January 27, 2012

PBIS Assembly Today!

Room 407 - Running record forms have been replenished. Please let me know if they get low again or if other items are needed. 


February 1st PD agenda can be found on our 2011-12 PD document google document. We will be revisiting teacher blogs, introducing the online conference tool, allowing teams to share PLC goal process and time for teams to continue their work. Please review the agenda prior to Wednesday.


Attendance - Take attendance twice a day and only mark NV if a child is not there when you take attendance. Even if you have a parent email or the student is tardy - Paula takes care of determining this for consistent communication purposes. Remind parents to include Paula in on attendance emails that come directly to you. Finally - please review Paula's email from last Friday for more information. Thanks!


Budget Odds-n-Ends - Everyone should have their remaining 2011-12 budget and the deadline is March 2. I visited with several teams, but not all, regarding lamination. We have run through 3 rolls of lamination in the past month and cannot continue to purchase lamination at this rate. When deciding to laminate, please only focus on "need" versus "want." There will be times this spring we will not have lamination so please be aware. Several staff members told me the new method of hanging the clips has worked but wastes lamination. Agreed! ...but the gentleman who came to repair our laminator several times was 5x more expensive than an entire roll of lamination. I appreciate you continuing to look for ways to make our processes better and more efficient!


Valentine's Party - We wil run an early out schedule on Thursday, February 9 (work day 2/10). Please ensure your parents are aware of the date/time of party (2:30-3:15p) and any other communication that goes along with the party for your classroom/grade level. Kara will send an "allergy reminder" out through our parent listserve but that also is good practice within your own communications!


PLC Institute - We have several teachers attending this summer's institute in St. Louis who may have a conflict so we will need to have some MGE teachers on a waiting list in case we need to fill some spots. Please email me if you are interested in being on that list (date: June 6-9). This would include those who have and have not attended. Those set to go this summer include: White, R.Broich, Grote, T.Broich, Van Meter, Masters, Goerend, Jones, Richer and Koenigs.


2012-13 staffing discussions have started and the one thing we know is that Maple Grove will have more students and staff next year! Decisions will be made in February by our school board so watch the school board reports this coming month and I will keep you posted.

                     2011-12 Current Enrollment

- Grade -	- Students -	11-12 Sections	12-13 Sections*
K	145	6	6
1st	113	5	6
2nd	124	5	5
3rd	106	4	5
4th	96	4	4
5th	99	4	4

* Proposed

January At-Bat Songs - Last Week!

There will be a bonus point for teams who hand their card in 

by the dead-line this month!
At-Bat sheets due by February 1st!!
This month's contestants include:

Coulter, Craig, Barry, O'Neill, Mefford, Poll
Roberts, Shwery, Van Meter, Williams

Cha Cha Slide - DJ Casper

We Are - Jari Kobe

January 20, 2012

The conversation during our January 18th PD was great. I am reading through team's PLC reflections and will have those back in your boxes today. The short term goals team's wrote are very appropriate for each team's current work and mission. I look forward to seeing the results and the opportunity for your team to share your new learning with other teams across the district on February 18th. Let me know what support you need to move forward.


I will have more information regarding this summer's PLC Institute early next week. We had nearly 20 teachers interested so I'm hopeful we can get those interested to the institute either this summer or next summer.


Haven't had time to take our Data Collection Survey? Please do so today by clicking here.


Days and times for your P/T Conference Schedule should be set by Monday. The link for parents has been set up on our website so you may check it out. The guidelines can now be found on the blog (P/T Online Conf tab). We do not need schedules emailed to the office this time! Please get those schedules to your ESL/SPED teacher if you share students and bring them to our February 1st PD!


Classroom Newsletter/Update - All classrooms should provide a parent update the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month. This can be done via your blog (with a link/reminder to parents) or through an email. If parents do not have access to the internet, please provide a hard copy. A couple teams take turns creating a single update that each teacher can add/tailor themselves before they send out - this is a great way to collaborate. Becky has started to have students do video updates so check those out and talk to her if you're interested. 


An iPad App worth taking a look at is Educreations. For a description of how easy you can produce and share a lesson or information, click here. No iPad even needed!


PBIS Assembly is scheduled for next Friday (1/27). Plan on a RA early out schedule and more information to come from the PBIS team!


Best of luck to Rebecca Miller as she finishes her last day today at Maple Grove. We appreciate your dedication to the kids you have worked with during your time here!

January At-Bat Songs Begin

There will be a bonus point for teams who hand their card in 

by the dead-line this month so stay tuned for that date!
Two this week and two more next week!

This month's contestants include:
Coulter, Craig, Barry, O'Neill, Mefford, Poll
Roberts, Shwery, Van Meter, Williams

Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

January 13, 2012

Next week's PD will be focused on pushing the PLC process and will be great opportunity for teams to reflect, collaborate and assess where your PLC is at in the process continuum. There will also be time built in to continue the work from our PD and/or spend time on current PLC work.


PLC Institute Survey (click here)- I'm still missing a few teacher responses to the survey sent out earlier this week. This is for all certified staff and should be completed today.


Monday Morning PD -  If you have not turned in your breakout session feedback and pink puzzle sheets, please do so. Everyone else should find their sheets in your boxes. Thank you for the feedback! 


SPED Teachers - Please turn in ITBS accommodations and fall/winter benchmark data to Lyndsay by Friday, January 20th

Winter Assessment for Our Goals - It is time for Leslie and I to check progress toward our goals and to see where continued support is needed. Please take 5 minutes to complete the mid-year survey on data collection. Thank you in advance!


Running Record Forms (and anything else) - Any forms you would have Leslie send to print before, please put those in Lyndsay or my box until Leslie returns. We will get them sent off to print for you!


...speaking of print, you may find more print requests back in your box with a question from me. We are running a bit ahead of our budgeted amount for district print. At the end of December we had spent $6463 on district print with a $12,000 budget for the year. Just because it is back in your box, does not mean it is denied, but rather I have a question prior to initialing. I appreciate you looking for ways to cut back on print (emailing notes out to parents, using the scanner and projector, having students use their notebooks, etc.) and sharing those ideas with your colleagues. Every penny counts.


...speaking of budgets, each team will get the annual budget memo from me soon. This year, I am asking teams/teachers to spend their budget prior to Friday, March 2.


Out-of-District PD - Several staff members have talked to me about conferences or workshops they want to attend this spring so I thought I would lay out an all staff response. With the focus this summer of getting as many teachers to the PLC Institute, we will put our building funds in that basket this year. Even if staff members pay for the conference/workshop on their own, our building has to pick up the tab for the sub (est. $130). There are some staff members attending conferences/workshops this year but those are tied to grants (district/outside) or Title I related initiatives. You are always welcome to submit for a grant to attend a conference and sub costs BUT you would need to clear the leave with Lyndsay or I prior to submitting. I hope that makes sense - if not, stop in to chat.


Conference scheduling will change a bit for Brookview and Maple Grove this February/March as we test out an online scheduling program. You will be engaged in an "e-meeting" with me to gain some background in our move to online scheduling so look for that message to come to you next week. A portion of our February 1st PD will be devoted to getting your schedules set up online. I'm excited about the opportunity and I know teachers/parents will be too! More info to come!


Portfolios - The question came up Monday as to when Career-Year 3 portfolios are due this year. The "full-detail" spring evaluation memo will be out later this month but the portfolio due date is set for April 2nd.


Hearing Screens will be taking place on Jan 24-26. Please refer to Kara's email (1/12) for more information. Flexibility and patience is appreciated.

January At-Bat Songs Begin

There will be a bonus point for teams who hand their card in 

by the dead-line this month so stay tuned for that date!

This month's contestants include:
Coulter, Craig, Barry, O'Neill, Mefford, Poll
Roberts, Shwery, Van Meter, Williams

American Honey - Lady Antebellum

Settlin' - Sugarland

One Day - Matisyahu & PS22

January 6, 2012

Monday Morning PD - Please be in the library by 8:00 am Monday for our professional development and bring your RED Emergency Reference Guide with you. The agenda is below and groups for our break-out session will be finalized Friday. 


Thank you for making sure you have retaught PBIS expectations this first week or so. We know it takes time away from instruction but many of you know that it is time well spent now so you don't have to repeat yourself many more times over the next few months.


Winter Assessment Data - If you haven't already, please get all data entered on the Google spreadsheets by the end of the day on Monday, January 9th


1/2 Way Point - The end of the semester does not mean much in the elementary world, EXCEPT it does mean it is time to switch duties for many of you! Please look at the updated duty list that was sent out over break (also found on our Wiki) to see what your new duties require you to do. It is a also a great time to remind everyone that we all need to make sure we are doing our duty or have secured coverage if we cannot be in that location. Those switching - please share any tips/tricks with the team replacing you!


The Test-Formerly-Known-As-ITBS, will be administered to 3rd through 5th graders February 14-16. The newly named Iowa Assessments will have a new look and be tied directly with Iowa/Common standards. More information will be coming to those who administer the assessment to students (3rd-5th) and Cindi McDonald will be visiting with staff before school on Friday, January 27th.  


Panera night went pretty well back in early December.  PTO will be getting a check this week from Panera for $318!  Next restaurant night is Monday Feb 27^th. If you were not able to work this past one, please sign up for our next one by clicking here. Thank you to those who have already signed up!


Third Grade posted their first At-Bat win (with six matches) and is mounting a comeback. They have decided it may not be cool to sing You Gotta Fight for Your Right in front of the entire staff the last day of school. I still think it would be sort of cool...  The results are posted on our scorecard.

PBIS / PSC Professional Development

Monday, January 9th (8-10am)

MGE Library

1. Opening Activity
2. Bullying & Harassment website (Officer Sposeto)
3. PBIS Data Collection Review (Marron)
4. Problem Solving Process Review (Marron)
5. Intervention Breakout Sessions
• Behavior 
• Reading 
• Writing (Academic)
• Math (Assessing Math Concepts)
• Technology (iPad apps, etc.)
6. Sharing time with PLC

January At-Bat Songs Begin

Your score card should have my name written in January as Sara Harvey was on our score cards twice...and although the 5th grade would appreciate the help, we will just do her song once. :-) Best of luck this month. There will be a bonus point for teams who hand their card in by the dead-line this month so stay tuned for that date!


This month's contestants include:
Coulter, Craig, Barry, O'Neill, Mefford, Poll
Roberts, Shwery, Van Meter, Williams

Walk This Way - Aerosmith

Have a Nice Day - Bon Jovi

Brown Eyed Girl - Morrison