Week 25

Welcome to March...

Spring is on the horizon...I can hardly wait!  I am really looking forward We are entering into a very intense time of the year with upcoming report cards, parent teacher conferences, testing, etc.  As such we need to go back to revisit a few housekeeping issues that we need to address:

Staff Attendance   (Per the Staff Handbook):  It is my intention to provide you with your total absence number this coming week, so that you can monitor your attendance.  Also, going forward, we MUST put our absences in Frontline/Aesop.  There is a form in the main office to provide you support to do this.  Also, I am going to ask that you start to request a sub when you are going to be out for Planned and/or Unplanned.

Please be mindful of your attendance for the school year. It directly reflects your end of the year evaluation under professionalism. Remember, if you exceed 4 absences in a school year, the following disciplinary action may follow:

• 5 absences-documented verbal warning
• 6 absences-written warning
• 7 absences-final written warning
• 8 absences-termination considered

Arrival/Dismissal:

There are two options for Arrival...either 7:30 am or 7:45 am.  If you choose the 7:45 option, you need to let me know.  If you begin your day at 7:30 am, you are able to leave at 4:00 pm.  If you begin your day at 7:45, then your day ends at 4:15 pm.  I am asking that you please adhere to the times that you choose.

Also, we are asking that if Driveline runs long, due to the number of cars, please do not leave dismissal until Driveline closes.  This becomes a safety issue when we have children outside with minimal supervision.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Classroom teachers are beginning to schedule their conferences.  Please touch base with your classroom teachers to determine if there are conferences that they would like you to sit in on.

Report Cards

Report Cards are scheduled to go home on Friday, March 6.  Special Education Staff, you need to have your Progress Reports completed to accompany Report Cards and these are due to me by Wednesday, March 4th.  I will pass them on to the classroom teachers.  Special Teachers...please make sure your grades are in the grade book by Wednesday, March 4th.  

The 3rd Trimester begins on Monday, March 9th.

Vertical Team Meeting

On Wednesday, March 11th, instead of our normal wing meeting, you will meet with other teachers that teach the same instructional level as you do. Honors teachers will meet together, Proficient teachers will meet together, and novice teachers will meet together. Utilize this time to share strategies, challenges, and solutions. Our goal is to grow and learn from each other. Here are some questions to consider as you prepare for this meeting:

• How do you increase fluency in your students?
• How do you keep your students engaged and excited about writing?
• How do you get reluctant readers to read more?
• In honors classes, how do you compact math or ELA to keep your students ahead of the game?
• How do you run workshop for math? ELA?
• How do you increase student motivation?
• How do you teach test-taking strategies?

Have a great week...

Specials:

• Team Meeting on Thursday. Plan to discuss you plan arc for third trimester.
• Time to start working on Report Cards. Please plan to have your grades input by 3/3 so that they are available when classroom teachers need to print. Report Cards go home on 3/6.
• Trimester 3 begins on 3/9.  

Special Education...

• Time to start working on your Progress Reports.  Please have them to me by 3/3, so that I can distribute them to the teachers.  If you need assistance, please ask...
• Team Meeting 3/3.  Please be prompt.  We will start at 8:40 am.
• Child Study - 3/12.  This will be the last Child Study where we will have new students going through the process.  

Intervention...

•   Progress Monitoring continues for AIMSWeb
•   Caseloads - make sure that you continue to stay updated 

Important Dates

             March is Reading Month!   It is also "Dress Up"  Mondays....

             3/2 - Hat Day

             3/4 - Staff Meeting 7:30 am; Dean Prep @ Laurus

             3/5 - Blue Ribbon Students Field Trip

             3/6 - Trimester 2 Ends; Report Cards Home