THIS MONTH’S EVENTS
1/3 — WELCOME BACK!
Monday Morning Moments (optional) 8:00am Media Center
NWEA Winter Window Open
1/6 — Special Ed Meeting Day
PBIS Team Meeting 3:30 pm
SIP Team Meeting 3:45 pm
SEL Lesson
1/10 — Monday Morning Moments (optional) 8:00am Media Center
1/12 — Staff Meeting 7:30 am ALICE Training
Vaccine Clinic – Lindemann Media Center 4:00-6:00pm
1/13 — SEL Lesson
Special Ed Meeting Day
1/14 — NO SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STAFF
1/17 — NO SCHOOL MLK DAY
1/18 — Big Ideas Math Pilot begins
1/18-1/24 — FASTBridge Window
1/20 — Special Ed Meeting Day
1/21 — ACE Awards
APHS Drama Performance for 3rd graders 1:30 pm at APCA
1/24 — Progress Reports this week
Monday Morning Moments (optional) 8:00am Media Center
1/25 — PTA Family Fun Night RESCHEDULED FOR MAY
1/26 — 1:1 Data Dialogues during prep times
1/27 — MTSS/Data Team Meeting 7:45 am
Special Ed Meeting Day
1/28 — SEL Lesson
1/31 — Monday Morning Moments (optional) 8:00am Media Center
BAS Assessments complete for all students below grade level
BENNIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
The Bennie School community teaches respect, responsibility, safety, and kindness to develop lifelong learners.
BENNIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VISION STATEMENT
Bennie Elementary School is a collaborative learning community where staff and families encourage students to achieve at their highest potential. Students will approach challenges with perseverance and stamina. Academic, social, and emotional growth will be fostered in a safe, supportive, and positive environment through a multi-tiered system of supports. A professional, driven staff with a passion for learning will model the values of kindness, perseverance, and motivation to develop lifelong learners and flexible problem-solvers who are ready to contribute to a global society. All members of the Bennie Elementary School community are committed to continuous improvement.
WELCOME BACK
It’s a new year! I hope you had a wonderful break, and enjoyed the time together with your family and friends! I hope you are rested and rejuvenated, and ready to take on 2022! Please take the time this month to re-teach expectations, reinforce procedures, and remind your students that you love and care about them and their learning. I am here to support you. Please let me know what you need in order to do your best work for our Bobcats. I appreciate you and am grateful to be starting this year together with you!
BEING PREPARED
Please see below for reminders from Mike Darga.
- As we see the numbers rise, please continue to make healthy decisions. It is best to maintain a safe social distance (at least 6 ft) from others in any area where you may be unmasked and eating (Lounge or Classroom). We have seen an increase in staff quarantine due to sharing space during lunches or preps.
- If you do not have Emergency Sub Plans, please create at least 2 days worth and leave them in an area or space for a colleague or administrator to have easy access.
- Students should be instructed to take home their computers daily and know how to access your google classroom.
- Teaching staff should make the necessary arrangements to be ready to transition to remote instruction at a moment’s notice. Each teacher has been provided the technology to host remote instruction.
- Monday, 1/3. 83.73%
- Tuesday, 1/4. 82.52%
- Wednesday, 1/5. 81.63
- Thursday, 1/6. 81%
- Friday, 1/7. 80.0% (as of our last report)
ALICE TRAINING
MID-YEAR ASSESSMENTS
Typically at this time of year, we would spend several weeks completing mid-year benchmark assessments, which will help us to determine whether our Tier 1 instruction has been effective for at least 80% of our students, and our additional interventions are helping the Tier 2 and 3 students to make more rapid progress to close the gap toward grade level expectations.
Obviously, things are different, yet we still need to use benchmarks to determine how students are progressing, and what we can do to support them differently as needed. The monthly 1:1 Data Dialogue meetings allow us to check in on students as a team and plan for support.
Please use the following table, sent out last week, as a guide for Winter Benchmark Assessments this month. Floating sub time will be made available as often as possible this month to assist with BAS assessments as needed.
| NWEA | All students in all grades K-5 |
| FASTBridge | Everyone who received FAST screener in November + any teacher recommendations based on January data |
| BAS | Optional for all students in K-1
2-5 students below 40th %ile on NWEA Reading |
| **Specific ESGI assessments for K & 1 will be finalized at Jan. 14 PD
**All teachers should use Running Records or formative literacy assessments as needed to drive instruction in guided reading groups |
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NWEA ASSESSMENTS
The Winter NWEA Testing Window is technically open as of Monday. With many students out in quarantine, it is likely that you will not have your whole class present on the days you administer the NWEA. Please prioritize the Reading test this week, as we would like to use some time at Friday’s PD to analyze any NWEA data that is available. Please do your best and know that we are all in the same boat. We have plenty of time in the testing window to complete the NWEA for all students.
We will bring back the “Brag Tags” for students meeting mid-year goals for NWEA. We will also have a “Growth Parade” to celebrate the growth that our students have made this school year! More to come on this!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Please see below for Friday’s PD session at Arno:
APPS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – Elementary Teams
Friday, January 14, 2022
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Arno Elementary Hosting Brain-Friendly Reading PD & Math Pilot Training;
Meet at your home school during other half of day
Specials Teachers meet in PLC
**Please read carefully for your training times below!**
| Training Group | Not in Training Group | |
| 8:00-11:00 a.m. | Brain-Friendly Reading PD (Y5, K, 2nd & 3rd)
–Y5 & Kdg Teachers in Stanley’s Room (Arno 101) –2nd & 3rd Grade Teachers in Computer Lab Math Pilot Teachers (Grades 1, 4 & 5) in Higgins’ Room (Arno 128) |
PLC Time (1 hour)
Complete SAEBRS screeners & Review SAEBRS data Use NWEA Data to complete 1:1 Data Dialogue Form for January meetings |
| 11:00am-12:00pm | LUNCH | LUNCH |
| 12:00-3:00 p.m. | Brain-Friendly Reading PD (1st, 4th & 5th)
–1st Gr Teachers in Stanley’s Room (Arno 101) –4th & 5th Grade Teachers in Computer Lab Math Pilot Teachers (Grades K, 2 & 3) in Higgins’ Room (Arno 128) |
PLC Time (1 hour)
Complete SAEBRS screeners & Review SAEBRS data Use NWEA Data to complete 1:1 Data Dialogue Form for January meetings |
After completing the SAEBRS questionnaire for your class, meet with your grade level team to review the data. Some things to consider: does anything stand out to you as surprising? Do your results align with the multi-tiered model of support (85%/15%/5%)?
Use your SAEBRS data as part of the current processes for Tier 2 interventions (MTSS for academic, PBIS Tier 2 referral for social or behavior). An additional referral form or resource is not implied because of the SAEBRS screening data.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT & MTSS REMINDERS
Reminders from the School Improvement and MTSS Teams:
- Vocabulary Bulletin Boards are up in the main hallway (thank you, Robin!). After you do your weekly academic vocabulary lesson with your class, please post one copy of the Frayer model on your grade level’s bulletin board.
- Remember to incorporate Opportunities to Respond regularly in your lessons: Cold Calling; Turn & Talk; No Opt Out
- Utilize SMART goals with your intervention and instructional groups to ensure that students are focused on a specific skill, making progress, and when they are ready to move on to another skill
This month during your grade level PLC time, the MTSS committee is suggesting to work together to take a look at your schedule. The attached spreadsheet can be used digitally or you can print it. This is for you and your team.
It is helpful for me to see what other people are doing that works for them. Here is a schedule of a lower elementary ELA block.
- DOL
- morning work/Bellwork
- Reduce the number of mad minutes per week
- Shortened calendar time
- Less time on activities that focus on memorizing spelling words
- Reduce Journey’s materials- reader’s notebook pages etc.
- Reduce duration or frequency of independent reading time
- Reduced duration of “read to someone”
THANK YOU SCHOOL BOARD
We are grateful to have the support of a wonderful School Board here in Allen Park. They have taken on the responsibility of making many decisions, while keeping the best interests of our students always at top of mind. Please join me in thanking our Allen Park School Board for their dedicated service.
SMENCILS
Smencils are back! Students may purchase Smencils at school on Mondays and Thursdays. The Smencils, which are “smelly pencils” that have a variety of scents available, are $1 each and profits support our PBIS program here at Bennie. Students may bring their money to school and helpers will come to each classroom for anyone who would like to purchase Smencils.
PTA FOUNDERS’ DAY
Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Allen Park PTA/PTSA Council Founders’ Day Award Recipients!
The Allen Park PTA/PTSA Council is busy planning this Year’s Founders’ Day Dinner and Award Ceremony – Founders’ Day is a reminder of the substantial role that our PTA/PTSA’s play in supporting parent involvement working on behalf of all children and families. It is a time to reflect and take pride in the many accomplishments throughout APPS and recognize exemplary staff, volunteers, community members and businesses.
Tickets for the event are now available for purchase in all AP school offices for $25 each or 2/$45 or purchase a virtual ticket(s) online at https://apptacouncil.memberhub.store/shopping/categories/8610
Please join us to honor those who have dedicated themselves to supporting our schools and PTA’s. Deadline to purchase tickets is January 27, 2022.
To be consistent with school policy, we will require masks to be worn, except while eating.
Allen Park PTA/PTSA Council
2021-2022 Founders’ Day Dinner & Award Ceremony
Wednesday, February 16
Crystal Gardens
16703 Fort St., Southgate, MI 48195
Doors open at 6:00 pm ~ Dinner at 6:30 pm
VACCINE CLINIC IN APPS
BRAIN FRIENDLY READING OPPORTUNITY
Check out the info below from Kristin:
The Monday night group coaching call is a great place for teachers to ask questions about the science of reading in general and BFR specifically, get feedback about their implementation of the program and check on their own skill development. The calls are every Monday through May from 8-9pm. People can jump on ‘late’ or leave ‘early.’ Breakout rooms are often an option for 1:1 coaching as well.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION
Getting Serious About Vocabulary
In this Cult of Pedagogy article, author/consultant Angela Peery says one thing educators can agree on, based on decades of research, is that “increasing the number of words our students know is a good thing.” A rich vocabulary and conceptual understanding benefit kids in three ways:
- Supporting learning in all disciplines, providing “velcro” that connects prior knowledge to new words and concepts;
- Boosting reading comprehension through the grades by making texts more accessible;
- Enriching spoken language and writing by adding specificity and voice.
Conversely, a limited vocabulary makes speaking, reading, and absorbing new knowledge significantly more difficult, limits the amount of hours spent reading, and poses daily obstacles to self-confidence and school success.
Which words should teachers focus on? Peery recommends general academic words that cut across disciplines and help students express themselves in academic settings, and, within each discipline, domain-specific terms that students need to understand math, science, social studies, and other subjects. She describes eight effective vocabulary-building strategies:
- Informal conversations – The more verbal back-and-forth children have with educators and other adults in their lives – with lots of questions, responses, probing, extending – the more their word knowledge and verbal acuity will grow.
- Anchored word learning – The higher-level, more-sophisticated words that come up in classroom discussions, readalouds, trade books, and content texts should be highlighted to stretch students’ vocabularies and build new knowledge. Teachers might provide direct instruction and practice on 3-5 important words at a time.
- Vocabulary anchor charts – Peery recommends a three-column TIP format: Term (the word), Information (a student-friendly definition), Picture (a visual or icon). Prominently displayed in the classroom, these are most helpful for words with straightforward meanings, not heavily conceptual words. Students might also keep their own TIP charts in notebooks or digital form. The beginning of a new chunk of instruction is a good time to add new words to the class and individual charts.
- Save the last word for me – Groups of 3-5 students get a baggie or manila envelope containing a set of vocabulary cards (a word on one side, the definition on the other); one student pulls out a card, says the word aloud, and other members of the group take turns offering a definition. The first student summarizes, offers additional thoughts, and elicits group consensus on the meaning. Students take turns repeating the process until all the cards have been discussed. This game is especially helpful when a class is preparing for an assessment.
- Snap minilessons – Brief (5-15-minute) explicit vocabulary instruction might occur daily, weekly, or at other intervals. Peery recommends a four-step procedure, acronym SNAP: See and Say each word; Name and Notice a category or group the word belongs to (or notice connections to related words); Act on the word (in small groups, students engage in a brief task or conversation about the word); and Produce an individual, original application of the word.
- Vocabulary self-collection – In individual notebooks, students write a few words each week that they notice in their reading or daily lives, write the definition, where they encountered the word, and why it’s important to them. At an appointed time each week, students share and discuss their individual word lists, which Peery says will often spark lively discussions and raise “word consciousness, a critical goal of word learning.” Alternatively, students might work in cooperative groups identifying words in a text that merit study and discussion.
- Word talks – Students give a brief presentation on one or more words they believe are important for their classmates to know (perhaps drawn from their personal word collections). Scheduled on a regular basis, this activity is most appropriate for general academic words, not for those that are highly specialized and domain specific.
- Digital tools for independent practice – Peery recommends three vocabulary-building websites:
- Flocabulary – hip-hop videos for learning new terminology;
- Freerice – an addictive vocabulary game with five difficulty levels;
- Vocabador – studying SAT words, students choose an avatar and “get into the ring” to play against other virtual wrestlers.
“8 Ways to Grow Students’ Vocabulary” by Angela Peery in Cult of Pedagogy, December 13, 2021; Peery can be reached at drangelapeery@gmail.com.
ONE WORD
There are small slips of paper near the workroom bulletin board for you to think about and document your ONE WORD for 2022. If you would like to fill out one of these slips and post it on the bulletin board, that would be great! All are welcome to participate in this activity! There is also a set of materials hanging near the bulletin board to engage in this activity with your class if you’d like!
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It’s a great year to be a Bennie Bobcat!
