WINK’S WEEKLY WORDS
CLICK HERE TO READ MY BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY BLOG
Fall Semester Staff Feedback MeetingsAs part of our plan to better serve you, I would like to seek your input. The Fall Semester Teacher Feedback Meetings are designed for me to visit with you to get your thoughts on how we can better support you and your colleagues.
If you would like to participate in the Fall Semester Staff Feedback Meetings, CLICK HERE to sign up for a time to meet with me for approximately 15 minutes next week. If you are unable to meet with me on the dates available, please send me an email to schedule a time to visit. As always, you can send me an email anytime if you have concerns, questions or suggestions to help our district get better at meeting the needs of all students and staff.
Thank you for a great week.
Monday, October 22 was a great day of learning how to personalize learning for kids. My challenge to you is to consider your lesson plan as your tool to make individual plans for interventions and extensions for each student. What will you do differently because of your learning this week? How will it impact your planning?
Need reminders of strategies from Monday? CLICK HERE to access the Google Slide from Monday's training. It includes the links where everyone added their ideas for interventions and extensions.
What I'm Reading
How Stress Affects your Memory
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Sat, Oct 27 - Blue Ridge Fall Festival
- Mon, Oct 29 - Carter Blood Drive at BRHS
- Fri, Nov 9- Veteran's Day Assembly
- Oct 1-27- Food Pantry Food Drive
- Mon, Oct 29 - Experience Dyslexia
- Sun, Nov 4 - Daylight Savings Time (Set clocks 1 hour back)
- Week of Nov 5 - Formative Assessment Week
- Tue, Nov 6 - ELECTION DAY (DON’T FORGET TO VOTE)
- November 7- Retirement Planning Seminar at Region 10. Click here for more information and to register.
- Thu, Nov 8 - Long Range Facility Committee Meeting at 6 p.m. in Board Room (You are invited)
- Sat, Oct 27 - Blue Ridge Fall Festival
- Mon, Oct 29 - Carter Blood Drive at BRHS
- Fri, Nov 9- Veteran's Day Assembly
- Oct 1-27- Food Pantry Food Drive
- Mon, Oct 29 - Experience Dyslexia
- Sun, Nov 4 - Daylight Savings Time (Set clocks 1 hour back)
- Week of Nov 5 - Formative Assessment Week
- Tue, Nov 6 - ELECTION DAY (DON’T FORGET TO VOTE)
- November 7- Retirement Planning Seminar at Region 10. Click here for more information and to register.
- Thu, Nov 8 - Long Range Facility Committee Meeting at 6 p.m. in Board Room (You are invited)
#1 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NEEDS FORM
If you are in need of training/guidance related to something we have in place here in BRISD, please complete the Professional Learning Request Form. We are willing to meet one-on-one, in campus teams, or in district groups...all based on need. There is no such thing as a bad request...if you have a need, do not hesitate to make a request!
#2 FA2 WINDOW
The FA2 is November 5th-9th. Remember to review the FA Testing Dates & Requirements 2018-19 document for information about Formative Assessments to which you are responsible. Work with campus administration to plan testing dates that do not conflict.
One change that will be implemented for FA2 is that central office will be printing all test forms (answer documents) for all teacher administering an FA. Even if you are planning to use the Online Response System to have students enter their data, you will still need to use an answer document for students to record their answers. Answer documents will be placed in your boxes prior to the FA2 window. As a reminder central office will also scan all test forms (answer documents) into DMAC upon completion of the FA.
The FA2 is November 5th-9th. Remember to review the FA Testing Dates & Requirements 2018-19 document for information about Formative Assessments to which you are responsible. Work with campus administration to plan testing dates that do not conflict.
One change that will be implemented for FA2 is that central office will be printing all test forms (answer documents) for all teacher administering an FA. Even if you are planning to use the Online Response System to have students enter their data, you will still need to use an answer document for students to record their answers. Answer documents will be placed in your boxes prior to the FA2 window. As a reminder central office will also scan all test forms (answer documents) into DMAC upon completion of the FA.
One change that will be implemented for FA2 is that central office will be printing all test forms (answer documents) for all teacher administering an FA. Even if you are planning to use the Online Response System to have students enter their data, you will still need to use an answer document for students to record their answers. Answer documents will be placed in your boxes prior to the FA2 window. As a reminder central office will also scan all test forms (answer documents) into DMAC upon completion of the FA.
#3 FREQUENT, SMALL-GROUP, PURPOSEFUL TALK
Sean Cain addresses the importance of student collaboration and planned questions in his book The Fundamental Five. Please take a moment to view the brief video below:
Sean Cain addresses the importance of student collaboration and planned questions in his book The Fundamental Five. Please take a moment to view the brief video below:
#4 THE LEARNING PIT
Source: insollave.school.nz
This visual was presented by John Hattie during his Region 10 session. As you study this image,
ask yourself the following questions:
Are my students afraid to fail?
Have I equipped my students with specific strategies so they know what to do
when they don't know what to do?
Does collaboration naturally occur in my classroom, or is it forced?
ask yourself the following questions:
when they don't know what to do?
#5 LATE START FRIDAYS
Remember to bring your Chromebook to all Late Starts, which begin promptly at 7:30am
For future topics and sites, please see the 1819 Friday Late Start Collaboration Calendar
Date: October 26th
Site: Home Campus
Topic: Grade Level & CARE Meetings
Audience: All Campus Teachers
Date: November 2nd
Site: Home Campus
Topic: CARE & RtI 1-2-3 (MS/HS); Vertical Meetings (BRE)
Audience: All Campus Teachers
Remember to bring your Chromebook to all Late Starts, which begin promptly at 7:30am
For future topics and sites, please see the 1819 Friday Late Start Collaboration Calendar
Date: October 26th
Site: Home Campus
Topic: Grade Level & CARE Meetings
Audience: All Campus Teachers
Date: November 2nd
Site: Home Campus
Topic: CARE & RtI 1-2-3 (MS/HS); Vertical Meetings (BRE)
Audience: All Campus Teachers
TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCEMENTS
In order to utilize the T-Tess feature of DMAC, all teachers must go in and confirm their TSDS information and establish their T-Tess account. Follow the steps below to complete this task. This needs to be done as soon as possible.1. Log into DMAC Account. If you do not know your login information, email melissa.stiney@brisd.net
2. Make sure your TSDS information is registered to your account. Do this by going to Utilities-Click register next to TSDS- Update TSDS #, birthdate, and gender. Only newly hired employees will need to provide TSDS #. Returning employees just need to update their birthdate and gender.
3. Once your TSDS information is registered, navigate to T-Tess from the main menu.
4. Verify your information is correct and click Register. Now you will be ready to use DMAC for T-Tess for appraisals.
STAFF SHOUTOUT
The staff shout out this week goes to our awesome school nurse- Helen Thompson for her outstanding response to a middle school student injury last week during athletics. Thank you, Helen, for your dedication to the health and safety of our students and staff.
BUSINESS OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sick Leave Bank
Enrollment for the Blue Ridge ISD Sick Leave Bank is beginning this month. The deadline to become a member is Wednesday, October 31st. To join the Sick Leave Bank, all employees must donate 2 days (can be local or state days). Enrollment forms will be distributed to staff members or they can be downloaded here: BRISD Sick Leave Bank Enrollment Form
Why should I join the Sick Leave Bank?
- Provide additional sick leave days to members of the bank in the event of a critical, life-threatening, or catastrophic illness, injury, or non-elective/emergency surgery
- can be used in the event of a catastrophic illness to you as the employee or an immediate family member
Once all completed forms have been received in the Business Office, committee elections will take place. Committee nominations will only be sent to the employees who have donated their 2 days to become a member. Nomination forms will be sent via Google Forms. The committee will have an initial meeting following the results of the nominations. Any meetings after the initial meeting will only occur when requests for days from the sick leave bank have been received.
Deadline to join October 31st.
Enrollment for the Blue Ridge ISD Sick Leave Bank is beginning this month. The deadline to become a member is Wednesday, October 31st. To join the Sick Leave Bank, all employees must donate 2 days (can be local or state days). Enrollment forms will be distributed to staff members or they can be downloaded here: BRISD Sick Leave Bank Enrollment Form
Why should I join the Sick Leave Bank?
- Provide additional sick leave days to members of the bank in the event of a critical, life-threatening, or catastrophic illness, injury, or non-elective/emergency surgery
- can be used in the event of a catastrophic illness to you as the employee or an immediate family member
Once all completed forms have been received in the Business Office, committee elections will take place. Committee nominations will only be sent to the employees who have donated their 2 days to become a member. Nomination forms will be sent via Google Forms. The committee will have an initial meeting following the results of the nominations. Any meetings after the initial meeting will only occur when requests for days from the sick leave bank have been received.
Please allow at least three days for all printing jobs to be completed. Jobs are completed in the order they are received.
