Gator Run Friday Focus - February 27, 2015

What You Might Have Missed this Week on Instagram:
Mr. Heyman's class using protractors to measure angles.

Wired Up Wednesday was a big success.  We had 12 of our Gator Run family members in attendance as Ms. Hollander demonstrated two websites with tools for teaching and learning.

Jump Rope for Heart was amazing.  Thanks to Coach Cliff for organizing this event and to the other Specials teachers for assisting and joining in the fun.

Next Week at a Glance:

• We are hosting Clinical Education training next Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in Ms. Davis' classroom.  
• 4th and 5th grade will be taking the ELA Writing portion of the FSA next Wednesday.  Our teachers and students have been working hard all year and, while we know this is a different type of assessment than we have taken before, I feel extremely confident that our teachers have prepared our students for this challenge.  Way to go 4th and 5th grade teachers!
• Team Collaboration is scheduled for next Wednesday afternoon. 

Quote of the Week - "If plan "A" doesn't work, just remember: the alphabet has 25 more letters." - Anonymous.  Perseverance is a quality that we all need.  Let's teach our students that the struggle is what makes the reward worth it (and let's remember that for ourselves as well).

Gator Run Friday Focus - February 20, 2015

Thanks to Elayne Hollander for this week's first Wired-up Wednesday training.  Only a few teachers took advantage of this opportunity this week but I hear they learned a lot.  I encourage more of you to attend as we go forward and the topics become of interest to you. It's rare to have this type of professional development available at your own school. Take advantage!

Next week at a glance:

• SAC meeting next Tuesday at 2:15.  We will be discussing the addition of a dual language program next year. 
• Next Wednesday at 2:15 is Team Collaboration.  Please work on your lesson plans. 
• There is an Early Release Day next Thursday.  There will be an FSA Writing training for 4th and 5th grade that afternoon.  

Quote of the Week - "You don't win by being more average than other people in your industry.  You don't win by being more compliant than your fellow co-workers.  Being more obedient at what you do every day is not going to make you more indispensable.  What makes someone indispensable is that they do something that other people can't do.  We go to work every day trying to not do that.  We go to work trying to be just like everyone else, because that feels safe." - Seth Godin.  How do you make yourself indispensable?  Don't be boring, be awesome!

Gator Run Friday Focus - February 13, 2015

Each week a large number of our students suggest Wonders of the Week to me.  One of the main reasons that I am posting a weekly Wonder is to get our students thinking and coming up with their own questions.  These are questions that they should be answering for their own Genius Hour projects.  I am again imploring you to include Genius Hour in your classroom.  This is such a great way to get students excited about school and to become an expert in something that interests them.  I would love to visit your rooms when students are presenting. 

• No school Monday.
• Team Leader Day on Tuesday.
• Jump Rope for Heart on Wednesday.  Please refer to the email sent by Coach Cliff.
• PLCs are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.  Please remember that this is time for your team to discuss the results of your most recent formative assessments.  
• PTA General Meeting on Thursday morning.  Our awesome chorus will be performing.
• Kids of Character names are due to Ms. Felton on Friday.

Quote of the Week - "Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind." - Henry James

Happy Valentine's Day!

Gator Run Friday Focus - February 6, 2015

     I appreciate everyone's efforts this year to participate in meaningful PLCs centered on discussion of common formative assessment results.  I think that this video really showcases how beneficial learning and growing from common formative assessments can be - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FldnHUgjTcM (you will need to have your YouTube configuration set). 
     This is only the first year of this process for us and I know that we will grow and become a school that is a model for how PLCs should be run.  You are all part of an amazing faculty and I am so proud to work with each of you.  A true sign of a great teacher is one who continues to grow not because they have to, but because they want to become better for their students.  

• NESS Meeting Monday at 2:20 in Shari Heyman's classroom.
• Principal's Honor Roll Breakfast Tuesday at 8:30.
• Interim Reports go home on Tuesday.  
• Class pictures will take place next Wednesday through Friday. 
• Faculty Collaboration for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade only on Wednesday at 2:15 in the Media Center.  I have some information on the FSA that I will send out to those teachers beforehand for you to preview so that we can focus our time on a lively discussion. 

Quote of the Week - Thanks to Carrie Velasquez for sharing this one with me!  I just had a discussion with one of our 5th graders about this very concept. 

Gator Run Friday Focus - January 30, 2015

I mentioned previously this year that I am doing work with the Department of Education Commissioner's Leadership Academy.  Through this group I have been learning an instructional framework called the 5 Dimensions of Teaching and Learning.  This past week we visited Dillard 6 -12 and used the tool as we observed 4 different classrooms through the lens of determining the purpose of each lesson.  I think that the questions that we used to guide our walkthroughs really helped me focus on how important it is that each of our lessons have a purpose that is clearly communicated to our students, that our students know how they will demonstrate mastery, and how what we are doing is related beyond the classroom.  Here are a few of the guiding questions that we used, as I think they can help all of us as we are planning learning experiences for our students. 

• What is the learning target(s) of the lesson?  How is it meaningful and relevant beyond the specific task/activity?
• How are the standard(s) and learning target communicated and made accessible to all students?
• How does the learning target clearly communicate what students will know and be able to do as a result of the lesson?  What will be acceptable evidence of student learning?

•  Our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will be taking the BAFS (Broward Assessment of Florida Standards) next week.  Ms. Felton will send out a schedule today.
• Interims are due to Team Leaders next Monday and to Ms. Felton on Wednesday.  
• Team Collaboration is scheduled for next Wednesday. 

Quote of the Week - So, the several members of the 2nd grade team went to dinner recently and they brought me back fortunes from their fortune cookies.  Here's a good one from those - "Don't pursue happiness - create it."

Gator Run Friday Focus - January 16, 2015

• No school next Monday.
• Report cards go home next Wednesday.
• PLCs are scheduled for next Wednesday.  Remember that this is the day that you should be reviewing data collected from your common formative assessments.  

What You Might Have Missed on Twitter this Week:

Great article about how standardized testing is killing curiosity, hope, student (and teacher engagement) - Better Tests, Better World

A lot of unfortunate truths here, but I think this teacher really hits some points about how we are all feeling about the state of education right now.  Virginia Teacher of the Year Tells Why He Resigned - Virginia Teacher

Quote of the Week - "The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity." - Joshua Waitzkin.  I love this quote about having a growth mind set vs. fixed mindset.  I think that this video will highlight this concept for you and I believe that it will help you in your personal life and in working with our students - The Power of Belief

Gator Run Friday Focus - January 9, 2014

• Next week is Spirit Week.  Please refer to the schedule sent out by Ms. Felton for Friday's Spirit Walk.
• We are hosting the Zone Team Leaders and Principals next Tuesday morning.  We will be meeting in the cafeteria and then walking throughout the classrooms.  The Zone Team Leaders have visited all five of the other Weston elementary schools during the past two years and now it's our turn.  This is a great opportunity to show off our awesome school!
• Report Cards are due to Ms. Felton on Tuesday.
• Team Collaboration is scheduled for Wednesday. 
• Gatoraid meeting next Friday.

Quote of the Week - "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." - Pablo Picasso.  Give your all each day, each moment.  I refuse to live with the regret that my loved ones didn't know how I feel or that I didn't do what was important when it should have been done.