Feb 13-17

CITIZENSHIP

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" - JFK

Primary : "Community Song" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O7NoYtYX10

Upper: "A Good Citizen"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8KDH8v5QBg

Please devote at least 15 minutes during your specials block to teach FEBRUARY'S character trait: CITIZENSHIP

New Staff

Keisha, Carmen, and Lucia have all recently been hired to as paraprofessionals.  Let's welcome them all with a Markham Howl.

Important Dates... check out more dates by clicking HERE

• Feb 9- Staff Meeting
• Feb 13- Grade Level ELA/Math Teacher Leader Meetings K and 3  3:30-5:00
• Feb 14- STAR Screening Assessments DUE TODAY
• Feb 14 SPICE Spelling bee participants due to Stephanie
• Feb. 14 3:05- 4:05 - WRITE Institute training for K-2 in room 19
• 2/15:  K-5 Opinion Writing Scoring
• Feb 15- Mandatory SBAC Training/Staff Meeting- Certificated and Classified Staff  for the agenda, click here
• Feb 16 1:30 SPICE Spelling Bee
• Feb 16 3:05- 4:05 WRITE Institute training 3-5 in room 41
• Feb 16- Grade Level ELA/Math Teacher Leader Meetings 2nd and 5th  3:30-5:00
• Feb 16- New Teacher Math PD 4:00-6:00
• Feb 27th- BAW observations- get the schedule by clicking here
• Feb 27th-  Shelter/Evacuation
• March 1st- BAW debriefs
• March 2nd- Read Across America
• First week of March:  Begin SBAC Practice/Training Tests  
  http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/    

Timberwolf Tip...

SBAC is coming up!!!  Check out the schedule by clicking here!

If your students need accessibility reports, please complete the Accessibility form.  You can access the form here.


Classroom management
This blog offers tons of positive classroom management strategies for chatty classrooms! I will definitely be experimenting with BLURT cubes in my classroom starting this week :)

http://missgiraffesclass.blogspot.com/2016/10/25-chatty-class-classroom-management.html

                                                                                     

Reclassification

Reclassification is coming up soon.  Forms will be due on 3/8.  The ceremony is scheduled for 4/6.  More info to come at Wednesday's staff meeting.

Spotlight is on you!!

Mike Milligan
SPICE Teacher and Former Administrator

You have dedicated of your time teaching and being an administrator at Markham and have seen many students and their families come and go,  over time, have you noticed anything in terms of behavior that may be different now than years past?

I’m not sure if my perception is real or if I just live within a bubble, but it feels as if the last few years the students are not as focused on being tough and gangster-like as when they were 10 years ago. When I was an administrator on this campus, I saw a lot more energy dedicated to bad behavior than I do now. The kids seem more willing to be kids, and don’t seem to be an engaged in being “tough”.

Have you worked with PBIS or similar school wide practices in the past? 

When I worked in the Lennox School District during the late 70’a and early 80’s our district was a demonstration district for Assertive Discipline. Our basic philosophy was that every employee was responsible for the well being of all of the students all the time. We had a concrete  hierarchy of consequences for negative behaviors, but most important was the emphasis on positive reinforcement. One of Lee Canter’s guidelines for us was that it is impossible for even the “worst behaved” student to misbehave more than 35% percent of the time, which meant that we could find something to praise even our “worst” students at least 65% of the time. The mantra they taught us was, “Catch them being good.”

What are some reasons that you have given students Paws?  What specific behaviors did you reinforce?

I give out some Paws in my classroom, but mostly give out raffle tickets (my own in class positive reinforcement) for on task behaviors. My students get rewarded for sharing their ideas with partners, and for helping each other understand the content I am teaching. They get rewarded for active listening, for asking questions when they don’t understand material, and for active participation in the class. 

PBIS requires that the whole school be active and participate in implementing its components - regardless of job duty.  Do you think that this approach will benefit students? If so, why?

At the root of a healthy school environment is a core of employees who see all students as “their students” whether they are on that employee’s class roster or not. We need to create a web of safety for the munchkins in our care to ensure that every child feels safe and important.

About how many Paws do estimate you give students per week… and why do you think you use the PAWS to recognize your students at such a high rate??

As mentioned above, I give out more raffle tickets in my class than Paws. In any given hour, I might give out as few as 6 or 7, or as many as 60 or 70. Students are much happier when you catch them being good, than if you catch them off task, so I work hard to reinforce the their positive behaviors. It is a lot less stress for me and the students are generally happier when I am not whining.

Is there anything about the way that Markham approaches/implements PBIS that you would change? 

I would love to see us the school fund regular reward assemblies (entertaining) for students who do not have discipline referrals. In Lennox, we had  a 6 week cycle and a fun assembly to reward students who stayed out of trouble.

Imagine that you are able to receive Paws as an adult for good behavior.  What reward would you choose to spend your Paws on, if the # of Paws did not matter? (ex: favorite food, a trip to ______, a day in bed, etc.)

I would love a trip to Mazatlán. I would sit on the terrace of the Hotel Playa Mazatlán and drink a tequila sunrise and play upon the beach.

                                                   

Citizenship Awards...

This month is flying by.  Please remember to choose ONE student in your classroom that has exemplified Citizenship ALL MONTH.  Click on the Blue Justice/Fairness link to list your student NOW.  Other students you would like to recognize can be praised by using Good News Referrals and PAWS, which each staff member has received.

Markham Shout Outs....

Alicia B- Thanks for your continuous support and devotion!

Karen S- Thank you for always going above and beyond to serve our school!

Rafael, Diana, Jessica, Karen S, Emily, Alicia B, and Erin Leggett-Thank you for your help with Family Math Night :)

Stephanie Sanders, Nakaren Hamid, Norma Guerrero, Ana Campos- These ladies helped keep my class running while I was on maternity leave. Thank you guys are amazing!

Rafael- Thank you for the pizza!!

Becky E-  Shout out to you for assisting a family in need.  The relationship you have with the family made a difficult time so much easier to handle for both me and them.  Thank you.

Let out a happy "howl" here -  Markham's Staff is HOWLing....