Week 35

 

Happy Thursday Team...

Welcome to the LAST Holiday Break of the 25/26 School Year!  Wow...we are getting there!

I hope you all have a wonderful and well deserved holiday break, full of good food, good people, and good fun...and get some rest too, as it will be a 3 week whirlwind when we return.

Week 35  Instruction..."FINISH STRONG"

 

"Finish Strong" is our motto and focus for the remainder for the school year.  As such, this week begins our review period of instruction.  This is the time that you can provide review and reinforcement for our priority standards in ELA and Math, as well as, complete the Social Studies and Science instruction that was missed during the school year. 

Also, this is a great time to think about having the students do a Book Study and Book report; project based learning activities...a diorama, travel brochure, etc.  There are a lot of interactive learning activities that you can incorportate.

This is not a time to show movies just for the convience of showing a movie.  It should be used as a culmination of a book study or at the end of a unit of study. 

It is very important during these last weeks to maintain a structure of teaching and learning.

Lesson Plans

Your lesson plans should reflect the "Finish Strong" focus.  You can continue to provide a grade level plan or you can adapt the grade level plan to fit your year end plans.  You should have activities planned for in all content areas:  ELA/Writing, Math, Social Studies and Science.  They still need to be turned in on Fridays.  However, due to the holiday weekend, you can submit next weeks plans by 8:00 am on Tuesday, May 26th.

Grading/Grade Book

It is imperative that you keep up with grading students work.  Also, once student work is graded, please send any work/papers home.  This helps to keep parents informed and updated.

Spring NWEA Testing 

NWEA testing continues next week for grades 3-8 with the focus being on make ups.  We are looking for and expecting 100% test completion.

2nd grade NWEA will occur June 1st-4th.  

PLEASE DO NOT SEND STUDENTS TO THE MEDIA CENTER TO COMPLETE TESTING!  Mr. Branson, Mrs. Trolinger and Mrs. Pankowski are not going to be proctoring NWEA make up testing.  This needs to occur in your homeroom.

***These test scores are VERY IMPORTANT to our Charter Authorizer, Bay Mills (who grants our charter to stay open).  They are looking for significant student growth in Math and ELA, so please emphasize the importance of focus, taking their time and putting forth their best effort to your students.

03's and GLTs

This week will be the last required GLTS/03's.  On Wednesday, we will meet to finalize class lists for next year, as well as the other required tasks due on Friday, May 29th.  These will occur in an available grade level classroom.

03s will be reviewing your End of Year Evaluation.  Please make sure you come to my office.

AIMSWeb End of Year Benchmarking

AIMSWeb testing ends next week.  Please make sure to control the student noise level in the hallways so that the Intervention team can test.  

Room Tear Down

Room Tear Down should not begin until Monday, June 8th.  That includes all classroom bulletin boards.  Rooms should remain intact with everything up and unchanged until that day.

Remember that classrooms will be having flooring replaced and some painting done, so you will need to take all items down from the walls.  Make sure that everything is boxed up, put away and/or taken home (personal items) for ease of removal by the flooring/painting/maintenance crew.

Final Class Lists, Grade Level Welcome Letters, Classroom Inventory and Supply Lists

These are due to your Dean by next Friday, May 29th.   We will discuss the class lists during your LAST Grade Level Team meeting next week.  If you have any questions, please reach out to your Dean.

Hallway Bulletin Board Welcome Letters to Incoming Students

It is a Laurus tradition that we create Summer Hallway Bulletin Boards that include Welcome Letters written by your students to the incoming grade level students.  Please plan to include that in your writing plans for the next couple of weeks.  These letters should talk about the best things that the students have done/experienced/liked about their year in your grade level.  Please allow time for the final draft to be neatly typed or written in their best handwriting, as these will be utilized for summer marketing purposes too.

Housekeeping Issues

Arrival:  Please...we only have 3 weeks left.  I am noticing a large number of you arriving late to work.  I do not want to have to start having you sign in upon your arrival.  Please make sure that you are here and at your door at 7:35 each morning.  

Field Trips

Continue to include in weekly newsletters the following information:

"If students have been suspended since April 7th, they will not be able to attend the grade level field trips.  This is a school policy."

Career Day

 

On Wednesday, May 27th we will be having our annual Career Day.  

Please remind parents if they are interested in participating as a presenter, to please reach out to Ms. Schofield or Ms. Robinson.

Shoes: Slides, Sandals, and Crocs

We are having an influx of students wearing slides and crocs.  This is not acceptable.  Nor are students allowed to wear any type of sandals.  Please utilize your School Connect to remind parents and also tell your students that they cannot wear any type of slides, crocs, and any type of sandals.

Attendance

Please continue to be up to date with your daily attendance and grid submission. It is your responsibility to make sure that your attendance is submitted for AM/PM each day and that your grids are submitted for every week of the school year..  Please check your folder.

Bathroom Reminders

Just a few additional reminders:

1.  If students have a history of fighting, please do not let them go with a group into the bathroom during a bathroom break. They need to go by themselves.

2. Please diligently monitor your bathroom breaks.

3. Only allow one student out of the room at a time for an emergency bathroom break.

Behaviors

If a student is misbehaving or having issues in the classroom, you need to be the first contact with the parent (Phone Call, Email, SchoolConnect, etc.).  Also, make sure that you are inputting these behaviors in the system.  The ABSS's and Deans cannot move on these continual behaviors if there is no paper trail.

Also,  continue to remind students/parents that if students have been suspended since the beginning of Trimester 3 they may be unable to attend the field trips.  

Birthday Celebrations

Our next Birthday Celebration Friday is May 29th.  We will hold June Birthday Celebrations on the last day of school.

Upcoming Events:                                       

May 26 - School Resumes; Kindergarten and 5th grade T-Shirt forms and money due

May 27 - Career Day

May 29 - Class Lists; Supply Lists; Welcome Letters Due; Inventory Sheets Due; May Birthday Celebration Day

June 1 - Big Smiles Dental Visit

June 4 - 8th Grade Breakfast and Honor Awards; 8th Grade Prom 5:00-7:30 pm

June 8 - 8th Grade Promotion 10:00 am at St. Johns Armenian Church; Room Tear Down can begin today.  Remember to pack up and take home personal items.

June 9 - Kindergarten Fun Field Day

June 10 - Kindergarten Promotion; Lunch in Classrooms

June 11 - Field Day Gr. 1-7; Report Cards Home

June 12 - Last Day of School  8:00-11:00 am HALF DAY; Honor's Assemblies in Classrooms; June Birthday Celebrations