The Cornelius Chronicle

March 11, 2016

Anita Archer Gems

Design of Instruction - Facts

Explicit Instruction of Facts/Info (with gestures)

• Attend
• Intend
• Rehearse
• Retrieve

R-C-R-C

Read

Cover up info

Recite it

Check (lift hand)

C-O-P-S

Capitalization

Overall appearance

Punctuation

Spelling

Mid-Year Review

Here is the mid-year review of my goals, which are actually our SIP goals, that I turned into my supervisor, John O’Neill.  As I’ve approved all of your mid-year reviews, I wanted you to all have access to what I submitted for my mid-year review.

Reading

We have already made huge growth in reading K-2 in both English and Spanish, based on EasyCBM English reading and IDEL Spanish reading assessments conducted in January.  We have made significant growth in Spanish reading at the 4th grade level, as measured by the EDL assessment.  Our winter assessment results showed that we are stagnant at 3rd and 4th grade for English reading and also at 3rd grade for Spanish reading.  

To that end, we have reviewed and revised our interventions for 3rd and 4th grade reading.  We are trying to use our G & G DLP model of focusing on native language literacy, so we are now doing interventions in Spanish for 3rd and 4th grades to improve both their Spanish and English reading skills.

Our goal for Kinder literacy in both languages is 70% of students at some/low risk and we are already at 87% in English and 93% in Spanish, well exceeding our year-end goals mid-year!

Our goal for 1st grade literacy in both languages is 75% of students at some/low risk and we are already at 80% in English and 71% in Spanish, exceeding our year-end goal mid-year in English and very much on track to meet our year-end goal in Spanish!

Our goal for 2nd grade literacy in both languages is 75% of students at some/low risk and we are already at 67% in English and 76% in Spanish, on track to meeting our year-end goal in English and already meeting our year-end goal mid-year in Spanish!

Our goal for 3rd grade literacy in both languages is 75% of students at some/low risk and we are at 37% in English and 52% in Spanish, far away from meeting our year-end goal mid-year in English and on track to meet our year-end goal in Spanish!  

Our goal for 4th grade literacy in both languages is 60% of students at some/low risk and we are at 54% in English and 82% in Spanish, on track to meeting our year-end goal mid-year in English and exceeding our year-end goal already mid-year in Spanish!

English Reading

Grade Level	Fall Results & Winter Goals	Winter Results
K Native Lang.	Fall →Winter L  31     56 S  44     31 H  25     13	Winter L  67%     S  20%   H  13%
1 Native Lang.	Fall →Winter L  55      64 S  18     18 H  27     18	Winter L  60%     S  20%      H  20%
2 All	Fall →Winter L  17     36 S  31     15 H  53     49	Winter L  41%    S  26%   H  33%
3 All	Fall →Winter L  27     33 S  32     32 H  41     35	Winter L  19%      S  18%    H  63%
4 All	Fall →Winter L  26     36 S  30     29 H  44     35	Winter L  26% S  29% H  45%

Spanish Reading

Grade Level	Fall Results & Winter Goals	Winter Results
K Native Lang.	Fall →Winter L  29     42 S  18     37 H  53     21	Winter L  54%    S  39%    H  7%
1 Native Lang.	Fall →Winter L  27     44 S  33     29 H  40     27	Winter L  50% S  21%     H  29%
2 All	Fall →Winter L  58     58 S  17     22 H  25     20	Winter L  69%     S  7%   H  24%
3 All	Fall →Winter L  48     50 S  20     21 H  41     29	Winter L  36%   S  16% H  48%
4 All except Wolf’s class	Fall →Winter L  42      52 S  18     18 H  40     30	Winter L   55%     S  27%      H  18%

One of our goals for math is that students in 3rd and 4th grade will show 25% growth in unearned points from fall to spring on the IAP math assessment.  After our winter IAP testing in 3rd and 4th grades, we have an average growth from fall to winter of 14% in 3rd grade and 7% in 4th grade.  We are hoping that we will have 25% growth for all of our students by the May IAP test. I think we are on track for both 3rd and 4th grade, even though the numbers don't suggest that based on the fact that the majority of the IAP test (and SBAC) are on topics that hadn't been taught by the time that students took the January IAP test (fractions!).  

Our other math goal is that we will have 33% of our students meet the SBAC math assessment and get a score on the IAP assessment to meet SBAC.  After winter IAP testing, 31% of 3rd graders and 27% of 4th graders have earned an average of 60% of the points on the IAP which indicates that they will meet SBAC in math, which is on track to meet our math goal for SBAC.

See IAP Winter Results below:

2015-16 IAP Cornelius
Grade 3		Fall	Winter
Row Labels	Average of Growth	Average of Score	Average of Score2	Average of 60%+
Class 1	16%	47.2	79.2	33%
Class 2	12%	42.1	70.9	30%
Grand Total	14%	44.7	74.9	31%
2015-16 IAP Cornelius
Grade 4		Fall	Winter
Row Labels	Average of Growth	Average of Score	Average of Score2	Average of 60%+
Class 1	6%	53.7	66.4	28%
Class 2	7%	52.1	68.5	29%
Class 3	9%	38.2	59.1	25%
Grand Total	7%	48.5	65.4	27%

Cornelius Cruisers

Our Cornelius Cruisers program will be starting the week after spring break, Tuesday 3/29 - Thursday 5/12.  Every Tuesday and Thursday at lunch recess for 2nd-4th grades and the afternoon recess for K-1, encourage your students to walk/run!  It would be fun for teachers to occasionally walk/run with their class!  Staff may “dress down” on those days in athletic gear - please no short shorts!  :)

Don't forget to sign up for the 5K race that benefits W.L. Henry Elementary this year!  http://www.teamupforstudents.org/

ELPA

HUGE thanks to Melissa and Janelly for being our ELPA Queens this year - again!  We have finished ELPA testing for all students except one who is in Mexico!  Yay!

SBAC Testing

We will start SBAC testing a week after spring break.  We will begin with 3rd grade and then do 4th grade (as our state report card is weighted 75% on growth and we can only show growth from 3rd to 4th grade).  All students need to have practiced on SBAC practice tests before taking SBAC.  

Schedule for SBAC

March 28-April 1 Review/Practice Tests for 3rd Grade

April 4-8 3rd Grade Reading CAT

April 11-15 3rd Grade Reading PT

April 18-22 3rd Grade Math CAT

April 25-28 3rd Grade Math PT

May 2-6 4th Grade Reading CAT

May 9-13 4th Grade Reading PT

May 16-20 4th Grade Math CAT

May 23-27 4th Grade Math PT

Cornelius Kindergarten Round Up - Tuesday, April 5th from 4-6 pm!  For all incoming kinders and their parents:  meet the teachers, get a free book bag with books, and learn how to help your child be ready for kindergarten!  Parents need to bring a copy of their child’s birth certificate, immunization records, and documentation of a vision screening!

Spring Fundraiser

We will kick off our spring catalog fundraiser with an assembly on the day after spring break, 3/28 from 2:30 - 3:00 pm.  The fundraiser will last two weeks.  The kids will be selling yummy food items - like edible cookie dough (why bake it?  Just eat it straight from the package!)....Our goal will be raising money to support spring field trips!  Students who sell 15+ items will earn a limo ride to have lunch at Godfather’s Pizza!  There will also be a competition for teachers who get their students to participate!  If 8 students sell at least one item, the teacher gets a free item from the catalog!  If 14 students sell at least one item, the teacher gets 3 free items from the catalog!  If 20 students sell at least one item, the teacher gets 3 free items from the catalog AND a $100 VISA gift card!!!

SLC Students

The week after spring break, we will have an SLC (Social Learning Center) class in the portable outside.  SLC teacher, Amy Kelleher (Mrs. K), talked to certified staff about the best way to interact with her staff and students today and I wanted to pass her tips along to the rest of our staff.  

• Do not give the students in the SLC “Stop and Thinks” - not effective.
• If you think an SLC staff member needs assistance with a student, ask in your best sing-song-y “Barbie” voice, “Do you need any assistance?” before trying to help them.  Most likely the answer will be, No.
• Before you give a Pride ticket to one of the SLC students, ask an SLC staff member, “Do you think this student has earned a Pride ticket?” because sometimes a student looks like he’s being appropriate and he is actually being non-compliant and we don’t want to reward that behavior.
• SLC students will always be accompanied by a staff member when they are inside the building.  We will figure out how to best incorporate them into recess, lunch, specials….but we will advise everyone before we begin that.

Reminders:

• There WILL be a lock-down drill at some point the week after spring break - unannounced!  The reason that it is unannounced is I want to practice what we do with students when we DON’T expect something to happen.  A review of what a lock-down drill is: I will come on the loud speaker and say "Lockdown drill, locks, lights, out of sight...this is a drill," so as not to scare the students.

• Remember whenever you are in the building, you go the hallway, pull any kids or adults you see in the hallway into your room.  Lock the door & turn out the lights if possible.  Students don’t have to be all together, just away from the door.  Under their desks is a good position.  They must remain silent.  Make sure your hall door window is covered.  Take roll silently.  Do not use the classroom phone.  Turn cell phone on silent.  Do not worry about outside window coverings.  The threat is inside the building.

• If this were a real scenario and you could get your students out of the building safely, you would evacuate through your outside doors to get away from a threat inside the building.  

• All staff needs to know how to do an all-call on the PA system because if you see a threat, you need to be able to warn the whole school.  Most likely the office will be dealing with the issue and will not be able to do an all-call.  
• From any phone in the building, pick up the receiver and dial 1055.  Wait for “beep, beep”.  Dial 0, 0.  Say “Lockdown!  Lockdown!  Locks, lights, out of sight!”

• If you are outside, you would stay outside and find cover with whichever children you are supervising.  Best bet would be to go to the police/fire station or library, if possible.

• You will be released by the drill by me or Cheryl/Irene keying into your room.  Do not open the door for anyone.  Do not release from the drill by an announcement or a fire drill.  The lock down supersedes the fire alarm unless you actually see smoke/fire.

• We will NOT do an evacuation after this drill.

• We practice these drills in order to figure out any issues before we are in an emergency situation.

Bus Duty: 2nd & 4th grade teachers, and the “regulars”!

Calendar:

3/21-3/25 Spring Break!

3/28-4/1 Spirit Week!

3/28-4/1 PBIS Review

3/28 8:00 am PBIS Team Meeting

3/28 Get enough sleep - PJ Day!

3/28 2:30 pm Fundraiser Assembly

3/29 Wear your thinking cap - Hat Day!

3/30 Genius Day - Dress like your favorite genius - Crazy hair, glasses, etc!

3/30 8:00 am CIT: Tech Training in Chelsea’s room

3/30 8:30-4:00 District Equity Team Meeting (Lourdes, Jacob, Alondra, Janelly, Angella)

3/31 Dress to Impress - Dress Up Day!

3/31 8:00-12:00 Admin Meeting (Angella)

3/31 1-2:30 pm 3rd Grade Field Trip to Virginia Garcia

4/1 College Pride Day - Wear your college gear!

4/1 8:00 am Kinder Cougar Team (Lawson’s Room 15)

4/1 4:00 pm First Friday Equity Staff Happy Hour (Prime Time Upstairs Room)

Looking ahead:

4/4 3rd Grade SBAC Reading Testing