Tuesday Morning Meeting, 4 October

Dear Colleagues,

On Tuesday Faculty meeting, we will look carefully into report card writing, conferences and the PD day on Friday 7th of October. As stated before, the attendance to Tuesday monthly meetings is optional. However, in the case of absence, it is the responsibility of the teacher to find out about the information, guidelines and protocols shared as well as to follow any decisions made in the meeting.

Time: 7:50 - 8:25
Venue: ELAC Multipurpose room

Agenda:
1. Sports Day
2. Announcements
3. PD day logistics, October 7
4. Three-way conferences
     - Proposal: The student does not leave the room for the last 10 minutes
5. Progress Report Writing
     - One more review of the Protocol
     - How to write your progress reports online (Murray Smith)

Progress Report Protocol

Progress Report writing is upon us. Please read the following protocol for each area of reporting. Furthermore, the general rule is to focus on what the students can do and not what they cannot do. Next steps in general, and UoI comments can include suggestions how to improve their learning.

Classroom teachers: General Comment

Write a brief general comment for each student including social and emotional start of the school year (Friendships, working with others, general mood, etc.)

One- to two sentences per Reading, Writing and Mathematics including generally the areas of study and whether the child is beginning to make progress or is making good progress in their learning. Conclude with 1-2 next steps to continue or improve learning in general.

Achievement Grades and Comments per areas of learning

To be consistent between classrooms in the same grade level it is important to moderate and decide in collaboration what evidence is used for assigning the achievement grade.

Units of Inquiry:

Write a paragraph-long comment describing the conceptual understandings, skills and dispositions developed in the first unit of inquiry. Describe the level of student motivation, type of engagement (discussions, research, presentations, journal, reflections, etc.) and accomplishments (e.g. giving a presentation or developing a presentation or taking an action) during the unit. Finally, 1-2 next steps how to continue to learn well or how to improve their learning during units of inquiry.

Provide an Achievement Grade on

Conceptual Understanding

Research Skills

Thinking Skills

Mathematics:

Achievement Grade on

Number (always)

Problem-solving (always)

Current strand (as agreed on the grade level)

No written comment

Literacy:

Listening and Reading Comprehension (Always)

Writing Content (Always)

Conventions (Always)

Current strand (as agreed on the grade level)

No written comment

Specialists

Japanese

Achievement Grade

Commitment to Learning Grade

No comment

Art/Music/PE

Commitment to Learning Grade

No achievement grade

No comment

Learning Support
Learning Support team will write their comments to the relevant students' progress reports.
Additionally, Learning Support team will consult the teachers to ensure that classroom teacher comments are aligned with the IEP and Action Plans.

TGIF - TGIF - TGIF This Friday!

Dear colleagues,

With a short notice, there is a TGIF gathering at the seaside of Rokko Island this Friday. We will have some great finger food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages served at the building that looks like the FEEL restaurant but is not the FEEL. It is the other round building on that promenade. This TGIF is for the whole faculty at CA. Please, join us to reflect and celebrate yet another completed week of learning.

Details for Matt Glover Visit (Schedules and Protocols)

Schedule:

The final details have been tweaked and the schedule is ready for the next 3 days. Thank-you again to everyone for working together to make this happen.  Please do your absolute best to be on time for sessions and for subbing (maybe a few mins early:)

You can find the final schedule attached here.  There are a few minor changes to teachers covering for each other, so please double check this schedule.

Please remember to bring writing samples to our afternoon PD session tomorrow. 

Helpful Things to Know:

Labsites in your classroom

-please send Kim an idea of where you are at in the unit, so mini-lesson Matt plans will be relevant 

-ensure there is space for a group of teachers to view the mini-lesson

-ensure students can work independently during writing time 

-talk to students about the guest teacher (Matt) and visiting teachers 

Writing Conferences in your classroom:

-plan and deliver your own short mini-lesson

-ensure space around tables to allow for teachers to work together for conferences (maybe a few small chairs to pull alongside a student)

-ensure students can work independently during writing time and have work to confer into

-talk to students about chance of many different teachers talking to them about their writing

Someone covering for your class?:

-leave a simple plan, mini-lesson and resources for the subbing teacher to follow

-talk to students about this change in schedule 

Have a wonderful week of learning on-the job!  All sessions are open to anyone that can attend.  The schedule will inform you of when and where sessions are happening. 

Math R&D Lab #2 - Tuesday Sept 27

The Math R&D Lab will be meeting this Tuesday at 15:30 in the ELAC Conference Room. We will be looking at the key components and breaking up into interest groups. Each interest group will form goals and a timeline for the PD & Resource Phase from now until Dec.

Key Components:
The components were based on the information gathered in the Research Phase.

• Number Sense
• Number Talks
• Linear Representation
• Developmental Benchmarks
• Learning Trajectories
• Early years
• Early Spatial Sense
• Authentic Contexts
• Anchor Tasks - Singapore Math
• Problem Base Learning
• Rich Tasks
• Written Curriculum
• Comparing Alberta to other curriculum - strengths and gaps
• Adding develpmentally appropriate curriculum benchmarks for 3-5 year olds, or not
• Developing Stand-alone and Transdisciplinary units of inquiry
• Supporting Resources

In the first meeting, we reaffirmed the Math Philosophy, definition of learning and our math learning principles. We reviewed the Key Components and discussed the key questions and goals for Phase Two of the Math R&D lab. Here is the Math R&D Lab Presentation #1.

Phase 2: PD and Resources

Driving Questions:

What resources and materials will help us learn?

• What micro and macro PD do we need to grow our practice?

Goals:

• Investigate identified Key Components and determine resources needed
• Catalogue current resources and order supporting resources/materials
• Prepare staff and parent PD

Weekly Update, Monday, 26 September 2016

September 26, 2016

Dear colleagues,

We believe that last week’s and weekend’s brain filled workshops left us all thinking about teaching and learning in somewhat new ways. How to ensure that student hippocampus wouldn’t immediately drop things we would like students to learn. And, how to design lessons and assessments that will help students to process the information and processes so that those will eventually find their ways into the long-term memories. Also, a connection to the positive discipline and how to stay, and find a way back to “hope cycle” was made by few workshop participants. All this professional learning demands further opportunities for us educators to process. Hopefully, you will find someone to continue to process your learning as the PD continues with Matt Glover. Although, our heads may be spinning already, these are amazing and unique opportunities for enriching and growing in our profession as we are doing it with the guidance of world known experts. Life is learning!

Supervision:                                          Links to: Supervision Schedule 16-17    Supervision Protocols

Time	12:15-12:40	12:25-12:55	12:25-12:55	12:15-12:40	12:25-12:55
Duty	Cafeteria Tables	Playground / Gym	Playground / Atrium	Cafeteria line	Indoor recess ELAC Gym
Sept. 26	Jerome	Karen T	Toyoko	---	Maiko, Kaight

Week of 26 Sept - 30 Sept 2017

Mon 26th	Learning Support Team Meeting
Tues 27th	15:35-16:30 Math R&D Lab Meeting in the ELAC Conference Room
Wed 28th	Matt Glover (see schedule)
Thu 29th	Matt Glover (see schedule)
Fri 30th	Matt Glover (see schedule)

Professional Learning, Wednesday, 28th September at 2:40 pm - 4:30 pm

Wednesday Professional Learning Schedule

14:40-16:30 Matt Glover in the ELAC MPR

Coordinator's Meetings:                                 ES Team Planning Meeting Schedule

UOI Collab: G1-4 will be creating/reviewing the rubric of understanding for UOI#2 on Tuesday.

Literacy Meetings: Kim will not attend literacy meetings this week due to Matt Glover visit. Please decide how to best use your planning time with your team. Next week we can work together on writing unit #2. Please find time to read the overview at the beginning of the unit book to orientate yourself to the unit before our meetings next week.                                   

Future Dates:

Sept. 28 - Oct 2 Matt Glover - Young Writers

Oct 4 ES faculty meeting - How to write Progress Reports

Oct 7 - PD Day - No School Program TBA

Oct 7 - 8 Cognitive Coaching

Oct 17 Progress Reports Open

Oct 20-21 3-way Conferences

Ask, Don't Tell

Framing your classroom management with questions will help students to learn some of those fundamental behavioral patterns required in the classroom.  Instead of hearing the remainders, corrections or just relying on teacher always telling how to behave in different learning situations, questions force the students to think about the classroom agreements and shifts the responsibility of remembering and following those expectations to the students. Teacher's tone and body language associated with the questions are also important. It should always convey genuine interest and willingness to help. Never sarcastic, frustrated or ridiculing the student.

What do you need...
How can I help you...
What was our agreement...
What is your plan...

Examples
What do you need to be prepared for next lesson/learning?
Make sure you have all you need for the next lesson learning./

What is your plan to get your work done on time/before we finish?
If you cannot finish on time you have to finish this at home/stay in and work during recess

What do you need to to do to clean your desk/ space before you go?
Remember to clean your desk before you go! You have to clean your desk before you go.

How can you speak to me so that I can hear/understand you?
Don't whine and complain! I can't hear you! I don't understand you. Speak up.

How can you two solve this problem?
Who started this? Ok, both of you to the Principal's office. 

What would you suggest as a fair consequence for breaking our agreement/school rule/expectation for behavior?

What was our agreement about not disturbing others during ...
Be quiet. Stop talking and disturbing others.

What is our agreement for listening to others?
Please listen. Focus. Stop fidgeting or moving.

What do you need to do to be ready for listening?

What is our agreement for having a comment or question during a circle time/mini-lesson/student presentation/teacher talking to the class?
Please put your hand up. No shouting out. Wait until I/ student have/has finished.

Positive Discipline Introduction

Thank you everyone for your participation in the Positive Discipline Introduction.  
Here is a quick recap with some linked resources:

A) Positive Discipline Definition
Positive Discipline is a program designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities.

• Positive Discipline Introduction presentation

B) Positive Discipline Classroom Tools
Positive Discipline is based on the understanding that discipline must be taught and that discipline teaches valuable social skills, attitudes and a growth mindset.

1. The Mistaken Goals Chart:

• From Adler and Dreikurs research
• When misbehaviour happens, what is our emotion and what is the child's mistaken goal?
• Find a new perspective and strategy to help you and your student.

2. Classroom Meetings: (Positive Discipline site and Putting it in Action (Blog))

• Recommended for all our classes
• Develops a culture of appreciation and problem solving

C) Follow Positive Discipline on Facebook

Assembly, Change of time + continued invitation

Dear all,

Due to the Brain Workshop in grade 5, we have re-scheduled the ES assembly to start at 13:10.
We would like to invite more student presentation of learning in the current unit, class activities, music or dance performances etc. Please, contact Heikki asap.

Currently, we have
MCs (Chennie, Rebecca Gr 5)
Smart Start announcement and movement
Birthday video
Japanese song
Another song and
Visual Arts video

Weekly Update, Tuesday 20 September 2016

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to a very short week! Due to the typhoon, we are only getting three days of excitement this week. Otherwise, the highlights this week will include Wednesday PD time on Positive Discipline and Matt Glover preparation, numerous workshops with John Joseph and Elementary School Assembly on Friday. The assembly time may be changing due to a clash with Grade 5 Brain Man session. We will keep you updated upon that. Otherwise, have a quiet and relaxing Tuesday.

Enjoy your week!

Wednesday, September 21

CAMP (Canadian Academy Mentorship Program) Nomination Due 

Yoshiko-san, the ES counselor, is asking homeroom teachers to nominate students who could benefit from the mentorship program. We already have many MS/HS Mentors ready to volunteer their time. For further information, please contact Yoshiko-san.

Supervision:                                          Links to: Supervision Schedule 16-17    Supervision Protocols

Time	12:15-12:40	12:25-12:55	12:25-12:55	12:15-12:40	12:25-12:55
Duty	Cafeteria Tables	Playground / Gym	Playground / Atrium	Cafeteria line	Indoor recess ELAC Gym
Sept 20	Jay	Jennifer W	Kaight	---	Maiko, Kaight

Week of 20 Sept - 23 Sept 2017

Mon 19th	(holiday)
Tues 20th	School Closed - Typhoon
Wed 21st	PD Learning Positive Discipline Prep for Matt Glover visit
Thu 22th	John Joseph Gr 2, 3, and 4
Fri 23rd	John Joseph Gr 5	ES Assembly, ES Leadership Meeting

Professional Learning, Wednesday, 11 September at 2:40 pm - 4:30 pm

Wednesday Professional Learning Schedule

14:30 - 15:45 Introduction to Positive Discipline (Trevor & Heikki)

15:45 - 16:30 Preparation for Matt Glover’s visit

John Joseph - Learning and Brain

Thursday 22 Sept

Grade 2: 08:45 - 10:30

Grade 3: 10:30 - 12:15

Grade 4: 12:55 - 15:25

Friday 23 Sept: Grade 5

Japanese class as normal, then...

09:30 - 12:00 Workshop, lunch 12:00-12:30

St. Michael's IS students from Grade 5 will be joining us.

Student, Teacher, and Community Workshop Schedule

Posted on the Faculty Guide here (google doc here). John will be hosting workshop sessions for all students in Grades 2 - 12, as well as evening sessions for parents, a weekend workshop, and a Wednesday PD session. I will communicate instructions and details to different groups nearer to the workshops, but this schedule will help plan ahead for your classes.

The "Learn Together" Model

As we explore well-being as a whole community, we have a great opportunity to learn together with our students. Teachers, please attend the sessions with your class, take part and enjoy the time to learn about our brains, well-being and each other. If you are not scheduled to attend with a class, you are more than welcome to join in with another group.

Weekend Workshop

Thank-you to all who have signed up so far. This will be energetic, practical and enjoyable. There are still some spaces available, so please sign up soon!

Resources

Will be posted to the Faculty Guide for future reference.

Coordinator's Meetings:                                 ES Team Planning Meeting Schedule

UOI Collab: We will be planning UOI#2 from KB to grade five and creating/reviewing the rubric of understanding.

Literacy Meetings: It is already time to plan Reading Unit of Study #2! Please find time to read the overview at the beginning of the unit book to orientate yourself to the unit before our meeting.                                   

Committee Work:

Literacy Committee:  We would like to invite all interested educators to join our first meeting  Wednesday, October 5th 15:45-16:30. At this time we will brainstorm how to best support the development of literacy practices in our elementary school (Preschool-Grade 5) and focus the work and objectives of the committee during this academic year.  This meeting is open to anyone with the initial interest. Please note the Math R&D Lab will also be meeting at the same time.

Future Dates:

Sept. 24 John Joseph Saturday Workshop

Sept. 28 - Oct 2 Matt Glover - Young Writers

Oct 4 ES faculty meeting - How to Write Progress Reports

Oct 7 - PD Day - No School

Oct 7 - 8 Cognitive Coaching

Oct 14 ES Falcon Soccer Tournament

Oct 17 Progress Reports to Parents

Reporting Cycle 16-17:

Listening Conferences 25 and 26 August, 2 September

Progress Reports 17 October

3-way conferences 20-21 October

Semester 1 Report Cards 3 February

Student Led Conferences April 28

Grade 5 Exhibition April 27

Semester 2 Report Cards 14 June