Friday Reflections

On Monday our SIP committee met.   The majority of the meeting dealt with a discussion of how our students are performing in terms of reading achievement, and the vision we have to keep reading achievement levels high – and move them even higher.   So many of the SIP members offered valuable insights – your voices are much needed.   Together, and only together – we will move the needle further and further.   Several solid books/authors that I am trying to absorb – piece meal, I have to admit. I have earlier mentioned Notice & Note with a subtitle Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst – and Mike Schmoker’s Leading with Focus. All three educators share common insights about reading i.e., what we are teaching and what and how we need to teach and also what we are doing that is sometimes counterproductive to equipping our students with the literary skills they need to become better readers. Their work offers us prom...

An elementary school is full of caretakers – after all, we are responding to needs of the youngest in our society – and, in the case of Irving – hundreds of bright eyed, diverse youngsters under one roof.  And, school nurses are in a special category of school caretakers.  Julie, our nurse, you are an invaluable presence in the midst of Irving.  We often take all you do for granted because you are so darn good at doing it.  You give – give non-stop each minute of the school day.  You apply countless BandAids because you know that a BandAid is a little strip of reassurance that a scrap will heal and get the student back to class. You delve into your stash of crackers to feed the weak, hungry stomachs who didn’t eat in the morning.  You care and track kids who need insulin, inhalers, Epi pens, and prescribed drug medications.  You are calm under pressure paying attention to the smallest details and changes with our kids who have the most serious h...

Ms. Maddie Emrich, our own second grade teacher has responded to Leah O’Donnell’s invitation to participate in the Slice of Life writing experience that is sponsored by the renowned blog – Two Writing Teachers. Maddie has started her own blog .  Her message is enthusiastic – a contagious enthusiasm indicating that she values the practice of writing – and wants to instill that practice into her students.  Her entries are a must read!  Hats off to you, Maddie. Your writing is fresh and honest – from the heart.  You have chosen some great slices of your life – deeply personal events that merit reflection and sharing.  I know you better and value your contribution to our staff and to our students.  I will continue reading your blog.  We need more Maddie’s. Tell us more Maddie. Your entries will inspire us to write and pass what we learn in the process to our students.  Mike Schmoker’s in Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student...

A little guessing game for our reflections this Friday?  Who fits these descriptors? Who has a ready smile and a helping hand often to our neediest of students? Who knows more of the personality, the quirks, the strengths and weaknesses of special students? Who has the patience to help student/s to break down complex ideas and finish challenging assignments? Who adapts materials, cuts up triangles and squares, creates graphic organizers, cleans up messes? Who never gives up on the student who needs one-on-one help learning sight words or two digit numbers or piecing together a persuasive paragraph and more? Who follows complicated schedules and sometimes has to adjust to the routines and expectations of numerous classrooms? Who is often “sent in” with little formal training and expected to perform miracles with underachieving students? If you guessed correctly, you identified our many paraprofessionals.  They are often our unsung heroes in and out of the clas...

Kathy sent me the note below and she gives credit where credit is due – and she doesn’t beat around the bush about the good works of several important people who make Irving shine. To all the people below - thank you for all your hard work behind, around and in front of the scenes. And include yourself in that count, Kathy.  You have made us more aware of key events and circumstances that we can easily take for granted.  “Just to let you know...

Our Book Fair made over $1,000 in profits which included free books for teachers and new books for our library. Special thanks to our own Mrs. Garcia and parent Mrs. Rangel for set-up, overseeing sales all week, and the close up on the last day!

 Also, Mrs. Rangel was the one who wrapped each squishy in cellophane with a note card attached for the 5th grade fundraiser. 

Danny has been on top of our snow and ice on sidewalks, playgrounds and all doorways!  He continues to do a great job!

 Pat DeSalvo has successfully ...

Recently I met with grade levels to analyze their Map data.  And Map data results can be dry  - and we often come away with an attitude -  “Ok - where do we go from here?”  And where we go from MAP data isn’t always a direct link back to the data, but rather a springboard to grade level concerns that many of us have batted around - both alone and together. When I met with the fifth grade team, Tyler Haar shared a springboard.  He suggested that students need more volume in writing; in other words, students need to write more and more.  Maybe what he is sensing is that too many of his students don’t view themselves as writers.  If I dare get inside Tyler’s talented mind, I would venture to say that he wants to build and encourage writers. And, after talking with Tyler and seeing his writing approach  - absolutely - no doubt about it -  someday many of Tyler’s students will be looking back and asking themselves, “When did I become a writer;...

It’s safe to say that every school has its pillars – staff that do so much heavy lifting that the place would fall apart without them.  Courtney O’Connor is an Irving pillar – a main support who widens and enlightens our path forward.  I was reminded of the many ways she contributes with her excellent presentation this week on reading.  One of my take aways from Courtney’s presentation on Tues - while we are becoming familiar with Jan Richardson’s framework, we know that reading is so much more than recognizing words on a page.  And, we know that even the most accomplished reading researchers are discovering and exploring techniques that unlock the ways that authors of fiction use to build good stories.  Courtney is good at putting “meat on the bones” – inviting us to look deeper and broader at what Kylene Beers & Robert Probst call the Book, Head, Heart Framework. To walk a mile in Courtney’s shoes one would be covering some of the following bases – and, ...