April 29, 2013

I appreciate and I value your diligence and hard work.  Thank you for all that you contribute to our school.  I hope you have an excellent week as we enter May!

May's Thinking Strategy: Book Talks
Click here for May's thinking strategy and information on giving Book Talks.  Thank you, Aimee and Jen, for a year of support with these thinking strategies; I am looking forward to how we might build on these next year.

Cell Phones
Last week I observed Drs. Miller and Roberts give a lot of discipline for cell phone use; I have also seen several students with their devices out in the hallways.  I want to remind you that, per our handbook, you may confiscate cell phones and electronic devices if they are being used during a time or place that's not appropriate (essentially any non-structured activity without teacher permission).  Doing the following will help students adhere to the policy better:

• Reminders at the beginning of class,
• Reminders at the end of class to put electronics away, 
• Collecting devices in something like the cell phone jail pictured to the left that I noticed in a teacher's classroom, and
• Enforcing the handbook policy as necessary.

School Supply List
If you or your department have changes to the school supply list, please let me know by Friday of this week.  Click here to review this year's list.

8th Grade Recognition
The 8th Grade Recognition PowerPoint is still available online for any interested teacher to add to.  Students will value what you add, I know.  Click here to access and add to this presentation (you'll notice some additions have already been made).

I'm working with four 8th graders now as speakers.  I'm looking for more (a poet would be nice).

AST Self-Assessment Survey
The results of our self-assessment survey are very interesting to me. If you click here you will find Marzano's Teacher Scales for Reflective Practice: Applying the Art and Science of Teaching." I wanted these available to you now even though I know that at this time of year you might not find time to review them.  The scales use almost the same language as the observation instrument and also show teacher and student evidence.  At the beginning of next year, you will be asked to rate yourself, using similar scales, on each AST strategy; you will use the results of this survey to create your annual PDP.

60,000 Copies/Prints in Two Weeks!
To help us be mindful of our copying/printing, each of us will have a limit of 1,000 copies/prints on each machine in the building. Once the limit is reached, Jason Heisel can reset it.  I've just reviewed copy/print data; 60,000 copies is a lot for a recent two-week span.  Paying for overages is expensive, so I continue to ask that all of us be mindful and use this limit as feedback should any of us reach it.