It’s been a great opening to the school year! Training for the year is well underway. We now have 95 teachers who have participated in Secondary English training this year. We are definitely staying on a roll!
Congratulations to Elko Middle School and Rolfe Middle School! Both schools had 100% of their English/reading staff attend the September 23 training (Best Practices: Anchor Charts, Mini Lessons & Literacy Tools). The schools will each receive a tote full of classroom activities and treats. In October, the school with the largest attendance at the October SD training will get a prize! Will it be your school?
Did you miss training this month?
Make sure you get back on track by exploring what you missed:
| Topic | Resources |
| Best Practices:
Anchor Charts, Mini Lessons & Literacy Tools (included in this training was a lesson outline of how to teach theme (M.S. Pacing–Week 5)) |
https://ericasenglish.wordpress.com/best-practices-anchor-charts-mini-lessons-and-literacy-activities/
The page is password protected—You must type in HCPS Prep
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Focus on Data!
NWEA–Middle schools (and some high schools) are in the mix of NWEA testing. Make sure you use the data to determine your small groups and remediation plans.
SOLs–Remediation and Recovery–Please make sure you know your students. You should have a list, highlights on your roll, etc. of students in your class who failed the previous year’s SOL and are eligible to count twice in your numbers when they pass the SOL this year! This is crucial–especially in the middle schools. One of the big pushes this year is small groups and immediate remediation. Knowing who needs to be with your during small group for extra support will only help!
Non-negotiables and Tier I activities–At the beginning of the year, I asked that you look at the students in the 400 range–the students that passed the test, but 75% were still not successful in a particular area–to see where you could up the rigor. Make sure to continuously review the English non-negotiables and Tier 1 RTI activities while doing the 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) so that you can continue to address the areas in which you are not at the top of your game!
Lesson planning–Are you digging into your resources?
You should 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
This month’s focus—sites for pulling leveled texts! All these sites provide passages at several levels.
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Upcoming Training and Other Dates to Know!
October means the grind is starting– make sure to keep up with the following to have a successful school year!
| 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) |
| October 14 | PSAT (10, optional for 11) |
| November 11 | Best Practices: Formative Assessment |
| November 16-20 | English 8 Specialty Center Prompt Writing |
Have a great year of teaching and learning!