Contents
New Items
STOP THE SUMMER READING SLIDE – for Elementary Principals, Elementary Teachers, Elementary Librarians and Library Aides
Previous Items
ESL Openings-Procedures – for All Administrators
Teacher Transfer – for All Administrators
HR Related Board Items (Corrected) – for All Administrators
New Items
STOP THE SUMMER READING SLIDE
From Dr. Cynthia Lane
TO: Elementary Principals
RE: STOP THE SUMMER READING SLIDE
CC: Elementary Teachers, Elementary Librarians and Library Aides
March 21, 2016
Dear Principals,
Multiple research studies have concluded that the ???summer reading slide??? can be eliminated when children have access to books. When children select, or have choice, in what they read, the evidence is even stronger that the decline in performance (or slide) can be eradicated. Our experience has verified that when we facilitate the opportunity for our students have access to books over the summer months, students return to school maintaining, and in many cases increasing, reading performance.
Plans are moving ahead to distribute eight (8) books to each student in grades 2 ??? 5, to support reading over the summer vacation. The week after spring break, each elementary school will receive order forms. The forms are packaged by grade level, and include labels pre-?????printed with the student???s name, grade, and school. Please distribute the forms to your students, and facilitate the process for students to select eight books. Labels have been pre-?????printed with each student???s name, grade, teacher, and school. Please attach the label to the order form for each student, according to grade level. We want to ensure that students select from a ???just right??? book list. Feel free to adjust order forms when appropriate.
No later that March 24, turn in completed forms to your librarian or library aide. Carol Levers or Candee Hoffman will pick up the orders from your library staff. Carol or Candee will pick up the orders on March 25.
Deliveries will occur the first or second week of May. Books will be prepackaged and labeled according to the student???s order form. We will include a handout for parents to explain that these books are for the students to read over the summer and to keep as their own. Please include information about the initiative in your communications with parents.
The power of summer reading is in the reading, AND in the opportunity to talk, share, and discuss what they have read. I encourage schools to have book talks or book sharing opportunities in August. Doing so will provide a level of expectation about reading, and opportunities to celebrate our schools as communities of readers. Please share with me your book talk/ sharing plans, and if any additional resources might help you to facilitate the experience. I will be encouraging our middle schools to offer book talks/ sharing for our 5th graders as they enter the 6th grade in the fall.
Please join me in thanking Dr. Krista Calvert and several Literacy Lab teachers for creating the book lists; and Carol Levers, Candee Hoffman, and the librarians for negotiating with vendors\ and facilitating the book ordering and distribution process. Attached to this memo is the ???Book Drive??? brochure. We are continuing to raise funds to support this project. Please share with those in your circle of influence.
Previous Items
ESL Openings-Procedures
From Kristen Scott
Principals,
We will continue with the process that Dr. Miguel had established regarding staffing ESL openings.
1. If you have an opening and are considering an individual, you need to communicate with Kristen Scott.
2. A member of the ESL department will need to be part of the interview process.
3. All decisions will be made in collaboration with the building and ESL department.
If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Kristen Scott.
Teacher Transfer
From Lisa Wilson
The window for certified voluntary transfer requests will be open from March 1, 2016 through April 15, 2016.
To access the request form teachers can log in to the employee portal and see the link on the left.
The window to request a transfer closes on April 15, 2016 and requests submitted after this date will not be accepted.
Teachers who wish to be considered for a transfer, even if a vacancy does not currently exist, must submit a request to be considered.
All voluntary transfers will be completed by the last working day for elementary principals. If you do not receive notice of a transfer you will remain at your same site unless notified otherwise by Human Resources.
Board Items
From Lisa Wilson
Correction ??? All Human Resource related board agenda items must be turned in to Lisa Wilson the Tuesday before the board for the regular agenda and the Thursday before the Board for the addendum. In the case of an emergency add, please let Lisa Wilson or Dr. Kelli Mather know, but understand these will be exceptions.