Leadership Matters

Announcement

Please Note:

You can find more

information on our department website:

www.sisd.net/academicservices

Spring

Professional Development

Calendar

January

2018

Edition

4 Ways to “Jolt” Yourself Toward Meaningful Change December 14, 2017 by George

Educators (and people) are creatures of habit.

Sometimes we do things because we have done those things in the past.

No other reason.

Example…

I have watched so many teachers sit through dull, bullet-point

slide presentations, wanting to be anywhere else but in that room.

Then, many of those same educators work with their students to create the

same type of “read off the slide” presentations in schools.

If we hate sitting through it, why would we teach it?

To finish reading the article click on the following link:

https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/7925

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Tech News

Kudos to all of our campuses for your participation in providing students with

opportunities to leverage the digital resources our district provides to enhance

the learning environment. From using Office 365 tools, to connecting with

classrooms and experts through Skype-a-Thon, and using coding to develop

fundamental thinking skills, your campus teams are ensuring that SISD students

continue to develop the skills and knowledge needed to be Future Ready!

Cheers to a great 2017 and an even greater 2018!

Digital Citizenship and Social Emotional Learning Intertwined

Creating good citizens, in person or online, does not happen simply by installing

security or monitoring technology—the baseline should always be communica-

tion. Parents and teachers should start by talking to students about civil online behavior. A good

technology program doesn’t start with opening a box and revealing a new device. It starts with a

conversation. As educators, we can teach “citizenship,” promote social and emotional learning,

and emphasize civility online and off.

In-school “citizenship” education – We live in a digital culture. To thrive, citizenship skills encom-

passing a child’s full life must be a priority. Integrate lessons about life online into traditional

scholastic curricula, including social studies, health and language arts classes. Invest in activi-

ties where all family members can learn and model safe, healthy skills and competencies and

become responsible, respectful and informed citizens of the world.

Social and emotional learning – Educational approaches that focus on social and emotional

learning help develop empathy and prepare youth for success in the 21st century. Core com-

petencies include self-awareness, self-management and responsible decision-making. Con-

versely, this focus reduces social isolation, in-school conduct problems, aggressive behavior

and emotional stress.

Emphasize civility – Civility in everyday interactions fosters vibrant, engaged communities. Lead

by example and celebrate positive attitudes and behaviors. Acknowledge and appreciate

the student voice in the civility dialogue, engage peer leaders to share positive online social

norms and emphasize that most youth are making sound choices online.

As the adage states, “It takes a village to raise a child” and together, educators and parents can

raise the next generations of global citizens.

Sources:

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/05/teaching-students-digital-civility-goes-

hand-hand-tech-rollouts

http://download.microsoft.com/download/C/9/2/C925B98B-2DF2-44CE-8E28-

BAD64C958938/Best%20Practices%20for%20Digital%20Civility.pdf

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Early Childhood News

This Month in Early Childhood

CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PURPOSEFUL PLAY IN PRE-K

Coming up in January for Early Childhood:

Pre-Kindergarten: Circle Progress Monitoring Assessment January 15-January 31, 2018

Kindergarten – 3rd Grade: Istation Middle of Year Testing: January 8-January 19, 2018

Kindergarten – 3rd Grade: SISD Mathematics Assessment (TCM): January 22–January 26, 2018

Coming soon:

Writing Training for Pre-K on January 31, 2018

PLEASE NOTE:

Elementary Duties have been redistributed. Beginning in January of 2018 duties will be as follows:

Early Childhood Pre-Kindergarten – 1st Grade: Elizabeth Marquez

Elementary ELAR: 2nd – 5th Grade: Mari Sosa

Elementary Math: 2nd – 5th Grade: Rachel Sendek

Elementary Science: 2nd – 5th Grade: Jennifer Ellis-Martinez

Elementary Social Studies 2nd – 5th Grade: Michelle Andha

ELAR News

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Elementary ELAR

Why is Writing so Important for our Students?

I cannot stress enough that writing is a very important skill that students can benefit from doing

on a daily basis. Classroom writing, done with willful focus and daily diligence, remains an essen-

tial part of educating students of all ages. Writing helps students to improve their communica-

tion skills, review and remember recently learned material in all subjects, it encourages creativity

and exploration, and writing is essential for self-understanding. Writing critically is an essential

part of the Fundamental Five and we should be doing it daily.

Here are some interactive websites to help improve student writing skills:

Get the Scoop

Learn how to write a news article and “publish” it on this site. Grades 3-5 (or intervention 6-8)

Website Address: http://pbskids.org/newsflashfive/scoop/index.html

Scholastic Poetry Engine

Five different kinds of poetry are generated with student assistance. Grades 3-5 (or intervention

6-8) Website Address: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/flash_pie.htm

Letter Generator

Learn the parts of a letter and then learn to write one. Grades 3-5 (or intervention 6-8)

Website Address: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/letter_generator/

Diamante (Diamond-Shaped) Poetry

Learn the parts of a diamante poem and then learn to write one. Grades 3-5 (or intervention 6-

8) Website Address: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/diamante/

Doodle Splash Assessment Tool

Caveman art is coupled with explaining the doodle and its connection to what is read. This is a

great way to sync reading and writing! Grades 3-5 (or intervention 6-8)

Web Address: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/doodle/index.html

ELAR News (Cont.)

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Storybird

Students can write stories, collaborate on stories, and read each other’s work. Grades K-12.

Web Address: http://www.storybird.com

Bubbl.us Brainstorming

This site is like KidSpiration, but it is free and easy to use. Grades 3-12

Web Address: https://bubbl.us/

Class Story Writer

After a teacher types in the story starter, students log in to write. After the different develop-

ments are read, the class decides which direction the story should take. Edits and conferences

abound until the class agrees the story is finished. Then it is published! Grades 3-5 (or 6-8 inter-

vention)

Web Address: http://www.boomwriter.com/home/schools/

Witty Comics Generator

Students choose backgrounds, characters, and dialogue to go in speech bubbles. This can be

used to write stories or share facts on a content-related unit. Grades 3-5 (or 6-8 intervention)

Web Address: http://www.wittycomics.com/

Comic Generator

No log-in, no email. Just go to this site and create a comic by choos-

ing background, characters, and talk/thought bubbles. Use this to

teach such elements as transitions, sequence, figures of speech—

pretty much anything for fiction. Assess what your students know

about a nonfiction topic using this generator. Very basic, but safe to

use. Grades 3-5 (or 6-8 intervention)

Web Address: http://writecomics.com/

ELAR News (Cont.)

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Snippet Generator

Choose from quite a few snippet templates—news article, talking tomatoes, talking squirrels, nin-

ja text writer, and several others. You choose the format, insert the “talking” text, and then gen-

erate! After you like your creation, it can be downloaded onto your hard drive, into a blog, or

on your classroom web page. This format is great for introducing a unit, emphasizing content, or

guiding students through a process. Very basic, but it gets the job done. Grades 3-5 (or 6-8 in-

tervention)

Web Address: http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

ABC Ya!

This website has grade levels for aspects that will improve students’ reading and writing skills.

Many subsumed skills can be reviewed without explicit instruction, and if there are struggling stu-

dents in the room, they will not feel singled out when everyone in the room wants to play the skill

-reinforcing games that have mini-tutorials and hints to improve abilities. This site has won plenty

of awards lately. Grades K-5 (excellent for ELL and intervention with older students)

Web Address: http://www.abcya.com/

Secondary ELAR

Holt McDougal Literature Online Use Training (Two sessions available)

High School ELAR Teachers will learn about all the functions and resources available for the

online use of the high school literature book. Teachers may attend either session.

Date: January 2, 2018

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location: DSC

OR

Date: January 24, 2018

Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

ELAR News (Cont.)

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Secondary English Language Arts and

Reading Advisory Committee Meetings*

High Schools

SELAR Committee meetings will be held

this month. Please see specifics below:

English I

Date: January 9, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

English II

Date: January 10, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

English III and IV

Date: January 11, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

*SELAR Committee Members Only Please

Secondary English Language Arts and Reading

Advisory Committee Meetings* Middle Schools

SELAR Committee meetings will be held this month.

Please see specifics below:

Grade 6

Date: January 23, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

Grade 7

Date: January 24, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

Grade 7 Writing

Date: January 17, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

Grade 8

Date: January 25, 2018

Time: 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Location: DSC

*SELAR Committee Members Only Please

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Math News

Elementary & Secondary Math

5 Ideas for Using Literacy Strategies to Teach

Math:

1. Teach Math Vocabulary

In reading, vocabulary (and figuring out unknown words) is an essential component of compre-

hension. In math, the task of knowing and determining unknown vocabulary is even more chal-

lenging because there are words that are specific to math and not used in everyday conversa-

tion.

Math is a foreign language and it is important that we don’t take for granted the language used

to talk about and describe math problems and situations. The good thing is, there are lots of differ-

ent ways you can teach and help kids understand math specific vocabulary.

2. Use Schema (a.k.a. prior knowledge)

Every child has a schema, or set of knowledge, that is unique to them. Each child’s schema will be

varied in its breadth and depth. Some may overlap, some may have a lot of prior knowledge

(some may have a much larger vocabulary, for instance) while others may have virtually no prior

knowledge.

It’s important, however, in reading and math, to try and start with what they know and build on

that knowledge. In fact, according to Marzano, research suggests that “what students already

know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new infor-

mation relative to the content.” (This also means you may need to spend time determining what

they know before you start).

3. Make Connections

Students can make connections in other ways as well, and this is a very useful strategy to help

them learn, apply and remember new math concepts.

Types of math connections:

Math to math

Math to self

Math to world

All of math is interconnected, and it’s important to help kids see the connections between one

math concept and another. We also then, have to find ways to make connections between the

math they’re learning and their life, and help them see math in the world around them.

Page 9 Now Trending in Academics

Math News (Cont.)

4. Make predictions

Making predictions and inferences is an important reading comprehension strategy, and adapting

that to math instruction is vital. As Laney Sammons states,

“Students need to know that making predictions that are then proved or disproved is a process

mathematicians have used throughout history.”

5. Teach kids to visualize

Just like reading a story creates a visual image in our minds, math problems should as well.

When using visualizing to help with reading comprehension, it’s a good idea to underline or circle

visual words (adjectives).

Kids can do this with math word problems as well. Circle words that paint a picture and pro-

vide important information, and then use those words to draw a picture.

Visualizing and drawing a picture is a helpful strategy because it provides kids with a mental im-

age which will help them remember what they’ve learned.

It can also help them break down a problem into easier to understand parts to make sense of it. If

a problem seems overwhelming at first glance, spending time circling visual words and then draw-

ing a picture of the problem can help make it less overwhelming.

Upcoming dates: January 13, 2018 - Fact Fluency with Kim Sutton 3rd-5th Grade

January 19, 2018 – TI Inspire

January 20, 2018 – TI Inspire

January 20, 2018 – MSL 4ELL

January 23, 2018 – 3rd Grade Math & Science Content Advisory Committee

January 24, 2018 – 4th Grade Math & Science Content Advisory Committee

January 25, 2018 – 5th Grade Math & Science Content Advisory Committee

Science News

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ROBOCOM 4.0 is excited to present in collaboration with

UTEP and FIRST Lego League. This year’s theme: HydroDynamics!

Timeline of ROBOCOM Events

FLL Released Competition Rules and Field information (http://www.firstlegoleague.org)

ROBOCOM 4.0 Competition – January 6, 2018 @ Pebble Hills HS

UTEP Regional Competition – January 27, 2018 @ UTEP

For additional information, please contact Jennifer Ellis-Martinez (jellis@sisd.net) or Stephanie

Carrasco (ycarra@sisd.net)

Math/ Science 3rd-5th Grade Content Advisory Committees

3rd Grade – January 23, 2018

4th Grade – January 24, 2018

5th Grade – January 25, 2018

HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR

Date: February 3, 2018

Location: Pebble Hills High School

Scheduled grade level judging:

9th/10th Grade Students – Judging starts @ 8:30 a.m.

11th/12th Grade Students – Judging starts @ 10:30 a.m. 3:45 p.m. Finalist Postings and Project Pickup

5:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony in the Gymnasium at Pebble Hills HS.

If you need additional information, please contact Stephanie Carrasco (ycarra@sisd.net) for

secondary science questions.

Social Studies News

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SISD Social Studies (K-12th)

Curriculum/ Current Events Corner Keep our SISD Students connected to real world social issues:

https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/

FREE RESOURCE

http://teachinghistory.org/

Teachinghistory.org is designed to help K–12 history teachers

access resources and materials to improve U.S. history educa-

tion in the classroom. With funding from the U.S. Department of

Education, the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) has

created Teachinghistory.org with the goal of making history

content, teaching strategies, resources, and research accessi-

ble.

Teaching Materials

History Content

Best Practices 2017-2018 In addition to the information uploaded into Eduphoria, we have

posted our CAC information in TEAMS. If you would like to be added,

please email us.

Content Advisory Committee

Meetings & Professional

Development Opportunities

January 2 -- Social Studies High Quality Tier 1 Instruction for Struggling

Learners .

This session will help teachers identify and refine best

practices to support all types of struggling learners with strong and

impactful first teach instruction. January 16, 2018 —6th Grade & World Geography CAC January 17, 2018 —US History CAC January 18, 2018 —8th Grade Social Studies CAC January 30, 2018 —7th Grade & World History CAC

Contact Us

Dr. Kim Baxter (Middle & High School) kbaxte@sisd.net

Michelle Trujillo (Middle School & Elementary) mandha@sisd.net

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Advanced Academics

Gifted and Talented

January 9, 2018: KOI Training 8:30 a.m. in

DSC Room B

January 11- 19, 2018: Torrance Test Window

January 19, 2018: Torrance Tests due to the

DSC by 2:30 p.m.

Click the image on the right for more infor-

mation about high achievers, gifted and

Region 2 Academic Decathlon

Date: January 19 & 20, 2018

Location: Ysleta High School

Super Quiz is hosted by Socorro Independent School District. All SISD

High Schools have registered teams to compete. The Academic De-

cathlon theme this year is Africa. The community is invited to attend

the Super Quiz Show @ 4:15 p.m. in the Wafer Gym on Saturday.

MS & Elementary UIL Meeting

Date: January 22, 2018 at 4:15 p.m.

Location: District Service Center

DATE UPDATES

Elementary UIL

Date: April 13 & 14, 2018

Location: To be announced

Middle School UIL

Date: April 25, 27 & 28, 2018

Location: To be announced

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Advanced Academics

If you need additional information, please contact Stephanie Carrasco (ycarra@sisd.net) for Ad-

vanced Academic Competitions

Advanced Placement

Please be sure to make sure all of your AP courses have uploaded their syllabus and has been ap-

proved before the end of January. For more information, check the AP Audit site at: https://

cb.collegeboard.org/ap-course-audit/

Early College/Dual Credit

Dates to Remember:

January 5, 2018: Addendum ERF for onsite only

January 8, 2018: Student Schedule Change Form, onsite only

January 17,2018: Dual Credit Advisory Committee Meeting

January 29,2018: Census Date

January 29,2018: Prior to Census Removal Form

January 30,2018: Drops/Withdrawals after census date – Student dropped with a “W”

January 30 – April 6: Instructor initiated withdrawal form

January 30 – April 11: Student initiated drop

DESTINATION IMAGINATION Meeting

Date: January 16, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.

Location: Eastlake HS Library

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Bilingual Buzz Upcoming Trainings:

Date Training Time Location

January

3

Title III Instructional/LPAC Aides

Bilingual Initial Placement Testing

Training

8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. DSC AB

January

20

NEARPOD Training for Bilingual

Teachers only

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. DSC AB

January

29

LPAC Monthly Meeting 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. or

12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

DSC

Project Room

January

30

LPAC Monthly Meeting 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. or

12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

DSC C

Our Middle of Year LPAC training will be

on:

Elementary/K-8 Campuses: January 30,

2018 (a.m. or p.m.)

Middle and High School : January 29, 2018

(a.m. or p.m.)

**2nd 9 weeks monitoring minutes are due

January 12, 2018**

James Butler Elementary

Sun Ridge Middle School

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Bilingual Buzz (cont.)

Latino Family Literacy Project Congratulations to the campuses that started our Latino Family Literacy Project for our wonderful

ELL Parents in November/December!

James Butler

Purple Heart

The following campuses will begin their Latino Family Literacy in January.

Thank you for submitting your Program Plans.

Dr. Sue Shook

Escontrias Elem.

Attention pending schools, please submit your LFLP Program Plans if you haven’t done so. Thank

you for the parental involvement with our ELL parents.

Effective Instruction

In a review of teacher effectiveness in the design and delivery of instruction, researchers Ellis and

Worthington (1994) identified the following six principles.

1. Optimize engaged time / time on task. The more time students are actively participating in in-

structional activities, the more they learn.

2. Promote high levels of success. The more successful (i.e., correct/accurate) students are when

they engage in an academic task, the more they achieve.

3. Increase content coverage. The more academic content covered effectively and efficiently,

the greater potential for student learning.

4. Have students spend more time in instructional groups. The more time students participate in

teacher-led, skill-level groups versus one-to-one teaching or seatwork activities, the more instruc-

tion they receive, and the more they learn.

5. Scaffold instruction. Providing support, structure, and guidance during instruction promotes aca-

demic success, and systematic fading of this support encourages students

to become more independent learners.

6. Address different forms of knowledge. The ability to strategically use aca-

demic skills and knowledge often requires students to know different sorts

of information at differing levels: the declarative level (what something is,

factual information), the procedural level (how something is done or per-

formed), and the conditional level (when and where to use the skill).

Ellis and Worthington. “Principles of Effective Teaching.” Explicit Instruction Effective and Efficient

Teaching, The Guilford Press, 2011, p. 5.

John Drugan

William Slider

Roberto Ituarte

Ensor MS

Socorro MS

Hernando MS

Hurshel Antwine

Research and Evaluation Dept.

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2017- 2018 Spring Benchmark Dates

*Print Shop Delivery Week

Monday, January 22, 2018 – Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Please let all front office staff know that Print Shop will be deliv-

ering benchmark booklets this week and to store testing ma-

terial in a secured location once it is received.

*All Benchmarks Activated in Eduphoria Aware

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 (Early Release Day)

Please contact Research and Evaluation Department if you have

any questions.

Special Education Department

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Upcoming dates for SPED Dept.

Just as a reminder, every campus must have a

TBSI campus core team

All training dates are currently posted on the

Staff Development website. Each training

date is restricted to ONLY 40 PARTICIPANTS,

therefore it is best to register early. It is also

recommended that if a campus plans to train

a large number of people, they stagger their

What Teachers Should Know and Do:

Meet with your General Education Teachers in order to:

- Interpret the IEP.

- Review accommodations/modifications/PLAAFPS/

goals and/or objectives/BIPs and any assistive technolo-

gy.

- Create student/learner profile.

- Make sure that ARD dates, for the year, are scheduled

and communicated to the

appropriate personnel.

- Draft goals/objectives, which should be provided to

parents 10 days before the scheduled ARD.

TEA 2016 Performance Report

Date Time Title Audience Location

January

4 8:00 a.m. -

3:30 p.m.

What Should a PLAAFP Look

Like and What is it

SPED Teachers DSC Room A

January

4

8:30 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

Wilson Reading Teachers Providing

Dyslexia Services

Ed Center

January

11

8:00 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

Co-Teaching That Works Elementary/Secondary Co-

Teachers

DSC Room C

January

11

8:00 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

Wilson Reading Teachers Providing Dyslexia

Services

Ed Center

January

23

8:00 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

SPED 101 Administrators In-Charge of

SPED

Ed Center

January

23

8:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

Coffee with the Director Parents of Children with

Disabilities

TBD

January

25

8:00 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

PAS Academy PAS Teachers Ed Center

January

30

8:00 a.m. –

11:30 a.m.

STAAR ALT 2 SPED Teachers DSC Room D

January

30

1:30 p.m. –

4:30 p.m.

STAAR ALT 2 SPED Teachers DSC Room D

January

30 8:00 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

CPI TBSI Campus Core Teams Multi-Purpose RM

Tanton

January

31

8:00 a.m. -

4:00 p.m.

CPI TBSI Campus Core Teams Multi-Purpose RM

Tanton

State and Federal Programs

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STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS

A sense of urgency: It is our belief that every child should be provided with support and additional time

needed to learn at high levels. By providing timely, targeted, and systematic interventions to all students

that demonstrate a need we can achieve success. State and Federal programs has been providing train-

ings for SCEI coaches to guide on the path to implement RTI with fidelity at their campuses, referring to

“Simplifying Response to Intervention” by Buffum, Mattos and Weber as a guide. In addition, RTI training

has been provided by Solution Tree.

The last RTI follow up has been scheduled and posted on the staff development website for Wednesday

January 17th. There will be two sessions for your convenience, choose one either AM or PM to send 1 to 2

representatives from your campus with information on your status through the RTI process. We will once

again discuss and answer any questions you might have.

Presentation by Geri Pascale will include the following topics:

*Concentrated Instruction: Where do we need to go?

*Convergent Assessment: Where are we now?

*Creating systems of interventions.

Register on staff Development website

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact Aneth Segovia at 937-0360 or via email

asegov01@sisd.net.

8:00 a.m.-

11:30 a.m. Session 1 (Board Room)

12:30 p.m.-

4:00 p.m. Session 2 (Board Room)

ACADEMIC SERVICES

Address:

Phone: 915-937-0000

12440 Rojas Drive

PO Box 292800

El Paso, Texas 79928

Phone: