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.”
I've heard many rumors about teacher placements for next year and I'm guessing that there are at least the same number or more rumors that I haven't heard. What I can tell you is that I have been working on teacher placements - talking to team leads, the instructional coach, students, and teachers. About the time I think I may have figured it out something changes and I look at it again and make additional changes. I don't do this job alone - but in the end, I do make the final call on teacher placements for the building. I have been interviewing for some key positions with some excellent teachers who want to work with our faculty, staff, and students. If you are a NonContinuing Contract teacher and you want to be part of the Coolidge Team next year you MUST personally talk to me.
Coolidge will be a PreK - 4th-grade school next year. Utilizing centers or stations in your classroom DAILY is non-negotiable. Small group instruction will occur daily. We will have a new math curriculum that will help support our students but won't take the place of great teaching. We will have an Instructional Coach who is here to help you become even better teachers than you are now.
There will be staffing changes. Some of the current Coolidge staff are looking for alternative positions for next year and that is ok. Everyone needs to be where they can work with the administration and their teammates collaboratively. While I believe Coolidge is a great place to be, there are other great schools in OKCPS and in other districts. I know change is scary, (it isn't my favorite thing either), and can be very difficult to embrace. I believe that we can work together and create a magnificent learning environment for our students that allows them to grow and develop the learning roots so they reach their potential. We need to embrace change for this to occur.
My goal is to have an excellent team that will work together to support each other and the students at Coolidge. Melissa
Please respond in comments that you understand staffing for next year.
For the first full week of testing, we had 11 certified teachers absent and 4 support staff.
Testing Schedule Subject to Change.
We recently overcame a reading slump. It’s not that we weren’t reading at all. We were: newspaper apps on our phones, recipes, and book reviews. But we simply weren’t finishing books. Together we acknowledged that we were in a slump, and we shared strategies that helped us get back to reading voraciously. If you’re finding that your reading has waned, one of these ideas may resonate with you and get you back into books.
Where do I find?.........
- Monday, April 15 - 3rd Grade begins their Math state test.
- Tuesday, April 16th - PLC Meetings w/Coach Jackson, Faculty Meeting in library
- Wednesday, April 17th - 5th Grade begins their Math state test. Papa John's Pizza. Brett out PM for Principal Meeting
- Thursday, April 18th - OKCPS Kinder/1st, PreK Early Birds 5:30 - 7:00
- Friday, April 19th - Turn in 3rd Grade Tests, SUMMIT - Jared Fries @ Coolidge
I've heard many rumors about teacher placements for next year and I'm guessing that there are at least the same number or more rumors that I haven't heard. What I can tell you is that I have been working on teacher placements - talking to team leads, the instructional coach, students, and teachers. About the time I think I may have figured it out something changes and I look at it again and make additional changes. I don't do this job alone - but in the end, I do make the final call on teacher placements for the building. I have been interviewing for some key positions with some excellent teachers who want to work with our faculty, staff, and students. If you are a NonContinuing Contract teacher and you want to be part of the Coolidge Team next year you MUST personally talk to me.
Coolidge will be a PreK - 4th-grade school next year. Utilizing centers or stations in your classroom DAILY is non-negotiable. Small group instruction will occur daily. We will have a new math curriculum that will help support our students but won't take the place of great teaching. We will have an Instructional Coach who is here to help you become even better teachers than you are now.
There will be staffing changes. Some of the current Coolidge staff are looking for alternative positions for next year and that is ok. Everyone needs to be where they can work with the administration and their teammates collaboratively. While I believe Coolidge is a great place to be, there are other great schools in OKCPS and in other districts. I know change is scary, (it isn't my favorite thing either), and can be very difficult to embrace. I believe that we can work together and create a magnificent learning environment for our students that allows them to grow and develop the learning roots so they reach their potential. We need to embrace change for this to occur.
My goal is to have an excellent team that will work together to support each other and the students at Coolidge. Melissa
Please respond in comments that you understand staffing for next year.
For the first full week of testing, we had 11 certified teachers absent and 4 support staff.
Testing Schedule Subject to Change.
5 Strategies to Overcome Reading Slumps
Gail Boushey, Emily Boushey
Issue #561We recently overcame a reading slump. It’s not that we weren’t reading at all. We were: newspaper apps on our phones, recipes, and book reviews. But we simply weren’t finishing books. Together we acknowledged that we were in a slump, and we shared strategies that helped us get back to reading voraciously. If you’re finding that your reading has waned, one of these ideas may resonate with you and get you back into books.- Try layering books. If you are reading a book you aren’t loving, put it on pause and pick up another one. Trust that if it’s meant to be, you’ll be drawn back to it. Otherwise, let’s all give ourselves permission to let go of books we’re not really enjoying.
- Switch up the reading medium. Have you been reading a physical book? Try reading on a Kindle or other electronic device. You can adjust the font and text size to maximize reading engagement. Built-in dictionaries help with vocabulary. And you won’t feel overwhelmed by the physical girth of a lengthy book.
- Do you know about the Goodreads Reading Challenge? It’s a great way to set a goal for the number of books you want to read in a year. It’s satisfying to mark a book as read when you’ve finished it. If you’ve never set a yearly reading goal and don’t know where to start, we recommend counting how many books you read last year and bumping up the number by a few.
- This handy tool can help you determine a realistic goal. Spend a few minutes reading an excerpt to determine your reading speed and the number of books you can read in a year based on the number of minutes you’ll spend reading each day.
- Get recommendations. Start asking people for their top three titles. It’s easier to start a book that you know someone else loved.
That’s what’s been working for us. We would love to hear what works for you. Head over to the Discussion Board and share your ideas. Let’s remember, we all go through phases. Give yourself some grace and a little nudge with some attainable goals, and know that your reading slump can be temporary, just like ours was.
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
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OKCPS and OAS Crosswalk
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OKCPS ELA Bundles
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6th Grade Bundles
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OKCPS Math by Grade Level
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OKCPS-OAS Crosswalks
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OKCPS Standards by Bundles
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Pre-Kindergarten Bundles
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Kindergarten Bundles
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Elementary ELA Year- at- a- Glance
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OAS for Social Studies Bundles
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OKCPS Social Studies Unit Plans
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1st Grade American Heroes
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OAS Science Standards by Bundle
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OKCPS Science Unit Plans
(Please note: You will need your OKCPS log-in to access)
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I understand the situation OKCPS and Coolidge is in. It seems that certain people "know" more than others and it is disheartening. A meeting with each team would be great to clarify future positions and improve the climate at Coolidge.
ReplyDeleteI understand.
ReplyDeleteI understand.
ReplyDeleteI understand that you have to make some hard decisions and do what is best for the students. Thanks for the work you do.
ReplyDeleteI understand.
ReplyDeleteI understand that you are trying to do what is best for Coolidge and our students. Thank you for considering our individual strengths and preferences as you try to create strong teams to ensure student success.
ReplyDeleteI understand. Thank you for all you do!
ReplyDelete