Please join me in welcoming our newest elementary team members: Elif Cömert (EC Intern), Catlin Smith (Grade 1), Leah Mulder (Grade 1), Bernadette Saunders (Grade 3), Camille Johanssen (Grade 5), Karen MacMeekin (Library), and Kriszti Rausch (ES Office Assistant). We have had an amazing first week getting to know our new team members and can already tell they will make amazing additions to our team and teaching and learning at AISB.
“It is significant to realize that the most creative environments in our society are not the ever-changing ones. The artist's studio, the researcher's laboratory, the scholar's library are each deliberately kept simple so as to support the complexities of the work-in-progress. They are deliberately kept predictable so the unpredictable can happen.” -Lucy Calkins
Start the year out right by reviewing up to date research and best pedagogical practice. Reconfirm your practice and maybe even find a new approach or two.
Review the components of proactive classroom management. Click on this summary of Designing Effective Classroom Management by Jason E. Harlacher (The Main Idea: Current Educational Book Summaries) that outlines the five key components needed to support improved student achievement and decrease inappropriate classroom behaviors. Create clear expectations and rules / agreements, establish procedures and structure, reinforce expectations, actively engage students, and manage inappropriate behavior. Collect ideas for individualized behavior plans to support students who continue to struggle.
Looking to create a classroom environment conducive to open collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking? Want to provide opportunities for your students to use up excess energy, increase their motivation and engagement, create better oxygen flow to the brain, and improve core strength and overall posture? Consider a classroom redesign. Check out this article to get you started.
Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign
Fairydust Teaching is an online resource that offers teaching tips and e-courses. Several members of our faculty have taken courses through Fairydust including 'Reggio Inspired Environments', 'Learning Spaces' and 'Challenging and Difficult Children'. Feedback regarding the courses has been very positive. Check out the link for further details. You can also talk to any member of your EC team, Kim Porter, Leah Mulder, Kathy Cromartie, Edit Szabo-Basco, Kata Szakácsy, Krista Zavits and / or Kevin Fayarchuck who have all taken courses through Fairydust.
"For students to achieve mathematical understanding, instruction must promote problem solving, communication skills, and critical thinking. This requires students are provided opportunities to be actively engaged in doing meaningful mathematics, discussing mathematical ideas, and applying mathematics in interesting, thought-provoking situations. A balanced approach to instruction that supports conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application of mathematics to real-world problems is essential." To read more from the AERO Math Science Update August, 2016, click here and check out the picture that includes one of our own. You can find Live Binder access (referred to in the newsletter) in the sidebar of the Mindset.
Week of Inspirational Maths (2)
Week of Inspirational Maths (2) (WIM2) is a free set of mindset films and open creative math lessons for students from Early Childhood through Grade 12. Set up a free account at YouCubed and you can view and download this year's resources.
The WIM2 videos are designed to give students the very best start to the school year. The lessons are available in 4 different grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. The day 4 activity, All Hail the Elephant! (available in the 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands) explores an unsolved problem in mathematics that will engage students and promote inquiry. For EC to Grade 2, there are finger activities as well as many other creative and engaging tasks. Why not start the first week of school out with these inspirational activities?
YouCubed would love your feedback If you do give these activities a go, consider completing the surveys found on the site.
Join us on Tuesday, August 16 at 1:45 pm- 2:15 pm to begin planning for this year's International Day of Peace. This year we will celebrate on Friday, September 30. Many hands make light work. Please come join the fun and help create a memorable experience for our students. We will meet in room A125 (the extra grade 3 room). Here is the link to the agenda.
In an effort to provide you with more time to do what you do best (teaching and learning) our goal is to minimize the amount of time spent on nuts and bolts during all faculty meetings. Please refer to this section for that information. We will re-evaluate throughout the year to determine if the online method is successful, we need to return to the face to face method or we need to trial another alternative.
August 15-19
Cell Number Confirmation- Please send a text message with your name to Krista (+3630579-1766), Karen (+36302338132), Erika (+36302745235) and Kriszti (+36302318571) to ensure we all have your up to date numbers on our phones and you have ours. Please turn on your “Show My Caller ID” when calling us, otherwise, we are unable to call you back if we miss the call. If you do not know how to do this a member of the Tech Team is ready and willing to help.
Review (found in Mindset sidebar):
- Important Elementary Information *Important review Teacher Checklist and due dates (pp 18-19) as a team and distribute work as appropriate
- Faculty Biographies Updated (Wednesday, August 15)
- Faculty Handbook (Sign off Friday, August 17)
- ES Student- Parent Handbook
Review (found in Mindset sidebar):
- Important Elementary Information *Important review Teacher Checklist and due dates (pp 18-19) as a team and distribute work as appropriate.
- Fire, Health, and Safety Handbook
- EAL Handbook
- LRC Handbook
Review (found in Mindset sidebar):
- Important Elementary Information *Important review Teacher Checklist and due dates (pp 18-19) as a team and distribute work as appropriate.
- Board Policy
- Complete the Google form acknowledge you have read and understood all the handbooks and documents listed for review (August 15-September 2)