State of the State Address
Winfield Middle School Parent Blog
September 19, 2016
The DAB!
Attendance: 90% at 90%
Perfect attendance is our goal. However, the Missouri State Education Department expects 90% of our students to be here 90% of the time. Not surprisingly, data has shown that a direct correlation exists between attendance and achievement.
Randomly, we sample ‘attendance moments’ and travel to a few rooms as determined by picking their names out of a bucket! Than, we head to the room to see if everyone is present. If so, #boom! They get a yummy prize! Ask if your child has received one.
Regardless, we have already begun interventions on students already below the 90% threshold. If this is your child, please help your them do their best to be here.
August 2016 HISTORY
- Wk 1 99.39% Aug 2015 96.49
- Wk 2 97.63% Aug 2014 96.25
- Wk 3 95.88% Aug 2013 97.58
- Wk 4 95.30%
- Average 97.05 for August 2016 - Great start to 2016/17
DISCIPLINE:
We teach academics, routines, and procedures!
We also teach manners!
Is it working? You decide!
Special Musical Guests joined the Intermediate and Middle school staff and students in the WMS gymnasium.
A note from our guest...
“You're welcome, I'm glad the program was a success! It was great to meet you and some of the Winfield teaching staff. Thank you all for your interest and participation. Keep in mind Raintree Arts Council is a good resource for your district. We can help provide programs and also connect you to other resources for the arts. Plus I am always interested in what programs the schools would like to have. You might want to check out these websites/pages for ideas: http://www.missouriartscouncil.org/touring-performers-directory/ http://www.springboardstl.org/programs/
Also one possibility you might want to explore, available directly to schools from the Missouri Arts Council, is a small grant known as The Big Yellow School Bus, this helps provide ($300.) travel to MAC supported art events that would be otherwise unavailable to your students. Find out more at: http://www.missouriartscouncil.org/education/#grants
I did pass out small stacks of Feedback Forms to the teachers present (which I got from your secretary!). I explained to them briefly how I use the feedback information from the students and teachers as "support material" when I'm writing the narratives within the grant for the Missouri Arts Council. The [age groups and] number of students in attendance helps to show that the programs have occurred; and the feedback gives me information as to how the performance was received.
Also, the St. Louis Jazz Club helps to contribute funds to bring Cornet Chop Suey to the schools, so any feedback I can pass along to them is appreciated. I've attached a copy of the feedback form if anyone should need it. Feel free to contact me with ideas or questions!
Laurel Norton
Executive Director,
Raintree Arts Council
2015
2016
2016
All these historical numbers actually mean things. They show us how we scored two years ago so we can compare that to how we did last year. We look for growth and progress. Do the 6th graders improve as they go into the 7th grade? Do they get even better as 8th graders? Do the 6th graders do as well as last year’s 6th graders? Teachers discuss how many students are scoring below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. We try and always improve. We implement interventions to address specific and general needs. Than, we look forward to getting our scores back from DESE. We are just there. Parents and Guardians: look forward to getting notification and results of students’ scores soon! Anything you can do to help is always appreciated.
So what do we do???
In 8th grade ELA…
After taking eValuate, one of our lowest areas is Language (Grammar). We are increasing our focus on this and brainstorming ways to increase student achievement (MobyMax?). Students are beginning our first large writing unit over Journalism (narrative writing with non-fiction formatting). Students may also be working in book clubs to work on comprehension and discussion abilities associated with ‘talking’ about yesterday’s reading. Scholastic Test is finally up and running, so students are able to take Reading Counts tests over the books they have read to achieve points by the end of the quarter. We are increasing our use of the Chromebooks by publishing writing and completing to-do assignments on Google Classroom, as well as implementing Time Edge online. The MAP test is online, and students need practice at reading on a computer. Reading off a screen and reading out of a book are two very important, and two very different, skill sets that we will continue to utilize in the classroom.
And Math...
6th grade math is drawing nets, using a 3 Act Task to introduce surface area and nets.They seem to like the hands on activities!
7th grade math is working on comparing and ordering rational numbers. We just wrapped up adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers. They’re a little out of their comfort zone with negative numbers.
8th grade math is solving multi step equations with distributive property, variables on both sides, combining like terms, and manipulating formulas to solve for an unknown variable. This is hard stuff! The kids are powering through it, though!
Algebra is reviewing solving equations and absolute value equations.
All of the math classes are using the access to computers to explore Khan Academy, Prodigy, and Moby Max. We will be eValuating within the next two weeks.
Social Studies joins in…
Social studies is currently learning about Ancient Mesopotamia. We have been working on mastering Cornell style notes, learning how to plot and identify geographic features on maps, and, more recently learning about Hammurabi’s Code. We even incorporated technology into our learning about law codes by making class word clouds that use 5 student-created laws from each student submitted through Google Classroom.
Additionally, we are focusing on early explorers to the Americas and has been piloting online projects through Google Classroom to help bring Ancient Mesoamerica to life. Students completed a destination information worksheet based on a virtual tour/flyover of Teotihuacan. They were asked to identify 5 separate attractions in the city and then use Google to research each attraction’s description and importance to the culture of people that lived there. SEE AERIALS HERE
PE Participates
As physical education teachers in the Middle School, our main focus is to get as many students as possible, moving safely. However, we are doing some other things as well.
As we have in the past, this year students will read a brief history of new activities so that students may become familiar with the sport/activity before participating in it. We will also do “words to know” for any new activity so that student are familiar with the vocabulary they will hear in that unit.
We are very excited to announce that we have launched Google Classroom to assist with health, fitness tests, and student self-reporting. Lastly, as in the past, we have our PE website up and running: (http://winfieldmiddlepe.weebly.com/) that contains information concerning things going on in class.
September 19-23
This week:
Monday
- 8th Grade Softball at Warrenton
Tuesday
- Football vs Bowling Green@5:00
- Volleyball to Montgomery County
Wednesday
- 8th Grade Softball at Montgomery County
Thursday
- 8th Grade Softball vs Van Far
- Volleyball at Troy
Saturday
- 8th Grade Softball - Troy Tournament
Ongoing
- Brunswick - Oct 19 - Guest list under construction.
Finally...
Wrapping up a regular week, full moon and all, we are into our 2nd Progress reporting session. MAP Scores will be coming out soon. Students are becoming accustomed to their chromebooks. Bus routes are tuned and efficient. We are on the right path. We are helping these students grow into fine young men and women. We are a school! We are part of the community! Parents are the backbone for all of it. Without parents, it would never make sense!
Thank you, parents, for all your continual support.
Tom McCracken
No comments:
Post a Comment