thursday MM - Day B

Good Morning!

I enjoyed my open space conversation and subsequent action plan.  We will shift gears and have a traditional faculty meeting at the beginning of the month, March 6th.  One item for that agenda will be the Arts Council Campaign.  We have a very short window for Cindy to motivate us, so begin to contemplate if and how you can contribute to this effort to keep the arts as a focus of our collective Winston-Salem culture.

Lock Down at 10:00 today.  
Be.safe Be.supportive Be.caring

SIT action meeting is from 3:30-4:00 in the Art room.  We will determine some next steps on our Mission to eliminate bullying from our culture.

Subs:
John Wright for Brenda
No sub for Nicole

Wednesday MM - Day A

Good Morning!

Open Space: 

• 3:20 We will begin in the MC for a few minutes including good of the order.
• 3:35 Split into several rooms to meet in small groups (notice a 5th session added!)

Sessions: 

1. Clubs and Extension Activities(Deb Fidali)
2. NEW Design Challenges(Annie Campbell)
3. How to highlight/share best STEM practices(Kathy Wilheit)
4. Training for STEM - possible PD, discussion of STEM, resources - understanding(Bridgette Hollomon)
5. Tech Skills Sharing(Lara Overby)

Your Role: Bring energy to a session and take new knowledge, inspiration and empowerment with you.

Facilitator role: get ball rolling, participate, and document (please put on Shared drive> Open Space 2013)

Actions: 

• Attend session you feel drawn to (remember law of 2 feet -If at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet, go someplace else)
• Commit to helping our school become the best STEM school it can be
• Make a plan with the people equally committed in your group, than can be and will be accomplished.

 

Lock-Down Drill will be at 10:00 Thursday.  We want everyone to practice what they would do in their space where they spend the majority of the school day - your classroom.  Kindergarten please pick up kids early from specials at 9:45, and first grade delay arriving at specials until after the drill.  We will discuss this tonight at the beginning of the open space before the breakout.

Severe Weather Awareness Week is scheduled for March 3-9. The statewide Tornado Drill will take place on Wednesday, March 6, at 9:30 a.m. At that time the National Weather Service will issue a Required Weekly Test over the NOAA weather radio system. This will serve as a signal for school administrators to begin their tornado drill. The drill will conclude when participants complete their drill activities. 

TAC concerns from Tuesday's meeting will be e-mailed by Lara.  Please use this avenue to improve our school.  I am looking into the concept of support and follow through.


 

Tuesday UNITY Day MM - Day F

Good Morning!

Vision Screening is in the cafeteria this morning.  Be on time and prepared with orange cards and together we can fulfill nurse Mac's "vision" for a successful screening.

Our All county Chorus members are practicing today and performing tonight @ 6:30 in the historic R. J. Reynolds Auditorium.

Subs:
Patricia Perrin for John Brock 
No sub yet for Charity
No sub for Damita
No sub for Stephanie S.

Monday MM - Day E

Good Morning!

We will make up our missed D day on June 11th.  The leave day of June 17th will become Friday's "snow" day while the Rs day from June 11th will shift to June 17th.  Theo Helm will make it all official and I will be sure to update the blog with any changes.  Speaking of calendars, be sure to express your opinions on 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 through the survey you received in your e-mail accounts.

Big Week here at School

• Unity Day - Wear RED Tuesday, unity vs. bullying
• Vision Screening on Tuesday.
• PTA birthday bash Tuesday
• Portrait and Class pictures Wednesday
• Open Space Meeting Wednesday after-school  
• Lock-Down Drill Thursday 
• SIT Action team meeting Thursday after-school

PTA board wants to remind you to use your teacher grant.  If you have a question as to the amount that is available, drop a note in the Treasurers mail-box and she will get you up-to-date information.

Subs:
Ashly Rogers for Kyrie
Beverlyley McNair for Donna
Carol McDowell for Demarie 

Thursday MM - Day C

Good Morning!

Zone tour today at 8:30.  

Kindergarten registration is Friday Morning, weather permitting, in the media center.  Our objective is to provide a fantastic experience for all of our new families while we collect their paperwork.

If we have a delay on Friday, Be.safe as you arrive to school at our regular time.  If you have issues at home (childcare etc.) that also delay you by two hours, you will need to pre-arrange with Silvia and I so we can correctly code the type of leave you will need to use.

Many subs here today as the fifth grade HAG team is working today at CO with Paula Wilkins on a curriculum map.

Lynn Boyles for Lara
Sandra Westall for Donna M.
Thomas Gallagher for Linnea
David Robinson for Deb F.
Marion Williams for Charity
Jane DeSantis for Angela H.
No sub for Damita
No sub for Dorothy
Moen Carthen for Michelle

Wednesday MM - Day B

Good Morning!

Short Post as Silvia & Damita are out sick today

Subs:
No sub for Dorothy M.
Elizabeth Humphries for Debbie W.
Carthen Moen for Michelle G.
Christi Howerton for Deb F.
 

Tuesday MM - Day A

Good Morning!

We have a Zone tour at 8:30 today.  Zone choice ends on Friday the 22nd and our Kindergarten registration will be in Media center that morning.

After-school the STEM team will meet in the LTM from 3:30-4:30.  All are welcome!

Wednesday we will host the Phase four magnet school meeting.  Plans are for us to use Mobile 33 from 10:00 am until noon.

Wednesday afternoon is our Kindergarten registration planning meeting in the media center.

Subs today
No sub for Irene
Jane DeSantis for Mariah
Alexandra Drew for Brenda
Leslie Hester for Anne
David Hill for Tonya G.
Christie Howerton for Deb F.

Monday MM - Day F

Good Morning! 

The Make up snow day was an F day and we will follow the F-day schedule.  Tuesday will be an A-day as we make a full rotation.

We have a full week of activities with zone choice tours, Kindergarten registration and a phase four magnet school meeting.

Be sure to connect with parents before possible retention letters are delivered.  We will send them by mail on Friday this week. 

Check out this link to STEM in the news on MSNBC.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CALEB!  He represented Brunson at the district spelling bee and finished in third place. 

Sandra Westall for Allison Phelps
Christy Howerton fopr Deb Fidali
Rosemary Hazy for Paige Sipe
No sub for Damita Sharp PM only
Craig Geenlee for Trish Gulledge

Friday MM - Day F

Good Morning!

MIX-IT-UP!!  Looking forward to the collaborations between students in your colleges and the STEM connection to the design for the Linus Project.

Monday is a SNOW day make-up.  We will make it clear at the assembly to all the kids that school is in session on the 18th.  It will be a "F day" and Tuesday will be our "A day."

No Subs today!

Thursday MM - Day E

Happy Valentines Day!

I hope you enjoyed the PTA lunch event yesterday.  Please consider, as an individual or grade level, jotting a note to one of the board members to express gratitude .  The PTA volunteers have been instrumental in setting a tone of care and concern and deserve our recognition for their efforts.

I am at the Elementary Principals meeting today and will return after lunch.  I do not have the agenda yet but will post it to the blog documents folder when I receive it.

Thanks for your participation in the open space meeting.   We are excited about the opportunities for community growth at our Mix-It-Up on Friday.  Be.prepared and make the day special for all in your class and college.

No subs as of my posting on Wed. afternoon. 

Wednesday MM - E day

Good Morning!  

Souper Salad Spa Luncheon

Brunson Elementary PTA Cordially Celebrates You 
February 13, 2013- 10:30 - 2:00 
Brunson Café

Lunch is on us with a complimentary 5 minute chair massage from a licensed Therapist Brunson Spa (LTM room or gym stage) We have volunteers on staff to great you at the Cafeteria doors to assist and supervise your classes through their lunch lines & times

Valentine Competition Cake Walk Sponsored by Brunson Volunteers A sweet treat for your sweetheart 6 competitors per session during your lunch time

In order for every teacher to have their turn, massages are limited to 5 minutes each and will need to follow the time line below.

Two staff members prior to eating, two as soon as you have finished eating and two just before the end of your lunch period. Our therapists will be on staff ready from 10:00 until 1:45 to accommodate all staff member's.

Not so lucky to win a special dessert then you can enter our drawing for another special gift.


Subs:
Gwen Sloan for Jessie S.
Cynthia Hodges for Nancy S.
no sub for Stephanie S.
No sub for Tonya G.

Tuesday MM - Day C

Good Morning!

We host our first Zone Choice tour this morning at 8:30.  

Remember to skip packing your lunch for Wednesday as the PTA will host us in the gym for a Soup and Salad Luncheon.  Get your kids through the line and come next door to enjoy food and fellowship.

Wednesday afternoon is our Open Space faculty meeting.  We will begin in the media center and break-out after some collaborative brainstorming and norm setting.

Many subs this afternoon as the HAG staff is working at CO with Paula Wilkins on Curriculum Mapping.

Ashley Rogers - Linnea 
Stanley Bradley - Lara
Tiffany Ray - Mariah
Shelly Kirley - Demarie
Beverley Miller - McGee
Sandra Westall - Brenda
Larue Cunningham - Anne
Annie Caesar - Kyrie
Rosemary Hazy - McNatt
Peggy Neal - Tonya  
 

Monday MM - Day B

Good Morning!

I am looking forward to a great week of education.  Valentines Day  and Mix-It-Up can be a distractor, or you can utilize the student's energy to inspire them to great heights.

As I walk the building, my question for you this week will be about the progress of you PEP's.  We will work together to send possible retention letters on Tuesday, February 19th.  

Subs:
No sub for Maria Cook
No sub for Nicole Robinson
Roy Swann for Tonya Grisette
Rosemary Hazy for Paige Sipe

Friday MM - Day A

Good Morning!   Make today magical!  

Next week we have the PTA Souper Salad Luncheon on Wednesday and Mix-It-Up valentines style on Friday. 

Please check out this site from PBS with some inspiring videos of scientists.  Amazing STEM connections with Multicultural education.

Subs
Rosemary Hazy for Tonya G.

Thursday MM - Day F

Good Morning!

SIT had a meaningful conversation yesterday afternoon regarding several of our action steps.  We have scheduled a work session for February 14th from 3:30-4:00 to plan our next steps in our mission to address bullying behaviors.   Classroom interventions was the other dominate topic.  Please be prepared to provide evidence and artifacts of your actions to assist students below grade level.  This is also a great time to update your class profile sheet.  Please provide an updated copy to me before February 22nd.

Subs:
Ashely Rogers for Tonya G.
Antoinette Miller for Nancy S. AM only
No sub for Nicole R.
No sub for Stephanie S. AM only

WednesdayMM - Day E

Good Morning!

SIT tonight in the Art room, 3:30-4:30

The STEM team made great strides last evening and will continue our efforts Tuesday February 19th.

We may take advantage of the good weather today with a fire drill, or we may not.  In either case please be prepared and problem solve the issue if your typical path is blocked.

In this month of February we need to examine our integration of multicultural views throughout the year.  here is a link to some resources from Willette Nash.  Her Multicultural newsletter is in the Blog documents folder
 
Subs:
Rosemary Hazy for Tonya G.

Tuesday MM - Day E

Good Morning!

I am at the Joint Principals meeting today and will stay late to attend an informational session for Systems Thinking with Bud Harrelson.  As always, the agenda is posted in the Blog documents folder in the staff shared drive.

In two days of doing our CWT's focused on the EQ, Andy and I have had deep and rich conversations about curriculum and standards.  We hope the same is true for your LTM and grade level meetings.

See you all in the afternoon.  

FYI - I have attached a process used by some schools for their SIP review.  I need for all the SIT members to look over this and be prepared to think critically about our process and desired outcomes.

February SIP Review Process

Here is the outline of the expectations for this round of SIP review meetings.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of the SIP strategies and actions steps towards meeting the SIP goals.

Process: Are your strategies working? Due to time constraints it is not possible to look at objective data for each action step for each strategy. Please follow these steps to organize your meeting

1. Your team needs to demonstrate that each strategy is being implemented. If, for example, the goal is to improve reading and one of the strategies is to form small group support to students then you might want to show that those groups have been formed. What data/information can you show that the strategy is being implemented? 

2. Do not report on ALL action steps. Instead, give a general report on the implementation of your action steps. Did they work as planned? Did you modify those steps?

3. In the end the hope is that the strategy is or has been effective. What data can you report that shows or suggests that the strategy is taking you towards your goal?

4. Identify your next steps towards SIP implementation. Time: This meeting should last between 45 minutes and an hour. 

Note: This is a new process but it is imperative that this remain a review process and NOT an audit process. Show and talk about your data. It is very possible that some strategies have not been effective or that some action steps did not play out as expected. Be sure to have some evidence (as outlined above) prepared. The format (e.g., PowerPoint, data sheets) does not matter.

Monday MM - Day C

Good Morning!

I hope you are well and ready for a great week.  Friday was eventful as both of our events, the WatchDOGS breakfast and  the PBIS Dance, exceeded our expectations of success.  Let's keep the momentum through his week and make strides on our academic success with all our students.

Tuesday we have a STEM Meeting in the LTM at 3:30.  We will explore the first four standards on the STEM Attributes rubric. A Reminder that our STEM team is open and we are glad to have participation from all who are interested..

Wednesday is the SIT quarterly review.  We will discuss our progress with Goals/Strategies/Actions steps within our School Improvement Plan and focus our efforts to improve our student achievement.  We will meet in the Art room at 3:25.

Subs:
Alexandra Drew for Joel Peddle
No sub for Stephanie Ingram.

Professional development opportunities are below.

North Carolina Teacher Standards and Evaluation Process: Facilitated Course for Teachers

Due to overwhelming demand, two more sections of the six week, facilitator-led online course designed for teachers North Carolina Teacher Standards and Evaluation Process are now open for registration. This course, provides an in-depth look at the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and will help teachers understand their role in the new evaluation process as well as deepen their understanding of the six professional teaching standards.

The course is available at no cost to North Carolina teachers and will be facilitated by DPI professionals. It will take approximately 20 hours to complete over a period of six weeks, and teachers will earn 2 CEUs upon completion. The course is completely online, with participants having the ability to work flexibly, though there will be weekly deadlines and the course will start and end on scheduled dates.

The course is hosted by LearnNC. Teachers can go to http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/7698  to register for the course. (If clicking on the link does not take you to the site, please cut and paste the above URL address into the web browser address window). Registration is now open for the January and February sections. There is a limit of 35 participants per section.

Next start dates:

Feb 4, 2013 (Section Full: Registration closed)
Feb 18, 2013
April 8, 2013

Online Professional Development Modules: Information Page

 

There's now a single source for information about online professional development modules created by NCDPI. Go to http://rt3nc.org for an overview of options for teachers and administrators, descriptions and links to modules, and instructions on registration. You'll also find an implementation guide with detailed suggestions for using these modules in LEAs, with or without a professional learning community, online or face-to-face.

 Webinar: Phase 2 Professional Development Online Modules: Exploring the possibilities

This webinar will give you an overview of the Phase 2 online professional development modules that were released by NCDPI on June 30 2012. We will discuss various ways that these modules can be implemented to best serve your needs, at an individual, school or district level.

The webinar will provide an opportunity to:

·        Learn about the modules currently available

·        Explore flexible implementation methods

·        Review strategies that can be used to facilitate learning face to face and online

·        Ask questions and give feedback
 

The webinar will be offered on the following days:

February 12, 1:30-2:30 pm.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/191274280
 

February 20, 10:00-11:00 am. 

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/807763673