February 21, 2020

We are BLESSED to have some of the best in the business at GVMS!  We have stressed this over and over again:  GO VISIT YOUR COLLEAGUES ON OUR CAMPUS!  Struggling with classroom management?  Want some out of the box ideas on student engagement?  Not sure what great academic conversations look and sound like?  Want ideas on quick and easy formative assessments to gauge what student "got" during your lesson?  JUST GO VISIT.  One period is ALL it would take and WE definitely have names to give you of people to visit.  Why is this important?  Take a look at THIS EASY ARTICLE about Open Classrooms and just how awesome they are!!

Currently the admin team is doing a book study on the book Your Students, My Students, Our Students
explores the hard truths of current special education practice and outlines five essential disruptions to
the status quo. Authors Lee Ann Jung, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Julie Kroener show you:
Establish a school culture that champions equity and inclusion.

• The Solutions 
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1. Build the belief among school teams that every student has value as an individual and is worthy of time, attention, and membership in
every opportunity schools and society have to offer. 

2. See students with disabilities as general education students. 

3. Do not assign any students to a "track"; deliver instruction to students with
disabilities
in the general education classroom.

4. Ensure every student receives quality core instruction every day.
When students don't respond to instruction, consider changes to the instruction itself. 

5. Provide every student with access to accommodations and modifications when these
are needed. 

6. Supply students who need support with evidence-based interventions that support
the skill and help them achieve meaningful growth. 

To realize authentic and equitable inclusion, we must relentlessly and collectively pursue change.

This book—written not for "special educators" or "general educators" but for all educators—

addresses the challenges, maps out the solutions, and provides tools and inspiration for the work ahead.

Real-life examples of empowerment and success illustrate just what's possible when educators commit

to the belief that every student belongs to all of us and all students deserve learning experiences that

will equip them to live full and rewarding lives.

Grades 3-8: Please start practicing SBAC

It's a good time to start having students explore the CAASPP Practice & Training Tests. This will help prepare

them for the CAASPP summative that they will be taking in just over 8 weeks. CDE has the California

Science Test (CAST) Training Test as well. Please go to www.fsusd.org/assessment and click on the green

button "SBAC Practice & Training Tests" to access the site. Students and teachers can access as a

Guest at school or home. Once you get logged as Guest, you'll need to select a grade. Be sure to select

Grades 5 or 8 if you want to take the California Science Test (CAST). 

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• SUPER DUPER AMAZING shout out to STAFF that made the MAP Growth Celebration happen!  It took the WHOLE VILLAGE!  Those who came to help supervise, to help pass out snacks, to chat with our students, to make connections, to praise their efforts...WE LOVEDDDDDDDDDDDD it!!!!
• SUPER awesome shout out to RYAN and MEGAN for pinch hitting for me last week for No One Eat Alone Day!  I am sad I missed it but am so grateful you helped make the pledge tree happens! ~Christina
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for holding down the fort while Heather is out! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to CAROL for meeting with me yesterday to disucss end of the year process and what's in store for our History Department! ~Karen
• SUPER awesome shout out to our DEPT CHAIRS for their leadership!
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for bringing the Sunny D drinks to remind us of Orange Sunshine at the District Office! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to CHRISTINE, KRISTEN, ELIZABETH and EVERYONE that made the MAP Growth Celebration possible!  Our kids LOVED it! ~Christina G.

February 14, 2020

There are SO MANY options out there for ways we can have our students show us that they have mastered a skill or standard versus a worksheet or packet.  As the pic above shows, there are lot of ways to support learning.  I saw this video awhile ago and again recently and, while the students behavior was totally disrespectful, you can see where he is coming from.  While not all "worksheets" are created equal, sometimes all that is given can be called a "busysheet" with zero purpose or meaning.  Other times, worksheets can be used as note taking sheets or data collection tools.  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE about the video, the Worksheet Continuum, and what to do instead! 

There are some really great resources for teaching and sharing information for Black History Month and a lot of info is being shared from our BSU!  Thank you!  Check out THESE 6 Tools that can help.  Also, take a look at THESE lesson plans that many have already utilized!

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• SUPER DUPER awesome shout out to RYAN for taking the GIANT lead on No One Eats Alone Day and to CHRISTINA G. and SANDY for helping!  ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to RYAN, HEATHER, KARRON, LYNN S., CHRISTINA, DAVID, ANITA, CAROL, LARISSA, KIMBERLY, DAVID O., LYNN L., LORRAINE, AND ALISA for opening your classrooms and having FUN for all during lunch for No One Eats Alone Day!  Let's do this WAYYYYYY more often! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA, DAVID N., ALANNA, and MARLYS for attending the MAP PD after school on Thursday!! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to JAMES for taking the initiative to email AND send a Good News Referral to two students every single day!  I am taking your lead and doing the same!  Thank you! ~KC 
• SUPER awesome shout out to CAROL, LARISSA, ALANNA, CHRISTINA G., LYNN L., SARJ, MEGAN, AND TAMIA for their hard work and data dig into our Dashboard and SPSA during our leadership meeting!  I appreciate your insight and leadership! ~KC
• SUPER awesome shout out to RYAN for organizing the No One Eats Alone Day today! ~Karron
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February 7, 2020

As we are now into February, I have to remind myself that I determine how I walk onto our campus each day.  I am the one who can "get out of my own head".  Want some help in joining in this mantra in my head each morning? =)  Check out THIS ARTICLE for some additional ideas =)

Constructed, pre-planned, incorporated into a lesson academic conversations are such a SIMPLE way to get students engaged and get the learning to "stick" and mean even more!  How do you structure those?  We have passed out so many different resources and tips and really want to see our levels of academic conversations increase 100%!  

Think about it:  Do you learn more at a P.D. when they talk "AT" you or when you get to share with your colleagues or friends?  Seems like a no brainer!  Take a look at THIS ARTICLE for some background and ideas to help facilitate academic conversations with our students!

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• SUPER DUPER awesome shout out to CRISTINA DEVRIES for her countless hours, planning, replanning, and scheduling for the Multicultural fair that is a HUGE HIT!  THANK YOU!
• SUPER awesome shout out to ALL STAFF THAT WERE AT TUESDAY'S FACULTY MEETING!  What an awesome and rich discussion surrounding and focused on our data, our students, and our future!!! 
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for bringing donuts and coffee for our FSUTA first Tuesdays! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to JASON for ALWAYS checking on everyone and filling in when 1st period meetings run late!
• SUPER awesome shout out to MR. FRANK who comes in to GVMS before and after school FOR FREE to help us with our traffic fun!
• SUPER awesome shout out to LYNN for the dashboard discussion and laughs! ~Julie
• SUPER awesome shout out to ELIZABETH for setting up the faculty meeting and goodies for me!
• SUPER awesome shout out to TAMIA for her super power of knowing when someone needed a hand! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to SARJ for the Super Bowl fun!  Thanks for creating an activity the staff could have fun with! ~Carol
• SUPER awesome shout out to ROSIE and GYWNN for holding it down while we are down a person in TAP.   Your work ethic and dedication are awesome! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to TIFFANY for taking the initiative to take the training to support our TAP students in the afternoon! ~Tamia
• SUPER awesome shout out to DUSTIN for helping me with the new semester grade book! ~Kimberly
• SUPER awesome shout out to RUDINA, BRENDA, MICHELE and MIMI for helping with the Shadow Day permission slips! ~Peter
• SUPER awesome shout out to SANDY, TAMIA, LYNN, JULIE, UMA, DAVID, STEVEN, KARRON, CAROL, CHRISTINA G., CHRISTINE AND KC for all of your help and participation at the MC Fair!  It wouldn't have been the same without you! ~Cristina