This and That:

Changes to Reading Intervention Support: In order to streamline our intervention systems, provide multisensory reading instruction to those students that need it most, and create fewer interruptions to classroom tier 1 instruction, we will be starting in January to “flood” grade levels with reading support for 30 minutes/ 4 days per week (M, T, Th, F). Although this feels similar to a “walk-to-read” model (as we have used in the past at EME) this will differ from walk-to-read in some important ways. The biggest difference is that only the students who are specifically demonstrating a NEED for multisensory instruction will be leaving class to a reading group. As a result, these groups will be much smaller than in the past and targeted for our students that need it most. Our educational assistants that are not leading a targeted intervention group during a team’s 30-minute block will be pulling individual students in that grade to support with flagged Lexia lessons. We hope to no longer pull students for Lexia lessons outside of the 30-minute block.

Here is a link to the master schedule with a DRAFT schedule for reading intervention that was created with input from grade-level teams in late December. Look at the pink times on the first tab (“master regular – do not edit”). Please share any questions or concerns with Kelle by the end of the day on Wednesday 1/5. I hope to confirm the schedule on Thursday 1/6 to begin on Monday 1/10. Please understand that this change will likely create other schedule changes (such as SPED SDI time or ELL groups) since SPED reading groups will need to align to these times as closely as possible and there shouldn’t be other interruptions during this time.

Please talk as teams this week about how your team might best make this work for your students.

Winter Air Circulation (from BLS Operations): It was brought to our attention that some schools are still keeping windows open during the winter months. While we know this is good and by all means, you can continue if you want, there are also downsides to it as well as it causes our heating systems to overwork which increases energy costs and it can get uncomfortably cold! We have been assured that our updated filtration system is good for covid and that it is ok if you want to shut windows to take the burden off the heating system, reduce energy costs and create a comfortable learning environment for kids.

SIW Agenda: SIW this week is “school discretion.” For Elk Meadow, this will be grade-level team time to plan for the month of January. All teams (even if team members are absent, should be meeting for 90ish minutes during this block of time.)

Staff Meeting: The staff meeting this week is canceled. 🙂

Focus on Excellence and Equity:

TLC Update: Here is a link to this week’s TLC Update. A few items of note: what to do with students who have completed Lexia (many of you have asked this question), links to more Bridges revised post-assessments, winter-themed video links aligned to standards, student iPad update help.

Reading Article- “Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science“: 2020 version: I started reading this LOOOONG report during the break, but haven’t finished quite yet. There is a lot of great info and I really, really encourage all students who instruct and teach reading to students to take the time to read it. I am going to highlight small chunks of this report over the next few weeks to try and nudge everyone to read it in small chunks. Pages 2-3 are the forward and are worth a read. Below are a few excerpts from this section:

This report… translates the latest reading research into accessible language so that those of us who are not steeped in the pedagogy of reading can apply it to our own teaching and learning.

Teaching reading really is rocket science. Academic English is complex. Given this complexity, children need carefully planned instruction to become fluent readers, spellers, and writers. And, because of the enourmous inequities in our socienty, providing each child an equitable opportunity to revel in an abundance of books in which they both see themselves and are introduced to the world is no small task.

The science of reading is inextricably linked to the love of reaching. To teach and inspire the next generation, we simply can’t have one without the other.

COVID/ Safety Related Information:

COVID Resources Update: Below is some COVID-related resources that will repeat in each of our newsletters for easy access.

To Do:

•With the current Omicron strain of the virus on the rise, please be sure to review and reinforce COVID protocols in order to do our part to keep kids in school. Masks should be up over noses, maintain distancing, and reinforce washing hands and other good hygiene habits. Thanks for your help with this on Monday.

Important Dates: