Essential Info - 12/1/17

• Save the Date - Orchestra / Jazz Staff Breakfast 12/15
• Monday Dec. 4 Professional Development. Please select a session if you haven’t already and prepare to dive in deep with your colleagues!
• Intervention Strategies Padlet - bit.ly/VHSReach
• Tech Supplies - SmartBoard pens, pen tips, rechargeable batteries for microphones, cords, etc. all with Mike Young. Come on by!
• OCDE Funding Tree -  Looking for grant $ to purchase classroom supplies / materials. Great resource you can subscribe to connecting you to opportunities in our area.
• PLUM Tech Tip - Google Calendar has a new look!
• New and improved Teacher Sound Byte @ pylusdsoundbyte.org  
• Updated weekly. Bookmark the link for easy access.

Shout Outs

Give a shout out to someone you’d like to recognize by writing a quick message on this Padlet: bit.ly/VHSShoutout. Bookmark the link. Your messages are embedded weekly in the Tiger Telegram. Simply write the name of recipient as title + twitter lengthed message to that person.

Academics, Activities, Arts, & Athletics 12/1

Professional Growth - How to Create Effective Homework

The value of homework is always a hot topic in education, and walks hand in hand with the grading conversation. What kind of work and how much should we assign? Certainly homework that is personalized and is “cheat resistant” is a good idea. This Mindshift article addresses a few ideas about effective homework.

• https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/10/18/how-to-create-effective-homework/

Tech Tip - Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides "Assigning Tasks using Comments"

Olivia started using this a couple weeks back and it's a great feature that is streamlining our collaborative efforts! 

Handbook Highlight - MODIFICATION/NEW COURSE PROPOSALS

Staff members are urged to submit proposals for instructional modification and for new courses as the need for such is evidenced. Certain proposals may relate only to Valencia High School and can be dealt with in informal ways. Others will affect the district and must be presented in the form prescribed in policy and in accordance with the district administrative calendar. Staff members considering such proposals should contact the Principal or Assistant Principal of Curriculum.

It’s that time of year when we begin the process of identifying courses for next year. Some teachers/departments may be considering new courses or shifts in existing courses. Remember that the process is a lengthy one, and includes going through cabinet and curriculum council. The next deadline is Dec. 5 to get onto the Dec. 19 curriculum council agenda. The following deadline is January 23. Anything beyond that date would most likely not be offered for 2018-19.

Essential Info- 11/17/17

Essential Information - Stuff You Need to Know!

• Monday’s DWI Session- Please meet in the MPR by 7:30am for a collegial discussion on grading.
• Water Shutdown over Thanksgiving Break- Please be advised that we have a scheduled repair of a water line over Thanksgiving break. As such, the water will be shut down on Monday, November 20-Wednesday, November 22 in the center of the campus. We anticipate the following buildings being affected: Administration, food services, MPR, quad, and library.  
• 2017-2018 Emergency Intervention Plan- Here is the final version.
• Bathroom Permission / Hall Passes - We have produced 2 hall passes with teacher last name for every teacher for use as bathroom passes and during emergency drills. Please be sure to issue the passes to students if they leave your class during the period. This will help us easily identify who is permitted out of class.
• New and improved Teacher Sound Byte @ pylusdsoundbyte.org  
• The Sound Byte will be updated weekly. Please consider bookmarking the link for easy access.

Shout Outs

Give a shout out to someone you’d like to recognize by writing a quick message on this Padlet: bit.ly/VHSShoutout. Bookmark the link. Your messages are embedded weekly in the Tiger Telegram. Simply write the name of recipient as title + twitter lengthed message to that person.

Academics, Activities, Arts, & Athletics- 11/17/17

Professional Growth- 5 Classroom Tools to Measure Student Learning

Formative assessment is a snap with games and other tools that let you see how students answer questions and review material. Here is an article on 5 Classroom Tools to Measure Student Learning

Tech Tips - Annotate PDFs

We are well on our way to equipping Tigers with the tools they'll need to become equipped with 21st century skills. In addition to developing close reading strategies and annotating text there's a fantastic, free Chrome Extension called "Kami". Once loaded, this tool allows teachers and students to annotate PDF files. You can save virtually anything as a PDF and have students highlight, underline, circle, add audio notes, etc. using this interactive tool. Give it a try! Pretty slick! For a great SmartPhone PDF scanner I recommend Genius Scan that allows integration with Google Drive. 

Handbook Highlight- Grading Overview

Grading Overview

Provide Meaningful Feedback to Students

• Use your comments to teach rather than to justify your grade, focusing on what you’d most like students to address in future work.
• Link your comments and feedback to the goals for an assignment.
• Comment primarily on patterns — representative strengths and weaknesses.
• Avoid over-commenting or “picking apart” students’ work.
• In your final comments, ask questions that will guide further inquiry by students rather than provide answers for them.

Maintain Grading Consistency within a Content Area

• Communicate your grading policies, standards, and criteria to parents and students in your course.
• Discuss your expectations about all facets of grading (criteria, timeliness, consistency, grade disputes, etc) with your students and parents.

Minimize Student Complaints about Grading

• Include your grading policies, procedures, and standards in your syllabus/outline. Distribute your grading criteria to students at the beginning of the term and remind them of the relevant criteria when assigning and returning work.
• Avoid modifying your policies, including those on late work, once you have communicated them to students.
• Keep in-class discussion of grades to a minimum, focus on course learning goals.
• Use Aeries and remind students when Aeries is updated so parents and students can track their progress.

Essential Info - 11/10/17

• Walkthroughs and Informal Observations- It’s been great getting into classrooms during our Wednesday Walkthroughs. Our informal observations for temp, prob, and teachers on their formal evaluation year will conducted by November 20th.
• Please note: The informal evaluation date for teachers who are permanent and not on-cycle is March 14th.
• Study Sync Dialogue Opportunity- Any interested ELA/ELD/SPED teachers should sign up for this opportunity to participate in EdCamp style discussions to include a variety of topics impacting ELA/ELD implementation.
• Sessions will include curricular updates, topic based teacher-driven discussions, light refreshments, and prizes presented in a growth mindset format.  
• Bathroom Permission / Hall Passes - There’s recently been graffiti in our bathrooms. Please limit student release for bathroom use. Consider keeping a LOG for time-in / time-out in case we need to narrow our search. We have produced 2 hall passes with teacher last name for every teacher for use as bathroom passes and during emergency drills. Once laminated, they’ll be placed in your mailbox. This will help us easily identify who is permitted out of class.
• Board Meeting Items- Please note that items for the next Board meeting due on Friday, November 24th will need to be submitted to Linda Gaunt no later than Wednesday, November 15th due to the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday.
• Become a member of the PTSA! Our goal is to have 100% staff join the PTSA to help support the program! We can do this!
• PLC on Monday 11/13! Analyze data, share best practices. Department chairs, please remember to turn in your PLC logs to your administrator after your session.
• New and improved Teacher Sound Byte @ pylusdsoundbyte.org  
• The Sound Byte will be updated weekly. Please consider bookmarking the link for easy access.

Shout Outs

Give a shout out to someone you’d like to recognize by writing a quick message on this Padlet: bit.ly/VHSShoutout. Bookmark the link. Your messages are embedded weekly in the Tiger Telegram. Simply write the name of recipient as title + twitter lengthed message to that person.

Academics, Activities, Arts, & Athletics- 11/10/17

5 STAR FOLDER LINK

Professional Growth - Feedback for Learning

We all know that for learning to take place, students need feedback. That’s true for the golf lessons you may take this summer, or for students to improve their academic skills. Here is an ARTICLE from Mindshift with some great ideas to have students provide meaningful feedback with each other, and to engage parents in the feedback-for-learning loop as well.

Tech Tips - Timer Tools

Timer Tools - This software is amazing for timed activities. You can download it directly with this LINK -OR- embed the tool in your FlipCharts by drag/drop the embedded clock graphic from this FlipChart into “My Resources” under “Resource Browser”. How-To Video

PLUM Tech Tips

Tech Tuesday

Handbook Highlight - Grading: Demonstration of Proficiency

The student demonstrates proficiency in the vast majority of the grade level key indicators. Sampling of student work illustrates the proficient level of expectation for the majority of standards for the course. The student’s work is comparable to the student exemplars and collaboratively designed rubrics that are labeled proficient.  

• Grades are based on students’ demonstration of proficiency of course content standards at grade level rigor.  
• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) will have agreed upon some assignments and categories for determining student grades.  
• Different forms of evidence can be used by educators to determine a student’s level of proficiency based on academic standards, such as, assessment data, class assignments, portfolios, etc.  
• Clear learning objectives and grading criteria shall be explicitly communicated to students and parents at the beginning of the course. Course-alike teachers at each site should have similar syllabus expectations.  

Essential Info- 11/3/17

Essential Information - Stuff You Need to Know!

• Blue and Gold Polo Friday- Get 5 Star points for wearing your new staff polo by uploading a photo into the 5 Star Folder for this week
• Walkthroughs and Informal Observations- It’s been great getting into classrooms during our Wednesday Walkthroughs. Our informal observations will conducted by November 20th.
• Lunch with Leadership- We’ll be eating our lunch in the Library Mural Room on Wednesday, November 8th for anyone who may be interested in joining us for some informal conversation (BYO-Lunch)
• Speech/Language Pull Out - Per students' IEPs, they are legally required to speech/language services. If/when a call slip comes for them, teaching staff are obligated to release then for services.
• Emergency Intervention Plan- Last chance to provide input to your department chair before Tuesday’s meeting. As a reminder, for non-emergency requests, call 10040 for assistance.
• Discipline Flow Chart- Please review the flowchart for as behavioral incidences arise.
• Campus Supervisors- Please assist our campus supervisors in maintaining a safe campus by:
• Locking gates behind you to prevent holes in our perimeter / truancies
• Marking tardies with consistency so students are issued appropriate consequences
• Referring dress codes as necessary (discretely with an email to Matt/Mike with student name)
• New and improved Teacher Sound Byte @ pylusdsoundbyte.org  
• The Sound Byte is updated weekly.

Shout Outs

Give a shout out to someone you’d like to recognize by writing a quick message on this Padlet: bit.ly/VHSShoutout. Bookmark the link. Your messages are embedded weekly in the Tiger Telegram. Simply write the name of recipient as title + twitter lengthed message to that person.

Academics, Activities, Arts, & Athletics 11/3/17

Professional Growth- Blogging for English Language Learners

Blogging for English Language Learners

Blogging is a very powerful tool in and of itself. Whether it's a personal or professional blog, blogging has the power to unleash learning, reflection, and communication. Even more, a blog can help spread your words and ideas to a wider audience and, as a result, a wider reach.

Blogging for English-language learners (ELLs) can tap into students' and teachers' utmost communicative potential and help expand and widen learning opportunities.

Tech Tips- Shmoop Screencast

The district just bought a license for Shmoop University. It's a great online resource for high school content including lessons, videos, test prep (for AP, ACT, SAT, PSAT, etc.). Just start exploring and you're destined to find something for your classroom regardless of your content area. 

Screencast - How-To Login

Handbook Highlight- English Learners

Limited and Non-English Proficient

Limited and non-English proficient is a systematic program for Grades 9-12 based upon functional speaking and reading levels in both their primary language and English. Student competency is determined by both interview and testing. Students are placed in a designated ELD class with an instructional emphasis placed upon pronunciation, vocabulary acquisition, comprehension, reading, writing, and computational skills.  Students also take a college prep language arts class in conjunction with the designated ELD class.