November 7th, 2022
Focus on the Fabulous
Last week I had the chance to drop into Ms. Dolan’s anatomy class. Students were participating in a Socratic Seminar on the book Concussion, by Jeanne Marie Laskas. It was great to see students engaged in authentic literacy in a science class. Students were having a discussion about the chapters they had read, they were citing text and supporting their thoughts with evidence from the literature, while other students actively listened to the conversations and took notes based on what was being discussed.
This process encourages divergent thinking and is a great example of a cross-curricular lesson. This same class had just completed some impressive projects on the cardiovascular system that are displayed in the hallway. Mr. Kriss’ class also had some visual projects displayed in the middle school hallway. The middle school project was focused on the ecosystem and healthy soil.
There’s a lot of engaging learning going on across the district. Speaking of engaging, Mrs. Lane kicked off the elementary PD day last week actively involving the elementary staff in a review of critical content.
She demonstrated several Kagan strategies that can be incorporated into lessons that ensure all students are actively participating in lessons. The PD last week, coordinated by Dr. Hensley, highlighted the areas of focus our district is working on.
Dr. Hensley put together comprehensive binders on the critical content in ELA at the elementary level. This intentional focus will ensure teachers’ lessons are targeted on priorities and students are learning what is essential.
Katrina and Melissa Busolo led the MTSS part of the PD on Branching Minds. The MTSS team has put a great deal of work into getting this system set up with student data. All four principals have been working to organize student data so that staff can analyze the information to make informed decisions about instruction. The elementary participated in data team meetings last week. Data analysis is one of our boulders and is part of improvement strategy #1 of our District Action Plan.
Thanks to our SPED and ELD teams for reviewing their programs and providing staff with accommodations that can be used in classes to support student learning. These supports are part of effective instruction for all students, but they are essential for our Multi-Lingual Learners and our students with exceptionalities. All of this work is aligned to Core Belief #2 -with our support, ALL students can achieve at high levels and be successful in life.
A shout-out to Rich and his crew for cutting firewood for Able's family. It’s definitely getting colder and this was an awesome way to support part of our Viking family. Great job guys!
Mr. Noriega honored veterans this weekend by playing in the SLV Big Band. The program was dedicated to US Veterans, MIAs, and Armed Forces. It was fun to hear the variety of songs they played and they sounded great!
Rewind
Congratulations to our Knowledge Bowl teams for their great performances last week. The JV team took third place and the Varsity team took 4th place. This was the best meet of the year so far! Way to go Coach Hays and KB teams!
The R & R team met on Monday of last week to debrief the tailgate and the staff appreciation day. We took notes on what went well and areas that we can improve upon. We are starting to make plans for the annual Christmas party that will be held on Dec/ 22nd from 1:00- 5:00 pm at Carther’s Roadhouse. Mark your calendars for the Christmas party.
We are headed into another busy week. Below are some of the things happening in the district.
Fast Forward
Upcoming dates to get on calendars
Monday, Nov. 7th- CEI Visit, Haskin IS #5 meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 8th- Election Day, Superintendent Advisory Council, DAC, Regular BOE Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 9th- Device Inspection, Department Head Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 10th- Negotiations
Friday, Nov. 11th- Veterans Day
Thursday, Nov. 17th- Early Release- ICAP/PLC
Nov. 21st- 25th – Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 19th- 21st- Final Exams
Dec. 22nd- Staff Christmas Party- Carther’s Roadhouse- 1:00- 5:00 pm