Kleckner's Korner

Cutting things out of the overcrowded curriculum presents our only chance for getting students to go deeper, think harder, push past complacency to the habits of mind Essential schools hold dear. But what goes and what stays? And who decides?

A single drop of information is better than a bucketful.

A common error in course development is to burden the learner with too many facts and lengthy discussions. People will remember more if they are given less. It is best to pare your online learning down to the necessary essentials.

Less is More in Math Distance Learning - great article about less is more to be able to go deeper during this time of virtual learning.

I Am Doing My Best - written back in May but still all.so.true!

This past week during our faculty meeting we talked about less is more. Don't spend the entire time talking, give students independent work time so you can give meaningful feedback on the work they've done....grading to get a grade doesn't tell students what they are doing wrong.

You guys are doing an amazing job, give yourself time to think and students time to process!

Today in your boxes you recieved some BRIGHT ORANGE BINGO cards. Please give each student a card and keep a card for yourself. Each day next week during announcements I will call out an icon on the bingo card, once they reach 5 in a row in any direction they can come and get a prize off of the goal cart and you can get a prize from the Panther Pride box!

Panther student's, families, and teachers have never worked harder than we have this fall. Let's take some time to celebrate our Cycle 1 success on Wednesday, November 11.

This will be a virtual awards ceremony. Admin will put this together and MC it for you. Sign up times will be sent out next week. Mark your calendar for a fun 30 minute celebration on November 11.

"80% of success is showing up!" - Woody Allen

We have done a good job staying at or above 92% daily attendance for the building each week. Unfortunately, five to eight percent of our students are not attending school each week. We all know that if students aren't connecting with us, they aren't learning. We also know that they can't afford to miss the learning opportunities we provide. So, Cycle 2 our goal is to increase daily attendance to 95% or higher.

Suggestions to get your homeroom to 100%:

1. Reach out to your students that were absent each day. Have a three-minute conversation with them to encourage them to be online with you when they are not here in person. (If you speak to a student you can give them attendance credit for that day.)
2. Check CANVAS and SEESAW for asynchronous participation
3. Reward your learners for "showing up" whether in person or remotely.
1. flashlight reading party
2. shoe free learning
3. extra brain-break with go-noodle

What admin is doing to support you:

1. Double checking for asynchronous learners after the 3-day correction window. (We are human, we make mistakes, we miss things. This gives us one last chance to support the work you are doing.)
2. When we call to check on an illness, we remind students to connect with their classes through Canvas or Google meet.
3. Grade level competition. We will begin announcing each Monday which grade level had the best attendance for the prior week and that they earned a BONUS. (You will decide what the BONUS is: Extra Brain-Break, no shoes, 5 min extended recess, etc.)

Our motto this year is "Everything is awesome when you're part of a team!" It's going to take teamwork to reach this goal, but I know we can do it!

GOOD NEWS! The STAAR Online Testing platform is already on the student Chromebooks. Follow these steps to access the STAAR Online Testing platform.

REMINDER – Do NOT start taking the practice tests at this time. There are only two released tests and we do NOT want to ‘waste’ these valuable releases at this time. The TUTORIALS are for the students to become familiar with the TOOLS offered for Online STAAR.

Steps:

1. Students cannot be logged into Chromebook with their email address. If they are logged in, they need to log out and get back to the main screen that asks for their student email address.

2. Without being logged in, students find the ‘Apps’ word at the bottom of their screen (task bar).

3. Click on APPS.

4. Choose STAAR Online Testing Platform.

a. The loading/start up runs VERY SLOW. Students will need to practice patience and do not click on anything that pops up during the loading process.

5. Once loaded, click on TUTORIALS.

a. Choose Grade

b. Choose Test

c. Choose any supports (only if allowed)

6. Student can begin tutorials.

Please see Sueli with any questions.

This week 2nd-5th completed their first round of IPC planning. Did it look the same as it has in previous years? No. Does it meet the needs of where we are right now? It's getting there. It's messy, it's new and it's taking a lot longer. But you know what? They started and right now that's where we are, starting to get a plan in place that's going to continue growing our kids. Growing our kids what we do at PC!

Our district is offering asynchronous units of study that all grade level teachers can use when planning IPC's and daily lessons...check them out as you continue planning!

Ideas for independent workstations:

--Extend writing from writing workshop.

--Read independently (I have book reviews under the Balanced Literacy button on my Canvas page for responses).

For randomizing and and rotating in calling on students, let me know if you need Popsicle sticks or cards made; online methods include wheeldecide.com or the Class Dojo random button.

Here's the link to this week's information. The pdf information is housed in the Park Crest Shared Drive in the Weekly Administrative information Packet Folder. We're all accountable for knowing the information.

1. November 11th Planning Support - All teachers

2. Nurturing the Nurturers - information

3. Salvation Army Angel Tree - information

4. Science Instructional Videos - All teachers

5. T-TESS Rubric for 20-21 - ALL TEACHERS

6. Welcome Melissa Robertson - Exec. Dir. of SPED - information

Person or persons - Thank you to the person or persons who are putting FOAMING BATH & BODY hand soaps in the restroom! It makes me happy! - from Karen N. (me too!!)

Sueli - Thank you for getting my videos working!! - from Karen N.

Karen C. - Thanks for all of the virtual resources shared! - from Selena Lawrence

Corina - Thanks for locating great formative assessment resources to share with multiple grade levels! - from Selena Lawrence

Paras - Our paras are amazing! Thank you for all you do! - from Selena Lawrence

I have to apologize for these, they've been hanging on the board down in the workroom for awhile, I've only been looking at the digital submissions. My apologies to these people!

Sueli - she's been going extra miles when helping with technology!

Karen C. - you helped me with Canvas and brought so much positivity into my day!

Andrea and Jocelyn - I knw you are working overtime for all of us!

Molly - always willing to help in a generous way!

Grace - the bulletin boards!

Andrea and Jocelyn - thank you for supporting the stff and for preparing the school for us!

Molly - she is always there to help out with whatever she can!

Karen C. - giving her bast for students and coworkers. Thank you for your flexibility!

Marshana - she is always there to help and showed up quickly wherever she was needed during intersession!

Natalie- she did an incredible job during intercession, I couldn't have done it without her!

Molly - what would we do without her. She is always there to help and loves on us with surprises!

Teresa V. - she stuck it out and helped even when she wasn't feeling well during intersession.

Sueli - always flexible and willing to help!

October

26-30 - Boo-Fay Week

**26 - Message from Dr. Wells (virtual)

28 - PLCs focused on STAAR Accommodations, 3-5

**30 - Progress Report Notice 1 grades end

November

**1 - Progress Report Notice 1 locks at 11:45pm

3 - Student/Staff Holiday (Building will be closed - no one allowed on campus)

10 - CIT Meeting (Koteski, Lira, Casco, Justiniano, Davila, Sarmiento, Johnson, Campbell)

11 - Early Release/Half Day District PD Day

12 - F2F and Remote Picture Day (schedule to come from Jennifer, Remote from 4:30-6:30pm)

***17 - Virtual Meeting with Dr. Caddell with Curriculum and Instruction - 4-5pm

**20 - Progress Report Notice 2 grades end

21 - Substitute Appreciation Day

**22 - Progress Reports Notice 2 Locks at 11:45pm

23-27 - Thanksgiving Break

30 - Virtual Book Fair starts

December

17 - Q2 Virtual Student Awards (possible date)

18 - Winter Sing a long

**18 - Cycle 2 Report Card grades end

21 - January 1 - Holiday Break

January

**3 - Cycle 2 grades lock at 11:45pm

4 - Earned Flex Day

5 - Q3 Begins

If you need assistance with individual concerns or counseling services, please reach out to Mrs. Medrano-Johnson at gmedranojohnson@garlandisd.net,

or fill out the following Park Crest Request for Counseling Services form.