Week of September 26th

Hilsman Rockstars:

We hope you have had a relaxing and restful weekend! This coming week, please continue the work of excellence you do each day alongside our students.  We received some very positive feedback from Dr. Lanoue and Dr. Gant from their walk-throughs on Thursday.  They observed the higher order questioning, a strong instructional framework, overwhelming evidence of your collaborative planning, and solid classroom management.  Both Dr. Lanoue and Dr. Gant are now pushing us to take it the next level.  A couple of caveats based on their feedback:

1) Make sure we are using computer-based interventions coupled with effective instruction.  We don't want to appear as though the computer is babysitting the student.

2) ELT time is where we can really make gains with our students.  Use this time to engage in meaningful, inquiry-based learning.  Ms. Hogan will provide resources for you all to support ELT instruction.

Monday:

• Office Maintenance Meeting 9:30
• Administrators Meeting 10:30
• Instructional Team Meeting 11:30
• Informal walkthroughs by Tolbert, Forker and Hogan

Tuesday:

• SMI makeups for 8th grade during ELT w/Hogan in the cafeteria
• Informal walkthroughs continue 
• RTI meetings during planning 

Wednesday: Wear your Hilsman uniform! 

• Collab planning with Hogan (ELA/Soc. Studies)

Thursday

• Collab planning with Hogan (Math/Science)
• New Panther Cohort meeting with Hogan 4pm - Stephens' room

Friday

• Walkthroughs

Week of September 18, 2016

Greetings,

Thank you for your work this week. In preparation for TKES walk-throughs, we performed informal walk throughs to measure where we are as a school with instruction. The feedback that you received should have provided you with a clear picture of what is to be observed in your classes according to the district's observable practices. In addition, I visited with each grade level Friday to reinforce some areas that as a building we need to improve. I have listed a few reminders below along with the weekly happenings.

• Communication: Please make sure that you are communicating with parents regarding students' behavior and progress. Continue to smile and welcome our parents into the building. Pantherville Nation will continue to rise higher as we communicate with all stakeholders to make decisions in the best interest of the students.

• Grade Book: Your grade book should be updated every 7-10 days. A parent should be notified if their child is failing before the end of the progress period. Remember that zeros are not an option. Make sure that you have provided students with every opportunity to correct the issue. Mrs. Brinkley will run a report every two weeks to ensure that we are compliant.

• Discipline: Be FIRM, FAIR, and CONSISTENT. Students are beginning to test the waters. Remember that we are in control of every situation. If you loose control then we have lost the battle. On the other hand, reinforce the positive behaviors with the house points. The Houses are really giving us the positive boost that we need to encourage our students to go beyond the PAWS Expectations.

• Although instruction is looking great, remember to plan and implement engaging activities for your students. Use the instructional framework and the plans that have been provided for you. Work collaboratively with your colleagues. There is no I in TEAM.

• Duties and Responsibilities: We are all doing a terrific job of coming to work and arriving on time! THANK YOU! When you miss school, the students miss out, and we ALL miss you. It is important to seek an administrator's approval before leaving campus for any reason. Planning time is designed to plan. 

• Lesson plans are due to at midnight on Sundays! Please post your plans on time. 

• SMI makeups should be completed by Friday! 

Lastly, teachers, despite how difficult our jobs appear, remember that you are SOMEBODY! YOU matter because without YOU, our students would not be SUCCESSFUL. This week I challenge you to take pride in what you do. 

                Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.

Sidney Hook

Monday:

• Office Maintenance Meeting 
• Administrators Meeting
• Instructional Team Meeting 
• Informal walkthroughs by Tolbert, Forker and Hogan

Tuesday:

• Walkthroughs continue 
• RTI meetings during planning 

Wednesday: Wear your Hilsman uniform! 

• Tech WOW during collab planning with Hogan (ELA/Soc. Studies)
• Third Wednesday District Meetings 

Thursday

• Tech WOW during collab planning with Hogan (Math/Science)

Friday

• Walkthroughs

Week of 9/11/2016

Good evening!

Hopefully you all enjoyed your weekend and celebrated the Dawgs' win this Saturday! Thank you all for enduring the events last week.  It was busy but you all hung in there and smiled the whole time. This week should be calmer. Please remind your students of the PAWS Expectations in the halls, cafeteria and the classrooms. In addition, please perform uniform checks in every class. We want to make remain firm, fair, and consistent! Hunker down Panthers! See you in the morning.

Check out the weekly events:

Reminder: 

• Finish your HR videos this week.

• Make sure that your grade book is updated and that your progress grades are posted.

• Take attendance during the last 10 minutes of class! You MUST take attendance EACH DAY EVERY CLASS.

Sunday: 

• Grades due at noon
• Lesson plans are due

Monday:

• Office Maintainace Meeting
• Administrators Meeting
• Instructional Leaders Meeting
• Informal walkthroughs by Forker, Tolbert and Hogan
• PBIS  Meeting 4:00-5:00 in the PL Room

Tuesday

• Walk-throughs
• Tech Wow Session with Piazza
• SMI Make Ups
• RTI Meetings with Tolbert

Wednesday: Wear your uniform to school

• Collaborative Planning with Hogan (ELA/SS)

Thursday:

• Collaborative Planning with Hogan (Math/Sci)

Friday: Spirit Shirt and Khakis

• Walkthroughs

Week of September 5th

Thank you all for another great week at Hilsman! Our seventh grade housing ceremony went extremely well - hats off to our PBIS team again. We will be conducting walk-throughs throughout the week using the Hilsman Walk-through form shared with you last week during collaborative planning.  This blog is also now linked in the Panther PLC site on the home page. We have a busy week ahead, so please read carefully below.

Panther PLC Link

Sunday

• Lesson plans due at midnight

Monday

• Happy Labor Day

Tuesday

• IB WOW Session during 2nd planning in the PL Room for all grade levels
• 4:00 p.m. SILT Meeting

Wednesday-Wear your HILSMAN uniform day

• Collaborative Planning (ELA,SS)-Bring examples of student work to examine
• 4:00 p.m. Faculty Meeting 

Thursday: ALL BULLETIN BOARDS NEED TO BE FINISHED BY THURSDAY!!!

• 8:30 a.m. House sorting ceremony for 6th grade, connections teachers, custodial staff, parapros, and cafeteria staff
• Collaborative Planning (Math,Sci) Bring examples of student work to examine
• 6:00 p.m. Title I Parent Meeting & Open House

Friday

• 8:30 a.m. Principal's Coffee in the Media Center 
• SMI Makeups (an email will come from Hogan)

Saturday 

• Go Dawgs!

Sunday 

• GRADES DUE by noon