Week at a Glance January 29-February 2, 2018

Bulldog Team-

This week I want to share some big NEWS, some GREAT things that have happened because of our awesome staff!

1. WE WON TWO ICE AWARDS this year! 
-The first was for "Bulldogs Saving Bulldogs" in the community outreach category. Students in the Pearls of Destiny group went to the Irving DFW Humane Society on a Saturday and helped make treats and toys, and interacted with the pets. (I even adopted my Ollie that day!)

-The second was for our Cultural Explosion! Laura Wells and her team put together a well-organized program with diverse performances!

Everyone is invited to the ICE Awards on February 8th at Irving High. The reception is at 6:00 PM and the Awards are at 7:00 PM. We would love to have a big crowd there! 

2. WE ALSO WON TWO ISF AWARDS this week at the school board meeting for our Irving Schools Foundation Contributions!
-The first was for 100% staff participation
-The second was for 100% participation AND a 25% contribution increase from our BEST year ever.

And the best news? ISF will be providing a Raising Canes luncheon for us!  More information to come!

GreHave a FABULOUS week! #kidsdeserveit

~Lindsey

~Thank you to EVERYONE who ensured the safety of students and staff during the lockdown drill this week! 
~Thank you Kinder through second grade reading teachers for having great conversations with us about the progress and growth of your students during PLC Collaboration time this week.
~BIG THANKS to Rosa Fernandez for leading our parents to computer literacy each week-it was an honor to see our own parents graduate from the program this week.
~Shout out to Blanca Arevalo for helping out with secretarial duties while Delsa is out!

• Don't forget to take the Child Find Training by Wednesday, Jan. 31. (Email from Gorena)
• This Tuesday is McDonalds Night from 3:00-8:00. Drop by and grab your dinner! 
• Valentines/Friendship Parties are Feb. 16th. Plan how you want to do this with your teams. It should be a grade-level wide decision about how they will run and the same letter/communication should go home in enough time for parents to make arrangements.

Monday January 29
>Kinder MAP; 5th Science MAP, 4th Language MAP this week!
>United Way Pledge Week begins
>Jump Rope for Heart fundraising begins!
>3rd Grade Dental Program (today and tomorrow)
>3-5 Education Galaxy Kick-Off sessions with Rice and Kline begins today (sign-up email sent by Rice)
>8:15 Admin/Counselor meeting in office
>2:05 Kindergarten bilingual teachers meeting with Rios-Galvan and the bilingual department
>3:00 SSP 3rd Grade (Martinez/Sanders/Mier/Hernandez)
>3:30 SSP 1st Grade (Martinez/Akins/Pinto/Ojeda/Sanders)

Tuesday January 30
>Reading Planning Day
>Rice @ ITS Meeting all day
>8:30 ARD (Lucero/Fountain)
>10:00 ARD (Pargas/Gorena)
>3:00-8:00 John Haley Night at McDonald's! (make it an easy night and grab dinner!) 🍟🍦

Wednesday January 31
>Math Planning Day
>Wear RED, promote Jump Rope for Heart, and WEAR JEANS!
>8:00-9:30 5th Grade ELAR Kid Talks in 10B 
>9:30-11:00 3rd Grade Math Kid Talks in 10B
>3:30 Faculty Meeting (TELPAS training)
>HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. JANIE MARTINEZ!🎈

Thursday February 1
>Grades Due for progress reports!
>Fountain gone in AM @ PIEMS meeting
>9:00-10:30 4th Grade Math Kid Talks in 10B
>1:00 Admin in meeting with district personnel 

Friday February 2
>SOUP-er Bowl Day! 
>Fountain out in AM
>9:00-10:30 4th Grade ELAR Kid Talks in 10B
>10:00 SSP (Sanders)
>1:00 CORE team Meeting
>Happy Birthday Mrs. Wells!🎈🎈

Upcoming Dates:
~January 29-30 Dentist Program with 3rd Grade
~January 30 McDonald's Night on Irving Blvd. 3:00-8:00
~January 31 TELPAS Calibration Training

~February 1- Kinder and First Grade Parent Performance
~February 2- SOUPer Bowl
~February 8-ICE Awards @ Irving High @7:00 PM
~February 9-Friendship/Daddy Daughter Dance
~February 16 Valentines/Friendship Parties

Growing Greatness in Every Student Every Day! 

Week at Glance January 22-26, 2018

Bulldog Team-

This week I have a challenge for you.

Research Collective Responsibility  and how it applies to educators. Fill out this  GOOGLE FORM to share your reflections-and you can wear jeans on Tuesday AND Wednesday!

*Note: Dig deeper than just the "collaboration" piece. :)

Have a FABULOUS week! #kidsdeserveit

~Thank you to everyone that made the deadline for iCreate this week! 
~Thank you Emenheiser and our amazing PARAs for helping in the PASS classroom this week!
~BIG THANKS to the CPI team for  reacting quickly to ensure the safety of our students and staff!
~Shout out to Nancy Hutchinson for helping out a teammate by covering their class so they could finish some DRAs!
~WOW WOW WOW goes out to Kelly Hancock  for presenting this weekend on TPR at UNT Dallas for her WiPro Science Education Fellowship!  She is part of a Professional Learning Community that comes together to research, and develop and present lessons that are video-taped and formally observed. That's dedication to SCIENCE!

• Don't forget to take the Child Find Training by Jan. 31. (Email from Gorena)
• All data should be in from semester tests
• Be aware of hand washing among your students. This is a good time for everyone K-5 to have a mini-lesson on this. Also, watch your students at the sinks. Are they washing properly?
• Valentines/Friendship Parties are Feb. 16th. Plan how you want to do this with your teams. It should be a grade-level wide decision about how they will run and the same letter/communication should go home in enough time for parents to make arrangements.

Monday January 22
>Fountain, Parham, Martinez out at LPAC meeting
>COLLEGE SHIRT/REPORT CARD DAY!
>Guerrero out @ meeting PM
>1:30 ARD (Lucero/Sanders)
> 3:45 B-12 Shots in cafe
>7:00 PM Sanders & Gorena will be attending the school board meeting. We are taking kids to lead the pledge, as well as possibly collecting an award for our ISF Drive. 😀💪

Tuesday January 23
>Sanders out at Principal Meeting all day!
>Kline & Rice out @ curriculum writing
>Reading Planning Day
>8:30 ARD (Lucero/Fountain)
>10:00 ARD (Pargas/Gorena)
>3:45 CIC Meeting in library
>National Handwriting Day! 📝

Wednesday January 24
>Kline & Rice out @ curriculum writing
>Intervention Team out @ meeting
>Gorena and GT Committee out @ meeting (AM)
>Math Planning Day
>3rd Six Week Assemblies during specials
>8:30 Sanders/Rosa Fernandez out at Pact Graduation
>3:30 TELPAS TRAINING in cafe
>National Compliment Day! 💗

Thursday January 25
>Rice out @ curriculum writing
>8:30 ARD Lucero/Sanders
>DRA/EDL Collaboration Time for K-2 in Room 10B during planning 
>HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. RICE!🎈

Friday January 26
>8:30 Kline/Admin meeting
>9:00-11 Core Team Meeting 
>10:00 SSP (Sanders)
>Kinder MAP session training 
>National Spouses Day!

Saturday January 27
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. GARY! 🎉

Upcoming Dates:
~January 24 TELPAS Training 1
~January 29-30 Dentist Program with 3rd Grade
~January 30 McDonald's Night on Irving Blvd. 3:00-8:00
~January 31 TELPAS Calibration Training
~January 19-February 2: 3-5 KID TALKS with individual teachers (schedule to come)

~February 1- Kinder and First Grade Parent Performance
~February 2- SOUPer Bowl
~February 9-Friendship/Daddy Daughter Dance
~February 16 Valentines/Friendship Parties

Growing Greatness in Every Student Every Day! 

Week at a Glance January 15-19, 2018

Bulldog Team-

Growth Mindset. (Insert groans here.)

I know, we talk about this all the time as educators. We want our kids to have it. We need to have it. We need to embrace mistakes as opportunities.

But... do we?

We avoid opening our arms to feedback because of our fear of failure. We fold back into our pride. I mean, come on! We work hard and we don't need opinions of others or data to help! Right?

Wrong. We need it. It helps us improve! We don't know it all...

I had a great conversation with a teacher on our campus about how finally accepting a growth mindset this year has been freeing and peaceful for her.  There is not an internal war with hurt feelings and the accuracy of the feedback. It's just acceptance, reflection, and dialogue.

Maybe you don't agree with the feedback or the data you see. First, reflect on it. Think about how you can use it. If you still don't agree or don't understand after your reflection, create a dialogue with the person providing feedback or even others on your team.

Try it out. I promise your stress level will instantly decrease once you are not on the defense anymore. Your confidence will build! You will lose wrinkles! (I lied on that last one, but it's worth a shot). I know you can do it!

Have a great week! ~Sanders

~Thank you to everyone  for working hard during half-day planning this week! Keep up the great work discussing the TEKS in depth and planning formative assessments!
~Shout out to Angelica Fountain for holding it down while our team was at training AND for hosting a faculty meeting!
~Shout out to the CORE team for amazing conversations and reflections during our training. And for trusting me enough to "keep it real!" Also, for always going above and beyond for purposeful planning for our teachers. We are ALL lucky to have you!
~WOW WOW WOW goes out to Violeta Ojeda and Wendy Morales for consistently having well-prepped AMAZING guided reading groups!
~WHOOP WHOOP to Irma Dominguez for coming up with creative ways to incorporate the year, 2018, into her math lessons during the New Years Celebration! How cool! Those little creative things really turn the lessons up a notch!
~Shout out to the SPECIALS team for helping us test our kiddos!

• WOW wall needs to be changed
• Daycards need to be updated
• iCreate due this THURSDAY!
  

Monday January 15
>Martin Luther King Jr. Day! (Holiday)

Tuesday January 16
>It's going to be COLD...WEAR JEANS!
>See you by 8:00!
>Sanders out at RTI Training
>8:30 CIC Meeting in Library
>2:00 Rice helps 3rd w/iCreate submission (optional)
>WOW Wall work needs to be updated
>Updated daycards due!

Wednesday January 17
>Semester 2 begins!
>Math Planning Day
>Sanders at RTI Training
>8:30 Admin and Rosa Fernandez meet
>2:00 Admin/Counselors meet 
>3:30 Faculty Training- Education Galaxy 

Thursday January 18
>iCreate Due!
>Sanders STILL at RTI training 
>Fountain out
>10:00 Gorena/Patrick meet
>12:00 Gorena/LSSP meet
>12:15 Gorena/Akins SSP
>2:15  Gorena/Akins SSP
>All semester test data due in Aware!
>National Thesaurus Day!

Friday January 19
>8:30 Kline/Admin meeting
>9:00-11 Core Team Meeting 
>National Popcorn Day!
>Payday!

Upcoming Dates:
~January 16-18 Sanders at RTI Institute in Plano
~January 17-3:30-4:00 Education Galaxy Training for ALL teachers
~January 18 iCREATE DUE
~January 24 TELPAS Training 1
~January 29-30 Dentist Program with 3rd Grade
~January 30 McDonald's Night on Irving Blvd. 3:00-8:00
~January 31 TELPAS Calibration Training
~January 19-February 2: 3-5 KID TALKS with individual teachers (schedule to come)

Growing Greatness in Every Student Every Day! 

Week at a Glance January 8-12, 2018

Bulldog Team-
Thank you all for an awesome start to the year! I walked through almost every classroom on Wednesday (sorry 4th grade!) and everyone was already in the groove. It was like we never left. You all have such high expectations of yourselves-it's amazing!

Have a GREAT weekend and we are looking forward to another fabulous week next week!

~Sanders

PS. Look at the dates at the bottom of the WAG so you are not surprised when stuff comes up...

PSS: Trying to remember to put birthdays on here-and I missed Dominguez on the 4th this week! Happy Birthday, Irma!

~Thank you to everyone who participated in Coding with Ms. Rice this week! Keep encouraging students to work on it at home.
~Shout out to everyone who planned fun New Years activities, bringing props, and making backgrounds. The kids had a blast and have said "Happy New Year!" all week!
~Thank you Trulin, Balmaceda, and Rodriguez for embracing the LLI kits to use with our students!

• iCreate due date is coming FAST-January 18th! Please note that failure to comply could effect Domain II or Domain VII on PDAS. 

Monday January 8
>Rice and Kline out for training
>7:45-8:30 Admin and Counselors meet
>8:30 ARD (Sanders/Ashley)
>10:30 ARD (Gorena/Gomez)
>National Clean Off your Desk Day!

Tuesday January 9
>Rice and Kline out for training
>9:00 ARD (Gorena/Anderson)
>9:00 PACT classes for parents in Parent Center
>ELAR planning Day
>3:38 Aishah Kuzu Baby Shower in library!
>National Law Enforcement Day!

Wednesday January 10
>Math Planning Day
>Sanders, Gorena, and Instructional Team at Training
>3:30 Faculty Meeting
>Happy Birthday, Kline! 
>Semester exams: 4th Writing and 5th Science

Thursday January 11
>HALF DAY- DISMISS AT 12:15
>Semester exams: Math
>Purposeful Planning (Sanders sent schedule)

Friday January 12
>HALF DAY- DISMISS AT 12:15
>Semester exams: Reading
>Purposeful Planning (Sanders sent schedule)

Upcoming Dates:

~January 16-18 Sanders at RTI Institute in Plano
~January 17-3:30-4:00 Education Galaxy Training for ALL teachers
~January 18 iCREATE DUE
~January 24 TELPAS Training 1
~January 29-30 Dentist Program with 3rd Grade
~January 30 McDonald's Night on Irving Blvd. 3:00-8:00
~January 31 TELPAS Calibration Training
~January 19-February 2: 3-5 KID TALKS with individual teachers (schedule to come)

Growing Greatness in Every Student Every Day! 

Week at a Glance January 2-5, 2018

Bulldog Team-

Here we are! A New Year! A fresh start! Excitement for possibilities! YAHOO!

Last year, when writing the WAG for this same week, I wrote about reflection. I set goals to BE present and BE the best version of myself I possibly could everywhere I went. (Be THERE, Be HERE, Be the BEST!)

Surprisingly, I stuck with this saying. I said it on rough mornings, on evenings with my kids when work was in the back of my mind, on days at work when I was thinking about my family.  Was I always on point? NO! (In fact, far from it!)  However, I was proud of myself for sticking to something all year.

This year, my goals is to RE-FRAME.  To RE-FRAME you turn struggles into something positive. So when I start to vent or complain, I will try to turn it around into an opportunity. For example, "I really, really hate my drive home everyday" can be turned into "I like that I have some extra time to talk to my kids...especially while they are strapped in their car seats!"

My goal is to also help those around me RE-FRAME and see their own opportunities. Life would be boring without our challenges. Its how we handle them that counts.

I challenge you to think about how you will start this year off with a bang. Can you re-frame? Let yourself vent or complain. But then, turn it around and find the good. #youdeserveit

Happy New Year!

~Sanders

Thank you to all of you for a really positive first half of the school year. So proud of all you have done for kids in a short amount of time!

• Work on procedures with your kids this week-start out with a review, practice academies, etc!
• Tweet about a lesson that rocked this week! Use @JHaleybullogs  #irvingreads #myIrvingisd (Twitter Fairy is up for a visit!)

Tuesday January 2
>Celebrate the New Year with your class in the morning! Countdown, set resolutions, have fun!
>National Science Fiction Day!
>ELAR planning Day
>Hour of Code in computer lab-sign up sent by Ms. Rice. It's getting booked quick!
>Rita Ruiz visiting sometime this week for K-2 Guided Reading walkthroughs 

Wednesday January 3
>Math Planning Day
>Hour of Code in computer lab
>8:30 Rosa Fernandez and Admin meet
>Fountain gone in AM for TELPAS training

Thursday January 4
>Data PLC Collaboration Time during planning in 10B!
>Hour of Code in computer lab
>District Spelling Bee in AM. Go JHE! 
>8:30 ARD Gorena/Cortez

Friday January 5
>8:30-9:00 Admin and Kline Meet
>ARD Anderson/Fountain
>9:00-11 Core Team meeting

Upcoming Dates:
~January 11 & 12 Half-Day Planning Days
~January 15 Holiday Martin Luther King Jr Day
~January 16 Workday
~more updates on next week's WAG

Growing Greatness in Every Student Every Day!