Thursday Thriller October 26, 2023

 Thursday Thriller
October 26, 2023

Photos from the Field

Healthy Living Week activities during lunch were a HIT!  Thank you, Steve and Nicole M for planning the week and organizing volunteers to attend!

NUTS-n-BOLTS

1.   An idea I was thinking about in regards to students who are failing.  What if they had to bring around a good ole 'paper pencil' grade check sheet?  Students get the sheet from the office, take it around to their teachers write the grade, brief note if needed and at the end of the day the student brings it back to the office.  We can look at this from an SST point of view; who needs support.  I know we have Skyward and students can check their grades.  The student could even fill out the grade, write the missing assignments and the teacher initials it.  This would also be good for all of our athletes. It's nothing classroom teachers have to manage.  This will be on the students to complete but managed from counselors, admin, Yaneth and Grace.  Recommendations, ideas?

2.  Music concert tonight at 7:00 -band, choir and orchestra.  Best of luck, Roger and Caleb

3.  You have heard students whistling in the hallways or outside.  The whistling is gang code.  I have spoken to the whistlers and said no more.  Just something to be aware of.

4.  SST meetings for grade levels will begin next week.  Nicole M sent out calendar reminders.

5.    IEP meetings-we had 3 teachers come to a student's IEP meeting yesterday!! WHOOP!! WHOOP!! Nicole and I worked with Union reps on a spreadsheet that could be sent out to all staff for upcoming IEPS (we are finalizing it).  By doing so, this would allow teachers to sign up for at least 3 IEPS to attend for the year.  Of course, you can attend anyone of your student's IEPS. This was an idea to plan ahead so Tobi isn't scrambling the day before or day of to find a gen ed teacher which is legally required. Stay tuned...

6.    Thank you for uploading your eval goals.  Some of you have shared them and will receive feedback today to upload them.  Tuesday, Oct. 31st is the day they must be uploaded.  If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

7.    Nicole D is working next Friday's preliminary schedule for the half day for 6th-7th grade students. I will make a recording for just 8th grade students in regards to the mock interviews. Robin had some ideas of how she was going to work in the short videos Mike shared last Friday. 

8.    We will plan on NOVEMBER 22nd -half day before Thanksgiving break for our activity day.  Please let me know if there is something missing.  We cannot have activity day the Friday before on the 17th because our 7th grade students will be going to the Whitman Mission on a field trip.

9.   Nicole has sent out an email to the staff she supervises to set up observations.  Those of you who I supervise...I'm a little slow on the draw😬.  I will send out communication tomorrow so that you can begin setting up your observations.  Most of you are FOCUSED so we have just one formal observation with a pre observation and a post. 

10.    *****If you and colleagues need time to plan, create, look over data, visit other classrooms, other programs, other buildings etc. tell me what you need. Green sheet time-you got it?  Release days-you got it.  Nicole and I are here to help and support.  If time is what you need, please talk to us.

11.  Thank you again for those of you that volunteered to participate in the Learning Walks AND for opening up your classrooms to observe. Nicole and I heard some great feedback.

Something to Ponder

Voice and choice, whether you're an adult or a child/teen, it's a rare thing to find someone who enjoys being told what to do. It's just in our nature. "Psychological reactance" - the more someone insists you do something, the less inclined you are to actually do it. I wanted to bring this up for all of us, especially us adults, to mull over.

Let's reflect on those days back in August. If Nicole and I had structured those days where we did all the talking, spoon-feeding you information for a full seven hours, I bet you would've been pretty ticked off.  Probably sneaking off to the bathroom for extended breaks, feeling frustrated, and maybe even shutting down a bit. And honestly, who could blame you? In that scenario, we were the gatekeepers of all the knowledge.

Instead, we tried to set things up differently. We delivered the info, assigned tasks, and let teams work at their own speed. Which approach do you think triggered that psychological reactance less, and placed the cognitive load where it belongs, on the teachers?

Disclaimer alert:  There are times when it's necessary for teachers to be the knowledge gatekeepers and deliver things systematically. But when I've walked through classrooms over the years, I've noticed a common theme in the ones where students are really taking the wheel and investing in their learning. Those classrooms are the ones where students have a say, where they have a voice and a choice.

So, when you ponder your own classes, take a minute to think about the opportunities you provide for students to have some agency, a bit of that voice and choice. Some of you have explored the idea of Choice Boards.  Here is an article on what those are and how they can be put to good use.

I know some of you are experimenting with various projects, giving students the chance to move at their own pace. These opportunities for voice and choice, they really go a long way, for both the young ones and us grown-ups. I'm learning and practicing, with mistakes. Hope you find a gold nugget in all this! 

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Thursday, October 19

 Thursday Thriller

October 19, 2023

PHOTOS from the FIELD

Taylor Swift day was fun!!!

Earthquake Drill

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.  Nicole and I have set aside time next week to look at certificated staff eval goals. 

2.    Thank you for your time this morning.  As Nicole said in her email, please review the slides if you were  unable to attend.  Ask questions on that Google link on the last slide.

3.    SST (Student Support Teams) -Admin gets 7.5 hours for staff meetings.  We are going to use some of our staff meeting time for SST meetings.  You will need to pick a grade if you teach mulitple grades and attend SST collaborations once a month.  The goal of SST is to discuss students that are rising to the service for behavior, academics and/or attendance.  We will begin next month.  Here are the dates for November and December:

November 1st -the first Wednesday of each month -6th grade
November 8th -second Wednesday of each month -7th grade
November 15th -third Wednesday of each month -8th grade

December 6th -6th
December 13th -7th
December 20th -8th

January 3rd -6th
January 10th - 7th
January 17th -8th

Nicole Mueller will send out calendar invites.  Please tell us which grade you will be attending on this Google Doc.

4.    I would like to explain further the WHY behind a couple of things.  The first is iReady tracking of lessons in Advisory. 

                a.  We want to celebrate students in math and ELA beyond the classroom.  Being able to have another teacher say, "Great job! You passed another test!  Way to go!"

                b.  There is no simple way in iReady to print rosters of students who have or have not completed lessons WITHOUT doing a bunch of other 'clicking.'  It is not that simple.  If it were, we would be doing it. Nancy spent HOURS collecting, printing and organizing the data so we could keep track of the lessons.  This was just in math.  We need Nancy working with students not spending hours counting lessons for 568 students in two subject areas. 

 Thank you for tracking students' progress and celebrating them. 

LEARNING WALKS-

The purpose of Learning Walks is all about the opportunity to witness what is happening in other classrooms. It's a chance to gain fresh perspectives. Additionally, there are some fantastic perks to consider, such as the ability to observe your own students in a different environment, witnessing various content areas in action, and enhancing your instructional capabilities. The best part? Participation in Learning Walks is entirely voluntary!

Erin Dorso will be guiding teachers through the purpose, process, and the valuable insights you can gain from these walks. It's important to note that administrators will not be part of the Learning Walks, emphasizing that this experience is entirely non-evaluative.

Hopefully, this has helped explain the 'why' behind both these initiatives. If something doesn't make sense, please come talk with both Nicole and/or me.

5.    Admin will be following up with 8th grade teachers in regards to the Career Fair on Nov. 3rd. Mike has done an outstanding job of planning and we all want this event to be successful. Stay tuned!

6.  First round of iReady Lessons will be completed Nov 3rd.  Thinking Nov. 22nd half day before Thanksgiving for the Activity day?  Other suggestions??

7.  Grace is going to work on turning the old SSR room into a one-stop-shop for clothes, shoes, backpacks, school supplies and hygiene for students.  Right now we have all of these items located in 5 different places around the school. This will be great for students!

8. If you are ELA/MATH/SST and possibly SCIENCE, this might be of help to you. :D 

Middle Level Standards

Something to Ponder

I am going to be lame tonight and head home. :D  I am pondering sleep. :D

Quote

Thursday Thriller October 12, 2023

 Thursday Thriller

October 12, 2023

Photos from the Field

This week the photos are personal.  My dad and the basketball team he coached in 1968-69 were inducted into the Silverton HS Hall of Fame.  I'm blessed beyond measures for many reasons.  However, the biggest blessings were both of  my parents were able to attend this gala and I was able to hear first hand the impact my dad had on players and the community of Silverton. I share this because YOU are making a difference!  You may not hear, see or know of the impact until your are 85 (hopefully you won't have to wait that long. 😆) but this week we had a record turn out for conferences.  Parents wanted to meet you, talk with you and THANK YOU for the work you do for all students.  I think I can speak for Nicole, we are PROUD to lead, serve and walk this journey side-by-side with this Garrison staff.

Enjoy your weekend~

Kim

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.    THANKYOU OCTOBER Social Committee Members!  The chili and fixings were DELISHISH!!!

2.    Conference turn out was AMAZING!!!  Tuesday Night-WOW!  Today, it looked like a pretty steady stream of parents.  Parents shared how thankful they were for each of you and the work you do for all kids! 

 If you had a  conference that didn't go particularly well, Nicole and I are here to process with you. We are willing to follow up with parents if you would like.  Conferences are a time for conversations, civil advocacy and seeking to understand. Please come see us if want to vent, share and/or follow up with families. 

3.    SPIRIT WEEK!!!!  While it isn't the 80's NEON day it still brings back some fond memories LOL Let's light it up on MONDAY!!!!

3.  Unity Day lessons are on Tuesday, Oct 17th. Our SEL/PBIS Team have some fun things planned. This team will have everything for you.  Wednesday is WEAR ORANGE day with lunch time activities. 

4.  Mark Thompson will be here on Tuesday the 17th.  We thought presenting to all students would be beneficial.  However, Mark's thinking was to take 25 students who are influencers, leaders, students other kids will follow and speak to them for 30 mins around anti-bullying and the strength behind student leadership. Here is the list of students that we thought to be the influencers.  Some have gotten into a little bit of trouble but Mark said that was okay as long as it wasn't consistent and not A LOT of trouble.  Students will receive an invitation on Monday and another call slip on Tuesday.  Students will meet in Luciano's room #167 from 10:00-10:30; this was the time Mark had available.

5.  Tuesday is our first Chat with the Admin. There will be two sessions.  The first is 8:00-8:50 and the second is 6:00-7:00.  Both sessions are in person AND parents can Zoom into the evening session as well. The goal is to talk with parents about what Garrison is doing, share our building goals, Promise Standards reporting, helping parents understand the importance of homework and time for Q & A.  If any staff member would like to attend, you are always invited.  Please let Nicole and me know if there are topics we should cover.

6. Thursday, Oct. 19th at 10:19ish with be the Earthquake drill.  Please review with your students. 

Something to Ponder

An observation made while visiting classrooms, as well as, follow up conversations with staff have been focused on: lack of all students participating in class discussions; same students raise their hands and  participate. "How do I get all my students to participate?"

It's no secret.  I am fan of Teach Like a Champion. This book is focused on excellence in the classroom through strategies and procedures in which students are doing the heavy cognitive lifting. 

One technique is No Opt Out.  No Opt. No Opt Out sets the stage for high academic standards. The expectation that it's not OK to not try.  EVERYBODY learns in a high-performing classroom.  Change "I don't know" and/or shrugging off passively when asked a question to holding students accountable and taking responsibility for their learning. This technique also helps a student who truly does not know the answer because it rehearses success. 

What happens if you allow students not to answer the questions you ask them?  "The consequences of teachers allowing students not to answer include erosion of their authority in the eyes of students, normalization of a pattern of opting out and not participating, fewer opportunities for students to experience success, and a conviction among students who opt out that you're not invested in their success." (page 140 of TLC 2.0 Guide Book)

This is a quick 44 sec clip of a teacher using No Opt Out.  Now, you may say, "It's a private school.  Seems strict." Regardless, at the end of the day we need our students to engage and not opt out of their learning. 

Success WILL come if we commit to holding students accountable using the same language; ALL staff consistently.  Students will learn that in each class there is NO opting out. Same language and same expectations have proven successful with cell phones.  

I have Teach Like a Champion books if you would like to borrow one.  If there is interest, I am more than willing to do a book study with clock hours. 

Hope you find a gold nugget. 

QUOTE

How could this quote pertain to you and your PLT colleagues?

Thursday Thriller October 5, 2023

 Thursday Thriller

October 5, 2023

Photos from the Field

We heard that Sources of Strength training was PHENOMENAL today!!! Thank you to the team of teachers who supported Nicole M and Christy~.  -Nate C, Jami P, Erika, Yaneth,  and Jacqueline.  GREAT JOB!!!!

Nuts-n-Bolts

1. United Way October marks the kick off of our Annual United Way Campaign! In partnership with our local United Way chapter, our district established the Adopt a Blue Devil Program which has raised thousands of dollars to support TK - 12th grade WWPS students in a variety of ways. By signing up, your payroll deduction will help eliminate financial barriers for students who are otherwise unable to fully participate in school-sponsored programs and experiences. From ensuring a tennis athlete doesn't go without a racquet because they can't afford one, to helping reduce a university visit field trip expense for a college bound senior, your giving makes a difference. If you are unsure about who to donate to, Adopt a Blue Devil and the Walla Walla Public Schools Education Foundation are two great organizations that return 100% of their proceeds back to WWPS students. 

Please view the link to the United Way annual presentation.

If you are able to donate, please follow this link (WWPS Pledge Form) before November 1st, to give or renew your donation. Payroll deductions will begin December 2023.

2.  Unity Day will be on Wednesday the 18th where everyone wears orange.  The day before on the 17th is where students will learn the WHY behind Unity Day.  Jen, Yaneth, Brian, Steve, Itsel and Jacqueline have a plan and will share it out with you all. Stay tuned.

3. Quick reminder -if a student reports to you anything that has to do with potential bullying, intimidation, harassment or possible sexual comments you MUST report immediately in PERSON to Nicole or myself.  "I noticed....." Staff member writes date, time and what they observed on paper and reports this in PERSON to admin. This is about protecting students and YOU.  This is an update in the policies and procedures that we will be going over on Oct. 19th. When a student may say, "Don't tell anyone."  You need to say, " I can't promise you that because if the information you give me could potentially harm you or someone else, we have to keep all involved safe."

3.  Our author's visit it Monday.  Here is the bell schedule.

4.  Nicole and I are continuing to close the circle when it comes to discipline.  We have room for improvement.  We will keep at it.  Thank you for following the electronic procedures!

5.  We will run the School Store on Wednesday the 11th if students ask.

6.  Here is the Google Sheet to complete ASAP if you think a student should have a group conference with parent(s) and all 7 teachers.  

7.  Dinner will be provided on Tuesday evening by our parent community.  Thank you, Addison for setting this up!!!!

8.  We have a new Communities in Schools person.  Her name is Grace Fritzke. We are super excited to have you!

9.  Five staff members responded to the feedback survey on best options for having students meet for ASB, PAC, Latino Club, Sources, etc. We will rotate periods.  "Advisory" on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for iReady.  Using this time defeats the fidelity of why we implemented this schedule. 

10.  If you are staff member who will not be here tomorrow for Professional Day, please have your PLT members fill you in and review the slide deck.  Your professional goals are nested in building goals which are nested in Admin/District goals. In addition, during iReady Tuesdays and Wednesdays teachers will be logging into iReady to look at progress on lessons and then recording them on a spreadsheet.  Nicole is going to review this tomorrow. Finally, Securely MUST be used at all times; iReady, regular lessons, etc.  This protects YOU and the students.  There will be session tomorrow.  Again, please check in with your team mates. 

11.    Assembly on Monday. I will go over assembly etiquette on GNN.  I think we will set up chairs and have some 7th and all 8th grade students sit in them.  6th grade and some 7th will sit in the bleachers.  I will have a map for you on Monday.

Something to Ponder

Here are a few choices that caught my attention.  Hope you find a gold nugget in one more of these resources.

• Navigating the Landscape of Middle School ELA Teaching and Learning
• How to Crush Co-Teaching (article)
• Fist Bumps All Around: How One School SRO Plays a Vital Role in a MS Culture
• Supporting EL Newcomer Students
• STEM Learning Across Disciplines
• Why Advisory?
• A New Mindset:  Assessment Strategies that Work
• Leveraging the Science Behind the Middle School Brain in Your Teaching Strategies

QUOTE

Never mistake activity for achievement   ~John Wooden