The Middle Update - Holiday Break Edition

As we come to the end of the 2016 portion of our school year, it's important to reflect on the start of our school year before we look ahead to the 2017 portion, and plan for how we will continue the upward trend in the knowledge and skill building of our students.  The blog post today will include some reflections and data from the start of our school year, looking ahead to the rest of the school year.

Reflection on our School Culture
Overall, it feels as though we have seen gains in establishing a culture for students that is learning and achievement focused.  Don't get me wrong, there are still improvements to be made in this area.  Growing a culture where every student wants to achieve, and works hard to achieve is a difficult task, and can only be accomplished by a consistent (daily, yearly) commitment by each member of our staff to instill this mindset in every word, action, and interaction with each student (especially those that challenge us the most).  We also need to take an innovative approach to targeting the areas that need it most.
Based on qualitative evidence, many pieces of anecdotal observational evidence seem better than in years past (clear hallways when they should be, students consistently engaged in classroom activities, classroom activities aligned to learning goals, regular student practice on rigorous tasks, very few lunch time incidents, etc.).  Also, some of the culture data that we track are also pointing to signs of improvement (see below).

Behavior Referrals -
14-15 - 158 Events, 55 Students
15-16 - 100 Events, 47 Students
16-17 - 52 Events, 28 Students

Tardy Data -
15-16 - 822 total instances
16-17 - 450 total instances

1st Quarter Puma Pride Data (% with ALL ME's)
15-16 - 73%
16-17 - 73.5%

Attendance Rates
14-15 - 95.28%
15-16 - 95.90%
16-17 - 95.51%

Like Marzano's (2003) research says "Schools can have a tremendous impact on student achievement if they follow the direction provided by the research." What we do every day, with every student matters, and the quality of our school and the school experiences that we facilitate for our students impacts the opportunities for their future. If we continue to work hard, seeking ways to improve upon the already strong practices that we have in place, our students will continue to benefit, not only in a positive school experience, but more importantly, by having more options for the direction they want to pursue when their time with us is complete. When I think about working in a school where at least 90% of our students are achieving both academically and behaviorally, meeting Puma Pride expectations, I get excited and inspired for this opportunity. I am thankful and appreciative to be on this journey with each of you.


End of Quarter 2
It is hard to believe, but we are less than 3 weeks away from the end of Quarter #2. The last day of the quarter is on Thursday, 1/19. Grades will be due by the end of business on Wednesday, 1/25.

Grades in Infinite Campus
I wanted to include a reminder that posted grades in Infinite Campus should reflect a student's current skills and knowledge within each standard. Please make sure to schedule in a time to review/update grades each week.

Staff Meeting - Thursday, January 12
I originally scheduled a staff meeting for Tuesday, 1/17, but due to a conflict need to reschedule this date. On Thursday, 1/12 at 2:50, we will meet in Mrs. Anderson's room (#3) focusing on utilizing the communication opportunity that our quarter report cards provide.

Grade Level Blogs
Our grade level blogs are a great way to communicate with parents about things happening in our classrooms. It also helps our parents to more effectively partner with us to help their children stay more organized. Many parents have commented on how much these little weekly blurbs are appreciated, as they receive an email when a post is published. See me if you need access to post about your classes.

Winter STAR Testing Dates are Set
Students will be taking the STAR test in their respective ELA and Math classes on the following dates:
Reading - Tuesday, 1/10
Math - Wednesday, 1/18

Next SOM Breakfast
The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, February 2nd.

Twitter Find of the Week
Technology brings a wealth of information that is accessible in a manner of seconds. Educating our students about how to evaluate the credibility of the variety of sources out there is crucial. Here is one professor's take on how to effectively do this with our students.

edutopia ‏@edutopia  4h4 hours ago

A 6-step strategy for evaluating websites as information sources: http://edut.to/2hsXnae . #digcit

Duty Next Week
Morning - Vian, Johnson
Bus - Odden

The Middle Update 12/16/16

With the winter weather coming our way today and tomorrow, please be safe out there!  I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy a great weekend coming up, and are able to recharge for another solid week of teaching and learning right up until the end of the day next Thursday.  Check out below for the latest information.

Holiday Concert Monday!
Our Middle School musicians will be on display on Monday (12/19) evening.  The concert starts at 7:00pm in the 1-8 gym.  Hope to see you there!

School Board Meeting Monday Night
The next School Board Meeting is on Monday (12/19) evening starting at 6:00pm.  You can view the Middle School Board Report HERE.

Late Start Schedule
In the event that we would have a late start, we will follow this SCHEDULE.  Scroll down to Page 2 to view the Late Start Schedule.

Carelli Cup
Next Thursday afternoon, we will host the latest Carelli Cup Event.  We will plan on ending the day in the 1-8 Gym for the last event.  All students should be dismissed to the gym at 1:03pm, and the Free Throw event will start right away.  After the event, (1:15), students will be dismissed from the gym.

School Safety Post of the Week
I wanted to add a safety section to the blog so we can regularly review safety procedures that we have in place.  We can never predict when we'll need to use them, and it's important that everyone understands the different types of safety situations and the responses that we may utilize.  This post will feature the types of holds that we have in place.  More details about these procedures can be found in the orange safety pamphlet that should be under the phone in each classroom.

Hold - A regular hold is in place when no one should be in the hallways.  Class should resume normally, but no one should be released for any reason until an announcement has been given that ends the hold.

Administrative Hold - An administrative hold is in place when no one should enter or exit the building.  Everything inside the building functions normally, and adjustments will have to made to routines that normally require students to go to the high school for class or lunch.

Lock-Down - This is a situation where there could potentially be a dangerous person inside the building.  Staff should quickly survey the hallway, clearing students and bathrooms, shut off classroom lights, ensure doors are locked, and guide students to a spot that is not visible from the hallway.  Everyone in the room should remain quiet, and no one should exit the room until the lockdown is released.  Teachers should take attendance, and no one should call the office.

Shelter - This is typically for a weather situation (tornado) outside, and is where each grade should report to their designated areas.
8th-hallway between Odden and Lendobeja's room
7th-Band Room
6th-Elementary Music Room

Middle School Staff Time
All are welcome to enjoy some refreshments and an opportunity to get together prior to the holidays here at school on Wednesday (12/21) at 3:15 in Mrs. Anderson's Room (#3).

Twitter Post of the Week

Jerry Pritzl ‏@jerrypritzl  8m8 minutes ago

Two Poynette Middle Schoolers designing a part to print on the 3D printer to make their vehicle run more efficiently

0 replies0 retweets0 likes

 

 

 

 

Duty Next Week

Morning - Schoen, Johnson

Bus - Lendobeja

The Middle Update 12/9/16

It's mid-December already, and the winter weather appears ready to be a solid presence in our lives for the next few months.  As we move closer to winter break, I am continually impressed by the way our teachers value the precious instructional minutes that we have with our students.  As we get closer to an extended break in a week and a half, this structure and focus are critical to ending 2016 on a positive, learning-focused note with momentum building towards even higher achievement for all in 2017.

The Rogness Babies are Here!
Julie and Kyle successfully welcomed Blake (6lbs, 14oz, 19.5in) and Will (6lbs, 5oz, 20in) into the world yesterday and reports from Julie indicate that everything is going great.

November/December Update
Check out the update video HERE.  If you would like to be included in the next update, just let me know, and I'd be happy to involve as many people as we can.

Staff Meeting Wrap-Up
I left our staff meeting feeling really good about the collaboration that took place.  Thanks to the teachers who shared their experiences, and if anyone that didn't get to share, has built in successful strategies to facilitate higher level discussions, please let me know, and we'll continue to spread those great practices to others.

Literacy Committee Meeting Summary
The Literacy Committee met on Thursday afternoon, and discussed two agenda items.  The first was to finalize plans for putting up a bulletin board for each grade level highlighting the great books that our students are reading.  The second was to debrief about the first round of book talks, and discuss plans for a future event.  The committee felt that overall the books talks were successful in achieving our goal of promoting reading, and getting kids excited about reading certain titles, as we have waiting lists for many of the books that were shared!  There were a couple of kinks to work out, and we plan to run another round later in the school year.  If you have a book that you feel would be a hit, and are interested in sharing, please let me know.

Students of the Month
The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be next Thursday (12/15) at 7:00 am in the IMC.  Congratulations to this month's recipients:

Trinity Frey     Kaitlyn Priske     Garret Johnson     Morgan Wierzba     Braiden Krysiak
                  Maddie Morton          Peyton Horne          Emily Mankowski  

Twitter Find of the Week

edutopiaVerified account ‏@edutopia  8h8 hours ago

Fun ways to get your students talking to each other beyond the standard class discussion: http://edut.to/2h3Iag6 . #edchat

Duty Next Week
Morning - Pittner, Johnson
Bus - Hendrickson

Data
Tardy Data (through 2nd Friday in December)

15-16 - 747 total, 125 students with at least 1
16-17 - 395 total, 108 students with at least 1

The Middle Update 12/2/16

Another great week in a a great school is in the books!  Check out below for the latest news and information.

Puma Pride Committee Meeting Recap
The latest Puma Pride Committee meeting took place this past Thursday (12/1) after school.  You can check out the meeting agenda and notes HERE.

Staff Meeting Next Week
We will be having a staff meeting next Tuesday (12/6) in Mrs. Anderson's Room (rm. 3).  The meeting will focus on sharing the innovative ways that we have been using questioning and discussion techniques in our classrooms to increase the level of engagement and higher level thinking.

Middle School Holiday Concert
Our annual holiday concert that will feature our talented musicians will be on Monday, December 19 at 7:00 pm in the 1-8 Gym.  Mark your calendars and get ready to take in a great show!

Literacy Committee Meeting
The next Literacy Committee Meeting is Thursday, December 8th at 2:45 pm in Ms. Keller's room.  We will breakdown the last round of book talks, and plan for future activities.  Anyone is welcome to join and contribute!

Next Student of the Month Breakfast
The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, December 15.  Please send me your nominees by early next week.  Mr. Gavin is up for the Applied Academic teachers.

Early Release on Thursday 12/22
Looking ahead, we will follow the Early Release schedule for Thursday, 12/22.  Students will be dismissed at 1:15 on this day.

Twitter Find of the Week

edutopia ‏@edutopia  14h14 hours ago

Strategies for helping students with "scattered minds" prioritize their work: http://edut.to/2fKX3UE .

Duty Next Week
Morning - Odden, Johnson
Bus - Hazard

Data
Attendance Rates (through first Friday in December)
16-17 - 95.95%
15-16 - 95.90%
14-15 - 95.27%

Behavior Referral Data (through first Friday in December)
16-17 - 47 Events, 26 Students
15-16 - 81 Events, 44 Students
14-15 - 145 Events, 52 Students