This and That:
Staffing: Thank you to all the classroom teachers for taking time to complete the staffing preference survey. Your feedback has helped me to better understand your wishes and to clarify some additional placement priorities that we have as a staff (not necessarily in the order listed below):
- Get people on “the right seat on the bus.” Where will their talents best shine through?
- Develop strong professional learning communities.
- Place staff in grades 3-5 who use the instructional technology tools available to better develop “future ready students.”
- Place our trained (and interested ) staff with ELL co-teaching in positions that support the needs of our ever-ELL students and expand the co-teaching model at Elk Meadow to new grade levels.
I am starting to have conversations with individual staff members about placement. I have not yet seen our building staffing allocation for next year, so I am still making staffing decisions quite slowly.
Conferences: Below are some notes regarding what I know about conferences. Please let me know what additional questions you have (I’m sure I’m forgetting something!)
- I sent home a communication to families on Friday sharing the change of school days during conference week.
- Early next week, I will be creating a communication for grades K-3 to send home sharing that we will not be able to conference with every family, but please return that form ASAP if they would like to request a conference.
- Grades K-3 teachers will individually reach out to families that they would like to conference with.
- We will NOT be making a school-wide coordinated effort to schedule siblings back to back this round. No students with EME siblings should be scheduled on Wednesday between 2:00-4:00.
- A blank schedule with five minute increments will be available by the mailboxes on Monday (thank you April!!)
Art Inspiration: A great idea for storing paint for the duration of a multi-day project: lidded ice cube trays! (4-pack on Amazon is $10)
PBIS: Some of our staff members recently had the opportunity to listen to Tim Feeney speak! They came back with some great “ah-ha!” moments and good reminders! Some of their take-aways were:
- Sometimes kids have too many choices presented (even 2 may be too many!), which can cause them to shut down. Not because they’re trying to be difficult or naughty, but because they truly don’t know the outcome of their choice.
- Top executives were asked what they wanted kids to leave from school knowing how to do. The top three attributes these executives wanted in a future employee were: get along with others, follow directions, and be on-time.
To Do:
Sign-up for some March Madness Fun!!: Below is the info from Debbi.
- Happy March…let the madness begin! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament starts soon. Selection Sunday is this weekend, and you should definitely join our Elk Meadow Bracket Challenge! You can join the group anytime by clicking on the “Join Group” button below (scroll down to the ESPN message). You can complete your bracket anytime after Sunday night’s teams are announced!
Reminders For This Week:
- All Week: Naglieri (NNAT3) testing
- Monday: Fire Drill
- Tuesday: Gr. 3 program (optional assembly and evening program)
- Wednesday: Spring art workshops, Site Council
- Thursday: Grade level team meetings
Rotating Before School Duty:
| March 18-22 | Garrett | Korman |
| April 1-5 | Harris | McDonald |
| April 8-12 | Eisenbeis | Miller |
| April 15-19 | Ehlert | Carrol |
SIW Schedule:
Below is a DRAFT of our SIW schedule for through the end of the year for your planning. Please let your advisory representative or Kelle know if you have any questions or ideas.
- 3/20- PBIS: CPS
- 3/27 Spring Break
- 4/3 Conference Prep
- 4/10 Conference Prep until 4:00
- 4/17 District
- 4/24 TBC
- 5/1 Team Time & Kindergarten Open House
- 5/8 PBIS: CPS
- 5/15 Art in the Meadow Prep
- 5/22 TBD
- 5/29 End of year tasks
- 6/5 End of year tasks
- 6/12 Full day