11/15 Crockett Staff Update

Dear Teachers,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for each and every one of you. This season is a time for reflection and appreciation, and I am truly thankful for the dedication, passion, and hard work you bring to our school every day.

Your commitment to our students’ growth and well-being is nothing short of inspiring. You create a nurturing environment where students feel valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. Your commitment to high quality instruction and unwavering support make a significant impact on their lives, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.

I understand that teaching is not just a job but a calling that requires immense patience, creativity, and resilience. Your ability to adapt and overcome challenges, especially learning the NES model, has been remarkable. You have shown incredible strength and perseverance, and it does not go unnoticed.

Next week, I hope you take the time to relax and recharge. You deserve all the joy and warmth this holiday brings. Please know that your efforts are deeply appreciated, and I am honored to work alongside such an exceptional team of educators.

With this last week before the break, let's continue to remember our blessings and keep our high quality instruction at the forefront. Thank you for all that you do.

With Gratitude,

Ms. Wiblin

This week, IRT teams will be walking classrooms to view our amazing instruction. Remember that rooms should always be NES ready for instruction before you leave for the day. We do not know what day. Before leaving school today (Friday) you must have your room ready for Monday morning with:

• Your room neat and clean- look around to see what you can neaten and put away.
  
• Materials/pencils/whiteboards ready on desks
  
• LO/DOL posted and ready
  
• Curriculum maps ready and marked for the correct lesson in every subject.
  
• Copies for the upcoming lessons ready and in place
  
• Rooms neatened and organized
  
• Desks straight- If you have an amphitheatre-style arrangement, straighten the desks to allow room for movement.

Preparation is a way to eliminate stress in our lives. No-one likes a traffic jam to cause big problems for us as we start our day, especially when it could be a big day!

Let's be mindful of our basic structures in the NES model, as well as our focus on HOT questions, and the Monitor & Adjust component of the lesson.

Remember that birthday treats are ONLY to be given at recess time. These should not be given in the morning or during instruction of any kind. If the parent drops treats after recess time, save them until the end of the day and pass them out at dismissal.

The slide above is what should lead your LSAE instruction time. Use the data from the DOL to drive what you are doing during LSAE. OnTrack will tell you immediately what they missed most.

LSAE should not be used to review the actual DOL. Instead, use questions that are similar based on the misconceptions they have.

Below are the graphs showing our Zearn engagement. We are having students go on Zearn, but how are we monitoring lesson completion?

Kudos to Kindergarten for having the highest level of engagement!

Let's make it a priority to monitor student lesson completion in Zearn and Amira, beyond logging on.

REMINDER: Ms. Wiblin is unable to approve absences leading to holiday breaks or PD days.

Per district policy, when staff absences reach 5, the teacher is reported and the absences reviewed by Central Division and District Leadership.

If you must be out, please Include all administrators and Mrs.Niño in your communication and put the absence in OneSource.

While occasional absences are sometimes unavoidable, it is important for us to remember that we are essential to the learning of our students. Our presence makes a huge difference. Here is a reminder of days I will not approve a discretionary absence.

Applicable to all employees. Discretionary use of leave shall not be permitted during or on:

• The first week of a new semester;
• The day before or after a school holiday or recess day;
• Days scheduled for end-of-semester or end-of-year exams or during days scheduled for exams that are administered across the feeder pattern, unit, or division;
• Days scheduled for state-mandated assessments;
• Professional or staff development days.

These absences are reported and subject to district policy. DEC8(REGULATION) This “Leave at a Glance” document is also a helpful resource to understand the district’s policies and allowances.

A few reminders regarding the Fundamentals of high quality instruction in NES.

Single Student Responses are a thing of the past. 100% of students should be involved in the thinking. We should not be asking students to raise hands to read or share answers. What to do instead? Try an MRS strategy! We should not longer be calling on a single student to answer.

Red Zone: Be sure to fill all the seats at the front of the room every class. If a student is absent, pull students forward to fill the empty seats. Then when the LSAE happens, pull forward again.Think of the desks as not belonging to the students. Seating in the class is flexible so desks should not be filled with personal items.

Curriculum Maps/ LO/ DOL: Curriculum maps should be marked for the objective you are working on each and every day. The Curriculum map, LO, and DOL should all be aligned to today's learning. The posted LO and DOL should be printed in a large font that is visible from across the room.

Reading Strategies: If we are going to read anything in class it is always necessary to state the purpose before reading.

• Ask the question or give the task to set the purpose for reading.
  
• Give the students the passage to read and have them annotate the test evidence for the task.
  
• Time the reading and monitor.
• Circle back to answer the question..