Anchor Weekly
A newsletter for Alta Vista Staff~Week of December 17, 2018
Don't Forget! Next Week's Calendar
**SEE SCHEDULE FURTHER DOWN FOR SPECIAL EVENTS TO CELEBRATE OUR 10 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!
- Make A Wish on Monday, December 17 at 9:00 am
- Region 12 Science Planning on Monday, December 17 at 12:00-4:00 pm
- Student-Led Conferences (Gr 4-5) on Tuesday, December 18 and Wednesday, December 19
- Faculty Meeting on Wednesday, December 19
- Reading PLCs on Thursday, December 20
- Grades due on Friday, December 21
- Early Release & Staff Holiday Lunch/Party on Friday, December 21
Coming Up: Staff Professional Development on January 7 at Mayborn Museum at 8 am (more details coming soon)!
Details for 10 Days of Christmas
Tuesday: We will put a printed elf in your box for you to hide. Whatever student finds the elf can turn it in at the library for a FREE BOOK! Staff that find a "Karmen on the Shelf" can stop by the office for a free prize.
Wednesday: Sign up for a time for the leadership team to come read "Gingerbread Pirates" to your class using this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jgPvG-IXLsB4qWuVNJ9cYcbXuiluB4R5lPSE8DfZd5o/edit?usp=sharing
Thursday: We will serve a tasty treat while students watch Frosty the Snowman in the cafeteria.
Schedule
9:00-9:30: 3rd, 4th, 5th grade
1:30-2:00: PreK, Kinder
2:15-2:45: 1st, 2nd grade
Reading PLCs
Early Release Lunch Schedule
- 10:20-10:40 PK-Sierra, Scott
- 10:25-10:45 PK-Hofheins, Picazo
- 10:30-10:50 K-Williams, Lopez
- 10:35-10:55 K-Bearden, A. Martinez
- 10:40-11:00 1st-Greer, Breeding
- 10:45-11:05 1st-Somers, Snell
- 10:50-11:10 2nd-Barnard, Haskett
- 10:55-11:15 2nd-Noel, Sharp
- 11:00-11:20 3rd-Templeton, Long
- 11:05-11:25 3rd-Villela, Terrell
- 11:10-11:30 4th-Martinez, Frost
- 11:15-11:35 4th-Palmer, Foreman
- 11:20-11:40 5th-Rawles, Spark
- 11:25-11:45 5th-Drake
1. Lunches are 20 minutes in length.
2. You will come to the cafeteria at your designated time and pick up milk and sack lunches. Please be on time. I fully expect you will be in line with one or two other groups as we move classes through 2 or 3 at a time.
3. You will return to your classroom to eat with your students. Be sure to put all lunch garbage in a bag to be picked up by custodians. You may choose to have your class eat at a cafeteria table if they are available, but you will need to stay with the class. They will not be supervised otherwise.
4. Please be ready for dismissal (buses) at 11:50 am.
From Your Captain
Remember it is important that teams collaborate together. It was great to see all the collaboration between classes within grade levels and vertically. Continue to think of how you can build those collaborative relationships to also build on skills your classes are learning as well and supporting reading across campus.
Just a reminder of one of the quotes we used a lot last year: "Individuals win games, but teams win championships." Thank you for continuing to model professionalism and your desire to learn and grow. I look forward to seeing how your collaboration shows up as growth in all of our students!
Please complete the staff survey that is being left in your box Friday afternoon and return it to Mrs. Helton by Wednesday. Thank you for your participation! This will help guide our Family Engagement planning and focus group that launches this spring. It is anonymous.
Conscious Discipline
We will NOT be doing interventions during the first week back in 2019. Use this extra time to reconnect with your students and reteach expectations and procedures.
We will be providing some new ideas and lesson to kick off morning meetings when we return in 2019. Our focus for January will be kindness. More details coming soon!
Hour of Code
Winter Break Preparations
We are notifying you during the 2018 Christmas break, your Campus/Building HVAC will be on an "unoccupied state" December 22nd, till January 6, 2019.
The Custodial & Maintenance Staff will be working December 27 & 28, 2018, and January 3 & 4, 2019 from 7:00am to 3:30pm only.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please collect all personal items such as food & water, and anything left in i-fridges. Unplug all personal appliances, radios and personal lights.
Counselor's Corner
Packs of Hope Donation Drive has been extended until Tuesday, December 18th.
5th grade choice sheets for 2019-2020 school year will go home on Monday, December 17th . Mrs. Maynard will customize each student's sheet to indicate their available options. Students will need a parent signature to finalize choices. Completed choice sheets are due back Thursday, December 20th
Staff Members of the Week!
Congratulations to Mrs. Williams for being our TEACHER OF THE WEEK! She organized the lower grades to create beautiful table decorations for Thanksgiving, and has a great, positive attitude.
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Reading Strategies & Resources
Reading Rockets is a website with a library of great reading strategies.
Each strategy in the library includes:
- Instructions on how to use the strategy
- Classroom video
- Downloadable templates
- Examples
- Recommended children's books to use with the strategy
- Differentiation for second language learners, students of varying reading skill, students with learning disabilities, and younger learners
- Supporting research
Check out the website here: http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies#skill1043