Focus on the Fabulous
PLC Time
I want to take this opportunity to recognize our top notch staff! The level of commitment and dedication that I see from our teachers impresses me time and time again. On Wednesday we had our last PLC for the year. During this time two of our staff members, Russ Braiden and Lee Flood, did presentations on how they are administering DFAs in their classes using online programs that provide immediate feedback. It was great to see staff members sharing their knowledge to help the rest of us be more effective in what we do and reinforcing our core belief that quality planning, instruction, and assessments lead to increased academic achievement for our students. I am reminded that I am fortunate to work with this great group of people. The second half of the PLC we spent time comparing our current curriculum with the CDE curriculums. There were great conversations as the staff analyzed the pros and cons of both and worked together to decide upon which curriculum will be most beneficial for our students and the work we do. Again, I was impressed with the level of conversations that took place and the attitudes teachers are approaching this transition with.
At the Board meeting Tuesday evening, a number of the middle school students presented to discuss the work they have accomplished during the year in various activities and clubs. It was great to hear about all the exciting things that are going on at the middle school. Thanks to all the class and activity sponsors that have worked hard to support our kiddos. With our support all kids can achieve at high levels and be successful in life.
At the Board meeting Tuesday evening, a number of the middle school students presented to discuss the work they have accomplished during the year in various activities and clubs. It was great to hear about all the exciting things that are going on at the middle school. Thanks to all the class and activity sponsors that have worked hard to support our kiddos. With our support all kids can achieve at high levels and be successful in life.
Teacher Feature with Ms. Banning
Sixth Grade Targeted Instruction in Reading
The 6th Grade TI reading classes are celebrating National Poetry Month by concentrating on poetry. The students are selecting poetry books to read and evaluate. In class, we are reading; Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech. This is a poetry journal written by a young man named Jack. We have also looked at poems by William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, and many more. It is a great month to study poetry!
The 6th Grade TI reading classes are celebrating National Poetry Month by concentrating on poetry. The students are selecting poetry books to read and evaluate. In class, we are reading; Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech. This is a poetry journal written by a young man named Jack. We have also looked at poems by William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, and many more. It is a great month to study poetry!
Rewind
Monday morning we met first thing to discuss next year’s schedules. Mr. Welsh, Mr. Jones, Marsha and I reviewed student numbers, class sizes and teaching schedules to prepare for next year. I had the chance to review lesson plans and also attended several RTIs on Monday. Tuesday I got into some classrooms, prepared for the DAC presentation and attended the ICAP training, the monthly DAC, and the BOE meeting. Wednesday, thanks once again to Katrina’s hard work, our kids had the opportunity to participate in ICAP activities. Mr. Jones and I met to review next year’s schedule and calendar and revised the schedule to ensure that we will be meeting the state requirements regarding seat time. We also prepared for the upcoming NWEA testing. That afternoon we had our staff PLC. Thursday I was able to get into quite a few classrooms. At noon, I met with the District Leadership Team to review our Unified Improvement Plan and make changes to improve our focus. Thursday afternoon, we hosted Centauri in our first baseball game of the season. Our boys looked great and chalked up their first win of the season. Friday was College Day and students and staff were sporting their college gear! Since the Del Norte track meet was cancelled, I was able to spend some time working on athletic issues, tracking baseball results, and making preparations for our upcoming track meet. I was able to drop into a couple more classrooms as well. The kids had the opportunity to listen to Gabe Salazar present. I heard great feedback on this presentation. Thanks to Katrina for making this possible.
Forward Focus
Monday morning we will hit the ground running with our first round of NWEA, testing on reading and science. Keep your fingers crossed that the internet is working and things run smoothly. In the afternoon I will be conducting walk throughs. Tuesday afternoon our middle school baseball team will be playing Monte Vista at home and on Thursday they will play in Del Norte. Wednesday our band students will be competing in the Solo and Ensemble Festival at Adams State. Good luck musicians! Thursday we will hold our second session of NWEA testing. Kids will be taking the math and language usage assessments. Deb from PEBC will be here and we hope to get some walk throughs done in the afternoon. Friday I will be at Sangre de Cristo for the track meet.