Weekly Spartan Blog: April 28-May 2, 2014

Spartan PRIDE

Supporting our school community core values.

Wow!  May is upon us.  Smarter-Balanced Testing is moving along smoothly.  Sixth grade completed testing the week of April 21s and seventh grade will be done on May 2nd.  Eighth grade will begin their testing on May 5th.  Take a minute to ask your child about the test format and content.  The assessment is designed to be a measure of the common core standards. 

The weather has finally cooperated enough to allow our student athletes fully participate in spring sports.  The music contest season is also in full swing.  The Jazz Band and Swing Choirs will compete in a festival hosted by Spearfish Middle School this Saturday.  Jazz Band will perform at 9 a.m. and the Swing Choir will perform at 11 a.m.  Next week, April 30th, all band and choir students will participate in large group contest in Belle Fourche.  This is a busy time of the year as we wrap of the 2013-14 school.  Expect to see information related to field trips and the end of year celebration lunch and activities scheduled for June 3rd.

Spearfish Middle School

Weekly Faculty Bulletin

April 28-May 2, 2014

“Empowering all students to succeed in a changing world.”

• Preparedness  • Respect  • Integrity  • Determination  • Excellence

1)     Large group band/choir contest, Wednesday, April 30 in Belle Fourche

2)     STAR Reading and Math Testing Window, May 1-30, 2014

3)     Grade Level Comprehension Test Window, April 20-May 30

4)     Schedule Committee “to do list” See attachment.  Please review the scheduling “to do” list items w/ your team.  We’ll develop consensus at the May 8^th faculty meeting.

5)     7^th Grade Smarter Balance Testing Window, April 23-May 1

6)     Aberle Benefit, Friday, May 2^nd

Upcoming Activities           May 6                          Track – all day May 5                          Parents as Partners, 5:30 p.m. May 5-15                     8th Grade Smarter Balanced Assessment Window April 20-May 30          Comprehension Test Window May 6                          Team Leader Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the conference room May 7                          BLT Meeting, 3:25-4:15 p.m. in the SMS Library May 8                          Faculty Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the SMS Library May 14                        District Staff Recognition May 16                                    All-School Dance – 6:30-9:00 May 18                                    SMS Middle School Activities Banquet, 6:00 p.m. May 22                                    7th Grade Culture Fair – 4:00-6:00 May 25                        HS Graduation May 26                        No School, Memorial Day May 28                                    6th Fishing Derby June 2                          7th grade field trip June 3                          End of Year Student Celebration June 4                          Teacher check out day

Ruthlessly compete with your own best self.                   

-Apollo 13 Engineer

Weekly Spartan Blog: April 21-26, 2014

Spartan PRIDE

Supporting our school community core values.

The weather is finally beginning to warm up!  With the warm up comes the summer/warm weather clothing.  Please be sure to visit with your child about wearing appropriate length shorts to school.  The handbook should serve as your guide.

We have passed the midterm point of the final trimester.  Our students are in full preparation for the large group choir and band contests.  We have a strong tradition of music excellence at the middle school.   It would be worth your time to take a short trip to Belle Fourche on April 30th.  Additionally, our 7th and 8th grade students are eager to participate in a track meet.  The next scheduled meet is Friday, April 25th.

Our 6th grade students have successfully completed the Smarter-Balanced Testing.  The 7th grade students will begin testing this next week.  The computerized assessment in actually going quite well. 

I am hopeful that you are able to spend some time relaxing with family this weekend.

Spearfish Middle School

Weekly Faculty Bulletin

April 21-25, 2014

“Empowering all students to succeed in a changing world.”

• Preparedness  • Respect  • Integrity  • Determination  • Excellence

April 21-25      Severe Weather Preparedness Week-  oem.sd.gov

1)     No School, Easter Break, Monday, April 21

2)     START Group End of Year Activity Deadline is May 1^st.  Record your information in the Shared Folder titled “End of Year Celebration.

3)     Schedule Committee “to do list” See attachment.  Please review the scheduling “to do” list items w/ your team.  We’ll develop consensus at the May 8^th faculty meeting.

4)     7^th Grade Smarter Balance Testing Window, April 23-May 1

5)     Administrative Assistant’s Day- Wednesday, April 23^rd.

6)     Statewide Tornado Drill, 10a.m., Wednesday, April 23rd

-Please review the procedures for the severe weather/tornado drills in your notebook.   Due to testing 7^th grade will need to choose an alternate date and time.  6^th and 8^th gr. will participate in the drill at 10:00 a.m. on April 23^rd.  Grade levels will need to engage in this activity on your own as to not disturb 7^th gr. testing with an all call message.  Please moved to tornado safe areas.

7)     Mix it Up Lunch Activity (sponsored by Student Council), Wednesday, April 23

8)     April Birthday Celebration:  Thursday, April 24 during lunches

           

9)     Need 3 New Members for the Building Leadership Team: 

 -Encore:  Teri Bauerly,  7^th grade:  Mindy Capp    8^th grade:  Ty Haggerty

Upcoming Activities                       May 1-30                     STAR Reading and Math Testing Window May 5-15                     8th Grade Smarter Balanced Assessment Window April 20-May 30          Comprehension Test Window May 6                          Team Leader Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the conference room May 7                          BLT Meeting, 3:25-4:15 p.m. in the SMS Library May 8                          Faculty Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the SMS Library May 25                        HS Graduation May 26                        No School, Memorial Day June 3                          End of Year Student Celebration

10) Saturday Spartan Learning Lab, Sat, April 26, 8am – 12pm (if needed)

The secret of education is respecting the pupil.             

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weekly Spartan Blog: April 14-18, 2014

Spartan PRIDE

Supporting our school community core values.

Spearfish Middle School

Weekly Faculty Bulletin

April 14-18, 2014

“Empowering all students to succeed in a changing world.”

• Preparedness  • Respect  • Integrity  • Determination  • Excellence

1)     FLEX Block 6 Begins, Monday, April 14^th

2)     6th Grade Smarter Balanced Assessment Window, April 9-17

3)     “Purple Up! For Military Kids Day” Tuesday, April 15^th.  Wear purple on Tuesday!

4)     Spring Conferences scheduled (3:45 p.m.-7:00 p.m.), Wednesday, April 16

5)     No School, Easter Break, Friday, April 18

6)     No School, Easter Break, Monday, April 21

7)     8^th Grade D-STEP Science Test:  Make up tests as necessary

           

8)     Need 3 New Members for the Building Leadership Team:  Please stop and see Shane

9)     STAR math and reading testing window:  May 1-May 30   (note extension through May 30)

Note:  All students are required to complete the STAR reading & math assessment in the window.

Upcoming Activities April 23-May 2                        7th Grade Smarter Balanced Assessment Window May 1-30                     STAR Reading and Math Testing Window May 5-15                     8th Grade Smarter Balanced Assessment Window April 21                       No School, Easter Break April 21-25                  Severe Weather Preparedness Week April 23                       Tornado Drill (completed by grade level due to SB Testing) April 23                       Mix it up Lunch,  6-8 lunch periods April 26                       Saturday Spartan Learning Lab, Sat, April 26, 8am – 12pm May 6                          Team Leader Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the conference room May 7                          BLT Meeting, 3:25-4:15 p.m. in the SMS Library May 8                          Faculty Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the SMS Library May 25                        HS Graduation May 26                        No School, Memorial Day June 3                          End of Year Student Celebration

  

Time is an orchard.  Every moment is ripe with opportunity.                

-Noah benShea

Educational Initiatives in South Dakota

1) The SD Framework for Teaching (aka Danielson Framework) is designed to do three things (see the 4 domains and 22 components here):

●     Build a common language so we can discuss what makes for good teaching. The SD Framework for Teaching describes HOW to teach.

●     Provide a framework with rubrics to give educators clear guidance about how to improve their practice.

●     Provide a framework for teacher evaluation -- teachers are judged on how good they are doing at specific components. Districts decide which components.

Teachers need to know about the components by which they will be judged, administrators need deep understanding of the components, PLUS administrators need to know how to observe teachers using the SDFfT rubrics so that they can be competent evaluators.

2) Student Learning Objectives were designed to complement the evaluation process (see slides here). Instead of a teacher only relying on the outside observation of one administrator, they have the opportunity to measure student growth via an SLO. The two measurements, SLO and SDFfT, work together to determine a rating for a teacher. Learning about SLOs does not mean you know about the SDFfT.

3) Common Core Standards are new standards for Math and ELA and there are Common Core literacy standards that apply across all subject areas (see details here). We have had standards for over a dozen years. Each content area has standards. Standards tell us what we should be teaching -- they define the WHAT. Standards define the minimum proficiency so that there is some reliability across districts. The BIG deal about Common Core standards is that they require students to learn at higher cognitive levels. Teachers must be skilled at helping students reach higher order thinking. Memorization and regurgitation won’t do. Districts and/or teachers can decide what materials or curriculum they should use to teach any standards. No one above the district level mandates curriculum in SD.

A misperception: Engaging in the SD Framework for Teaching does not mean you are doing Common Core. The Framework guides us on HOW to teach. The standards, and they could be ANY standards, tell us WHAT to teach. If Common Core standards went away, we would still use the Framework to help us shape good teaching. If the Framework went away, we would need to find different vocabulary to describe how to do a good job of teaching the standards, Common Core or otherwise. The two are not one in the same.

A misperception: Going to SLO training does not prepare you for the Common Core OR the SD Framework for Teaching. SLO training is specific to writing a good learning objective and learning how to appropriately measure the objective. Did the students grow or not? The SLO will be written based on standards, but they could be any standards depending on the content area.