Administrative message:
We would like you all to know that we are grateful that you are part of the School No. 16 staff. We want to thank you for all that you do for our students, our school and for each other. Have a restful and safe break. Take time to relax and enjoy your family. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
~Admin


Walk through Focus: 

For the last week  of November  the focus will remain on Learning Targets and Morning Meeting.  Please ensure that your LT's are posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson, students can read, paraphrase and understand them.  Please be sure you are conducting Morning Meetings everyday.

Monthly Attribute:
Our monthly Attribute is gratitude. Please click on the following link to reference activities you can do with your students this week.
http://www.teachhub.com/10-classroom-activities-about-gratitude

Upcoming Attribute of the month:
Each month please review and create lessons/activities around our attribute of the month. The blog will contain activities that you can use with your students.

December: Cooperation
January: Peacemaker
February: Friendship
March: Self Control
April: Kindness
May: Perseverance
June: Determination

Upcoming Important Dates:
SOAR Quarterly Event - Turkey Trot - November 20th
Thanksgiving Recess - November 21st - 23rd
November Monthly Awards Assembly - November 26th
Early Dismissal Day - December 7th
December Monthly Awards Assembly - December 20th
Winter Recess - December 21st - January 1st

Supporting each other:
Over the past few weeks many of us have experienced difficulty and additional stress in our lives. Thank you for always supporting each other and being there to help out when needed! 

Report Cards:
All report cards should have been completed by last Friday.  Admin will review them and provide you with feedback/approval to print them.  Report cards should be sent home with students on Friday, November 16th.  Please DO NOT send them home before this date.

Walk through Focus: 
For the week of November 12th  the focus will remain on Learning Targets and Morning Meeting.  Please ensure that your LT's are posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson, students can read, paraphrase and understand them.  

Please be sure that you are conducting a morning meeting each day with your students.  If you had to schedule this class meeting at a different time, please email your direct supervisor  the time you are conducting this class meeting. It is imperative that we have this information as soon as possible, so we can ensure we are able to visit you during this time.

News you could use:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2018-19 Essay Contest

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP is committed to encouraging our youth to reach for the stars and live the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, the firm’s Diversity Committee is overseeing Harter Secrest & Emery’s sponsorship of an essay contest. For additional information, see the flyer.

The topic of the 2018-19 essay is: If you could talk to Dr. King today, what would you suggest that we can do now to help make his message of understanding and appreciating our differences come true?

New Resources from NYSED on PK-12 ELA Next Generation Standards: Standards at a Glance

The Next Generation ELA Standards at a Glance provide the progression of English Language Arts standards across grade levels (PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12). The New York State Education Department created these documents to support curriculum development and instructional design, as well as to increase stakeholders’ knowledge of the NYS Next Generation Learning Standards. Educators and families can efficiently view the standards that precede and follow a particular grade level. Visit the NYS Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards page to view these documents. Also included is the next-generation-ela-glossary-of-terms.pdf, created to standardize the language used in the standards, assessments, and supplementary documents.

 RTA Observation Deadlines

Attached is the timeline for RTA evaluations as a reminder that the first formal observations for non-tenured teachers must be completed by November 30. Pre- and post-observation conferences are mandatory for formal observations.

 Guidance for the Evaluation of Special Education Teachers

Please click on the link provided to view guidance from the Department of Special Education in collaboration with the School Chiefs regarding the evaluation of special education teachers, psychologists, and speech/language pathologists. The Department has determined that CASE’s should evaluate special education teachers and related service providers in collaboration with the building administration as outlined in the Evaluation of Special Education Staff October 2018 Guidance Document

Connect Kids to Parks: Field Trip Grant Program

The purpose of this initiative is to encourage children to learn more about New York State environment and history on a free field trip. Grants will re-fund up to $1,000 of the field trip cost per classroom or After School Groups of 20 children per trip. (Example – if a school teacher has five classes, he or she can apply five times with each grant up to $1,000). Plan now and book your field trips to a state park, nature center, or historic site. Field trip costs eligible for a refund include transportation, park attractions, program fees, and/or pavilion fees. Currently ALL Public Schools in Western New York qualify. This program is available to any public school in a Title 1 School District (grades PreK-12, including School-Sponsored Clubs), Advantage After School Programs, 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Village Towns, or County Youth Bureaus in communities with Title 1 School Districts are eligible to apply for the grants. Click on this link for details about the program and the online application. Please schedule your field trip now and remember to please have the name of a NYS Park Staff Person on the application. If you have questions, please call 716-278-1772 or e-mail John.Ceretto@parks.ny.gov, or Susan Carver at 518-474-6736, e-mail: susan.carver@parks.ny.gov.

RTA AND ASAR Certified Staff BEDS Reporting Has Begun – Deadline December 14, 2018 NYSED is requiring that all staff BEDS reporting is completed by RTA and ASAR Certificated Staff online via the Teacher Access and Authorization (TAA) website. The link for this site is provided at the bottom of this message. PLEASE COMPLETE THIS ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14. For Non-Teaching RTA and ASAR Certificated Staff: 1.  If you have never completed an ePMF or BEDS form before, you will need to set up a TAA account. Please follow the steps found in the attached “FIRST-TIME USERS Setting Up Your TAA Account.” 2.  Review your BEDS information. Directions can be found on pages 1-9 of the attached “ePMF for 18-19 BEDS Reporting” document. 3.  NOTE: pages 6-8 of the “ePMF …” document explain what to do if you find discrepancies with any of your information that has already been entered. 4.  Don’t forget to SUBMIT the form once you are done. For Classroom Teachers and Librarians: 1.  If you have never completed an ePMF or BEDS form before, you will need to set up a TAA account. Please follow the steps found in the attached “FIRST-TIME USERS Setting Up Your TAA Account.” 2.  Follow the directions in the attached “ePMF for 18-19 BEDS Reporting” document. 3.  Pages 6-8 explain what to do if you find discrepancies with any of your information that has already been entered. 4.  Pages 10-15 give step-by-step directions on how to enter your teaching assignments. 5.  Page 10 gives specific codes to enter for some classes based on your certification, and it has the link to the Teaching Assignment Codes PDF. 6.  Don’t forget to SUBMIT the form once you are done. If you have questions, there are multiple help links available on the TAA website, or you can email BEDS@rcsdk12.org. You can also contact Karl Kania (262- 8453) or Aloma Cason (262-8250) with questions.  Teacher Access and Authorization SED Website 

Upcoming Important Dates:
School Climate Committee Meeting - November 13th
SBPT - November 14th
Report Cards go home - November 16th 
Thanksgiving Recess - November 21st - 23rd
Early Dismissal Day - December 7th
Winter Recess - December 21st - January 1st

11.5.18

Administrative Updates:

Please be sure to review your newly updated fire drill information, be sure you have a copy in your substitute folder.

Please be sure you have your emergency response procedures placed in your substitute folder and it is easily accessible to you.

Superintendent's Conference Day:

The agenda for our upcoming Superintendent's Conference Day was emailed out to you on Friday.  Presentations for all staff will take place in our building.  Special Education Teachers and Special Subject staff will report to a district based location in the afternoon.

Walk through Focus:
For the week of November 5th -  16th the focus will remain on Learning Targets and Morning Meeting.  Please ensure that your LT's are posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson, students can read, paraphrase and understand them.  Please be sure that you are conducting a morning meeting each day with your students.  If you had to schedule this class meeting at a different time, please email your direct supervisor  the time you are conducting this class meeting. It is imperative that we have this information as soon as possible, so we can ensure we are able to visit you during this time.

Step Up to Writing:
Please review the information below in regards to SUTW.  Be sure that you complete your SUTW data tracking sheet with the new data and email it to your direct supervisor.  If you have any questions please see J. Osborne, M. Michel or L. Garrow. 



Upcoming Dates:

Scholastic Book Fair  -  November 2^nd through 9^th 9 -11:30 AM and 1:30-3:00 PM

School No. 16 Basketball Program - November 5^th (Information was sent home with students in grades 4 - 6th)

Family Reading Night  -  November 8^th 5:30-7:00 PM 

Superintendent’s Conference Day - November 6^th (no school for students)
Veterans Day - November 12^th (all facilities are closed)

~ Spirit Week:
October 29^th: Dress for Success
October 30^th: Favorite Team Tuesday 
October 31^st: Favorite Character Day 
November 1^sT: Pajama Day 
November 2^nd: School Color Day: Wear Blue and Gold 

~Walk through Focus:
For the week of October  29th - November 2nd the focus will remain on Learning Targets and Morning Meeting.  Please ensure that your LT's are posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson, students can read, paraphrase and understand them.

~SOAR Posters and expectations:
Please ensure that the SOAR posters are posted and visible in your classroom (they were in the SOAR folder that was given to you on our first Supt. Conference Day)
Please refer to them as you correct inappropriate behavior and promote appropriate behavior.
Please take sometime during class meetings to review and provide models/examples of appropriate. 
Please continue to speak about SOAR bucks and find opportunities to give them to students.

~Important Dates:
Picture Day - October 29^th
Spirit Week - October 29th.  Please see the Spirit Week flyer and participate in this event with our students. 

Scholastic Book Fair  -  November 2^nd through 9^th 9 -11:30 AM and 1:30-3:00 PM

School No. 16 Basketball Program - November 5^th (Information was sent home with students in grades 4 - 6th)

Family Reading Night  -  November 8^th 5:30-7:00 PM 

Superintendent’s Conference Day - November 6^th (no school for students)
Veterans Day - November 12^th (all facilities are closed)

10.22.18

~Grade Level Meetings: On Oct. 22nd and Oct. 29th the coaches from ELA Dept. will facilitate our grade level meetings.  Please prepare for these meetings by taking some time to reflect on the following questions; What are the components of a high quality ELA block and how should the time be broken up? What does a high quality phonics lesson look like? ( what should it entail?) How do you set up for guided reading, and what does it look like? Please bring your laptops to the meeting and be on time. Below are the norms that were suggested by staff on the needs assessment survey.  Collaboratively we will work together to ensure we are following these norms and that are time together is productive. NORMS: ·     Put students first ·     Be on time/prepared ·     Be respectful ·     Be focused ·     Be sure to bring materials for the meeting that you were asked to bring ·     Come with an open mind ~Intervention/LLI: Our LLI block gives us another opportunity to focus on sharing a passion for Reading, Teaching and Learning with our students.   Here are some tips to help you maximize this time:    -Use the 30 (first grade) or 45 minute lesson framework to structure the time    -Be intentional in your focus—get the students engaged in reading and incorporate progress-Monitoring    -Get creative with resources; it’s OK to substitute materials as needed    -Do your best (and forget the rest)!!! ~ Ready Teacher Toolbox: We have an awesome resource for you to use. Please read the information attached from Our Math Department about the Ready Teacher ToolboxJ  We will dive deeper into this resource at our grade level meetings.  However, DON’T wait until then to explore and use it as a resource. The Math Department has made Ready Teacher Toolbox a central piece of their Math Intervention Guides (click HERE) Our  school has a unique code (see below) that teachers must use during their registration process.  While each teacher will have a unique registration, you will all use this school code to set up your account. They have purchased Math licenses only.  The Math Department  has bought enough licenses for all of our teachers in Grades 3-6. If you have any difficulties with registration, please call Ready Customer Service at 1-800-225-0248. Go to www.Teacher-Toolbox.com to register. Code: M1Q1F7DN9FHX

~Assemblies: On October 26th, we will have our first monthly assembly.  Please discuss assembly behavior with your students prior to coming.  The assembly will be held in the cafe. Grades K - 3 will be at 2 PM and grades 4 - 6 will be at 10 AM. ~Walk through Focus: Our walk through focus will continue to be on Learning Targets and Morning Meeting.  Administration is now using the electronic tool to provide you feedback from a walk through visit. ~Update from Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams:  We often talk about our commitment to “Every student by face and name.” This is a promise to ensure our children have a safe and nurturing environment at school to learn and grow to their potential. You delivered on that promise by responding quickly and working with colleagues and city and county officials to ensure our students had a productive day and arrived home safely.  We can continue to help our students feel safe by establishing a strong sense of security, talking with them openly about their fears, and assuring them that schools are safe places. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) also recommends strategies, which are detailed in the resource “Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers.”  Thank you, again, for your calm and caring professionalism, and for your dedication to our students.   Sincerely, Barbara Deane-Williams ~Updates from the Office of Student Support Services and Social Emotional Learning: Restorative Times newsletter. Please contact Ruth Turner with any questions.  ~Upcoming Dates: Monthly Assembly - Friday, October 26th, 2018  Superintendents Conference Day  - Tuesday, November 6th, 2018 Veterans Day (all facilities closed) - November 12th, 2018 Thanksgiving Recess - Wednesday, November 21st - November 23rd, 2018

10.15.18










Instructional Updates:

~Assessments:
Please be sure you have completed all of your NWEA ELA and Math Assessments for each student, a DRA for each student and AIMSwebPlus Assessments (Oct. 19th). All data should be entered into the data logs in google by the dates below.

Data recording deadlines: 

DRA’s - October 3rd

NWEA - October 12^th 

AIMSwebPlus  - October 19th 

~Zearn:

Zearn is an instructional expectation.   

We are reviewing class reports and monitoring usage time per class every week.

Please take note of the following Zearn expectations;

·       Each class 1 - 5 should use the 50/50 model (30 minutes on Zearn and 30 minutes of small group instruction)

·       Zearn usage time of 120 minutes per week

·       Each student should have an average of 4 lessons a week

We have noticed that there are many classes that are significantly below the 120 minutes goal.

Please log into your Zearn account and review how many minutes your class is averaging a week.

Beginning this week, we ask that you aim to meet a goal of 100 minutes this week and work towards completing 120 minutes by the end of October 26^th, 2018.

By the end of this week aim for each student to have completed at least two lessons.

By the end of October 26^th, 2018 each student should complete 4 lessons a week.

Administration, Jeff Mikols and Jeff Good are willing to meet with you and support you with reaching these goals.

Administration will continue to review each class report for Zearn and monitor the completed goals and usage time consistently.

~Walk to Learn Intervention:

The instructional time for our Walk to Learn Intervention classes will increase to 45 minutes with the exception of first grade. First grade intervention block will remain 30 minutes.

WTL Intervention classes for grade 1 will begin on October 17^th, 2018

WTL Intervention classes for grades 2 – 6 will begin at a later date.  Information on when intervention classes for these grades levels is forth coming.

Please be sure to provide intervention to your students at this time by using www.interventioncentral.org

~Walk through focus:
The week of Oct 8- Nov. 2nd, 2018 our Walkthrough focus areas will be Morning meetings and Learning targets.  Please ensure you have kid friendly LT posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson and your students are aware of them and what they mean.  Also, be sure you are conducting your Morning Meeting each day and using all of the MM components.

~Upcoming Dates:
Superintendents Conference Day  - Tuesday, November 6th, 2018
Veterans Day (all facilities closed) - November 12th, 2018
Thanksgiving Recess - Wednesday, November 21st - November 23rd, 2018

~Upcoming School - Based Professional Development Opportunities:

 

     10.9.18


Principal's Message:
Greetings faculty, as the proud principal of John Walton Spencer school number 16 I would like to express how excited I am to be your school leader!
Nothing would make me any prouder, than having a dedicated, hard working team, who will go above and beyond to support what's best for our students.
To begin this journey, I must continue to reiterate the importance of being present and prepared to engage our children with positive experiences at school on a daily basis!
We can't afford to watch or talk about it!
Everyone must be apart of the work that needs to be done (Effective teaching and learning)!
I need a team that is willing to take our work seriously enough to serve as courageous, positive role models, plan relevant, engaging lessons for all students, have positive and supporting conversations with our children as well as do whatever it takes to make a difference, I need you to be the difference!

We all have a lot at stake, our students are the future! 

When we tell our story, yours and theirs, will be threaded throughout! 

Let's make sure it is a good story. A story that reflects resilience, growth, teamwork and that success is the end result! 

Lastly, I hope that  you gained some insight, knowledge and/or awareness about implicit bias, learning outcomes, the next generation learning standards, "Rochester Style".  This day gave us an opportunity to reflect, share and collaborate together. 

As a district and school, we will continue to plan and adjust learning around two key questions "what should students know & what should students be able to do & be like at the end of the year"?  

Principal Open Office Hours:

Tuesday  1:15-2:00  

Wednesday 11-12:30 

Thursday 12:15-1:15 

Friday 11:30-12:15  

Arrival and breakfast:
Arrival procedures have been much smoother the past couple weeks.  Most students are arriving and have entered the building by 9:05 with the exception of one or two late buses. Please take some time to reflect upon the arrival process, students entering the building and breakfast procedures and send L. Garrow and feedback that you have.  We are always looking at ways to work together as a team to improve our school - wide systems and processes.

Morning Meeting:
Please take some time to reflect on how Morning Meetings are going in your classroom and provide feedback to the team and administration.  Please send your feedback to L. Garrow and E. Cole via email.


Dismissal:
All walkers will be dismissed after the buses depart approx. 3:40.  All walkers will be picked up by the same adult who gets students who are picked up by their parents & taken to the gym.
In addition to the teacher who has been  students who get picked up to the gym, Ms. Michel will get the second graders and third grade walkers and Mrs. Agnitti will get the fourth and fifth grader walkers.  These students along with the students who get picked up by their parents will be picked up from your classroom approx. 3:20.


Station Rotations:
Each year we plan three station rotation events (fall, winter and spring) for our students to visit and learn/practice our school - wide expectations. The fall schedule has been sent out to you via email and also is posted under the PBIS/SOAR section of this blog.  The first set of rotations will begin tomorrow. It is our expectation that you follow the schedule and adhere to the times listed.  Please accompany your students to each rotation and be sure they are demonstrating appropriate behavior as our facilitators are teaching the expectations. If you have any questions, please see L. Garrow

Walk through focus:
The week of Oct 8- Nov. 2nd, 2018 our Walkthrough focus areas will be Morning meetings and Learning targets.  Please ensure you have kid friendly LT posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson and your students are aware of them and what they mean.  Also, be sure you are conducting your Morning Meeting each day and using all of the MM components.

Upcoming Dates:
Columbus Day (all facilities closed) - Monday, October 8th, 2018
Parent Teacher Conferences - Tuesday, October 9th, 2018
Superintendents Conference Day  - Tuesday, November 6th, 2018
Veterans Day (all facilities closed) - November 12th, 2018
Thanksgiving Recess - Wednesday, November 21st - November 23rd, 2018