K8 Weekly Memo

Our second semester is underway!  With it, we have the opportunity to reinforce our routines and structures.  It is also an excellent time to reflect on the improvements and new opportunities to present in your classroom.

I look forward to getting into your classroom for mid-year observation to see all the great learning.  Have a wonderful Monday!    

Good Reads

Here are two nice articles with some fun ideas.

Reset Your Bell Ringer Routine "Students often get tired of the same bell ringers for an entire year. However, having a consistent routine is important. I've always found the beginning of a new semester or a new nine weeks to be an ideal time to shift the type of bell ringer I'm using while still maintaining the predictable beginning to class many students need to regulate."   Read More

Four Simple Tips to Begin a New Semester "Resolutions abound in the new year, and the beginning of a new semester can represent a clean slate, as well. A new year naturally lends itself to rearranging, replacing, and rejuvenating.   1. Update bulletin boards and classroom walls   2. Organization   3. Introduce a new writing activity   4. Build on grammar skills" Read More

Points of Interest

Welcome

We have two new hires that will be joining as long-term substitutes for the rest of the school year.  Please give them a warm welcome! 

Ms. Alissa Williams is our new 7th and 8th grade math teacher.  Alissa is a recent graduate from EWU.  She was raised in the Spokane Valley area and currently lives on the west side of Loon Lake.  Ms. Willson's hobbies include swimming, spending time with friends and family, and cooking.

Mrs. Keturah Dempewolf will be helping with special education and student support in the 3-8th grades.  Keturah was raised in Deer Park, and has been married for 16 years with three children. Keturah loves the outdoors, hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening, and traveling.

K-5 Charger Assembly

Please get your Charger of the Month certificates to Bailey by Tuesday!  The lighthouse certificates are printed on the back counter in the office. 

  

LID Friday

• This Friday, the classified staff will attend a para PD session in the morning.  

• Certificated staff priority will be unit planning.

• We will review building-wide Fast Bridge, a k8 reading campaign, and mid-year observations at the staff meeting. 

NAEP

4th and 8th grade will be taking the NAEP assessment this week. Please reach out to Rebecca Abercrombie if you have any questions.

4th Grade: Testing on Wednesday.

• 9 AM in Jaymi Stricker's classroom. 

• 1 PM in Heather Gilchrest's room. 

8th grade will test on Thursday, 

• 9 AM Mark Edwards room

• 1 PM in Heidi Smith's room. 

Character Strong:

Please go over the Character Strong / Purposeful People Curriculum on Monday Mornings. This can encourage more week-long discussions in each classroom. Over the next few weeks our support staff will be in to review how these lessons are going so we can provide further support!

MTSS Updates

• K/1 data review meeting in the conference room on Jan 30 during PLC time!

• New intervention groups for grades 2 and up start on Monday.

• I have parent notification letters for you to send home on Monday. If we have students participating in supplemental small group instruction, we need to make sure to have a consistent way to inform parents. Those will be delivered to you!

• Huge thank yous to everyone for helping things go so smoothly 🙂

Calendar

23-24 Calendar

Monday - 01.29

• Stand up Meeting, 9 AM

• New Intervention Groups Begin

• Office Meeting, 1PM

• MS Boys Basketball @ Wellpinit

• BLT Meeting, 4PM

Tuesday - 01.30

• Coach Patsy on Campus

• MS Basketball Pictures @ 3:15

Wednesday - 01.31

• 4th Grade NAEP Testing

• MS Boys Basketball @ Hunters

Thursday - 02.01

• 8th Grade NAEP Testing

• K-5 Charger Assembly

• K-2 @ 2:00 - 2:30

• 3-5 @ 2:30 - 3:00

• PLC WASA Cohort II, Elementary Focus

• MS Boys Basketball @ Selkirk

Friday - 02.02

• Learning Improvement Day

• Para PD 8:30-11:30

UP and Coming Events:

• Next Week Attendance Meetings

• 4th grade helmet safety class, Feb 6

• BLT, Feb 12

• Presidency Day, Feb 19

• Normal Friday, Feb 23

Helpful Links

• MWSD Staff Links
• Minor Referral Form
• Springdale K8 Staff Dashboard

K8 Weekly Memo

Happy Late-Start Monday! I hope that everyone had a restful and safe weekend. Yesterday's road conditions were terrible, and today's are not much better. I was out sanding my lane this morning and found the side roads very slick. Remember to give yourself extra time to travel to work when the roadways are poor.

Recess and Playground Safety - Action Needed

We want our students to have healthy outside breaks regularly; however, we need them to be safe!  Please report any icy conditions to Sherri or myself to address them.  You can also help by spreading de-icer as needed.

The covered play area can be very slick if students have compact snow on their shoes. Please remind students to walk onto the concrete surface when they initially enter the covered play area. 

If it is freezing and you have a student with respiratory concerns, like asthma, please provide an inside opportunity for them to have recess.  The gym or K8 conference room could be used for a few students. 

Lockdown Drill 

On Wednesday @ 1 PM we will have a Shelter-in-Place Drill.

Shelter-in-Place limits the exposure of students and staff to hazardous materials, such as chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants, released into the environment by isolating the inside environment from the outside. 

A detailed description will be sent later today. 

MS Basketball Schedule Change

Today's away basketball game has been changed to a home game! 

MTSS Updates

We are all set with subs for our data review day on the 23rd.  Rotating Subs  Team rotations begin in the conference room during PLC's at 7:15 and continue through the day until 3:30.  Data Review Day Schedule.  There will be no groups that day and MTSS paras are invited to be part of the conversation as their schedules allow.

Materials provided for you:

• Updated data cards sorted by risk level

• Intervention options

• Winter screening data

• Benchmark expectation charts

• Highlighters, post-it notes

• Parent notification letter (for walk to and tier 2) and permission letter (for tier 3)

I am hoping that we can wrap up current groups on the 25th and start new ones (with progress monitoring set) on January 29th.

Calendar

23-24 Calendar

Monday, 01.22

• Stand up Meeting, 10 AM

• Office Meeting, 1PM

• MS Boys Basketball at Home with Cusick

Tuesday - 01.23

• Data Meetings w/ Diana

• MS HOSA Lunch Meeting

Wednesday - 01.24

• End of Semester

• MS Boys Basketball @ Home

Thursday - 01.25

• Intermediate ABC Field Trip

• MS Boys Basketball @ Selkirk

Friday - 01.26

• Student Access Day

UP and Coming Events:

• Brett Out, 01.29

• LID, Feb 2

• BLT, Feb 12

• Presidency Day, Feb 19

• Normal Friday, Feb 23

Late Start Schedule

Good Morning!  Thank you for making it in on this snowy day.  The weather has warmed up and we will be having outside recess. 

K-5 will follow their regular schedule for preps today.   Grades 3-5 need to be picked up at 10:05 AM outside and grades k-2 need to be picked up at 10:10.

Below is our two-hour delayed lunch schedule.  Thank you for being flexible with this schedule.  

Lunch	1/2 Release
HS	12:25
MS	12:01
K-2	12:15
3-5	12:35

Middle School will use the following schedule for their classes.

MS 2-Hour Delayed Schedule
Class	Time Start	Time End	Duration
Advisory	10:05 AM	10:15 AM	10
Core 1	10:15 AM	11:05 AM	50
Core 2	11:08 AM	11:58 AM	50
Lunch 1	12:01 PM	12:31 PM	30
Elective/Prep 1	12:34 PM	1:04 AM	30
Core 3	1:09 PM	1:59 AM	50
Core 4	2:02 PM	2:52 PM	50

K8 Weekly Memo

l hope everyone had a healthy, warm, and restful weekend. I could not help but think of some of our students who may have struggled to stay warm over this weekend. Some of our students live in subpar housing; I have seen camper shells, RVs, sheds, and cars set up as housing. Please keep a close eye on your students and reach out to the student support team if you have a student who may need a little extra help during these winter months.

This is a four-day school week, with school on Friday. Please remind your class that Friday is a regular school day.

Points of Interest

CharacterStrong 

Teacher Remodel: Think of a goal you have or a habit you want to develop. Share it with your class and name 1 small step you will take today to make progress. Write it on the board for accountability and each day this week give a short goal update with the next step you will take today and whether or not you completed the previous day's action. If you choose, you can keep this process alive until you feel complete!

Please be sure to teach your weekly CharacterStrong lesson.  This is a k-8 expectation.

• Website: http://curriculum.characterstrong.com/

• Username: marywalkerdistrict

• Password: character2021 

Health Room

Nurse Sherri will continue to be out this week through Friday, January 19th. Chanel will cover her absences and we have the Wellpinit/Valley nurse on call for any significant issues. 

PLC Work

Please use today's PLC time to connect and collaborate with your team.  Would anyone be interested in presenting your PLC progress?

FastBridge Testing - Action Needed

Math, Reading, and SAEBRS testing will be wrapped up by Friday. 

End of Semester - Action Needed

Please be sure to connect with families via a grade check, email, or call for any students failing your class.  Wednesday, Jan. 24th, is the last day of 1st semester.  Please be sure to get your grades submitted by 01.28. 

Sub Plans - Action Needed

Please be sure your emergency sub-plan folder is updated in the office.  Your lesson plans must outline all lesson segments and activities with estimated time.  Remember, your sub is walking into your classroom with little background knowledge of your daily routine and/or schedule.

Substitute Teacher Plans

1. Develop comprehensive substitute lesson plans.

1. Teachers must prepare detailed lesson plans that include clear instructions, learning objectives, and safety measures for each class they teach. These plans should be left with the front office or the designated substitute teacher in advance of any planned absence.

2. Provide necessary class rosters:

1. Teachers must ensure that substitute teachers have access to accurate class rosters to maintain proper attendance records and ensure student safety.

3. Ensure proper supervision:

1. Teachers are responsible for ensuring that substitute teachers have clear instructions on how to provide appropriate supervision during class time and any outdoor activities.

4. Maintain open communication:

1. Teachers should communicate with substitute teachers to address any questions or concerns they may have regarding the lesson plans and classroom procedures.

Calendar

23-24 Calendar

Monday, 01.15

• No School - MLK Day

Tuesday - 01.16

• Office Meeting, 1 PM

• Coach Patsy on Campus

Wednesday - 01.17

• 7th Grade WSU Labs 9-11 AM

• Boys Basketball Pictures 

• 1st Boys Basketball Game @ Home Canceled 

• Attendance Conferences Elementary School 8:15-9:15 AM

• Attendance Conferences Middle School 2-3 PM

Thursday - 01.18

• Primary ABC Field Trip, 01/18

• Board Meeting, 6:00 PM

Friday - 01.19

• Normal School Day

UP and Coming Events:

• Data Meetings, 1/23

• End of Semester: 1/24

• Intermediate ABC Field Trip, 1/25