Assessment Scoring Reminder
As you continue to work through implementation of the core curricula, keep in mind an important aspect of scoring assessments (module and unit) - score based on student performance, not student effort. The rigor of what students are asked to achieve is challenging and sometimes it can be a depressing to see our students not doing well. Even in the midst of this, we need to maintain tight attention to marking students based on what the rubrics state. And when the rubrics seem vague, be very conservative in your interpretation of what the language means. Please do ask Tawnia or I about any moments where you are seriously stuck or where you have identified a clear error in our district scoring guides/forms. (11/30)
Safe Schools Employee Training Videos
Some of you may have recently received a message stating you needed to complete the Safe Schools videos from HR that were assigned at the beginning of the school year. If you received this message, go back to the training modules and see if all sections show "Completed". If they are marked completed you don't need to do anything. This message was sent out and soon after I received a message stating their database had not been updated so some who had completed the training were not showing as having done so. If you did not complete the training modules, please do so ASAP. (11/30)
FOSS Kit Pick-Up
Kits for grades 4 & 5 only will be picked up on Monday 12/7. Please get your kits to the office by the end of the day. Thanks. (11/24)
Bus Duty Clarification
We need your help with managing bus duty. Please stay on duty until all buses have left. We seem to have late buses frequently and the same ones at that. This means that only one or two people are left to monitor students. We need all staff on duty to be on duty until supervision is no longer needed. Out of fairness and safety, everyone should be actively engaged in supervision to the end, not just when their bus has left. Kathy and Bryan are the exception as they are outside every single day. When their students have been picked up they may come inside even if there are late buses. (11/23)
Late Arrival Agenda Adjustment
Please note an adjusted schedule will be published for the Late Arrival on December 2. We need to get MobyMax moving forward and there is a wide variation in what staff know about the program. We will flip the Scrum meeting schedule so that the first thirty minutes (approx.) will be used to show staff specific features of the program so that teachers can set up class rosters and assignments/assessments. This action is intentional as I have asked the Leadership Team to work with grade level teams on determining how we can use the assessment capabilities of the program to our advantage. The schedule will be shared before we leave for Thanksgiving Break. Update: The schedule has been added to the Late Arrival Agenda page. (11/23)
DoDEA Extended Day Reading Grant
We have $2,208 remaining for before/after school reading tutoring. It would be a shame to have to give this money back so please think about taking advantage of this extra pay opportunity. Certificated staff are paid at $32/hr and Classified staff are paid at $18/hr. The time spent with students must be in the area of reading. Come up with a plan using these amounts and share it with Stephen. (11/23)
Report Cards Go Home...
FYI that district elementary schools will have report card prep day on Wednesday, December 9 as an early dismissal and report cards are to go home December 16. Plan for all report cards to go home on that day so that parents have a couple days to respond before the start of Winter Break.
As a reminder, I am available to read report cards that you would like me to know about should a parent share a concern or if you are wondering about how to word something. (11/23)
Staff Party
Sunshine would like to invite you to an evening of fun, friends, and holiday cheer! This year we are excited to announce that Friday, December 11th, will be the date set aside for our staff party. Lisa Mulcrone has graciously opened up her home for this event. Please check below for the particulars. We hope to see you all there!
When: December 11th – Holiday Party!!!
Where: Lisa Mulcrone's house (8709 169th St. E, Puyallup 98375)
Time: 5:30-???
Bring: An appetizer and your favorite beverage
Who Should Attend: Adults only... Feel free to bring your significant other.
Fun Option: Bring a White Elephant gift ($5.00 or under)
Fun Option: Wear your best "Ugly Holiday Sweater" for an Ugly Sweater contest!White elephant gift is completely optional but tons of fun! Also, you don't have to dress in your favorite ugly holiday sweater if you don't want to, but it is always fun to see what new special sweaters exist.
Highly Capable Survey - Coming Soon to an email near you!
Highly Capable Differentiation Survey
Students who are identified as highly capable and in the Challenge program need to be "challenged" on more than just 1 day of the week. State law now makes services for highly capable a general education requirement. For compliance with this law as well as documentation for Consolidated Program Review (state audit process to monitor school districts' actions) the following data collection will be required.
- A Google Sheet will be sent to principals and APs by Dec 1.
- Sheet includes all highly capable students, their teachers, and a survey link connected to each student
- Send Google Sheet link to each teacher
- Teachers click on the link next to each of their students and answer 1 question per highly capable student.
- Example Question:
- Please check all ways that you are or plan to differentiate for this student:
- Differentiated assignments (questions of more complexity in problem set) during individual work time in math
- Differentiated assignments in ELA
- Acceleration in math
- Acceleration in ELA
- Advanced grouping in a walk-to-read system
- Advanced grouping in a walk-to-math system
- Opportunities to work with other advanced students
- Differentiation in science
- Teachers should complete this quick survey by Dec 16
Printshop Online
- Sheet includes all highly capable students, their teachers, and a survey link connected to each student
- Example Question:
- Please check all ways that you are or plan to differentiate for this student:
- Differentiated assignments (questions of more complexity in problem set) during individual work time in math
- Differentiated assignments in ELA
- Acceleration in math
- Acceleration in ELA
- Advanced grouping in a walk-to-read system
- Advanced grouping in a walk-to-math system
- Opportunities to work with other advanced students
- Differentiation in science
Bethel Printshop is going to an online ordering system. It's very user friendly and I think we're going to love it. You can even order from home! For now, only the basic education teachers and some classified staff have been set up to order online. SPED and LAP will be given different budget codes and that will come from district in the near future. Instructions are posted on Google Docs if you need them. The link to the Online Printshop system is: https://bethelsd.webdeskprint.com/PSP/app/PSP_Start.asp
You may want to bookmark it.
To find out if you already have access, login using your user name (first initial, last name) and the password printshop2015. If you can't log in, then click "Register Now" which will start the process. (11/21)
Bethel Citizens' Committee
The Bethel Citizens' Committee for School Support is looking for pledges. A pink pledge card was placed in your mailbox earlier this week, and they would love to have some pledges from North Star. Please consider it! Thanks. (11/19)
Staff Room
The hot water tap in the staff room has been fixed - just in time for hot winter beverages! (11/17)
Addressing District Mail
A request from the couriers: Our district is growing and more courier stops are being added, while at the same time we have a large number of new employees. It would really help the couriers if the in-district envelopes were labeled with the employees name, building and the department that the person works in. This would be a great time saver and would also ensure that the mail is being delivered to the right person in the right place, in the most timely way possible. (11/16)
Bus Supervision
There are a couple of busses that are consistently late in the afternoon. If you have bus duty, please remain on duty until all kids are loaded and all busses have left the parking lot. If you are on duty in the front of the bus line, please move down the line as the busses leave to help out the other people on duty. Thank you. (11/13)
LIT Agenda has been posted
This coming Monday's LIT agenda has been posted. Please take a look. (11/13)
Positive Action Assembly
Site Council has been busy planning three Assemblies to award as many students as possible for their Character, Attendance and Academic Growth. Be on the look out for students who show ENGAGEMENT in your classrooms. Tawnia will be around taking pictures/videos of engaged students to include at the first assembly in December. Click here for Assembly Details
LMC Changes
The District LMC that is currently housed at the BSA will be moving to the main district ESC in Building 3 during the week prior to Thanksgiving. The volume of materials has been significantly downsized as many materials were outdated and not aligned to our current curriculum. Puppets and Science Models have been moved to buildings and can be checked out through DESTINY. All lamination not done in buildings will be done through the Print Shop. The LMC will no longer laminate. We still have many media resources and the die cuts. Since we will need some transition time with the move, please have staff order any materials needed prior to Nov. 20 If they need access to the die cuts, they should plan on that prior to Nov. 20 as well. We hope to have everything in operation prior to Winter Break. We will extend check out times as needed due to this transition. Hours of operation will be 7:30 - 3:30.
For your information, the Book Repository also housed at the LMC will also be moving to the ESC campus in the near future. It will be located in the old refrigeration building. (11/6)
Long Distance Codes
The district will no longer require a code to be entered when making a long distance phone call. In addition, monthly long distance signatures and paperwork will also be discontinued.
The change will occur by Tuesday, but may occur as early as tomorrow depending on when our phone service provider makes the necessary adjustment.
If you you are not prompted by a tone for a code when making a long distance code, the change has been completed and operating as planned. Please continue entering your code until no longer prompted. (11/6)
The district will audit records for irregularities and address any issues as needed.
Where is my Curriculum?
K-4th grade ELA and Math curriculum sent here from Printshop is boxed by module and grade level. These boxes are in the Computer Lab stacked for you to retrieve and sort out when your grade level is ready. Assessments will continue to come separately and be placed in your box. (11/4)
State Standards and Assessment Info for Parents
Please let your parents know about http://www.readywa.org/. It is a great site that describes our high standards and the assessments used to measure them. (11/3)
Intervention Team Process Changes
This year we are making adjustments to the Intervention Team process so that the model is more responsive to our staff and students. The main approach will be as follows:
- Each teacher will have a sit down meeting with Stephen or Tawnia and go over all the students within your class that data shows is behind or struggling. The teacher will help us to determine if the student is truly one of concern at the level of needing an intervention instituted.
- The teacher and administrator will collaboratively determine any further testing that may be needed to confirm baseline data or discover in more depth what the issues are with each student. We have collected a number of assessments to select from now. We will no longer wonder what assessments can be used. The assessments available are for reading, math, speech/language and behavior.
- Once the testing is completed the teacher and administrator will update each other on what has been collected and use that information to select an appropriate intervention to implement in the classroom. Once again, we will have a menu of options to select from that can help us get to implementation of an intervention quickly. We are in the process of getting that menu together...a work in progress. We will add to the menu as we learn from each conversation. Included with the options will be data collection requirements for each option.
- Interventions will be in place for 6 weeks but may be slightly less depending on the situation.
- At the end of the intervention period, the teacher and administrator will check in with each other and determine if next steps are needed. Students of significant concern will always be placed on the calendar at the time they are identified. You will not have to wait for the intervention to take place before a date can be set. However, support from the Intervention Team depends on solid follow through of the intervention and data collection by the time the meeting takes place.
The main differences with this process are getting to diagnostics and implementing interventions before you ever get to the Intervention Team meeting. No longer will staff have to come up with ideas on the fly at an Intervention Team meeting. It is our hope that we will expedite the whole experience and at the same time have the necessary actions in place should a need to request a special education evaluation. (11/3)
Student Growth Goals
Long Distance Codes
The district will no longer require a code to be entered when making a long distance phone call. In addition, monthly long distance signatures and paperwork will also be discontinued.
The change will occur by Tuesday, but may occur as early as tomorrow depending on when our phone service provider makes the necessary adjustment.
If you you are not prompted by a tone for a code when making a long distance code, the change has been completed and operating as planned. Please continue entering your code until no longer prompted. (11/6)
The district will audit records for irregularities and address any issues as needed.
Where is my Curriculum?
K-4th grade ELA and Math curriculum sent here from Printshop is boxed by module and grade level. These boxes are in the Computer Lab stacked for you to retrieve and sort out when your grade level is ready. Assessments will continue to come separately and be placed in your box. (11/4)
State Standards and Assessment Info for Parents
Please let your parents know about http://www.readywa.org/. It is a great site that describes our high standards and the assessments used to measure them. (11/3)
Please let your parents know about http://www.readywa.org/. It is a great site that describes our high standards and the assessments used to measure them. (11/3)
Intervention Team Process Changes
