News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 1/26 Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 1/27
Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30 - Professional Development
Thursday, 1/29
Friday 1/30 

Monday, 2/2 Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 2/3  100th Day of School; 3rd gr Field Trip; Progress Reports go home
Wednesday, 2/4  
Thursday, 2/5
Friday 2/6  PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; Grief and Loss Parent Ed, 9:00 a.m.


District Response to Overcrowding
Over the next few weeks I will be meeting with District officials to learn more about their ideas for easing some of our crowding issues.  At this time, they are not pursuing changes to our attendance zone.  Reducing the number of magnet transfers will help, and I have requested an additional portable building with two classrooms for next year to support the higher number of kinder and 1st grade students.  

As I know more, I will communicate that to you and share it with our SDMC.   If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.  I will do my best to get good answers for you.


Spotlight on IB:
What is a Transdisciplinary Program?

An excerpt from The Primary Years Programme: A basis for practice...

The PYP acknowledges the importance of particular subject areas: language; mathematics; social studies; science; arts; personal, social and physical education.

...However, the PYP also recognizes that educating students in a set of isolated subject areas, while necessary, is not sufficient.  Of equal importance is the need to acquire skills in context, and to explore content that is relevant to students and transcends the boundaries of the traditional subjects. “To be truly educated, a student must also make connections across the disciplines, discover ways to integrate the separate subjects, ultimately relate what they learn to life” (Boyer 1995: 82).  Ernest Boyer proposed that students explore a set of themes representing shared human experiences such as “Response to the Aesthetic” and “Membership in Groups”.  He referred to these as “Core Commonalities”.  In the PYP, this idea of human commonalities shares the transdisciplinary themes.  Each transdisciplinary theme is accompanied by the extended description that explains what students will be inquiring into under this theme. 

An excerpt from Developing a Transdisciplinary Programme of Inquiry…

The programme of inquiry is a matrix made up of the six transdisciplinary themes running vertically, and the age groups running horizontally.  Organizing the curriculum around the six transdisciplinary themes contextualizes the learning for students.  It enables them to experience a balance of subject-specific knowledge, concepts and skills in order to develop an understanding of the transdisciplinary themes.

The Six Transdisciplinary Themes

Who we are—An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time—An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How the world works—An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of the scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How we express ourselves– An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How we organize ourselves– An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Sharing the planet– An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 1/19  MLK Holiday
Tuesday, 1/20  
Wednesday, 1/21
Thursday, 1/22
Friday 1/23  Staff Appreciation Luncheon, hosted by 2nd & 3rd grade

Monday, 1/26 Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 1/27
Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30
Thursday, 1/29
Friday 1/30  

Teacher Professional Development
Our teachers participate in a variety of professional development opportunities each year. Much of our professional development takes place over the summer months and during the two weeks of pre-service in August, but some takes place throughout the school year, afterschool, and during early release days.

Teachers are contracted to work (and paid for) 180 days each year.  Ten days are identified as pre-service professional development and teacher preparation.  During those ten days, we embark in professional development identified as a District learning goal or as a Campus learning goal.  Two years ago the District focus was on improving the level of rigor in classrooms, while the focus this past August was on improving literacy practice.  Our campus goals generally focus on IB pedogogy and the Programme of Inquiry, literacy, math, science and arts/technology integration.  

This past August our campus focus helped guide our professional development plans.  We planned time for development in IB, technology integration and literacy.  Teachers spent two full days in IB training (prior to their contracted days), focusing on concept-based learning or written curriculum in transdisciplinary teaching.  They spent three days in the District literacy training.  We also worked as a full faculty with an IB consultant to create a newly aligned Programme of Inquiry, ensuring all Science and Social Studies learning objectives were anchored in units within the identified concept.    

Outside of the initial training in August, teacher develop personalized annual learning goals each year.  They work independently or in inquiry groups to improve their practice in areas they have identified.  This year we have teachers working on instructional practices in math, reading, science, writing instruction and in gathering data on mastery of learning objectives. All of this learning is done outside of the work day, usually during our monthly faculty meetings.   

The question often arises from parents about professional development related to early dismissal days.  Parents wonder what teachers are doing, and question whether or not the time is well-spent and justify the extra effort to find child care.

Early Dismissal days are set by the District.  Of the five identified days, two are reserved for parent conferences.  The other three days are intended for professional development.  As a Technology Pilot School, this year, two of those days are being used by the District Technology Department to support our learning for use of the HUB, the District online learning site that houses curriculum and will eventually serve as a major support for parents to bridge the divide between school and home.  The remaining day was used to help teachers develop their individual professional development plans.

At Roberts, we are fortunate to have highly skilled and highly trained teachers.  The professional development days are critical to that end.  


Tardies and Early Check-out
We are experiencing a higher than usual rate or tardies and children leaving early.  Please make every effort to have your child at school before 7:55 so that your child is ready for learning at 8:00 a.m. when the final bell rings.  

We will be sending notifications to parents regarding chronic tardies or repeated early check out.  Both are causing children to miss critical instruction.

Arriving late to school, and missing instruction time, are considered violations of the Code of Student Conduct, and can impact the conduct grade on the report card.  Please help your child maintain a strong school behavioral record by ensuring he/she arrives early enough to be ready to start the day at 8:00 a.m.


Field Trips
We have some exciting field trips scheduled for the Spring.  If you are interested in serving as a chaperone, please be certain you have been approved through the District to serve as a volunteer.  If you aren't sure if you are approved, stop in or call our Reception desk and ask Ms. Brown or Ms. vanRavenswaay to check the list.  Parents who have not been approved by the District will not be allowed to attend field trips.

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 1/12  Student Coalition, 11:30-12:30
Tuesday, 1/13 NTB Qualifier Test, 7:15 a.m.
Wednesday, 1/14 
Thursday, 1/15  SDMC Meeting, 3:30
Friday, 1/16

Monday, 1/19  MLK Holiday
Tuesday, 1/20
Wednesday, 1/21
Thursday, 1/22
Friday 1/23  Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30


The Power of "Yet"
I often find interesting ideas through my TED app.  Are you familiar with TED Talks? TED is a set of global conferences run by the Sapling Foundation, a private non-profit group, tagged with the slogan "Ideas Worth Spreading".   These talks are recorded and available at www.ted.com or through the TED App for mobile devices.

Today I noticed a new talk recorded in December by Carol Dweck, a widely known Psychologist and researcher out of Stanford University.  She is a personal favorite on how our mindset shapes our success and our future.  Her newest talk discusses the power of framing our challenges with "yet". Instead of facing challenging tasks with an outcome of success or failure, focusing on the influence of effort and persistence, we can frame our thinking with a new set of outcomes and recognize that we may not have met the challenge yet, but with hard work and persistence we can.

I invite you to learn more by watching the short talk, or learn more by reading her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.


School Funding, Part III
Magnet Funding
Prior to the 2013-14 school year, Magnet funding was assigned to schools when programs were first approved.  Roberts Elementary received $350,000 each school year to maintain our Fine Arts Magnet Program.  Last year the District approved a theme-based funding formula to ensure equity between programs.

Elementary Fine Arts Magnet Programs, under the new funding system, will receive $350.00 per magnet student, plus the cost of a magnet coordinator.  At Roberts, all students are part of our magnet program, whether they are zoned students, or attend on a magnet transfer.  Because of our increase in enrollment, our funding would remain near the $350,000.

As we have discussed before, the increase in zoned enrollment has limited our ability to accept non-zoned students on magnet transfers. Our non-zoned enrollment has dropped under the 20% threshold, resulting in a "probation" status for our magnet program.  If we cannot meet the 20% threshold during the 2015-16 school year our magnet budget will be decreased by 50% for the 2016-17 school year and then eliminated for the 2017-18 school year.

As our zoned enrollment increases, we will be able to make up for most of the funding loss if our Magnet Program is cut, but there may be a need for additional fundraising to maintain some of the "extras" around campus.


Name That Book, 3-5 Qualifier Test
If your child has been reading the books on the Name That Book, 3-5 list, and are interested in trying out for the competitive team, the qualifier test is this week.  There will be no late admission. Children must arrive before 7:15 a.m.  We will test in room 101, across from reception.  Students with this highest 6 scores will be chosen for the team, with the next highest scoring student to serve as the alternate.

Spotlight on IB:

What are Key Concepts?

excerpt from Making the PYP Happen

Central to the philosophy of the PYP is the principle that purposeful, structured inquiry is a powerful vehicle for learning that promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage with significant ideas.  Hence in the PYP there is also a commitment to a concept-driven curriculum as a means of supporting that inquiry. 

Which concepts were chosen and why?

A set of eight concepts was drawn up, each of which, it is felt, is of major importance in the design of a transdisciplinary curriculum.  These concepts are:

• form - the understanding that everything has a form with recognizable features that can be observed, identified, described and categorized.
• function - the understanding that everything has a purpose, a role or a way of behaving that can be investigated.
• causation - the understanding that things do not just happen, that there are causal relationships at work, and that actions have consequences.
• change - the understanding that change is the process of movement from one state to another.  It is universal and inevitable.
• connection - the understanding that we live in a world of interacting systems in which actions of any individual element affect others.
• perspective - the understanding that knowledge is moderated by perspectives; different perspectives lead to different interpretations, understandings and findings; perspectives may be individual, group, cultural or disciplinary.
• responsibility - the understanding that people make choices based on their understandings, and the actions they take as a result do make a difference.
• reflection - the understanding that there are different ways of knowing, and that it is important to reflect on our conclusions, to consider our methods of reasoning, and the quality and the reliability of the evidence we have considered.

At Roberts, students are encouraged to consider all concept levels when developing questions to help guide their learning.  Often times, when we are asking questions about new ideas or information we are focused on questions of form or function. It is important we encourage learners to consider other concepts such as change, connections, perspective and responsibility.  

Ask your child about some of their questions from their classroom Wonder Wall for the current Unit of Inquiry.  Are they developing questions other than those falling in form or function?

  

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Tuesday, 1/6  Students Return to School
Wednesday, 1/7  School Tour, 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, 1/8  School Spelling Bee, 8:15 a.m.
Friday, 1/9  PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; Kinder Field Trip; NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30

Monday, 1/12  
Tuesday, 1/13  NTB Qualifier Test, 7:15 a.m. (NEW DATE)
Wednesday, 1/14
Thursday, 1/15  SDMC Meeting, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, 1/16

Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30 p.m.


Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful winter break filled with family and friends, and lots of time to reconnect.  The Spring semester is always a busy time around campus.  There are so many ways to connect as a community, and if you haven't gotten involved already, you will have several great events to choose from this semester.  

The teachers worked today to prepare for the upcoming semester.  They are rested and recharged to take on the important work ahead.  Please remember they are your best connection to how your child is performing in school.  Make sure you are staying connected with the classroom blog, where you can find information about what your child is learning each week.  


School Funding, Part II
Decentralized Budgeting

In the first part of this series I shared information about how schools are funded by the state.  Most school districts across the state use a centralized funding system in which the school district decides on the types of positions and programs at every school, leaving the individual campus with little say in how the money is spent.  HISD has operated under a decentralized funding system for many years, allowing each campus to make decisions about staffing, programs and professional development at the campus level.  This is easily thought of as people and stuff.

The campus budgeting process begins with the initial per unit (student) allocation. Last year, elementary campuses received approximately $3378 for each student.  The largest expense in the campus level budget is for "people".  It takes the full allocation for approximately 16 students to cover the cost of the assigned classroom teacher.  With the funding for 16 students already allocated for the classroom teacher, the allocation for approximately 4 students in each class covers the cost of other personnel.  Every campus must have an administrative staff (principal, registrar, secretary) and because we are a large elementary school, our administrative staff includes an assistant principal and instructional coordinator.  Because of our proximity to the medical center, and because we often have children with critical illnesses, we need a full time nurse.  

After budgeting for administrative staff, we begin considering our other needs.  We are required by state law to offer special education services, reading intervention and physical education, and as an IB school we are required to offer a foreign language and technology.  That covers our staffing expenses, and most of our ancillary rotation.  We will talk more about fine arts in Part III.

With staffing funded, we generally have about $200,000 left to budget for all other expenses, or the equivalent of the allocation for 2 students per class.  We must consider the cost of substitutes for when teachers are out sick, professional development, academic programs such as Everyday Math and Wordly Wise, as well as classroom materials such as classroom libraries and Target Math daily practice.  We budget annually to maintain our leveled library for daily small group reading instruction, and for the past three years have made large investments in our school library to ensure children have up-to-date print resources and access to e-books.  Each year funds are earmarked for replacing furniture and classroom rugs, and for the cost of updating technology (something we have been able to share with PTO).

In early spring of each year we project enrollment for the upcoming year and prepare a preliminary budget based on the emerging needs of the campus.  Those needs are identified with the use of student performance data from the prior year, as well as with data from the annual parent and student surveys.  The SDMC reviews that data and are asked to provide feedback on any areas of the budget that may need adjustment.  

Each year, the Texas Education Agency reports on campus, district and state level expenditures per student.  Roberts spends less on school leadership and more on classrooms than the District or the State average.  It is my commitment to ensure every available dollar reaches the student at the classroom level, and is not squandered with administrative costs.