This is a very early heads up that we will have a professional learning day on March 4. 

We are in the very early stages of planning what this day will look like but it will be an opportunity to share and reflect on how a compassionate focus on technology, inclusion, and diversity meets our students’ needs. We plan to invite educators from other schools to join us. 

An important part of this day will be informal workshops and/or dialogues facilitated by teacher volunteers. We are inviting you to share with us the practices that have worked for you in meeting your students’ needs over this very difficult time. We will use the common language and framework of the ISY Inclusive Practices to help you plan and organize these workshops and/or dialogues. 

Our TIF team of Ian and Lindsey will be helping us put this day together and will be popping into classes from time to time to get ideas and encourage teachers. Please reach out to them if you have an idea you would like some support with – whether you intend to present it or not on March 4.

Goal: To reflect on student progress as a team and seek strategies to support and challenge students.  Focus is on Tier 1 and Tier 2 students.

Meetings will take place approximately every 6 weeks according to this SRM Schedule.  Homeroom teachers will asked to complete a checklist prior to the meeting to identify students they wish to prioritize.  Specialists are encouraged to complete the checklist for concerns they see within their classrooms.  All team members should review the notes before and after the meetings to identify areas in which they may have been assigned a task.

Recording Student Reading Levels

Please use this Elementary Reading Levels 2021-2022 to record the reading levels of your students. It is easiest to use the Reading A-Z assessment tool so use that and record that level – no need to convert it into any different scales. We will reorganize our ISY benchmark reading levels to fit this tool to help you with reporting.

If you are using the DRAs that we have used in the past that is ok too – just put (DRA) next to the number so this is clear. We will record a level for every student in September, January and May. If you do assessments between these times, there are also columns for you to record the levels.

Here are a curated list of helpful links for students and families as we begin the year. These videos can be helpful as you share information with them. 

• Overview of Apps used in the ES (Video Link) (Slides Link)
• Sign in to your Chrome Web Browser (Video Link)
• Download Chrome (Website Link)
• Download Chrome on iPad (Video Link)
• Sign in with Google to Seesaw (Video Link)
• Seesaw Parent Login (Video Link)
• How to get into Kids A-Z (Video Link)
• Freckle Login (Video Link)

Lindsey and Christian in the library would be very happy to help get books to you that you might want to read to your class or have your students read. These books can be scanned so they can be used online so let them know if you are looking for something.