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Friday, January 25, 2019

Jan 28 - Feb 1 Leeson Rise N Shine

Opportunity Statement:   Coolidge Elementary will continue to provide all students with academic, social, and emotional growth opportunities through great teaching and the utilization of our community resources.  We will maintain high expectations for all students, as well as expand our efforts to cultivate a positive school culture that encourages intellectual and social growth.”
Coolidge Vision and Mission
Our Mission:  “Educate students for lifelong learning and responsible living.”
Our Vision:  “Provide a learning environment that promotes and develops academic and
social growth.”



  • Monday
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday

WIDA testing continues.
Formal Observation Cycle has begun.
It has been a busy week with lots of information and rumors flying.  Let me say what will occur if one of the three plans pass and I believe they will:
1.  Coolidge will be open next year and be a PreK - 4 school.  
2.  Start times will change and school will begin at 7:35 a.m.
3.  Boundaries will change and Coolidge will be getting additional students which probably will require additional sections to grade levels.
4.  Grade level teams are subject to change.  
5.  Leadership in the building is subject to change.
6.  We are going to do what we do best, and that is to teach kids and support each other.  
7.  February 19th Board of Education Reviews Superintendent's Recommendation.
8.  March 4 Board of Education Considers Approval
  


Freedom to Move On

Wendy Vanderlinden

Issue #550
It was time for me to renew my teaching license, and I sat at the computer ready to complete the online requirements, which consisted of reading content and taking quizzes to demonstrate my understanding. As a fast reader, I quickly reached the end of the first section and took the quiz. I passed with 100 percent accuracy, but instead of being able to move immediately to the next section, I was met by this message: “You must spend at least 7 minutes and 30 seconds on this section, and you completed it in 6 minutes and 12 seconds. You must wait until the timer reads 7.30.00 before proceeding to the next section.”
How frustrating! I had demonstrated I knew the material; I had learned what they had determined I needed to know. Yet here I was, having to wait to move on. As I sat at the computer impatiently watching the clock, I wondered how often students feel the same way in our classrooms.
As I waited for the computer timer to catch up with my readiness, I recorded how I felt:
  • Frustrated—If I was ready to move on, why couldn’t I?
  • Bored—I had nothing meaningful to do while I waited to proceed and watched the clock tick down.
  • Angry—Why couldn’t they understand that I was ready to move on? Why did they have to treat everyone who took this module exactly the same?
  • Unvalued—Wasn’t my time worth something to them? Didn’t they realize I could do this more quickly? Didn’t my knowledge and ability count for anything?
When students are asked to wait for the rest of the class to “catch up,” they experience many of the same feelings I did that day.
We know it is vital to respect the learning needs of all students, so how can we meet the needs of those who finish early instead of asking them to wait for the rest of the class to finish?
If it’s outside of the literacy block, our students always have the option to read or write.
Within a literacy block using Daily 5, it isn’t an issue at all. And that is the beauty of Daily 5. Students work at their own pace on their own goals doing authentic activities they have chosen.
I eventually finished my online training, and it took me precisely as many minutes as it was “supposed” to, but I didn’t have a great attitude about doing it in that way. To avoid students having those same feelings, we must be intentional about providing meaningful learning opportunities on an ongoing basis. When we provide an opportunity for students to have freedom and flexibility in their learning, we may be surprised at how far they soar.


















Where do I find?.........

Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade 
 Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		 Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days 		  Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		  Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		  Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		 Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days
OKCPS ELA Standards by Grade Level
OKCPS and OAS Crosswalk
OKCPS ELA Bundles


6th Grade Bundles
OKCPS Math  by Grade Level
OKCPS-OAS Crosswalks
OKCPS Standards by Bundles
Pre-Kindergarten  Bundles
Kindergarten  Bundles
Elementary ELA Year- at- a- Glance







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Monday, January 14, 2019

Jan 14 - 18

Opportunity Statement:   Coolidge Elementary will continue to provide all students with academic, social, and emotional growth opportunities through great teaching and the utilization of our community resources.  We will maintain high expectations for all students, as well as expand our efforts to cultivate a positive school culture that encourages intellectual and social growth.”
Coolidge Vision and Mission
Our Mission:  “Educate students for lifelong learning and responsible living.”
Our Vision:  “Provide a learning environment that promotes and develops academic and
social growth.”
  • Monday Jan 14 - Regular Day. 6th Grade to take NWEA Test. Afterschool Tutoring Begins. Board Meeting. Huggins leaves early.
  • Tuesday Jan 15 - Regular Day. PLC Meetings, Faculty Meeting, Leadership Meeting.
  • Wednesday Jan. 16 - Regular Day. Class Pictures in SCHOOL UNIFORMS. I told 6th grade they may wear their uniform jerseys or Summit Shirts as well.

  • Thursday Jan 17 - Brett Out, Smart Start
  • Friday Jan 18 - Brett Out



Please be sure your Growth Plan has been updated. Ms. Huggins and I met with many of you during the midpoint evaluation but not everyone. We will be checking during PLC meeting on Tuesday if we have not already done so. Please bring your laptop to PLC meeting.

 Marzano Update:
  1. If a teacher has a 2.0 score or below in one or more elements, after two observations that count,  he/she will be place on a Plan for Improvement. You will use the Evaluation Score per element to determine areas of growth for the teacher.

Word Collectors are great places to store interesting words you come across while reading stories to children.  I must admit, I run in spurts. Sometimes we add a word from each book we read. Then we go through dry spells where we're so busy, working on other strategies, that we actually forget to post any words for a week or two. I finally decided to take some time to think about what I could do to help remedy this lapse. Here are four ideas that have made a difference.
  • Attach a pen to your Word Collector using a piece of sticky Velcro. Anytime you want to write a word, there will be a pen handy.
  • Keep a small stack of sticky notes next to your reading chair. As you come across a suitable word, put a sticky note in the book before you turn the page. After you finish the book, it will be easy to locate the chosen word again.
  • Make it a habit to record the words immediately after you finish reading.
  • Turn the recording tasks over to your students.
Recently, I've been thinking how we could use our Word Collectors more effectively.  Since I'm always looking for ways to maximize teaching time, I decided to combine some of these words with handwriting practice. Together, we pick out a word from the collector and brainstorm several sentences. This is a wonderful way to spotlight vocabulary again. Let the class decide which sentence to use for handwriting practice. As we begin to write each word, we discuss any phonics rules that may apply. Next, we review each letter formation before we write it. Vocabulary, phonics and handwriting practice in one!
The Sisters have shared with us a form you can use to provide individual Word Collectors for students. I love this idea but discovered that most young children write so big, they fill each box with one word! So I took the one page grid and expanded it to two pages. Then I stapled grid one to the left inside of a file folder and grid two to the right side. Now students can practice writing their own sentences on handwriting paper, using words from their grid, during word work. This will also be a place that students can collect interesting words they find as they read.        
Ultimately, I want the children to begin using words from the word collectors in their writing. Just yesterday, Andrew wrote in his journal, "A dragon is a 'monstrous' animal."  The class gave him a "round of applause" for his efforts. In addition, I want children to use words from the collectors in their speaking too. Ben's mom told me recently that he had asked her if she was "forlorn." She was surprised when he explained to her that "forlorn" meant sad.  Don't you love it when you see and hear examples of students' learning!
Creating sentences and writing them is quickly becoming part of "what we do" after lunch. The children must be sharing this with their parents too because Lucy brought in a note from home the other day. All it said was, "For the Word Collector, "investigate." Wow, even parents are participating!
So rethink your Word Collector, is it a working tool or just a place to drop a word? Maybe with just a few tweaks you can find other ways to add a spark to vocabulary work.  You will relish watching your students turn into wizardly wordies!
Word Wizard 1 Document, Word Wizard 2 Document






Where do I find?.........

Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade 
 Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		 Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days 		  Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		  Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		  Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days		 Bundled Standards

Year at a Glance

First 20 Days
OKCPS ELA Standards by Grade Level
OKCPS and OAS Crosswalk
OKCPS ELA Bundles


6th Grade Bundles
OKCPS Math  by Grade Level
OKCPS-OAS Crosswalks
OKCPS Standards by Bundles
Pre-Kindergarten  Bundles
Kindergarten  Bundles
Elementary ELA Year- at- a- Glance







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