Week of February 1st - February 5th

"I want to have life giving conversations, not life sucking ones, even when they are hard ones to
have,"  Lisa Landy.

Lisa's thoughts struck a cord with me on Friday. So did the reminder to think about my own 'elevator speech'.  One of my favorite quotes came to mind: Be true to the best you know. I have this stamped into a bracelet.  It is a reminder to me that I have lots (LOTS) left to learn, but my responsibility (to myself) is to do the things I know to be helpful and good (though not always easy) and to remain hopeful, faithful, and loving. And to have grace for myself and others as we keep growing.

What you considered for your 'professional elevator speech?  I would love to hear it.  Even if you don't share it with anyone, find a place to put it to remind yourself.  Your heart reasons for being an educator will sustain you on days when school isn't easy.

Thank you for all you do for our kids at Jefferson!

Angie

MCOMP
This is the week for the MCOMP (A few of you may have completed these this week and that's fine).  Please load scores for all students in the spreadsheet on the common drive and then turn your hard copies in to Anne in the office.  These need to be turned into the office by Monday Morning, Feb,  8th.

Dads and Donuts
Dads and Donuts will be this Friday, February 4th.  It starts at 7:30AM.  Please join us in the gym for a donut!  This is such a great time to build relationships with parents.  Also, please have the students get books out and ready to read to their dads.  Thank you for all of these extra things that you do!  They make a big difference!

Heads Up on the Calendar
Monday, February 15th is a day off for all staff.  A 3 Day weekend!
Monday, February 22nd is a professional development/work day for staff.  No students or paras. Schedule to come soon.  Plan on about 2 1/2 hours of PD in your teams and the rest of the day to work on report cards or as you see fit.

Dual Immersion Trips
Please let me know if your team does not have a date to visit Rigby approved yet.

New Playground?
It could be as easy as getting lots of votes!  Please go to this link, put in our zip code 83338 and select Jefferson.  I also encourage you to share this link with families, friends and on social media.  Who knows!  Maybe we could add an extra playground area to Jefferson too!

Defining Phonemic Awareness
This is a great little article on phonemic awareness that might help if you need to share information or ideas with parents.

Fun and Engaging Ideas for Sight Word Practice
Your kids are becoming readers!  There is amazing growth happening at Jefferson.  As we continue to move forward, I thought you might like a few more ideas to keep the energy up for sight word practice.  If you have another idea, please share it!!

Thought for the Day from the Daily 5 "Sisters"
Blog post on perspective

The Leader in Me and Disney
Thoughts on how the popular song "Let it Go!" applies to effective teaching. :-)

Upcoming Events
Feb. 2nd - Data Team Meetings (all day)
Feb. 2nd - Delta Dental - Last Day
Feb. 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th  - MTSS
Feb. 9th, 16th, 23th - BLT
Feb. 15th - No School
Feb. 19th - Blue Jean Friday
Feb. 19th - PTO - Jefferson Gives - Crazy Hair Day
Feb. 22nd - Teacher PD/Work Day

To Do List
Please turn in your nominations for the Idaho Theater for Youth Workshops.

Week of January 25th - January 29th

This weekend I saw The Martian with Bill.  Wow!  I was just so amazed at the tenacity and ingenuity of the human spirit.  It really struck me how important it is to decide to try and put forth effort even in the face of disappointment and adversity.  The true measure of our character is whether or not we will try and apply what we know when the going gets tough.  I was very inspired by the movie and keep thinking of the ways in which Matt Damon's character was proactive, put first things first, and chose to synergize when it would have been so easy to give up.   It inspired me and made me very reflective of spots in my life and work where I can do the same. A good movie or book will do that!

The Importance of Read Alouds
Speaking of good books, here is a great (and short) article about the need for read alouds with suggestions by grade level.  I recommend having a look.

IRI
The IRI Schedule is being emailed out to you, but I'm hoping you've already caught a glimpse through your BLT members.  Please be as flexible as possible.  The team will try to stick to the schedule, but they are also short on spaces because Delta Dental is using our conference room.

MCOMP, CORE Phonics, Sight Words, and Star Reading/Early Literacy
Please make a plan with your grade level team to administer these assessments.  MCOMPS will need to be administered whole class and recorded on the spreadsheet provided in the shared drive.  SPED students will also need to be tested, but you can coordinate this with Chelsey and Val to share their data.  Please just ensure that it is uploaded to your spreadsheet for the database and reports.  Misty should be able to help you with the Star assessments during computer lab time if you choose.  CORE Phonics and sight words should be updated on those student who are not scoring a three so that we can adjust their goals mid-year.  Thanks!  This data is super useful as we help kids become readers!

Adele Parody for Teachers - Snow!
For a Good Laugh!  I think this is how we all feel about recess and cold weather.

Reading Data Board Updates
Please plan for Data Teams next week.  More details to come.

We are Proud of Students!
Please don't forget that we have a spot in the office to hang up student work.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to reflect effort and be something you want students to get extra kudos for.  Emily, Anne and I love having the opportunity to praise students for their hard work.

Appreciations
Do you have an appreciation for a staff member?  Did you notice someone going the extra mile?  Please let me know!  We can add it to the appreciation section of the blog either anonymously or with your name attached.  I would love for that section to become everyones'.

Upcoming Events
Jan. 25th - Jefferson Building Culture Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 27th - Jefferson MTSS Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 26th-28th - Dental Sealant Program
Jan. 29th - Tiger Award Luncheon
Jan. 29th - Teacher Voice Collaboration, JMS

To Do List
Watch for an email about your observation and 'accept.'
Please turn in your nominations for the Idaho Theater for Youth Workshops.

Week of January 18th - January 22th

Life is like a roller coaster.  You can either scream every time there is a bump or you can throw your hands up and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride it is!  The way that you encourage and support kids and families during conferences is always so great to watch!  I know they are not easy, but what you do is so important for our kids aspirations.  Thank you!

Luckily, we also have some amazing colleagues at our side.  Two of those folks have been Brendalynn Love and Janet Avery.  Both have been instrumental in helping us find the grants, trainings and other opportunities that will help Jefferson continue to become a place where kids are engaged in learning and planning for their futures.  Currently, they are helping is look for opportunities to get more books and resources into classrooms and to train teachers in The Leader in Me, reading/literacy and dual immersion.  I'm always open to hearing your ideas/needs and I know that these ladies will do everything they can to help us find the means.  In the meantime, we are grateful to them for their support in getting the many grants for the walking path.  That's synergy!

Supporting Students Who Have Experienced Trauma
This is a quick article with some very practical ideas for supporting students who have experienced trauma and likely have behavior issues.  (Note: The last one is sharpening the saw for staff. :-)


Habit #5 - Seek to Understand is this week!
Please spend a little time visiting with your students or reading to them about this habit.

IRI/MCOP Testing Soon
Testing will begin a week from Monday, on January 25th.  Watch for a schedule and more details to come.  The MCOMP will be administered schoolwide and reported the week after that.

PBS Kids Writing Contest
Information about the PBS Kids Writers Contest has been put in your box.  This is a great opportunity.  There is no obligation to do this with your class, but I encourage you consider participating if it fits your current writing objectives.

Responsive Classroom

Looking for ideas that incorporate classroom management, relationship/community building and academic strategies?  Check out "Responsive Classroom" on Pinterest.  There are a ton of great ideas for new teachers and fresh tools for experienced staff.

Reading Bulletin Boards/Staff Meeting
We will use most of our staff meeting time on Thursday to update our reading bulletin boards. Please let me know if you need anything.

Barnes and Noble - Share the Love
If you were part of the group that helped at Barnes and Noble in December, please send me your name.  We have received what we earned and would like to get it equally split so that you can start buying books for your classroom!

BoxTop Winners
Lisa and Mary!  This was for the last two weeks.  Don't let me forget I own you a chips and salsa card!

Laminator Issues
We think that part of the laminator issues are stemming from the use of the "teeth" on the machines that are there to rip the lamination off of the machine.  Please use scissors instead.  The "teeth" seem to curl the film and make it prone to rolling under and onto the other rolls.  Also, if you have a 'grandma' or volunteer laminating for you, please have them see Emily for a quick training to ensure that they know the ins and outs of the machines.  They can be expensive to replace and we hope to keep them in good working order.

Spelling Bees
2nd and 3rd Grade will be having their spelling bees on Friday.  The winners of the grade level bees will representing Jefferson at the Times News Spelling Bee later this winter.  We are working on where we will be holding these bees for the grade levels, but we anticipate they will be just for the 2nd and 3rd grade at this time.

Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books is a fun, local competition where small groups of kids read pre-selected books and compete based on what they know.  Winning School Teams will compete in Twin Falls against other local schools.  Emily will be sending information home with students in the next week or so on how they can be involved.  She will facilitate all of the details for classrooms.  Thanks Emily!  More information coming soon.

Bullying Training Online
Currently, District Office Staff are currently working with the company that has the online training modules for bullying, hazing, etc.  If you have taken the courses (send out in August), then you should be good.  If you have not taken the trainings, please do those soon.  I'm glad to help if you have trouble logging on.

Volunteer Appreciation
We are starting to plan ideas to appreciate our volunteers this spring.  If you have seen a great idea, please share it with me.  Also, please send me the names of those folks who volunteer in your room on a regular basis.

Shakespeare - Idaho Theater for Youth
On Feb. 16th at 1:30PM, The Idaho Theater for Youth will be here for an assembly with our kids.  The will be presenting The Shakespeare Stealer, Adapted by Gary L. Blackwood

Based on Gary L. Blackwood’s popular young adult novel of the same name, this rollicking adventure follows the young apprentice “Widge” as he is coerced into attempting to steal the script of Hamlet from Shakespeare’s theater, The Globe. Thwarted in his attempts, “Widge” finds himself joining the company of actors, but will he fulfill his mission to steal the play or be loyal to his new found friends? Filled with comedy, drama and derring-do, The Shakespeare Stealer will take you on an exciting journey to the world of Elizabethan theater.

In addition, they will be staying for an after-school workshop.  This workshop will be by nomination.  Each teacher is asked to nominate one student that they think would benefit from an opportunity to develop their 'acting' talents.  Please send me students' names  by Friday, January 29th so that we can begin sending invitations to families, who will need to make transportation arrangements for after the workshop.

Certification - Heads Up From the District Office
The State Department is now requiring that transcripts be sent in for proof of credits. This is how it used to be done, but in the past few years teachers did not have to. Just keep this in mind if you are needing to recertify this year.  Another tip, it is much easier and faster if you apply for certification in March or April when their load of applications is lighter at the SDE.

Upcoming Events
Jan. 18th, 25th - Jefferson Building Culture Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 19th - Jefferson Building Leadership Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 20th, 27th - Jefferson MTSS Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 21st & 26th-28th - Dental Sealant Program
Jan. 29th - Tiger Award Luncheon
Jan. 29th - Teacher Voice Collaboration, JMS

To Do List
Watch for an email about your observation and 'accept.'

Week of January 8th - 11th

Kristin Armstrong will be here to announce....

Our walking path will soon be a reality with the generous support of the St. Luke's Foundation!  

We were hoping to keep this a secret (just for the fun of the surprise, but St. Luke's has sent out a press release to the local papers and I wanted you to know first!  In part, the press release reads,

"The new walking path will be a welcome resource for students and teachers as well as residents living nearby in the neighborhood, said Armstrong. “St. Luke’s is pleased to support a community asset that will improve the health of children and adults of all ages.”  A walking path helps to meet challenges identified in a Magic Valley Community Health Needs Assessment completed by St. Luke’s in 2013. Weight management and a lack of exercise opportunities are among the area’s most significant health issues.

In total we will be receiving $26,000 to make the walking path a reality this summer.  $15,000 will come from a donation from St. Luke's. Another $1,000 contribution is from a five-member team of community leaders who participated in the Mayor's Walking Challenge this fall:  Jerome Mayor David Davis, Jerome Fire Chief Tom Hughes, St. Luke’s Jerome Administrator Curtis Maier, Chief Nursing Officer Jill Howell and Dr. Elizabeth Sugden, a family practice physician and St. Luke’s Jerome chief medical officer.  These funds will be in addition to the grant and matching funds that we received from Lowe's, Jerome Schools Foundation and our own PTO.  All of these folks will be in attendance for the assembly.  As part of the grant, we will be using an easy piece of software to track our mileage next year.  Chris has visited a school in Meridian that uses the software and will help us with more details in the fall.

It is ok to still leave this a fun surprise for the kids.  Please make sure to review who our visitor is with them though.  Many were only 2-3 when she won her last gold medal, but it's not everyday that our kids get to meet an Olympian!  What a great example of the Habits.

I hope this is a huge encouragement after a rough week.  Great things are happening at Jefferson...primarily the learning you do with kids every day!

Habit #5 This Week My bad!  This is a review week.  Save that thought.  :-)

Seeking first to understand and then to be understood is one of the tougher habits in my opinion.  It is so hard to withhold our own ideas, thoughts, feeling and opinions to be able to truly hear the ideas of others.  Isn't it interesting that we have two ears to hear and two eyes to take in the body language of those around us, but our one mouth wants more than its share of the time.  :-) This is something I'm personally trying to be better at, especially in on-the-go situations where there is pressure to respond and make decisions at school.  Please let me know how lessons on this habit go with your students and colleagues or if you've come across a great resource to support our work.


Conferences
A few details for Parent Teacher Conferences on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

1. Sandwich Method - Parents really want to know that you care about their child and that you notice their potential.  Make sure to have 'smiling eyes' and a couple of sincere positives to sandwich the one or two doable things you need their follow through on.  :-)
2. Parent Survey - This is something we do yearly with parents. It is required as part of the legislation on evaluations.  Please make sure to invite parents to the computer lab after their conference to complete the survey, which will take 3-5 minutes.  They may also stop and take a paper copy, but the survey is only open until the end of the week next week.  Please check in with me Monday if you have any questions about this survey or its use.
3. Conference Support - Deb and I have a few conferences we are already scheduled to attend, but please let us know if you would like one of us to attend to offer support or address parent questions.
4. Dual Immersion Applications - These will be given out to all kindergarten families that want one and to any families with pre-schoolers who will be in Kindergarten next year.  There will also be a sign up list for families still interested and wanting to know more.  Applications will be accepted at the office.  A few more details will follow from the District Office next week.

New Grade Level Reading Goals
Please make sure to let me know what your new grade level reading goals will be and if you need anything to update your bulletin boards.

BoxTop Prizes
I owe a few of the classes prizes for reaching BoxTop goals.  Teachers, if this includes your class, please see me so we can make arrangements for those prizes.

Upcoming Events
Jan. 18th, 25th - Jefferson Building Culture Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 19th - Jefferson Building Leadership Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 13th, 20th, 27th - Jefferson MTSS Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 12th & 14th - Parent Teacher Conferences
Jan. 13th - Ready! Kindergarten Program, 6:30PM
Jan. 15th - No School
Jan. 21st & 26th-28th - Dental Sealant Program
Jan. 29th - Tiger Award Luncheon
Jan. 29th - Teacher Voice Collaboration, JMS

To Do List
Watch for an email about your observation and 'accept.'

Week of January 4th - January8th

2016 is here!  I hope it has been a relaxing and energizing start for you; a true time of 'sharpening the saw.'
Have you noticed all of the folks taking part in the "one word" movement?  Choosing one word is a way of having a theme and a focus for the year ahead.  Lots of my friends and acquaintances have been posting their words on social media.  I don't know if one word could hold all of my hopes for the new year.  I've been thinking about peace and productivity (check out this article that has me thinking about my work).  But, I've also been thinking about fruitfulness as we begin to watch our young student become readers and writers and your hard work pays off.  With the grant finally submitted, there is also a possibility of  leadership for the new year!  So many wonderful words that encapsulate all of our dreams and goals for all that is to come. Here's a great article, even for kids,on the power of attitude as we move forward into this new year and a good read for staff on professional habits that can keep you from your best motivation.  What ever your word, theme or goal, know that I'm grateful for each and everyone of you and the work you do on behalf of our students.

Here's to a great 2016!
Angie

Winter IRI Schedule
A few of you have been asking about IRI.  In coordination with Horizon, and to give kids the best possible opportunity to show growth, we will be doing the Winter IRI January 25th-29th.  The Winter MCOMP and Star Testings will happen the following week.  We will be discussing this in further detail with BLT and MTSS, so stay tuned for further information.

Building Expectations
Now is a good time to remind and practice our building expectations with kids.  Please find times to build this into your lesson plans and review with students.  Coming back to school, often from situations that have less structure, our kiddos will need support and encouragement to get back into the swing of school.  Please error or the side of reteaching, anchor charting and practicing to get them back in the groove.

8:00-3:45 Reset
I am constantly amazed by the amount of time you put into your classrooms, planning and students!  Just a quick reminder though that our contract hours are 8:00AM to 3:45PM.  This is important because we often get parents who will stop by to briefly visit or make calls during those times.  Since we are at a fresh starting point, please make sure to reset your schedule to these hours.  There are a few exceptions (always) and here's how to communicate with us:

1. Notify Angie when you need to leave early, preferably 24 hours in advance when possible.
2. Check out in the office each time you leave the building early and let Anne and Emily know you are leaving so they don't use time looking for you.
3. Call the office if bad roads or other extenuating circumstances have you running a few minutes late in the morning.

Thank you for helping with this.

Special Assembly with Kristen Armstrong
Next Thursday we will have a special assembly with Kristen Armstrong, Gold Medal Cyclist!  Please plan a few minutes to help kids understand who she is and the significance of her visit to Jefferson.  She is a great model to tie into a habits lesson!  Here is a link to use.
http://www.kristinarmstrongusa.com/index.html

Kristin will also likely talk with the kids about making healthy choices (physical activity and nutrition) and her work for kids' health http://www.nutritioncouncil.org/programs/healthy-kids/5-2-1-0/

Walk-Throughs - Sharing Ideas About Engagement and Charlotte Danielson Components

In the next couple of weeks I will be ramping up walk-throughs.  These are NOT gotcha moments.  They are opportunities for conversations and to help you reflect and name the great things happening at Jefferson. As a staff we decided to focus on 'student engagement' for walk-throughs.  In a discussion with Melisa this past spring and fall, you began a list of what this might look like.  We will continue to build on this list as we work toward this goal.  Here is the list you compiled so far:

How do we know students are engaged?

• discussion is on topic
• students drive the conversation
• the room may be noisy, but could also be quiet
• challenging activities
• student reflection
• positive behaviors
• classroom routines: students know the routines and can stay on task because they know what to do and what to expect.

During walk-throughs I will also be watching for evidence for the components of the Charlotte Danielson Model.  I will list my focus here each week so you have an idea of what I'm looking for. This coming week I will be looking for evidence of posting and communicating learning targets to kids in student friendly language.  Next week you might see me around your desk for a moment as I look for lesson plans.  I will give you an idea of what I'm looking for here on the blog so you have a heads up.  On the flip side, if there is something that you would like me to see or notice, please invite me!  I love being asked to join your classroom for things you and the students are proud of and I will do everything possible to be there.  BLT members and mentors will also be among those helping with this.  Watch for more details to come.

A few cool resources I found over the break to share!
Winter is the Warmest Season! A great idea for a writing mentor text lesson.  Does this idea fit with your grade level standards?  Let me know if it might help your kids!

ReadWorks is a great site for printable texts and comprehension questions.  This link takes you to their fiction/nonfictional paired texts!

Quick clips and videos for all kinds of comprehension lessons. I think there also might be some great ones that fit the habits.  Please preview before showing to students.  I haven't seen all of these and some may be more suitable to older kids.

Upcoming Events
Jan. 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th - Jefferson Building Culture Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 5th, 19th - Jefferson Building Leadership Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th - Jefferson MTSS Team Meeting, 3:30PM
Jan. 12th & 14th - Parent Teacher Conferences
Jan. 13th - Ready! Kindergarten Program, 6:30PM
Jan. 15th - No School
Jan. 21st & 26th-28th - Dental Sealant Program
Jan. 29th - Tiger Award Luncheon
Jan. 29th - Teacher Voice Collaboration, JMS

To Do List
Watch for an email about your observation and 'accept.'
Make sure your PT Conference notes get out!