September Is Coming To A Close-September 29th-October 3rd

Congratulations to Emily and Ross!!!!

It was a glorious day for a wedding and we all had an awesome time. The bride was beautiful and Ross was very handsome. It was a very beautiful setting and the reception was incredible. All of our Diggs-Latham Family that attended had a great time:)  Another DL wedding?....Who will be next?

 

PDPs and Self Assessment and Orientation Sign Off

Please try to get these things done today.  I have been working with the mentor sign off for PDPs and think I got it to work. Give it a try. Don't forget to sign-finalize and mark complete.  

Mentor Logs are due to Miss Kennedy on the 30th.  Make sure mentor and mentee fill in comments. List every time you met formally and informally and your reactions.

NEW SIP PLAN VOTE- We have taken all of your comments and suggestions so far and put them into the plan with the exception of how we will better utilize PRTs. The faculty is a bit split on that so we will table it for now and revisit it next meeting.  Please read the the goals, strategies and action steps and vote yes or no on the ballot.  The plan will be sent to you Monday Morning.  There will be a paper copy and an electronic copy put out as well.  Please vote in the conference room by ballot. Please make suggestions/all are welcome. Check your name off after you vote.  We will send the plan to Steve Oates and Title I on the 30th in the am.  Please vote in the conference room by 3:30 Monday afternoon. Remember that this is a working plan and it can be everchanging to meet our needs.

Week at a Glance:

• Pre-k and K teachers, be sure to see Ms. Kennedy to sign off on your NCAEYC documentation asap.
• Cannon to District Targeted Reading Mtg. Monday
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• CoGat Testing this week/See Mrs. Perry's email for details. She has the planning down to a science. If you are not sure how testing will effect you, please ask Mrs. Perry
• Mrs. Cannon will have her Principal of the Year Interview on Tuesday morning
• 9/30 SIT Plan Due
• 10/1 We will have Early Release Day beginning at about 1:20 in order to get everybody here. Please remind your students again.
• DL Grounds Pride this Saturday, October 4th.
• Arts Night coming up on the 9th.  
• Fall Protraits the 17th
• ALL Newsletters should be submitted already.

WE WILL HAVE A FIRE DRILL ONE DAY THIS WEEK!

DID You Know?

Ross and Leslie, in collaboration with Fleet Feet will be creating and conducting a Running Club for our students. Fleet Feet will provide each child with a free pair of specially fitted running shoes. The goal is to get the students to run a 5K.  Thanks for the leadership Leslie and Ross. You ROCK!  Thank you Fleet Feet as well!!!!!

Falling Into A New Week-September 22-26

Another Busy Week-Aren't they All?

• The "Y" starts today. We welcome them back. Thank you to all who volunteered their rooms. 
• Guided Reading will be infused into the curriculum beginning today although I have noticed that many of you have been using guided reading already. Great job. 
• 9/23-SIT meeting-Very Important Meeting as we will be voting in additional members and working on our SIP. Please bring in any additional strategies, action steps or activities that your grade level is doing so we can be sure it is added to our plan. We want everyone to have a voice as this is a plan that we will all know and implement with fidelity. It is A workable, evolving plan that we can change and edit as needed based on data. Utilizing the data you have so far, brainstorm additional action steps to include. We have been given a new template from the state that we will put our existing plan into. We just need to look at the plan we created at the end of the year and make revisions as needed based on our data. We are a team and this is "our" plan. 
• 9/24 Dr. Frazier returns. We have missed her so much.

• 9/25 PTA  Title I Literacy Night-all certified staff required to be here and a part of this interactive parent night
• 9/26 newsletters due to both administrators. They should be sent home to parents Tuesday.
• 9/27 Ross and Emily get married today!

PDPs and Self Evaluations should be completed ASAP.  If I am your evaluator, you need to see me in the next two days to schedule a time for your PDP review and sign off and for your first evaluation. I will be starting evaluations soon. Dr. Frazier will schedule hers when she returns.  

LEP Parent Night A Great Success!

Thank you to Mrs. Ochoa, Mrs. Boutkhili, Mrs. Jones and Mr. Thimann and their team for making this night a great interactive event. They worked very hard to engage our parents. The parents had a great time and learned a lot. We are also thankful for the county Bookmobile who was present.  Students got library cards and checked out books. Yay for literacy on wheels!  Home Moravian provided pizza, cookies and a drink.  They are awesome.  Parents were appreciative for the meal.  

"Quote". Leadership Test

"Am I doing the right thing

At the right time

In the Right way for

The right reason?"

September 15-19 Happy Mid-September!

NCAEYC Conference-Thank you to the KBR Foundation for a wonderful conference. We truly learned a lot and can't wait to integrate our new found knowledge into the curriculum. What an inspiring two days spent with great teachers! 

This is our version of a DL selfie!

Family Affairs-

• Please continue to keep our valued employees; Mr. Holmes, Mrs. Gilliam and Mrs. Hopson in your prayers as they continue to heal and grow stronger.  We miss them all.
• Welcome Back to Maria who will return on Tuesday. We have missed her.
• Dr. Frazier and her family need our prayers after the passing of her father Marion over the weekend.  I emailed you her home address and will notify of you of any arrangements made as I get them.
• Please keep Suzanne Asbury's family in your prayers as they continue to deal with a very serious health issue. She will share the details with you when she feels the time is right.

Week At A Glance...

• Wake Literacy Meeting today for 4th graders
• Dr. Frazier will be out all week, so everyone please pitch in as needed.  Thank you Team!
• Fall LEP Parent Night on Thursday at 5:45.  Everyone does not need to attend this other than our ESL team and administrators. 
• All certified staff should plan to be here for our TITLE I/Literacy/PTA night a week from Thursday. It will be the first of our PTA nights.  We are encouraging you to join PTA. They do a lot for our students and us.
• If you have not yet signed up for a gift card from Home Moravian and you are a classroom teacher or specialist, please see me immediately.
• ALL PBIS surveys should be completed ASAP.  Do this today if you have not done it yet.
• You should all have your self-assessments complete and your PDP in the works as they are due to be completed no later than the 30th.  I will be happy to advise or assist. Please refer to the PDP email I sent you if you need assistance.
• The first Diggs-Latham Grounds Pride Day will be this Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00.
• SIT Meeting on the 23rd. We will elect officers and work on finalizing the SIP plan.
• Our first scheduled Lock-Down Practice will be September 22nd at 1:30. Please practice beforehand.
• Newsletters are due to administrators on the 26th.

It's Going To Be Another Great Week! September 8-12

Mentor and Mentee Meeting

I would like to thank all mentors for taking on this very important task.  All mentors and mentees should have should have received the Mentor List that I sent out last week. We will have a very brief meeting at 3:15 on Monday afternoon. We will discuss the mentor log process and I will answer any questions you might have:) Room 200.

Questions about PDPs, Self Assessment, TNL Evaluation Process????

Right after the Mentor Meeting at about 3:30, I will meet with anyone who needs assistance developing a PDP or navigating their way through your self-assessment and evaluation system. I would strongly suggest that all Beginning Teachers be present as this can be a bit daunting. Room 200.

Quick Reference Cards and Yearly Calendar

Please make sure that you have printed out for easy access your Yearly Calendar and  Quick Reference Cards. Please read them over carefully. They are a meant to be a help to you and keep you abreast of all the happenings. Please add events to the calendar as needed. There is one change in regards to some information about Classified Employees working Days.  The change is that if you worked the three days before students came, one of which was Open House, another being our first teacher workday, and then a day of your choice that week, then you do not work any other student days with the exception of the day after the end of school last student day.  If anything changes, I will let you know.  Your CAC rep will also keep you posted and up to date.

I just wanted to thank each and everyone of you for the AWESOME start to school we have had. I credit this smooth transition to your dilligence in teaching the students expectations from day one. There is such a BUZZ of HAPPINESS in the air. The BUZZ is coming from students and staff, visitors and volunteers, and it is really heartwarming. Thank you for making our school a great place to work and learn.  

Diggs-Latham Meets Expected Growth

This is a WIN for us and one we should celebrate but as we all know, we have a long way to go to get to a point where our students are exceeding this growth. I have 100% confidence in our faculty and staff. I know we can get there as we continued to stay focused on our goals. You all are doing an amazing job and are dedicated. If we continue to take risks, keep our expectations high, build strong relationships with our students, community and each other, we can achieve our goal to move our students forward. If we find that something isn't working, we will exhibit flexibility, and move on to find a strategy that does work! I am so proud of all of you.

Week At A Glance:

• Benchmark Testing dates for Dibels Next and TRC (9/8-9/26) Thank you Gloria and Katie for all of the work you have put in getting ready to open the window. 
• Faculty Meeting Tuesday.  We will start right at 3:15 so please be in your seats and ready to go:)  Make sure you sign in.
• Tuesday, September 9th-BOG3 Testing on Tuesday. Make sure you have carefully read Mrs. Perry's email. It carefully explains all testing expectations. Remember, do not call into any third grade rooms during testing. There are several staff members involved and needed for testing. Remember, all cell phones, students and teachers should be OFF. Your email will give you the information you need. Good Luck everyone. Thank you Mrs. Perry for the important prior planning.
• Wednesday-EARLY RELEASE DAY.  Students are dismissed 2 hours early and then we will begin our very important training.  Please be in the Media Center ready to go. We will send another phone alert and flyer home to parents to remind them, but please make sure you know how your students are getting home that day, before Wednesday morning.
• Thursday afternoon after school-All Kindergarten and Pre-K teachers will travel with Mrs. Cannon to Raleigh to participate in the NCAEYC Conference.  This trip is being sponsored by the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation and we are truly grateful for their support of early learning and Literacy for our pre-k and k students.  I am confident that these teachers will bring a wealth of information back to implement in their classrooms.  With that being said, please keep in mind that there will be many substitutes in the building that may be new to Diggs-Latham.
• Friday, September 12th-Ident-A-Kid-Participating Students will be called.

Home Moravian Fall Fundraiser Dinner and Candle Tea

Heads Up-Home Moravian will be hosting another fund-raiser for us at their Fellowship Hall.  Our students will perform as may some staff members.  They do so very much for us and I would like for everyone to attend. Please feel free to bring your families.  The event will be November 19th at 5:30.  There will be dinner provided like last year.  More details to follow. Please add to your calendar.  

Candle Tea-Every year many of us give our time to Home Moravian Home Church by helping them with their Candle Tea. I am sure they will have a sign up sheet posted soon. This is a fun night where we help make candles, sell candles, lead tours, greet visitors, etc. in Moravian costume.  More information to follow as I receive it.

Rooms Needed:

As you know the "Y" will be starting on the 22nd of September.  We will also have "Friends of Diggs-Latham" and the "Good News Club" beginning in the weeks ahead. We will need rooms to house the Y and clubs. The Y will need six rooms. Their enrollment will go from about 200 last year to only 90 this year.  The change is due to their decrease in budget. Cheryl and I have talked to them about your concerns with behavior, homework and respecting classroom space of others.  At this time, we do have some faculty members working for the Y and we will use their rooms and the empty room on the fourth grade hall but we will need some additional rooms. If you are willing to volunteer your room, please let us know.  We appreciate your help with this.

Reminder: All Self-Assessments and PDPs should be complete and Signed off on before September 30th.  Thank you to faculty members who have already completed your PDPs. I will set up a time to meet to review your plans. You are Rock Stars.  All BTs, we will be scheduling your first evaluations during your PDP conferences. Hoping to get all pre-observation conferences and Observation One done in October and November. Wish Dr. Frazier and I luck in sticking to our plan:)

Our First Blog

I appreciate your professionalism in reading the blog.  I have had a response from almost everybody. Your comments were terrific and very sincere. If you haven't had the chance to respond to Blog 1's question, please do. I have replied to many of you.  I think the system is on overload though as it just wouldn't let me reply to all I needed to as it froze. I will try again later.

Please Respond By Adding A Comment to the Question.............

What are you most looking forward to this year in regards to how you will deliver instruction and....How will you as an individual contribute to a positive school climate?

Great Start to the 2014-2015 School Year!

Our Weekly Morning Memo Blog:

Each week I will put out a new Morning Memo Blog. For the most part, it will be up and ready for viewing each Monday Morning.The blog and any emails that Dr. Frazier and I put out are a way to transmit important school wide data and information.  This is also true for emails sent by our Curriculum Coordinators and Testing Coordinator. It is also an avenue to celebrate you, our students and our school successes.  It is a non-negotiable expectation that you read the blog each week and all emails daily. We are a big school and emails are essential to communicate messages.  Also, if you have not printed out your yearly calendar, please do that as soon as possible as it holds crucial information.  Thank you:) I will send out your Quick Reference Cards out very soon.  All of these documents should keep you up to date and prepared for the year!  I hope they are helpful for you.

New District Goals are Approved by School Board......

These are the goals we have been discussing and we will make decisions as to how we can interject them into our school improvement plan. 

• By 2020, 90 percent of 3rd-grade students will read on or above grade level.
• By 2018, our graduation rate will be 90 percent. 
• By 2018, we will close the achievement gap between subgroups by 10 percentage points while increasing the performance of all subgroups.

Family Affairs:

What a wonderful first week of school!  For many of us we have had several first weeks, but for many in our building, Friday was the completion of their very first week of their new careers.  I have to say that I am so very impressed with all of our new faculty and staff. They are all top notch and a great addition to our already amazing school family. Thank you all so much for making them feel welcome.  We have had several Family Affair notes to mention.

• Mr. Holmes is still recuperating.  We are hoping he will be able to return towards the end of September. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
• Mrs. Gilliam came through her surgery well but her daughter let us know that the surgery was a little more extensive than they originally thought.  Prayers needed as well.
• Mrs. Hopson needs our thoughts and prayers as well as she continues to heal.
• Keep Mrs. Asbury in your prayers as her family is dealing with a serious medical issue that she will let you know about in the future.
• Mrs. Thierbach's daughter had to return to the hospital after bringing the baby home due to her high blood pressure.  She is home now resting.  Gerri could use your prayers and support as well.
• If there is anyone else that I don't know about or inadvertently left off, and you would like me to add, please let me know:) 

Annual Growth For All Students, Catch Up Growth For Those Who Are Behind by Fielding, Kerr and Rosier

Last June, I asked all certified employees to read Chapters 1-8 over the summer.  We will begin working with this book during our second faculty meeting so if you have not read Chapters 1-8, please get the reading completed by October 7th. We will break into groups as we work through this book that Dr. Emory introduced to us.  All new employees can check out their green book from the Ms. Batten in the Media Center.

Welcome Back UNCG Interns!

Our UNCG Interns will be here all day Wednesdays and 1/2 day on Fridays.  Thank you Barbie for helping to bring new interns to our campus.  Barbie will also be the Stay Coach for all of our first year teachers.

Welcome to our Interns/Student Teachers from Eastern Carolina and Winston-Salem State University!  We Are So Happy You Are Here!

Week At A Glance:

9/2-PLTs start today!

9/3-UNCG Interns Start Today.

9/5-Announced Tornado Drill 9:00 am-Please go over with procedures with your students.

The Last Week of School for the 2013-2014 School Year - June 9-13th

Together and United, we have almost completed a very successful school year 2013-2014...Congratulations!

BB&T Volunteers

BB&T Volunteers will be here 3 days this week volunteering their time in the Leveled Book Room and the Media Center. If you have any green cards that should be with books that were turned in, please turn them in at once.  Also, if you have Leveled Reading Books that you are done with, please return them.  We really need to do a better job managing the leveled book room. Books have been taken without being signed out, green cards are not put back in baggies, books are missing, etc...  Please do your very best to make sure you follow the proper procedures. The Leveled Book room is a blessing to us but only if it is run efficiently and that is up to all of us who use it.  Thank you for doing your best to respect the process. We want and need you utilizing the room.  

Faculty Meeting-Tuesday at 3:10

We will have a faculty meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Ms. Kennedy will put a copy of the Teacher Working Conditions survey in your boxes.  Please take time to look over this as we will be working with it at the meeting. Please be sure to bring your copy.  Agendas will be sent via email.

As you have heard the 50th celebration for the district will not be held. A video will be available for all to watch from our school on that day.  You should have received an email from Theo explaining.

Please make sure that if you want to make Thank You Cards for Home Moravian for the books they have given us, please do so this week and I will get them to Mallie or Walt by Friday.  Thank you to all who have already done so.  They were very much appreciated.

Care of Classrooms, Hallways, etc......

Please make sure that you are following your check off list.  It is very important.  All keys will need to be turned in this summer.  Please make sure Mrs. Kennedy gets yours on your last day.  All hallway bulletin boards should be taken down. Obviously, you will want to take this year's classroom boards down so you are fresh for next year BUT if there is something you absolutely have to keep up, cover it with newspaper.  Put all your valuables away or better yet take them home.  Clean out desks and stack them to one side of your room.  Stack chairs as well. Technology will let you know at the faculty meeting what to do with computers, etc.. for the summer.  There will be some room changes and we will let you know what they are before Friday.  De-clutter your rooms by throwing away things you don't use anymore.

Testing

There will be Read to Achieve Testing on Monday and Remediation and Make-up Testing throughout the week.  Please be mindful of this when moving through hallways, in bathrooms, etc...  There is still a week left to finish up and review curriculum.

Ice Cream Social

Friends of Diggs-Latham will show their appreciation of our faculty and staff by hosting an Ice Cream Social in Room 200 afterschool, Wednesday at 3:00.

Awards Celebrations will be June 12 for K-4 at 1:00 (please see the email I sent out with directions and June 13 for 5th Graders at 9:30.  We have Lifetouch to send us some blank certificates if you need them.

Additional  Dates:

• June 9-Make sure you have chosen your Entree for EOY Celebration.  Pay Ms. Kennedy by Wednesday.  I will make desserts, but if you would like to help out and bring one, please do. The more the better.  THANK YOU to Hospitality for helping us:) We appreciate you all. I am so looking forwarding to celebrating a great year with you all.
• June 10-5th Grade skate trip, Remediation and Faculty Meeting.
• June 11-5th Grade skate trip, Remediation and Ice Cream Social
• June 12-EOG Retest/Awards k-4
• June 12th-Final Names for Retentions turned in/Retention Committee will meet to determine retentions
• June 13-Last Day for Students/5th Grade Celebration
• June 17th SIT Meeting-IMPORTANT 8:00 am sharp
• June 18 and 19-Work on classlists AM
• June 19th-Report Cards to Administrators.
• June 23 and 24-Scheduling Committee meets and the summer Y program begins

Cumulative Folders and Report Cards-Please take extra care and attention to detail when checking and weeding out cumulative folders. Please make sure that the contents are in the right order and that you follow the list attached to your end of year checklist.  We really need to get these folders up to date and in order. You will be asked to redo them if they are not correct.  Thank you with your help for this.  Report Cards are due to administrators by 3:00 on the 19th.  Please check to make sure you have relevant comments, you fill in all attendance, and all grades are entered.  Make sure you fill in the promotion section.  Have a colleague proof before you turn them in. Also, make sure you have a report card for each student.

EOG WEEK IS SOMEWHAT LIKE CONDUCTING A SYMPHONY.......THANK YOU TO GLORIA AND ALL CLASSROOM TEACHERS, FACULTY AND STAFF FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A GREAT TESTING WEEK. I APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK AND PATIENCE FOR WHAT WAS AN UNEVENTFUL, FOR THE MOST PART.....WEEK:)  LET's Get it finished up and behind us this week. Great Job everyone.