Thursday MM - Day five

Good Morning!

Report Cards are to be delivered on Tuesday April 17th.  

• Kindergarten, First and Second grade data must be delivered to Andy and Kathy before the end of the day on  Wednesday April 11th.
• Third, Fourth and Fifth must have their grades in NC WISE and complete before the end of the day on Tuesday April 10th.  Page two should be electronically sent to Jeff before the end of the day on Wednesday April 11th.

The Next Quarter Specials Schedule is saved in the shared folder(Blog Documents) and posted on the board.  It will begin with a Day 6 on April 9th, and run through May 11th when a new schedule will be posted to accommodate testing and end of year activities. 

eWeek is coming up April 16-20, and the deadline is tomorrow (March 30) for grade levels to commit to their activities for eNight.  The chart is posted near the teacher sign-in sheet.  If you have questions of any kind, please contact Lara Overby or Linnea Patrick.


Problem-Based Learning is coming to Brunson!!!!
We have the amazing opportunity for 8-12 teachers to be trained August 6-9 with a followup session in the fall.  More about this at our next faculty meeting April 11th.


One of my favorite curriculum professors used to ask, "What is more important, Algebra or CPR?"  Well let's choose both as the central office wants to schedule a CPR cohort and train 8-10 staff members here at Brunson.  They will come to us and we need a wide variety of people who want to learn this vital skill.  Think about it and we will have more details at that April 11th faculty meeting.

This morning I will listen to a presentation from Diana Brulles on Cluster Grouping from 9-12.  she will present from 3-5 to teachers from the district and we are represented by Mariah, Betty Jo, and Paige.  tonight she will deliver an address to all community members interested at the central office boardroom.


I will not Blog Friday but will get one post in sometime Monday for the remainder of the break.


Subs:
Rosemary Hazy for Demarie Anderson 
Theresa Thomas for Michelle Gray
No sub for Irene Rush

Wednesday MM - Day 4

Good Morning!

We have a SIT meeting tonight to;

• plan our August Staff development
• discuss theme budget ($20,000)  supporting technology
• debrief the last meeting on Goal one & DIBELS
• receive feedback from Sharon Holmes, who returns April 18th as we review 3rd quarter Blue Diamond data.
• next steps of our magnet implementation including PBL and Systems Thinking. 

Fire Drill today.

Reminder that our Rs day on Friday is centered on planning for the implementation of CCES in 2012-13.  For this to be an effective use of our time, each and every presenter must be prepared while the learners must be engaged.  Our classified staff will not be working that day and will begin spring break after the school day ends on Thursday.  The following week I will work Monday and Silvia will open the office for business Tuesday and Wednesday.  The building will be closed Thursday and Good Friday.

Subs:

Denise Jennings for Nicole Londono

Charity Cota-Robles for Michelle Gray

Tuesday MM - Day three

Good Morning!

A note from Betty Weycker, our Superintendent of Technology

Access to YouTube for Education will be released by 1:00 pm, March 26. Please remind teachers and staff of the WS/FCS Acceptable Use Policy 6161.1. Use (of the Internet, specifically YouTube) is restricted to "authorized users."  For the purpose of this policy, an "authorized user" shall be defined as a school system employee or student who has been assigned a login ID and password by the school system.  Individual users are responsible for the proper use of their accounts, including the protection of their login IDs and passwords.   

Access to YouTube for Education will continue to be blocked and filtered for students.

 

Reminder of the Staff Acceptable Use Policy: 

 

Anyone accessing a Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System networked computer and/or Internet must complete this form. Use of the Network/Internet is a privilege, not a right. The District's Network/Internet connection is provided for business and educational purposes only.

 

All staff

I have read and agree to abide by the:

·         Website P.(6161.1)

·         Acceptable Use-Internet &Websites P.(6161.1)

·         Privacy of Student Records P.(5125)

·         Use of SchoolMail, Fax, & e-mail P.(1111)

·         Copyright Guidelines P.(6161.4)

 

Please contact the Service Desk for additional questions or concerns.

 

In other news

Dr. Harrison discusses Teacher Working Conditions Survey in His Latest Blog

In his latest blog, State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison encourages educators to participate in the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey, which opens March 26. A record 105,688 teachers and principals participated in the 2010 survey and provided valuable data to districts and schools. Teachers can access the survey beginning Monday at http://www.ncteachingconditions.org/. To read this blog and others, please visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/stateboard/aisi/2012/20120322.

 

Subs:

Cathy Wall for Cindy Sanders

Crystal Rook for Nicole Londono

Charity Cota-Robles for Michelle Gray

 

Monday MM - Day 2

Good Morning! Please read the post below this from Kathy.

We have a great week to build Joy!  Spring break is Joy.  Returning from break to a focused and committed class is a joy.  The efforts we place on instruction this week will set that table.

 

Differentiation training scheduled at Moore Elementary today has been cancelled.

I have only one e-mail concerning Systems thinking.  Deadline is Tuesday.

 

subs:

Rizwhana Khan for Demarie Anderson

Valerie Pruitt for Lynn Vernon

CCES Training/Testing

We will resume CCES training next Friday, Mar 30. The training schedule has been posted under blog documents on the shared drive, and will be posted on the board as well. If you are working with another team (or two), please communicate with each other the start time. Friday will include 4 hours for staff development and 2 hours for classroom work.

The End of Quarter tests will continue on this schedule:
Monday @ 8:30 Reading
Tuesday @ 8:30 Math Calc Active
Wednesday @ 8:30 Math Calc Inactive

Just about every staff member will be involved in EOQ testing, with the exception of K-2 teachers.

The field tests (April 12) will involve all 5th grade teachers, ESL, and EC. Proctors will be Vivanco, Gray, Richardson, Newman, Cook , Manigault, Bristow, Rush, Robinson, Gillespie, and Davis. Ms. Claudio will be back-up. I would like to train proctors on Tuesday the 10th immediately following morning announcements (in the cafe).

Thank you to everyone for your patience and flexibility in testing season.

Friday MM - Day One

Good Morning!

Science Quarter test for fifth grade is first thing this morning!  The adjusted schedule for today and next week is in the shared folder (blog documents) and on the board.

BUGZ was great last night!  Thanks to all our wonderful staff who provided leadership, effort and creativity to make it a memorable evening for our students and their families.

Subs today;

Joey Stone for Lisa Weber

Keep Andy in your thoughts as he is in Chapel Hill today to attend the funeral of his 94 year old Grandfather.

Thursday MM - Day six

Good Morning!

I so enjoyed hearing from the theme team on our vision for STEM week April 16-20.  I strongly connected to the the part about "owning" the activity and making it quality.

Enjoy the day and PLEASE come out to support the 2nd and third grade students in their performance of "BUGZ" at 6pm tonight.

What a spectacular performance by the UNCSA students as they captivated our students in a timeless story.  We will continue our arts/dance education with an "informance" from the Carolina Ballet in April.

Remember that the training for the 5th grade field test and Extend 2 will be Monday April 9th.

Subs:

Kim Dishner for Stephanie Smith AM only

Antoinette Miller for Lynn Vernon

Wednesday MM - Day Five

Good Morning!

Important information will be shared at our faculty meeting tonight including STEM week activities and an update on the budget issues and AIG.  Please be in the media center by 3:20 so we may start on time.

We are a site for a State Field test for fifth grade.  That administration will take place on Thursday, April 12th to coincide with the Extend 2 testing which runs through the 13th.

Yet before we hit April, we still have the formative EOQ administration with a unique schedule developed to add proctors and build familiarity for the EOG.  Assignments for all our instructional assistants will be made prior to the faculty meeting on Wednesday.  

Learning Team Meetings during our quarter testing window are off the typical schedule and will be uniquely arranged by Andy and Kathy.  Look for some communication from them regarding your next meeting date as some will be rescheduled while others are at a point to be cancelled until we return from Spring Break.

The specials schedule is only slightly adjusted for Friday's Science (sorry to the fifth grade HAG teachers.)  Monday through Wednesday the specials are 25 minutes in length beginning at the posted time.  This five minute "Passing Period" before the next class arrives allows each specialist to prepare.  Thursday, Mach 29th, we will be back on the regular Day 5 schedule.

This schedule can be found on the shared folder under Blog documents and will be posted on the board for your information.

Subs: 

Kim Dishner for Chris Webster

Tuesday MM - Day four

Good Morning!

The Wednesday UNCSA production of "Peter and the Wolf" will be for 3rd, 4th & 5th grade students as the performance occurs on the gym floor and space is limited.  

HAG Tours today and Thursday.

Subs:

Valerie Pruitt for Mariah Lee

Joey Stone for Mary Lauren Burrell

Rosemary Hazy for Karon Kiger

Gwen Sloan for Tonya Grissette 

No sub for Kathy Wilheit in the AM as she is at Filed Testing training.


 

Monday MM

Good Morning!

Great week ahead as we prepare to measure our effectiveness with the quarter test.  This formative assessment will guide our efforts in the 4th quarter as we help students learn.

We have some great Arts presentations this week.  First, The UNCSA production of "Peter and the Wolf" will be in our gym on Wednesday at 9:30.  On Thursday our 2nd and 3rd grade students will present "Bugz" at 6 pm in our gym.  

Faculty meeting this Wednesday will focus on our April 16-20 STEM week.  The Theme Team will be presenting the vision for our Thursday evening STEM night and the steps to make it a success for all.

Subs:

Vivian Spease for Lynn Vernon

No sub for Doris Davis

No sub for Patricia Vivanco

Vote Today!

Follow the link to Vote for the one of our Young Author Magazine covers.

Friday MM - Day 2

Good Morning!

I had a productive meeting Thursday.  The one item that is time sensitive is that we need from each Kindergarten through third grade teacher is a list of students who would benefit from BELL Services Summer School Program. 4th and 5th grade recommendations will be compiled by WSFCS based on assessment data. It is being run by a private company and will look much different this year as a FIVE week program with morning academics and afternoon enrichment.  Students will also take field trips each Friday.  Please e-mail Kathy the names and student numbers by Tuesday for the parents to be offered an application.  Space is not guaranteed, and will be decided upon yet to be determined eligibility rules, so only send names in of those students who are in need.

Below is some additional info from our state DPI.

Teacher Working Conditions:  School information Packet Delivery - NCAE representatives will receive information regarding the Teacher Working Conditions Survey within the next two weeks. Every school will receive a package and, for schools without an NCAE representative, packages will be addressed to the principal. Principals, please give the packets to a teacher leader in your school for dissemination. Posters, access code information, help desk information and resource guides are included in the packets. More information may be found online at www.ncteachingconditions.org . 

Subs 

Next Generation Assessments: Why online? - North Carolina has provided online assessments since 2005 when the administration of the computer skills test was completely online. The goal is that by 2014-15, all assessments will be administered online; this includes a new generation of assessments for grades 3-8 and high school subjects, as well as the SMARTER Balanced Assessments that will be online in 2014-15. Moving to an online delivery of assessments aligns with efforts already underway to provide online instructional resources, online formative and benchmark assessments, and online training and professional development for teachers. One other important reason that North Carolina plans to transition to online assessments is to take advantage of computer adaptive testing. As a governing member in the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, North Carolina plans to adopt the common assessments developed by the consortium, which are being designed in a computer adaptive format. A brief overview of the latest information on North Carolina’s online assessments can be found at www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/assessment/assess1pageroct11.pdf . For more information on the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, please visit www.smarterbalanced.org/ . Questions on online assessments may also be directed to Kayla Siler at Kayla.siler@dpi.nc.gov.

  

Next Generation Assessments: Benefits of Online Assessments - There are several benefits to administering assessments online versus paper and pencil. By moving to online assessments, we can offer assessments that are increasingly multi-part, media-enhanced, performance-based, and better representative of the depth intended in the new standards. Another benefit is the availability of Computer Reads Test Aloud – Student Controlled accommodation for eligible students. The online assessments also offer several universal design features such as larger font sizes, and adjustable background colors. Additional benefits include: universal design, virtual highlighter and calculator, flexible scheduling/staffing, storage space, test security, reporting and cost effectiveness. To learn more about the benefits and timeline for transitioning to online assessments, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/assessment/online or contact Kayla Siler at Kayla.Siler@dpi.nc.gov.

Cathy Wall for Joel Peddle

Deb Gray for Wendy Binkley

Joey Stone for Allison Phelps

Thursday MM

Good Morning! 

Here is the outline of my principals meeting today.  Please inquire about any of the topics that you have an interest.

• 7:30AM – 9:30AM              PLC @ Children's Center          Zones 6
• 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM         PLC Reports                           Zones 1 – 4
• 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM         AG Updates                            Paula Wilkins
• 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM         RtI Updates                            Rebecca Payne
•                                        Lunch                                                  
• 1:00 PM – 1:10 PM             PTLA Introductions                 Scarlet Evans
• 1:10 PM – 1:20 PM             Summer School                      Cheryl Wright
• 1:20 PM – 1:40 PM             EC Updates                            Patricia Moody
• 1:40 PM – 2:00 PM             School Activity Fund Changes   Bill Bucher
• 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM             Technology Updates                 Betty Weycker
• 2:20 PM – 2:45 PM              NC FALCON Debriefing            Deborah Hartman
• 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM              PLC Reports                           Zones 5 – 8
• 3:00 PM                            Adjourn              

As you can tell by the above schedule, I will see most of you on Friday!  Enjoy this amazing day and make the learning experiences meaningful for each and every student.

Duty Free Lunch will be suspended today as Andy, Kathy & Lauren will be leading our Prospective HAG tour.

The Open Space group that discussed gum in the school came up with the following ideas.  If you want to comment on them or provide any feedback please e-mail Andy L-N within a week. 

The Open Space participants want to provide teachers the ability to create the atmosphere in her/his room that is best for her/his students.  If gum helps them focus, chew on.  If hats work as a thinking cap, more power to you. 

However, in our common areas (halls, cafe, restrooms, playground, stairwells) we would like our single school culture to take precedence.  As PBIS would dictate, our common areas need common expectations. 

The general rule of thumb is to make sure you what happens in your room stays in your room.  Students are expected to dispose of the gum, take off hats, and share cupcakes BEFORE leaving individual classrooms.  

Again - please send feedback to Andy and we'll provide more details soon

Subs:

Joey Stone for Allison Phelps

Wednesday MM - Day 6

Good Morning!

Thanks to Mary Lauren who has sent out our Rehearsal schedule for the 2nd and 3rd performance of "BUGZ!"  the big performance night is Thursday March 22nd at 6pm

I am looking forward to SIT tonight.  We will discuss answers to the following questions regarding Goal One:

• What does data show regarding the results of the implemented strategies?
• Based upon identified results, should/how should strategies be changed?

I need each classroom to hold yourself accountable to your assigned 30 minutes on the playground.  Each class that stays out later, puts pressure for space on the classes that follow.  keep it structured and positive for the best results.

  

Gayle Moore for Mariah Lee
I have a Magnet meeting at CO from 10-noon

Tuesday MM - Day 5

Morning!

I am sorry to report that our anticipated trial of the Kuerig is delayed until Wednesday.  We will also have our SIT Meeting that afternoon, where our agenda focuses on goal one and its relationship to our DIBELS data. 

Enjoy this fine day and PLEASE increase your supervision and expectation of Safety on the playground as we reach into the seventies this week.

Monday MM - Day FOUR

Good Morning

I spent some time with our watchdog on Friday and he commented, "this sure beats sitting in a cubicle all day."  We are fortunate to spend our time and talents in the pursuit of............ you finish the sentence and continue to "think globally and act locally." 

As I focus on the big picture of education I manage my frustration when dealing with the immediate trumps the planned long range activity.  This was the case Friday, for I was unable to deliver the Retention folders as I spent the afternoon with student discipline issues.  So the post from last Friday concerning retention folder is adjusted as follows;

Retentions;  I will be making rounds Tuesday to deliver retention folders.  Please complete one of these for each student you feel would BENEFIT from another year at the same grade level and return them to me by Friday March 16th.

Our morning announcements will switch today to Brunson Live on Channel 5.  Please tune in and make this a part of the daily routine. 

Subs:
No AM sub for me as I am a Joint Principals meeting.
No sub for Irene
Rosemary for Debbie

Friday MM - Day three

Morning All.

Please welcome our guest coaches today.  Remember, no dog and pony, just your usual great teaching and learning.

Retentions;  I will be making rounds today to deliver retention folders.  Please complete one of these for each student you feel would BENEFIT from another year at the same grade level and return them to me by Wednesday March 14th.

Subs:
Denise for Debbie & Rosemary for Stephanie

Thursday MM - Day 2

Good Morning!

We will have the Tornado Drill today near 9:30 this morning!

Friday we will have visitors in our building.  Dr. Morrison and Dr. Jones will be using our classrooms to train some Instructional Coaches on their inter-rater reliability.  Please do not stress or put on any kind of show for them.  Remember that the student learning is always your target.

Thanks for the participation in Open Space.  We will post some  items for further discussion on Friday.  

Please read the previous Blog from Kathy on EOQ testing info if you missed it yesterday.

Subs:

Denise for Debbie 

Rosemary for Stephanie

EOQ and an interesting link

Here are the dates for the last round of EOQs:

March 23: Science (only the 2nd half of the Ecosystems/Landforms section)
March 26: Reading
March 27: Math CA
March 28: Math CI
March 28 and 29: Make-ups


This means that the short math (# 1-12) will be completed AFTER long math (#13-50). Please monitor your students to be sure that they start with #13 on Tuesday. There will be 7 passages and 50 questions on the reading portion, more than they have had so far this year. This is a good time to talk with them about stamina, and ways to take mental breaks. More passages doesn't equal more difficult--instill confidence!


All staff, we will ask instructional assistants to join groups so that they 1) get to know the students, 2) establish routines for supporting the administrator and 3) become familiar with the accommodations that may be in place.


On a different note...The following link is a letter written by undocumented immigrant students. It reminds us of how their needs may be different, but the high expectations should remain.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/03/07/23jewell.h31.html

Wednesday MM - Day One

Good Morning!

Faculty meeting at 3:20 SHARP.  We had a complaint at TAC about the end time so let's start on time!!!

Open space opportunities are;
 -K-AGS screening led by Wendy
-Middle school options led by Stephanie
-Gum rule/PBIS led by ???
-Regional Ready updates led by Mariah/Jeff
-Vertical Planning led by Julie

The next two Saturdays our building and classrooms will be used for the WSFCS AIG Screening.

Thanks in advance for allowing us to be back at Brunson again!

These are the rooms that we will need access to:

- Main office

- Cafeteria (with chairs/tables set up for parents)

- Media Center (for testing three 8th grade students)

- Main floor teacher lounge and file room (for adult bathroom access)

- Room numbers: 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16,

- Room numbers: 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, and 28

If you would, please let teachers and staff know that we will be using these rooms for testing.  If desks can be cleared, and any valuables put away, that would be great.

Thank you so much for your help!

Lora Sheridan, M.Ed.

WS/FC Schools

Educational Diagnostician

The Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Professional Studies cordially invites you to attend our Open House.

 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Anderson Conference Center – Main Dining Room

601 MLK Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27110

Graduate Programs Include:

Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language &Applied Linguistics

Master of Arts in Teaching (Middle Grades and Special Education)

Master of Education in Elementary Education

Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling

 

We are canceling the optional after-school support sessions scheduled for elementary teachers on March 13, 14, and 15, due to re-prioritization within Science Instructional Services Department. We regret any inconveniences these cancellations may cause and thank you for understanding. Please share this information with our colleagues at your school. Thank you.

Benika J. Thompson

 

Thought you would want to know that School Social Work Week is March 4 through March 10. School social workers are the liaisons for our families to help their students succeed. They address the social and psychological issues that can block academic progress through counseling, crisis intervention, prevention programs and utilizing the community’s resources.

School social workers help young people overcome the difficulties in their lives and give them a better chance at succeeding in school. They assist their fellow school personnel address environmental and family issues that affect our students to help keep students learning in the classroom. School social workers are truly the vital link between home, school and the community. Be sure to thank your school social worker for all they do for the students, teachers and community.

Below is a link to Governor Perdue's proclamation.    Thanks,   Larry Sharpe

http://www.governor.state.nc.us/NewsItems/ProclamationDetail.aspx?newsItemID=2247

Tuesday MM - Day Six

Good Morning!

5th grade will travel to the Mary Starling concert at RJR today while our 4th HAG travel to Durham for the Calder exhibit.

Gov. Perdue has declared March 4- 10 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in N.C. WS/FCS will have a system wide tornado drill on Thursday March 8, 2012, at 9:30 am.

Subs:

Denise Jennings for Debbie Woodruff

Rosemary Hazy for Stephanie Smith

Gayle Moore for Mariah Lee

Keep Mariah in your thoughts and Prayers as her Fiance has been admitted to the Hospital.

Monday MM

Good Morning!

A full week of observations and conferences is on my calendar and I am excited!  Being in the class with engaged students and participating in meaningful conversations surrounding our craft is the best part of my schoolwork.  The worst part, I am not sure - let me ponder that thought until another post.

Another high point of the work is seeing the community that was built this weekend with the art project of bottle caps.  I also enjoy our open space faculty meetings and the creativity that ensues from those opportunities to interact.  We will have our 1st Wednesday meeting this week on the 7th.

Subs:
No sub for Laruen Saldana - her guidance classes will be covered by Ms. Bristow or Ms. Rodriguez
Rosemary Hazy for Stephanie Smith
Denise Jennings for Debbie Woodruff

Friday MM

Good Morning!

Thanks for your support on Picture day,  We had more students purchase portraits than ever before and this created a time/schedule issue.  Our apologies for the poor use of time.  From a system standpoint I am always looking for ways to be more efficient and secure time for instruction.  I encourage you to do the same.


A couple of reminders-


Please take care of the computer lab, specifically leave it in a condition better than you found it.  AND turn of all machines if you are in the last slot.


The Fridge  in the shelter will be emptied today.  All items left after 4 pm will be discarded as Mrs. Crews will clean & disinfect each shelf. 

Please join me in welcoming our new custodian, Mr. Robert Kirby.  He comes to us after 10+ years at Union Cross elementary.  That school has been switched to Budd services contract cleaning and we are the beneficiary of his expertise and service oriented demeanor.

PTA Yard Art event is Saturday.  Bring your drill and a good attitude to work on this amazing project with Mrs Sanders.

Best wishes to Our Odyssey of the Mind teams as they travel to Boone to compete on Saturday. 

A request from Kathy Wilheit;

I'm sure that you are integrating the design process into several curricular areas.  I just worked with 3HAG teachers who wove it into their writing prompt.  I'd love to showcase some examples on a bulletin board in the hallway.  Please share with me!

A request from Collars 'n' Cash (5th grade students);

Dear Brunson Teachers, 

We will be collecting the money for Collars 'n' Cash on Tuesday, March 6th.  We will be coming around the classrooms between 11:40 and 12:00, or if you prefer, we can come from 1:45-2:00.  If we do not find you during the first period, we will find you the second time.  Please tell your students to bring money on that day, if they would like to make a donation.  

Thank you!

Subs: 

Peggy Neal for Mariah Lee
Catherine Blankenmeyer for Anne Campbell
Alexandra Drew for Debbie Woodruff
No sub for Irene Rush


Keep Anne and Debbie in you thoughts as they are dealing with some medical issues.

Thursday MM - Day three

Good Morning!

Dental screening is for kinder and 5th today in the cafeteria or stage area.

Class pictures are in the gym, line up tallest to shortest, followed by individual portrait for those who have returned their envelopes.

HAG tour today at 11:45

No subs today