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.

December 11th

One week left before our December Break!

Collaboration 

Holiday Performance - K-2 from 9:30-10:00 and 3-5 from 10:15-11:00. Due to the time of the 3-5 performance, some adjustments will be made to the ER lunch schedule. Once these changes have been made, Mrs. Nance will send out an email.

Due to the Holiday performances and ER, coverage for classroom teachers will be for 15 minutes. Again, classroom teachers, make sure you touch base with your assigned specialist for times. 

Early Release Agenda --- Agenda - Cohorts

Critical Thinking

Any interest in school administration? I have information from ECU, Elon, UNC and NC State if you are interested in learning more about the programs.

I also have information about AIG certification. 

Creativity

- Thank you to 16 classes that have signed up to be a part of Community Partnership with UNC REX - Help us show our patients they are loved! Students at Underwood GT Magnet Elementary School will to make and write homemade Valentine’s Day cards for our patients who are recovering here at the hospital during the Valentine's holiday. 

Communication

Specialists will be sending out a weekly email through Memberhub to share things that are going on in their classroom. Classroom teachers, please feel free to add their announcements to your families. 

December 21st -- Teacher Workday - building will be open from 8:30-4:30. This will be the only day

Celebrations

Thank you to Ashley, Charlotte and Daphne for leading the parent cohort on utilizing Consensus Discipline at home. Great home to school connection. 

Thank you to Melanie, Melissa, and Victoria for working with Mitzi and the district PBIS leaders to review our PBIS progress as a school. We are doing great things to support students!

Do you have someone that you would like to celebrate? Add to our celebration wall - Celebration Wall!

December 4th Updates

Communication 

 - It has been great seeing the communication via Member Hub. 

  - Also great ideas and best practices shared via -- https://twitter.com/search/?q=%40underwoodgtm&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw.

Collaboration 

 - What is the purpose of PLTs? We are looking forward to the discussion and dialogues from professional learning teams as we identify our purpose of meeting weekly!

 - What are the benefits of learning rounds to support collaboration -- Benefits of completing learning rounds

 - Early Release Meeting (No business meeting on the 17th). - Agenda - Business meeting and cohorts

Critical Thinking 

- NC School Report Card - information about Underwood Elementary

Creativity

- Excellent job on the hallway displays that exhibit grade level work with the grade level standards!

Celebrations

 - Lauren Mann has been approved to begin as our Art Teacher on January 2nd!

 - Stephanie Francis is our new kindergarten instructional assistant working with Mrs. O'Laughlin!

 - CONGRATS --- Underwood will be a part of PIECES of GOLD!