October 5th, 2023

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 One Month IN!

With the month of September behind us, it's time to crack open that pumpkin spice candle, and let fall roll in.  For us, what's cooking?  Well, we have some really meaningful, relevant goal setting happening, and teachers are selecting their "6" for the SLG studies.  That's pretty awesome work.  In addition, unannounced observations will be starting up next week- all teachers on one year plans should be visited 4 times for observations.  I will be in across all schools to do observations for my new teammates so that you have at least two from me, and two from your primary evaluator.  In addition, I will do the first of four Arts Learning Walks.  Lastly, many of you have had or will be having your open house at your schools.  Let's break it down here!

  • Goals Planning: The goal for me is to have your goals aligned across teams so that for the remaining three PD days, we can dig into that work as a cohort.  We started this work on Monday at the PD day, and will continue to work on these shared foci as a team.  So excited to see how we grow together in the areas of arts literacy and culturally relevant model text/learning tasks.
  • For the November PD day, there will be building based options, and F&P Arts options.  I will have 3 hours for the department to continue the work that we started- in addition, we will have Reagan Paras from Berklee working on engagement in chorus, and specifically working/planning with boys in mind.  Stay tuned for more info as the day gets closer!
  • Learning Walk- My goal is to get into every art and music classroom between October 23-27 to get a "snapshot" of arts tasks.  I am in the room for about 5ish minutes, chat with the kids, take some notes/pics, and then move on to the next room.  Then, I'll create a report for you with all that is happening across this SUPER TEAM.  No matter what grade/level you teach, it's always interesting to see what kids are doing at other grades.  You will be able to see vertical alignment and how we grow our kids, and also see the impact of our planning thinking about culture/diversity, and making kids feel like their identity is being seen and heard in the classroom.

In the News this Week:
  • Progress Reports 6-12 Window closes 10/6
  • No school Monday 10/9- Columbus Day
  • Dept Meeting Durfee 10/10
  • 6-8 Art Dept Meeting 10/11
  • K-5 Art Dept Meeting 10/25
  • K-8 Music Dept meeting was held this week- if you missed it, Chelsea posted the video on GC for you.
  • US Bands Show will be hosted at DURFEE HIGH SCHOOL this year on October 22!
Musicals!
  • This year, we will have musicals in 4 schools!  This is awesome!  
    • Durfee- Matilda- 12/10-12/12
    • Morton- Legally Blonde- 1/29-2/3
    • Kuss- Little Mermaid- 3/18-3/23
    • Talbot- TBD, but we are working on it!
PLC/CPT:
  • We are BACK in action next week, continuing our work as we dig into Identity and the Arts, and ways to engage students in arts experiences that are relevant, and AWESOME.
In the Arts AROUND US:
And a few Inspos.. related to our focus on getting to know our cultures that we work with.
First, Basquiat- Man from Naples can be seen in super duper close up using Google Arts and Culture.  Check it out HERE.  Did you know Jean Michel was of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent?  

Ana Moura.  She is amazing- a fado singer who has modernized the way fado speaks to young people in Portugal and the Azores.  Here is an example of her work.  

Philemona Williamson- Williamson was born in NYC in 1951. Her African-American parents were employed by a wealthy Greek family, and she grew up in their Manhattan home. She recalls a diversity of cultures but no racism when growing up.  Her father was the chauffeur and her mother the housekeeper. She said of the environment in the home on Sutton Place that she and her parents maintained "a kind of quiet gentility" while their employers were involved in an endless "Greek passion play." She attended Bennington College, earning a bachelor's degree in 1973, and went on to NYU where she obtained a master's degree in 1979. At Bennington she embraced post-modernism, despite the fashion for abstraction in the department.
I love her work- super cool stuff.  Check her out!


Have a great weekend,
Jackie



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