The Middle Update 1/29/21

Resource of the Week

"Using formative assessments designed to check for understanding and provide students with feedback and support is one of the most effective ways to improve and enhance student learning."

Our resource this week comes from Jay McTighe, who is a pretty smart guy and has written many books and presents on a number of education-related topics across the country.  He shares some formative assessment ideas that are effective.   Take a look at the eight strategies...many of these happen routinely in our classrooms, but there may be a few to steal...I particularly love #4 because of the critical thinking involved the recognize a mistake and think through what the correct process should have been.

"8 Quick Checks for Understanding" - Jay McTighe

Helping Students Make Sense of Facts/News Sources/Bias...

The new Social Studies and ELA standards certainly include parts of helping students sort out information, recognize bias, research sources, etc.  In our country today, understanding sources and author's intent is such a critical skill for our students to acquire.  Below are a couple of resources for how we can help students become critical consumers of content.

Media Bias Chart

The following is from the Marshall Memo, January 26, 2021

1. Beyond Fact-Checking: Media Literacy Skills to Combat “Truth Decay”

In this Rand Corporation report, Alice Huguet, Garrett Baker, Laura Hamilton, and John Pane bemoan what they call truth decay – “the diminishing role that facts, data, and analysis play in our political and civic discourse.” Here’s their analysis of what’s gone wrong and their synthesis of recommended standards for teaching media literacy skills in schools:

• Problem #1: Increasing disagreement about facts and interpretations of facts and data

  Teaching standards:

-   Recognizing the limitations of one’s own knowledge and understanding of the facts;

-   Filling gaps in knowledge by using experts, libraries, and search engines;

-   Understanding how today’s information sources and tools can skew facts and perspectives – for example, search engine algorithms, specialized discussion groups, choice of social media connections.

• Problem #2: Declining trust in formerly respected sources of facts and information

  Teaching standards:

-   Evaluating the expertise of purveyors of information (academic credentials, role, firsthand knowledge) and their motivations (political, financial);

-   Evaluating whether information meets established scientific, journalistic, and peer review standards;

-   Analyzing information for bias, deception, or manipulation;

-   Considering the social, political, and historical contexts of information and how those influence meaning.

• Problem #3: An increasingly blurred line between opinions and facts

  Teaching standards:

-   Seeing the way technology (e.g., audio and video “deep fakes”) can sow doubt about formerly trustworthy sources;

-   Analyzing whether evidence can be independently confirmed and identifying gaps in support or reasoning;

-   Comparing multiple viewpoints and spotting discrepancies;

-   Recognizing how one’s emotions can be triggered, influencing attitudes and eliciting certain behaviors.

• Problem #4: The tendency for one’s own opinions and experiences to override facts

  Teaching standards:

-   Monitoring the intended and unintended consequences of what one shares online;

-   Recognizing how one’s own cultural perspectives influence one’s interpretations of information, especially on controversial topics;

-   Remaining open to updating one’s own views when presented with new facts and evidence;

-   Taking action rooted in evidence: constructing new knowledge, creating and sharing media, and engaging in informed conversations and decisions on key issues.

“Responsible engagement with the information ecosystem is not simply about consuming information,” conclude Huguet, Baker, Hamilton, and Pane. “It is also about creating, sharing, and selectively emphasizing content.”  

“Media Literacy Standards to Counter Truth Decay” by Alice Huguet, Garrett Baker, Laura Hamilton, and John Pane, Rand Corporation, January 2021; Huguet can be reached at Alice_Huguet@rand.org. 

Staff Goals

In our grade level meetings this week, we discussed an activity we had done in the past...our "Adopt-a-Student" activity.  I asked teachers to think of a student that was in need of a boost in their academic performance, and take them under their wing for the week...setting a goal in regards to performance of the student.  This type of goal setting can happen for any staff member working with students....The "adopt-a-student" idea centers around thinking of this student as special to you...maybe how you'd view a nephew, niece, or child of your own....and take an extra interest in seeing them through to success...I'm looking forward to hearing the results.  Thank you in advance for your work with these kiddos!

Pig Races

We are ready!  The timeline and details are set, and with the start of February next Monday comes the start of Pig Mania at PMS.  Check out this document for the details of the competitions that will take place including the timelines.  I can't wait to see the creativity of our students and staff come out with this activity.

Pig Race Details

Pig Name Entry Form

Contribute to Educational Research??

A teacher who is working on her Master's degree is seeking some teacher participants in her research about educator's confidence in teaching about social justice.  If you would like to contribute, you can fill out the survey at the link below.  The survey takes about 8 minutes, and is for teachers that teach grades 6-12.

https://uwsuperior.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KPU5rQcMKXsnLD

The Middle Update 1/24/21

ALL students can learn

ALL students will learn because of what WE do

These two phrases are the most important beliefs/mindsets of the people in successful schools.  Those two phrases are perhaps easy to agree on, but challenges us at times when faced with the difficulties of doing everything we can for our most "at-risk" students.  The article this week goes in depth about the applications of these two beliefs in schools, and also sets the stage for the learning that many of us will embark in the "Leaders of Learning" book study.

"A Pivotal, Powerful Assumption: All Students Can Learn at High Levels" - Mike Mattos

Leaders of Learning Book Study

We have a great turnout for those interested in learning together with the book, "Leaders of Learning".  The books were ordered early last week and are arriving at different times.  I'll be distributing the copies as soon as we get them in to those participating.  The questions have been posted for the Intro. and Chapters 1 and 2 in Google Classroom.  Our first meeting is set for Thursday, February 4th.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

IMC during Last Block of the Day

As the year has gone on the IMC has experienced a gradual increase of traffic during the last block of the day.  Each day, there is one group of 5th graders that meets as a class in the IMC w/Ebony.  It is so nice to have a big space to allow for many collaborative groups to meet and have adults working with students, however, I'm asking that cohorts only send a student or two out to work in the IMC at the end of the day if it's necessary...this is an ideal space for students who are working with an adult for support during class.  An increased number of people in the space is much harder to maintain our cohort separations and to maintain an atmosphere that is optimal for learning.  Our smaller numbers of students in cohort groups should ensure there is plenty of space to work in the classrooms.

Forward Exam

Students in the state of Wisconsin will be taking the Forward Exam this spring.  The testing window will be a little bit different, there will not be a TDA Writing Prompt, and the test will not be as long as usual.  We'll be working through the details and our testing plan in the next month or so.  More details can be found at this LINK.

Pig Races

We had to order some new pigs to fill out our fleet of racers.  You can expect to get your pig later this week and have direction about the competitions that will take place during our Pig Racing Week.

The Middle Update 1/15/21

Resource of the Week

In our time together on Monday morning, we'll take a look at our building SLO from last year...we are extending the goal into this year, and take a closer look at the recent School Climate Survey Results.  This week's resource is an affirmation in many ways, and could also spark some other ideas for how to deeply connect with our awesome Middle School kids.

"7 Creative Ways to Reach Middle School Students" - Stacy Tornio

"Kids of all ages know when an adult is being sincere. Teachers agree that you if you show your students you really and truly care, then they trust you. Then you can reach them in whole new ways. Janine N. writes, “Love, listen, validate their feelings, and stretch them to grow and believe in themselves and appreciate others.”

PD Day on Monday (1/18)

On Monday, we'll get an opportunity to learn, plan, and grow.  Please take time in your morning to watch Dr. Shappell's mid-year update video.  We'll meet as a Middle School Staff at 8:30 am.  The rest of the day should be spent working on department goals that have been communicated with you, finishing up 2nd quarter grades and report card comments, and planning lessons for the coming weeks.

End of Quarter 2 Grades

Today is the end of the 2nd quarter.  We'll print report cards next Thursday and start mailing them home, so please have your grades and comments complete prior to Thursday morning.  The best and most appreciated report card comments are personal and specific.

Appreciations

We had a decent response to the call seeking for staff to share their 1st semester appreciations.  If you have not done so yet, please click on the link below and share an appreciation for a fellow staff member and student that you appreciate!  We'll be using this information in our work together on Monday morning.

APPRECIATION FORM

Intruder/ Violence Drill Coming Up- Please take a look at this information!

The week of January 18- 22nd we are going to have one of our school safety drills.  It is required by the DOJ and we need to complete it two times every school year.  We will be conducting on Thursday, January 21st at 8:30 a.m.  But prior to that, we will be discussing the process at our staff meeting on Monday, January 18th so we can uniformly do it well.  Here is the slide show that has important information we will be discussing.  The slideshow provides guidance for how teachers should frame the discussion around this situation.

Dangerous Intruder Drill Information

HEPA Filters Reminder

Just a reminder to please shut off your HEPA filter system each night before you leave.  We have many in the building and if they are on overnight the life of the filter is reduced significantly.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Pig Races

I'm hoping you were able to understand all you needed to about the details of the pig race from our special guest this past Tuesday, but if that wasn't the case, more detailed information about the race and competitions surrounding the races will be shared soon.

Thanks to Mrs. Schmelzer...Welcome Ms. Stark

I want to thank Mrs. Schmelzer for the contributions she made during her time in our building this year and wish her well in her future endeavors.  We may be seeing her around substituting in various roles during the 2nd semester.  Thank you Ashley!

On Monday, we'll welcome another staff member, Ms. Lexie Stark.  She'll be joining our team as a long-term substitute to facilitate a couple classes, and help support our efforts to grow the skills of our readers.

The Middle Update 1/10/21

Resource of the Week

The resource this week gives a much more in-depth look at one of the key words of the PUMA Way...Mindset.  When we talk about Mindset, we are trying to instill in the students the idea that mistakes are a key part of learning.  The article this week goes more in depth on this phenomenon and the takeaways suggest that we are "dead-on" in having Mindset be a key focus area for our kids.

"The Mistake Imperative - Why We Must Get Over Our Fear of Student Error" - Youki Terada 

PD Day - January 18th

We are about one week away from our next Professional Development Day.  I believe Dr. Shappell is planning to send out a video message which we'll set aside time for at 8:00.  We'll meet virtually at 8:30am as a Middle School Staff to analyze our School Climate Survey Data, and discuss implications for our practices moving forward.  After our morning meeting, there will be opportunities for collaboration with department-mates to accomplish specified goals, and also time for teachers to work on report card grades/comments, and work on lesson plans throughout the rest of the day.

Updated District Calendar

After the School Board voted to extend Winter Break by 2 days, there were a couple of other adjustments made to the district calendar...most notably, changing March 12th from a PD Day to a normal day of school for us.  Please take a look to verify your planning reflects accurate information.

Preparing for the Pig Races!!

It's almost Pig Racing time!  As we prepare for this annual event, please return your pig from last year to the office.  We will conduct a thorough examination of each pig and ensure there are updated batteries before we re-distribute them.  We'll roll out the details for the pig racing competitions within the next couple of weeks.  Until then, it's probably a good idea to start brain-storming some names, costumes, and strategies for the pig race.  We will not have all of the students in the gym for the pig races this year, but we'll find a way to still have some fun with it.

End of Quarter #2

We are about to start the last week of Quarter #2.  Grades will be due by the beginning of the day on Thursday, January 21st.  We will print report cards on Thursday morning and get them in the mail as soon as possible afterwards.

Teachers will have time to work on finalizing grades and writing students comments on the report card on the afternoon of our PD Day on the 18th.

1st Semester Appreciations

It's always a good time to show appreciation.  As we near the end of the 1st semester, I'd like to take a moment to formally share your appreciation.  Please complete the linked Google Form below to write the name of a staff member who you appreciate and provide a brief description of what made that staff member stand out for you.  Also, please do the same for a student that you have worked with so far this school year.

APPRECIATION LINK

Protective Plexi-glass Partitions

We have more protective plexi-glass partitions available for your classroom if you would like them.  If so, please contact Robin in the office, and we'll have Randy deliver and set one up for you.

Policy Check-In

It's January and probably a good time to start putting reminders out there about district policies that could impact our day-to-day decision-making.  I'll plan to put in a few policies from time to time to serve as reminders for all of us.  There are a lot of policies, and it's important that we all follow these policies, as the school board has put them in place to guide the operations of the school.

The policy this week centers around the use of the Internet and Social Media.  A couple parts that are worth making sure everyone knows well are listed below, followed by a link to the whole policy:

-Staff members shall provide instruction for their students regarding the appropriate technology use and online safety and security as specified above, and staff members will monitor students’ online activities while at school.

 

Monitoring may include, but is not necessarily limited to, visual observations of online activities during class sessions; or use of specific monitoring tools to review browser history and network, server, and computer logs.

-Staff members shall not access social media for personal use on the District’s network, and shall access social media for educational use only after submitting a plan for that educational use and securing the Principal’s approval of that plan in advance.

Social Media Use

 

An employee’s personal or private use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blogs, etc., may have unintended consequences. While the Board respects its employees' First Amendment Rights, those rights do not include permission to post inflammatory comments that could compromise the District's mission, undermine staff relationships, or cause a substantial disruption to the school environment. This warning includes staff members’ online conduct that occurs off school property including from the employee’s private computer. Postings to social media should be done in a manner sensitive to the staff member’s professional responsibilities.

 

In addition, Federal and State confidentiality laws forbid schools and their employees from using or disclosing student education records without parental consent. See Policy 8330. Education records include a wide variety of information; posting personally identifiable information about students is not permitted. Staff members who violate State and Federal confidentiality laws or privacy laws related to the disclosure of confidential employee information may be disciplined.

FULL POLICY LANGUAGE

The Middle Update 1/4/2021

The start of 2021...we've all heard the many conversations and takes about the year 2020, and how challenging of a year it was...and for many people it was a difficult year.  I believe that even in difficult times, there are lessons to take away and silver linings that we can learn from.  The past 9 months have been like that...difficult at times, stressful at times, but also there are many parts to be excited about...I have seen so much growth from a teaching and learning perspective...teachers pushing out of their comfort zones and never looking back...certain changes to our in-school learning environment that have led to positive data in terms of our school climate...an overall flexibility and "we'll do our best to make it the best we can" mentality that has led to some awesome experiences.

To me, the start of this school year has gone by rather quickly...and I fully expect the second half of the school year to move quickly as well.  I truly hope you have had the opportunity to unplug over the holiday break, to do things that you truly enjoy, and that the break has led you to a place where you feel re-energized and ready to get back to being that positive, consistent rock for our kids.

We have all gained a deeper understanding of how to operate a school during a pandemic, and even though we've seen advances in vaccinations, it'll still be some time before we see a relaxation in our mitigation procedures here at school.  In fact, our safety procedures remain as important today as they were on the first day of school.  

With that being said, we will now look to find ways to become even effective and efficient at meeting the needs of our students.  Our modified approach has led to some weakness' in meeting needs in ways that we have become accustomed, and we have gradually made strides in how to meet the various needs that many of our students have.

Resource of the Week

We will start out the year 2021 with a resource that comes from within.  Podcasting is growing in popularity as a learning tool.  I know that podcasts have become a part of how I learn and I know the same is true for many of you.  It also could be another way for our students to share what they know.  I started a podcast (short) that highlights things that we do in our Middle School...how it came to be, why we do it, why it's important, and how it's going.  I recorded a podcast which I hope you take a few minutes to give a listen.

Podcast 1 (Connections)

Back to School!!

We are back to school virtually on Wednesday, and in-person on Thursday.  We have had a number of families decide to have their students attend school in-person full time now, moving from the virtual learning model.  I believe we have communicated about specific students with the grade level teachers that need to know, however, please refer to the Homebase Groups document to see the most up-to-date placements for students.

Wednesday (1/6/2021)

We'll plan to follow the virtual learning plan that we use when in-person learning is taking place.  Please communicate with students about your grade specific plan during the morning homeroom meetings on Wednesday AM.

  

School Safety Drill

We will be conducting a "Lock-down Drill" next week.  During this drill, we will NOT do our typical, shut off the lights, lock the door, and gather out of sight activity this year, due to our continued efforts to keep a distance from each other.  We will, however, engage in a cognitive drill where we will talk through a scenario that would involve us needing to go into a lock-down situation.  

End of Quarter 2

The end of the 2nd quarter will be on Friday, January 15th.  We'll have a PD Day on January 18th, and on that day there will be time to wrap up grades and write Report Card comments.  2nd quarter grades will be due by the morning of Thursday (1/21), as we will start printing those report cards off during the day on Thursday.

Also, the start of the 3rd quarter will also signal the switch from Science to Social Studies or vice versa for our students.

Message to Families

The message below was sent to our families on Sunday evening, reminding them of our extended holiday break, and some reminders about the upcoming week of learning.

Greetings,

We hope the holiday break has been positive for you and your family.  As a reminder, the holiday break was extended to last through Tuesday (1/5), and we are planning to start back up on Wednesday (1/6) with our typical Wednesday virtual learning day.  On Wednesday morning, students should join their morning Homeroom meeting virtually, and then follow the plans laid out from their teachers (assignments/meetings) the rest of the day.

We will be back to our in-person learning plan on Thursday (1/7).  As we return to school, please continue to communicate with the office about any symptoms your student may be experiencing or any close contacts to any positive case of COVID.  Students should stay home and participate in school virtually if they have any symptom of being ill...always erring on the side of caution for these decisions.  We are really looking forward to getting back to an environment where the concern for the spread of the virus is no longer at the forefront of our worries, but until then we all must continue to follow the mitigation routines and procedures we have had in place in order to have our school open for learning.

If your family is contemplating a switch to your student's learning plan (moving from virtual to in-person, or vice versa), please communicate with the office as soon as possible.

We have a great deal of appreciation for all that our families have done to help make the most out of this atypical school year.  We look forward to all the potential positive developments that await in the year 2021.  As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

I can't wait to see all of you back in action on Thursday!!