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Spring Break Learning Loss Support
Learning loss is the loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of long school breaks. The instructional gap that will occur over spring break, March 16-20, may result in some learning loss for our students. In an effort to combat learning loss and keep our students on track for Academic Success, the Academic Office is providing Spring Break Learning Loss Support. Curriculum Specialists in Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies and Visual Art have prepared instructional tools that can be used by students while they are away from school during Spring Break. The links to these tools are below:
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iPad App Recommendation Survey
Is there an app that you would like to see on your students’ iPads for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year? If so, please complete this iPad app survey by Friday, April 3, 2020. Please keep in mind that all apps you suggest must be free with limited to zero pop-up ads. The Office of Accountability, Assessment, Technology Services, Student Records and Data will select a team comprised of teachers and staff who will review all recommendations submitted through the survey and make a final list for next school year.
Selected apps will be downloaded on each District iPad based on grade levels, including (PK, K-1, 2-5, 6-8, 9-12). Questions? Email ipadgroup@slps.org.
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| Workshop on African American Women and the Women's Suffrage Movement
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote in the USA. In observance of Women in History Month, a workshop will be presented on the topic: African American Women and the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
DATE: March 19, 2020
TIME: 6-8pm
LOCATION: Missouri History Museum, AT&T Room
PRESENTER: Arthelda Busch Williams, Ed.D – NACWC National Historian
All participants will receive free teaching materials related to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Space is limited; register HERE.
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| Primary Montessori Certification
Any teachers interested in pursuing primary Montessori Certification through the Hope Education Institute this summer, should contact Dr. LaTisha Smith. Teachers must commit to the entire month of June and the first few days in July with follow-up throughout the school year. The institute requires travel to St. Peters/Lake St. Louis area.
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| Robocalls and Flyers for PTCs
ROBOCALLS: If you have not already, we ask principals to record a robocall message for their families, reminding them of parent-teacher conferences. Once recorded, Cheryl VanNoy can launch the information.
FLYERS: As parents come to your schools for PTCs, please have a stack of each of these flyers on hand. We want to make sure to spread the word as "loudly" and effectively as possible.
The Coronavirus flyer should be familiar to you. It should have gone home with all students last week. The Census flyer will be delivered to schools in the next week or so to be sent home, but we ask you to hand them out at the PTCs to reinforce the message. Thanks for your help!
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Summer Learning Recommendations and Possible Retention of Students
The Summer Learning recommendation window is now open. Summer Learning is scheduled to occur June 2-26, 2020. In preparation for parent teacher conferences next week, you should begin recommending students for Summer Learning. All students who have failed high school courses qualify for summer learning under Senate Bill 319. Also, students who are performing below grade level in math and/or reading are to be recommended for summer learning. Please notify families of academic and other concerns that could result in retention via official academic office letter(s) (linked below). Schools should only modify parts of the letter that are highlighted.
Students who may benefit from summer enrichment at the elementary and high school levels should be recommended for the enrichment programs via the letters linked below.
Parents who complete summer school registration can be entered into SIS by school secretaries beginning Monday, March 23. Please email claire.crapo@slps.org with any questions or concerns about student retention. Please email kimberly.moody@slps.org with questions about summer school. Families may enroll by using the applications linked below
Program Details, Recommendation Letters and Applications:
General Summer Learning
Elementary Summer Enrichment Program
High School Transition Program
High School Credit Recovery and HS ELL Language Development
High School Enrichment and College Prep Program
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| Upcoming STEM Events at Ranken
Shadow-a-Tech Event – Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 8:30am to 12:30pm: Ranken Technical College would like to invite you to experience the superior hands-on training of our technical programs by participating in our Shadow-a-Tech program. You can spend the day on campus, attend class with a Ranken student, tour the campus, and learn about the admissions process. Space is limited - register today!
LAN (Video Game) Party – Friday, April 3, 2020 at 4pm through Saturday, April 4 at 4pm: Battle it out in a Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Tournament with friendly gaming and free pizza, soda, and energy drinks! All gamers and games are welcome. There will be first, second, and third place prizes for the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Tournament.
Summer STEM Academies for Educators – June 2020: Weeklong professional development programs for educators and robotics coaches. Three hours of graduate credit available from Lindenwood University.
- LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Robotics & Engineering, June 15-19, 2020, 8am to 4pm
- Advanced LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Robotics & Engineering, June 22-26, 2020, 8am to 4pm
- Dirty Jobs . . . That Pay Well: STEM Career Exploration, June 29 to July 3, 2020, 8am to 4pm
Summer Adventure Academies – May & July 2020, 9am to 3pm daily: Options include Scout BSA Merit Badge Camps, Middle School Camps and High School Camps.
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| MAP GLA/EOC Training
QA Monitor and Testing Coordinator trainings will occur on Wednesday, March 11 from 9-11am, Thursday, April 2 from 9-11am or Thursday, April 2 from 2-4pm for those that cannot make either of the earlier sessions. QA Monitors and Testing Coordinators only need to attend ONE meeting. All meetings will be held at Central Office in the PD Loft.
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| Be a LEGO League Judge
The inaugural SLPS FIRST LEGO League Junior Expo is Saturday, April 4 from 1-3:30pm at Metro High School. We are looking for a few judges to assist. Training is that day. There is a rubric, and it is fun and easy. If you are interested in judging (a great way to learn about FLL Junior), please contact elizabeth.bender@slps.org.
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| Scholarship Opportunity
TorHoerman Law is excited to announce it has begun accepting submissions for the 2020 THL End Distracted Driving Scholarship contest. This year, TorHoerman Law will award $1,000 to the student who is best able to discuss the dangers of distracted driving and present a potential solution to the issue. Click HERE for more information.
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| Missouri Humanities Teacher Workshops
Join Missouri Humanities and Teaching American History for one-day teacher seminars in Kansas City on the topic of presidents and the presidency. Click HERE for a flyer.
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REMINDER: Bite-Size PD from the Academic Office
Are you looking for high-quality PD but don’t have time for afterschool booster sessions?
We have a solution for that! The Academic Office is launching Bite-Size Learning PD Subscription Boxes. Think Stitch-Fix, BarkBox, HelloFresh, etc., but without any cost and no long-term commitment!
Each Bite-Size Learning PD Subscription Box features a one-pager that details the strategy/topic, a professional article related to the strategy/topic, a complete lesson plan that uses the strategy/topic, an anchor chart exemplar, a snack and a gift for the teacher – all packaged in a fun box!
If the featured strategy or PD topic is of interest to you, sign up in Frontline/MyLearningPlan to reserve your kit. Picking up your kit is easy! Just swing by Central Office during the pick-up window to grab your kit – no lengthy time commitment required! Once you receive the materials, review them at your own pace, set up an observation with the Curriculum Specialist for support, and complete a survey online. When those things are complete, teachers will receive two hours of PD credit.
- March Bite-Size Learning Topic: Text Annotation
- Target Audience: Grades 5-12, Any Content Area
- Pick-Up Date: Tuesday, March 24
- Pick-Up Time: 2:30-4pm
- Pick-Up Location: Central Office, 2nd Floor, Academic Office
- Registration Deadline: Friday, March 13 (Frontline/MyLearningPlan)
- Registration is limited to 30 teachers, so don’t delay!
- Questions? Reach out to Judine Keplar, ELA Curriculum Specialist
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| REMINDER: Missouri Summer Teachers Academy (MSTA)
The 2020 Missouri Summer Teachers Academy (MSTA) at the University of Missouri (June 16-18) will focus on The Modern Presidency. Thanks to generous donations, teacher participation, including lodging and meals, is fully subsidized. Click HERE to learn more! Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until they reach capacity.
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REMINDER: EdPlus Packages
EdPlus is offering a $500 package to all SLPS schools for the 2020-2021 school year that includes individualized onsite support: staff professional development, data analysis, classroom observations and more. Click this link to learn more.
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Pupil Accounting Timeline
March 6: Quarter 3 ends
March 6: Term 3 grading cycle CLOSES
March 6-9: Term 3 Report cards printed
March 10, 11: Parent Conference Day (held after school)
March 11: High School Data Processing Specialists Meeting
March 16-20: SPRING BREAK
March 23: Classes Resume
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| Upcoming Assessments
Listed below are the upcoming assessments through the end of the school year. Please refer to the dates to make sure that you are assessing all students to be included during the appropriate timeline.
| Assessment | Timeline | Who | Scantron Performance Series #2: Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science
| March | Grades 3-8 | | ACT | March 24 | Grade 11 | | STAR Reading | April 6-24 | Grades 3-5 (others test later in May) | | Government EOC | April 6-15 | Government students | | English II EOC | April 16-24 | English II students | | MAP Science | April 21-27 | Grades 5 and 8 only | | Biology EOC | April 27 - May 6 | Biology students | | MAP ELA | April 28 - May 4 | Grades 3-8 | | MAP Math | May 5-11 | Grades 3-8 | | Algebra EOC | May 7-15 | Algebra students |
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REMINDER: Fiscal Control End-of-Year Deadlines
The Finance Department will soon begin the end-of-year process as it pertains to Fiscal Control deadlines. Please click HERE to see all deadline information. If the Fiscal Control Office can assist you in any way, please contact Beverly Foster at 314-345-2493 for Accounts Payable related issues, and contact Ronnie Martindale at 314-345-2389 for all other issues.
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GOOD NEWS: Students from Sumner and Vashon are Boeing-Bound
Jobs for America’s Graduates Program participants from Sumner and Vashon participated in a hands-on experience at the Center for Workforce Investment related to the Boeing Pre-Employment Program, which guides students to employment at Boeing. Learn more about the program HERE.
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GOOD NEWS: Student Earns Full Ride to UMSL
UMSL awarded Gateway STEM student Hella Momand the OSP Scholarship this week. Only five students total were awarded this scholarship, which pays for tuition, fees, books, and housing for all 4 years, valued at a total of $100,000! There were laughs, smiles, and tears!
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Standards-Based Learning CORNER
What you need to know about the roll out of Standards-Based Learning and Grading?
We are moving in a very intentional manner toward a full district-wide implementation of Standards-Based Learning and Grading over the next few years. In the 2020-2021 school year, we are rolling out with 3rd grade. Our PreK-2nd grade classrooms already piloted Standards-Based learning in their classrooms, so it is time to allow those students to matriculate up through their schooling to graduate from an entirely standards-based system. While the curriculum work will continue to happen for other grade levels, including a realignment for PreK-2, we are doing a roll out with only 3rd grade to start the year. We recognize that there needs to be significant support provided to the teachers implementing a new system, so all hands will be on deck for our 3rd grade teachers next year. If you are excited to begin the shift to a Standards-Based Classroom, please reach out to your Curriculum Specialists to learn about the work they are doing and what resources you might access.
Come back to the Academic Office Newsletter each week for updated information about the SLPS journey from TEACHING to LEARNING in a Standards-Based Learning System.
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| CURRICULUM CORNER: Elementary ELA
Vocabulary Terms on Assessments: As teachers, we always want the best for our students. Our students are very literal when it comes to reading assessments. We need to help close any gaps especially when it comes to vocabulary. When we teach students MAIN IDEA, we need to also use the terms CENTRAL MESSAGE, and CENTRAL IDEA. Also, when students are asked to read the PASSAGE, on the assessments it could also state STORY, TEXT, or SOURCE. List the synonyms on the word wall as well...
Main Idea:
- Central Message
- Central Idea
Passage:
Can you think of any more synonyms that are found on assessments?
Great Books to Read with Your Kids in March
Just as the daffodils are starting to break through the dirt and everyone is adventuring more and more outside, we cannot forget to take advantage of all these amazing books! Between outdoor adventures, St. Patrick’s Day, and Dr. Seuss’ birthday, there are many titles to choose from this month:
- Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
- The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
- The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
- In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer
PD Update: Due to conflicting schedules, the Elementary ELA sessions needed to be cancelled. However, Esther Palsenberger will create Bite-Sized Learning PD Subscription boxes, which will include high-yield instructional strategies that can be turnkey straight into classroom practices. These PD boxes will be very similar to the PD boxes Judine Keplar has been implementing with her ELA groups. This is how it will work:
- Look at the Academic Office Newsletter for the upcoming topics for the PD in a Box.
- Register on MyLearningPlan two weeks in advance, so we know how many boxes to prepare.
- Once you receive your PD box, review the materials inside (Professional Article, Anchor Chart Exemplar, Lesson Plan & Supporting Resources)
- Use the sample lesson provided and/or create a lesson of your own that utilizes the featured strategy with students.
- Invite Esther Palsenberger to observe you using the strategy with students.
- Complete the feedback survey inside of the box.
- PD credit in Frontline will be given when the observation AND the survey are complete.
April Topic: Accountability within Balanced Literacy
If you have any questions, please contact Esther Palsenberger at 314-779-5939.
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CURRICULUM CORNER: Visual Art
Be sure to stop by the St. Louis Zoo Living World to see your students’ amazing artworks on display, now through Thursday, March 12. Diving into this year’s theme of “Animal and Plant Relationships,” students researched and depicted concepts of plants as food, shelter, symbiotic partners, protection, camouflage, and utility. Winners will be announced this week, and the award ceremony will be held at the Living World Theater, Friday, March 13 at 10am.
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| CURRICULUM CORNER: Secondary ELA
What is "descriptive feedback" and how do we provide it? Descriptive feedback is the most powerful tool we have as teachers to improve student learning. When we provide students with descriptive feedback, we are providing specific information, in the form of verbal conversations or written comments, that help the student understand what she or he needs to do in order to improve.
Here are some quick tips for high-quality descriptive feedback:
♦ Provide descriptive feedback to recognize good performance using the 3-to-1 compliment principle. For every 3 recognitions of a student's strength, provide 1 piece of constructive criticism.
♦ Describe how students can improve their performance with specificity. Rich description of performance provides much more information to students than statements like "good work" or "this needs improvement."
♦ Focus on how well rather than how rapidly students accomplished the learning target. Learning is not about how fast students complete a task. As teachers, we are interested in how close students are to hitting the learning targets.
♦ Focus on quality rather than quantity of student work accomplished. Providing students with fewer assignments that are intentional and purposeful will yield greater results than lots of "busy work" assignments.
♦ Focus feedback on the learning task, not personalizing it to the student. Share information that speaks to the specifics about performance rather than making a value judgment on any student.
♦ Provide opportunities for students to express that they understand the feedback and what they need to do to improve. A quality feedback process is not just about what feedback students receive, but also about how they are able to reflect on the information provided to them. As students receive feedback on clearly defined learning objectives, they begin to take ownership of their learning.
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| CURRICULUM CORNER: Elementary Science
Known author, Melissa Stewart, has written many award winning nonfiction books in science. Three days a week she sends out tips and information for teachers. If you are interested in getting information on increasing the use of nonfiction text in science lessons please visit celebratescience.blogspot.com.
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CURRICULUM CORNER: Social Studies
YouTube and Actively Teaching Social Studies
I have been in many social studies classrooms over the years, and I have usually encountered a classroom showing a YouTube video at some point in time. The learning is relatively passive, and sometimes students do not even get a chance to engage in questioning the material. What if we allowed students to make their own YouTube style video covering the content? Matt Miller, a teacher from Indiana recently shared his ideas on this, and they are fantastic. YouTube videos are very popular, as there are more than 2-billion logged in users a month. 81% of those users are between the ages of 15-25. The average user spends 11 1/2 minutes a day on YouTube. The most popular type of videos on YouTube are: 1) unboxing videos; 2) product reviews; 3) makeup tutorials; 4) on the street interviews; 5) tour videos; 6) list videos; 7) tips and tricks; and 8) Q&A videos. Using this information, what if our students were able to produce their knowledge of social studies using Adobe Spark, Screencastify, FlipGrid, WeMovie, or iMovie in one of these formats? Let’s not worry about the technical stuff, but focus more on the content of the videos.
In an unboxing video, students could unbox an item from a historical character and describe the item and why it may be important. How complex is the item? Is it a picture, or an artifact of some kind? In a product review, students can review a historical innovation and share the pros and cons of the reviewed item. Be sure they insert their opinion to make the item better or why it is amazing.
In an on-the-street interview, students can interview one another as a form of asking a singular question and following up with another set of questions. Imagine making the connection between the Black Death of the Middle Ages and that of Coronavirus today.
List videos are a natural for social studies in that students can list the most important ideas for a topic, the most influential people or ideas, and even list the reasons why a candidate was successful in an election. Our Bill of Rights and Amendments are a list.
To see more ideas and connections from Matt Miller on this topic, click HERE.
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PD Booster Sessions Schedule
Click HERE for a full calendar of upcoming booster sessions from the Curriculum Team!
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| Guest WiFi Password
- March: windy
- April: rainy
- May: bloom
- June: trips
- July: humid
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| DISTRICT CALENDAR
MARCH 6
♦ Voices of Change Film Awards: FLYER
MARCH 7
♦ Community Visioning Workshop, Carnahan (10am-noon)
♦ Secondary Math Contest at Roosevelt ♦ Summer Camp Fair: FLYER
MARCH 9
♦ The Color of Medicine screening at CVPA
MARCH 10
♦ Choral Festival at CVPA
MARCH 11
♦ Community Visioning Workshop, Soldan (6-8pm) ♦ Band Festival at CVPA
MARCH 12
♦ Community Visioning Workshop, Roosevelt (6-8pm)
MARCH 14
♦ Mad City Money Financial Reality Simulation: FLYER
♦ Facing History: Building Equitable Classrooms: LINK
APRIL 1-2
♦ NY Times 1619 Project
APRIL 6
♦ Deadline to apply for CGCS-Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships: LINK
APRIL 9
♦ High School Actuarial Information Day: RSVP
MAY 15
♦ Bright Futures Scholarship application deadline: LINK
JUNE 27-30
♦ Emerging Leaders Conference: FLYER (English), FLYER (Spanish)
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| Did You Miss an Issue?
There is now an archive of all issues of the Academic Office Newsletter. Yay! Click HERE or visit slps.org/AONArchive.
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