K8 Memo

 Cold Weather

As the temperatures drop again, we will need to have inside recesses.  

For the morning recess, before school, we will be rotating the use of the gym between primary, intermediate, and middle school. We will start with primary today, rotating to intermediate tomorrow, and then MS if needed. The rest of the students need to be sent to their classrooms/halls for inside recess. All staff need to help supervise.

• Our prep recesses are small enough that our duty team can rotate around the classrooms to help supervise, allowing the classroom teacher to have their prep. Please set out games and activities to keep the students engaged.

• For lunch recess, the elementary can use the gym. The middle school can use the cafeteria and hall.

• Elementary afternoon recess will need to be in the classroom.  These recesses need to be covered by the classroom teacher unless it is your prep recess. 

I appreciate everyone’s understanding and flexibility as we work to maintain safe and healthy recess’ when we have cold weather. 

Vector: Safe School’s Training

Please be sure to have your SafeSchools training completed by tomorrow evening! 

Friday Access Day

Please review your class rosters and reach out to any families who you feel their child would benefit from some extra help.  

FastBridge Wrap-up

Please be sure to wrap up all winter testing! We need scores for all students.

PLC Out of District: Short on Subs

Our PLC leadership team will also be at the PLC Summit from Feb 27 to Mar 2.  We are going to be short subs this week.  Please work to avoid absences this week; the district will not be able to provide sub-coverage for any personal leave.

Upcoming Data Meetings

We will be reviewing our student data and aligning interventions over the next few weeks.  Here are some upcoming data dates.

Feb 7, Sub Help for 90 Min team meetings (Schedule to Share)

Feb 8, Coach Vince Math Data Review 

Feb 10, LID K-8 Meeting Data/Intervention Discussion

Valentine Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.   Please be mindful of academic time when planning activities and parties.  It’s a great day to work on some fun writing activities…maybe Valentine's Card to parents with a well-written and descriptive sentence.  We want to be sure to send home the best work…something that a mother would be proud to post online. 

Regular Friday School Days

The Friday after President’s Day is a normal school day.  Additionally, March 10th is our snow makeup day.  Please make the needed adjustments in your planning and schedule.  

Student Expectations

Thank you for the help with hallway access and phone use.  Please continue to monitor our hallways and help our students to be safer, more respectful, and more responsible.  Also, please use the hall pass when students are out of your classroom. The semester is a perfect time to review our PBIS rules and expectation posters.    

MTSS Updates from Diane

Benchmark Testing Wrap-Up This Week! 

The majority of academic testing is complete! We have some kindergarteners to finish up and a few random absentees!

Some misinformation was floating about aMath. Students CAN use scrap paper to do their work. They cannot for the CBM portion as that is fact fluency. When in doubt, go to the Training and Resources section; it has answers to most questions.

From Friday

I handed out cards to add to your cheat sheet ring (Thank you, Mandy!!) that show how to access Group Growth and Impact reports. If you were gone, I will be putting them in your mailbox in the staff room. For kinder and first grades, I am putting together some info to help you with the Early Reading/Math access.

Next Steps

I am making plans for adjusting groups and interventions. Could K-5 teachers please send me times they are giving core (tier one) instruction in reading and math? This information will help me adjust my schedule and be more supportive.

Please be aware…

There are not a lot of extra spaces for working with children. Sometimes it is most efficient to use a workspace in the hallway to minimize transition time during quick interventions and progress monitoring. Sound carries in interesting ways in our building. It would be helpful if we could all be aware (myself included!!) of our volume when we are in the hallways.

The Charger Promise

"We, as a community, will develop confident, well-rounded, and sought-after graduates who are prepared for the future"

Calendar

K-8 Calendar

 

Monday, 1.30 

10:00 AM, Student Support Team Meeting

1:00 PM, Office Team Meeting

M.S. Boys’ Basketball @ Inchelium L @ 1:45 - game time 4:00

Tuesday - 1.31

Coach Debbie Here 

9:00 AM, MTSS/MDT planning

10:00 AM, MTSS Check in

1:00 PM, Office Meeting

Wednesday - 2.01

M.S. Boys’ Basketball @ Selkirk L @ 1:45 - game time 4:30

 Thursday - 2.02

9:00 AM, MTSS/MDT planning

Charger of the Month Assembly

K-2 @ 2:00 - 2:30

3-5 @ 2:30 - 3:00

Friday - 2.03

Student Access Day

 

UP and Coming Events:

• Feb 10, LID (Potluck)

• Feb 14, Valentine's Day

• Feb. 20, Presidents’ Day, No School

• Feb. 21, WSU 8th Grade @ 7-12

• Feb. 24, Regular School Day

• March 10, Regular School Day

K8 Weekly Memo

Points of Interest

Blue Sheets

All of our Friday LID days are contracted days for certificated staff.  Please be sure to complete a blue slip if you miss all or a portion of a LID day.  Our PLC leadership team will also be at the PLC Summit from Feb 27 to Mar 2.  We are going to be short subs this week.  Please work to avoid absences this week; the district will not be able to provide sub-coverage for any personal leave.

Five Day Week

This Friday is our LID Day.  Remember to bring a soup or salad for the potluck lunch. Here is the link to the working agenda. 

 

End of Quarter - January 25th

Grade Bucket will open on 1/22/23 @ 9:00 am and close on 1/29/23 @ 11:59 pm. K-2 please post your grades by midnight on 1/25/23.  

FastBridge Wrap-up

Great job completing the mid-year progress monitoring.  Please be sure to complete all the needed make-ups and to finish the SAEBRS (SEL) assessments by Jan. 26.  

• SAEBRS (K-8) needs to be completed by teachers.

• MySAEBRS (2-8) needs to be completed by students.

Upcoming Data Meetings

We will be reviewing our student data and aligning interventions over the next few weeks.  Here are some up-coming data dates.

Jan. 27, LID K-8 Meeting Data Discussion

Feb 7, Sub Help for 90 Min team meetings (Schedule to Share)

Feb 8, Coach Vince Math Data Review 

Feb 10, LID K-8 Meeting Data/Intervention Discussion

MS Bully Prevention Presentations 

On Wednesday, Salliejo from the ESD will be on campus to present a Bully Prevention presentation to our middle school students. We will host this presentation in the high school library during 5th, 6th and 7th periods.

Bully Prevention Presentation Schedule. 

12:50-1:40 -  6th Grade

1:45-2:35 - 7th Grade

2:40-3:30 - 8th Grade

Snow Makeup Day

March 10th is our snow makeup day.  Please make the needed adjustments in your planning and schedule.  

Hallway Access

Thank you for the help in reducing the traffic and distractions in our hallways.  Please continue to be focused on maintaining students in the classroom during class time.  All students need a hall pass when they are out of the classroom.  

Cell Phone Concerns

Cell phones continue to be an issue at school. 

Cell Phone Policy: Cell phones may be brought to the K8 school if they are kept off and out of sight during the school day. Students may use their cell phones before (8:00 AM) and after school (3:30 PM). For great research on the impact of the presence of a cell phone on students' ability to solve complex problems, check out the book The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. 

ALL Violations will require parents to pick up phones from the office. 

Office Phone Use

Many students have been coming to the main office and nurse room to use the phone to call home for various reasons.  Please do not send students to the office to call to use the phone.  Please discuss the need to call home with your students and then, if needed, allow them to use your classroom phone during a break.  

Support Staff

WHAT DO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS DO?

School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students; consult with teachers, families, and other school-employed mental health professionals (i.e., school counselors, school social workers) to improve support strategies; work with school administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies; and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services. We also do psychoeducational evaluations to determine eligibility for Special Education service.

Jewelle Collins, School Psychologist Intern

WHAT DO SCHOOL SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS DO? 

SLPs work with children whose communication difficulties adversely affect their educational performance and school life. Areas of focus include: Speech Sound Delays/Disorders – How we say sounds and put sounds together in words. Language – How we understand what we hear or read and how we use words to tell others what we are thinking. Literacy – How well we read and write. SLPs can support the transition from oral language to written language. Social Communication – How well we follow the social rules when communicating with others. Speaking Fluency – How well speech flows. (Also called stuttering). Voice – How our voice sounds – pitch, loudness and resonance.

Summer Gibby, SLP

MTSS Updates from Diane

Benchmark Testing Wrap-Up This Week! 

The majority of testing is complete! We had quite a few absent students and they will need to get caught up this week. Dani and Mandy are diligently working through the Early Math and Early Reading tests, which take a bit longer to give.

I emailed this info out as well, but here is a link to the steps in finding screening data and SAEBRS.

Winter Benchmarking Reminders

Thanks for your patience when I didn't answer questions immediately. I was knee deep in giving one-on-one assessments and will be wrapping that up this week as well.

Next Steps

I am making plans for adjusting groups and interventions. Could K-5 teachers please send me times they are giving core (tier one) instruction in reading and math? This information will help me adjust my schedule and be more supportive.

Please be aware…

There are not a lot of extra spaces for working with children. Sometimes it is most efficient to use a workspace in the hallway to minimize transition time during quick interventions and progress monitoring. Sound carries in interesting ways in our building. It would be helpful if we could all be aware (myself included!!) of our volume when we are in the hallways.

GOOD READS

The Charger Promise

"We, as a community, will develop confident, well-rounded, and sought-after graduates who are prepared for the future"

Calendar

K-8 Calendar

 

Monday, 1.23 

10:00 SST

Tuesday - 1.24

Coach Debbie Here 

9:00 AM, WSU 7th Grade in MS Hall 

10:00 AM, MTSS Check in

1:00 PM, Office Meeting

2:00 PM, K8 Building Tour with 

Wednesday - 1.25

Bully Prevention Presentation Schedule. 

12:50-1:40 -  6th Grade

1:45-2:35 - 7th Grade

2:40-3:30 - 8th Grade

MS Basketball @ Hunter, departs at 2:30

Staff Luncheon 

 Thursday - 1.26

Friday - 1.27

LID Day (with potluck lunch)

 

Saturday - 1.28

MS Home Basketball @ 10AM

k8 Memo

 

Thank you!

• Mark Anderson, for always helping with the extra “stuff!” This weekend he came in to clear the snow along the back of the school. Thank you.

• Becky Gearhart, thank you for going the extra mile to help our kids have unique opportunities. Last Friday, she led a middle school field trip ice skating. 

• Thank you, Mandy Norris, for faithfully sharing your weekly memo! 

• Finally, a big THANK YOU to Diane Ball for all your help with interventions and preparation for the mid-year progress monitoring! 

 

Points of Interest

 Four Day Week

This Friday is included in our four-day week. Please remind students that it is a regular school day...we will be following our Monday schedule.

 

Assessment Week

Please carefully read the details below regarding our mid-year progress monitoring. This winter assessment will be used to measure our student growth. Please encourage students to do their very best.

 

Please email your testing times to Diane and me. Remember, these assessments are much more efficient than our previous program. They are designed to be administered in the classroom during regular class time! I appreciate your help in gathering this data.

 

FastBridge testing will start Tuesday, January 17th. Please try to have the following tests completed by January 20th. (There is an additional week for makeup testing.)

• Early Reading and Early Math (K/1) will be given by Diane, Dani, and Mandy.  
• CBM Reading (1/2/3) will be given by Diane and Bea.
• aReading (2-8) is computer administered.
• AutoReading (4-8) is computer administered.
• aMath (2-8) is computer administered
• CBM Math (2-8) is computer administered

SAEBRS (SEL)

• SAaEBRS (K-8) needs to be completed by teachers no later than January 26th
• MySAEBRS (2-8) needs to be completed by students no later than January 26th.

 

End of Quarter - January 25th

Grade Bucket will open on 1/22/23 @ 9:00 am and close on 1/29/23 @ 11:59 pm. K-2 please post your grades by midnight on 1/25/23.  

 

Hallway Access

In the intermediate and middle school hallways, quite a few students are out during class time. Last week we had several incidents at the 4/5 and MS bathroom areas during classroom time. Please help decrease the hallway and bathroom traffic during class as we do not have supervision in the halls. If a student goes to the bathroom during class, please be sure they leave their cell phone at your desk.

 

Cell Phones Concerns

Cell phones continue to be an issue at school. They are being used to coordinate meet-ups and to access lude content. Please make sure that all students keep their cell phones off. When students head to the bathroom, make sure they leave their cell phones at your desk. This is a district-wide expectation. Please help keep all students safe by enforcing this expectation.

 

Winter Benchmark Assessment

 

LID Day Potluck

Our next LID day is January 27th. Please join in the potluck by bringing a soup or salad item!  

 

Character Strong

January Character Trait

Our character trait for January is Perseverance. We define this by “pushing yourself through challenges and obstacles”. Encourage students and yourself to focus on their goals and next steps to accomplish them.

Elementary: December was a short month for Empathy, so if you feel the need to revisit some of those lessons, feel free to do so!

Middle school: We will be covering Character Strong Lessons 17-21.

 

MTSS Updates from Diane

 

Benchmark Testing This Week! 

If you need assistance: Please note that I will be knee-deep in assessment administration and may or may not be available to help in the moment. Login information was emailed last Wednesday. Thank you to those who alerted me to adjustments in advance. I am still unclear on when many grades are planning to assess and who will need headphones.

 

The Charger Promise

"We, as a community, will develop confident, well-rounded, and sought-after graduates who are prepared for the future"

 

 

Calendar

K-8 Calendar

 

Monday, 1.16 

No School, MLK Jr holiday

Tuesday - 1.17

Coach Debbie Here

10:00 AM, MTSS Check in

1:00 PM, Office Meeting

Benchmark testing begins

Wednesday - 1.18

9:00 AM, Admin Team Meeting

M.S. Boys’ Basketball @ home - game time 4:00

 

 Thursday - 1.19

 

Friday - 1.13

Regular school day, follow Monday Schedule

H.S. Basketball @ Odessa

 

UP and Coming Events:

• WSU 7th Grade @ 7-12, Jan 24

• End of 1st Semester, Jan 25

• LID, Jan 27 (Potluck)