership between the home and school has a huge impact on the trajectory of student improvement.

Parent Night - Tuesday, January 14 (Mark your Calendar)

From 6:00 - 7:30, we will have our second parent night of the year.  Our specials teachers will have presentations of student work and music concerts to show what the kids learned in specials during the 2nd 9 weeks.  

All classroom teachers will need to plan to have a 20-30 minute meeting with parents to show them what all students will need to do in the spring semester leading up to spring break.  This will be a great time to explain some of the following things:

• Reading behaviors needed for our reading  levels, 
• The importance of fluency, 
• Writing expectations and stages of writing,
• Math skills and problem-solving
• STAAR test information
• How parents can stay involved in their child's education.

Please meet with your grade level and make a plan of what every parent in your grade level needs to know in the spring semester.  We will have another meetings with parents during Texas Public School Week (March) to help parents learn what kids need to do to be prepared for the next grade.

Upcoming Events

Date	Event	Information
Mon, Dec 16	Staff Christmas Gift drawing	There will be staff names drawn throughout the day to receive a Christmas gift.
Tue, Dec 17	Polar Express Day	There will be Hot Chocolate for all staff in the Staff Development Room.
Wed, Dec 18	Spa Day	Free Spa treatments will be available in the Staff Development room during your conference time.   There will also be spa products available for purchase during this time.
Thu, Dec 19	Buckeye Book Club	Ms. Hooton, Mrs. Henry, and Ms. Scott’s classes, boys only, will meet in the Library from 4:00-5:15.
	Christmas Luncheon	Your Principal’s will be providing lunch for all staff.  Lunch will be served in the Library.
Fri, Dec 20	Class Christmas Parties	PK & 2nd party time is 11:30-12:15 1st & 3rd party time is  12:15-1:00 K & 4th   party time is  1:00-1:45
	6th Grade Jazz Band and Flute Choir performance	3rd and 4th graders will enjoy a performance by the 6th Jazz Band and Flute Choir in the gym at 10:45.
Mon, Dec 23- Fri, Jan 3	Christmas Break	Have a wonderful Christmas! School resumes Monday, January 6, 2014
Mon, Jan 6	School  Resumes
Tue, Jan 7	Leadership Meeting	The Leadership Team will meet in the Staff Development room from  4:00-5:00 p.m.
Thu, Jan 9	Buckeye Book Club	Ms. Hooton, Mrs. Henry, and Ms. Scott’s classes, boys only, will meet in the Library from 4:00-5:15.
	College Day Progress Reports	Staff may wear jeans with their college attire. Send progress reports home for all classes.
Mon, Jan 13	Solution Team	Solution Teams will meet on this day from 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Tue, Jan 14	3rd and 4th grade Formative Math Assessment Parent Night	3rd and 4th grade will have their Formative   Math Assessments on this day. We will have a parent night from 6:00 - 7:30.  Please read above for details.
Wed, Jan 15	3rd and 4th grade Formative Reading Assessment	3rd and 4th grade will have their Formative   Reading Assessments on this day.
Thu, Jan 16	Early Release & Staff Development	Students will be released at 12:30 on this day.  Staff will work a full day.
	3rd 9 weeks Assessments due to your AP
	College Day	Staff may wear jeans with their college attire.
Fri, Jan 17	Early Release & Work Day	Students will be released at 12:30 on this day.  Staff will work a full day. All grades, incomplete grades and new student grades must be ready to submit before you can leave.
Mon, Jan 20	Martin Luther King Day	No School. Grades are due to be submitted by Tuesday, January 21st at 10:00 a.m.

The Heart of our Work

Coming back from break is all about recommitting to the Heart of our Work.  The New Year's Resolution for our campus will be centered around Discipline and Accountability.  Discipline is not about behavior.  It is about ensuring that we are committed to the most important behaviors that help us ensure that every kid learns.  Discipline is also about not allowing other activities to replace our most critical actions.  Accountability is about holding one another accountable to these most important actions.  We must monitor ourselves and one another and be critical friends if we are starting to slip.  Here are the things that we said we would commit to every day in every class.

·         Reading & Writing in every classroom everyday

o   Independent Reading is the key to improving reading levels, fluency, etc.  

Are our students engaged with text throughout the day?

o   Journaling and reader’s response daily. 

 Are our students writing meaningful works every day in every class?

o   Blogging – Library Blog:  Writing reviews on books. 

 Are our students writing book reviews and are we promoting their work?

·         Small Group with the Teacher

o   Reading and Math everyday

o   Anecdotal records required.

How effective are we at meeting the needs of kids at the table?

·         Portfolios

o   Every student must have samples of quality student work in their portfolio.

o   Administrators & interventionists will use these to gauge student potential & instructional impact.

o   Portfolios must be stored in the portfolio cart. (Black Cart with hanging files)

o   Must be used with parents in conferences.

·         Science & Social Studies everyday

o   Must be explicitly taught.

o   Must also be integrated into our instruction.

o   Stations with SS & Science activities for students to apply their learning.

o   Students should apply their reading, writing and math to the science & social studies content.

·         Flexibility

o   Teachers must use their professional judgment to determine how best to meet the needs of their kids.

o   Have a schedule posted, but student learning or lack thereof will require you to make adjustments to meet their needs.

·         Response to Instruction

o   Instruction cannot be deemed effective unless we know if kids are learning.

o   We must know daily if kids are learning and respond immediately.

How much time are we working together to help one another respond to struggling kids?

Celebrate our Growth

Mr. Wink says...
Thank you to Olivia Secord and Mary Cargil for organizing the plan to have a drawing for our staff to receive presents yesterday.  What a great celebration and listening to the drawing throughout the day made a special gift to our staff.  Celebration is best when it comes from all staff members.

Thank you to our Grade Level Facilitators for doing such a great job this fall.  All of our teams are growing and learning and that is because of the leadership of these great teacher leaders.  Thank you, ladies.

Mrs. Barnes says.....
It is bittersweet that we have to say goodbye to Lisa Becerra and Megan Wellborn. These two ladies will be leaving us at the Christmas break which makes me very sad. I wish them success in their new positions and want them to remember we are here if they need us.

I would like for everyone to welcome two new staff members to our family.  Tabitha Lair and Leesa Vineyard are our two new first grade teachers.  They are here this week and will begin their adventures with their new class on Jan. 6, 2014.  Take a minute to welcome these ladies and let them know how happy we are they are here.

The Christmas Sweater competition was nothing less than great.  Thank you special teachers for your creativitiy and efforts in showing Gilmer Elementary what real Christmas dress should look like.  Katie Smith and Lacy Moore even got Spike to join in the fun.  If only he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Mrs. Treadway says. . . . 

I know we have thanked Robyn Fort many times, but I don't think there can ever be too many words of gratitude for the wonderful job she does for us and our kids. She deals with our most challenging students on a daily basis and she keeps coming back! 

I appreciate the many things our teachers do for our students that go above and beyond their normal roles and responsibilities!!! You are truly in this profession because you love kids and you want to make a lasting difference in their lives! I am honored to work with each of you and to have you as my school family.

Mrs. Traylor says.....

Preparing for a substitute to be effective for kids is time consuming and takes lots of planning. Thank you to Kate Collie for having everything your sub needs to be successful while you were out. The sub was able to continue the day almost as if Kate were here. It was such a success that the substitute even commented to me on how respectful and hardworking the kids had been. Those are words any teacher loves coming back to hear.

There is not enough room in the blog to write all the things that Oliva Secord does behind the scenes to help keep things rolling in the office. Thank you Olivia for always pitching in and doing things to make the office run smoother.