October 31-November 7

Next week, our teachers will be meeting with each family in our school to connect and share information and progress about our students. It is definitely a stressful time for teachers as they complete progress reports for a whole class of students, and parents may also be nervous to hear about their child from the teacher's point of view. Nerves aside, conferences are a great time to connect and learn about each other, to be empathetic, and to celebrate our students-- each has a unique and special gift inside! I think too that considering the perspective from both sides of the table is so important. One of the teachers who went through the Area 3 Writing Project with me in 2015 wrote this post about her experience from both sides of the table, and I shared it on my blog. I hope you all enjoy! Have a great week!

The Dreaded Parent Teacher Conference By Autumn Ernest

Dates & Details
Oct 31 Halloween dress up day- no masks, weapons or face makeup
Nov 1 minimum day- Ed Camp with Stoneridge (at Star-
PLTW & Workshop) 1:00-3:30 in the library 
Nov 2  Grade level meeting - open agenda-- enjoy!
Nov 2 & 3 Two day GLAD training in library
Nov 7-10 Parent conferences (minimum days)
Nov 9- no staff meeting, no late start (conferences)
Nov 11 Veteran’s day- no school
Nov 21-25 Thanksgiving break
Nov 30-- rescheduled cadre / PIP Wednesday
December 7 -- whole staff PD
December 8 Family Writing Night & Stars Parent Night
December 19th or 20th Pajama Reading Day? 
Dec 21st 4th Annual Staff Bling It On Day!!!
Dec 22-January 3 Winter Break

Star PD Schedule 2016-17 (I have been updating with changes)

Want to visit your colleagues to check out their classrooms? Here is the doc with the daily schedules. Also, in November I hope to hold some assemblies where Amy and I can take a grade level or two at at a time to free you up to do some classroom visits and collaborate with your team. Stay tuned after conferences :)

Literacy O'Lanterns
I know it's too late for this year and Halloween, but I learned about Literacy O' Lanterns from some principals across the country. They did their staffs as a PD-- so fun! Others called them Storybook Pumpkins. Do you think it would be too weird to do in November before Thanksgiving? Check out the blog posts by Brad Gustafson :)

Literacy O' Lanterns
Introducing a New Crop of Literacy O'Lanterns

October 22nd-28th #standbyme #sticktogether

As we head into Fall, please let Amy and I know how we can support you. We know this can be an overwhelming time of year. I love this video for so many reasons, the song, the spirit of it, and the way everyone collaborates to make such beautiful music. We can do anything if we stick together ;) Hang in there!

Dates & Details
Oct 22 A3WP Super Saturday at Star
Oct 24-28 Book Fair
Oct 24-28 Red Ribbon Week
Oct 26 Jog a thon
Oct 26 PIP Wednesday (we will meet from 8:00-8:30 just to check in/discuss/nail down PIP groups)
Oct 31 Halloween dress up day- no masks, weapons or face makeup
Nov 1 minimum day- Ed Camp with Stoneridge (at Star-
PLTW & Workshop) 1:00
Nov 2  Grade level meeting - open agenda-- enjoy!
Nov 2 & 3 2 day GLAD refresher in Library
Nov 7-10 Parent conferences (minimum days)
Nov 11 Veteran’s day- no school
Nov 21-25 Thanksgiving break
Nov 30-- rescheduled cadre / PIP

Jog-a-thon Schedule for Wednesday
9:40-10:10 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade
10:15-10:45 1st & 2nd grade
11:05-11:35 TK & K

Reading is Our Super Power! Book Clubs!

Here is a link to who signed up for book clubs-- if you would still like to join one you can add your name. We weren't really sure what to do next-- should we have just the math and Love Languages one to start in November? Or we could have three going. Either way, comment on the doc if you have a preference or still want to sign up and we'll get started. Or we could get going with Reading In The Wild and PBL in January :)

October 17th-21st #amazing

Here are some amazing things seen around Star! 

Thank you for all you do to make our school so amazing!

Kindness Capes!

How is your day going? "AMAZING!" he said

All smiles

Kahooting in 2nd grade

Teamwork!

Rainy day lunch rocks kindergarten!

Small group math in Mrs. Evan's class

4th grade Whip Nae Nae 

Also, many of you have shared that you would like feedback! Amy and I would love to do that for you, but we weren't sure what kind of feedback you would like. Here is a Google form to fill out if you'd like us to get in your room for some formal/informal feedback, or if you would like a colleague to come in and check out your class. And if you are interested in getting in to some of your colleague's classrooms to see anything (management, workshop, writing, GLAD, anything!), here is a link to the classroom daily schedules. If your's isn't here yet, please add here. Thanks!

Dates & Details
Oct 17 Grade level differentiation starts  -- goal for day 1 is just setting kids up for success with transitions and getting them where they need to go and how to get there, setting up your expecations, routines and procedures, and learning their names. :)
Oct 19 Grade level meeting
Oct 22 A3WP Super Saturday at Star
Oct 24-28 Book Fair
Oct 24-28 Red Ribbon Week
Oct 26 Jog a thon
Oct 26 PIP Wednesday
Oct 31 Halloween dress up day- no masks, weapons or face makeup
Nov 1 minimum day- Ed Camp with Stoneridge (at Star- PLTW & Workshop) 1:00
Nov 7-10 Parent conferences (minimum days)
Nov 11 Veteran’s day- no school
Nov 21-25 Thanksgiving break

Reading is Our Super Power!

Over the summer, many of you participated in our Voxer Book Whisperer Book Club! With the success of our first Star book club, we thought it might be fun to start another book club or two with some other books many of you have shown interest in. Some books we were thinking about: The Five Love Languages of Children, Reading in the Wild, and PBL in the Elementary Grades. The book chats would be informal and allow you the opportunity to connect and share with others about your take aways, challenges, and obstacles in your reading. If you are interested in participating, please complete the google form below. Once we get an idea of who would like to join and which book, we will be placing an order for the books. Of course, these are always optional, and if there is another book you would like to read, let us know! We can certainly have more than one club going at a time :)

Book club google form

October 10th-14th #chchchchanges

So.... things change!
Last year I had big dreams and big plans about our staff meetings and professional learning. I still like the idea, but for now  I'm putting the teacher led PD around PBL, Data, and Connected Community on the back burner. We will still cover these topics through our work together, but in opening our new school I can see that we need time in grade levels to talk about Project Lead the Way, the online math curriculum, and data related to sharing students in our differentiation block. We'll need to talk about report cards, and parent conferences are in November. Goal setting and portfolios are coming, too. Many of these topics require some dedicated grade level time, as well as some whole staff time. So, in the next few months I'll be shifting the planned PD schedule related to all of these needs. I will do my best to make sure that you have two Wednesdays dedicated to grade level collaboration on late start Wednesdays. This coming Wednesday at our meeting we'll discuss the schedule and changes. Thanks for all  you are doing, and have a great break!


Dates & Details:

Oct 7-11 Fall break-- enjoy!
October 12 8:00-9:00 staff meeting in library
October 13th 5:00 PM Ice Cream Scoop Night and Stars Parent Group Meeting (6:00)
October 19 Grade level meeting 
October 22 A3WP Super Saturday at Star!

Oct 24-28 Book Fair
October 26- Jog a thon!
Oct 26 PIP Wednesday
October 31 Halloween dress up day 

Nov 1 Minimum day- Ed Camp with Stoneridge (at Star-- PLTW & Workshop!)

Nov 7-10 Parent conferences (minimum days)

Nov 11 Veteran’s day- no school
Nov 21-25 Thanksgiving break

Reading is our Superpower!
As you enjoy your fall break, we hope you have a chance to relax and read!

October 3rd- 7th #moments

Yesterday was an interesting day! Grass arrived, kinder kids were dressed in farm outfits, and a TKer threw up on my foot. Typical day, really, filled with meetings, a few kids needing support and all of the usual Friday things. And my stack of Caught Being Awesome pile was staring at me. Three minutes until drop off and I decided to make one call. I picked up the phone and called the mom of a 5th grader new to our school. 

" Hi, this is Mrs. Kloczko calling from Star Academy -- it's not an emergency. I'm calling to tell you that your son was caught being awesome! He cleaned up his classroom and set it all up for a training happening next week. I  just wanted to let you know he's having a great day."

Silence.

And then, "Thank you. What a great call to get." I could hear her voice breaking. "I've never gotten a call like this before. Thank you."

And out to pickup I went. I'm so glad I made that call. It was the best three minutes of an exhausting and emotional week. And so, as we head into fall break, I'm looking for more moments like this. Focusing on one kid at a time, three minutes at a time. Hang in there! This has been the most amazing and challenging start to a school year and you are all incredible-- even if you can't see it or feel it. 

Dates & Details:

October 3-6 GLAD demo in Franchesca's room
October 6th- Wednesday PD-- this week will be open agenda, time for you to catch up and breathe. We will get to Workshop later :) Enjoy the time.

Oct 7-11 Fall break-- enjoy!
October 13th 5:00 PM Ice Cream Scoop Night and Stars Parent Group Meeting (6:00)

Oct 24-28 Book Fair
October 26- Jog a thon!

Nov 1 Minimum day 

Nov 7-10 Parent conferences (minimum days)

Nov 11 Veteran’s day- no school
Nov 21-25 Thanksgiving break