ADSF Educators

This is our last SMORE of the year. Have a blessed summer! Thank you for all you do and give.

This year, the theme of Laudato Si' Week, "Seeds of Hope," calls us all to be those seeds of hope in our lives and in our world, rooted in faith and love. The theme is inspired by the Season of Creation 2024 symbol, "first fruits."

This week invites us to come together as a community to contemplate and nurture seeds of hope for our "suffering planet" (LD 2). The planet is everyone's responsibility.

LINK HERE

Take a few minutes to reflect before starting your week on the messages shared by Pope Francis below.

70. Nonetheless, every little bit helps, and avoiding an increase of a tenth of a degree in the global temperature would already suffice to alleviate some suffering for many people. Yet what is important is something less quantitative: the need to realize that there are no lasting changes without cultural changes, without a maturing of lifestyles and convictions within societies, and there are no cultural changes without personal changes.

71. Efforts by households to reduce pollution and waste, and to consume with prudence, are creating a new culture. The mere fact that personal, family and community habits are changing is contributing to greater concern about the unfulfilled responsibilities of the political sectors and indignation at the lack of interest shown by the powerful. Let us realize, then, that even though this does not immediately produce a notable effect from the quantitative standpoint, we are helping to bring about large processes of transformation rising from deep within society.

Teach your students a prayer to the Holy Spirit

Here is a simple prayer to the Holy Spirit to try out with your kids this week:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

V. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

1. Start Each Day on a Positive Note - Regardless of how stressed or tired you are, try to put it aside as you begin your days. When you wake up, think about something that makes you happy.

2. Contain Your Focus - Be in the moment while you’re teaching; this is the last time you and your students will all be together as a family.

3. Strive for Routine - Keep your routine as much as possible. This will help you stay focused and avoid unnecessary stress.

4. Have Fun - Plan a lesson outside or an extra PE period.

5. Be Flexible - Go with the flow. It’s May and things are going to come up.

6. Celebrate - Celebrate the accomplishments of your students.

7. Plan Ahead - Keep lists/notes to help you stay organized on what you need to accomplish for the end of the year and even the fall.

8. Prepare for Next Year - Are there things that can be prepared now to alleviate extra stress in the fall?

9. Take Time for Yourself - In the midst of all the chaos, take some time for yourself.

10. Reflect - Think back on your year. What went well? What didn’t go so well? What goals do you have for the upcoming year? Are there any books you’d like to read during the summer to help yourself grow professionally?

*https://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/10-tips-for-ending-the-year-on-a-good-note/

End-of-Year Prayer Resources through CTN

Summer Learning Game Boards through CTN

• Use the CTN resources to prevent the summer slide and provide enrichment for Math and ELA.

• Boards can be adjusted for different grade levels and abilities.

• Write the rules so that students are working for the amount of time you want.

ELA - CTN

• Pick a Raz novel (look at trade book resources or classics) to assign them to read.

• Over the summer use all the writing prompts.

• Give students other BrainPOP subjects to focus on in social studies or science. They could create comic strips, newscasts, write letters, etc… to demonstrate knowledge & use ELA skills.

• Have students play Raz literacy games.

• Incorporating a Raz graphic organizer to the slide deck for books.

• Filter through BrainPOP’s ELA games for specific practice

• BrainPOP: Pick specific Sortify, Challenge, or Beep games for students to use as practice tools.

MATH - CTN

• Mathletics: Assign them Quests in addition to Challenge questions.
• Pick DOK 3 & 4 activities.
• If they’re finished with grade level Mathletics, create a group with next year’s content and give them access to that.
• Tell them to learn something new in BrainPOP math. Then, create a map or movie to demonstrate knowledge.
• Have them create a math concept song, riddle, or rap.

• Have students continue working on the Mathletics activities until they get 80% or more on a select bunch.

• If they’re struggling with grade level Mathletics, create a group with different content & give them access to that.

• Filter through BrainPOP’s Math games for specific practice

• Assign remedial Learn 360 math activities

Additional Ideas

• Utilize Flipgrid to give kids an option to verbalize and/or demonstrate their thoughts instead.
• Lexia: Ensure all students finish their grade appropriate levels. If a student has not, make that the priority on the game board.
• NoRedInk: Have students finish their existing pathways from the school year. You could prioritize certain skills necessary for next year.
• ALEKS: Students can continue working on their course until they finish it. Quick Tables are always a good idea to keep up their math facts.
• Newsela: Teachers can assign a certain amount of articles to complete over the summer.
• ST Math: Students complete a certain amount of puzzles each week as they work to finish their grade level course.

For those with NoRedInk, check out this NRI at home student guide. It might be good for summer. NoRedInk even put together 10 weeks of day-by-day plans for teachers This might also be helpful for what to pick for the summer. They also provide their own checklist for students teachers can use. Heads up: NRI goes down for one week a year, every year, it’s the last week in July.

For those with Newsela, teachers can assign specific Newsela articles, quizzes, and written responses to Classroom or teachers can assign them without Classroom by assigning within Newsela. Another option is to have them read a certain amount of minutes each week along topics of their own interest. K-5 teachers needing printables: Go to Learn360 and click the Mailbox. There is a lot of great content ready to print off.

For those with ST Math, here is a chart describing the amount of minutes students should be using ST Math each week:

Pre-K / TK:20-50 minutes 10-30 puzzles

K-1:40-100 minutes 25-65 puzzles

2-8:55-150 minutes 35-95 puzzles

*NSBECS Academic Excellence

EOY - End of Year Slides (access here)

Save those class, school and district wide reports before End of the Year!

End of the Year Website is live: https://www.renaissance.com/end-of-year/rgp/

a. Best to save No later than last day of your School Year in the Renaissance Site. Admins can see this when you go to Manage Apps, then School Calendar to find YOUR site dates.

· Teachers and School Admin – Star Toolkit (Last Page for EOY Wrap up) - https://renaissance.widen.net/s/u2osiqvefy/the-star-assessments-toolkit_r63076_200630

*Printing Cumulative Record Labels – Access the directions here (Clickable link)

As a reminder, data in Renaissance reports is always reflecting currently enrolled students. If you like certain reports or will need specific data for Accreditation purposes, please download and save reports this school year.

On Pentecost we associate fire with the coming of the Holy Spirit. We know fire has always been essential to human civilization, and we are also aware of the destructive nature of fire, especially as the earth is experiencing more wildfires and extreme wildfires each year. Although burning wood in a fireplace, campfire, or outdoor fire pit can be a cozy ritual, the smoke from wood burning is a significant source of air pollution in some areas and climates. What activities or sources of warmth can you use as an alternative to burning wood?

National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools