November 18, 2109

Happy Monday!

There is one more week until a very well deserved break.  Thank you for all that you do!  I shared this quote with our families in the family blog:

"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse." - Henry Van Dyke

I am grateful that I am able to have a feeling of gratitude every day at Thomas Jefferson.  I know that I do not share my thankfulness for each and every one of you enough but know that I value you all so much!

Please take a moment this week to share your thanksgiving with a colleague.  

- Kirsten

DATA TEAM MEETINGS

are TOMORROW!

*Please note the change in the schedule to support preps. 

The Data Team Meeting Schedule will be as follows:

8:35 - 9:40 -  2nd Grade + Petersen

9:45 - 10:50 - 1st Grade 

10:55 - 12:00 - 3rd Grade

12:00-12:40 - Guest Teacher lunch

12:45 - 1:50 - Kindergarten + Vose

1:55 - 3:00 -4/5 Grades + Lemos 

Please copy and complete the Data Team Meeting Form that is attached to the agenda. These can be found in your grade level Shared MTSS Folder within the Data Team Meeting Folder. Today's (November 18, 2019), PLC time is a perfect time to decide on the Essential Standard and complete this work.

Data that could be used are our iReady Data, District Phonic and other data that is informing your identified essential Standard.

Please note that ALL RSP sessions on this day will be canceled so that Rolly can be in attendance for grade level DTM meetings as he serves all grade levels. 

You can see a sample of the agenda HERE.

I am looking forward to meeting with you and engaging in collaborative conversations about interventions about our next steps in supporting all students.

Please have the form completed and prepared to talk about your last cycle intervention and next steps and needs.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOCUS

If you have not completed the form about the PD focus for the year please do so by the end of the day today.

I am proposing that we focus on one of the three topics below:

• Social-Emotional Learning/Trauma-Informed Care - A deep look into Second Step and the responsive practices to meet the needs of our students
• 
  
• The continuum of writers workshop/Crossgrade level articulation about expectations in writing and the essential standards - A deeper understanding of Writer's Workshop through the lens of the grade-level continuum, expectations, assessments and the ritual and routines of genres.  
• Cross grade-level work on assessment and the expectations and essential standards in Benchmark - Assessment Protocols - Benchmark and the Essential Standards

  This information will help guide final edits on the SPSA. The link to the form is below:

PD FOCUS FORM

KINDNESS PBIS BOOSTER

The Kindness Booster ends this week!  Please focus on acts of kindness and acknowledge students who are demonstrating kindness to one another, the classroom, the school site and to staff.  This a great way to end our long stretch with a celebration at the end of the day on Friday.  Details about the recess time will be shared at the staff meeting

Staff Meeting

There will be a staff meeting on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. The agenda will include an update on the SAM forms and process, PLC work and future PD Focus and Nuts and Bolts.

GATE TESTING INFORMATION

Please share this with your families if you are a 2nd-5th-grade teacher.

The 2020-2021 school year GATE identification test will be administered at the District Office for students currently in 2nd – 7th grade.  The students will take the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, OLSAT, that tests abstract thinking and reasoning ability.  Students must attend one of the testing dates on the OLSAT Parent Permission Form in order to complete the testing by the district.  The Parent Permission Forms are on our district website @ www.rcsdk8.org Click on the Main Menu and then under Programs – Gifted and Talented Education.  All forms must be returned to the District Office by December 20, 2019 if you would like your student tested. There are no exceptions as materials are ordered based on the number of returned forms. Make sure you check the RCSD website for more information regarding GATE services and testing.