It’s been a busy summer! 71 teachers participated in Secondary English training this summer. 68 admins and teacher leaders attended Secondary English Leadership Training. 50 new teachers graced New Teacher Academy. And, let’s not forget, many schools held pre-school department meetings and training. We are definitely on a roll!
Congratulations to Candice Gill (Elko Middle) and Emily Williams (Wilder Middle) for achieving 7 of 13 credits for attending summer training! The ladies will each receive a tote full of classroom activities and treats. In September, the school with the largest attendance at training will get a prize! Will it be your school?
Did you miss a training?
Make sure you get back on track by exploring what you missed:
| Topic | Resources |
| Reading Workshop | n/a—please attend similar sessions at October Staff Development |
| Stations | |
| Writing Workshop | |
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Exploring library Resources (w/ Suzanna Panter) |
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| Vocabulary SOL Prep | https://ericasenglish.wordpress.com/summer-2015-sol-prep-sessions/. The page is password protected—You must type in HCPS Prep |
| Text Features/ Organizational Patterns/ Author Purpose SOL Prep | |
| Main Idea/ Summary/ Theme SOL Prep | |
| Characterization/Literary Elements SOL Prep | |
| Prediction/ Drawing Conclusions/ Inference SOL Prep | |
| Figurative Language SOL Prep | |
| Writing—Multiple Choice SOL Prep | |
| Writing—Expository SOL Prep | |
| Writing—Persuasive SOL Prep | |
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New Teacher Academy |
https://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/hcpsenglish-staff/new-teacher-academy/ |
Focus on Data!
You should have seen your school reports and know where you fall short. It is important to look at the students in the 400 range–if students passed the test, but 75% were still not successful in a particular area, then that is where you can up the rigor and add different types of activities in your classroom. Make sure to review the English non-negotiables and Tier 1 RTI activities–do a self evaluation (highlight the areas you do often in green, the items you sometimes do in yellow and the items you rarely do in red) and address the areas in which you are not at the top of your game!
Here is a snapshot of the spring SOL data from the state and county perspective:
Lesson planning–Are you digging into your resources?
You should all have your pacing guides, curriculum frameworks and resources close at hand. Make sure to reach out to the specialist, literacy coaches, chair and ITRT if you are stuck. Don’t forget about using the English lesson plan guide to create your lesson plans!
Now, let’s keep moving toward increased student achievement and success. Here are some go-to resources you may want to explore this month:
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Online Sites to Explore
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Upcoming Training and Other Dates to Know!
September is all about getting back into gear, so make sure to keep up with the following to have a successful school year!
| September 11 | Staff Info Sheet due by noon |
| September 23 |
Best Practices Training–Dorey Park 9:00-11:30 or 1:00-3:30 (Sign up in ERO) |
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September 8-October 2 |
Teacher Evaluation Pre-Test Window |
| September 21-October 9 | NWEA Testing Window |
| October 12 |
Staff Development at Glen Allen—8:30-3:30 (Lunch on your own–we plan to have food trucks on site) |
Have a great year of teaching and learning!