Safety & Security in Our Schools

Thumbs Up

QUEST shines. Check out all the QUEST kids who made National Junior Honor Society. This will also be shared in the next Q&A.

Thanks to Tom for running the search in IC for us.

Student Council Read-A-Thon

Instead of our normal SWEET on Friday, March 2^nd, Student Council would like you to join us for a Read-A-Thon. This whole school event will be a great way to celebrate Read Across America Day. Below is the sign up for the read-a-thon, which will look a lot like the SWEET sign up. Each teacher’s room will be a different type (independent, buddy, whole class read aloud, etc.) and/or a different theme (non-fiction, sport books, poems, comics, Eric Carle, Mo Willems, etc.). Then students can choose where they will spend their Read-A-Thon time.

Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_fupM_1FfXwxlqvvBXDuStF5SOwfe6PoIhRk3AoPPjk/edit?usp=sharing

Please sign up for a slot no later than 4:00 on Thursday, March 1^st.

Teachers can print the sign up, then have their students select a spot on Friday. Give a copy of the completed sign up to Ann.

On Friday, we will do a normal announcement to start the Read-A-Thon and we will still end at 3:20.

Thanks everyone!

Danielle Duffy

A Moment of Honesty

Working in a school, no matter your role, is complex and tiring work. Add to that the long and dark months of winter, where kids tend to get restless and we begin to feel tired, and you have a formula for a stressful time of year. Although this is not easy work, it is a career where you can have a direct impact on the life path of a child. As you head off for a week of relaxation--I hope--take the time to put your feet up, enjoy your loved ones, turn off work email and any thoughts of work, and enjoy your personal life. You each are selfless professionals and you deserve a great break. THANK YOU for the tiring, but crucial, work that you do for our school.

No Meeting Week(s)

After break we have two weeks of no meeting weeks.

At the start of the year, I received feedback about no meeting weeks always being interrupted by meetings. Because no meeting weeks are a QUEST way of doing business, it took a bit for me to realize what exactly this looks like. One thing I have noticed, and that has been brought to my attention, is the fact that although we cancel meetings before and after school, many district based things continue on, ultimately pulling teachers to meetings. I heard that this has been a problem for a while. Unfortunately, I do not have an easy solution for that as this is a QUEST practice and not a district one.

If you have a creative solution or idea, I would encourage you to share it with your admin. team representative so that we can tackle this as a team. I want this time to be as pure as it can be, but I recognize the limitations of this practice. Let's chat. :)

RtI Nugget

With RtI, how we work as teams will be crucial. These four questions are the questions that PLC(professional learning communities) use that would guide the collaborative efforts. 

What do we want students to learn?
This refers to the essential/power standards. What are these standards and what do they look like? Do we all have the same idea of rigor for these standards? Do we agree on rubric scores? What about key concepts?

How will we know if they've learning it?
This refers to having common formative assessments. Once we have clarity about the what, your team would look at where these standards are assessed.

What will we do if they didn't learn it or they already know it?
This is all about the response. Once you know what you are focusing on and where the kids are in relation to that standard, you have to respond. This might be through an intervention time or during classroom instruction...it is important to have a plan of attack for kids who do and don't demonstrate proficiency.

Optional Contests

This was shared with me by a member of the PTSO. I wanted to pass it along for anyone interested. Labels have also been created already, so if you are interested feel free to reach out and I can send you the label page.

Scholastic Sweepstakes for Teachers:

We Need Diverse Books Sweepstakes

Eligible Grades: K–8

Prizes: Two Winners will be chosen at random to receive a Book Box containing every book from the grade appropriate-flyer for the winning classroom.

Due Date: Orders must be placed or postcards sent by March 2, 2018.

No purchase necessary. To enter by postcard, send to: We Need Diverse Books Sweepstakes, PO Box 714, New York, NY 10013-0714.

All postcard entries must include teacher name and grade level plus school name, address, and phone number.

Wrinkle in Time Sweepstakes

Teachers of Grades K–8

Deadline for Entries: March 31, 2018

How to Enter: Order A Wrinkle in Time and be automatically entered for a chance to win a copy of the original Wrinkle in Time Quintet and Intergalactic P.S. 3! Or send a postcard with teacher name; grade level; and school name, address, and phone number.

Prizes: 50 Winners will be chosen at random.

Due Date: Entries must be RECEIVED by March 31, 2018.

Send to: Wrinkle in Time Sweepstakes, PO Box 714, New York, NY 10013-0714

Classroom Listening Center Sweepstakes

Eligible Grades: PreK–2 Teachers

To Enter: You'll be automatically entered to win when you purchase any Book & CD Library valued at $10 or more from the January, February, or March issues of Honeybee, Inchworm, Firefly, or SeeSaw (December 3, 2017 to May 15, 2018). You may also send in a postcard for entry.

Prizes: One Winner will be chosen at random to receive a Classroom Listening Center.

Due Date: Entries must be RECEIVED by May 15, 2018.

Send to: Classroom Listening Center Sweepstakes, PO Box 714, New York, NY, 10013-0714.

All entries must include teacher name and grade level plus school name, address and phone number.

Impactful Teaching Resource from Andrea

Global Oneness

If you have not come across this resource before, now is the time to check it out. On the site, you will find true stories, moving images, and unbelievable videos about the lives and events that are affecting people around the globe. I can see it being a valuable resource for all levels, for many planners.

Enjoy.

Global Oneness Project

Portfolio Shares

QUEST Teachers,

Portfolio Shares are on the horizon! I will share highlights from the Language Policy Agreements that we created in 2014 at your level meetings. If you want more information, please review our QUEST Language Policy.

Important to note:

• No Meeting Weeks: 2/26-3/2 and 3/5-3/9
• 4 week Portfolio Share window to complete your shares: 2/26-3/23
• Please reach out to Andrea or Jacquie if you want any support in organizing electronic artifacts

CIA To Do

Our CIA on 2/13 will be a team time, but one that is different from other team times. Please: 

• Arrive at the gym at 7:45. Scott Moon is doing our warm-up and requested that we start there. 
• Once Scott is done, find a place in the school for your team to work. You are working on your team goal/action plan that you started earlier in the year.
• Before you finish, go on the Google Classroom and complete the SIT current state reflection that needs to be done for DIT. 
• The sign-in sheet will be kept in the main office. Stop down at any point in the day to sign-in for the CIA meeting.