Week ending 9/6/19

Those first week FEELS...

In the ARTS THIS WEEK:

Middle and High School Arts Teams met this week for PLC. Our goal this year is to support the schools' overarching goals- whether in a Turnaround Plan or SIP, the Fine and Performing Arts teams will work via our content to support the learning of our kids so that they develop critical arts thinking skills, and the ability to communicate through a variety of the arts. Task planning using the NCAS will be a goal for us all as we dig deeper into our specific grade level standards for art and music.

I visited some of the new teachers on the team! They are getting settled and rooms look awesome! Shout out to Gael Berberick, Abby Casey, Gennaro Gonzalez, Tom Pritchard, Chelsea Swan, and Nick Quigley- their learning environments are so inviting and conducive to great opportunities! INSERT round of APPLAUSE HERE!!!!!!

We are advocating at the School Committee Meeting to acquire new Band Uniforms for the Durfee Marching Band! Wish us luck on Monday night!

Teachers were busy this week setting the stage for learning- lots of conversations were heard about expectations for learning and positive behavior. This is SUCH AN IMPORTANT TIME... For new teachers, I want to share here a few exerts about the first weeks of school and why it is so important to set that stage and DEVELOP HABITS for learning:

It takes 27 days to form a habit. Remember when your mother used to ask you to make your bed every day? Then, after a while, you simply started making it on your own --without having to be reminded to do it. Making your bed every day had become a habit.

When thinking about the kinds of good habits you want students to develop, go back to that list of expectations and procedures you created. For me, for example, it's important that students enter my classroom, check their mailboxes, and start working on their focus assignment before the first bell rings. It's important that when I use the quiet signal, my students get quiet and focus on me. I expect my students to stay in a quiet straight line when I walk with them down the hall. It's also important to me for students to be silent, with a clean area, before I dismiss them. Those types of habits, as well as others, also might be important to you. If you're not really sure what you expect of your students, then take some time right now to brainstorm those actions and behaviors that you want to become habits for your students.

But how can you build in students the good habits you expect? First, clearly explain your expectations to students. Next, make sure students practice the correct actions and behaviors daily. (It's especially important to practice behaviors over and over again during the first couple of weeks of school.) Third, be consistent about requiring specific behaviors. If you see students not meeting your expectations, don't be afraid to stop and take the time to practice the correct action or behavior right then and there.

The National Core Arts Standards and YOU:

This year, we are using the National Core Arts Standards to plan our lessons. Please use the website to access these standards- NCAS LINK

K-5 and 6-8 Teachers: As you plan your lessons for each grade level, select the grade level standard from the strands, and include these in your lesson plans.

Please share lesson plans with me so that I can be in tune with what you are planning!

Yes, this change will impact our old maps. We will tackle that at a later time. This year, the goal will be to use these standards to drive what we plan, and YES, this may be a shift in the way you plan. Many of you may want to consider a team professional practice goal around implementing these National Standards into your planning.

What's Ya Goal This Year?

The district's goal is to boost student achievement and provide supports for learning- that boost can only come from a combo of support, love and hard work. ELA, Math, Sci and SS teachers will be deepening the "what" of their work as they develop tasks that have our students think, produce, discuss, revise, plan, and present.

PLANNING using the NCAS, Made EASY:

What does this mean for you as the master planner for your kids? Here's an example I have used in PLCs this week...

You used to make the gargoyles based on Elements and Principles and Connections Strands from the Mass Curric Frameworks.

Dig into the connect/respond strands- where historically are gargoyles from? What is their meaning in society? Discuss, read, present!

Now, before the CREATE stage, brainstorm... if gargoyles aesthetic meaning was a symbol of protection, what might students need protection from? Have them brainstorm, and develop characteristics as they plan their creature on paper! This is a standard!

Finally, have students create the gargoyle either in 2 or 3D, and YES, use the elements and principles to do so!

Coming Up On the CALENDAR:

I will share next week a document that you can use for Goal Setting (PPG and SLG) with some sentence frames that tie directly to the district and department goals. Be on the look out, as this can help you immensely- I will be basing much of our PD time on these goals!

September:

K-5 Art and Music- Thursday, September 26th- 3:45 at Silvia (Music-Planning for Recorder/Quaver/Goals. Art- Planning for tasks and goals)
The elementary music team will be sharing Quaver accounts for our curriculum resources. To access the materials go to Quavermusic.com and click the green login button in the top right corner
Username: bquental Password: taco1215

Username: mrsjontos Password: music1

There are tons are resources and activities. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the team that piloted the curriculum last year: Branden Quental, Stephanie Tierno, and Becky Csizmesia Jontos. We'll talk about this more at our department meetings.

6-8 Art and Music- Wednesday, September 25th- 3:45 at Morton (Planning for goals using NCAS Grade Level Standards)

Instrument Demos for Band and Orchestra:

Principals, your band and orchestra teachers will be in touch regarding scheduling engaging demos to recruit band and orchestra students in grades 4, 5 and 6! Stay tuned for details!

Professional Development:

October 1st is the first Release Time day for the District- I will share the agenda in the next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jackie

Weekly Arts Wrap Up