Happy Staff Appreciation Week! Thank you for everything you do make Lava Ridge such a great place. I feel very fortunate to work alongside you everyday.
Our teaching tip this week is from Rachel and focuses on Building Background knowledge… “One of the ways that I like to build background in my lessons is to make sure that I review the prior lesson/content from a previous lesson, show a graphic organizer when appropriate, and then review the vocabulary in the context of what we are studying. An example would be using fraction tiles for a lesson on reading/counting rhythms. We built upon the knowledge of fractions to learn about a measure of music being like a whole fraction. “
We should be at a place late next week at which we are able to have a more definite plan for most of our grade level teaching assignments for the fall. At this point our Kindergarten team has been set and will be: Donna Blankenship, Jessica Cromwell and Stacey Purtzer.
Here are the opportunities (challenges!) that we have been thinking through in setting our teaching assignments for next year.
- Change from 26 classrooms this year to 20 classrooms in 2019-20 (25 grade level classrooms + 1 Interventionist classroom)
- The five teachers transferring to other schools teaching this year in the K-3 strand
- Interventionist position (ie Dawnelle) moving into a classroom position
I want to thank you in advance for the flexibility and positive mindset that has been so prevalent in the conversations I have had with many of you in the last two weeks. For those who communicated on their preference sheet a desire to teach at Lava Ridge next year, we knew and discussed as a staff in mid-April that this is what would be involved. As a couple of people have voiced to me, “I will teach any grade level, I’m just happy to be at Lava Ridge next year”. That’s the spirit.
We are planning that most people will teach at one of the 3 grade levels they communicated they would prefer to teach at and if this is not possible, the grade above or below what they are teaching this year.
A couple of questions surfaced after we evacuated the building on Wednesday during lunch time. We have not had a drill or evacuation during lunches this year so we were all presented with a great opportunity to learn and practice. Part of learning is making mistakes so please do not be hard on yourself if you did not follow or remember our protocol for evacuations during these times of the day. I am hopeful this document can help and you will see it also provides answers to the questions that were asked during SIW. Please talk with Lybe or I if you have any additional questions.
Please let me know if you might be interested in hosting a teaching intern next year. Thank you!
Week at a Glance for May 6th – 10th
Monday:
Tuesday:
- 8:05 Staff Meeting
Wednesday:
- SIW: March for Students
Thursday:
- No EBISS
- Luncheon provided by Classified Staff (Soup and Salad from Olive Garden)
Friday:
- ICCL Meeting @ 8:05
- Lion Pride Drawings at lunches
- Newsletter
Below is the schedule PTO has set for Staff Appreciation Week:
- Friday, May 3rd: 3:45pm to 6:00pm – Door Decorating
- Monday, May 6th: Theme – You Make Us Bloom
- 7:30am to 8:25am – Door Decorating
- 7:45am-8am – Staff Potluck Breakfast coordinated by PTO provided by parents
- 8:25am to 8:55am: EA Appreciation Station
- Tuesday, May 7th: Theme – Teachers Are Noteworthy
- 8:25am to 8:55am: Teacher Appreciation Station
- Wednesday, May 8th: Theme – My Teachers A Treat
- 8:25am to 8:55am: Office & Specials Appreciation Station
- Thursday, May 9th: Theme – Teachers Brighten Our Rainbow
- 9am to 11am-ish – Treat Cart, We will be going around to Staff offering them a treat from our Appreciation cart
- 8:25am to 8:55am: Cafeteria & Janitors Appreciation Station
- Friday, May 10th: Theme – Supply Them with Thanks
- 8:25am to 8:55am: Appreciation Station for any Staff a student wishes to recognize