Thursday, January 25, 2018

Weekly Communication from Central Office - 1/25

Wink’s Weekly Words

Click here to read my Blue Ridge community blog

The Power of Words
Please take 2 minutes to watch this video.  Your words are more powerful than you can possibly imagine.  When you change your words, you change your mindset and potentially every child’s world.  I sincerely appreciate all of the work you have done in January.  You are laying strong foundations in each child that will help him/her learn, grow and excel.



Your Vote = Your Voice
Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  Early voting begins on February 20, and election day is March 6.



Amy’s Announcements

ALLOWABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STAAR


Are you logging the allowable accommodations that you’re implementing into your campus spreadsheet? Please be doing this on a regular basis so we’re able to assess the strategies that are working for your students that can be used on STAAR.
*** As we’ve discussed there’s a HUGE OPPORTUNITY for our RtI students who struggle with reading difficulty to be offered Extra Time or Oral Admin. We’ll be doing training on campuses SOON to make sure you’re equipped with the knowledge you need to let technology help with oral admin. Be looking for information on this from your campus principal.


Go here for links to the training, Lead4Ward documents and spreadsheets: http://www.br-impact.com/p/blog-page.html


FA4
Reminder...your FA4 is due in Eduphoria on FEBRUARY 9TH. Let your campus principal know if you need assistance.
This will be a regular FA, except for these subjects, which will be doing a Mock Benchmark.

* 5 and 8 Reading/Math,
* English I and
* English II
* 4 & 7 Writing - WILL NOT BENCHMARK BECAUSE OF WRITING PILOT.


1819 Calendar
We’ve been working on our 1819 Calendar. The final version will go before the BRISD Board of Trustees in February.
A link to the draft calendar for 18-19 can be found here: http://brisd.net/domain/377
We would love feedback from staff and the community.
Please view the calendar and provide your thoughts here:


PEER COACHING VISITS
Next week (Jan 30 - Feb 2), the amazing Peer Coaches will be visiting your classrooms. Hopefully, you’ll have time in your schedule for a return visit to their room! They’ll be reaching out by email to talk about your goals and how they can support you.


LINKS:
** Accommodation Resources - http://www.br-impact.com/p/blog-page.html
** FA Instructions - https://goo.gl/kqmhBo

Staff Shoutout

This week’s Shoutout is to recognize the hard-working, multi-tasking, always positive ladies that run the offices on our campuses. What would we do without you? Thanks for meeting the needs of all staff and students. We appreciate you!!
Also, Lana Sikes...thank you for filling in during these last couple of weeks. I know the staff appreciates everything you've done to keep things running smoothly!
Kelly - thanks to your husband, I was able to track down a picture of you!





Technology Announcements

We’ve had requests from teachers to block YouTube. We’ve done some work on the filter to still have YouTube open because we know you do use it for educational purposes. It’s on ‘restricted’ mode, which will hopefully filter out content you wouldn’t want for your students to view. If you experience videos/channels blocked that should be open, put a ticket in HelpDesk and we’ll address it.

Special Programs Announcements

Blue Ridge ISD Dyslexia on FB - https://goo.gl/dPkJiE

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Weekly Communication from Central Office - 1/18

Wink’s Weekly Words

Click here to read my Blue Ridge community blog



Your Vote = Your Voice
Are you register to vote?  The March primaries are coming quickly, and one
of the candidates on the ballot will  be elected to make decisions about education
and your future in education.  Your vote is your voice, and I encourage you to
become familiar with the candidates and informed about their platform, so that
you can choose the best candidate for issues that matter to you most.


Based on the last session, the legislators selected in the primaries (if elected in November)  
will more than likely make decisions about the following education issues:
  • Funding for education
  • The Texas Teacher Retirement System
  • Vouchers
  • Testing and accountability
  • Special Education


Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  
Early voting begins on February 20, and election day is March 6.  

Amy’s Announcements
ALLOWABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STAAR
After our training in November on Allowable Accommodations for students, you should
be well on your way of implementing strategies that will benefit specific students. It’s
important to be documenting these strategies on your campus spreadsheet we can
make determinations for STAAR on whether or not it was beneficial.
See the iMPACT Blog here for links to the spreadsheets and Lead4Ward documents
which highlight what is allowable - http://www.br-impact.com/p/blog-page.html


FA4
Even though we’re still administering FA3, the deadline for submitting your FA4 is just
around the corner. Your FA4 assessment is due FEBRUARY 9TH. Let your campus principal
know if you need assistance.


1819 Calendar
We’ve been working on our 1819 Calendar. The final version will go before the BRISD
Board of Trustees in February.
A link to the draft calendar for 18-19 can be found here: http://brisd.net/domain/377

Highlights of the draft calendar:
* First day of school: August 20
* Fair Day: October 8
* Full week at Thanksgiving
* Christmas Holiday: December 20 -  January 8
* Spring Semester begins: January 9
* Spring Break: March 11-15
* Bad Weather Day on Good Friday, April 19
* Last Day for students: May 24


We would love feedback from staff and the community.
Please view the calendar and provide your thoughts here:

----------------------------------------------------
LINKS:
** Accommodation Resources - http://www.br-impact.com/p/blog-page.html
** FA Instructions - https://goo.gl/kqmhBo

Technology Announcements

We have officially converted over to fiber. Hopefully you’re noticing improvement in
our internet! We’re going to be continuing to work to make our internet speed/connectivity
even better by improving wireless access points later this spring.

Special Programs Announcements


Business Office Announcements
Tax Documents from Kim Mounger:
Notice of Cyber Alert

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Weekly Communication from Central Office - 1/11

Wink’s Weekly Words

Click here to read my Blue Ridge community blog

Want to help a struggling student succeed?  
Check out this student survey that you can use to reflect with a student?  
It will guide students to give you the feedback that will help you make a greater impact
on your students.




MOY PLP (Middle of the Year Professional Learning Plan)

This summer you all completed the Summer PLP to guide your learning this past summer.  
You took your learning and created your T-TESS Beginning of Year Goal.  
You met with your principal and decided what level on the Hierarchy of Instructional
Excellence that you wanted to work on this semester.


Now, to guide your learning for the spring semester, you will need to complete the
1718 Winter BRISD PLP.  This is a one page worksheet with supporting documents that
align the Hierarchy to the T-TESS dimensions.  


To get started:
  1. Click on the link.
  2. Click File → Make a Copy
  3. Rename the file:  Last Name, First Name Winter BRISD PLP
  4. Read the directions and complete the information to make your spring semester goal.
  5. Send to your principal prior to your mid year conference.
If you have any questions about the process, please contact your principal.

Amy’s Announcements
Accommodation Resources
Please remember information from our training in November on Accommodation
Resources. It is imperative that we apply allowable accommodations and document
use of these in the spreadsheet for each campus. Links to needed resources are here:
Google Drive folder -  https://goo.gl/LcXraB


MAP
MAP Testing is underway! Hopefully with the installation of fiber, it will be a
smooth process. The window closes on Jan 31. Please see your MAP Coordinator
with any questions (Ashley Elder, Mary Townsend, and Stacey Raymer)


FA3
FA3 Testing will occur in the next couple of weeks. Since testing will happen
over a longer period of time this round, please email me after your tests are
scanned. This will alert me that your data is ready to pull.


LINKS:
** Accommodation Resources - http://www.br-impact.com/p/blog-page.html
** FA Instructions - https://goo.gl/kqmhBo

Staff Shoutout

A huge thank you to our iMPACT Team Peer Coaches for leading our Staff
Learning Day on Monday. We had lots of great planning and discussion and
I’m so appreciative of their work.