Updates

1.  Summer Reading and Math Program Invitations have been sent home to rising 3rd and 4th Grade Boys.  This program will go far toward closing existing gaps in student academic performance. Please encourage your students to attend if you are a 3rd or 4th grade teacher.

2.  Summer Reading and Math Support for students in Ms. Dixon's 2015-16 class will be offered June 1 - July 8, 2016.

3.  Please advise parents to visit the BCS website for enrichment programs offered by the BCS.  Slots will fill fast so encourage them to immediate action.

4.  Dyslexia Training is scheduled on May 25th from 12:00 - 3:00 PM at Jackson-Olin HS.  All certified teachers are required to attend.  Register at StiPD - #PD-DYSS0516

Important Updates and Action Items

1.  Please update you Educate Alabama Files adding evidence of your professional learning. We have had a great year full of professional learning experiences that were based on our needs and our goals. You may remember that we met in the computer lab as a group to ensure that everyone entered their data by the established deadlines.  We also provided guidance toward which areas that we would be providing professional learning activities and how you could best meet the standards. Therefore all staff should be in a position of compliance at an exemplary level having followed our plan.

• Upload your IB Certificate which documents your completion of Category I Training
• Upload dates and Agenda Topics for Learning Focused Schools Training
• Refer to your Professional Development Notebook for the ACT Aspire Training received from our instructional Coaches
• Include dates and agenda topics on Unpacking standards

2.  Our next IB online training opportunity is scheduled for May and extends into the first week of June.  Mrs. Warren Lewis will be gathering the names of all individuals who will be taking part in this next round of professional learning toward meeting the requirements for IB authorization.  I will be submitting a stipend request to compensate all staff for the work to be done after school ends.  

Also we are looking to offer the same opportunity this summer for a (4) week Category 3 training during which employees would be paid to visit the school to complete the work at (4) hours per week. Those who participate in the May and Summer sessions will have completed their IB training requirements.  

If approved, each certified participant will be paid $20/ hour not to exceed a total of $340 for the summer.

Please let me know today if you would like to take part in these training.  Team leaders may survey team members and convey information to me via email.

3.  End of the Year Program Dates have been set by Central Office therefore  must adjust or plans to be in compliance.  Pre K, 1st , 2nd  on May 17th, 3rd, 4th and 5th on May 18th.  

Start planning your programs with the following in mind;

• Let's invite guest speakers who are not primarily affiliated with or representing a Religious Organization.  As much as we may be people of faith as individuals, we can not advocate in Governmental jobs. One method of advocacy is who we allow to speak to the children of this school (who do not all share the same faith) and the messages they bring.  Music is art therefore song selection (as established in school case law) is not held to the same standard and can therefore be of a religious nature or origin.
• Toward our IB aspirations, each year students are to demonstrate thematic learning through an exhibit which engages them in research of new knowledge, demonstrations of knowledge attained via projects, verbal expressions, speeches and presentations etc.  At our Awards Programs each class and student will be providing an exhibition as a major component of the program.  Mrs. Warren-Lewis will provide further information and guidance 

4.  Due to the changes listed above, our Carnival will be Monday May 16th,

Important Updates

Increased accountability standards and expectations are being emphasized at all levels of school operations in the BCS.  Towards that end, Principals have been directed to be sure to document employee non-compliance in several critical areas.  All of these areas have been emphasized and discussed in staff meetings, printed in staff memos, codified in our employee handbook and previously addressed at the school level until at a critical level.

Whereas in the past, conversations and verbal reminders were primarily used to address these matters at an early stage, we must now document those reminders in written form.  Listed below are the areas of which to pay close attention to in order not to be out of compliance with expectations, established procedures and/or policies.

1.  Student Attendance must be posted by 9:00 AM each day.
2.  Teacher letters to parents regarding excessive absences must be sent according to BCS policy.      Truancy cases can not be processed in the Family Court if the required 1st warning letter has not been sent by teacher.  We have a form copy of the letter in the office when needed.
3.  Educate Alabama Evidence should be posted.  Evidence of professional learning should be input so that teacher files can be closed out.  Be reminded that I requested that staff input completed IB training two weeks ago.
4.  Excessive tardiness to work and excessive absences will be forwarded to Zone 3 Director with documentation of administrative intervention.

Professional Learning

BCS Mission – The mission of BCS is to guide all students to achieve excellence in a safe, secure and nurturing environment.

Vision – BCS will be a recognized leader in public education, meeting the needs of a diverse student population prepared to succeed in a global society.

Brown Elementary School Mission – The mission of Charles A. Brown Learning Community is to develop compassionate, responsible, creative and confident learners capable of being successful in a global society driven by 21^st Century Technology and Digital Media.

Brown Learner Profile – We are Knowledgeable, Open-Minded, Caring, Inquirers, Risk-takers, Communicators, Principled, Reflective, Thinkers and Well-Balanced.

Faculty Meeting

March 21, 2016

3:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Agenda

I.      Welcome

II.    Norms

a.  Be Engaged

b. Expect to be Challenged

c.  Full Participation

  

III.  Information and Update

1.  We are planning to add (7) positions for the 2016-’17 School Year.  Due to an enrollment increase of 126 students, we have earned 4.31 additional units.

a.        (1) SPED, (1) FL, (1) FT Counselor, (4) Classroom Teachers

b.      Grade Level Assignments are Subject to change, those affected will be informed by May 1^st.

2.   Spring Break Learning Projects will be prepared by instructional staff for all grades.

3.    

            3.  District Expectations - Learning Focused Components are to be implemented immediately as 

                 training occurs.  (Collaborative Lesson Planning, (LF) Lesson Plan Documents, Learning                    Focused Walk-Through, Small Group Instruction, Collaborative Pairs, Anchor Activities.)

4.                           All Lesson Plans are to be in Chalkable on the Learning Focused Lesson Plan Format.

            4.   Accountability Assessments April 11-19, 2016.

            5.  School Carnival May 18, 2016

7

            6.  Award’s Day Schedule

a.        5/19/16 – K, 1^st and 2^nd Grades @ 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30

b.      5/20/16 – 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Grades @ 8:30. 10:00 and 11:30

IV.  Professional Learning Activity - 

Consider the Following Quote:

     "Worksheets are tools used by ineffective teachers who often have failed to properly plan for instruction and at the very least chose the easiest learning tool they could find when pulling together their lessons."

•             Take a minute to write your opinion about the validity of this quote.  Take take (3) minutes to discuss your individual views.  Write you views on the Chart provided.  Divide into statements that completely agree with the quote, disagree and other.

• 
  

V.     Data Report
VI.   Celebrations
VII.  Superintendent's Message

1.  Mrs. Harris will be on leave for the next few weeks and we wish her a speedy return.

2.  Lesson Planning will take place beginning Monday, February 29th in the conference room. Please bring the following items to meeting.
a.  an audit report of the ACT Aspire Reading and Math Standards that have not been taught.
b.  group data report for class showing ACT Aspire Benchmark performance by standard.
c.  Go to the BCS website and print/download to a laptop the Pacing Guides for your grade in Reading and Math
d.  Draft Lesson Plan with stations identified and graphic organizers from which to select from as lesson plans are built.

3.  ACT Aspire Interim Assessments should be completed by March 7, 2016.

4.  Be reminded that absences must be placed in the sub finder system and administration should be notified in advance of employee absences.  Also administration should be informed when an absent employee expects to return to work.  In order to plan and prepare for absences and the impact on instruction I am asking everyone to communicate more effectively in this area.

5.  Teach from Bell to Bell!  We are not in a position to relax and waste instructional time with non-instructional tasks.  We must plan, teach and provide intervention with a sense of urgency through the testing and the remainder of the year.

Professional Learning Meeting

Updates and Information

Professional Learning Schedule Elementary Schools
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

1.  Learning Focused Schools Update and Expectations

• Essential Questions
• Rigor
• Relevance
• Collaborative Pairs
• Peer Observations (5th to 4th  on 2/18 and 3rd to 4th on 2/19) 

2.  IB Training Update and Expectations 

• Fidelity to Training Schedule (Daily During Job Embedded Time)
• Team Plans are Due and Must be Submitted According to Schedule
• Intervention Group (2:00 PM - 3:15 PM Monday - Friday)
• Failure is not an Option

3.  Reading Block Expectations

• Small Group Instruction
• Explicit Teaching and/or Teacher Moving Among Students
• Instructional Support Engaged With Students
• No Movement 8:00AM - 10:00 AM

4.  Classroom Expectations

• Objective and Essential Questions Posted
• Lesson Plans Posted
• Students engaged in Small Group and Paired Instruction
• Checks for Understanding
• Rigorous Questioning
• Rigorous Activities and Assignments
• DOK Question Stems Posted

5.   Utilizing Instructional Support Personnel

• Always engaged with students 7:45 AM until Dismissal Except for (2) 15 minute breaks
• Never sitting in a corner, always involved in lesson

6. Office Workroom

• Employees have been directed not to pop popcorn in the school microwave.  Burned popcorn smells awful and I wish not to have the administrative area smelling as such.  On (2) instances since the start of this month someone has failed to follow this mandate. If it happens again the microwaves will be removed and replaced with a toaster oven to allow for food warming.

7.  Kudos

• UA and PE Team
• The Daniel Foundation
• Confucious Institute
• Student Greeter
• IB Lesson Plans
• Team on Target

Mission Statement - The mission of Charles A. Brown Elementary Learning Community is to develop compassionate, responsible, creative and confident learners capable of being successful in a global society driven by 21st Century technology and digital media.

The Brown Student Learning Profile - We are knowledgeable, open-minded, caring, inquirers, communicators, principled, reflective, risk-takers, thinkers and well-balanced.

1.  Standard Operating Procedures

2.  Teacher Assistants and Classroom Support Personnel

3.  Discipline Referrals

4.  Speaking Appropriately to Children and Adults

5.  Professionalism is a Must
     a.  On Time
     d.  Decorum
     c.  All Duties