Ice, ice baby?

It goes without saying, I know everyone will stay close to the weather outlets this weekend.  If winter weather does impact school next week, let's return ready to make the most of every day with our students!  If we are back at school on Monday, let's start the week on a jeans day... might make your return a bit easier.  :)


STINGER STORIES

Read the latest edition of Stinger Stories at the link below.

https://app.smore.com/n/wetr9

STAFF SHIRT SIZE REQUEST
We would like to update our current staff shirt size listings.  Please complete this form by Monday, 1/26!

TOTY TIME!
Submit your TOTY nominations by 1/26 to any member of the selection committee (Vick, English, Young). Ballots will be available on 1/30.

SOR WALKS, 1/26-1/28
Our SOR Facilitator will be on campus to conduct the next round of SOR Walks with a focus on ORAL LANGUAGE & TEXT COMPREHENSION. Katy sent an email to all staff included in walks next week. Please be mindful, if school is interrupted on Monday - walks will be reschedule for another day next week.

Brush up on Oral Language! A language rich classroom intentionally fosters opportunities for students to build, use, and play with language in reading & writing. Frequent turn & talks and choral response are two high leverage strategies to foster oral language in the classroom. Here are other strategies we have learned through the years!
  • Ask open-ended prompts to engage students in putting into words what they have learned.
  • Plan for students to participate orally through Turn & Talk, Think-Pair-Share, Pick Sticks so all students have the opportunity to participate.
  • Plan for students to participate orally through choral response.
  • Use scaffolds to support oral language in the classroom (sentence stems, word banks, restate/rephrase students to model strong oral language).
  • Explicitly use academic language (Sparkle Words, WOW Words, etc.) to lift the level of daily language used by students and create a word conscious classroom.
  • Provide opportunities for students to "repeat after me" and paly with language to build phonological, morphological, and syntactical awareness.

Text Comprehension Refresh! When text comprehension is at the center of a lesson, meaning is the main course. Text structure is used to facilitate meaning and text structure graphic organizers used for students to demonstrate understanding of the text.
  • Establish a purpose for reading and teach relevant vocabulary that builds new knowledge
  • Assist students in organizing new understandings by explicitly teaching or reviewing text structure
  • Use graphic organizers during/after reading, that match the text structure type, for students to demonstrate understanding ACCESS OUR SCHOOL ORGANIZERS HERE!
  • Constructs a mental model by engaging students in conversation about the text
  • Support students in communicating what they learned from the text by using graphic organizers
PETER PAN, 2/11-2/12
Our Tuesday drama cast will take flight on 2/11-2/12 for the production of Peter Pan Jr. Evening performances begin at 7PM. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

The school production is scheduled for 2/11. Please see trip details and logistics below.
Trip Details:
  • Permission Slips were signed at the beginning of the year.  Nothing to send home
  • Field trip shirts not required.
  • NO 3rd grade or 5th grade specials.  NO reading small groups from 9:30-11:00.
  • First bus shuttle (3rd-5th Grade + 2A/2B) will leave at 9:30 AM.  WS staff will be at Marietta Middle School to assist with seating and provide supervised restroom breaks.
  • Second bus shuttle (K-1st Grade + 2C/2D/2E) will leave at 9:45 AM.
  • The show will begin at 10:00 AM.  The show run time is approximately 60 minutes. 
  • First return shuttle (K-1st Grade + 2C/2D/2E) will leave at approximately 11:00 AM. Kinder needs to report straight to the cafeteria.
  • Second bus shuttle (3rd-5th Grade + 2A/2B) will leave at 11:15 AM.
  • No changes to lunch schedules.

REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK ARE BELOW!

3RD-5TH GRADE AFTER SCHOOL READING TUTORING BEGINS, 1/26
HR teachers will receive a list of students participating in after school tutoring for dismissal purposes. All participating students will be dismissed to the gym at 3:05 for a movement break before tutoring begins at 3:30.  Tutoring meets on Mondays/Thursdays, ending at 5:00.

CAREER WEEK & DAY, 1/26 & 1/30
We have two school Career Week activities scheduled.
  1. 1/26 - Wear your college colors! Staff are encouraged to wear the college colors to represent their school. Students may wear college colors.
  2. 1/30 - 3rd-5th grade will participate in career day rotations (schedule sent by the counselors) during specials time. 3rd-5th grade students can dress for success. K-2nd grade students can dress for future careers.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM, 2/6
We are excited to partner with MHS performing arts students who will share their Black History Month performance with our school. All classes should arrive to the gym at 9:30 AM for the program. We anticipate a 30 minute program.

SOR CYCLE RESOURCE REVIEW!
As you launch reading small groups, use the resource document HERE to support fluency, text comprehension & vocabulary.  Page 2 includes MANY text ready to use aligned to your grade level content standards!

STEPS Lessons - Every STEP, Every DAY!  Beginning new reading small groups with strong routines will help your groups get off to a great start!  One routine to prioritize this semester is P = PRACTICE.  
  • The PRACTICE phase of the lesson is the largest bulk of instruction during STEPS (10-12 minutes during a 30 minute reading small group)
  • During PRACTICE, the STUDENTS are doing the reading work.  This is when the teacher turns the text over to the students with a clear purpose for reading to do the heavy lift.  Everyone does everything - every student reads independently or with a partner during the practice phase.  
ACCESS TESTING
ACCESS testing for ESOL students will continue next week.  If you see "TESTING" signs in the hallway, please be quiet during transitions.

UPCOMING MLT & LLT
Please be mindful we will have several subs in the building on 1/28 (MLT) and 1/30 (LLT) for district MLT/LLT meetings.

UPCOMING GIFTED DATES
  • 1/31 - Parent/teacher referrals for gifted testing DUE
  • 2/23-3/19 - Spring Gifted Testing (MILE paused due to testing)
  • 2/27 - TD Session 2 Ends
  • 3/23 - TD Session 3 Begins (K-2nd ONLY)
WSSN!  HOW CAN I ACCESS THE WSSN EACH WEEK?
We have created a show page for teachers to easily access WSSN each week from your ViewBoard.  Follow these steps to create a shortcut to keep the show page one click away:
  1. Open the WSSN Show Page
  2. Click 3 dots on Google Toolbar
  3. Choose Cast, Save and Share
  4. Create Shortcut (It will appear on the Desktop)
  5. When you open the Shortcut, click on the Monday morning date to access WSSN for that week!
  6. Watch with your class. :)
STAFF ABSENCE REMINDERS!
There are THREE steps to follow, if you are going to out unexpectedly.
  1. Text both Carla and Lindsay.
  2. Fill out Employee Leave Yellow form (DIGITAL FORM HERE).
  3. Complete absence in Kelly/Frontline.
UPCOMING DATES (Dates added since last week)
  • 1/26-1/30 - College & Career Week
  • 1/26-1/28 - SOR Facilitator on Campus
  • 1/27 - PLCs
  • 1/28 - Faculty Meeting
  • 1/29 - Dress Down Day
  • 1/30 - Career Day (3rd-5th Grade - see schedule from counselors)
  • 2/2-2/5 - SOR Coaching Cycle
  • 2/2 - 5th Grade FT
  • 2/3, 2/5, 2/6 - DIY Maker Night
  • 2/4 - Vertical Teams
  • 2/6 - BHM Program @ 9:30 AM
  • 2/10 - PLCs
  • 2/11 - School-wide FT (Peter Pan Jr.)
  • 2/11 - Leadership Team
  • 2/11-2/12 - Peter Pan Jr. Community Performances
  • 2/13 - Q3 Progress Reports DUE
  • 2/13 - PTA Valentines Day Treat
  • 2/16-2/20 - Mid-winter Break!

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