THE GALLOP Issue #114 11

Larry Bird, one of the greatest players in the history of the National Basketball Association, knew the importance of fundamentals in overcoming deficits and deficiencies.

“I wasn’t real quick, and I wasn’t real strong…so I beat them with my mind and my fundamentals,” Bird once said. Despite his physical limitations, Bird would win three championships as a member of the Boston Celtics, in addition to being named the NBA Most Valuable Player on three separate occasions.

An effective classroom is also based on fundamentals. The Fundamental Five, which we learned about during our professional developments, is what good teaching looks like.

Framing the lesson

Working in the Power Zone

Frequent, small-group, purposeful talk

Recognizing and reinforcing

Writing critically

Our new walkthrough system is designed to help teachers reflect on how they are utilizing these fundamentals within their classroom. The new walkthrough document, designed by Randy Peffer and the KDE team, will give specific feedback to teachers on how they are using the fundamentals to better reach their students. As a teacher, it is important to constantly be reflecting about your practice and finding ways to hone your craft.

In addition to the new walkthrough document, I am excited that we will soon be implementing the Student Data Journals initiative with our students. As we will grow from our walkthroughs, our students will grow from being exposed to their own academic data in a way that is clear and concise. FLOAN is the first JCPS middle school to implement Data Journals of this kind, and we believe the program will offer other schools a model for how to build student accountability for academic data.

Finally, I’d like you to think about another Larry Bird quote. “Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” With a focus on the fundamentals and that kind of tenacity, we can’t lose.

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Issue #114

WILLING TO WIN As we prepare to roll out our WIN and WINPLUS programs, review these important details

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Faculty Focus This week, learn about the man who keeps our building technology running!

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Walk the Walkthrough By Bill Perkins

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THE GOLDEN BROOM SEPTEMBER

Kristina Johnson/Sherry Hughley Room 200

The winner of the Golden Broom is determined each month based on the neatness of the classroom, current student work samples, and the maintenance of a visually-inviting classroom. The winner gets to display the coveted Golden Broom Award in their classrooms for the month.

FACULTY FOCUS

1. How long have you been teaching? I have been in the field of teaching for the last 13 years 2. Subjects/Contents/Positions I have taught social studies, geography, studio arts, STLP/computer education, math, Read 180/Success maker and adult education courses. I have held the position of instructor III, teacher, master teacher, team leader, and school technology Coordinator.

3. What inspired you to be a classroom teacher? I come from a very educated family of teachers. I resisted the profession for years but once I tried teaching I loved it! I have never regretted my choice to be an educator.

4. Write about something great that happened in your class. I always find it funny when students come into my classroom and say, “Mr. Cheeks are you a hacker?”

5. Best thing about being a teacher? The best thing about being a teacher is the fact that I am a servant of mankind. I get to help young people have experiences in the classroom that will help them make choices for tomorrow.

6. Worst thing about being a teacher? That I can’t provide a personal iPad or laptop computer with a data plan for each student in the building. 7. One goal that you have for this school year? My major goal for this year is to put technology to good use in the hands of our teachers and students 8. Any advice to new/younger teachers? Every new teacher has many bad days, but experience is your friend. Not every lesson will win you a Golden Apple Award, but every lesson gets you closer to writing the lessons that will.

9. Interesting facts about you (i.e. places you have traveled, studied, etc.) I am a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and I also worked at the museum.

10. Complete this sentence: FLOAN is a great place to work because… of our awesome students!

Technology

Master Teacher

Related Arts Dept.

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SIGNS OF GROWTH

278 Number of students receiving invitations to the WIN PLUS after-school academic program.

Students taking WIN PLUS classes will benefit from an extra two hours of intensive instruction in reading and math, while also being provided transport and food.

95.95% Attendance during the first pupil month at FLOAN, the highest in school history.

September 18th

will be a High Attendance Day Dress Down.

SIGNS OF GROWTH

If you have data that demonstrates the progress we are making at the school, please share it with us! Simply send an email to Mr. Perkins with the following information:

SUBJECT LINE: SIGNS OF GROWTH BODY: Information regarding fact or statistic

CALENDAR AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

SRT Meeting

WIN PLUS Program Begins

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Language arts diagnostic 1 – closes

Team meeting

Job-alike PLC

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

ACT Explore

High Attendance Dress Down Day

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

PLC meeting

ACT Explore

ILT Meeting

Football vs. Frost (@Valley) 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Grade meeting

CARDS Play

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

WIN Program Begins

Math diagnostic 1 – opens

Science diagnostic 1 – opens

SRT Meeting

Master Teacher Meeting

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Team meeting

FLOAN Open House

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

EPD

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KUDOS Want to recognize a colleague for doing something great or going above and beyond the call of duty? Email Mr. Perkins with details for your kudos to be featured here.

FLOANed! During Summer Camp, new teachers participated in a scavenger hunt to orientate themselves to the building. Here are some photos of the action – to see more, go to www.twitter.com/OlmstedNorth1.

KUDOS to: Café and security staff

The café is running like clockwork and the security staff is helping tremendously around the building. Thanks for all you do!

KUDOS to: William Pierce

Our website looks fantastic! Thanks for your work to keep things up-to-date.

KUDOS to: Troy Danner

Thanks for keeping our television system up to date and keeping students and staff informed about their school!

KUDOS to: Mr. Cheeks

Kudos to Mr. Cheeks for Sharepoint training. This is a vital tool that we must utilize fully throughout the building!

KUDOS to: Athletic Coaches

Thanks for your work in helping get our fall sport teams off to a great start this year!

KUDOS to: Julie Bowman

Many thanks for organizing the first tailgate of the year. We know our students love having the support of our faculty!

WILLING TO WIN WIN PLUS PROGRAM UTILIZES STAFF, AFTER-SCHOOL TIME TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ BASIC LITERACY AND MATH SKILLS

The WIN PLUS WILLING TO WIN WIN PLUS PROGRAM UTILIZES STAFF, AFTER-SCHOOL TIME TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ BASIC LITERACY AND MATH SKILLS

The WIN PLUS Program is designed to help all students further their basic skills in math and

literacy, skills essential to winning the race for jobs in the 21st century global economy.

Over the next two Mondays, FLOAN will begin implementing two WIN programs designed to help students gain critical math and literacy skills essential to college and career readiness. The daytime WIN Program, which stands for What I Need, was developed as a response to a series of different data analyses that showed a strong need for reading and math support in our student base. Using comprehensive data stories compiled for each student, our WIN team developed a schedule of classes to be offered during first period that target students’ primary academic growth need. This work will begin on Monday, September 23.

In addition, funding was secured to offer an additional afterschool program, called WIN Plus, that will either provide additional work in their growth area or allow students to work on a secondary academic deficiency. More than 250 students will benefit from a prepared meal, two additional two hours of work with a content-area teacher on math or literacy needs, and transport home utilizing JCPS school buses. This program is scheduled to begin Monday, September 16.

Both of these programs rely heavily on data to measure student growth and target specific areas of student need. Beginning with a baseline dipstick assessment and then a series of smaller assessments designed to closely monitor student progress, FLOAN’s WIN team and WIN teachers hope to move students toward proficiency in an efficient, measurable way.

Significant work has gone into student placement, development of resources, and acquisition of district funding in order to make these programs a reality. With the current global economy requiring ever-increasing aptitude in math and literacy skills, this program represents a critical way in which FLOAN is working to ensure that EVERY CHILD IS PROFICIENT and that we are EDUCATING TOMORROW’S LEADERS TODAY.

Many thanks to our WIN team and our WIN and WIN PLUS teachers for their commitment to helping our students achieve their academic goals.

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THE GALLOP Issue #114

[Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code]

[Addressee] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code]

NEW WIN PLUS SCHEDULE

The 2013 FLOAN football team offense lines up against rival Lassiter Middle School in the

opening game of the season. FLOAN would go on to earn the win, 28-0.

Subject Monday Wednesday Thursday

Reading (6)

McCarty (305) Johnson (200) Trochio (305)

Reading (7)

Triggs (213) Read (213) Triggs (213)

Reading (8)

Parsons (104B) Nichols (104B) Parsons (104B)

Math (6) Beaver (218) M. H-Riley (215) Beaver (218)

Math (7) S. H-Riley (M. H-Riley alternate) (214)

S. H-Riley (214) S. H-Riley (214)

Math (8) Chilton (204) Chilton (Riedy alternate) (204)

Chilton (204)

ECE (6) Morris (206) Morris (206) Hughley (200)

ECE (7) Hughley (200) Bowens (207) Bowens (207)

ECE(8) Cross (110) Cross (110) Minnis (110)

ESL Grimmer 8th

(103B) Grimmer 8th

(103B) Stephens 7th

(103B)

ESL Zaw 6th

(library) Zaw 6th

(library) Grimmer/Zaw 7th

(library)

REMINDER: For the first week of WIN PLUS, MTs and PLC Coaches are to escort students to the CAFE @ 2:10. This is only for the first week so they can get used to going to CAFE and staying for WIN PLUS.