March 4, 2015

Welcome to the Speas Global Elementary Blog!

All staff members, let's make sure we are teaching, reteaching, and teaching again the procedures in the common areas (Hallway, Cafeteria, Bathrooms, Playground, Bus).  We should be giving out lots of Bee's for students demonstrating the basic expectations.  It is a good idea to review the procedures before you leave one area to travel to another area.  

Our Mission: It is the mission of Speas Elementary School to provide its students with the tools necessary to successfully meet the challenges they will face in a diverse world.

Goals:

To increase English Language Arts achievement by 10%
To increase Mathematics achievement by 10%
To increase Science Achievement by 10%

picture by C. Cardona

Check out this graphic about global education.  The things above water are just the tip of the iceberg.   Try to go deeper in your instruction and touch some of the issues below the surface.

ISS
Specialists will begin holding ISS in their respective areas on their assigned days.  The schedule is below.  Teachers, specialists may be contacting you for work for students assigned to ISS.  Please get them work as soon as possible.   

Day	Teacher	Location
A	Arora	Room 213
B	Bowen	Music
C	King	Art
D	Childers/McMasters	Media/CL
E	Lindquist	Gym

Announcements:

Tornado drill this morning. 

* A tornado watch will be issued first.  This just means conditions are favorable.  You do not go to your tornado areas at that time.  It is just meant to make you aware.

* A tornado warning will be next.  A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen and you need to report to your tornado area immediately.  

***For all technology issues, please follow these steps in order to submit a SchoolDude ticket. Mr. McMasters will receive this ticket and be able to work on resolving the issue as quickly as possible. Tickets take priority so please enter a ticket for the technology issue that you have. If you have any questions on how to do this, please see Mr. McMasters. Thank you!

To submit a ticket…on either the WSFCS homepage or the Speas homepage, click on “User Options” in the top right of the screen --> “SCHOOL DUDE requests --> Click “IT request” tab --> fill out request and click submit. ***

The Art's Council Campaign is now open.   Please donate.  Ash is giving out a jeans coupon to anyone who donates $20 or more.  The link for donating is below:

http://5934.thankyou4caring.org/Winston-Salem-Forsyth-County-Schools-Arts-Council-Campaign

We have a Speas Symbaloo page.

http://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/13eOcMEZPT#

email: djjohnson@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
pass: speasbees2014

Please email us with your favorite educator sites so we can create a huge selection of online resources.  

All staff members, let's make sure we are teaching, reteaching, and teaching again the procedures in the common areas (Hallway, Cafeteria, Bathrooms, Playground, Bus).  We should be giving out lots of Bee's for students demonstrating the basic expectations.  It is a good idea to review the procedures before you leave one area to travel to another area.  

SMOD Tickets (dress code violations) are located in the workroom.  Please keep the bottom portion for your own records as a way to keep track of the number of violations.  The continuum is as follows:

1st offense: verbal warning, and letter will be sent home to be signed.  Parent or guardian notified of violation
2nd offense: Teacher notifies parent or guardian and student is removed from class until proper SMOD is delivered.

(Teachers, we all should be enforcing this, it will only work if we all enforce it).

It is Dr. Seuss week.  His birthday is 3/2.  Here are some fun pins for your consideration.

https://www.pinterest.com/sweney/dr-seuss-week/

In honor of the good doctor, here are few pearls from his works:

I will be adding more quotes this week.  If you don't see your favorite, email it to me so I can post it.

Calendar

3.4	5	A	Y		Kinder. Field Trip; Tornado Drill, Johnson out
3.5	6	B	Y
3.6	1	C	Y		Ash out AM
3.7					Happy Birthday Faragher!!!!!!
3.8
3.9	2	D	Y
3.10	3	E	Y		Class Picture Day
3.11	4	A	Y
3.12	5	B	X		Ash out AM; Chik-fil-A Spirit Night
3.13	6	C	X		Access Testing window closes
3.14
3.16					Spring Picture Day
3.17					Canty Out-Meeting
3.18
3.19					Evan w/ Teachers; Happy Birthday Pfitzner!!!!!!!; Yoforia Spirit Night
3.20
3.23					Quarter Testing Begins Happy Birthday Smith!!!!!!!
3.24
3.25					Johnson out AM
3.26
3.27					Johnson out; Quarter Testing Ends Happy Birthday Ferguson!!!!!!!
3.29					Happy Birthday Mitchell!!!!!!!!
4.7					Ash out AM
4.8					Evan mtg w/grade levels
4.9					Quarterly Awards
4.10					1st Grade Dan Nicholas Park 8:30-2:00
4.13					Canty out-training
4.14					Report Cards go home
4.16					Happy Birthday Hooker;Ash out AM; Yoforia Spirit Night
4.17					Kids Night In Movie Night
4.21					IC mtg.  Instr. strategies
4.22					Johnson out- AM
4.23					Johnson out
4.26
5.1					Canty out meeting
5.5					Ash out AM
5.14					Ash out AM; Papa Murphy’s Spirit Night
5.7					4th Grade Heritage Theater, New Winston Museum
5.20					Johnson out AM
5.22					1st Grade NC  Zoo 8:00-2:00 PM; Yoforia Movie Night; Ready EOG window opens
6.5					Ready EOG window closes
6.7					Water Day

This Day in World History

March 4

1152		Frederick Barbarossa is chosen as emperor and unites the two factions, which emerged in Germany after the death of Henry V.
1461		Henry VI is deposed and the Duke of York is proclaimed King Edward IV.
1634		Samuel Cole opens the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts.
1766		The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, the cause of bitter and violent opposition in the colonies
1789		The first Congress of the United States meets in New York and declares that the Constitution is in effect.
1791		Vermont is admitted as the 14th state. It is the first addition to the original 13 colonies.
1793		George Washington is inaugurated as President for the second time.
1797		Vice-President John Adams, elected President on December 7, to replace George Washington, is sworn in.
1801		Thomas Jefferson becomes the first President to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C.
1813		The Russians fighting against Napoleon reach Berlin. The French garrison evacuates the city without a fight.
1861		The Confederate States of America adopt the "Stars and Bars" flag.
1877		The Russian Imperial Ballet stages the first performance of "Swan Lake" in Moscow.
1901		William McKinley is inaugurated president for the second time. Theodore Roosevelt is inaugurated as vice president.
1904		Russian troops begin to retreat toward the Manchurian border as 100,000 Japanese advance in Korea.
1908		The New York board of education bans the act of whipping students in school.
1912		The French council of war unanimously votes a mandatory three-year military service.
1914		Doctor Fillatre of Paris, France successfully separates Siamese twins.
1921		Warren G. Harding is sworn in as America's 29th President.
1933		Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated to his first term as president in Washington, D.C.
1944		Berlin is bombed by the American forces for the first time.
1952		North Korea accuses the United nations of using germ warfare.
1963		Six people get the death sentence in Paris plotting to kill President Charles de Gaulle.
1970		Fifty-seven people are killed as the French submarine Eurydice sinks in the Mediterranean Sea.
1975		Queen Elizabeth knights Charlie Chaplin.
1987		President Reagan takes full responsibility for the Iran-Contra affair in a national address.
Born on March 4
1394		Prince Henry the Navigator, sponsor of Portuguese voyages of discovery
1678		Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer and violinist.
1747		Casimir Pulaski, American Revolutionary War general.
1852		Lady (Isabella Augusta) Gregory, Irish playwright, helped found the Abbey Theatre.
1888		Knute Rockne, football player and coach for Notre Dame.
1901		Charles Goren, world expert on the game of bridge.
1904		Ding Ling, Chinese writer and women's rights activist.
1928		Alan Sillitoe, novelist (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner).
1932		Miriam Makeba, South African singer.
1934		Jane Goodall, British anthropologist, known for her work with African chimpanzees.