April 1, 2011

Staffing Update - I'm excited to announce Desiree' Miller will be moving from 1st to 2nd grade this coming fall. No matter what grade Desiree' is in - I'm glad she is in our building! Congrats also to Kristin Grotewold as she will be moving to the middle school to teach math - you will be missed! The 4th grade position has already been posted so please let quality candidates know to get their application completed! Other open positions (added sections) were uploaded Thursday. Teachers who request a transfer need to email me, the principal with the vacancy (if it is in another building), and Duane Magee.

Year End Conference Reminder - Summative documents and portfolios (Year 3 and Initial Year 2) should be to your evaluator by April 1st (8am Monday morning, April 4th, is fine!). ITPDP Annual Conference Forms should be emailed back to evaluator (Barry or Marron) by April 15th.

Professional Development - The collaboration and conversations I listened to yesterday were great! Feedback from the survey has been good to read and will give us direction as to where we are heading next. I've included a couple key comments/answers below. Continue to refer back to our Google.doc rubrics to update your information, view other grade levels and add resources. In addition to Sharon's article in our bulletin, there was a recent DSMR article highlighting the effects of good teaching in Waukee and the EDM math program. Although it focuses on Eason's Darcy Nidey and Frankie DeMouth's work with their students, it could have easily been written about a number of wonderfully skilled teachers and classrooms in our building and across our district!

• It is not just EDM curriculum - it takes a combination of masterful teachers AND research-based curriculum in order to see the results we've seen (see above article).
• How can we have more of these math discussions? The Keys to Successful PLCs should be applied to ALL team work and collaboration (i.e. Math, reading, writing, behavior, etc.). If your team needs to discuss math during PLC time - do it! The data should drive your conversations.
• Do we have more resources available to enrich/exceed?  YES! In addition to the material out yesterday, the Skills Link has been ordered and teams should start or continue to pull in building "experts" such as Frankie, Kathy, Leslie, Desiree', Jen L., math core team members, etc.  Please add to the resources tab on our Google.doc.

A BIG Thank you goes to Cassandre Dirks for completing her 2nd long term subbing position here at Maple Grove! Mrs. Craig will be back on Monday and we welcome her back AND we will miss Cassandre here at Maple Grove!

Summer School - Maple Grove will host a summer school session starting in mid-July and will span 8 sessions over four weeks until early August. In total, 3 reading lab teachers and 36 students from BVE, WE and MGE in grades K-2 will be served. The students are being identified using reading data and whether parents can commit to their child attending on a regular basis. Once the students are confirmed, I will let teachers know who is attending so parents can be called If you have additional questions, please let me know.

Iowa Professional Development Model Profile - The BLT spent time this past week reviewing our professional development plan and actions through the completion of the IPDM survey. The survey can be found on the main page of our MGE Wiki. All buildings in the district will have completed the same profile and the district Iowa Core Leadership Team will look at the results to see trends and district needs for PD. The data will also serve as baseline data to use in future years to show growth as related to the Iowa Core.

Month of April/May Opportunity - I've been offered a wonderful opportunity to take part in an exchange program during the end of April and entire month of May. I will be switching principalships with a principal from St. Lucia Island for six weeks! It was a rushed decision but I think a great opportunity that was hard to pass up. I'll fill you in as I find more about it, but please look over the information I do have by clicking here.

Important Dates to Note - Continue to look at the Google Calendar too!
Thur, Mar 31 - Bang Bang Fundraiser (5:30 - 7:30p)
Fri, Apr 1 - Summative Forms/Portfolios due to Lyndsay/Doug
Fri, Apr 1 - Last day for AEA referrals
Mon, Ap 4 - MGE Parent Advisory (6:30 pm)
Wed, Apr 6 - Early Out PD (District by grade level/related arts); more info to come!
Fri, Apr 8 - Bus Evac (AM); Jump Rope assembly (PM);
Fri, Apr 8 - Early Out Related Arts schedule!

Website Reminder

Maple Grove receives 1 cent for each search completed on GoodSearch.com if you identify Maple Grove Elementary as your charity of choice. You may also start your online shopping here and we receive a percentage of sales too! So far this year, we've raised $65. Please share with parents and you can track how much we've earned by clicking here. 

March 25, 2011

Power SchoolRay Coffee let us know that we will migrate PowerSchool to a new server on Thursday, March 30th from 8:00pm-12:00am. During this time PowerSchool would be inaccessible.

Early Out PD takes place next Wednesday, March 30th. In addition to an overview of math curriculum progress from MGE's reps, we will spend some time covering 1 or 2 other items indicated as needs/wants from the survey. We will begin in the library at 2:05 pm.

Please welcome two new additions and a "change" in role at MGE! Jill Berner will finish the year as our afternoon PE teacher alongside Kacie Whipps. Amanda Heil will be filling in for Erin Peek in Mrs. Richer's room as Erin officially switches over to be Mrs. Baugh's maternity leave counselor! Jill and Amanda will be wonderful additions to MGE and Erin will provide a seamless transition for us as we finish the year.

Sign Up Reminders - please check out and/or sign up on the following lists...
- Bang Bang Fundraiser by the mailboxes - confirm or sign up TODAY
- Year end conferences by Lyndsay/my doors (certified staff)

Year End Conference Question was asked of me: "Will subs be provided?" Not something I've done in the past, but willing to do if needed. If you signed up and the time extends beyond your plan time (40 minute conference) or you just cannot find a time that fits with your schedule on those specific days, please indicate that on the sheet by writing "sub" next to your name. I will go from there.

Classroom/Grade Level Projects - If you have a major project/student presentation coming up, please let me know and email a short summary to Paula for the ESET. I love to see the kids in action and its great to promote the hands-on, community or technology projects you're doing with kids! Upcoming ones include the 5th grade World Travel Fair (4/1) and a 4th grade Midwest Speaker's Fair (4/15).

Grand View Opportunity - GVU is offering a Master of Science in Innovative Leadership degree with an emphasis on 21st Century skills and an opportunity to earn a $3000 fellowship. If interested read here to find out more and let me know as I would need to complete paperwork for you (recommendation). I am not endorsing the program, just informing.

Important Dates to Note - Continue to look at the Google Calendar too!
Fri, March 25 - PBIS Assembly (EARLY OUT SCHEDULE)
Mon, Mar 28 - PTO Mtg (7-8pm)
Wed, Mar 30 - Early Out/PD (2:05-4:00p)
Thur, Mar 31 - Bang Bang Fundraiser (5:30 - 7:30p)
Fri, Apr 1 - Summative Forms/Portfolios due to Lyndsay/Doug
Fri, Apr 1 - Last day for AEA referrals


Website of the Week
WeatherSpark is a new type of weather website, with interactive weather graphs that allow you to pan and zoom through the entire history of any weather station on earth.
http://weatherspark.com
Get multiple forecasts for the current location, overlaid on records and averages to put it all in context.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Starting today, we have volunteers coming in to help with lunch.  This came from a parents' effort to help maximize student lunch time.  In addition to monitoring and encouraging students during lunch, the volunteer will wipe tables so Mrs. Parker can take tickets from the next grade level coming in sooner. What does that mean for you?  On days we have volunteers, those on duty can keep kids in their seats longer - hence eat more and eat more healthily.  :-)  You can promote the volunteering by steering your parents to the calendar our parent created:  http://www.maplegrovevolunteer.or


Bang Bang Restaurant Fundraiser - WOW!!  Lots of volunteers!! The bad news is the middle Thursday has been taken so we have only two dates now:  March 31st and April 14th.  The good news is we would only need each teacher to volunteer for an hour (you can do the whole thing if you like). I put a sign up in the office by the mail boxes.  What does that mean for you? Please sign up and/or change your time/date by Thursday of this week!!  

Over break, Mr. Woodley accepted a position at Truman State University as their head men's basketball coach. He resigned, effective tomorrow, and a long term sub will be in place as soon as an appropriate one is found.

March 11, 2011

March 30 Math PD - A group of teachers have started working on the plan for our March 30th early out PD over math interventions, instruction and assessment. All non-related arts teachers should complete the following BRIEF survey prior to leaving for Spring Break: http://bit.ly/eZTBzL  


Standard Based Academic Reporting - In case you didn't hear, the school board approved phasing in SBAR at the middle school this past week (6th in 2011-12; 7th in 2012-13; 8th grade will be under review).  Jill Urich, Michelle Lettington, the middle school staff and district office personnel should be commended for the work they put in to it and the education they provided the community.  Two links worth viewing are the middle school's SBAR Wiki and an open letter from a group of Eastern Iowa educators in support of Waukee's work and mission.  


DonorsChoose.org update! Of the 12 projects posted, we have five projects that have been fully funded! The total worth of these projects is more than $1500! With half the money coming from Horace Mann's matching grant this has been a great opportunity for our classroom and kids! Bo Bishop did let me know this morning and the matching funds are down to $20,000 so they will not last much longer. New projects can be added and the projects on the website will stay, but they will need to be funded through private donors without the match. So please continue to use the site beyond the end of the matching program!

Funded Projects

Kacey Beyer, $380.31

Kelly White, $380.31

Joanna Huisman, $215.84

Lydia Grote, $189.07

Kelli Van Meter, $369.09

Bang-Bang Mongolian Grill fundraiser is a go! I'll have schedules out as soon as I get confirmation from our PTO person and BBMG. :-) If you didn't sign up through our survey, click here.  If you selected a date but cannot do it after the schedule comes out, please cross out your name. Ultimately, we need to know who will be there the Monday prior so we can promote it with parents! As with EVERYTHING ELSE you do...thanks.  You rock.  


Please Welcome our new evening custodian, Toni Rand! She started training this week and will become a regular with us starting March 21st.  


Calendar - There has been no feedback on my dropping the "two-week-dates-to-note" table so I'm assuming that you're good with just checking the Google.Calendar below. Someone did say the month view is difficult to look at so please note the "Week" tab on the top right side of the calendar. 


Pennies for Patients Dress-Up Days Here are the dress up days for the week after spring break so you can help us remind your classes:
 Monday--Team up against Leukemia (wear favorite team gear)
 Tuesday--Black out Leukemia (wear black)
 Wednesday--Put Leukemia to bed (wear pajamas)
 Thursday--Fight away Leukemia (dress as a superhero or community hero, i.e. firefighter, police officer, etc.)
 Friday--Put a lid on Leukemia (wear hats) 

Final Thoughts for the Week

...where I keep talking/typing and you 

don't necessarily have to continue listening/reading. 

iPad 2 Release - I'm not a techie nor have I ever owned an iPad, but last week's release of the iPad 2 has created conversation within the education world. The newly updated iPad 2 does have a camera feature and iMovie editing capabilities so thinking about the 4th grade projects the kids were working on the past two weeks, it would cut a step out of the equation, I suppose (no more flip camera videos to download). I will continue to monitor the usability of the iPad 2 as it applies to the classroom but the overwhelming response to the tech survey a month ago was push forward with projectors and installation.  If you're looking for information about whats new with the iPad 2, one useful site was found here. 

March 4, 2011

Recess Concern - As I've mentioned before, 1+1 does not equal 2 when it comes to recess supervision. I cannot continue to have student issues from recess reach my office and discover that 2-4 adults were standing together while the incident took place. Those on duty and myself will be liable if something were to happen on the playground and our supervision was not supervising. We cannot 'catch' everything that goes on, but we do not have excuses if we are talking to each other instead of walking around the playground. This is for those assigned recess lunch and afternoon duty, those subbing for duty and those staff members monitoring 1-2 specific kids during recess. The same can be said about PM attendance - its just one of those things we need to do even if we don't like it.  I appreciate everyone giving this attention.   


Conferences - **Reminder** If you have a conference you would like Lyndsay or I to attend, please let us know that soon. During mandatory times, Lyndsay will be here on March 9th as I will be at my own children's conferences.  I will be here March 10th.


Department of Education Site Visit reminder - next week: March 8-10!  See last week's post for more information, but they will be at Maple Grove on Tuesday, March 8. They will be meeting in the instructional coaches' room (rm 407) throughout the day!


DonorsChoose.org Update - Yeah!!  Grote & Huisman's projects have been fully funded!! Between the two of them, their classrooms will be receiving 11 CD players valued at nearly $240.  We have nine additional projects posted and awaiting funding.


TIME for Kids - Please have all packets turned in to the office by Monday.  Please remind kids on Friday that they have the weekend to get the post cards completed and returned.  For those class(es) who did not receive them in time (Bode & Jones), you have a couple additional days.  :-)  Replacement ducks?  I'm sorry - if a student lost them, they are lost.


Kindergarten Round-Up - Those involved in K Round-Up have a planning meeting tomorrow morning at 8:00 am.  The actual event will take place the evening of March 22nd at 6:30 pm.  If you have parents ask, please refer them to our district website as the link is located on the main page.


Bus Evacuation Drills will be held the morning of Friday, March 25th.  Lyndsay will be getting a schedule out to teachers in the near future.


Technology Items - Ray Coffey updated us about a couple items during the past two admin meetings that I would like to pass along:

• Computers will do updates on their own the first Tuesday of the month which is why your computer may have been slow this past Tuesday.  Expect this each month. 
• At some point over the next couple weeks, teacher/admin passwords and usernames will change on PowerSchool due to some needed updates.  It will all look the same and I will provide the new passwords/usernames to teachers before the updates happen.  

Other District Updates - A few other items to pass along to you from today's district admin meeting:

• Do not hold cash and checks if you are collecting money. Funds need to be to district office in a timely manner.
• Summer classes through our Community Education program can still be created and submitted to Connie Tow. Please get them to her by Monday, March 21.  
• An AEA/DE survey will be coming to your email soon. Please take time to complete the survey as your input is needed.  
• Capital Improvement Plan budget items should be approved by mid April so we will know if we can install at least 12 projectors!  
• Please login to iVisions and update your contact information. Everyone may want to do this just to make sure it is correct.

Spring Break - Anyone ready?

Final Thoughts for the Week

...where I keep talking/typing and you 

don't necessarily have to continue listening/reading. 

Sometimes you don't need to think.  
You just need to laugh.  
Bet you can't watch this and not laugh. Have a good weekend.

He who laughs, lasts

DB