Lisa Staib is heading up our Staff Toy Drive for Leila and Se

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. -- Gloria Steinem

It was tremendously educational for me to sit in for the first time last week on the grade level teams’ data talks. To see the attention to detail, partnership, professionalism, and intentionality you each bring to the process of dissecting your data and resurrecting it in the form of concrete plans for student progress is awe-inspiring (those of you who have taught in a beleaguered traditional urban public school, how rare would this level of meaningful collaboration be in your weekly calendars?) The chance to observe these meetings also lets me begin to understand each of you as masters of your craft. Learning your unique styles as educators is vital as I devise the best ways to support you this year.

What most impressed me was the creativity with which each team strives towards student mastery. Our data scrutiny is not drudge work; instead, I saw teams putting their heads together and pushing each other to innovate ways to help their struggling students internalize concepts missed. With our first of six annual half days for unfettered team planning coming up this Thursday, I feel the Gloria Steinem quote for this week captures the spirit of planning at Monarch. I hope that Thursday provides a great chance for you to dream on your students’ behalf.

Principal Notes

August 23, 2010Volume 1,

Issue 3

CELDT Testing

administrative questions that you want us to be sure to answer during that PD, and email Lisa and/or me in advance of the training so that we can be sure to address your priorities. Please also take a minute email me by this Friday, August 27 briefly telling me 1) How familiar you are with the scope and structure of the CELDT and 2) to what extent you utilize it in your instructional planning. I appreciate your input so I can develop the PD to meet our needs as a staff.

Guard the Perimeter!If you happen to set the alarm off accidentally on a school day or weekend, please be sure to call or text me right away at 916-494-4536 (please note that my Aspire phone is currently not working and be sure to use my personal cell.) That way, when the alarm company contacts me to see if they should alert the police, I can let them know if it was a false alarm.

On a similar note, for the security of our school facilities, please be sure to check that the windows in your classroom or office are closed before you leave for the night. Let Angelica, Ramon or I know if you have any questions.

MMONARCONARCHH

MMEMOEMO

CELDT testing will occur the weeks of 9/13 and 9/20. Please note this is a change from the dates noted in the school year calendar you received. At our next staff meeting on September 10, we will have a two-pronged PD session around the CELDT. I will give an introduction to the CELDT and the insights into our students’ learning needs it provides, and AP Staib will deliver the logistics of this year’s testing administration. Please take a moment to consider whether you have topical or

Staff Planning TimeThis Thursday we will enjoy the first of six student minimum days this year that are reserved for teacher planning time. The Bay Area Aspire team devised these days as a way to recognize teachers’ hard work in tough economic times when we aren’t able to fund salary increases. This week, our planning day on Thursday will be followed by a Free Friday to allow teams to spend some intensive uninterrupted time together. Before beginning our Free Friday, please meet for 15 minutes in UCSC for us to appreciate each other for the week! Plan to do this each Free Friday unless we have other activities like a staff party planned that day.