Friday Updates January 2009

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
January 16, 2009

This year, we have been concerned with how our schedule has worked for our 3rd graders. The number of transitions for them and having their core academic time in the afternoon has been difficult. Over the last couple of months, the leadership team has studied the issue and looked at ways that we could improve this situation for those students. The 3rd grade team and the leadership team, have come up with a workable alternative to improve their schedule. It involves a slight change to the 3rd grade AIG schedule and some slight changes to the specials schedule (Mostly rearranging the order of 3rd grade specials within their assigned time). Most people are not affected and the changes are minor. We will start the new 3rd grade schedule at the beginning of 3rd quarter. Anyone whose schedule will be impacted will be informed of the details next week. Thank you to everyone for your willingness to consider changes for the benefit of our students.

**Our School Improvement Plan vote was unanimous 75 – 0. Thank you for the job that you do every day!**

THE WAY TO A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
To leave the old with a burst of song.
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the things that bind you fast
To the vain regrets of the year that’s past;
To have the strength to let go your hold
Of the not worthwhile of the days grown old;
To dare go forth with a purpose true,
To the unknown task of the year that’s new;
To help your brother along the road,
To do his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world’s good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy New Year.
-Author Unknown

Monday 1/19 (Day 0) – MLK, Jr. Day

Tuesday 1/20 (Day 3) – EOQ testing, Central office personnel doing cultural diversity walkthroughs @ 9:45, SIT meeting

Wednesday 1/21 (Day 4) – EOQ testing

Thursday 1/22 (Day 5) – Tutoring (3rd-M, 5th-R), Tech Workshop (Build a Blog)

Friday 1/23 (Day 6) – End of quarter

PBS rewards assemblies for K-2, 3-5 (We will recognize our top egg earning classes in the next 2 weeks as a PBS kick-off to 2009)

Week of 1/26 - 1/30 – (1/26 Day 0) Teacher workday, Principal training, Katie Chamra Shower (1/27 Day 1) Start 3rd quarter, 4th grade field trip, PBS committee meeting, PTA board meeting, School board “High Growth” recognition (1/28 Day 2) Asst. Principals’ meeting, 4th grade field trip (1/29 Day 3) 4th grade field trip, Tech. Facilitator meeting, Tutoring, (1/30 Day 4) TGIF

Looking ahead

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Vernon, Biggam

Bus – Dosek, Jones, Crain, Garlow, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Coffield, Overby, Twyman
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, LeCompte
Inside – East, Womble, Roberts
Outside – Drummond, Cullen, Merrill, Currie, Wilson, Moss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Please remember our staff who have been dealing with sickness and health issues
Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
4th grade – Thank you for all of your time spent to train for the new NC writing test (Brooke and Jan have completed the Moodle)
Mary-Jane Everhardt – Congratulations – 2008-09 Southwest Teacher of the Year
Wende Powell – Great job with your ActiveBoard writing lesson
All 2nd quarter duty personnel – Thank you for doing your job to keep our students safe
Cathy Weiss & Maria Vernon – Thank you for representing our school well with your speech and language presentation


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
January 23, 2009

As we reach the halfway point to the school year, it is good to reflect on our accomplishments/needs for improvement for the first half of the year. Since we all touch our school in different ways, these reflections should be personal. All of us have many things to be proud of and at least a few things that we can do better. I challenge all of us to honestly reflect on the year and do our best to continue to serve our students to the best of our abilities.
There have been some questions regarding moving the end of quarter date after our snow day. I asked 5 surrounding schools if they shifted the end of quarter date or the report card date. I was told that the end of quarter date is set by the Central Office and that it has not changed. I was also told that none of the schools have changed their report card date (Lewisville’s report card date is January 27). I say all of that to confirm that 2nd quarter ends today and 3rd quarter begins Tuesday. Our report cards will go home February 3rd as planned. Please send your report cards to your assigned administrator by noon on Thursday, January 29th(K, 2 to Cressman, 1,3 to Hayes, 4,5,Core I & II to Keener).

“Even if you are on the right track. You will get run over if you just sit there.” –Will Rogers


Monday 1/26 (Day 0) – Teacher workday, Principal training, Katie Chamra Shower

Tuesday 1/27 (Day 1) – Start 3rd quarter, 4th grade in auditorium, PBS committee meeting, PTA board meeting, School board “High Growth” recognition

Wednesday 1/28 (Day 2) – Asst. Principals’ meeting,

Thursday 1/29 (Day 3) – Tutoring (3rd-M, 5th-R), Tech. Facilitator meeting

Friday 1/30 (Day 4) – TGIF

PBS rewards assemblies for K-2, 3-5 (We will recognize our top egg earning classes in the next 2 weeks as a PBS kick-off to 2009)

Week of 2/2 - 2/6 – (2/2 Day 5) Fun with fiddles for K (10:15), 4th grade scores to Debbie (2/3 Day 6) Mike at workshop, Mr. Keener at Principals meeting, Marzano training, WatchDOGS pizza kick-off (6-7)(2/4 Day 1) Central office cultural awareness school visit (Dr. Willette Nash will be here to give us feedback on how our school is doing with being culturally/diversity “friendly” ) (2/5 Day 2), (2/6 Day 3) Principals meeting, AR recognition (1:45)

Looking ahead

-February – Tiger Kim in PE classes and after-school opportunity for students ($$$$ goes to new playground equipment)
-Week of 2/16 – Science Festival (PE in auditorium)
-2/18 – Ident-a-Kid
-2009-2010 Kindergarten information – New law in place (all incoming kindergarten students have to be 5 years old by August 31st), Kindergarten registration deadline is March 4, Kindergarten screening is April 15

New Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Weiss, Aikins

Bus – Larson, Kreger, Sutcliffe, Marceron, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Chamra, Hancock, Salamanca
Afternoon – Caller – Wessell
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Alexander
Outside – DiSorbo, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Taylor, Weiss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Please remember our staff who have been dealing with sickness and health issues
-3rd and 4th grade teachers - please remember to run the Reading Diagnostic report from AR after school today. Be sure to add book report points to it and total it up. Put the report into Nicole Skinner's box by Monday. Thanks so much for encouraging our students to read.
Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
4th grade – Thank you for all of your time spent to train for the new NC writing test (Brooke and Jan have completed the Moodle)
Mary-Jane Everhardt – Congratulations – 2008-09 Southwest Teacher of the Year
Wende Powell – Great job with your ActiveBoard writing lesson
All 2nd quarter duty personnel – Thank you for doing your job to keep our students safe
Cathy Weiss & Maria Vernon – Thank you for representing our school well with your speech


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
January 30, 2009

As we reach the halfway point to the school year, it is good to reflect on our accomplishments/needs for improvement for the first half of the year. Since we all touch our school in different ways, these reflections should be personal. All of us have many things to be proud of and at least a few things that we can do better. I challenge all of us to honestly reflect on the year and do our best to continue to serve our students to the best of our abilities.
We are now in the “dogdays” of winter. We do not have another scheduled workday until March 31st. Please remember to take care of yourself and your family so that you can take care of our students. It has proven difficult to keep our constant momentum with PBS and now is the time that we need it. Our team will receive more training next week to help us move into the next phase of PBS. Everyone has a say in how well we do by continuing to give eggs to other classes, reminding students of their expectations in your duty areas (“Are you SOARING?”) and reteaching the expectations to students in your class.

“Childhood should be a journey……Not a race.” –Unknown


Monday 2/2 (Day 5) – Fun with fiddles for K (10:15), 4th grade scores to Debbie, Tutoring (5th-M, 3rd-R)

Tuesday 2/3 (Day 6) – Mike at workshop, Mr. Keener at Principals meeting, Marzano training, WatchDOGS pizza kick-off (6-7)

Wednesday 2/4 (Day 1) – Central office cultural awareness school visit (Dr. Willette Nash will be here to give us feedback on how our school is doing with being culturally/diversity “friendly” ), PBS team training

Thursday 2/5 (Day 2) – Tutoring (3rd-M, 5th-R), PBS team training, Tech. Facilitator meeting

Friday 2/6 (Day 3) – Principals meeting, AR recognition (1:45)

PBS rewards assemblies for K-2, 3-5 (We will recognize our top egg earning classes in the next 2 weeks as a PBS kick-off to 2009)

Week of 2/9 - 2/13 – (2/9 Day 4) Book fair in auditorium, Ms. Cressman & Mr. Keener at High Yield training, Tutoring (5th-M, 3rd-R) (2/10 Day 5) Progress reports, PTA book fair/Open House (6:30-8:00) (2/11 Day 6) Bookfair (2/12 Day 1) Bookfair ,Tutoring (3rd-M, 5th-R), Tech. workshop “Skype” (2/13 Day 2) Bookfair, TGIF

Looking ahead

-February – Tiger Kim in PE classes during week of Feb 2nd and after-school opportunity for students weeks of Feb 9th and Feb 23rd ($$$$ goes to new playground equipment)
-Week of 2/16 – Science Festival (PE in auditorium)
-2/18 – Ident-a-Kid
-2009-2010 Kindergarten information – New law in place (all incoming kindergarten students have to be 5 years old by August 31st), Kindergarten registration deadline is March 4, Kindergarten screening is April 15

New Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Sereika, East

Bus – Larson, Kreger, Sutcliffe, Marceron, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Chamra, Hancock, Salamanca
Afternoon – Caller – Wessell
Inside – Skinner, Vestal, Alexander
Outside – DiSorbo, Atkins, Lawrence, McGhee, Taylor, Weiss
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)
FYI/Reminders
-If you are unable to fulfill a morning or afternoon duty, please find a replacement
-Report cards home February 3
-PTA bookfair/Open house February 10 (6:30-8:00)
-Keep giving those eggs and reteach your students how to SOAR
Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
Glass office girls – Thank you for your help preparing our vocabulary word lists.
Southwest staff – Great job with report cards.
Duty-free lunch folks – Thanks for doing your best with a sometimes tough job.