January 25th

"Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks". 

Yo-Yo Ma

Creativity

• Reminder that the 4cs Grant applications are due Feb 1st. There are three or four groups applying from Underwood, so fingers crossed!
• A walk-through to Twitter for beginners and advanced: http://jlagarde.wix.com/twitter (Thanks Andrea)

Communication 

• Elective letters should go home the first week of electives. It will be important to highlight essential and/or common core standards that will be focused on in the elective. Also be sure to include email, website or member hub (if applicable). 

Collaboration 

• Seven Norms of Collaboration (More to come from these) - Evernote - Adaptive Schools Day 2. Adaptive schools is a four day training that all principals have worked through and assistant principals will be going through next. Purpose of adaptive schools is to increase our adaptability as leaders to support our vision 20/20. 
• Twitter Chat for Underwood Staff -- #ugtmpd -- from 11-12. It is an open forum (thanks Tonya) 

Critical Thinking 

• Powerschool is to have grades inputted throughout the quarter and be used to compile an overall level. 
• Promotion and Intervention Meetings schedule --- sign up if you don't have any one to meet up, please put NA.

Celebration - Underwood Padlet

January 18th updates

F is for Fireworks -- "Light up the skies of your classroom. Add more WONDER and WOW - more BANG and BOOM! Don't just teach a lesson, create an experience. Always ask, 'How can I make this lesson come alive?' Create a place that kids run to get instead of run to leave. Make School Amazing!" -- P is for Pirate  

Critical Thinking 

• Mid Year PDPs are in session, be sure to sign up for a review with either Daphne or I -- Mid Year PDP Sign up 
• Case 21 assessments are in full force. The purpose is to assist teachers in the planning of their instruction, not to be used as a sole evaluation of an individual student. We will have our data reviews with protocols once the results come back to make instructional plans.

Collaboration 

• PTA Planning Days - purpose of these days are to align our instruction to the needs of our students for the following quarter based on data and Common Core Standards. With that goal in mind Ashley and/or Alexandria will be a part of the planning days to support in resource collection or acquisition, Common Core Standards alignment and instructional support. Reminder that Alexandria and Ashley will need 5-6 bulleted items that were achieved in the planning days to be sent to the PTA to provide evidence for the needs of these days. 
• Tech Tools affecting students writing -- http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/07/16/how-do-tech-tools-affect-the-way-students-write/ 

Creativity 

• Thank you to the staff members that have signed up for the staff auction as a part of the Winter Carnival. At this time we have 15 prizes, if you would like to sign up - sign up form

Communication 

• It is great to see all of the great communication via Memberhub and through Twitter. Check out our feed -- @underwoodgt tweets

Celebrations

• Collaboration space is in the works in the media center -- vote on a name ballot.
• Off Their Rockers performers and directors (Melissa, Rachel F, and Karen).
• Ashely and Alexandria in their continued support of our perspective Magnet Parents. Our tours and Open Houses have been very well attended and informative. Thank you staff for opening your doors for our perspective parents. Your classrooms rock!
• MTSS team (Christine, Heather P, Victoria, Cheryl, Charlotte and our coach Victoria Bardsley) our continued discussions about Tier 1 support. 
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in all third grade classes! 
• Padlet -- Celebrations

January 4th Updates

Critical Thinking

• Bring Your Own Device - we have three classes that are fully implementing BYOD and three other classes that will be starting this week. 
• We will have a team of 13 staff members that will be participating in NCTIES conference to increase learning in the classroom. They will bringing back ideas in a variety of formats, stay tuned... The theme is "Imagine" - Congratulations to Rhonda Connor on presenting at the conference!

Creativity 

• Please complete the 2016-17 intent form for next school year, there is also a copy of the document in your mailbox. I am asking that you have the document to me by January 15th with the understanding that this is preliminary plans. *If you would like to schedule a conference, please see me. 

Communication 

• Please provide feedback and/or questions to Ms. Vinson's 5th grade students blog posts -- http://classof2023.blogspot.com/
• Strategies for Motivating students - great post to support students in building their motivation in learning.  

Collaboration 

• With our third quarter planning days, be sure that the focus is on learning and teaching. This is a great opportunity to focus on "what we want our students to learn". Ashely and/or Alexandria will be a part of the meeting to support the teams in facilitating and dialogue/discussions. Also, be sure to send 4-5 accomplishments from the meeting to Ashley and Alexandria to be shared by the PTA.   
• Mid Year PDPs review will need to be conducted by February 12th. You will meet with the administrator that you didn't do your initial meeting. All Mid Year reviews should include a teacher narrative (2-4 sentences) of progress towards 

Celebrations 

• Thanks to : http://padlet.com/tjshillings21/kco54kwuw9xk (thanks to the staff members that added to this Padlet)
• Congrats to Heather C and her husband Shaun on the arrival of their daughter - Hadley Elizabeth Dee Callahan at 5:57 pm on 12/30 - weighing 7 lbs 4 oz and measuring 20 inches long. 

"Teaching content is only the tip of the iceberg of what we do for our students: We: BUILD character, Boost self-confidence, KILL apathy, IGNITE passion, CULTIVATE creativity, PROMOTE perseverance, and FOSTER empathy. WE do so much MORE than what a test score could possibly reflect... Dave and Shelley Burgess, "P is for Pirate Inspirational ABC's For Educator - I is for Iceberg.