PMS News & Notes 2/27/15

We are officially past the mid-point of the 3rd Quarter, and I noticed some 30's in the long term forecast...perhaps spring and warm weather is right around the corner?  I think we are all ready for that!  Check out some news from the week that was and the weeks and months to come...

Parent-Teacher Conferences
I appreciate the hard work that everyone has spent contacting parents to set up a time to meet for our 2nd round of parent-teacher conferences.  This is a great communication opportunity for us. Conferences will be on Monday from 4:00 to 7:30 and Thursday from 4:30 to 8:00.

Student of the Month Breakfast
This is a reminder to everyone, except the 6th grade team :), to get me your nominations for February Student of the Month ASAP.  The breakfast will be on Thursday, March 12 starting at 7:00 am.

Badger Exam Schedule
We have tentatively set the dates and times for the Badger Exam.  This testing process will be much different than the traditional WKCE.  More details will follow in the next couple of weeks in terms of groups and formal preparation.  The testing schedule will be:

6th and 7th Grade
ELA - 4/14 - 4/17 - 7:35 - 9:05 am
Math - 4/21 - 4/24 - 7:35 - 9:05 am

8th Grade
ELA - 4/14 - 4/17 - 9:05 - 10:35 am
Math - 4/28 - 5/1 - 9:05 - 10:35 am

Upcoming Staff Meeting
This is a reminder that we will have a staff meeting on Wednesday of the week, 3/4 in Room 201.

Budget

Another reminder to be working on budget for next year.  You can click HERE for a template for a requisition.  As a reminder, please have materials turned in to me by March 13.

Twitter Post of the Week

 Todd retweeted

Beth Whitaker ‏@BethWhitaker2  1h1 hour ago

Five Trends That Are Transforming Education http://zite.to/1E1CzMH 

Duty This Week
Morning - Anderson, Barnett
Bus - Harms

Data
Attendance Rate - 95.45% (Goal: 96%)

Behavior Referrals in 3rd Quarter through 5 weeks
14-15 - 29 Events 26 Students
13-14 - 74 Events 42 Students
12-13 - 76 Events 51 Students

PMS News & Notes 2/19/15

March is a week away...this year is flying by.  There are many great things going on here...I am excited to be a Poynette Puma.  Some news and notes below...

Parent-Teacher Conferences

PT Conferences are sneaking up on us in a hurry.  We will host two nights of PT Conferences on Monday, March 2 (4:00-7:30) and Thursday, March 5 (4:30-8:00).  For these round of conferences, teachers should contact and schedule conferences with parents of students of concern.  Please collaborate with other teachers so that we can have more than one teacher(s) in on a conference for a specific student if necessary.  As a guideline, we should be inviting parents of any student that has received either a NE or BE on any standard, or that we have behavior concerns about.  I sent a message to parents through Campus Messenger on Thursday night reminding them about conferences, and letting parents know that they can contact us if they would like to come in for a conference if we did not contact them.  Please share the grade level conference schedule with Robin and myself.

Mid-Quarter Grades

This is a reminder that we are approaching the mid-quarter at alarming speed.  Please have your mid-quarter grades posted by end of day Friday, February 27.  In my message to parents through Campus Messenger about PT Conferences I also gave parents this date.

SLO/PPG Mid-Year Meetings

Thank you to those of you that have scheduled and met with me already about your SLO/PPG.  For this process, please complete the Mid-Year Review responses in Teachscape, and then send me a quick email letting me know that you have completed that step.  I will then schedule a quick meeting to check-in on progress.  The meetings that I have had already have been awesome.

Budget

Another reminder to be working on budget for next year.  You can click HERE for a template for a requisition.  As a reminder, please have materials turned in to me by March 13.

Grade Level Blogs

The positive feedback continues to come in about the grade level blogs.  I really appreciate the time that our teachers have taken to keep our parents in the loop about what their children are working on in each class.  If you have not contributed, but would like to, please contact the following people to grant you "author privileges". 6th - Alex O., 7th - Tess B., 8th - Jerry P.

Student of the Month Breakfast

This is a reminder that the next SOM Breakfast will be on Thursday, March 12.  Please get your nominations to me by the middle of next week.  Thank you 6th Grade team for your prompt nominations.

WKCE Results

We received the results of the WKCE tests that 8th graders took in early November.  The students were tested in Science and Social Studies.  81.6% of our students were proficient or advanced in both Science and Social Studies.

Educational Politics
With all of the hubbub about the Governor's latest budget, State Superintendent, Tony Evers sent this LETTER.  Dr. Evers gives a solid perspective about the realities of the state budget and how it will impact public education.  I am confident that in Poynette our goals will drive our budgetary decisions.

Twitter Post of the Week

Elisabeth Bostwick ‏@ElisaBostwick  2m2 minutes ago

Empathy is important because when kids feel understood they are more likely to take risks. #whatIsSchool

Duty This Week
Morning - Rogness, Vian
Bus - Hazard

Data
STAR Results

Math
6th Grade	Fall	Winter
% at or above Grade Level	66%	74%
% Meeting Growth Targets	n/a	66%
7th Grade	Fall	Winter
% at or above Grade Level	75%	85%
% Meeting Growth Targets	n/a	60%
8th Grade	Fall	Winter
% at or above Grade Level	68%	75%
% Meeting Growth Targets	n/a	63%
Reading
6th Grade	Fall	Winter
% at or above Grade Level	47%	53%
% Meeting Growth Targets	n/a	60%
7th Grade	Fall	Winter
% at or above Grade Level	48%	52%
% Meeting Growth Targets	n/a	57%
8th Grade	Fall	Winter
% at or above Grade Level	52%	51%
% Meeting Growth Targets	n/a	57%

  

Improving Instructional Practices Vol. 11

Thanks to Mrs. Morrissey and Ms. Niemeyer for these short, weekly tips for effective instruction practices.

Formative Assessments ~ Kahoot

Danielson’s Domains:  1f Designing Students Assessments, 3d Using Assessment in Instruction

Want a quick and engaging way to formatively assess student learning?  Give Kahoot a try!

This website lets students respond to polls that teachers can create on a computer, phone, or tablet.  Kahoot students to answer on their device and gives you a quick graph of results as to what students know, and any misconceptions they still may have that you can address right away.  

Try it out at gethakoot.com

PMS News & Notes 2/13/15

There is nothing like going to a state conference and getting the chance to meet and talk with other principals across the state to really put in perspective the magnitude of the work that we are doing on a daily basis in Poynette.  Getting back in the building on Friday afternoon was energizing.  Working with a staff that has a continued focus on "getting better" in anything that we do, and the drive and commitment to get those things done is a lot of fun.  I appreciate the role that each of our staff members plays in the lives of our students.  A few notes below...

Conference Takeaways  

I was able to attend multiple sessions on topics like: scheduling, Badger Exam, Grading for Learning, ELA Common Core look-fors, and Intervention/Enrichment Period time usage...but the biggest learning that I took away came from the keynote speaker, Dr. Anthony Muhammad.  He was a leader in a major turnaround of success in a Detroit area school district.  He talked about many things, but the thing that stands out for us to keep at the forefront of our words and actions is having high expectations for all students.  Kids tend to rise to the expectations that we set for them.  This comes through in both our body language and our words.
We have talked a lot about the culture of our building.  I think that we have a vision for what type of culture we want in our building...respectful, kind interactions,and learning focused...Getting to this vision is not something that can happen overnight, and it comes through in every word and interaction between every staff member and student.  I thought the quote below captures the effect of high expectations for all pretty well.

We will continue to work to foster and build this culture everywhere in our building.

Student of the Month Breakfast
The next student of the month breakfast will be on Thursday, March 12.  Please collaborate and get the names to me by Wednesday, February 25.

Budget Time
This is a reminder that we are in the midst of budget creation for next year.  Some groups are ready to meet with me already.  Please let me know when you are ready to sit down and look at the budget numbers for next year.

Mid-Year SLO/PPG
Another reminder to let me know when you are ready to sit down and review student data and progress towards both the SLO and PPG's.

Puma Pride Team
If you are interested in participating on a Puma Pride team, you are welcome to join the team.  We will have a meeting on Thursday (2/19) at 3:00pm in Mrs. Hendrickson's room.  Thanks to Mrs. Hendrickson and Mrs. Graeve for volunteering to be a part of this group already.  We will focus on: analyzing Puma Pride rubric language, our behavior data, best practices in managing student behavior, and planning for overall school culture cultivation.  We will use the book, School Culture Rewired by Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker, to frame our focus.

Growth Mind-Set Reminder
I wanted to include a reminder about the strong research done by Carol Dweck in the area of growth mindset...and its implications in a student's motivation.  HERE is a link to the short video we watched earlier in the year.

Generating Student Discussion

Check out this tip from a teacher that has had success generating student discussion in his classroom...from the Marshall Memo 573

Silent 15-Minute Online Dialogues in a Middle-School Classroom

        “In a normal classroom discussion, power often rests with the quickest minds,” says Jason Hilton (Slippery Rock University, PA) in this AMLE Magazine article. “The ability to quickly respond with a well-constructed verbal retort dominates conversation from debate halls to playground walls.” That’s why, when he was teaching the Bill of Rights and related Supreme Court decisions to eighth graders, he had students spend the first 15 minutes of each class in complete silence “conversing” with each other in an online discussion forum. “All discussion had to be online,” says Hilton, “even if they were engaged in a discussion with someone sitting right next to them.” When Hilton called time-out and closed the discussion forum so students could return to their wiki projects, the silence was broken by moans and complaints, and he had to promise to open the forum again at the end of class.

Reflecting on the experience, Hilton sees several advantages. First, the discussion board and wiki projects, which were student-centered, problem-based learning, “place every step, from content knowledge to argument synthesis, in the hands of the students.” Second, “Even though the students were sitting in the same classroom, the digital medium through which the students were asked to participate presented an opportunity for students to overcome traditional barriers to classroom conversation. It no longer mattered what students looked like, who their friends were, or where they might be sitting. Instead, the more thoughtful students who may have been shut out of a traditional classroom dialogue by its rapid pace were able to take their time to craft a more powerful commentary.” Finally, the online discussion seemed to energize students who were normally passive and silent.

Hilton realized that without several key elements, this discussion would not have been as successful:

• A meaty and intriguing topic that would engage students at a high level;
• A laptop cart that put a computer in front of every student;
• Requiring that all contributions and dialogue take place through silent keyboarding;
• Careful monitoring by the teacher during class and after hours to ensure appropriate, respectful exchanges;
• Knowing when to bring closure.

“The Power of Silent Discussion” by Jason Hilton in AMLE Magazine, February 2015 (Vol. 2, #6, p. 29-31); Hilton can be reached at Jason.hilton@sru.edu.

Educational Politics

Since the Governor's proposed budget release, there has been lots to say about the impact of K-12 education funding and policies. One thing seems certain is that there will be debate and discussion in the legislature about the specifics, and this will take time. In the meantime, as people discuss the proposals, I think it's important for people in education to be informed and talk accurately to other people about the issues. I have linked a couple of articles about the education portion of the issue HERE and HERE. Take a look at the issues around the state testing proposal (common core ban) and school accountability (schools receiving letter grades).

I am confident that we have a solid plan in Poynette for whatever budget is approved and signed into law.

Twitter Find of the Week

Todd ‏@ToddWhitaker  39s39 seconds ago

#satchat @GreatestQuotes: "A goal should scare you a little, and excite you a lot." - Dr. Joe Vitale

Todd ‏@ToddWhitaker  6m6 minutes ago

A3 Be upbeat and positive every single day. This is the minimum and yet it would be an improvement in many situations. #satchat

Duty This Week

Morning - Lendobeja, O'Connor

Bus - Hendrickson

Data
Attendance Rate
13-14 - 95.45%
14-15 - 95.54%

Tardy Data
14-15
# of students with at least 1 tardy - 138
# of students with 5 or more tardies - 55

13-14
# of students with at least 1 tardy - 126

# of students with 5 or more tardies - 56

12-13
# of students with at least 1 tardy - 147


# of students with 5 or more tardies - 43

Improving Instructional Practices Vol. 10

Thanks to Mrs. Morrissey and Ms. Niemeyer for these short, weekly tips for effective instruction.

Get Wild with Questions & Hogs*

The acronym WILD HOG is all about designing classroom questions. It stands for: Written Intentionally for Learning Depth and Higher Order Genius. What’s it about? Usually when we teach, we are focused on the lesson’s progression and how the students are interacting with the content and each other, not leaving us much time for deeper thinking during instruction. As a result, our questions may be off-the-cuff, lower- level questions.

WILD HOG questions are developed before the lesson, during the planning stage, when teachers have time to analyze the scaffolding of the learning experience. Create WILD HOG questions with your Bloom’s Taxonomy right by your side. This strategy will help you construct questions for every level and help you target specific questions for specific groups or individual students.

Done right, WILD HOG questions will help students answer questions completely, effectively, problem-solve and discuss deeply learned concepts. What are some excellent questioning techniques that you use to inspire learning and engage your students? Share your information on the blog or shoot us an email to spread your questioning expertise among your colleagues.

Here are additional links for questioning resources:

Critical Thinking Skills

Questions a Critical Thinker Asks

38 Question Starters Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised with Verbs

Adapted from the article written by Ben Johnson on Edutopia.  Want to read the full article? Click here to learn more.

News & Notes 2/6/15

As we jump into February, the lists of things that we need to accomplish seem a little daunting...continuing our quest for higher levels of student achievement, continuing to focus on building and growing a positive student-centered culture, budget, mid-year SLO/PPG-EE meetings, mini-observations...The list could go on.  You wonder how the year flies by so fast.  A few notes from the week that was, and the week to come.

Our Students
During our staff meeting, I shared the DEWS (Drop-Out Early Warning System) data with everyone. I think just looking at what DEWS stands for, adds a heightened importance of what we do in this building every day.  The kids that frustrate us the most, need us the most.  The manner in which we view these students and how we interact with them has a big impact on their connection to school, and ultimately, their success.  Relationships with adults at school are proven to be the most effective way to get these students to learn the lessons we need to teach them, both socially and academically.

Mid-Year Review
If you have your SLO data monitored, and are ready to meet to review the progress towards your SLO goal, shoot me an email.  We will meet shortly thereafter.  I will work to get these meetings concluded by the end of February.

Budget Reminder
This is a reminder about the budget timeline.  Please have your requests submitted to me by March 13.  If you need a budget process packet, please let me know, I have copies available in my office.

Staff Meeting Review
Thanks again for a positive staff meeting on Wednesday.  I really enjoy the time that we get to spend together as a group, and really enjoyed hearing about some of the exciting things that are happening in our classrooms.  A collaborative culture makes doing what we do more enjoyable.

Rigor
Increasing the rigor in our classrooms goes hand in hand with facilitating literacy activities with our content.  Activities that require discussion, purposeful reading, and writing help to build the literacy capacity of our students.  Showing our students what advanced level work and writing looks like, will help them visualize the road map it will take to get their own skills to that level.

Educational Politics
What a week it has been in the political arena in Wisconsin.  The release of the proposed state budget has set off quite a stir.  Here are some links to articles and information related to how the proposed budget could impact K-12 education. HERE, HERE, and HERE.  It will be interesting to follow any changes the legislature will make to the budget proposal.

Twitter Find of the Week

Douglas Reeves‏@DouglasReeves

#NESAChat @emilysb1 Just a clarification - it’s important to share not only exemplars, but also work that is in progress

Duty Next Week

Morning Duty - Jorgensen, Kallungi

Bus Duty - Jorgensen

Love and Logic Strategies

Low Stress Strategies for Successful Educators

• Set limits in the classroom without anger
• Provide underachievers hope and willingness when the going gets tough
• Build strong connections between home and school
• Manage and immediately handle disruptive students
• Get and keep students' attention
• Build positive student-teacher relationships
• Help students own and solve their own problems
• Diffuse power struggles

Because:

• Hand the problem back to the student who created it.
• When the student has to solve the problem, they have to think.
• They learn that decisions have consequences.
• When dealing with consequences, they learn to think and practice self control

Strategy 1: Model and teach problem solving.

Lead with empathy.                 “Tough problem, huh?”

Follow with a sincere question. “What do you plan to do?”

Gain permission to share.  “Would you like to know what others have tried?”

Explore possible outcomes.     “How do you think this might work for you?”

Allow to solve or not.               “Good luck. Let me know how that works.”

Or….take ownership.                 “Feel free to…..when……”

Sharing Instructional Strategies

Using the Comments feature on this blog, please share an instructional strategy that you have found to be successful in one of the following areas:

Purposeful Reading

Writing

Discussion

Example:  I have used Socratic Circles in my classroom to create meaningful discussion on topic X.

News & Notes 1/30/15

January and the 2nd quarter are already in the rear view mirror, and we continue to look ahead... Poynette Middle School is a great place to be.  A few notes about the week that was, and the weeks to come.

STAR Testing

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, middle school students took the STAR test in their respective Math and ELA classrooms.  The early results show positive student growth, and analyzing the results has been really fun.  Seeing the scores of students increase from the fall is very satisfying for us, especially the ones that we have worked so hard with in the Intervention setting.  This data will be useful for us as we analyze our lessons, curriculum, and students...as well as tracking SLO progress.

Report Cards

Report cards will go out in the mail today.  I sent an Infinite Campus message to all parents yesterday.  In looking at the report cards, our goal of giving more information about how our students are doing in class is being met.  Thank you for using this opportunity to give feedback about each student's progress.

Mid-Year Review for EE

It's time to start getting ready to sit down with me for a mid-year meeting focused on SLO.  Even though Non-Summary year teachers are not required by the state to meet with an administrator, I would like to sit down and meet with each of you to review the progress of the SLO, and determine if we need to tweak the goal.  I'll be checking these meetings off on my whiteboard as they happen.  If you are ready to meet, please let me know, otherwise, I'll be setting up these meetings.

Staff Meeting Next Week

This is a reminder that we will have a PMS Staff Meeting this coming Wednesday (2/4), at 2:50 in Room 201.  We will talk budget process/timeline, analyze data, and collaborate about best practices going on in our building.

Budget Reminder

We will discuss this more in detail at the staff meeting on Wednesday, but please be thinking about the materials that you need in your classroom for next year that will boost student achievement.

Educational Politics

It is a very interesting time in educational politics, especially at the state level.  There seems to be a divide in the Senate, Assembly, and the Governor's office about a school accountability bill, and with recent news about major cuts to the University of Wisconsin system, many eyes are on the upcoming release of the state budget, and the K-12 funding.  For the latest on school accountability, click HERE and HERE.  For recent news about the budget, click HERE.

Printer Ink
A reminder to utilize our copy room, and avoid printing more than one copy on the printers.  Our printer ink supply is dwindling more quickly than year's past.

Twitter Find of the Week

Aaron Duff, M.Ed. ‏@education_geek  2h2 hours ago

Challenge: Ask your students this question: "How can I improve our class?" Use the weekend for reflection. #edchat #moedchat #EduEquity

Duty for Next Week

Morning - Hazard, Hendrickson

Bus - Kallungi

Data

# of NE scores earned by students

1st Quarter - 146

2nd Quarter - 112

Critical Strategies that Work

The first 5 and last 5 minutes of class time are so crucial to a lesson.  We have touched briefly on their importance at times this school year.  Below is a link to a brief article that provides ideas for how to get the most out of these crucial minutes.  This article is from the Edutopia blog.

Student Engagement Article

PMS News & Notes 1/24/15

There is only one more week in January left!  How did that happen?  The end of the semester signals the time when we reach the top of the hill and each day we are working our way down...with all of the goals that we have for our students this school year, and the days left to achieve them winding down.  This is just another reminder that each second in school day is so important for each of their growth.  We impact their growth, both academically and overall...I think that is the best thing about this profession.

Friday's Professional Development Day

I thought that Friday was a lot of fun.  Collectively, we were able to get a lot of things done, have good conversations about grading, instruction, and student growth.  It is really enjoyable to work with a staff that is not afraid of continuous improvement, and is willing to look at challenges, and work collaboratively to find solutions.  Kudos to all for a great day.

End of Semester Celebration Wrap-Up

As this event approached I wasn't sure how I felt about it...weighing pros (tradition, excited kids) and cons (loss of instructional time, planning/organization time) during the whole planning process.  After seeing the kids leave and come back excited, I think this was a great opportunity to cement positive feelings about the school and teachers in the minds of our students...a true culture building opportunity.  Staff members connected with students in a different venue.  Thank you for everyone's efforts to make this event run smoothly and work on relationships with even the most challenging students.

New Semester starts Monday

Monday will be a B Day.  6th and 7th Grade teachers should distribute schedules during the first class of the day, and 8th grade teachers will hand out schedules in the cafeteria/hallway right away Monday morning.

Grading Timeline

This is a reminder that grades are due by end of day Wednesday.  I will review report cards on Thursday, and we plan to mail them home on Friday.  Please keep in mind the following: 1.) you must overwrite mid-term grades, 2.) leave standards blank if you did not assess them this term, 3.) comments must be attached to a standard, and 4.) to complete the coursework completion score (see Anna's email).

STAR Testing

We will be administering STAR Math on Tuesday and STAR Reading on Wednesday of this week.  These will be conducted in the respective Math and ELA classes on these days.

Mid-Year EE Activities

I will be meeting with staff members for a Mid-Year Review meeting.  For staff on the Summary Year, we will check in about Teacher Practices and SLO progress.  For those on a Non-Summary Year, we will check in about SLO mid-year data.

Twitter Find of the Week

Culture of Teaching vs. Culture of Learning from @stephe1234

Duty Next Week

Morning - Greer, Harms

Bus - Lendobeja

Data

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

8th Grade

1st Quarter - 47

2nd Quarter - 36

7th Grade

1st Quarter - 9

2nd Quarter - 5

6th Grade

1st Quarter - 2

2nd Quarter - TBA

10 Assessments in 90 Seconds

Check it out...

http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/10-assessments-you-can-perform-in-90-seconds/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem&utm_content=dpJ5oR&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook#!dpJ5oR

PMS News & Notes 1/16/15

I am proud to be a Poynette Puma.  Below is some important information from this past week, and the week ahead!  Have a great day everyone!

Professional Development Day next Friday 1/23
Next Friday, we will host another day of professional development.  The schedule is HERE.  This will be another solid opportunity for collaboration, and to spread around the knowledge that we have right here on our staff.

Educator Effectiveness Tip
I have been getting an opportunity to really look deeper into the critical attributes associated with each domain of the Danielson Framework.  I thought I'd share a tip or two in this space.  For 3C: Engaging Students in Learning, a Level 4 (Distinguished) critical attribute that everyone can do in their classroom everyday...Students have an opportunity for reflection and closure on the lesson to consolidate their understanding.  This opportunity is really important for students to make a deeper connection with the material that they just worked hard to learn.

MS Celebration Activity on Thursday, 1/22/15
We will be running a celebration activity next Thursday.  The purpose of this event must be for us to continue to build and grow our culture by working on the relationships that we have established with our students.  As the day approaches, be thinking of those students that could be really getting on our nerves...please look to seek out an opportunity during this day to try to connect with as many kids as you can, but these kids especially.  There are no easy answers for how to get some of these students back on the right track, but research continually shows that relationships and connections have proven the most effective.  Taking time for a student is like putting money in a bank, that we know we may have to withdraw later...Staff assignments and details will be shared either later today or Monday.  We will have normal classes till 10:15 am.  If you have questions, let me know.  Special thanks again to Mr. Jorgensen, Mrs. Greer, Mr. Kallungi, and Mrs. McNicol for their extra work to make this event a reality.

I know there has been questions about student eligibility to go on the trip, and I apologize for the air of uncertainty out there...there are different philosophies and viewpoints regarding "reward days"...at this time, my philosophy is that if a student gets into some trouble, they need to have immediate consequences, serve them, and get right back to getting the opportunity to build back trust...(I do reserve the right to change my mind on this philosophy)...however, any student in question I will have direct communication with them about their attendance on this day.

Classroom Go-Kits
Throughout the course of the year, we have been working on our safety plan.  Part of that plan involves classroom "Go-Kits".  These will be in a red envelope that should be visible in the room, and hung somewhere close to the door.  The red envelopes will be distributed soon along with more information about safety procedures.

Budget Time
This is a reminder the be thinking of classroom supplies and materials that could take student learning to the next level in your classroom.  Budget time is right around the corner...

Yearbook Pictures
This is a reminder that if you have taken pictures, please email them to me, and I'll forward them to the Parent Club for the yearbook.

Educational Politics
The Assembly and the State Senate have produced their own versions of a school accountability bill. There has been a public forum on the bill, and the Governor has spoken about his view on the bill. This debate has been interesting to follow...if you are interested in the SAA's take, you can view their testimony that was heard by the Education Committee this week.

Twitter Find of the Week
Are today's youth lazier and more disrespectful than ever???...Click HERE for a short take on the matter...from @justintarte

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

Data
Behavioral Referrals for corresponding time period in the 2nd Quarter.
14-15 - 67 Events, 38 Students
13-14 - 85 Events, 55 Students
12-13 - 67 Events, 44 Students
11-12 - 218 Events, 80 Students

PMS News & Notes 1/9/15

We are back in action after a solid winter break, and it seems like we haven't skipped a beat.  This week featured our first weather day, a solid staff meeting, and students learning like crazy.  Here are a few notes from the week and some of what is to come...

Staff Meeting Recap
Thank you again for a solid staff meeting.  I am really impressed and energized by the "let's roll up our sleeves and get better" mentality that each of you bring to the table.  With this mentality, we are sure to continually increase the achievement levels of our students.  I appreciate the focus and effort that you put into your work, and I feel that the collaboration time at our staff meetings is so valuable.

End of Quarter...Jan. 22
The end of the 2nd Quarter is on Thursday, January 22, 2015.  Grades will be due on Wednesday, January 28, and report cards will be mailed home from here on out.  A couple of reminders...
1.) You will need to go in and overwrite scores from mid-terms
2.) If you did not assess a standard, please leave it blank
3.) Take note of Greg's suggestion about comments on the report card.  We can still put them in, but they need to be in the right place.

End of Semester Celebration
On Thursday, January 22, students will have the choice to go to KEVA Sports Center or the Portage Movie Theater for our End of Semester Celebration.  More details about times, assignments, cost, etc. will come early next week.  I am still waiting to confirm the movie time, and cost.  Special thanks to Mrs. McNicol, Mr. Kallungi, Mrs. Greer, and Mr. Jorgensen for helping with sign-up and permission slip collection.  I will share the documents with details soon.

Summer School Courses
It is time to start thinking about summer school already.  If you have an idea for a new summer school course that you'd like to teach, or are interested in teaching summer school again, please touch base with Mr. Hausser.

Welcome New Staff Members

We expect to have two new food service workers for your building in January.   Faith Tomlinson and Liz Campbell will be starting in the kitchen soon.

Educational Politics
Congress is back in session this week, and they are getting to work quickly in terms of introducing educational bills.  The first bill introduced this session deals with school accountability.  If you are interested, HERE is an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the bill, and HERE is the School Administrator's Alliance's viewpoint about the bill.  In the coming months, there is projected to be more education related bills introduced.

Swimming Pool Locker Room Renovations

The School Board approved renovations to the pool locker rooms.  The work is scheduled to be started on April 1 and then will be completed by June.  This will be a very nice upgrade to our schools.

Twitter Find of the Week
"You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures." Charles C. Noble...posted by @Leadershipfreak

A teenagers TAKE on Social Media...

Duty Next Week
Morning Duty - Deans, Fraser
Bus Duty - Rogness

Data
% in Attendance (measured from 1st day of school to the corresponding day in January)
Our Vision 2020 Goal is 96% of higher...
12-13 - 96.17%
13-14 - 95.69%
14-15 - 95.87%