This has been an amazing year. On a personal note, I have had a great time learning from and with you. There are many amazing things, people and processes that make Tatum ISD a remarkable and unique district, and I am lucky to be a part of this place. There are many things that I could brag about, but as we finish the year, I'd like to share just a couple of the fun facts and successes. If you would like to add some fun facts, please leave a comment at the bottom.
- TES moved into their new home, a brand new state of the art building.
- 90% of our lessons integrated technology every day.
- The number of CTE certifications offered to students increased to 12 this year.
- THS students began using Chromebooks and Google Drive this year in English and Social Studies classes.
- TPS and TES teachers began using iStation and Think Through Math this year to help more students improve in their reading and math skills.
- TMS students were exposed to college and careers in a multitude of ways including visits to colleges.
- Extracurricular programs continued their tradition of excellence in competition.
Obviously, there are 1000 more things to celebrate, so this week, I challenge you to reflect on your year. There were successes, and there were failures. There were times of great joy and times of great sadness. All of these moments shaped our year and brought us to this point. Before you leave, take some time and reflect with your colleagues and your students. Reflection is a valuable exercise that is often ignored, but when we reflect, we actually affirm this fact. The work that each of us did this year was meaningful, and it made a difference in the lives of kids. The difference will be instantly noticeable in some kids today, and for some kids, the difference was a seed planted that will not come to fruition for many years. In short, what you did this year was beneficial and helped students grow.
Summer Requirements and Dates
Here are some dates that you will need to put down before you leave.
- Comp Days
- Every teacher and paraprofessional will need to earn 2 comp days this summer for the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving Break.
- TES, TMS, THS teachers will earn their comp days from 2 days of Google Drive training that is being created by the MITS. This must be accomplished by Thursday, July 30. If not completed, staff will need to attend mandatory Google Training during the week of August 3 - 6.
- TPS teachers will earn their comp days from 1 day of Google Drive Training and 1 Day of guided reading training. Google training must be accomplished by Thursday, July 30. If not completed, staff will need to attend mandatory Google Training during the week of August 3 - 6.
- All paraprofessional staff will need to see their principal to get direction on how to earn credit for the 2 comp days.
- August 17 - 21 - All staff return for District Staff Development, Campus Orientations and Teacher Preparation Days. More information will come later in the summer.
- August 24 - Students return to start the 2015-2016 school year.
New Initiatives in 2015-2016
Since continuous improvement is the pathway to excellence, we will carry forward and improve the things we are already doing, but we will also introduce some new ideas. Below are a couple of new initiatives that we are very excited about.
New IU Template
We will be moving away from Eduphoria and to Google Sheets for your new lesson plan next year. Each campus had representatives give input on the new IU template so that the document meets the needs of each campus and each teacher. You will receive a link over the summer to your very own personalized lesson plan template and instructions of how to use the document for planning this year. We will also offer training on how to use it and how to enter information, hyperlinks and other information into the document.
College and Career at THS
Next year we will make a huge emphasis on College and Career. To get started, we purchased Career Cruising, a software program to help kids become exposed to careers that fit their strengths and colleges or post-secondary schools that will help them reach their career goals. The goal of College and Career will be simple; equip all kids with tools and knowledge to reach their college and career goals before they graduate.
Summer Learning
What is your summer learning plan? What do you want to get better at next year? Is it content related? Is it kid-related? Whatever your plan is, make a plan to learn more about it this summer. If you would like some suggestions or help finding resources, please let me know. What we learn this summer makes us even better for next year's kids. Below are a few links that you may find beneficial this summer.
Summer Online Camp for kids by DIY.org
Even More Instagram and YouTube Accounts for Science Teachers
Google Apps for TISD - Our very onw link to several resources that will help you get Google-fied.
Digitial Citizenship - Teaching kids how to be ethically and morally responsible with technology.
To Teach Math, Study Reading Instruction
Homework vs. No Homework is the Wrong Question
8 Strategies to Keep Informational Reading Fun
No comments:
Post a Comment