Teacher Leader Needed for Valentine's Day!

On February 14th, I will be attending a special professional development planned by our Superintendent, Dr. Beverly Emory. She has retained author Eric Jensen to come to our district.  He has written a book: Teaching with Poverty in Mind:What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and what schools Can Do About It.  This is an incredible opportunity for a teacher. We have been informed that we can bring one teacher with us.  I would like to choose all of you but I can only bring one so.....If this topic excites you and you are willing to take on the challenge of disseminating this information to the faculty, please write your name on an index card and put it in my mailbox (outside my office door) by 3:00 tomorrow afternoon.  I will have Dr. Frazier pull out a name. I am really excited about gleaning this new information! The workshop will be held at Calvary Baptist Church.

Falling Into February....February 3rd-7th

A Very Special Happy Birthday to:

• Jacqueline Pullen-February 3
• Marilyn Gilliam-February 11
• Allison Sechrist and Allison Murray-Nikkel-February 15
• Mrs. Bracken (in case she subs for us that day:)-February 17
• Amanda Stevenson-February 21

Due to Inclement Weather on Thursday, our Math Family Night has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 6th, 2014.  Please be sure to turn all receipts in to Melissa so she can get them to Jennifer.

We are Going Red!

Diggs-Latham Goes Red on Friday, February 7th, 2014

Everyone, get into the spirit and help us raise awareness of the issues of children and heart disease, and initiate action to save lives.  Our WSFCS students will sign a pledge in Mr. McNeil's PE classes stating that they will get moving, 30 minutes a day, five days a week. They will sign a giant banner.  WE WOULD LIKE ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF TO WEAR RED ON FRIDAY.  WE will take a staff picture promptly afterschool at 3:00 to commemorate our participation.  There will also be a Zumba Heart Health Fair on that Friday at the Gateway Y at 5:00.  The top three WSFC schools with the highest attendance percentage will win a $250. prize and each individual student that attends will be entered into the Go Red prize drawing that will take place at 7:00pm.  Coach McNeil will be kicking off Jump Rope For Heart next week to raise money for the American Heart Association.  Do we have any teachers/faculty/staff who are interested in competing against themselves or each other by jumping rope?!!  See Mr. McNeil.  He will be implementing many cardio activities into his daily plan for students.  We will also be making announcements throughout the month on becoming heart healthy:)

Reminder that Lesson Plans will be do this Wednesday by 10:00. Remember to send them electronically. You will have them returned to you with comments on Friday. Please refer to the Lesson Planning Sheet if you are not sure which administrator reads yours:)

The Last Week of January (January 27-January 31)

GET READY-MATH NIGHT IS ALMOST HERE!

Math Night will be held this Thursday, January 30th beginning at 5:45.  See Mrs. Baccari if you have any questions.  Remember that this is in a "Fair" type format.

Report Cards

Thank you so much for all your patience as we have continued to navigate all the little glitches we have come across in PowerSchool.  We know you put a lot of time and effort into your progress reports and we thank you.  Be sure to schedule a conference with parents of students you are concerned about.

• Reminders:

• 1/28-Report Cards Go Home

• 1/28-SIT Meeting-All members should be present

• 1/30-Family Math Curriculum Night

• 1/31-All Peer Evaluations should be complete and signed off on by all parties.

• 1/31-Grade Level Newsletters due to administrators.

• Lesson Plans due on Wednesday February 5th for 2/10th-14th

• Bulletin Boards in Hallways should be updated and reflect Common Core Standard.

• FYI...Mr. Oates, our Elementary Superintendent will be in our bldg. next Tuesday. 

• Let me know if you have students in need of coats and hats/gloves.

• Deborah Grace, former AP at Kernersville Elementary will be filling in for us when Cheryl has her surgery. She is an excellent AP. It is very hard to fill Cheryl's shoes and we will all miss her!!

  

  We will be starting our Arts Council Drive soon. We are waiting for the website to open up.  Stay tuned for updates from Mrs. Gordon.

• 

January 20-24th

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As we reflect, let's remember that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Pastor, activist, humanitarian and leader in the African-American Civil Rights movement.  Celebrate Dr. King's Legacy!

Week At A Glance......

• 1/20-School Holiday-Dr. MLK Day
• 1/21-Teacher Work Day-Be sure you submitted appropriate annual leave form-NISL Training
• 1/22-Arts Council Drive Begins-Cannon and Frazier to NISL Training
• 1/23-Report Cards due to Administrators by 3:00/Be sure to schedule conferences with parents you need to communicate with.  Record documentation of conferences.

Magnet Tours will continue this week:)  We are having great success with our recruitment.  

Family Math Curriculum Night 1/30th at 5:45

Peer Observations should be completed and signed off on by 1/31.

Amanda Gordon will kick-Off the Arts Council Fund Drive this week.  There will be great prizes including park passes to Disney World.  Look for more information to follow.

Congratulations to Ms. Crookshank. She will be teaching 3rd Grade at Walkertown Elementary School. We wish her the best in her new position:)

Brrrrrrr it's cold! January 13-17th 2014

Welcome to a Brand New Year: 2014.  May your year be filled with happiness, good health, and success!  Remember to build RELATIONSHIPS, Take RISKS and Get RESULTS!!!

Welcome to Allison Murray-Nikkel who starts her career in Kindergarten today!

We wish you the best of luck! 

MAGNET FAIR ON SATURDAY  WAS A GREAT SUCCESS!  Thank you to everyone who participated. Our students made us very proud.  Thank you Mr. Powelson, Miss Stevenson, Mrs. Gordon and Ms. Farthing, Ms. Pullen for helping to mann the table after the performance.  Thanks to Dr. Frazier, Ms. Batten (tiger) and the whole team for meeting the students at school at 8:00 and helping them practice and then get to the Convention Center. You all are the BEST!!!!  We had many positive compliments on our student's performance.

IMPORTANT:

WFMY Channel 2 will be showcasing us and Parkland High School in a live feed Monday Morning. They will be here shooting live before 6:30. Parkland Students will go first and then we will be shot live around 7:45. Our 5th grade honors students will be live at 7:45.  They should be back in their classrooms before announcements for testing.  This is just one of many great opportunities that has come our way and we are grateful for the positive exposure. WFMY wants to highlight Magnet Schools!  Hooray for Diggs-Latham students and staff. You are the best!

    

 

Diggs-Latham-A Great Place To Be..............

We will begin giving tours on Monday and they will be running for two weeks. We have scheduled them for early in the day. Please keep in mind, we want our best foot forward so please remember to all have a level zero in the hallways, including adults.  A visitor to our school can quickly ascertain the climate in the building by the way we interact with our students and each other.  We do a pretty good job with this:)

• End of Quarter Testing this week M-W for 4th and 5th Graders (Make-ups for 3rd graders)

• Dr. Frazier will be out on Monday and I will be a Test Administrator for EOQ.

• Faculty Meeting Tuesday-Same Agenda as for 1/7.

• Cannon to present Homework without Tears in Parent Resource Room at 10:00am on Wednesday

• Friday is the end of quarter 2, and CWT Action Sheets are due to Cannon and Frazier.

• 1/20 NO SHOOL MLK Day

• 1/21 Teacher Workday

• 1/23 Report cards due to administrators by 3:00 (Frazier K-2) and Cannon (3-5)Please be on time as this is a short turn around time for us.

• 1/28 Report cards sent home

• 1/28 SIT Meeting (Begin looking at CNA)

• 1/30 Math Curriculum Fair 5:45

• 1/31 Grade Level Newsletters Due, Translations should be complete.

• 1/31 All Peer Observations should be completed.

STAR 3 Incentive Pay Information

STAR 3- I have already met with all teachers in 4th and 5th grades to go over their Star 3 Bonus Information and have started meeting individually with k-3. I am hoping to have that complete by mid-week.  I could just put the letters in your boxes but feel it is important to give them to you in person.

Unfortunately, no schools in the district will receive the whole school bonus based on 2012-13 data. This is disheartening but as we knew, we expected the scores to drop due to the increased rigor.  However, the following grade levels will receive grade-level bonuses, as indicated in the pay plan available at http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/41704

Ashley Elementary: 4th Grade
Diggs-Latham ES: 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Grade-CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Gibson: 2nd Grade
Griffith: K, 3rd and Fifth
Hall-Woodward: K,1st and 3rd
Middle Fork: 3rd and 4th


Diggs-Latham did have several teachers who will receive individual bonuses. Grade level bonuses combined with any individual bonuses will be awarded in the January paycheck.  After you get your letters and  you have questions, you can direct them to Jon Brasfield.

Diggs-Latham Angels....Thank you so much to Barbie, Connie and Kate for the incredible Guided Reading Training. These trainings took a lot of preparation and time and we couldn't have any better trainers. We appreciate you so much!!!Thank you ladies. NOW, we are all on the same page, can use the same language and strategies.  We will talk more about this at our Faculty Meeting on Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

Who Said you couldn't be Creative in Disseminating the Common Core?! Mrs. Sapp incorporated Math and Measurement into a fun activity for students!

We have given away close to 30 coats, hats, gloves, etc... thanks to the generosity of our business partners and friends!  We thank them so much!

 

Countdown to Winter-Break! December 16-20

Happy Holidays, We Are Counting Down....

Week At A Glance....

December 16th-Science Fair Tables Arrive Today and TRYLA GRADUATES!! Congratulations!

December 17th-Faculty Meeting- Don't forget your refreshment for faculty meeting and your white elephant gift.  Bring something you already have...if you decide to purchase something, don't go over 3 dollars. You can put from: on the gift.

December 18th-Administrator's Days of Holiday Cheer Begin-Day 1 - Hot Chocolate with all the fixins!

December 19th-Day 2 Reindeer Mix Treat and Cannon to Elem. Principal's Mtg.

December 20th-Day 3- Faculty Breakfast Treats with my world famous (just kidding, but our cafeteria staff thinks so...) Cinnamon Coffee Cake.  We will have fruit too for those who want a healthier alternative.

• Summit 7th and 8th graders to visit Pre-k/k/1 classes to deliver gently used books and read to kids. They will be here for about an hour beginning at 10:45.
• Holiday Sing-Along at 1:00

Remember to keep things as structured and normal as is all possible.  Hang in there, your much deserved break is within view. 

"It's Beginning To Sound A lot like Music!" - December 13-17th

Holiday Musical -Thursday at 7:00

Our holiday musical will take place this Thursday at 7:00.  All certified staff expected to attend. There will be a dress rehearsal for the school at 1:00. We will call for classes. Please talk to your students ahead of time about audience etiquette. Please seat near you, any students with challenges. 

Reminder:  due to the extreme generosity of  Home Moravian, we will be giving away 150 bags of food to the first 150 families who arrive and get a ticket. They can redeem their tickets at the end of the program. Remember that we need as much help as we can get Monday after school to pack up the bags. We will meet in Room 200. Thank you in advance to everyone who volunteers. We were done pretty quickly last year due to the help we received from you all.  Thank you.

Mid-Year PDPs- Due Friday, December 13th.

Your Mid-Year PDP is due to your administrator by Friday for review.  Sign in to evaluation system, go to My Observations and find mid-year PDP.  Type in the evidence that you are working on your goal. Please be specific with evidences.  Your PDP is a very important document that should be completed meticulously. Don't cut corners as this evidence is very important in your overall evaluation. When you have put in your evidence, save it and send it to me or Dr. Frazier, whoever your evaluation administrator is.  If you do not use our electronic evaluation system because you are a Guidance counselor, CC, Media coord., etc.. turn in a paper copy.  If you need help, Dr. Frazier and I are here for you!

Instructional Coordination (IC) Meeting Teamwork

I would like to personally thank and congratulate all faculty and staff that either presented or were videotaped for last Thursday's meeting.  Unfortunately, I got hit unexpectedly with the stomach virus in the middle of my leadership training and was unable to attend.  Fortunately, I have an incredible staff who stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.  Mr. Oates emailed me after the meeting to say how impressed he was with you all.  He thought you were awesome!  I am so proud of you and the work you do. You make me look good:) You are true leaders. Great Teamwork, I just wish I would have been there to see it.  A Very BIG Thank You to:

Dr. Cheryl Frazier

Amanda Gordon

Alisha Taylor

Kate McGregor

Gloria Pubantz

Sidonna Brown

Debora Snider

Beth Sapp

Kim Bersch

Allison Sechrist

Jennifer Hart

Andrea Slusher

Diana Adkins

Melissa Baccari (in spirit as the flu bug got her too!)

Lisa O'Brien

Abadesa Ochoa

UNCG Interns: Zane Doty and Harry Caines

Thank you Mr. Powelson for helping me to transition my Ipad videos into my powerpoint:)

Attention All Faculty and Staff: We will be Recognized for the John F. Kennedy Award at Tuesday's Board of Education Meeting at 6:30. Come on out, this is your Award:) You deserve it for all you do to support our school.

Peer Evaluations-

Do not forget that those assigned to have or conduct a peer evaluation, they are due January 31st. The sooner you plan and conduct them, the easier it will be for you as January is a busy month. January events include report cards, MLK holiday, teacher work day, EOQs and we don't return to school until the 6th.  So it really behooves you to get it done as early as you can. I know some of you are already done:)

Thank-You Hospitality Committee

An Ugly Holiday holiday shirt, sweatshirt or sweater?!  Sounds like a fun idea!  Thank you ladies for planning this.  Can't wait to see who wins!

ITBS/Cogat Testing this week for select 2nd and 5th Graders and there will be a SIT Mtg. on Tuesday

Don't forget to sign up in the lounge to bring a refreshment to Tuesday December 17th's Faculty Meeting Celebration.  Also, bring a wrapped white elephant gift to participate in the game.  It will be fun!

Kindness Goes A Very Long Way......

Reminder....Responding to students and each other with kindness can go a very long way.  As the holidays approach, children may be a bit distracted.  Please be a great role model and demonstrate kindness.  Don't react but be proactive and respond with love and kindness when faced with a difficult situation.  Keep your voice steady and always remember that children are learning from you.  Stay calm and just breathe.  Being well planned out and keeping the students actively engaged in the curriculum for the next two weeks will be crucial to classroom management. Routine is important.  Thank you for being great role models.

Have A Great Week!