March 24th

Collaboration 

What a collaborative effort by the Specialists, staff volunteers and parents. Thanks to Julia Mastropalo and Lauren Urban! It Takes a Village

SIP Team is continuing to draft our 2016-18 plan. Team leaders will continue to seek input on Key Process and action steps. 

Be sure to complete your Teacher Working Condition Survey by April 1st. 

Creativity

It is a exciting to see the students created work in our hall displays. It is also great to see the creative collaboration that is occurring all over the building using vocabulary strategies from Dr. Harrington, technology integration, creation through science and social studies, and student creation through the arts!

 

 

Life Islands with description and standards (Mozingo)

Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable. William Pollard

Communication 

 Congratulations to Wendi McNevin for being recognized as our Spotlight on Student!

English and Spanish phrases describing teachers around the building.  - one child said, "Wow that is Jair's work, he is just learning English".

We need to continue to share with families about content that their students are learning in the classroom, as they are partners in the learning process. This is done via weekly or monthly newsletters.

Critical Thinking

What to do during Spring Break?

March 21st

Four day week..

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." - Denis Waitley

Collaboration 

Arts Pleasure Wednesday March 23rd from 5:00-8:00.

I have been a part of  a principals' PLT focused on our core content in our electives. On March 22nd from 2:00-3:30, we will be walking the building with me to give feedback to our school's theme and how we are incorporating core in our electives. We are visiting all five schools (Powell, Poe, Hunter, Washington, and Underwood) this quarter. 

Science Olympiad Volunteers -- Anyone able to help at the Science Olympiad tournament should; go to sciencenc.com on the far right is a volunteer button, click on that fill out the form, when you get to the bottom of the form check Wake-Leesville Rd tournament.  Then you can check help where needed.

Kindergarten students collaboration in their writing about things North Carolina.

Critical Thinking 

Students express what's more important to them then a pot of gold?

Our Mission --- Wake County Public School System will provide a relevant and engaging education and will graduate students who are collaborative, creative, effective communicators and critical thinkers.

Creativity

Creating a Product in electives

Mobile for outer space

Students Reflections -- PTA Reflection!  Thank you Lauren for organizing these for our students. 

First in Fitness --- Way to go Athletes!  Thank you JaMika for working with the students and families to make this opportunity happen even with a change in dates. 

Communication 

Jennifer Wade and Heather Callahan have extended their maternity leaves until May. Sheryl Bryant and Laurie Cressman will continue as the long term substitutes. Please continued to support these two guest teachers! This information has been shared with families. 

Allisa Mozingo will be going out on maternity at the latest prior to Spring Break. Jennifer Page will be the long-term substitute with that class. This information has been shared with the families in Allisa's class. 

March 14th

Only two Mondays from Spring Break....

Communication 

Parent Portal -- Holly will be sending out information in April about the Parent Portal that will be opened through Power School. 5th graders will be the first to a chess this as they will be selecting their middle school electives.

Artpleasure is on March 23rd, please continue to publicize this fun event. Also if you are interested in joining the group that will be performing the surprise number we are looking for a few more people...

Laminating..reminder that items that are laminated should be be used for the entire year.

Creativity 

Read to Self outside in the Garden

WOW!!! Pieces of Gold performance was outstanding!  Thank you to Melissa, Rachel, and Karen for working with these students and kudos the performers!

UL 3rd Grade Field Trip

Personalized project 

Critical Thinking 

School improvement values:

#1 We will have high expectations for all students with multiple, varied opportunities to demonstrate growth. 

#2. We will reflect on best practices in order to continuously improve. 

#3 We will partner with our community to enhance all our programs 

#4 We will provide opportunities for parental involvement in their child’s learning.

 #5 We will personalize instructional practices to best meet the needs of all students. 

#6.We will analyze data to guide teaching and learning

learning through games (first grade)

Makerspace in the Ms. Gary's Class

Dancing through Go Noodle

Collaboration 

Please complete the "interruption chart" for the next eight days. Our MTSS team is proving or disproving our hypothesis of why we are not having more success with specific subgroups. 

What would we want our maker space look like at Underwood?

Team learning through play...

3rd Graders learning about safety

March 7th

Communication 

Spotlight on Students -- March 22nd at 5:30 at the School Board Meeting. Wendy McNevin will be recognized by Dr. Merrill and the school board. If you are interested in attending the board meeting please let me know by Friday so we can try and reserve seats. 

 North Carolina’s Severe Weather Awareness Week March 6-12, 2016

 Statewide Tornado Drill for 2016 Wednesday, March 9, at 9:30 AM EST

Next Year staff placements - with shifting of number of classrooms at grade levels we will be having some movement, if you would like to be considered for grade change, please email or come and talk to me. This includes instructional assistants, I would like to have a fairly solid plan by May. Our Job Fair is April 30th. 

Critical Thinking 

Read to Achieve Summer Camp - Looking for potential teachers that will teach from July 11-27th (7-9 will be training). We are paired with Root and Powell for our camp. The camps will be at Powell elementary and will be available to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students. Email me if you are interested so  I can give your names to the coordinator at Powell Elementary. 

Parent Portal - Holly went to a training for information about opening up the Parent Portal for our families. We will be working on logistics, but parents will have access to view their addresses, phone number, emergency contacts, and email addresses. We will be opening the portal in upcoming month(s). Grade books will not be assessable this year, but will be in the fall. Rising sixth grade parents will be using the portal to view/edit their child's electives for middle school.  More information to come. 

Mastery Connect - (Pat Miller is a great resource) -- Teachers in grades 2-12 can create, find and collaborate on formative assessments using Mastery Connect. SCORE21 items are accessible through this resource. Go to http://wakecounty.masteryconnect.com and use your WakeID credentials to login. If teachers are not able to access their account, please email Marlo Gaddis (mgaddis@wcpss.net) or Eva Higgins (ehiggins@wcpss.net). Online training and support for the resource are available for teachers: 

1.     Interactive Tour – Go to the top right to access.

2.     Mindful – Click on the “brady bunch” squares in the top left menu. Choose Mindful. There are a variety of online courses based on comfort and knowledge level.

Creativity 

Economics Fair (2nd grade) -- Going Nuts - Performance 3/17 at 7

Collaboration

Canvas - online learning platform that will incorporate many applications

Beginning Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at 6:00am, the login URL for Canvas will be https://wcpss.instructure.com.

• All users (both staff and students) will be prompted to log into Canvas using their WakeID credentials.
• NCEdCloud will no longer be used to access Canvas.
• This change does not impact course content or course enrollments.

NC Ties 

CAM - First Friday SUCCESS! 

CAM fifth graders