Week Ahead: Jan. 11

Welcome back!  I hope the last 3 weeks have brought you fun, family, and a bit of relaxation.  It always amazes me how fast the year passes; with half done and half to go, we are right in the sweet spot of middle level education.  All the routines are set, the foundations laid strong, and ready to really knock it out of the part with our students.  As you get set to start up again, you might consider investing time in reinforcing those routines and procedures you have so carefully put in place.
Birthdays Over Break:
Dec. 31 – Natalie Beals
Jan. 3 – Stephen Ada
Jan. 7 – Shelley Wowchuk
Jan. 10 – WaiMun Fong

Here is what’s up this week:

Monday, Jan. 10
PD Day (see below for info and schedule)

Tuesday, Jan. 11
Day 1 ABCD (Start in advisory to pass out 2nd sem. schedules; DEAR)
*Start in Advisory for 5 min. to pass out 2nd sem. schedules; proceed with rest of schedule

Wednesday, Jan. 12
Day 2 EFGH (DEAR)
3:15-4:30 Assessment for Learning Plan, mtg #3 (PD schedule for 2nd Sem)

Thursday, Jan. 13
Day 3 BCDA (Advisory)
*Happy Birthday Amy Flynn!
8-3 All Admin off Campus; WASC Data Analysis

Friday, Jan. 14
Day 4 FGHE (DEAR)

Upcoming (on the radar)
Jan. 21 – School-wide Book Club (Teach Your Children Well)
Jan. 29 – MS Lock In (8pm-7am) w/PTA
Feb. 4-Feb. 12 – Tet Holiday

Monday, Jan. 11 Schedule: Monday is a work day for all faculty.  The only constraints to the time are normal expect arrival at 7:30 and with departure ranging from 3:30-4:40 pm.  A huge thanks to Tina for building this day into the professional development schedule.  We hope it provides a significant chunk of time to set the stage for a very successful 2nd semester.

Here is a proposed schedule to help facilitate teachers who cross subjects and/or cross divisional meetings.  These meetings are optional (but we hope you take the opportunity to have uninterrupted collaboration time with your colleagues).  Another task that could be completed today is a review of your Educational Survey results.

Educational Surveys:  Please take time to review your survey results prior to your meeting with me (Ms. Sang will be helping schedule these).  A reflection sheet has been sent to you via Google Classroom.  You can complete your reflection on that document; or you can just come prepared with your responses to those questions.

Visible Thinking Strategies:  As a way to continue the positive experience I had taking the Visible Thinking course through Project Zero: Harvard U., each week will feature a Visible Thinking Strategy along with possible MS uses.  (From Visible Thinking Resource Book)

3-2-1 Bridge: Activating prior knowledge and making connections
This routine asks students to uncover their initial thoughts, ideas, questions and understandings about a topic and then to connect these to new thinking about the topic after they have received some instruction.

Application: When and Where can it be used?
This routine can be used when students are developing understanding of a concept over time. It may be a concept that they know a lot about in one context but instruction will focus their learning in a new direction, or it may be a concept about which students have only informal knowledge. Whenever new information is gained, bridges can be built between new ideas and prior understanding. The focus is on understanding and connecting one’s thinking, rather than pushing it toward a specific outcome.

Launch: What are some tips for starting and using this routine?  This routine can be introduced by having students do an initial 3, 2, 1 individually on paper. For instance, if the topic is “democracy,” then students would write down 3 thoughts, 2 questions, and 1 analogy. Students might then read an article, watch a video, or engage in an activity having to do with democracy. Provocative experiences that push students thinking in new directions are best. After the experience, students complete another 3,2,1. Students then share their initial and new thinking, explaining to their partners how and why their thinking shifted. Make it clear to students that their initial thinking is not right or wrong, it is just a starting point. New experiences take our thinking in new directions.  Be sure to post their thinking around the room.