ENews 12.01.2014

Monday 

• 8:30am - Jacobs to Digital Leadership Training
• 3:30pm - Campus Leadership Team (CLT) Meeting - Jacobs, Bright, Powley, Worley, Green, Taylor, Padgett, Pogue, Jones, Chaney, Garcia

Tuesday

• 9:30-12:30 - Jacobs to Principal Meeting

Wednesday - Pictures with Santa

• 8:30 - Bright to iStation Training
• 3:30pm - Elementary Curriculum Advisory Mtg @ Admin
• 3:30pm - STAT Meeting
• 5:00pm - Chickfila Spirit Night 

Thursday - Valerie James on Campus

• 8:55 - ARD (Jacobs, Worley, 3rd Grade Teachers)
• 3:15 - 3rd Grade "Meet the Teacher" - Jones, Chaney, Reynolds

Friday - Santa's Workshop Begins Next Week

• 8:00am - Guided Reading Training -Padgett, Martinez, Jones, Northcutt, Reynolds, Soto, Williams, Green, V. Taylor
• 8:30am - Powley - Counselor Training
• 6:00pm - Fate Christmas Tree Lighting - Honor Choir Performing!

Early Reading Resources from TCEA's TechNotes

Research says that to help beginning readers develop a love of reading, it's important to offer a wide variety and number of books that will interest every child. But this can be difficult, especially if you're on a tight budget. Here are a few great free online resources for books for young readers.

Kindergarten teacher Matt B. Gomez has provided a wonderful Symbaloo of 50 free online early readers with audio and has promised to provide 50 more in the future. These also work well on most mobile devices, too.

Storyline Online offers wonderful beginning books read by Screen Actors Guide members. These videos are beautifully done and can be watched over and over again.

Watch children's author and illustrators read their own books in the Storytime Reading Room. There are many books available free. In addition, with payment for individual books or a subscription, students can even record themselves reading a book.

This website is packed full of great audio books for kids.

And don't forget about YouTube. A search for "elementary books read aloud" brings up hundreds of wonderful videos perfect for beginning readers, and all free. If you're worried about the ads and related content that might appear when watching a YouTube video, just paste the URL into ViewPure and it will strip out the ads, comments, and other distractions.

Lead4Ward Video - Word Play
Here's a short video that was shared with me about engaging learners with academic vocabulary. It's also great for ELL learners. Take a look at the video here.

Staff Meeting Next Monday, December 8th @ 3:30pm - All staff members please make arrangements to attend this meeting. Kenny Kaye Hudson will be sharing some additional information about the Texas Accountability & Interventions System (TAIS) process. We'll also examine the strategies we must focus on this next quarter as a campus.

Also, be sure to watch the Homework Assignment Video Kenny Kaye shared with us about implementing and monitoring school improvement plans. Here's is the link from the website.

Reading Instruction
Guided Reading books have been organized in the 4th Grade pod by reading level. Teachers will develop groups based on student's instructional reading level. Reading groups will meet daily. Lower level readers will meet every day while higher level readers will meet at least 2x per week.

Accelerated Reader (AR) Update - Students should be at 33% of their goal by this Friday. If you notice someone who really needs help, please let me know. We will continue to monitor and encourage students to make weekly targets and a comprehension score of at least 80%. Nita Green is meeting with our targeted 3rd and 4th grade student to ensure they have a book on their reading level each day.

Students should be asked to take home a book every night and read for 20 minutes. Be sure to communicate with parents about their child's AR point goal and their progress toward reaching that goal. Jamie Garcia has developed a document that could be easily used by classroom teachers to update parents each week. It will be coming to you this week.

Mathematics
1st & 2nd Grade - Lone Star Daily Rigor is being used with students each week.
3rd & 4th Grade - Math GPS is being used to help students weekly. Teachers should be on week 16-20 this coming week. We must maintain this pace in order to finished by testing time.

Texas Early Math Inventory (TEMI) for Grades K-1 - students must be assessed with this instrument BOY, MOY, and EOY. Once students are screened, teachers should implement the recommend lessons from the program.

iStation Math for Grades 2-4 - students must be assessed with this instrument BOY, MOY, and EOY. Once students are screened, teachers should implement the recommend lessons from the program.

Think Through Math (TTM) for Grade 3-4 - Teachers please ensure that all students have been assessed for TTM. Letters have been sent home during the first report card to parents. Remember that there's an app for TTM and it can be used on the iPad.

Professional Development - Guided Reading training is coming to Royse City on December 5th with Vicki Reynolds. 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grade ELAR teachers needing Guiding Reading training will be attending this day.

Remember Valerie James is available for demonstration lessons so be sure to ask her to visit your classroom for additional support as needed. Each week, you're working with Valerie to determine words students must know to be successful. These words are colored by strand and should be posted on the word wall. Be sure to review them frequently with your students. Dr. Bright and I will be looking for these during our classroom observations and walkthroughs.

Kristen Weichel is working with ELAR teachers in 3rd & 4th Grades. She studies the unit IFDs and Assessments to bring materials and ideas for teachers to use during ELAR instructional time. She will also provide support for Guided Reading and is available to conduct demonstration lessons.

Grades – Please make sure you are updating grades on Parent Portal on a weekly basis. This gives parents and students the opportunity to become aware of a missing assignments.