May 11, 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%

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

Teachers: Having Trouble with Defiant Students?  Have you tried these strategies?

http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interventions/challenging-students/school-wide-strategies-managing-defiance-non-complianc

Our jobs may get hectic as we try to close out the year strong.   Here are some things to remember about what we may call disrespect or defiant behavior:

cont.

Recognize the signs. 

Avoid criticizing student impulsivity and “me first” behaviors.  Whenever you and your colleagues witness a behavior you consider inappropriate, ask yourselves whether the discipline process is positive and therefore increases the chances for better future behavior, or whether it’s punitive and therefore reduces the chances for better future behavior.

Alter the environment.  Change the school environment to mitigate stress and resolve potential compliance issues with students who do not want to change.

ÒReduce the parallels with prison

ÒReduce homework stress by incorporating time for homework in class or right after class.

ÒUse cooperative structures; avoid a top-down authoritarian approach

ÒHelp students blow off steam by incorporating celebrations, role-plays, and physical activities into your classes.

ÒIncorporate kinesthetic arts, creative projects and hands-on activities into your classes.

Empower students.

Help students increase their perceptions of control over their environment by showing them how to better manage their own stress levels.  Instead of telling students to act differently, take the time to teach them how to act differently by

Announcements:

Does anyone else remember these things?

This is why we check for understanding.

***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. ***

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).

Calendar

5.11	4	A	X
5.12	5	B	X
5.13	6	C	Y
5.14	1	D	Y		Ash out AM; Papa Murphy’s Spirit Night
5.15	2	E	Y		Dollar Dress Down
5.18	3	A	Y		EOG TEST TRAINING--11:55 (3rd grade) --1:45 (5th grade)
5.19	4	B	Y		TEST TRAINING--12:45 (4th grade)
5.20	5	C	Y		Johnson out AM
5.21	6	D	X
5.22	1	E	X		1st Grade NC  Zoo 8:00-2:00 PM; Ready EOG window opens; TRC window closes; all classroom displays to be taken down for EOG
5.25	2	A	X
5.26	3	B	X
5.27					EOG ELA
5.28					EOG Math; 3,4,5 teachers stay afterschool for bubble party
5.29					EOG Makeups
6.1					EOG Sci 5
6.2					EOG Sci 5
6.3					EOG Makeups
6.4					RTA/EOG Makeups; 3rd grade teachers afterschool for bubble party
6.5
6.8
6.9
6.10					3rd grade teachers stay after to edit answer sheets
6.11
6.12

Holidays Around the World

Monday	May 11	Victory Day over Fascism observed	Azerbaijan
Monday	May 11	Victory Day observed	Kazakhstan
Monday	May 11	Victory Day observed	Russia
Monday	May 11	Victory Day / Memorial Day observed	Ukraine
Monday	May 11	Confederate Memorial Day observed	United States
Monday	May 11	Europe Day observed	u1

Today in World History

May 11

1573		Henry of Anjou becomes the first elected king of Poland.
1689		French and English navies battle at Bantry Bay.
1690		In the first major engagement of King William's War, British troops from Massachusetts seize Port Royal in Acadia (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) from the French.
1745		French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army at Fontenoy.
1792		The Columbia River is discovered by Captain Robert Gray.
1812		British prime Minster Spencer Perceval is shot by a bankrupt banker in the lobby of the House of Commons.
1857		Indian mutineers seize Delhi.
1858		Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. state.
1860		Giuseppe Garibaldi lands at Marsala, Sicily.
1862		Confederates scuttle the CSS Virginia off Norfolk, Virginia.
1864		Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart is mortally wounded at Yellow Tavern.
1960		Israeli soldiers capture Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires.
1967		The siege of Khe Sanh ends, the base is still in American hands.
Born on May 11
1885		"King" Joseph Oliver, jazz cornetist and bandleader.
1888		Irving Berlin, composer, writer of over 1,500 songs.
1894		Mari Sandoz, writer and biographer (Crazy Horse).
1895		William Grant Still, American composer and conductor.
1904		Salvador Dali, surrealist painter.
1912		Phil Silvers, comedian and actor.
1918		Richard Feynman, theoretical physicist.
1930		Stanley Elkin, author (George Mills).
1933		Louis Farrakhan, American religious leader.