State meeting update- August 15

 This means that all State Staff, Directors and Assistants will need to be at JSU at 8:00 on Tuesday, August 26^th.  Specialists will need to attend beginning on Wednesday at 8:00.  I will send more information concerning the content of  the 26^th  as well as the rest of SWSMeeting next week.

Per Steve’s earlier email:

The “44” refers to site directors, assistant directors, and SDE staff.

August (at JSU)

Aug. 25                 Cancelled (some people will likely drive in for tomorrow- note: not everyone starts tomorrow) 

Aug. 26                 1 Day DuFours Coaching Academy for the “44.” (Begins at 8 AM)  No site math or science specialists this day.

Aug. 27                 State Staff Meeting everyone – site math and science specialists and the “44.”  Begins at 8 AM

Aug  28                 SSM everyone all day

Aug 29                  SSM  everyone until 12 noon-then dismissal

I have tried to update my Directors distribution list, but please double check to make sure I have not left someone off. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Karen 

Refreshments provided by  JSU AMSTI 

Refreshments for State staff, directors and assistants on Tuesday, August 26

Home made goodies for August 27 and August 28

2 cases of water and 3 cases of soft drinks 

Weekly update - please read before staff meeting on August 15, 2015

August 14, 2014
2014-2015
BLOG will return.  Please read it before a staff meeting and each Friday am.  We will take the first 5 minutes and answer questions from the BLOG.  Hopefully this will cut down the "announcement" time during our staff meeting and we can concentrate on the work in the schools and learning together.

Begin staff meetings 9:00
Tanya will be in the conference room my 8:30 if anyone has something that pertains to only them that they want to discuss.
If there is an item to discuss with only math or science then that group will meet at 8:30 or at 1:30.

As part of our emphasis on coaching this year, we need to encourage the teacher to be reflective. When we leave they need to be able to do things that they couldn't do before we got there. They need to feel more confident in their ability to do something.  We should be able to assist with and model  questioning, and formative assessment in our lessons.   Offer to help them with differentiated instruction  and with planning.

For your one schools there might be a lot of modeling.  Please ask the teacher should give the specialist feedback so that they're getting in the habit for year two and beyond.  We need to be moving into that reflective coaching cycle.  

We need to use ongoing evidence of learning to inform our support and to guide feedback for our teachers. We need to do what we ask our teachers to do. Use PQP when we are teaching and ask the teachers to give us feedback. 

GOOD NEWS:   InService is buying a new copier.  The copier from down stair will be moved upstairs.  We will assume the service contract on it.  I'm guessing the one upstairs will be deleted from inventory and picked up.  We will have to request that to be done. 

Dr. Bice will be at Jacksonville High School on October 7 at 6 pm.  As many as possible, we need to be there.   

Please try to post something on our  JSU AMSTI page at least weekly.  Post where you are, who you are working with, a lesson you are teaching, student work posted in the hallway, something.   If you have a professional twitter account, post something there too.   Promote your work!!!!!

Check the JSU Facebook page for Material pick up pics.  Trying to promote their work too. 

SDE news:  Dr. Mark Kirkmier is not our Regional Support Coordinator any longer.  He took another job at the SDE or just stopped doing 2 jobs.   Karen Winn is our Regional Support Coordinator. 

By next Friday, August 22, please submit an updated list of every piece of equipment  you have in your possession that belongs to JSU AMSTI.  This includes cameras, clickers, remotes, computers, speakers, projectors, etc.

Please bring the review of work and planning for work form to the staff meeting on Sept 19. [days in a school, pd, etc..]

Email from Jeff Loper:

Please get with your science specialist and make sure they get with their teachers on how to redeem the Living Material cards.  Apparently several are going on line and placing orders for additional ‘critters’ with the sites PO# (See below).   Michelle is going to get me a list and I will be in contact with the sites that need to address this issue.

The teachers are going on the web and ordered their living materials and referenced site’s PO#.  Customer service is looking to see how many more we have had in the past couple of days.  

Update : dates for 2014-2015

We do not have RSS or CCRS dates but they may be similar to this year so you could tentative plan for the same time frame.  Save those dates too!

AMSTI dates: 

Statewide staff meetings:

May 5-8, 2014 [you had this date, no  change]

New dates 

August 25-28, 2014

November 5-7, 2014

May 4-7, 2015

Directors meetings

January 7-8, 2015

March 10-11, 2015

EIE training - train the trainer :  ALL SCIENCE SPECIALISTS

Hold these dates:  July 8 - 11, 2014

JSU Summer Training dates for K-12 math [year 1 and year 2], science 6-8 what ever is needed. 

June 16-20 and 23-27 

Robotics - July -

OGAP dates  need to be decided 

I think we need 2 or 3 additive, 2 multiplicative and possibly 5  or more fractional - we can start with 5 and see how the registration goes.

August 2, 2013

August 2, 2013

Everyone:

Congratulations to everyone on a successful summer supporting our teachers.

Odenville Middle canceled for August 16th so I can help clean out 3170.   Next clean out/up day is August 20th. 

Hokes Bluff Middle Data PD is moved to Thursday, August6 15th.  9-11 is the time. 

Calendars: No JSU calendars are avaiable at this time.  If you need a calendar, our only option for us to purchase is Office Max. Or you can print one, in any format you want, bind it, etc The credit union usually brings come for everyone or the National Guard.  Talk to Kay and she can let me know what you decide.

From Steve:  Memo from Dr. Bice:

Subject: Beginning of School

Last year we began a tradition that was well received by our local school systems and thoroughly enjoyed by our staff - volunteering on the first day of school.

August 19, 2013 is the first day of school for the majority of school systems in the state and I would like to ask that you inform your employees of this opportunity and urge them to participate. I would also like to keep a running list of volunteer efforts so please ask each of your “offices” to assign someone to keep of record of who volunteers and in what school they volunteered. This will be considered part of a regular work day for all employees participating and no leave will be required.

TRB

August 13th
Leslie will need to borrow a laptop for August 13th.  She has a training for the Online Science Course at Pelham / UM AMSTI.  Barry is also attending.

Lots of work ahead and that is just in August.

Specialist:  PDs:  PDs [Quality Questioning, Thinking Through Quality Questioning, Leading Throught Quality Questioning, Formative Assessment and Data Driven Decision Making]  are in the dropbox and have been shared with you.  Complete with facilitator notes.  If a participant packet is required, then those are in an adobe packet that will print all pages in order. 

If you are presenting the Data pd, please review it and let me know if there are questions or if we need to review it as a group. .  It has been updated to include the latest info on Assessment and Plan 2020.     I think we should use the video of Dr. Bice from the 3rd quarter CCRS meetings.  I will work on downloading that and getting it in the drop box.

Please do not let the participants keep the articles from the PD.

Staff meeing moved from August 19th to August 21st

June 14, 2013

Thanks to everyone for all your work in preparing for our summer trainings!  It truly is a team effort!
Almost everyone will need to check out a projector.  Ben Hicks will be at our training and he is bringing 4 from the SDE.  Next week there should not be a problem.   The next week is when it might be close.   Let's make sure if you have a projector/document camera combo that you bring it to Saks Middle next week.  There are at least 5 of those, and I think there are 6. 

FYI: Friday, June 21st,  I will be at a RSS planning meeting in Montgomery. 

Update:
New principal at Handley Middle School : Lynn Robinson:  lrobinson@roanokecityschools.org

News you can use:

We will host some middle school training. July 8-11 and 15-18 at White Plains Middle School.  Very limited. 

6th grade year 1, 7th grade year 1, 8th grade year 1 and 7th grade year 2. 

I have contacted the principals.  Shelley will begin contacting the teachers who have contacted us litterally begging for this training. 

Thanks to Barry and Jason for being flexible and helping us provide this training  to our teachers.  

July 12:  will be AMSTI homecoming for all AMSTI Equipment.   Check your car, your spouses car, your kids car, your closet, basement, garage... you get the idea.  Bring anything and everything that belongs to JSU/AMSTI.  We are going to label all equipment with your name and JSU AMSTI AND make a list of materials that are checked out to everyone.   We are going to bring the camera boxes from the vault and get all cameras back in their home box.  Then we will designate one person who will check out random items to staff and ensure that when that item is returned it is "checked" back in and placed back in its home. :)  Just some housekeeping that needs to be done.

By looking at the calendar, it appears everyone will be here on July 12th.  Kay and Amber have a PD here but their equipment can still have a homecoming.  :) 

Next question:  who wants to be the check out person? I'm thinking the new PD person, whomever that may be.

August 16 and August 20:   is CLEAN 3170 day.   Science has begun this process.  Now it will be Math's turn to clean out the math stuff from 3170 and the PX.  Consolidate and figure out what can be given to teachers when you work with them in the schools.  Again, looking at the calendar, it looks like everyone will be here.  Even though it is Math clean out day, when math is working at the PX, science may want to check out some of the stuff that is in the repo math kits.  You may be able to use it.  I know one of those kits has a balance in it. 

Have a great weekend!

May 31, 2013

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Info for EVERYONE!

Remember:   Inservice Review will be Monday.  Please arrive in the conference room, 2113 around 315.  The committee is suppose to be here at 330.   It will probably be a question and answer time.  They as questions and we answer to the best of our knowledge. 

I am going to take Wed - Friday off.  June 5-8 and maybe leave early on Tuesday(depending on Tim's schedule). 

Monday AM, I will print the final batch of confirmation letters.  WHEW! I think we will have everyone registered. 

Thanks to everyone who made the OGAP sessions a success.  It truly was a TEAM effort.   Melanie and Amber did a great job presenting/facilitating.

Specialists:   

June  12, I need to meet with Polly and Shelley about the Administrator PD for June 19-20.  I am going to need your help to manage a group.   


PD week is filling up.  

August 12:  Quality Questioning at White Plains HS 8 - 11
August 13:

• Quality Questioning at Pleasant Valley Elementary 8-11 and Thinking Through Quality Questioning 1-3. 
• Hokes Bluff Middle Data: 9-11 (need a volunteer)
• Saks E data:  8-10 (need a volunteer)

August 14: Saks Middle and High Quality Questioning 8-12 and Data Saks Middle, 1-3
August 15:  PLT PD - beginning PLTs presentation at Walnut Park - 8-12

Info for Everyone
PreService Training for JSU is set.  Dates have been approved.
Tara, Polly, Amber, Kay and Lynn Vaughn will be involved in these sessions. 
We will provide the participant guides.
It will be 3rd grade, year 1 so we will need Plant Growth and Development and Chem Test as well a a 3rd grade GLOBE kit and a 3rd math kit and bundle.   We should have one left from training. 
We will not need bundles for science guides for everyone.  Probably 6 science TGs total and one or two sets of bundles.  (we should have that left from training this summer).
 

	Group A	Group B	Group C
Math	Sept 12, 13, 19, 20	Sept 5, 6, 19, 20	Sept 5, 6, 12, 13
Science	Sept 4, 5, 6	Sept 11, 12, 13	Nov 13, 14, 15
GLOBE	Nov 8	Sept 4	Sept 20

May 10, 2013

May 10, 2013

• Everyone:  Please meet Monday, May 20th for a brief staff meeting.  There are a few things I need to share with everyone. 9:00
• Tara, Kay, Amber and I need to talk "Preservice" Monday after the staff meeting.

• Everyone:  Let's plan for a staff meeting on 9:30 on May 28th so that we are all on the same page for summer institute/training.  What needs to be done, etc...   I know OGAP is May 29-31 and the session for Calhoun County administers is May 29 and trainers is May 30 but we need to get together.   
• May 29 is the Leading Through Quality Questioning for Calhoun Admins.
• May 30 is the Coaching Conversations PD for our new trainers .   If Polly and Shelley are available then, I would appreciate you sharing facilitating tips, working with adults, etc.  I have activities to take them through each chapter of CC.  

• Math Extras for SI 2013.  There are some things that need to be made.   Please help get these made this week (May 20-24) if you have the time.

For next year:  Specialists

• I'm just thinking out loud and sharing some thoughts for next year.   All of this is up for discussion.  Just sharing my thoughts, so please don't read it as a must do
• An idea for next year:   develop a Survey to send to teachers after a cycle at a school.   Help them to be reflective, give us good data and also helps us to be reflective.  Use survey monkey, kwik survey, etc
• Someone volunteer to put together a committee of three (elementary math, elementary science and middle school/high school specialist) to develop a way so taht between staff meetings we know everyones agenda for a week.   Calendar is an option nbut it needs to be more specific.  ie what classes are schedule, who are you meeting with, where, etc.   I will leave the how up to the committe on how to communicate the specifics of each specialists agenda but this is a real need.  Lots of reasons, one is if someone calls, text, they are sick then how can we communicate to the school what was scheduled other than the specialist not just showing up.   Also, it will help me and help with documentation for what is going on in each school.  This has been a strange year but I feel completely lost as to what is going on.  I don't want this to be a burden or just somehitng else to do, but we need a better way of communicating what we are all doing each week.  I'm open to ideas.  The committee  can bring recommendations, send them to me and then I will meet with the committee and we will come to a decision.  I don't think the Activity Log has plans to return at this time.   
• Another topic for the committee:  Please think about this:   Let's also visit how we can have some type of communication at the begining of each year with all teachers.   It can be an email, it can be a flyer sent to teachers at schools, just something that connects us with them at least once a year.  Even if it is just a postcard at the begining of the year.  UseEdumundo, etc. 

• Change in CCRS dates for April 2014:  JSU dates are April 24 and April 25.

• 2013-14 Staff Meeting Updates
  May 20 – replaces the canceled date May 6th
  May 28 – get on the same page for what needs to be done to move to Saks Middle June 10
  2013-2014 school year
  Aug 19
  Sept 16
  Oct 21
  Nov 18
  Dec 9
  Jan 13
  Feb 17
  Mar 17
  Apr 14
  May 12
  2013-14 Birthday Lunches
  July 15
  Oct 28
  Dec 2
  Jan 27
  Apr 7
  May 19