Lead Learners’ Update
Strategic leaders think about what they do and say to walk their talk everywhere, every day. John Maxwel
Calendar of Events
5.20 Administrative Learning 12:00 - 3:30
AIW Reflection Meeting Lead by Brad Colton (PHS and Crest, 3:30 - 4:30)
Board Meeting
5.23 Recognize Retirees at Creek (3:00 - 4:30)
5.27 Memorial Day
End of Year Business
- Turn in all teacher evaluation documentation by the last day of school.
- Turn in administrative evaluation (i.e. Assistant Principal) documentation by the last day of school (ll administrators shall be evaluated annually based on 2012 Iowa Code).
- School Improvement Plan/Board Report due by June 30 (on Google Doc, Link to Google page).
- GWAEA will assign a mentor to the new teachers who are new to the profession. This only applies to new hires for 2013-14; the new teachers who are currently assigned with a district mentor will continue to work with their mentor for one more year.
- Be sure to assign your new hires (not new to the profession) a professional partner. Inform the PPs that they will be at the new teacher orientation and encourage them to contact the new teachers as soon as possible.
- Make sure your council members who will work on the summer curriculum days know their responsibilities.
- Encourage teachers to participate on June 24 and 25 Curriculum Work Sessions.
- Encourage teachers to join technology sessions set for June 6 & 7.
- Save the best for the last - Remember the Admin Party? June 20th at 5:00 PM @ Noreen’s home
Summer Calendar at a Glance (Ying Ying Chen)
June 6, 7, 8 PLC Institute
June 6 & 7 Digital Literacy Summer Workshop (Provided by Apple)
June 12, 13, 14 Curriculum Alignment (Principal attendance required; need the knowledge to lead building PLC)
June 17, 18, 19 AIW Academy (PHS and Crest)
June 20, 21 PBL Summer Institute (Grades 7-12 @ GWAEA, hosted by CCSD and Muscatine and HTH)
June 24, 25, 26 HTH Workshop (PHS and Point, travel on June 23, return on June 26)
June 24 and 25 Curriculum Work Sessions
June 26, 27, 28 IASCD Competency Based Education (a small 7-12 cohort)
August 5 Digital Learner Training with Honeycutt (Administrator attendance highly encouraged. He is a fantastic national speaker)
August 6, 7, 8 SAI (August 6 is pre conference)
August 12 New Teacher Orientation Day
August 13, 14, 15 New Teacher Orientation
August 16 Teacher Work Day (also Textbook Orientation Day)
August 16 K-6 enVision Mathematics Orientation to Curriculum (AM/PM sessions)
August 19 Teacher Work Day
Digital Literacy Update (Craig Barnum)
I know we’ve already gone over this in administrative meetings, but Ying, Bill, and I revised and updated the Digital LIteracy Trainers job description for the 2013-14 school year. We shared these changes with that team on 5/14. Here is a link to the updated job description:
The main changes were determined by feedback from the administrative team and the Digital Literacy Advisory Committee. These changes are: the trainers will be creating modules that can be used with building cadres to do local DL learning on PL days. Module designers will be available to work with building cadres and admin teams to consult as needed. We’ve reduced the number of days the trainers will be out of the classroom by two days (from 6 this year to 4 in 2013-14). And, we’ll be training this team in IPI and the “Tech” IPI. As listed in the Summer Dates above, we will also be learning from national consultant, Kevin Honeycutt on 8/5/13. I would encourage all of the admin team to attend this day if possible. Honeycutt is really engaging and has lots of high quality thinking to share.
In my last update, I wrote that we would be modifying the registration address verification process this year. We’ve decided to back off that for this summer. The form we hoped to use had too many problems and was not showing all the data we need to make it useful. We were trying to use forms that were based upon other districts’ designs, and they just didn’t match our needs. I strongly believe this household based form is much more efficient and customer friendly than our current one based upon individual students. But, until we can get exactly right, we won’t use something that’s just different, but not better. I’ve scheduled time in June to create the form from scratch. We’ll aim to roll it out in the 2013-14 school year. I will keep you all posted on progress.
New Teacher Licensure - Information Shared by DE
Iowa now requires passing test scores on two Praxis II exams before candidates are eligible for licensure. Graduates must pass a pedagogy exam and a content exam. No temporary or provisional licensure will be issued without passing test scores. The candidates must pass the approved chosen Iowa assessments using Iowa’s cut scores. Iowa graduates will not be recommended for licensure without passing test scores. Out-of-state graduates cannot apply for licensure without the Iowa passing test scores.
Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock
Reminder: The following teacher surveys need to be completed so that data can be compiled for the end-of-year report for SIAC:
- TPP-AFL #3
- TPP-Unit Design #3 (which includes the Digital Literacy survey questions)
I will continue to check these documents to create powerpoint slides for the SIAC meeting in June. Thanks!
Additional Registration Information Listed Below:
June 24 and 25
Please continue to promote the participation of curriculum work sessions. To register, (Grades 5-12) individual teachers should use the link:
Sign up before May 20th.
K-4 Summer Curriculum Roster: Thank you very much for your work to ensure that we have teachers available for June 12, 13, & 14th to work on both Literacy and Mathematics curriculum. Any additional changes/additions can be submitted on this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pwkTzxcJARF32gCfpCiX6mD4UtV9Yt67quqZozCynBU/edit
K-4 Summer Curriculum Proposal form: A total of 9 teams from K-4 have already signed up on the curriculum form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1I7afIiUtateT7SKLteEmz0BtgyX3DdF-VAfubgeDyOs/viewform) in order to let us know that they wish to work together as a team on June 24 and June 25. Please continue to encourage teams who wish to work on these dates and also fill out the form so we are aware of their intended outcomes and identified needs. This will help the coaches have a better idea about what each team needs to support.
Grades 5 - 12 Summer Curriculum Councils Membership: As Creek, Point, and the HS have a better idea about whom is attending summer curriculum workshops, please complete the following form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1euekeFlNHlQCabP5qx4n65AO5FiwLDRxiDhD8j1Dtuk/edit
Student Services by Cheryl Kiburz
Web IEP 2013 ROLLOUT IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW
By June 4, 2013: All IEPs need to be implemented. Please have special education teachers make a hard copy of all current roster students’ IEP for the confidential folder prior to the end of the year. Some information from the current IEP may not roll over such as future dates information and specific descriptions of services/activities on Page F. It will be important to have a hard copy to refer to in the fall for any missing information.
- June 28, 2013: The current system shuts down and that will include: Iplan, GEI, IEP, Test site, mobile app.
- June 29 and 30, 2013: The conversion will occur.
- At 7 am July 1, 2013: Everything comes back, with new IEP and IFSP.
- DISTRICT TRAINING FOR THE WEB IEP WILL BE SCHEDULED DURING TEACHER INSERVICE, MOST LIKELY AUGUST 16 FOR PK-4. CREEK, POINT/HS/EDGE WILL SCHEDULE THEIR OWN TRAINING DURING THAT WEEK.
