April Email Updates (in lieu of April meeting)
As we finish out our year (hooray!), I just want to update you and send you some reminders so that your year can end smoothly.
Newsletter information:
Don’t forget to browse the quarterly newsletters (a writing reviser tool and adding films into lessons were featured in the first edition and plagiarism tools and interactive handouts were in the second edition resource tips were in the 3rd edition). Here’s what you will find in this nine-weeks newsletter:
Lend your Voice—Influence Changes!
There are lots of new items on the horizon for education and Secondary English. Make sure you have a voice in what is going on in your content.
Review Sites
Check out sites as you prepare students for May testing
Start Preparing Now for Next Year’s SOL!
Look over the state resources as you look at revising your curriculum for next year
Calendar Items
April 18 (4:30-6:30 p.m.) / Pacing/Honors Curriculum Updates /MappingApril 23-May / NWEA/MAPs Testing Window
May 16 (4:00-6:00 p.m.) / Reading Curriculum Development
May 30 (4:30-6:30 p.m.) / English 6 and 12 Digital Mapping
May 1 / Achieve Post-test window begins
May 10 (8 a.m.) / AP Literature and Composition Exam
May 16 (8 a.m.) / AP Language and Composition Exam
May 7-June 8 / SOL Testing Window
June 25-26 / Achieve Data Meetings with Principals
SOL Review sites:
You can print news stories and multiple choice items from the Achieve program or put them in School Space for all students:
Check out the Strategies for Reading Non-fiction exercises on SAS. Students can choose one of the passages in the program or you can put in your own. It is all short answer—not multiple choice—but the exercise teaches students to slow down and think about the reading:
If you just want them to get test practice—not reading comprehension, you can always use the released tests in I Q Poquoson :
You can also use the English Maven site (it is for lower levels, but you can pick some of the low or high advanced passages to get students just used to going back and finding information in texts:
Go to Pearson’s site for some sample passages:
Or just work on general reading/literature skills with this resource:
Summer Reading Items:
Attached are the summer reading documents for the regular middle school program, the advanced middle school program and the regular high school program (all of these lists have been forwarded to the public libraries).
High School Coordinators, please make sure you have read the comments I emailed you about summer reading and send the final copy of your summer reading assignments by this Friday 4/27. Send your approved lists to Pat Muller at the Public Library by April 30.
Summer Training Items:
Reading Curriculum Development Initial Meeting (if you are interested in being on this committee, please email me)
Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Place: Central Office Multipurpose Room
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
English 6 and 12 Digital Mapping Initial Meeting(if you are interested in being on this committee, please email me)
Date: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Place: Central Office Multipurpose Room
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Pacing Review and Feedback (open to all teachers):
Date: Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Place: Wilder M.S. Library
Time: 8:30-12:30
Reading Curriculum Review and Feedback (open to all teachers):
Date: Monday, August 6, 2012
Place: Wilder M.S. Library
Time: 8:30-12:30
English 6 Digital Map Review and Feedback (open to all teachers):
Date: Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Place: Wilder M.S. Library
Time: 8:30-12:30
English 12Digital Map Review and Feedback (open to all teachers):
Date: Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Place: Wilder M.S. Library
Time: 8:30-12:30
Shakespeare Summer Institute (w/ Audrey Baylor)
Date: (tentative) Tuesday July 24 and Wednesday July 25, 2012
Place: (tentative) Freeman H.S.
Time: 9-4 each day
Focus: Romeo and Juliet; Julius Caesar; Macbeth
Bring in lesson items you have for these plays
Laptop needed
Teachers will produce electronic mini lessons
Teacher Evaluations & Student Growth Plans:
Thank you for your comments and suggestions for our new student growth measures! In March, several teachers let me bounce ideas for this process off of them. Since then, several people have worked with me in creating the information you will find below. All 22 department chairs plus our tenEnglish committee leaders (Susan P. Hannegan; Seth M. Croft; Denise Price; Meaghan P. Sachs; Sharon T. Beith; Christina L. Lovick; Carrie J. Dupuy; James H. May, Margaret Sharpe, Terri King-Forbes), our sixcounty committee members (Susan Loan; Mindy Dobrinski; Mary Bruner; Linda Hill; Constance Fuller; Cheri Guempel) and members of our Pacing committee have scrutinized the documents and worked hard to get this information out to all of our teachers for feedback.
Attached is an updated chart of measures and targets based on all of your feedback. Please look over the information one more time and use this linkto the Google Doc to give any final feedback by clicking the comments tab.
6th Grade Book It for 2012-2013:
Book It has changed its format and access. As a result, Book It will no longer run through central office. Instead, 6th grade teachers wishing to use the program for the 2012-2013 school year will need to follow the directions in the attached documents to get access to the program.
Middle Bridge:
The Advanced Bridge program is almost over. Remember, the bridge program is an academic homework program for students wishing to move from the regular English classroom into an advanced English classroom. Students who are currently in the regular English classroom have to take the bridge homework course to take Advanced English 7 or Advanced English 8 during the next school year. Students enrolled in the bridge program were expected to SUCCESSFULLY complete an on-line homework program from February 6 to May 4, 2012. As long as all assignments are complete and turned in by the final date of May11, 2012, students are eligible for movement to the advanced classroom. Please see the emails from Jan. and Feb. as well in the information on the website as you wrap up your programs and report out eligible students to your counselors.