Welcome Back

I hope you had a wonderful spring break! 

April 2014

Click here for GRE's professional development cite

The power points for 4cs rubrics and 21st Century Skills & Rubrics are attached here.

Reminders

• If you have completed your observation cycle, please sign up for your summative evaluation with either Jenny or Libby by Wednesday of this week.  Your summative evaluation will be a part of your 

post conference if you still have to do your observation.  All summative evaluations must be done by May 1st.

• During staff development this Wednesday all certified staff will complete their self evaluation in InspirED.  Please bring your computer.  All staff need to attend one session throughout the day.

• CMAS testing for 4th and 5th graders will take place April 14th– 28th (see the schedule below). The IPad carts will be used during this time. Thank you for your understanding.

• Please remember to complete the Respect at Work training in Moodle by April 15th.  This is a requirement for all employees.

Go For the GOLD!

• Congratulations Stephanie Rude on your wedding! We can’t wait to see pictures!

• Thank you Margie Ellis for all of your help with TCAP materials! We couldn’t do it without you!

Happy Birthday

Pam Ditus – April 9th

Golden Nuggets!

Lounge Duty: Shepperd/Brands Friday Treats: Kindie/Preschool

Morning Announcements: Lautenbach

Morning Supervision: Cieply, Woolums, Martino, Hawk, Holtzer, Fier

Remember your lovely orange vest!

CMAS Testing

4^th Grade Social Studies

April 14	April 15	April 16	April 17	April 18
9:15-11:00 Lab Holtzer (1) Gold Mine Brands (1)	9:15-11:00 Lab Fier (1) Gold Mine Holtzer (2)	9:15-10:45 Gold Mine Fier (2)	9:15-10:45 Gold Mine Fier (3)	9:15-10:45 Gold Mine Brands (3)
		11:00-12:30 Gold Mine Make Up	11:00-12:30 Gold Mine Kramer (3)	11:00-12:30 Gold Mine Make Up
1:35-3:30    Lab Kramer (1)    Gold Mine Rude (1)	1:33-3:30    Lab Kramer (2) Gold Mine Brands (2)	1:30-3:30 Gold Mine Rude (2)	1:30-3:30 Lab Rude (3) Gold Mine Holtzer (3)	1:30-3:30     Gold Mine Make Up

CMAS Testing

5^th Grade Science

April 21	April 22	April 23	April 24
		9:15-10:15 Make Up	9:15-10:15 Make Up
11:00-12:30 Lab Fleet (1) Gold  Hawk (1)	11:00-12:30 Lab Hawk (2) Gold Mine Rayens (2)	11:00-   12:30 Lab Hawk (3) Gold Mine Dalcerri (2)	11:00-        12:30 Gold Mine Fleet (3) Lab Dalcerri (3)
1:30-3:30    Lab Rayens(1) Gold Mine Dalcerri (1)	1:30-3:30  Lab Fleet (2) Gold Mine Lautenbach (1)	1:30-3:30  Lab Rayens (3) Gold Mine Lautenbach (2)	1:30-3:30  Gold Mine Lautenbach (3)

                      March 2014

                       April 2014

Click here for GRE's professional development cite

The power points for 4cs rubrics and 21st Century Skills & Rubrics are attached to the PD cite.

 Reminders

•  Please remember to complete the Respect at Work training by Thursday, March 20th.

•  Please remember to select your rubric in InspirED by Thursday, March 20^th.

•  Please remember to submit additional evidence electronically for see Libby by March 20^th.

•  Parent/teacher conferences are Tuesday, March 18^th.

Opportunities

Great West Financial has awarded DCSD a $200,000 grant to implement and enhance Personal Financial Literacy (PFL) across the district.  Through this grant teachers will design lessons to provide sustainable learning that stretches across content areas and incorporates 21^st Century Skills.  The district is looking for leaders and members to develop plans for implementing all elements of PFL, to develop and deliver PD for all elements of PFL, and to develop and implement the use of authentic assessment for PFL.  Please see Libby if you are interested in applying to be a part of the cohort beginning Fall 2014.  There is a stipend for members and leaders! 

Go For the GOLD!

•  Thank you teachers for a great, first night of conferences!  We truly appreciate all of the hard work and planning that goes into each conference!

•  Thank you Janis, Anita, Elizabeth, and Suzy for Fun Friday in the office!

•  Thank you for 

•  Thank you Suzy Davidson for setting up the meals for conferences! 

•  Thank you Mr. Tobey for setting up the cafeteria for Movement/Collaboration!

•  Thank you Kim Layton for covering classes!

Happy Birthday

Jeannette Shepperd – March 27^th

Gail Golish – March 29^th

Karen Petty – March31st

Lauren Rayens – April 6^th

Golden Nuggets!

Lounge Duty: Hayes/Nelson           Friday Treats:  No Treats

Morning Announcements:  Rayens

Morning Supervision:  Steckler, Wilson, Murray-Close, Simpson, Fleet, Kramer

Remember your lovely orange vest!

Put CMAS schedule here

March 2014

Reminders

Norms:

•  If you miss your specials due to a late start, a day we don’t have school, or because you are on a field trip, please understand that we cannot make these up.

•  Please remember to be outside by 8:55 if you have morning supervision.

Other:

• We are using InspirED this year to upload your pre-observation document and observation notes. If you have not done so already, please log on to InspirED and select your rubric.  

1. Click here

2. Sign in using your regular sign in and log in

3. Select your rubric (teachers are generalist)

•  4^th and 5^th grade teachers, please remember to give Libby the names of students who would benefit from oral presentation for CMAS by Monday.
•  Let Jenny or Libby know if you have a parent conference you would like them to attend.

•  If you have any allergies in your classroom, please make sure you leave that information in your sub plans so the substitute is aware of this.

•  See a description of the professional development sessions offered this week below. 

•  Parent/teacher conferences are Thursday, March 13^th & Tuesday, March 18^th.

•  TCAP dates: 

3^rd Grade Math:  March 11^th, 12^th. 

4^th and 5^th Grade Reading/Writing:  March 11^th and 12^th.

Make-up TCAP date:  March 13^th.

Go For the GOLD!

•  Thank you to everyone for being so flexible with TCAP this week. 

•  Thank you second grade teachers for the treats during TCAP!

•  Thank you Ashley Gray and Rochelle Evans for filling in on Friday!

•  Thank you Ashley Gray & Karen O'Day for filling in at car loop duty!

•  Thank you Brittany Brands & Misti Wilson for hosting staff development this week!

Golden Nuggets!

Lounge Duty: Castro/Cieply                      Friday Treats:  Office Staff

Morning Announcements:  Dalcerri

Morning Supervision:  Aldridge, Lewis, Gray, Evans, Graham, Isberg

Remember your lovely orange vest!

Professional Development Sessions Offered this Week

Using 21^st Century Skills:  Jenny Brown @ 8:15 in Gold Mine Room

Review 21st century unit outcomes, examples and lesson plans created by the partnership for 21st century learning (P21).  Also review 21st century rubrics and discuss how they can be implemented in a meaningful way.

And the Oscar for best teacher, assistant and dancers goes to....

Allison, Margie & Gold Rush Elementary School! Yahoo!

March 2014

Click here for GRE's professional development cite


Reminders
• Please be aware that our SPED teachers and aides will be proctoring TCAP the next two weeks, which will affect the services they are able to provide. Thank you for your understanding!

• See a description of the professional development sessions offered this week. If anyone would be willing to have the Restorative Practices session in your classroom please let Libby know.

• Parent/teacher conferences are Thursday, March 13th, and Tuesday, March 18th.

• TCAP dates:

March 4, 5, 6, 11 & 12 - 3^rd Grade Writing & Math

March 4, 5,  6, 11 & 12-  4^th & 5^th Grade Reading, Writing & Math
March 17-20 - Make Ups

Opportunities
Educational programming at the PACE center is offering two student matinees: Dokto Kaboom (science) on March 9 and Junie B. Jones (literature) on March 20th.  If you are interested please contact Kirstin Fletcher at  kfletcher@parkeronline.org.

Go For the GOLD!
• Thank you to all of our EAs who helped prep our TCAP books!
• Thank you Karen O’Day for hosting indoor recess!

Happy Birthday!
Janet Hurley – March 5th
Kelli Hanrahan – March 7th

Golden Nuggets!
Lounge Duty: Steckler/Woolums Friday Treats: SPED/SPED EAs
Morning Announcements: Hawk
Morning Supervision: Shepperd, Marchese, Nelson, Braden, Hurley, Brands
Remember your lovely orange vest!

Professional Development Sessions Offered this Week
4 Cs rubrics & Implementation: 
Kristi Barta @8:15 on Tuesday @ Gold Mine Rm.
Share teacher and student friendly 21st century rubrics and simple ways to implement them in the classroom.

Restorative Practices
Libby Bergner @8:15 on Wednesday - location TBD.
Learn how you can use Restorative Practices proactively to build classroom and school community. Learn how to incorporate affective statements and questions when communicating and collaborating with students, staff, and families.

Leadership Team Notes
Budget Information:

What we are working with:

* 665 student allocation versus 725  * About 223,000 (3 teachers)

* Increased cost per teacher

* .2 reduction in school psychologist* Unable to provide additional time per district

* .5 reduction in district funding for our assistant principal

Goal:

* Preserve as many staff as possible as people have the greatest impact on student achievement

Proposal:

* Small class size

o   K =  29 (full day), 24 (2)

o   1 = 25 (4)

o   2 = 24 (4), 25 (1)

o   3 = 23 (4), 24(1)

o   4 = 24 (4), 25(1)

o   5 = 23 (4), 24 (1) * Difficult Class

* Continued Specials: Art, Music, PE, Tech

* 1 Fulltime AP

·      Assessment Days vs. Goal Setting:

    * Consider two assessment days two weeks into the school year rather than two goal setting days

    * This would allow us to assess students more efficiently and avoid sub days

    * Consider having students meet the teacher the Friday before the first week of school from 2-4PM followed by an ice cream social

    * Teacher can have small groups of students come in on the assessment days to complete the DRA and AIMsweb

     School Schedule:

    * We are considering a 2 hour uninterrupted literacy block in the AM for K-2 and the same 2 hour afternoon block for 3-5 in the afternoon to better serve special education students.