December 9, 2013

My conversations with Hixson faculty and staff last week were important and energizing.  Thank you for your being so candid, for sharing so much, and for being vulnerable to the opportunity, despite how new it is as a part of our evaluation process.  I bragged to the parents on my blog last week about how passionate, knowledgeable, committed, thoughtful, reflective, and humble all of you are.  We are all necessary and valuable to the learning in the building.

Faculty Meeting

Click here for a reminder about our 12/9 faculty service project.  Thanks to those of you who have been donating items, and I am proud that all of us will be donating our time for this endeavor Monday after school.

Assessment Support
Click here for a reminder about assessment support as the semester draws to a close.  There are very few classrooms without students who may benefit from or who are required to have support for test-taking, whether this means alternative setting, having a test read or scribed, or requiring an adapted or modified assessment.  There is support for both teachers and students for all of this in the building.

The reminders below may seem obvious, but they are good reminders, nonetheless, I think.  

• Please proofread (or have someone else proofread).  Missing words, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation mistakes can sometimes be easy to miss.
• Make directions clear and concise (I should follow this as well).  Use shorter sentences over longer and more complex ones. Use text features (e.g., Directions) to help students understand how tests are organized.
• If you need help modifying or adapting, please ask.  Adaptations and modifications are often student specific.  Please be aware of the student for whom you are adapting or modifying.  (For example, true and false statements should be avoided for students with language or processing issues.)
• I believe it is more respectful and that it honors the confidentiality of the student better when adapted or modified tests are re-written (as opposed to just circling or highlighting those things to which a student with this accommodation should attend).  
• Pay attention to the space on the page, for answers, for reading, etc.  

I have noticed that many new tests are written and organized by goal, moving from less to more complex questions.  I think this is an excellent practice on behalf of our test-takers at Hixson.  Thank you.

Hixson High Five Awards

It's time to begin thinking about whom you might nominate for the Hixson High Five award.  Please take sometime out of your busy schedule to recognize students, who may not otherwise be recognized, for their readiness, respect, and responsibility.  Students really do value and benefit from this personal feedback.  Click here to read more information about the High Five Award.  Click here to e-mail Mrs. Davis your nominee. She will need to receive this on or before 12/20/13.

Adding Events to Hixson Calendars and Reserving Space
This video will be helpful to those of us needing to add events to our Hixson calendars and who need to reserve space.  Click here to view it.