This is the time of year that simple things captivate...

This week we move on to our next C...Captivating.  I amazed that even at my old age of 36, I am still captivated by the same Christmas specials that I grew up watching so many years ago.  And I still get sentimental when I hear certain songs on the radio and when I hang our ornaments on the tree.  These simple items captivate me because they are of interest to me because it is relevant to my life.  Each year I purchase a new ornament for the girls and our family as a keepsake of a memory or special place we visited that year.  I still have an ornament my mother got me for my first Christmas in 1978 and even though I knew nothing about Christmas at that time, hanging it up on my tree reminds me of the love my mom had for me even when I was at my worst (ask her how bad I was as an infant...I see where Charlotte got it from).

Why can't we make our lessons more captivating to our students?  I always hear "We ain't got time for that!" but I totally disagree.  If we don't captivate them we end up taking time to manage behavior.  Which would you rather take the time to do?  I went to a workshop years and years ago for kindergarten teachers and the presenter suggested having a souvenir for each concept students learn throughout the year...kinda like when you go on vacation you bring something back.  I implemented this my last year teaching kindergarten and it was a success.  This culminating activity helped captivate the students and even helped them recall earlier learning experiences when they couldn't quickly pull it out to implement later.

What will you do this week to captivate our young learners?

I hope you have an amazing week and make sure you wear your stretchy pants 'cause it looks like we're eating all week.

Angela

PS: Merry Christmas from me...may you all wear jeans each day this week as long as you look neat!

Week of December 15-19, 2014

Monday, December 15

• Monday Morning Meeting
• Must sign up to attend Christmas Party by this date

Tuesday, December 16

• Hill at Chamber Mtg 12-1:15
• 3rd Grade and 4th Grade PLC
• 3rd Grade RtA Scoring during last enhancement
• All permission slips for THS field trip must be in by today
• Survey regarding technology lab due today (homeroom teachers)
• Christmas Program at 6:30; all certified staff are required to attend and help out.
• Goody Day: 4th grade, cafeteria, Blue, Gay

Wednesday, December 17

• THS Field Trip 8:15-11:00
• 5th Grade PLC
• Coaching Collaborative Mtg (Lemon, Baker, Hill, and Backus) at 12:30
• Goody Day: 3rd grade, Greider, Felice, Smith, LeQuire

Thursday, December 18

• Holiday Dance 3:30-5:00
• Goody Day: 5th grade, Baker-Speaks, Hunt, Beasley

Friday, December 19

• Gingerbread Open House/ lunch in classrooms (will send revised lunch times later this week)
• Goody Day: Tutor, T. Lee, Hill, Backus, C. Hayden, Carolyn Parker, Riley
• Deadline to submit any PD paperwork

New Learning Needs A Foundation

This week, I am focusing on Consolidating which means connecting and integrating ideas to support learning.  I have no doubt that I have wonderful teachers that teach lessons that focus on standards from the NCSCOS.  What I believe we struggle with is the connection part of instruction.  Students have to be able to integrate new learning into the their "storehouse" and it needs to be stored in a way that they can retrieve it when it's needed.  If they're unable to integrate and connect ideas then all of that teaching just equates to a TIRED and FRUSTRATED teacher.

In Ronald Ferguson's Tripod Study, researchers asked students this following question to determine if teachers focused on consolidating during lessons.  Researchers used this exact question, “My teacher takes the time to summarize what we learn each day" to assess this area.  I know, based on data from our LF walk throughs, that this is something not happening in our school at a high level.  Writing must used in conjunction with summarizing to ensure that consolidation of learning is taking place...daily!

So to that end...
Beginning Tuesday, December 9, 2014 STUDENTS WILL SUMMARIZING LEARNING AT THE END OF EACH MATH AND ELA LESSON BY ANSWERING THE DAILY EQ THROUGH WRITING.  

Administration will be doing spot checks each day to read through a few student responses.

When meeting on Friday (12/5) with Mrs. Gay, we came up with the idea of encouraging students to answer to the best of their abilities by having you pick the best response and posting it with the student's name by the EQ.  To help pare down the amount of work you'd have to do, have them work in pairs/small group and let them pick the best from those small groupings and then you narrow down to the class winner.

We need immediate change to ensure we leave 48.1% far behind in the rear view mirror.

If you have any questions, please see me!

Thanks for all you and remember...WE ARE ERWIN and...

only 10 school days until Christmas Break!!

Week of December 8-12, 2014
Monday, December 8

• Instructional Rounds w/ Callanan & Licary @ 1:40
• Santa Pictures in conference room from 9:00-10:30
• Reading Intervention regular schedule
• Backus Out at Testing Mtg
• Announcement Regarding Christmas Party Will Be Made

Tuesday, December 9

• Instructional Rounds w/ Skulsky, Hayes, and Parker @ 2:25
• 3rd and 4th grade PLCs- LF Day #3
• Mrs. Gay Baby Shower at 3:30 PM

Wednesday, December 10

• Instructional Rounds w/ Cowan and Alford @ 11:20
• LF Lesson Plans Due to Your Assigned Administrator or Instructional Coach
• THS Area Principal Mtg at CES at 1PM
• 5th Grade PLC- LF Day #3

Thursday, December 11

• Hill at Chamber Mtg at 12 PM

Friday, December 12

• Nothing on my calendar...kinda of scary :(

REMINDERS:

•  Intervention time is INTERVENTION TIME!  This time is important and a big piece of our SIP.  Please make sure you have your students in place on time.  If intervention time is not working you will need to see me immediately with a solution to the problem.
• Please make sure that no time is wasted...time is so precious and sitting at 48.1% proficiency should be push enough for us to not waste time. Everything we do should be aligned to the curriculum.  

MOY Benchmarks: Before or After Christmas...that is the question?!? Need some input before I make a decision.  If you care either way, email me by Wednesday, December 10th.

Rules and Procedures Are Needed and Wanted

The past two weeks I have focused on Challenge and Caring.  This week the C I am going to discuss is Controlling.  Controlling means controlling behavior to promoting peer support and cooperation. When our students graduate from high school and enter the career world or into an institute of higher education, they will have to collaborate to be successful.  They will have to know how to look to peers for help finding solutions and also for help to augment any of their weaknesses.

Teachers need to build classroom communities that enable students to boldly try out these new skills knowing that they have the space to not get it right and still be able to "save face".  Students should not feel afraid to be themselves in class.  Classrooms should be families where we're in it together...no matter what.  The job of creating this type of environment in your classroom is YOURS!

If you do not have control you will not have academic success this school year...and that's a known fact.  Can you tackle control of your classroom this late in the year?  Yes...it's never too late.  Will it be hard to do? Yes...but aren't some of the best things in life hard to accomplish?!?

I believe the experts that say that children crave routine and procedures.  Help your students 15 years down the road by controlling their behavior and classroom environments now.

3 C's Down and 4 More To Go!!

Week of December 1-5, 2014

Monday, December 1

• Honor's Chorus Practice at 11:15-12:15 in Music Room; Mr. Grieder will take group to lunch and all students will be back in your room by 1:00 PM
• Tree Lighting at 5:30 PM- Honors Chorus will be performing
• Parade Line Up: Currently I have the following teachers helping: Mrs. Baker-Speaks, Mrs. Cowan, Mrs. Lee, and Mrs. Gaines (?); All staff that helps will get Comp Time ( staff may bring their family to ride on float as well); You will need to meet stduents riding on the float at Good Hope Hopspital at 6 PM.  Drop off will be at the Mill Parking Lot.  Please let me know if you plan to ride if you aren't listed here as well as if you can not ride and you told be via email you could.

Tuesday, December 2

• Revised schedule (see link below)
• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QEKYB8ytER7tms5VmFkocVzSFvDIomCQCMmB9TPq514/edit?usp=sharing
• PLC for 4th Grade (LF Day #2)
• LF Training for Backus, Gay, and Hill (8:30-12:00)
• 3rd Grade in MClass Training from 1-4 PM
• SIT Mtg. in Media Center at 3:30

Wednesday, December 3

• 5th Grade PLC (LF Day #2)
• 3rd Grade PLC (LF Day #2) only 45 minutes
• Grades 3-5 PLC Walkthroughs (PLC should be at Erwin at 8:15-10:00)

Thursday, December 4

• Hill at Principal's Meeting and Superintendent Council Mtg. 
• Mentor Mtg at 3:30

Friday, December 5

• Can Drive Popcorn Party (TBD) and PBIS Dance (1:30-2:15)
• Quick Staff Christmas Card Sing Along (words will be sent with this email)
• Staff Jeans for a Cause Day or PJ Day

They Won't Care How Much You Know Until They Know That You Care!!

This week's C behavior is CARING  To be successful we must create relationships with the students that we work with.  What better way to create relationships with those you work with than to show them that you are thankful for what they bring to the "table". Gratitude and caring go hand in hand.  Many times, we create relationships with others because they can do something or possess something that we lack.  A relationship between a student and their teacher can be characterized by one having  the knowledge that the other desires (desires is probably too strong of a word for our students but we could say needs).  During this season of giving thanks, let's build more caring relationships by thanking the students and co-workers for challenging us and helping us build up our weaknesses.

I wish you and yours a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! Hope you enjoy the latest installment from the Holderness Family!

Week of November 24-28, 2014
Monday, November 24th

• Staff Member of Month Lunch with Riley
• Optional Meetings with Staff Members to Discuss EVAAS (please email me if you want to meet between 3:30-5:30 on Monday)
• Thanks a LATTE Breakfast in Conference Room; Open between 7:15-7:45 and 8:45-9:30
• Monday Morning Meeting

Tuesday, November 25th

• 3rd Grade PLC
• 4th Grade PLC
• Committee Meetings @ 3:30 (Please email me by Monday at 3:30 if your committee is meeting)

Wednesday, November 26th

• Revised Schedule (please see email from Friday)
• 5th Grade PLC
• Jeans for A Cause Day

Thursday, November 27- Friday, November 28, 2014 

No School!

Challenging Our Students Everyday!

Over the next seven weeks, I am going to review the Seven C's and ask you to begin thinking how they relate to our Mission as well as our Vision Statement.  I also want you to reflect on how these values are evident in the daily work you do.



This week our focus is Challenge.  Our students will be high school graduates in 7-9 years.  They will be on their own...making their way in the world.  Will they be ready for the challenge?  Are our lessons and activities preparing the students in our care for their futures?

I think the answers to these questions can be discovered in our daily verbal interactions with students.  One example of creating challenge in our lessons is through our questions.  Higher Order Thinking has been a HOT word lately but is HOT evident in our questioning?  I can say going in and out of classrooms that it is and it isn't.  You know as well as I do that you have to plan for the HOT questioning...you can't just expect it to happen.

I was excited to see a CHALLENGING exchange in Mrs. Hayes's room last Friday where she not only walked students through math problems but also asked them to explain the why behind what they were doing.  And across the hall, Mrs. Lee was working with 4 AIG students in a cooking recipe that involved students having to convert measurements and I believe I saw
"smoke" coming out of their ears.  These interactions made my day.  I also saw questioning that involved simple recall answers.  This is okay but we must hold each other accountable that this can not be the level of questioning everyday.

We need to challenge students through rigorous lessons and pressing students to display effort!  Whom better to explain the importance of effort than one of the most intense men I've ever seen...Ray Lewis!

Week of November 17-21, 2014
Monday, November 17

• Morning Meeting
• LF Mtg at 3:30 in Conference Room

Tuesday, November 18

• 3rd Grade PLC- LF Day #1 Review
• 4th Grade PLC- LF Day #1 Review
• EC Coaching Initiative Mtg in Conference Room at 8:50 
• Hill at Erwin Chamber Mtg at Noon
• Pierce Benefits Mtg (mandatory for certified staff at 3:30)

Wednesday, November 19

• 5th Grade PLC- LF Day #1 Review
• Benefits Mtg for Classified Staff at 10:15
• Benefit Enrollment Day (Sign Up For Times At 11/18 Mtg)
• PEP Mtg. With GPS at 12:00

Thursday, November 20

• Symphony Field Trip for 4th Grade
• Coaching PD for Lemon, Cowan,Hill, and Backus in Pinehurst

Friday, November 21

• Coaching PD in Pinehurst for Lemon, Cowan, Hill, and Backus
• Bright Ideas Grant Luncheon- Congrats Mrs. Lee!  Lee and Hill to attend :)

Hope you have an amazing week!

Angela

Want to struggle...try having a relationship...

This weekend, my pastor continued a series focused on struggles.  This week his sermon focused on the struggle to have true relationships these days.  He shared that decades ago, people said that they had 3 to 5 really close relationship but now people say that they only have 1-2 close relationships.  How sad that we now have more ways to reach out and strengthen relationships we feel further and further apart.

Although technology is available it is causing us to not to work as hard as needed to be "real" in relationships.  Most people just put their best foot forward through a post on Face Book or tweet on Twitter and never let other see that they "stink" some times at this thing called LIFE.  It is hard to really get to know someone when we only see their strengths.  We actually connect better to people when we recognize the same weaknesses we see in others in ourselves...that empathy is what we need to form real relationships.

I feel this is also true when working with our students.  They need to see our weaknesses to allow them to feel comfortable sharing theirs.  We have weakness but when we try to hard to seem perfect to the students in our charge we lose so many opportunities to build real relationships with our students.  We have less than 7 months left with our students...are you ready to be REAL?

Have an amazing week!

Week of November 10-14, 2014

Monday, November 10

• Monday Morning Meeting
• EC Coaching Grant Mtg with Lemon, Backus, and Hill and District/ DPI Staff at 8:50
• Dr. Hobbs Visit (Evaluate Hill at 9:30)
• Data Talk with District Staff at CO @ 1:00
• PEP Mtg at 3:30 in Media Center for all Homeroom Teachers and EC Teachers
• Fundraiser Materials due to office by 10 AM

Tuesday, November 11

No School- Veteran's Day

Wednesday, November 12

• We will run this day as traditional Wednesday
• 5th Grade PLC 
• Office Staff Mtg at 9:30

Thursday, November 13

• Veteran's Visit from 10:30-11:30 (Hopefully will have at least 11 volunteers to come and read or talk to each class from 10:30-11:00)
• Reading Intervention from 9:45-10:30 ( Gay and Smith might be at same time- will let you know for sure by Wednesday afternoon)
• Grade Level Chair Mtg from 11:15-12:00
• Award's Day 1:30-2:30
• Staff Dress Up Bags Delivered at end of Award's Day/ Announcement of student and staff fundraiser winners
• Science Olympiad Mtg in Evening?!?
• Reading Association Young Author Readings afterschool

Friday, November 14

• Hill at SHES for Principals PLC 8:00-10:30
• Hill at CO for Personnel Mtg. 11-12
• Hill leaves 4 PM for out of town event

Expectations...

I once worked with someone who said that if you hold others to your own set of expectations that you have for yourself you'll always be disappointed.  That is so true and as I get older I see more and more examples of how disappointed you will be when you hold others to high standards.  It is always a good idea to have expectations and set them high for yourself, your peers, and the students you work with.  But to survive in this atmosphere you must start with average standards and work people up to a higher level.  Never stop keeping yourself in check but when dealing with others just take them for where they are and encourage them to do better. People won't do better until they know better and they won't know better until they see better.

Let's continue to be the best "ME" that we can be!

Have a great week and thanks for all you do!

Angela

Motivational Minute (s)

Week of Monday, November 3-7, 2014

Monday, November 3

• SIT Mtg. at 3:30
• BOE Mtg at 6:30

Tuesday, November 4 (Teacher Workday)

• LF Training at EES (8:15-3:30) in Media Center

Wednesday, November 4 (will run as a Tuesday)

• Pam Allyn for 5th Grade (PM Session)
• 3rd and 4th PLC

Thursday, November 5

• Hill out at Principal's Mtg
• Usher Reading Web Event at 1 PM in Auditorium (Boys Only)
• Mentor Mtg at 3:30
• Pam Allyn for 3rd Grade (PM Session)

Friday, November 6

• Pam Allyn for 4th Grade (PM Session)