PRINCIPAL'S BLOG TO STAFF - Sun.,Oct. 2, 2016

Dear Dedicated and Hardworking Staff,

Hope your weekend was productive and rejuvenating!  I'm so proud to work with such an unbelievable staff community!

KUDOS to STAFF Who "Stepped Up":  

• Patty who supported 5th graders for BES and RES so the 6th graders could have the full experience and not blow the school budget!
• All of you who have turned in or shared your Emergency Sub Plans!
• Heather for all the extra efforts to "feed us" with Sun. shopping trips!  
• All teachers who were prepared for the  classroom visit on Friday!    

Important Items to Know:

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR UPDATE -  We are so glad Shajen is with us - she  will be here this week Monday and Friday, but will normally work Wed. and Thurs.  Beth Ann has created a Guidance Spreadsheet schedule for everyone to put their requested times down on it.  She will need to meet with your students in your room.

NEWS FROM MS. L. - Hello, Reading Elementary School!  I am thrilled to be joining this wonderful teaching and learning community. My first week filled my days with warm welcomes from the staff, students, and the community.  I look forward to a positive and active year, filled with valuable experiences and quality time with each of you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

It is my pleasure to be serving the RES community.

STAFF MEETING - Tomorrow's meeting is very important and the main focus is the Emergency Preparedness speaker from the State Police. We will start promptly at 3 PM and hopefully finish by 4 PM. Since we only have one a month, I appreciate anyone who can stay extra and discuss other pending concerns. Please check the Google Doc for staff meetings to add things to the agenda.

LUNCH ACCOUNTS/STUDENT BAGS - Heather has provided lovely cloth bags for the students who are "prepaying" their lunch. Please give the bags to the students whose names are on them and ask them to give to their parents and return them. When the bags come back, please return to Heather. Thanks to Heather for this sustainable way to get lunch bills paid!

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT - This Thursday the PTO will be providing pizza and salad for families from 5:30 - 6 PM. From 6 - 6:45 PM, classes will be open for visitation, but not for parent conferences. I will remind folks of this when I welcome them at 5:55 PM before we dismiss. At 6:45 PM, there will be a PTO meeting in the Cafeteria to close out the night by 7 PM. Thanks for having lots of student work ready for parents to see.

PD OPPORTUNITIES - Teacher Scholarships Available for VHC Conference "Looking at Leadership through the Humanities"  Thanks to a grant from the Bay and Paul Foundations, the Vermont Humanities Council is once again offering full scholarships to qualifying educators to attend our fall conference, to be held November 4-5, 2016 at the University of Vermont. This conference will ask what we can learn about leadership from the humanities, and features a line-up of 12 presenters exploring Indira Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Shakespeare's portrayals of leadership, and American Suffrage leaders, to name a few. Vermont K-12 educators, as well as Adult Education and Literacy System educators, are eligible for these scholarships, which cover the cost of registration, including meals, and for these residing more than 45 minutes from Burlington, the cost of lodging. Contact: Amy Cunningham, VHC Director of Community Programs, at (802) 262-1356 or acunningham@vermonthumanities.org

WALKTHROUGHS - As you know, I'm always popping in and out of your classrooms. I'll be stopping by this week and hanging out in your classrooms 15-20 min. doing written walkthroughs. We will meet briefly within 48 hours to discuss the great teaching I saw!

LOCAL STANDARDS BOARD - Pam Selen is our LSB representative.  If you have any questions with regards to this or did not receive the e-mail regarding LSB, please see her. 

ONGOING "DIARY" of EVENTS - It's crucial that you keep a "diary" or log of events that occur in your classroom.  Documentation makes all the difference when there's a parent conference.  The days run quickly into weeks into months.  Please see me if you have any questions regarding this.  

RES ACTION PLAN - I have been reminded by the Superintendent that this has to be updated.  Please check your Google Docs and see if you can share with me.  We will discuss at the end of staff meeting today.  

SPACES/BOUNDARIES - We are a small school but everyone that works here has big hearts.  Thank you for being professionals as you share space with each other.  

OBJECTIVES - As the Superintendent and I toured the building Friday, it was great to see "Objectives" listed on your Boards so we knew what the objective of the lesson was.  This is a great way to start a lesson and then close by referring back to it.  It's also easier for students to be able to answer that "age old" question - "What did you learn in school today?"    

LETTERS/FORMS SENT HOME - Please make sure you provide a copy of all forms to Libbet for the Office's Records.  

NEWS FROM Linda L - WCSU HR 

• HEALTH INS. - The president of VEHI, Laura Soures, will be presenting an informational power point on the new health plans that will be offered by VEHI coming in January of 2018.  The meeting will take place at the WUHSMS Auditorium at 3:00 pm on 10/18/16.  We would love for as many of our employees to be able to attend this meeting.  This will be open to both the teaching staff and support staff. If your teachers have other scheduled commitments such as time with Kathy Ernst or Amy Toth, those meetings should take priority.  We will be sure to get the information out to those that want it but were unable to attend.  If you should have any questions please contact myself, Alice or Richard Seaman.  Thank you all!
• RETIREMENT PLANS - Our rep, Will Watson will be available for appointments on Tuesday, October 4th from 9:30 - 1:00 pm in the conference room at the Central Office.  If you'd like to see Will please contact him directly at willard.watson@empower-retirement.com or 802-417-7937 to set up an appointment. 

Teachers - Literacy Reminder - Thurs., Oct. 13 - Teachers will meet with Aimee a minimum of 30-45  minutes  to review video and do next level analysis on the Comprehension Conversation to refine formative assessment practices.

If you have additional openings in the schedule, meeting with teachers around goals is also a great idea.

Teachers will need to bring to after school session:

*F&P folders for their class with highest instructional level test included.  Groupings of students in Guided Reading groups that have shared instructional need.

*One student that they have identified to study in depth that is “on level.”

*A short video of the selected student reading a passage of text and a brief comprehension conversation about what they have been reading with you and any other documentation around their running records or comprehension.  Max time for video: 10 minutes

PBIS - STILL LOOKING FOR SOMEONE......I am looking for a few folks willing to work with me on revitalizing the PBIS program at RES. I know you are all busy, so won't take too much of your time. Please e-mail Cathy if you can help. 

RES COMMUNITY YARD SALE - This Sat. PLEASE consider having your class bring in items for this - including baked goods. We will need volunteers to help on Saturday. Please sign up with Libbet or myself. We need students to be responsible for the "Baked Goods" table.... Thanks!

Happening this Week:

• Sun., Oct. 2 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIBBET!
• Mon., Oct. 3-  
• Cathy teaching Library Media/Tech. today
• 2:50 - 3:45 PM - STAFF Meeting - Gr. 5/6 Classroom
• Tues., Oct. 4- 
• Testing taking place in SPED room.
• Cathy "OFF" 
• Cathy at VPA Meeting in Montpelier 9 - 11 AM
• Wed., Oct. 5 - Beth Ann off 12:45 - 3
•  4 - 6 PM - Cathy at VPA Principal's Meeting in Dummerston
• Thurs., Oct. 6  -
• Testing - Guidance Office 9:30 - 2
• 5:30 - 7 PM Back to School Night
• 5:30 - 6 PM - Pizza provided by PTO
• 6 - 6:45 PM - Classroom visits
• 6:45 - 7 PM - PTO Meeting in the Cafeteria
• Fri., Oct. 7 - Payday
• Sat., Oct. 8 - 9 AM  - 2 PM - RES Yard Sale 

 Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events: 

• Mon., Oct. 10 - NO SCHOOL - Inservice Day
• Tues., Oct. 11 - EST Meeting - 3 - 4 PM
• Wed., Oct. 12 - Shajen here.
• Thurs., Oct. 13 - 
• Cathy "OFF"
• Shajen here
• Aimee Toth here - After school meeting as well
• Heather at WCSU Food Service Committee Meeting 2:15 PM at WES Cafeteria
• Cathy at Tech Committee Meeting 2:15 - 3:30 - WCSU
• Fri., Oct. 14 -
• Beth Ann off 
• Sat., Oct. 15 - Cathy at UVM Library Class
• Mon, Oct. 17 - Sherry Hatt off
• 6 PM PTO Meeting - Elections
• Wed., Oct. 19 - 
• School Picture Day - THIS IS A CHANGE!
• Libbet at VT School Census Training 10-12 Chester
• 6 PM - Board Meeting
• Thurs., Oct. 20 - Cathy "OFF"
• Sat., Oct. 22 - Cathy at Keyboarding Workshop in Portland, Maine
• Sun., Oct. 23 - PTO "Leaf Peeper" Breakfast 8:30 - 10 AM and Pumpkin Raffle
• Mon., Oct. 24 - Math PD
• Tues., Oct. 25 - Cathy Off  
• Fri., Oct. 28 - End of Term 1!!! 
• Tues., Nov. 1 - 8 -  Dennis "OFF"
• Thurs. Nov. 3 - 
• Cathy at Admin. Meeting - 7:30 - 3 PM Woodstock
• SPED EPT 2:30 - 3:30
• Fri., Nov. 4 - Pam Boyer-Sheldon off
• PAYDAY!
• Tues., Nov. 8 - AOE EQR Field Review visitors here 11:30 - 3:30 PM
• Wed., Nov. 9 - AOE EQR Field Review visitors here 8:00 - 11:30 AM
• Fri., Nov. 11 - NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
• Sat., Nov. 12 - Cathy at UVM class - Montpelier
• Tues., Nov. 15 - Reading Elem. Act 46 Community Form 6 - 8 PM
• Wed., Nov. 16 - 6 PM - Reading School Board Meeitng
• Thurs., Nov. 17 - Cathy "off"
• Fri., Nov. 18 - Pie Baking
• Sat., Nov. 19 - Pie Sale
• Tues., Nov. 22 - 
• Alice Worth visits again
• Thanksgiving Feast
• Wed., Nov. 23 - Fri., Nov. 25 - SCHOOL CLOSED - THANKSGIVING
• Tues., Nov. 29 - Cathy "off"
• Thurs., Dec. 1 - 
• Cathy at WCSU Team Meeting
• Fri., Dec. 2 - Payday

Thoughts to Ponder: