THE MEMO
Susan T. Phillips
Principal
October 1, 2010
From the Lead Learning Cultivator
Please check out my blog by clicking on the following link!
http://dreamleader.blogspot.com
October 4 – October 8:
On Monday, Scholastic Book Fair opens in the Media Center. And continues through
Friday. Please see the signup sheet on the Spotlight to pick a time for your class to browse.
On Monday, Open House is held for Kindergarten and Third Grade at 6:30 PM.
On Tuesday, RtI Leadership Team meets at 8:20 in the Mrs. Duncan’s room.
On Tuesday, Open House is held for First and Fourth Grade at 6:30 PM.
On Wednesday, ELA Council meets at 8:30 in the ACR.
On Wednesday, Sunshine Math Kickoff is held in the Dining Room as follows:
Fourth and Fifth
9:45 – 10:15
Second and Third
10:30 – 11:00
On Wednesday, Early Dismissal begins at 2:00. Professional Development begins at the
conclusion of dismissal. We’ll be reviewing Academic Expectations and addressing
Professional Development Plans and Progress Monitoring Plans.
On Wednesday, Positive Postcards will be placed in teachers’ boxes. Please take this public
relations tool seriously and make a point to “drop” a positive note on Wednesday, toss it in my
basket to read and enjoy. I will stamp them and put them in the mail for you.
On Thursday, Open House is held for Second and Fifth Grade at 6:30 PM.
On Friday, Book of the Month Faculty Meeting is held at 8:20 in the Media Center.
On Friday, Fall Pictures are made. Classes will be called via the intercom.
Getting to the Roots with RtI (A few words from Liz):
The grade level meetings went very well this week. Thanks again for your flexibility and
preparedness.
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I need facilitators to please meet with me Tuesday at 8:20.
FOCUS groups may begin next week after our RTI leadership meeting according to the
master calendar.
Anyone needing a Behavior Focus meeting needs to contact me.
Intervention schedules for Social Skills, Reading Mastery, Sandy Snyder's fluency
groups, and Romy Wilkening's groups will begin on a regular basis Monday.
Referrals for social skills interventions will be accepted during the beginning of
November for the next rotation, beginning around Thanksgiving. If you referred students
recently, but they do not make this first rotation, I will schedule them for the next
rotation, unless you cancel the referral.
Tilling the Turf with Technology (A few words from
Melanie):
Have you read Susan’s blog yet? I am so excited about the Blogging Challenge that is underway
next week!! We have had eight teachers around the world that have joined the challenge since I
posted it Thursday! Whoo Hoo! If you don’t feel like you can do every week’s challenge, at
least try a few. We’ll be sharing the links to our blogs and other blogs that participate. As
always, if you want to meet with me about working on your blog or starting a new one – just let
me know.
Many of you have finished FAIR and are trying to retrieve your students’ results. It is almost
impossible to do during the school day due to peak usage times. The teachers that have had the
best results are pulling up their results in the evening.
Cultivating the Curriculum Crop (A few words from
Suzanne):
Standards-Based Bulletin Boards: Purple Cow Bulletin Board of the Month
Analyzing student work compared to standards and making it visible throughout the school is a
cornerstone of our work. SBBBs, a non-negotiable component of America’s Choice, were
designed as a tool so parents, students, and colleagues could easily see the level of student work
being produced in classrooms. Over the years, in order to value and offer specific feedback,
we’ve focused walk boards in horizontal peer groups and/or had discussions in vertical teams. In
this process, we’ve had varied responses from teachers about the learning that has occurred
within this practice, and quite honestly haven’t arrived at a perfect answer.
I know that Standards-Based Bulletin Boards take a tremendous amount of thought, time, and
energy. I wish everyone saw the value, like I do, but understand the barriers. However,
America’s Choice taught us that focusing on student work and performance is the most essential
thing we do. The board is a unique tool to make this focus visible and sets us apart from a
typical school. So, finding a solution to our quandary has become one of our priorities.
Each month, I read every board. But, this year, as I read them, I will offer written feedback to
one board per grade level each month. In addition, a Purple Cow Project will be launched with
one primary and one intermediate board being named the Purple Cow Board of the Month. To
nominate a board that stands out above all the rest, a Purple Cow in a field full of Holsteins, you
will fill out the Purple Cow form (one will be uploaded to the wiki and I'll put copies in the black
mailboxes in the mailbox room) and put it in my box. A team will read the boards of each
nominee and a Purple Cow Board of the Month will be announced. Each teacher will then be
encouraged, as they graze in the Chets Creek pasture, to read the Purple Cow Board of the
Month to gleam new ideas and offer feedback and comments to the teacher. We hope that this
practice will promote the reading of the boards and put the emphasis back on student work. If
you have any other ideas to promote our focus on student work related to Standards Based
Bulletin Boards, I’d love to hear your ideas.
In this edition of the Curriculum Corner (attached to the memo): Vertical Demonstration Days,
District Benchmark Data, and Math Council.
Barnyard Essentials:
 LITERARY PUMPKIN FESTIVAL AND FALL CARNIVAL A letter from PTA regarding our annual Fall
Carnival and a point sheet describing the events during Literary Pumpkin Festival including
directions for classroom pumpkins, trick or treating and the fall carnival are attached to the
email with the Memo. Please make sure you read the PTA letter and review the point sheet
carefully and make plans to be a part of this fun filled tradition. If you have any questions,
please don’t hesitate to ask. Please help us by asking for candy donations from families
starting now and send any donations from parents to the front office. The signup sheet for
handing out treats on the bottom floor of the building is now posted on the Spotlight. Please
sign up to help out our colleagues downstairs. Julie Middleton has the signup sheet for
carnival booths.
 CLASSROOM OBSERVATION TIME (FULLTIME CULTIVATORS): ALL ONSERVATIONS MUST BE
SCHEUDLED BY FRIDAY 10/15 on the clipboard outside my office. Please note that you
must sign up for a pre-conference on the Monday of the week you sign up for the observation
and for a post conference the Friday following the observation. The clipboard will be out for
the next two weeks – I have to firm my schedule up by then. I will plan to stay for an entire
hour to observe the whole lesson and record all the areas included on the form. At this point
all components of the Reader’s, Writer’s, Math or Science Workshop should be in place and
I will be looking for how you are using technology to deepen instruction for students. I will
also be looking specifically at Science lessons if you teach Science, and Reading if you teach
ELA only, and fifth grade Math. Special attention will be paid to seeing how you are
addressing the needs of our economically disadvantaged and ESL learners. You will need to
bring a copy of the lesson plan to our pre-conference. For the observation you will need
to have the following artifacts available to satisfy the indicators for the competencies I
can’t see during the lesson: Lesson Plan, Completed Data/Safety Net Notebook, Parent
Communication Tool(s), (3) Sample Assessments, A statement of Professional Growth
activities you plan to participate in for the year, (1) Example of how you are
differentiating instruction based on student data/need (guided reading group log,
strategy group records, etc…) In addition, please have three to five home school
folders/student planners available for me to view and write in during your observation.
 ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES You know they say it takes a village to raise a child and I can
certainly tell you it takes one to run this school effectively. I have updated the document on
the Faculty Info page of the CCE Wiki that gives you a rundown of who has accepted
responsibility for what on the administrative end. I hope this helps you know who to go to
for support.
 FRIDAYS ARE SACRED I ask again that everyone refrain from scheduling parent conference s and
keep Friday mornings clear for attendance at TEAM meetings and Book of the Month
Faculty Meetings. When you miss these meetings you become out of the loop on important
information regarding school operations and policies. TEAM meetings are also your
opportunity to participate in the shared decision making process beyond the PIC table.
Faculty and Staff Birthdays:
Bridget O’Connor
Jessica Shaffer
Mary Beth Matics
Lauren Skipper
Lorraine Roettges
Christine Valnoha
October 7
October 8
October 11
October 22
October 25
October 29
and a Yee Haw goes to…
A round of applause goes to Cheryl Dillard and Maria Mallon for an
extraordinary math demonstration lesson last Friday to kick off a first grade
day of math learning. The demo complete with interactive math and MI lesson
gave teachers the opportunity to learn math content and learn essential time
saving ritual and routines. Thank you, Cheryl and Maria for inviting us to Hog
Heaven! We loved every moment!
Talk about a hardworking, collegial, and dedicated group of colleagues--The
first grade team is top notch! Last Friday, they spent the day observing math
instruction, discussing math standards, and aligning their standards,
curriculum tools, instruction, and assessment. Cheryl Dillard, Maria
Mallon, Patricia Wallace, Denise Donofrio, Danielle Barnhart, Cathy
Daniels, Toni Chant, dayle timmons, Tracy Ruark, Debbie Harbour, Beth
Young made monumental progress in this year's math plan. Yee Haw!
The Second Grade team is a PLC in the truest sense of the word. They spent
Monday sharing their best practices and seamlessly transitioned from one leader
to the next depending on their area of concentration. They ate lunch in, so they
would have time to Graze in their Classroom Pastures while the students were at
resource to borrow great ideas from their colleagues. Thank you, Rachel
Bridges, Karen Morris, Carrie McLeod, Heather Correia, Lori Metzger, Debbie Rossignol,
Kathi Nelson, Jessica Shaffer, Laurie Thomson, Wanda Lankford, Lauren Morgan, Beth
Roberts, Julia Lewis, Christina Walag, and Patty VanAlstyne. Our Second Graders are
privileged to have you as teachers.
Yee haw to Liz Duncan and Joy Gannam who patiently worked with each
grade level on Tuesday to help get RTI information in order. Liz and Joy have
been working endlessly to decipher the new RTI model, find ways to service
our ESOL population through Reading Mastery, identify kids already in the
process so services can be continued, and help us learn the most effective way
to service our lowest students. We appreciate all the time and patience you have given us.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Miron, one of our Itinerant Art Teachers who
was selected by her peers at Whitehouse Elementary as their Teacher of the
Year. Your Chets Creek family is proud of you!!
Congratulations to Liz Duncan for being chosen as our Chets Creek Teacher
of the Year. Liz will serve as an excellent representative of the outstanding
teachers in our learning community. She is an experienced teacher who
demonstrates daily her commitment to his students. The EDDY’s are
scheduled for the spring. Make plans now to attend in celebration of Liz!
Congratulations to our nominees for Teacher of the Year. Christy
Constande, Melissa Ross, Betsy McCall and Suzanne Shall were all chosen
by their peers for consideration in selection of our Teacher of the Year. Any
one of these fine learning leaders would have been an excellent representative
of our school. I am proud of each of you and your contributions to all our
stakeholders.
Yee Haw to Romy Wilkening who planned and led our first Hispanic Family
Information Night. She recruited Karen Meissner, Patricia Wallace,
Heather Correia, Cindy Tsengas, Dorry Lopez-Sinclair and Jane Szerba
to be on hand for answering grade specific questions and guided parents
through the Volunteer process. Liz Duncan and KK Cherney were also in
attendance to provide support and answer questions about the ARC. We had about 100 of our
stakeholders attend. Gracias Senoritas! Yo estaba tan orgulloso!
Yee Haw to Angela Hopfe who has come up to 5th grade and jumped into
Science with both feet. She supports all three teachers throughout her day.
Angela comes in like a ray of sunshine. She is always so enthusiastic and
helpful with all of our students. Angela has assimilate perfectly into each of
our classrooms and has become an invaluable addition to our Science Team.
Angela you're the best!
Yee Haw the planting has begun! Huge thanks to our amazing 5th Grade
Science Team: Carolyn Swidorsky, Jane Szerba, Kristen Shannon and
Angela Hopfe, for planting the way for all the other grade levels.The 5th
grade garden plot was divided and labeled by classrooms. Then the students
from all nine classes transplanted the seeds that have germinated from our first
day of school plant cups. They also transplanted bean and pea seeds from their Terra-Aqua
Towers. The students were so excited to plant in the CCE garden and we are all looking forward
to watching all the vegetables grow.
A special thank you to Dee Dee Tamburrino and Jennifer Snead who have
embrace pre-interns this fall as they learn to plow the field in our craft. How
lucky for a learner to get placed in your care. You set them up, from the start,
with an excellent model, and we appreciate you as you host the next crop of
new teachers!
You never know who is going to show up at the front counter on a Friday
morning and this morning Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals came for a tour!
He visited Liz Perez, Nina Thomas, Laura Sambito, Dorry Lopez, Angela
Phillips, Rick Pinchot, Jane Plank, Debbie Rossignol, Kathy Nelson, and
Jessica Shaffer who showed the exceptional teaching going on in our
building. He also dropped into the first grade TDE and heard them talk about their Science and
Math assessments. Thank you farmers, for making us all look so good!
Join me in welcoming Melonie Corbett, Rebecca Roberts and Amanda Anair to the Chets Creek
family. Melonie and Rebecca joined us this past Monday and got right to work getting to know
their colleagues and students. Amanda is joining us next Monday and will be co-teaching with
Danielle Barber. We are glad to have each of you!!