January 2019
Exhausted. If you haven't said that word this month, I need your secret. The world of education is not for the weak. The world of education during the month of December is a matter of survival and sanity. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you guys are all rock-stars. Thank you. As you head home for the break, leave your bag of grading behind. Plan your lessons when you get back. It can wait. Enjoy your break.
My hope for each of you this holiday season is that it is filled with love and time doing things that bring you happiness and peace. Thank you, ALL, for everything that you do each and every day for our students, our school, and our community. I am beyond blessed to lead a school full of family. I love you all and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! ~K |
Calendar & Upcoming Events
Members of the CHAT team collaborating and reading research on prioritizing standards.
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Jan 3: Teacher Workday (schedule below)
Jan 4: District PL Day Jan 7: Students return Jan 8: Writing PL during Planning, PL Room Jan 9: Committee Meetings, 2:45 Jan 11: GKIDS Checkpoint Jan 14: CHAT, 2:30-3:30, PL Room Jan 15-March 1: ACCESS Testing Jan 16: PL w/ Maggie during Planning, PL Room Jan 17: 4th & 5th grade Spelling Bee, Cafe Jan 17 & 18: Super Specials, Anchor Meetings, Tier 2 Jan 23: Technology Drop-In w/ Maggie Jan 23: Staff Meeting, 2:45-3:30, location TBA Jan 25: PTA's Dad & Me Movie Night, 7:00 p.m. Jan 28: Jr. CHAT, Lisa Bone's room, 2:30 Jan 30: PTA Science Fair Projects Due, Learning Commons |
January 3rd workday schedule
7:30-9:00: Waffle House Food Truck
9:30: K-2 Simplicity Touch Training with Maggie, Learning Commons 10:30: 3-5 Simplicity Touch Training with Maggie, Learning Commons *Singletons (ESOL, EIP, Gifted, etc.), you may join either group. If you are evaluated by the TKES tool, please plan to attend ONE of the following required trainings/conferences for your Mid-Year. You do not sign up, just plan to attend one. PL Room 8:00 11:00 2:00 *Please be sure to see the next section on what you must complete prior to your conference. |
Mid Year Conferences
On January 3rd, if you are evaluated with the TKES, please plan to attend 1 of 3 Mid-Year Conferences. PRIOR to attending, you MUST reflect on your Professional Goal/Plan (found in your TKES platform). To reflect on your goal, you have 2 options:
1. Print this and give Keeli (you can bring a completed one to your mid-year, or put it in her box prior to Jan 3rd)
OR
2. Complete online, through Forms, by clicking here.
1. Print this and give Keeli (you can bring a completed one to your mid-year, or put it in her box prior to Jan 3rd)
OR
2. Complete online, through Forms, by clicking here.
January 4th District PL Day
Click here to access the locations for January 4th. This is a district PL day and attendance is required.
great pl opportunity after school with nicole
Have you ever thought, what else can I do for my students in my classroom that come from poverty? How can I help them overcome the struggles they have? The sessions, "Poor Students, Rich Teaching....Mindset Change" will give you research based strategies that will help you change your teaching to better meet the needs of these students. This session will be based off of the research of Eric Jensen and his philosophies.
January 10, 2019, 2:45 in the PL Room
January 10, 2019, 2:45 in the PL Room
January Super Specials
Jan 17th:
1st grade: 8:15-9:50 2nd grade: 10:00-11:35 Kindergarten: 12:25-2:00 Jan 18th: 4th grade: 8:15-9:50 5th grade: 10:00-11:35 3rd grade: 12:25-2:00 Please be sure to update RtI data. Agenda: Prioritizing Standards (Math) Tier 2 Meetings |
Members of the CHAT team collaborating and reading research on prioritizing standards.
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Staff Member of the month
Did you know that these fabulous ladies come to school at 6:30 some mornings for their professional learning? That's dedication! Thank you, Nicole & Maggie, for giving them this opportunity! We are so very lucky to have ALL of you!
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Congratulations to all of the staff members nominated for December's Staff Member of the Month!
Jody Carothers Ashley Costello Karen Courant Haley McCloskey Brandy McDonald Nicole Meador Christie Orton Ashley Payne Lynn Ralph Kelly Smartt To nominate someone for January's Staff Member of the Month, click here. |
cold weather guidelines
SimplicityTouch panels (new Interactive Panels)
Click here for the Interactive Panel Info Sheet we created to answer some FAQs.
Click here for the short video by Keeli & Maggie on some of the basics as we prepare for our new panels!
Click here for the short video by Keeli & Maggie on some of the basics as we prepare for our new panels!
RtI Check List
If your student has been referred for testing, please continue to take data on the strategy. This information is required as part of the discussion for eligibility.
Tasks to complete for any student who is moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2
1. An individual student who is new to Tier 2 will be added to the RTI (2) portal. See if there is an existing group they fit in or an individual student can be a group of one.
2. Add them to the group if one exists or create a new group (write goal if it is a new group)
3. Email Tracey to let her know whom you have added to Tier 2. At that point, I will send you the language checklist, which will now be completed at Tier 2 and returned to Tracey. **new change
4. Teacher notifies parent with paper copy of the Cobb County Tier 2 notification letter. In the portal document, date parent was notified. Where you document is found under the group management tab within the Tier 2 group. I am attaching the letter in English and Spanish. Be sure you write the areas of concern…reading, writing, behavior, etc. **new change
5. Be sure not to forget their baseline data, this should be entered under the baseline tab within the goal. Without a baseline, your student will not show up under the progress-monitoring tab.
6. Add data weekly
Tasks to complete for any student moving from Tier 2 to Tier 3
1. Notify Tracey that you are ready to move a student to Tier 3. Tracey will set up that meeting. Once meeting is confirmed an invitation will be sent to you through email, please accept the meeting.
2. Tracey will send paperwork home and make sure that hearing and vision are up to date.
3. Tracey will send you the skills inventory, which needs completing a week prior to the Tier 3 meeting. Once completed send to Tracey to be uploaded into CSIS.
4. Continue to collect and input data until the meeting date. A student is not actually considered Tier 3 until the meeting.
**No student can be moved to Tier 3 after April 3rd **
Please see Tracey with any questions. To print a PDF version of this, click here.
Tasks to complete for any student who is moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2
1. An individual student who is new to Tier 2 will be added to the RTI (2) portal. See if there is an existing group they fit in or an individual student can be a group of one.
2. Add them to the group if one exists or create a new group (write goal if it is a new group)
3. Email Tracey to let her know whom you have added to Tier 2. At that point, I will send you the language checklist, which will now be completed at Tier 2 and returned to Tracey. **new change
4. Teacher notifies parent with paper copy of the Cobb County Tier 2 notification letter. In the portal document, date parent was notified. Where you document is found under the group management tab within the Tier 2 group. I am attaching the letter in English and Spanish. Be sure you write the areas of concern…reading, writing, behavior, etc. **new change
5. Be sure not to forget their baseline data, this should be entered under the baseline tab within the goal. Without a baseline, your student will not show up under the progress-monitoring tab.
6. Add data weekly
Tasks to complete for any student moving from Tier 2 to Tier 3
1. Notify Tracey that you are ready to move a student to Tier 3. Tracey will set up that meeting. Once meeting is confirmed an invitation will be sent to you through email, please accept the meeting.
2. Tracey will send paperwork home and make sure that hearing and vision are up to date.
3. Tracey will send you the skills inventory, which needs completing a week prior to the Tier 3 meeting. Once completed send to Tracey to be uploaded into CSIS.
4. Continue to collect and input data until the meeting date. A student is not actually considered Tier 3 until the meeting.
**No student can be moved to Tier 3 after April 3rd **
Please see Tracey with any questions. To print a PDF version of this, click here.
Q2 Common Assessment data links
Below you will find the link(s) for the Q2 Common Assessments. Please have data entered on or before Monday, January 7, 2019. You’ll notice a difference in the link because I have changed from googledocs to Forms. #AlwaysLearning
Kindergarten Only
Math Q2
Kindergarten-5th grade
Writing Q2
As for Touchstone entry, these should be ongoing and used to drive instruction. The expectation is that they are completed.
Kindergarten Only
Math Q2
Kindergarten-5th grade
Writing Q2
As for Touchstone entry, these should be ongoing and used to drive instruction. The expectation is that they are completed.
2019-2020 Ideal World
For those of you who are new to The Hill, each year (about this time), I send out a link asking everyone what they are thinking about the upcoming school year. For example, have you been thinking about trying something new (grade level, ESOL, EIP, special education vs. general education, etc.) or heard about something another school and want to discuss the possibilities with me.
For the 2019-2020 Ideal World, I am going to do something different. Where I know you all understand that when you sign a contract to teach in Cobb it is not for a specific grade level or even at a specific school, this is different. Ideal World is what your "perfect world" would be if you remain at Cheatham Hill. In order to submit a request through the Ideal World link (to be shared later), you will need attend an informational session to understand how the process works. If you are super happy serving in the spot you are in, this does not apply to you. This only applies to staff members who have thought about a change for next year or who have spoken to me about "Ideal" wishes.
January 24, 2019; 2:45-3:45 in the PL Room OR
February 11, 2019; 2:45-3:34 in the PL Room
I know it seems early, but we start the process in March and the process is complicated, yet quick at the same time
For the 2019-2020 Ideal World, I am going to do something different. Where I know you all understand that when you sign a contract to teach in Cobb it is not for a specific grade level or even at a specific school, this is different. Ideal World is what your "perfect world" would be if you remain at Cheatham Hill. In order to submit a request through the Ideal World link (to be shared later), you will need attend an informational session to understand how the process works. If you are super happy serving in the spot you are in, this does not apply to you. This only applies to staff members who have thought about a change for next year or who have spoken to me about "Ideal" wishes.
January 24, 2019; 2:45-3:45 in the PL Room OR
February 11, 2019; 2:45-3:34 in the PL Room
I know it seems early, but we start the process in March and the process is complicated, yet quick at the same time
always take a walkie if you are going outside
Please remember to ALWAYS take a walkie with you when you go outside. It is no longer a convenience factor, but also a safety factor now as we have learned that if you are outside you cannot hear all-call announcements. In the event of a Code Red, we will also be using a walkie to announce anything related to safety and security announcements, including Code Red.
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Click here to see updated "a few of my favorite things"
Click here to enter into a drawing for a gift card, compliments of our CHES Foundation
Be sure to read through the Flipped Agenda as there are 4 questions that can be answered by reading through this information.