Friday, May 29, 2015

PMS News & Notes 5/29/15

From my perspective, the feeling in the school has been a "business as usual" type of feel.  Routines are established and students, for the most part, have been meeting and exceeding behavioral expectations.  Hats off to you for maintaining high expectations, and designing engaging lessons that are getting our students to get the most out of their time here.  We must continue this focus for the remaining week and a half!  Thank you for your efforts!  See below for important information about the weeks to come.

Final Staff Meeting of the 14-15 School Year
The final staff meeting of the year will be on Monday at 2:50 in Room 201.  Please bring your chrome book.

SLO/PPG End of Year Wrap-Up
Teachers that are in their Summary Year have probably had enough talking with me over the course of the past week to last them a lifetime.  The Summary Year End of Year Review is more extensive than any review in which I have been involved. It has been a good opportunity to sit and talk in depth about teaching and learning with the teachers that I have met with already.  It would be great to meet with each teacher in this way every year, but probably not practical from a time perspective.  I would, however, like to check in with EVERY teacher about their SLO and make sure that the Teachscape portions are fully completed, including the Self-Score portion.  Please set up a time with me when you are ready to meet about the SLO and PPG.  I will be happy to address any questions about the process at any time as well.

Last Day of School
We will be running a schedule that is similar to what we have done in the past on the last day.  8th graders will not be in the building.  I will talk more about this at the staff meeting, and a schedule will be coming.

Next Wednesday afternoon
Please mark your calendars for the End of the Year celebration that will take place at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond next Wednesday.  Please see this Document for food sign-up and more information.  Hope to see you there!

Junk
If there are things that you have not used for a couple of years in your classrooms, it is time to throw it out.  Please be on the lookout for these items, and before we leave for the summer, organize these items and work with the custodians to get them thrown out.

End of Year Check-Out
Before you leave on the last day, there will be the standard end of year check-out for staff.  Part of that process is sharing a policy about using school equipment at home.  If I forget to ask about this, don't hesitate to bring it up at the check-out time.

Middle School Play
Ms. Eckhardt and Ms. Harms have been hard at work grooming our Middle School thespians.  Our students will be performing the play, Loonies and Snatchers, for the school audience at 1:45 on Tuesday, June 2 and then again for the community at 6:00 pm.

Twitter Post of the Week
From a Student just now: "Mr. Rowe, my grade does not YET reflect what I know and I'd like to show you I'm better than my grade is now."

Duty Next Week
Morning - Hazard, Hendrickson
Bus - O'Connor

Data
Behavioral Referrals Through this point in the 4th Quarter
14-15 - 79 Events, 41 Students
13-14 - 145 Events, 66 Students
12-13 - 132 Events, 86 Students
11-12 - 242 Events, 82 Students

Friday, May 22, 2015

PMS News & Notes 5/22/15

Another beautiful day outside today, and another solid week at Poynette Middle School is about to hit the books.  It was an eventful week, and the remaining weeks will surely be similar...Below is a few notes from the week that was, and the week ahead.

Spring Concert
Congratulations to our Music Department on another solid performance at the Spring Concert this past Tuesday night.  The talents of both our band and choir students were on full display to a packed gymnasium.  Hats off to Mr. Hazard and Mrs. Graeve for your leadership and all of the work that goes into a truly, culture-building event.

Middle School Play
Ms. Eckhardt and Ms. Harms have been hard at work grooming our Middle School thespians.  Our students will be performing the play, Loonies and Snatchers, for the school audience at 1:45 on Tuesday, June 2 and then again for the community at 6:00 pm.

Grading for Learning Parent Meeting
Dr. Hoernke, Katie Morrissey, Anna Niemeyer, and I hosted another Grading for Learning Parent Meeting on Wednesday evening.  This was the best turnout that we have had for a meeting in a long time, and there was a lot of good discussion. We were able to receive some feedback from the parents that were in attendance, and I believe that we shared some information that will help parents understand our grading system and the goals that we have set for the students in our district better. We plan to host another session in June.  These sessions help us get feedback from the parent perspective, and for us to share the "whys" of what we are doing in the classroom for assessment and reporting.

End of Year Information
As we plan for the end of the school year, the SLO and PPG sections in Teachscape for this school year must be complete.  For teachers on Summary Year, we will be meeting for a more thorough evaluation involving Teacher Practices and the Artifact Portfolio within the Teacher Practices section. I will need to meet with each staff member that I am supervising to review the SLO and to complete the check-out process.

IMC Printer Use
This is in reference to Mrs. Bailey's previous email about our Printer Ink shortage for the IMC Printer.  For the remainder of the year, if you could print to a different printer, that would be really helpful.  Thank you!

End of the Year Gathering
On Wednesday (6/3) evening, we will be hosting an end of the year gathering at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond.  The Retirement Tea will be after school in the HS IMC, and we will be gathering at the Barn afterwards for a dinner (potluck), and end of year wrap-up ceremony.  Mrs. Hebel shared a sign-up sheet.  Mark your calendars.

Twitter Post of the Week
A4: Realize rapport and relationships are often built "around the edges" of your class!
Duty Next Week
Morning - Greer, Harms
Bus - Lendobeja

Data
Attendance Rate (through this point in the school year)
14-15 - 95.32%
13-14 - 95.15%
12-13 - 95.46%

Monday, May 18, 2015

Improving Instructional Practices

You Really Have to Know What Kids Know and Don’t Know
Check out this Edutopia video on assessment, project based learning and creating meaningful learning experiences for your students. It really solidifies all that we are trying to provide for our students in our district.

"You really have to know what kids know and don't know."
Posted by Edutopia on Thursday, March 19, 2015



Sunday, May 17, 2015

Improving Instructional Practices


Gradual Release of Responsibility

Danielson’s Domains:  1e Designing Coherent Instruction,   3c Engaging students in Learning, & 3d Using Assessment in Instruction


The gradual release of responsibility model is a way to create a culture of learning within your classroom by showing, guiding, and then letting students apply what they have learned. Below you can click on a link to a great resource on this model that you can print out and  refer to as you scaffold learning for your own students.    



PMS News & Notes 5/16/15

As we move closer to the end of the school year our focus and priorities remain constant...achieving our goals of increasing the achievement of all of our students.  Each minute of class time and Intervention/Enrichment time must be utilized right up to the end.  I challenge you to focus on the finding/utilizing the most efficient/effective ways for students to receive high quality feedback on their work.  This feedback can come from their teacher/para-professional or even from their classmates.  Sending the message about the value of each minute of classroom time is critical to growing the achievement/literacy culture that we envision.  I appreciate all of your efforts...each person in our building plays a vital role to the success of our students and our culture.  Below is some news and notes for the upcoming week.

Staff Meeting Recap
Really great things come from our staff putting their heads together working towards a common goal. I'll have the guidelines compiled early this week, and I plan to bring them forth to the Puma Pride Committee on Thursday to shore up the language.  Thank you to Ms. Barnett, Ms. Deans, and Mrs. Greer for presenting at the staff meeting. Continuing to push and spread the innovation in our classrooms is key to our culture and achievement.  We will have our last staff meeting of the year on Monday, June 1st.  If you would like to share a practice/activity/lesson that you would like to share, let me know, and we'll work to get on the agenda.  I'll report out after the Puma Pride Committee meeting on Thursday.

SLO/PPG Wrap-Up
Starting from now till the end of the school year, you can wrap up your SLO/PPG in Teachscape. You need to have collected and analyzed your last data point to make a determination of your self score.  You need to use this RUBRIC for the self-score.  Anna, Katie, your peers, or myself are available to consult with as you look at your SLO results.  If you are in a Summary Year, you will be meeting with me to formally go through this process.  I still, however, would like to check in with everyone about this year's process.  If you are ready, and have all of the fields in Teachscape filled in, feel free to invite me to review the progress.  For your PPG, you need to respond to the questions in Teachscape under PPG, and this process serves as a good artifact for your teacher practices.

Summer PD
In the next couple of weeks we'll be meeting for our last department meetings.  With that being said, all teachers will have an opportunity for a PD Day in August.  We'll plan on meeting in departments, and working on Curriculum/Assessment plan work.  As the last three weeks go by, we should be working to set those dates.  Staff will be paid curriculum pay for these sessions.  If you have questions or would like to talk further, please let me know.

Seclusion/Restraint
It is important for each of us to understand the Seclusion/Restraint policy in our district. You can search for Policy 5630.01 - USE OF RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION WITH STUDENTS in our online policy guide which can be found HERE.  The bottom line...we should not put our hands on students unless there is a safety concern, and if an incident happens, I must know right away, and proper parent contact/paperwork must be initiated.

Personnel Update
I'd like to welcome our newest staff member, Stephanie Schoen, to the team.  She is excited to join us as our new 6th Grade Science/7th Grade Math teacher.  We will be welcoming three strong candidates for our final vacant MS Teaching position on Wednesday for interviews.

End of the Year Gathering
On Wednesday (6/3) evening, we will be hosting an end of the year gathering at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond.  The Retirement Tea will be after school in the HS IMC, and we will be gathering at the Barn afterwards for a dinner (potluck), and end of year wrap-up ceremony.  Mark your calendars.

Twitter Post of the Week
Life's greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes...

Duty Next Week
Morning - Frehner, Graeve
Bus - O'Connor

Data
Behavior Referrals (Through 5 weeks of 4th Quarter)
11-12 - 197 Events, 72 Students
12-13 - 101 Events, 71 Students
13-14 - 122 Events, 59 Students
14-15 - 61 Events, 35 Students

Friday, May 8, 2015

PMS News & Notes 5/8/15

Teacher Appreciation Week is a week designated to take time for everyone to show appreciation for the work that our teachers every day.  To me, the job of a teacher is at the top of the list for jobs that impact our society. I can't tell you how fortunate and appreciative of the staff that work in Poynette. Being an effective teacher is very difficult, and getting students to reach their potential is an art form. Thank you for your work...this is the time of year, where it is so important to take a step back, and recognize how far your students have come since they first entered your classroom. You should feel a sense of pride in that growth, because you had a huge part in it.  Again...Thank You!  Now for some news and notes from the week that was and the week to come...

Staff Meeting Change
A reminder that our staff meeting was postponed from last week due to the insurance meetings, and will be this coming Wednesday (5/13) at 2:50 in Mrs. Anderson's room. Also, we will need to move the last staff meeting of the year from Wednesday (6/3) to Monday (6/1) due to the Retirement Tea celebration.  Invitations will be sent through Google calendar.

Mid-Term Grades
This is a reminder to be sure that mid-term grades are posted for 4th quarter.  I will be sending an Infinite Campus message out today at about 3:00 to let parents know that mid-term grades have been posted.

Student of the Month Breakfast
Our final Student of the Month Breakfast will be next Thursday (5/14) morning.

SLO/PPG Wrap-Up
It is time to start thinking about wrapping up our SLO's and PPG's reflections.  From now on is a good time to go into Teachscape and reflect on your goals by filling out the appropriate boxes. For those of you that used STAR, we will be doing the final round of testing in the Math and ELA classes on May 20th and May 21st. For anyone else, you should have your final assessment planned, and ready to gather your data and analyze the results. Once you have your SLO work completed in Teachscape, please let me know, and we'll schedule a meeting to review the progress.  If you complete your SLO, please don't wait until the end of the year to schedule a meeting with me, let's do this as soon as possible. 

Educator Effectiveness
For those teachers that are on Summary years, we will be meeting to review your artifacts and evidence for each component soon. For those teachers on a Non-Summary year, you do not need to have a formal end of year meeting with me for your PPG or Teacher Practices....just your SLO. If you have any questions about Teachscape or Educator Effectiveness, please let me know.

End of the Year Gathering
On Wednesday (6/3) evening, we will be hosting an end of the year gathering at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond.  The Retirement Tea will be after school in the HS IMC, and we will be gathering at the Barn afterwards for a dinner (potluck), and end of year wrap-up ceremony.  Mark your calendars.

Twitter Post of the Week
As we end of the year, and look at our SLO's, PPG's, and progress towards our Vision 2020 Goals, I thought this post was appropriate.

It's good to have goals but I don't think you should focus on them. Instead focus on your purpose which fuels you to reach your goals.

Duty Next Week
Morning - Deans, Fraser
Bus - Rogness

Data

Percentage of Students Meeting or on Track for Algebra 1 Readiness
FallWinter Spring
6th Grade42.660.6
7th Grade5069.1
8th Grade 50.661.8

Monday, May 4, 2015

Improving Instructional Practices

Blog Post for the Week of May 3rdbc of u.jpg
Motivation Station
Domain 3: Instruction; Component 3c: Engaging Students in Learning
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment; Component 2a: Creating a Classroom of Respect & Rapport

There are four qualities that have been identified as critical to helping students motivate themselves: autonomy, competence, relatedness, and relevance. Check out a few strategies to make this happen in your classroom.

Autonomy
Provide students with freedom of choice is one strategy for promoting learner autonomy.

Competence
Feedback, done well, is ranked by education researcher John Hattie as number 10 out of 150 influences on student achievement. But how do you handle providing critical feedback to students when it's necessary? Since extensive research shows that a ratio of positive-to-negative feedback of between 3-1 and 5-1 is necessary for healthy learning to occur, teachers might consider a strategy called plussing that is used by Pixar animation studios with great success. The New York Times interviewed author Peter Sims about the concept:
The point, he said, is to "build and improve on ideas without using judgmental language." . . . An animator working on Toy Story 3 shares her rough sketches and ideas with the director. "Instead of criticizing the sketch or saying 'no,' the director will build on the starting point by saying something like, 'I like Woody's eyes, and what if his eyes rolled left?" Using words like "and" or "what if" rather than "but" is a way to offer suggestions and allow creative juices to flow without fear, Mr. Sims said.
"And" and "what if" could easily become often-used words in an educator's vocabulary!

Relatedness

A high-quality relationship with a teacher whom they respect is a key element of helping students develop intrinsic motivation. What are some actions that teachers can take to strengthen these relationships?
4 Steps adapted from the article and Marzano’s Ideas:
  1. Take a genuine interest in your students
  2. Act friendly with your students; smile, joke, be supportive
  3. Be flexible and keep a focus on your learning goals
  4. Don’t give up on students; encourage them to seek continuous improvement

Relevance

Have students conduct work and projects so that they see what they are learning as relevant to their lives. Encourage students to generate their own connections and discover for themselves the relevance of course material to their lives. This method gives students the opportunity to make connections to topics and areas of greatest interest to their lives.
Want to read the full article? Check it out here.

Friday, May 1, 2015

PMS News & Notes 5/1/15

May is here!  We continue our focus with an eye on achieving our goals.  A few important notes below...

Badger Testing
Our testing sessions in the Middle School are complete!  It will be nice to get back into our routine for the remaining weeks of the school year.  At this time, we have only 5 students that need to make-up a portion of the test.  Thank you to all of you for your flexibility, and willingness to do what it takes to get this done efficiently and effectively.  Results should be available sooner than ever before, but I'm not exactly sure when we will get the results.

Mid-Term Grades
This is a reminder that mid-term grades are due by the end of next week. I will be sending a message through Infinite Campus that mid-term grades are posted next Friday afternoon.  Dr. Hoernke and I will also be hosting another Grading for Learning parent meeting on the evening of Wednesday, 5/20 at 6:30.  If anyone is interested in being a part of the discussion, giving a teacher perspective, you are more than welcome.  Let me know if you have interest in helping out; continuing our efforts to make our communication more effective.

Next Staff Meeting
This is a reminder that our next staff meeting will be on Wednesday, 5/6/15 starting at 2:50 in Room 201.


Spring is Here...
As the weather gets nicer, I appreciate the continued commitment and focus on our goals. Very soon, we will be gathering our student data, analyzing growth toward both our SLO and our Vision 2020 goals. Our focus must remain constant using our "capital" (classroom minutes), getting the most out of each minute right up till the end of the year.


Student of the Month Breakfast
The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. This will be the final breakfast of the year.


Twitter Find of the Week
  • From: "22 Ways to Dramatically Increase Your Influence"
  • Duty Next Week
    Morning - Anderson, Barnett
    Bus - Vian

    Data
    Attendance Rate: 
    14-15 - 95.43%
    13-14 - 95.18%
    12-13 - 95.42%


    Monday, April 27, 2015

    Improving Instructional Practices

    50 + Instructional Strategies
    Danielson’s Domain 1e Designing coherent instruction, 3c Engaging students in learning

    Some days it can be difficult to think of teaching strategies that will excite and engage your students in learning.  Below is a graphic organizer of more than fifty strategies that you can print out and keep handy when planning lessons.  
    62fa8596d0834d4b92928c9d4916bfeb.jpg
    Want to access the site and learn more?  Just click the link below
    http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/50-teaching-strategies-to-jumpstart-your-teacher-brain/

    Sunday, April 26, 2015

    PMS News & Notes 4/26/15

    As we finish the last full week of April, it's hard to believe we are here.  As we approach June, the value that we place on consistent, focused instruction remains a key piece to a successful 4th Quarter. Below are some notes and dates for our school...

    Badger Exam Testing
    7th Grade finished up testing this week, and at the time of this writing are almost complete.  This week went even smoother than last, and we look for a solid week of 6th grade testing next week to finish up this year's state testing.  Thank you to each of you in your flexibility and willingness for this to be a success.

    Spring is Here...
    As the weather gets nicer, I appreciate the continued commitment and focus on our goals. Very soon, we will be gathering our student data, analyzing growth toward both our SLO and our Vision 2020 goals. Our focus must remain constant using our "capital" (classroom minutes), getting the most out of each minute right up till the end of the year.

    Next Year Schedule Information
    There will be a couple of changes to next year's schedule and course offerings.  The Curriculum Committee approved the changes, and the Board will review them at Monday's meeting.  Some of the schedule process can be difficult to figure out without an explanation, so I hesitate to write about it, but I will make an attempt.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

    -All Core classes in all grades will meet for roughly 90 minutes blocks
    -We will offer 4 sections of each Core class in Grades 6 and 7 (we will be hiring another MS teacher to be able to do this)
    -Science and Social Studies will meet every day for a semester, instead of every day for a year
    -We will offer a Coding course taught by Mr. Jennings in the 6th grade rotation instead of I-Tech, as we are increasing our Tech offerings at the HS
    -We will offer a STEM 8th grade elective

    PUMA Pride Committee
    Our Puma Pride Committee met this past Thursday and we added a couple of members.  Thank you to Mr. Kallungi and Ms. Deans for joining the crew.  Committee members will be seeking your input about the Puma Pride rubric, as we look to make this an even more useful tool.  We also are looking at the culture of our building, and determining areas for growth. The next meeting will be on Thursday, May 21st.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. This will be the final breakfast of the year.


    Next Staff Meeting
    Our next staff meeting will be on Wednesday, 5/6/15 starting at 2:50 in Room 201.  We will continue our conversation from the last staff meeting.  Click HERE to review the work from the "Behavior Activity". I am planning a "Staff Share" session again.  Please let me know if there is a practice, activity or lesson that you know is very effective at getting students to achieve at high levels.


    Twitter Find of the Week
    I'd rather fail in pursuit of extraordinary than succeed pursuing average.

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Rogness, Vian
    Bus - Anderson

    Data
    Number of "Needs Improvement" scores on Puma Pride Report Cards

    8th Grade
    1st Quarter - 47
    2nd Quarter - 36
    3rd Quarter - 22

    7th Grade
    1st Quarter - 9
    2nd Quarter - 5
    3rd Quarter - 18

    6th Grade
    1st Quarter - 2
    2nd Quarter - 9
    3rd Quarter - 3

    Friday, April 17, 2015

    PMS News & Notes 4/17/15

    Beautiful weather was the highlight of the week, and Week 1 of Badger Exam testing is in the books as well! Check out below for some news from the past week, and things to come.

    Badger Exam
    The 8th Graders kicked off Badger Exam testing this week.  The testing process was pretty smooth, and we look forward to utilizing a couple of minor lessons learned to run an even more efficient testing session for our 7th and 6th graders. We will start 7th grade testing on Tuesday, 4/21.  Our testing session will run from 7:35 to about 9:05.  6th graders will start on Tuesday, 4/28.

    Tornado Drill
    After the Tornado Drill on Thursday afternoon, I'm confident that we are ready if the need arises.  All classes were able to get to their locations in a very efficient manner.  Thank you for guiding our students.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. It would be helpful to have the names of the students recommended to the office by Friday, May 1.  This will be the final breakfast of the year.

    Next Staff Meeting
    Our next staff meeting will be on Wednesday, 5/6/15 starting at 2:50 in Room 201.  We will continue our conversation from the last staff meeting.  Click HERE to review the work from the "Behavior Activity". I am planning a "Staff Share" session again.  Please let me know if there is a practice, activity or lesson that you know is very effective at getting students to achieve at high levels.

    Field Trip Reminder
    If you are planning a field trip, and are planning for parent volunteers to chaperone, they need to complete the volunteer/background check process through our district office.  Please plan ahead for this, as they need about two weeks notice to get the chaperones on our approved volunteer list.  If a chaperone is already on our volunteer list, please confirm that with me.

    Twitter Find of the Week
    6 characteristics at the heart of great teaching: .

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Lendobeja, O'Connor
    Bus - Barnett

    Data
    Attendance Rate (Through Mid-April)
    14-15 - 95.48%
    13-14 - 95.24%
    12-13 - 95.57%


    Friday, April 10, 2015

    PMS News & Notes 4/10/15

    The first week back from Spring Break is in the books!  The weather is getting nicer, and we look ahead to maximizing the days and minutes remaining in the school year.  A few notes from the week ahead and the weeks to come below.

    Badger Exam
    Our Badger Exam practice sessions are complete, and I think it was a good opportunity to iron out a few kinks before the actual testing kicks off next week.  The testing schedule and groups are HERE. If there were any issues (grouping. logistics, connectivity, etc), please let me know asap.  The 8th grade is set to kick off their testing next Tuesday.  Thanks to all for your flexibility, feedback, and willingness to make this go as smooth as possible.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    We had another successful breakfast this morning, with one of the biggest crowds of the year.  Thank you to all for your willingness to come in early, and do all of the little extra things that this event requires. It was another positive atmosphere, and getting families in here is a very good thing. The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. It would be helpful to have the names of the students recommended to the office by Friday, May 1.  This will be the final breakfast of the year.

    Staff Meeting Recap
    I want to thank all of you for your participation in our staff meeting on Wednesday.  Special thanks to Mr. Frehner, Mrs. Hendrickson, and Mr. Jorgensen for offering to share a glimpse of some great things that are happening in our classrooms. There will be another time for a staff share during the May meeting. If you are interested in sharing a practice that has been successful at getting students to achieve higher levels, let me know and we'll set it up.  Also, I am working on a document that will have the feedback about norming our behavior system that will be shared soon, and we'll continue the conversation at our next staff meeting on May 6.

    April Safety Drill
    We will be conducting another tornado drill this month.  This drill will be held at the same time as the statewide tornado drill on Thursday, April 16.  The Tornado Warning will begin at 1:45.

    Culture
    At the assembly before break, I shared with our students a vision for Poynette schools and students to have an expectation of excellence, and pride in all that we do. Much of our culture is in the day to day interactions of both students and staff members. As we look to build excellence into all that our students do, having high expectations for each of our students in both their behavior and work is key. Students often will rise to the expectations that are set forth for them by the adults in their lives.

    Sub-Caller
    On Friday, 4/17 morning, I will be the sub caller. 608 692 2088

    Twitter Find of the Week
    A good read on questioning in the classroom...
    A Quick Guide To Questioning In The Classroom via

    Duty Next Week (Morning is Outside!!)
    Morning - Jorgensen, Kallungi
    Bus - Deans

    Data
    I've attached the HS WKCE data trends in Reading and Math. The WKCE was taken in October of the Sophomore year, and these results are a result of MS efforts.

    PHS Reading Data

    PHS Math Data

    Monday, April 6, 2015

    Badger Exam Practice Sessions

    Hello,
    This week starting on Wednesday (8th Grade), we will be conducting dry-runs for the Badger Exam. Students will meet in their actual testing groups during their actual testing time and we will utilize the actual chrome books that we will use during testing. Below is the schedule, and what our students should do during this time. It is really important that things run as smooth as possible right from the get go...This dry run is necessary to troubleshoot any issues before the actual testing window begins. I appreciate your flexibility during this time.

    When: (should take about 90 minutes)
    8th Grade - Wednesday, 4/8/15 @ 9:05am
    7th Grade - Thursday, 4/9/15 @ 7:35am
    6th Grade - Friday, 4/10/15 @ 7:35 am

    Where:
    Students will meet in their testing groups (if any teacher has feedback on testing groups, we can certainly make changes after or before the dry run).  You can view the groups HERE.

    What:
    Please utilize the following schedule with your testing group.  I will share this document with all students.  They can open the document and follow the links.

    Other:
    Please share as much information with students to get them ready for what the schedule will look like, and how students should make every attempt to be here on testing days.

    Things to Report to Mr. Pritzl:
    -# of Headphones needed in your testing group
    -Did anyone request the use of a mouse?
    -If there are any student questions that you did not know the answer
    -Any issues that arose that we need to think about



    PMS News & Notes 5/29/15

    From my perspective, the feeling in the school has been a "business as usual" type of feel.  Routines are established and students, for the most part, have been meeting and exceeding behavioral expectations.  Hats off to you for maintaining high expectations, and designing engaging lessons that are getting our students to get the most out of their time here.  We must continue this focus for the remaining week and a half!  Thank you for your efforts!  See below for important information about the weeks to come.

    Final Staff Meeting of the 14-15 School Year
    The final staff meeting of the year will be on Monday at 2:50 in Room 201.  Please bring your chrome book.

    SLO/PPG End of Year Wrap-Up
    Teachers that are in their Summary Year have probably had enough talking with me over the course of the past week to last them a lifetime.  The Summary Year End of Year Review is more extensive than any review in which I have been involved. It has been a good opportunity to sit and talk in depth about teaching and learning with the teachers that I have met with already.  It would be great to meet with each teacher in this way every year, but probably not practical from a time perspective.  I would, however, like to check in with EVERY teacher about their SLO and make sure that the Teachscape portions are fully completed, including the Self-Score portion.  Please set up a time with me when you are ready to meet about the SLO and PPG.  I will be happy to address any questions about the process at any time as well.

    Last Day of School
    We will be running a schedule that is similar to what we have done in the past on the last day.  8th graders will not be in the building.  I will talk more about this at the staff meeting, and a schedule will be coming.

    Next Wednesday afternoon
    Please mark your calendars for the End of the Year celebration that will take place at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond next Wednesday.  Please see this Document for food sign-up and more information.  Hope to see you there!

    Junk
    If there are things that you have not used for a couple of years in your classrooms, it is time to throw it out.  Please be on the lookout for these items, and before we leave for the summer, organize these items and work with the custodians to get them thrown out.

    End of Year Check-Out
    Before you leave on the last day, there will be the standard end of year check-out for staff.  Part of that process is sharing a policy about using school equipment at home.  If I forget to ask about this, don't hesitate to bring it up at the check-out time.

    Middle School Play
    Ms. Eckhardt and Ms. Harms have been hard at work grooming our Middle School thespians.  Our students will be performing the play, Loonies and Snatchers, for the school audience at 1:45 on Tuesday, June 2 and then again for the community at 6:00 pm.

    Twitter Post of the Week
    From a Student just now: "Mr. Rowe, my grade does not YET reflect what I know and I'd like to show you I'm better than my grade is now."

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Hazard, Hendrickson
    Bus - O'Connor

    Data
    Behavioral Referrals Through this point in the 4th Quarter
    14-15 - 79 Events, 41 Students
    13-14 - 145 Events, 66 Students
    12-13 - 132 Events, 86 Students
    11-12 - 242 Events, 82 Students

    PMS News & Notes 5/22/15

    Another beautiful day outside today, and another solid week at Poynette Middle School is about to hit the books.  It was an eventful week, and the remaining weeks will surely be similar...Below is a few notes from the week that was, and the week ahead.

    Spring Concert
    Congratulations to our Music Department on another solid performance at the Spring Concert this past Tuesday night.  The talents of both our band and choir students were on full display to a packed gymnasium.  Hats off to Mr. Hazard and Mrs. Graeve for your leadership and all of the work that goes into a truly, culture-building event.

    Middle School Play
    Ms. Eckhardt and Ms. Harms have been hard at work grooming our Middle School thespians.  Our students will be performing the play, Loonies and Snatchers, for the school audience at 1:45 on Tuesday, June 2 and then again for the community at 6:00 pm.

    Grading for Learning Parent Meeting
    Dr. Hoernke, Katie Morrissey, Anna Niemeyer, and I hosted another Grading for Learning Parent Meeting on Wednesday evening.  This was the best turnout that we have had for a meeting in a long time, and there was a lot of good discussion. We were able to receive some feedback from the parents that were in attendance, and I believe that we shared some information that will help parents understand our grading system and the goals that we have set for the students in our district better. We plan to host another session in June.  These sessions help us get feedback from the parent perspective, and for us to share the "whys" of what we are doing in the classroom for assessment and reporting.

    End of Year Information
    As we plan for the end of the school year, the SLO and PPG sections in Teachscape for this school year must be complete.  For teachers on Summary Year, we will be meeting for a more thorough evaluation involving Teacher Practices and the Artifact Portfolio within the Teacher Practices section. I will need to meet with each staff member that I am supervising to review the SLO and to complete the check-out process.

    IMC Printer Use
    This is in reference to Mrs. Bailey's previous email about our Printer Ink shortage for the IMC Printer.  For the remainder of the year, if you could print to a different printer, that would be really helpful.  Thank you!

    End of the Year Gathering
    On Wednesday (6/3) evening, we will be hosting an end of the year gathering at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond.  The Retirement Tea will be after school in the HS IMC, and we will be gathering at the Barn afterwards for a dinner (potluck), and end of year wrap-up ceremony.  Mrs. Hebel shared a sign-up sheet.  Mark your calendars.

    Twitter Post of the Week
    A4: Realize rapport and relationships are often built "around the edges" of your class!
    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Greer, Harms
    Bus - Lendobeja

    Data
    Attendance Rate (through this point in the school year)
    14-15 - 95.32%
    13-14 - 95.15%
    12-13 - 95.46%

    Improving Instructional Practices

    You Really Have to Know What Kids Know and Don’t Know
    Check out this Edutopia video on assessment, project based learning and creating meaningful learning experiences for your students. It really solidifies all that we are trying to provide for our students in our district.

    "You really have to know what kids know and don't know."
    Posted by Edutopia on Thursday, March 19, 2015



    Improving Instructional Practices


    Gradual Release of Responsibility

    Danielson’s Domains:  1e Designing Coherent Instruction,   3c Engaging students in Learning, & 3d Using Assessment in Instruction


    The gradual release of responsibility model is a way to create a culture of learning within your classroom by showing, guiding, and then letting students apply what they have learned. Below you can click on a link to a great resource on this model that you can print out and  refer to as you scaffold learning for your own students.    



    PMS News & Notes 5/16/15

    As we move closer to the end of the school year our focus and priorities remain constant...achieving our goals of increasing the achievement of all of our students.  Each minute of class time and Intervention/Enrichment time must be utilized right up to the end.  I challenge you to focus on the finding/utilizing the most efficient/effective ways for students to receive high quality feedback on their work.  This feedback can come from their teacher/para-professional or even from their classmates.  Sending the message about the value of each minute of classroom time is critical to growing the achievement/literacy culture that we envision.  I appreciate all of your efforts...each person in our building plays a vital role to the success of our students and our culture.  Below is some news and notes for the upcoming week.

    Staff Meeting Recap
    Really great things come from our staff putting their heads together working towards a common goal. I'll have the guidelines compiled early this week, and I plan to bring them forth to the Puma Pride Committee on Thursday to shore up the language.  Thank you to Ms. Barnett, Ms. Deans, and Mrs. Greer for presenting at the staff meeting. Continuing to push and spread the innovation in our classrooms is key to our culture and achievement.  We will have our last staff meeting of the year on Monday, June 1st.  If you would like to share a practice/activity/lesson that you would like to share, let me know, and we'll work to get on the agenda.  I'll report out after the Puma Pride Committee meeting on Thursday.

    SLO/PPG Wrap-Up
    Starting from now till the end of the school year, you can wrap up your SLO/PPG in Teachscape. You need to have collected and analyzed your last data point to make a determination of your self score.  You need to use this RUBRIC for the self-score.  Anna, Katie, your peers, or myself are available to consult with as you look at your SLO results.  If you are in a Summary Year, you will be meeting with me to formally go through this process.  I still, however, would like to check in with everyone about this year's process.  If you are ready, and have all of the fields in Teachscape filled in, feel free to invite me to review the progress.  For your PPG, you need to respond to the questions in Teachscape under PPG, and this process serves as a good artifact for your teacher practices.

    Summer PD
    In the next couple of weeks we'll be meeting for our last department meetings.  With that being said, all teachers will have an opportunity for a PD Day in August.  We'll plan on meeting in departments, and working on Curriculum/Assessment plan work.  As the last three weeks go by, we should be working to set those dates.  Staff will be paid curriculum pay for these sessions.  If you have questions or would like to talk further, please let me know.

    Seclusion/Restraint
    It is important for each of us to understand the Seclusion/Restraint policy in our district. You can search for Policy 5630.01 - USE OF RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION WITH STUDENTS in our online policy guide which can be found HERE.  The bottom line...we should not put our hands on students unless there is a safety concern, and if an incident happens, I must know right away, and proper parent contact/paperwork must be initiated.

    Personnel Update
    I'd like to welcome our newest staff member, Stephanie Schoen, to the team.  She is excited to join us as our new 6th Grade Science/7th Grade Math teacher.  We will be welcoming three strong candidates for our final vacant MS Teaching position on Wednesday for interviews.

    End of the Year Gathering
    On Wednesday (6/3) evening, we will be hosting an end of the year gathering at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond.  The Retirement Tea will be after school in the HS IMC, and we will be gathering at the Barn afterwards for a dinner (potluck), and end of year wrap-up ceremony.  Mark your calendars.

    Twitter Post of the Week
    Life's greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes...

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Frehner, Graeve
    Bus - O'Connor

    Data
    Behavior Referrals (Through 5 weeks of 4th Quarter)
    11-12 - 197 Events, 72 Students
    12-13 - 101 Events, 71 Students
    13-14 - 122 Events, 59 Students
    14-15 - 61 Events, 35 Students

    PMS News & Notes 5/8/15

    Teacher Appreciation Week is a week designated to take time for everyone to show appreciation for the work that our teachers every day.  To me, the job of a teacher is at the top of the list for jobs that impact our society. I can't tell you how fortunate and appreciative of the staff that work in Poynette. Being an effective teacher is very difficult, and getting students to reach their potential is an art form. Thank you for your work...this is the time of year, where it is so important to take a step back, and recognize how far your students have come since they first entered your classroom. You should feel a sense of pride in that growth, because you had a huge part in it.  Again...Thank You!  Now for some news and notes from the week that was and the week to come...

    Staff Meeting Change
    A reminder that our staff meeting was postponed from last week due to the insurance meetings, and will be this coming Wednesday (5/13) at 2:50 in Mrs. Anderson's room. Also, we will need to move the last staff meeting of the year from Wednesday (6/3) to Monday (6/1) due to the Retirement Tea celebration.  Invitations will be sent through Google calendar.

    Mid-Term Grades
    This is a reminder to be sure that mid-term grades are posted for 4th quarter.  I will be sending an Infinite Campus message out today at about 3:00 to let parents know that mid-term grades have been posted.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    Our final Student of the Month Breakfast will be next Thursday (5/14) morning.

    SLO/PPG Wrap-Up
    It is time to start thinking about wrapping up our SLO's and PPG's reflections.  From now on is a good time to go into Teachscape and reflect on your goals by filling out the appropriate boxes. For those of you that used STAR, we will be doing the final round of testing in the Math and ELA classes on May 20th and May 21st. For anyone else, you should have your final assessment planned, and ready to gather your data and analyze the results. Once you have your SLO work completed in Teachscape, please let me know, and we'll schedule a meeting to review the progress.  If you complete your SLO, please don't wait until the end of the year to schedule a meeting with me, let's do this as soon as possible. 

    Educator Effectiveness
    For those teachers that are on Summary years, we will be meeting to review your artifacts and evidence for each component soon. For those teachers on a Non-Summary year, you do not need to have a formal end of year meeting with me for your PPG or Teacher Practices....just your SLO. If you have any questions about Teachscape or Educator Effectiveness, please let me know.

    End of the Year Gathering
    On Wednesday (6/3) evening, we will be hosting an end of the year gathering at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond.  The Retirement Tea will be after school in the HS IMC, and we will be gathering at the Barn afterwards for a dinner (potluck), and end of year wrap-up ceremony.  Mark your calendars.

    Twitter Post of the Week
    As we end of the year, and look at our SLO's, PPG's, and progress towards our Vision 2020 Goals, I thought this post was appropriate.

    It's good to have goals but I don't think you should focus on them. Instead focus on your purpose which fuels you to reach your goals.

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Deans, Fraser
    Bus - Rogness

    Data

    Percentage of Students Meeting or on Track for Algebra 1 Readiness
    FallWinter Spring
    6th Grade42.660.6
    7th Grade5069.1
    8th Grade 50.661.8

    Improving Instructional Practices

    Blog Post for the Week of May 3rdbc of u.jpg
    Motivation Station
    Domain 3: Instruction; Component 3c: Engaging Students in Learning
    Domain 2: The Classroom Environment; Component 2a: Creating a Classroom of Respect & Rapport

    There are four qualities that have been identified as critical to helping students motivate themselves: autonomy, competence, relatedness, and relevance. Check out a few strategies to make this happen in your classroom.

    Autonomy
    Provide students with freedom of choice is one strategy for promoting learner autonomy.

    Competence
    Feedback, done well, is ranked by education researcher John Hattie as number 10 out of 150 influences on student achievement. But how do you handle providing critical feedback to students when it's necessary? Since extensive research shows that a ratio of positive-to-negative feedback of between 3-1 and 5-1 is necessary for healthy learning to occur, teachers might consider a strategy called plussing that is used by Pixar animation studios with great success. The New York Times interviewed author Peter Sims about the concept:
    The point, he said, is to "build and improve on ideas without using judgmental language." . . . An animator working on Toy Story 3 shares her rough sketches and ideas with the director. "Instead of criticizing the sketch or saying 'no,' the director will build on the starting point by saying something like, 'I like Woody's eyes, and what if his eyes rolled left?" Using words like "and" or "what if" rather than "but" is a way to offer suggestions and allow creative juices to flow without fear, Mr. Sims said.
    "And" and "what if" could easily become often-used words in an educator's vocabulary!

    Relatedness

    A high-quality relationship with a teacher whom they respect is a key element of helping students develop intrinsic motivation. What are some actions that teachers can take to strengthen these relationships?
    4 Steps adapted from the article and Marzano’s Ideas:
    1. Take a genuine interest in your students
    2. Act friendly with your students; smile, joke, be supportive
    3. Be flexible and keep a focus on your learning goals
    4. Don’t give up on students; encourage them to seek continuous improvement

    Relevance

    Have students conduct work and projects so that they see what they are learning as relevant to their lives. Encourage students to generate their own connections and discover for themselves the relevance of course material to their lives. This method gives students the opportunity to make connections to topics and areas of greatest interest to their lives.
    Want to read the full article? Check it out here.

    PMS News & Notes 5/1/15

    May is here!  We continue our focus with an eye on achieving our goals.  A few important notes below...

    Badger Testing
    Our testing sessions in the Middle School are complete!  It will be nice to get back into our routine for the remaining weeks of the school year.  At this time, we have only 5 students that need to make-up a portion of the test.  Thank you to all of you for your flexibility, and willingness to do what it takes to get this done efficiently and effectively.  Results should be available sooner than ever before, but I'm not exactly sure when we will get the results.

    Mid-Term Grades
    This is a reminder that mid-term grades are due by the end of next week. I will be sending a message through Infinite Campus that mid-term grades are posted next Friday afternoon.  Dr. Hoernke and I will also be hosting another Grading for Learning parent meeting on the evening of Wednesday, 5/20 at 6:30.  If anyone is interested in being a part of the discussion, giving a teacher perspective, you are more than welcome.  Let me know if you have interest in helping out; continuing our efforts to make our communication more effective.

    Next Staff Meeting
    This is a reminder that our next staff meeting will be on Wednesday, 5/6/15 starting at 2:50 in Room 201.


    Spring is Here...
    As the weather gets nicer, I appreciate the continued commitment and focus on our goals. Very soon, we will be gathering our student data, analyzing growth toward both our SLO and our Vision 2020 goals. Our focus must remain constant using our "capital" (classroom minutes), getting the most out of each minute right up till the end of the year.


    Student of the Month Breakfast
    The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. This will be the final breakfast of the year.


    Twitter Find of the Week
  • From: "22 Ways to Dramatically Increase Your Influence"
  • Duty Next Week
    Morning - Anderson, Barnett
    Bus - Vian

    Data
    Attendance Rate: 
    14-15 - 95.43%
    13-14 - 95.18%
    12-13 - 95.42%


    Improving Instructional Practices

    50 + Instructional Strategies
    Danielson’s Domain 1e Designing coherent instruction, 3c Engaging students in learning

    Some days it can be difficult to think of teaching strategies that will excite and engage your students in learning.  Below is a graphic organizer of more than fifty strategies that you can print out and keep handy when planning lessons.  
    62fa8596d0834d4b92928c9d4916bfeb.jpg
    Want to access the site and learn more?  Just click the link below
    http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/50-teaching-strategies-to-jumpstart-your-teacher-brain/

    PMS News & Notes 4/26/15

    As we finish the last full week of April, it's hard to believe we are here.  As we approach June, the value that we place on consistent, focused instruction remains a key piece to a successful 4th Quarter. Below are some notes and dates for our school...

    Badger Exam Testing
    7th Grade finished up testing this week, and at the time of this writing are almost complete.  This week went even smoother than last, and we look for a solid week of 6th grade testing next week to finish up this year's state testing.  Thank you to each of you in your flexibility and willingness for this to be a success.

    Spring is Here...
    As the weather gets nicer, I appreciate the continued commitment and focus on our goals. Very soon, we will be gathering our student data, analyzing growth toward both our SLO and our Vision 2020 goals. Our focus must remain constant using our "capital" (classroom minutes), getting the most out of each minute right up till the end of the year.

    Next Year Schedule Information
    There will be a couple of changes to next year's schedule and course offerings.  The Curriculum Committee approved the changes, and the Board will review them at Monday's meeting.  Some of the schedule process can be difficult to figure out without an explanation, so I hesitate to write about it, but I will make an attempt.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

    -All Core classes in all grades will meet for roughly 90 minutes blocks
    -We will offer 4 sections of each Core class in Grades 6 and 7 (we will be hiring another MS teacher to be able to do this)
    -Science and Social Studies will meet every day for a semester, instead of every day for a year
    -We will offer a Coding course taught by Mr. Jennings in the 6th grade rotation instead of I-Tech, as we are increasing our Tech offerings at the HS
    -We will offer a STEM 8th grade elective

    PUMA Pride Committee
    Our Puma Pride Committee met this past Thursday and we added a couple of members.  Thank you to Mr. Kallungi and Ms. Deans for joining the crew.  Committee members will be seeking your input about the Puma Pride rubric, as we look to make this an even more useful tool.  We also are looking at the culture of our building, and determining areas for growth. The next meeting will be on Thursday, May 21st.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. This will be the final breakfast of the year.


    Next Staff Meeting
    Our next staff meeting will be on Wednesday, 5/6/15 starting at 2:50 in Room 201.  We will continue our conversation from the last staff meeting.  Click HERE to review the work from the "Behavior Activity". I am planning a "Staff Share" session again.  Please let me know if there is a practice, activity or lesson that you know is very effective at getting students to achieve at high levels.


    Twitter Find of the Week
    I'd rather fail in pursuit of extraordinary than succeed pursuing average.

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Rogness, Vian
    Bus - Anderson

    Data
    Number of "Needs Improvement" scores on Puma Pride Report Cards

    8th Grade
    1st Quarter - 47
    2nd Quarter - 36
    3rd Quarter - 22

    7th Grade
    1st Quarter - 9
    2nd Quarter - 5
    3rd Quarter - 18

    6th Grade
    1st Quarter - 2
    2nd Quarter - 9
    3rd Quarter - 3

    PMS News & Notes 4/17/15

    Beautiful weather was the highlight of the week, and Week 1 of Badger Exam testing is in the books as well! Check out below for some news from the past week, and things to come.

    Badger Exam
    The 8th Graders kicked off Badger Exam testing this week.  The testing process was pretty smooth, and we look forward to utilizing a couple of minor lessons learned to run an even more efficient testing session for our 7th and 6th graders. We will start 7th grade testing on Tuesday, 4/21.  Our testing session will run from 7:35 to about 9:05.  6th graders will start on Tuesday, 4/28.

    Tornado Drill
    After the Tornado Drill on Thursday afternoon, I'm confident that we are ready if the need arises.  All classes were able to get to their locations in a very efficient manner.  Thank you for guiding our students.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. It would be helpful to have the names of the students recommended to the office by Friday, May 1.  This will be the final breakfast of the year.

    Next Staff Meeting
    Our next staff meeting will be on Wednesday, 5/6/15 starting at 2:50 in Room 201.  We will continue our conversation from the last staff meeting.  Click HERE to review the work from the "Behavior Activity". I am planning a "Staff Share" session again.  Please let me know if there is a practice, activity or lesson that you know is very effective at getting students to achieve at high levels.

    Field Trip Reminder
    If you are planning a field trip, and are planning for parent volunteers to chaperone, they need to complete the volunteer/background check process through our district office.  Please plan ahead for this, as they need about two weeks notice to get the chaperones on our approved volunteer list.  If a chaperone is already on our volunteer list, please confirm that with me.

    Twitter Find of the Week
    6 characteristics at the heart of great teaching: .

    Duty Next Week
    Morning - Lendobeja, O'Connor
    Bus - Barnett

    Data
    Attendance Rate (Through Mid-April)
    14-15 - 95.48%
    13-14 - 95.24%
    12-13 - 95.57%


    PMS News & Notes 4/10/15

    The first week back from Spring Break is in the books!  The weather is getting nicer, and we look ahead to maximizing the days and minutes remaining in the school year.  A few notes from the week ahead and the weeks to come below.

    Badger Exam
    Our Badger Exam practice sessions are complete, and I think it was a good opportunity to iron out a few kinks before the actual testing kicks off next week.  The testing schedule and groups are HERE. If there were any issues (grouping. logistics, connectivity, etc), please let me know asap.  The 8th grade is set to kick off their testing next Tuesday.  Thanks to all for your flexibility, feedback, and willingness to make this go as smooth as possible.

    Student of the Month Breakfast
    We had another successful breakfast this morning, with one of the biggest crowds of the year.  Thank you to all for your willingness to come in early, and do all of the little extra things that this event requires. It was another positive atmosphere, and getting families in here is a very good thing. The next Student of the Month Breakfast will be on Thursday, May 14. It would be helpful to have the names of the students recommended to the office by Friday, May 1.  This will be the final breakfast of the year.

    Staff Meeting Recap
    I want to thank all of you for your participation in our staff meeting on Wednesday.  Special thanks to Mr. Frehner, Mrs. Hendrickson, and Mr. Jorgensen for offering to share a glimpse of some great things that are happening in our classrooms. There will be another time for a staff share during the May meeting. If you are interested in sharing a practice that has been successful at getting students to achieve higher levels, let me know and we'll set it up.  Also, I am working on a document that will have the feedback about norming our behavior system that will be shared soon, and we'll continue the conversation at our next staff meeting on May 6.

    April Safety Drill
    We will be conducting another tornado drill this month.  This drill will be held at the same time as the statewide tornado drill on Thursday, April 16.  The Tornado Warning will begin at 1:45.

    Culture
    At the assembly before break, I shared with our students a vision for Poynette schools and students to have an expectation of excellence, and pride in all that we do. Much of our culture is in the day to day interactions of both students and staff members. As we look to build excellence into all that our students do, having high expectations for each of our students in both their behavior and work is key. Students often will rise to the expectations that are set forth for them by the adults in their lives.

    Sub-Caller
    On Friday, 4/17 morning, I will be the sub caller. 608 692 2088

    Twitter Find of the Week
    A good read on questioning in the classroom...
    A Quick Guide To Questioning In The Classroom via

    Duty Next Week (Morning is Outside!!)
    Morning - Jorgensen, Kallungi
    Bus - Deans

    Data
    I've attached the HS WKCE data trends in Reading and Math. The WKCE was taken in October of the Sophomore year, and these results are a result of MS efforts.

    PHS Reading Data

    PHS Math Data

    Badger Exam Practice Sessions

    Hello,
    This week starting on Wednesday (8th Grade), we will be conducting dry-runs for the Badger Exam. Students will meet in their actual testing groups during their actual testing time and we will utilize the actual chrome books that we will use during testing. Below is the schedule, and what our students should do during this time. It is really important that things run as smooth as possible right from the get go...This dry run is necessary to troubleshoot any issues before the actual testing window begins. I appreciate your flexibility during this time.

    When: (should take about 90 minutes)
    8th Grade - Wednesday, 4/8/15 @ 9:05am
    7th Grade - Thursday, 4/9/15 @ 7:35am
    6th Grade - Friday, 4/10/15 @ 7:35 am

    Where:
    Students will meet in their testing groups (if any teacher has feedback on testing groups, we can certainly make changes after or before the dry run).  You can view the groups HERE.

    What:
    Please utilize the following schedule with your testing group.  I will share this document with all students.  They can open the document and follow the links.

    Other:
    Please share as much information with students to get them ready for what the schedule will look like, and how students should make every attempt to be here on testing days.

    Things to Report to Mr. Pritzl:
    -# of Headphones needed in your testing group
    -Did anyone request the use of a mouse?
    -If there are any student questions that you did not know the answer
    -Any issues that arose that we need to think about