Faculty News April 29, 2013

 

Autrey Mill Faculty News    

April 29, 2013

“You get the best out of others when you get the best out of yourself.”

-Harvey Firestone

 

News/Timelines/Due Dates

All homeroom teachers

Report cards have been placed in your mailboxes for review.  Please make sure there is a comment (if applicable) and a conduct for every student.  All corrections are due back to Debra by no later than 4:00 p.m. today.

Eighth Grade Teachers:  You will get sealed envelopes with the writing test scores to send home with the progress reports. 

6^th and 7^th grade homeroom teachers ONLY

You will find Student Contact Information sheets in your mailbox.  Please make sure you have a sheet for each of your students.  Please attach these sheets to the student’s progress report.  These sheets are due back to Debra when the students return the signed progress reports.  You may turn these in as soon as they are returned to you.  You do not have to wait until you get all of them J.

All Teachers

You will find the Attendance Verification for the 8^th attendance month in your mailbox.  Please complete the attendance verification process beginning Wednesday, May 1^st. The dates to enter, Start Date (3/27/2013) and End Date(4/30/2013), are noted on the bottom of the verification form.  These are due back to Debra by 4:00 p.m. on  Thursday, May 2, 2013.

Facilities Use - If you plan on using the gym or cafeteria during school hours or afterward you will need to fill out a Facility Request form.  You can get one from Carolyn Grimaldi who will reserve the space for you on the school calendar. 

Farewell and Welcome Back – Bill’s last day with us is Wednesday.  He has done a great job, as he had to jump in with TKES observations after being trained the day before he got here!  I know he is going to miss doing those!!!  Welcome back to Sarah on Thursday.  Please help her adjust back to the craziness that the end of the year brings. 

New Head Custodian – Our new head custodian will begin his job on May 1.  Please welcome Francisco Hernandez to the Mill.  Francisco has been the head custodian at Sweet Apple but also worked with me at Wilson Creek.  He is a great person and I know you will make him feel welcome.

PRIDE - This Friday, May 3^rd, PRIDE will be a silent reading day.  Grab your favorite book and enjoy reading!

As we wrap up from last week’s team building exercises, please remember to give your feedback to your PRIDE liaisons.  Don’t forget to return your lesson supplies.  If you have an 8^th grade PRIDE group, please remember to return to your hula-hoops to Malinda Hill in PE.  If you have a 7^th grade PRIDE group, please remember to turn in your bag of mosaic tiles to Lizzie Haber so we will have them for next year.  If you have any other supplies from any other previous PRIDE lessons please return those as well so we can reuse them for next year. 

In looking ahead, Friday, May 10^th will be the last PRIDE meeting.  PRIDE will not meet on May 17^th.  We will have our regular schedule on that day.

Where is Livingston?

Erin Hoerr says, “This week the Livingston award goes to  Amy Pate!  She works diligently to accommodate and support the needs of many challenging students.  Amy is passionate about teaching and she often takes on the role of “school mom” to many of her students, and sometimes even to her colleagues as well.  She is a great sounding board for advice!  From helping students understand accountability to assisting teachers with student accommodations, Amy does it all and never complains.  Over the years, Amy has been involved in various school responsibilities such as business partners, leadership, and the wellness committee.  Amy goes beyond what is expected of her.  For example, as part of the wellness committee she organized a weekly Biggest-Loser-Teacher-Weigh-In and workout program.  Although she may not realize it, she is a coach and a mentor to other teachers.  Thanks for all that you do to make AMMS a fantastic place to work!.”

Happy Birthday

None!!

Faculty News, April 22, 2013

Autrey Mill Faculty News    

April 22, 2013

“Working together, ordinary people can perform extraordinary feats.  They can push things that come into their hands a little higher up, a little further on towards the heights of excellence.”

-Anonymous

News/Timelines/Due Dates

Kudos – to Chris, Fran, and everyone else for the smooth CRCT testing process.

Relay for Life:  Thanks to everyone for your support of the team and the event Friday night.

STAR teacher – Congratulations to Kevin Cown who is one of ten teachers nominated for a “Star Choice Award” as part of the 2013 “Teachers Make a Difference” Awards! This is Georgia United Credit Union & Star94 Radio’s annual recognition program that honors outstanding teachers in our communities.  You can vote for him on the Georgia United website (www.georgiaunitedcu.org) or Star94 website (www.star94.com) April 22-May 3

Save the Date - Thursday, April 25^{th   -} 11:30am - 2:00pm 

Sam’s Club is Offering Faculty and Staff a $10 to $25 Gift Card + Free Gift
when You Join new or Renew Your Sam’s Club Membership!! 

 Upcoming Events:  The event scheduled for this Wednesday with Amplify has been postponed.  Dr. Avossa, however, will be cooking with the Cook's Club on Thursday!

PRIDE - This Friday, April 26^th,  PRIDE returns with an advisement class involving a team building activity.  Hope your groups are up for the challenge!  Each grade level has its own activity but students will be working on their communication and decision making skills as well as activating their HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills).  6^th grade will get creative  with their spelling by using their bodies with the activity “Body English”.  7^th grade will be “Building Mosaics with Hidden Agendas”.  8^th grade will be “Shipwrecked” and avoiding sharks by using hula hoops.  Now that your curiosity has been peaked, make sure you attend your grade level meetings and see your PRIDE liaisons for more information about the lessons.  As always, please share your feedback so improvements can continue to be made to the lessons. 

Where is Livingston?

Liz Grage says, “I am passing Livingston on to a teacher that is cherished by many….especially the 6^th grade.  She is so respected by her peers that she was considered for AMMS teacher of the year.  Erin Hoerr fearlessly takes on responsibilities that contribute towards her students and her coworkers.  She’s worked on academic bowl, leadership and has headed up the 6^th grade Medieval Times field trip as well as a myriad of rolls.  In the classroom Erin’s sets high expectations and follows up with those that are not working to their full potential.  Erin’s effervescent personality is always positive and supportive towards her coworkers, students and their parents. Erin’s ability to see the humor in every situation has made the tough days tolerable and fun.  One example of this is her infamous parent quote “Have A Banana Bunch Day”!  It has been a true pleasure to co-teach with her for the past three years.”

Happy Birthday

Lizzie Haber               April 22
Caren Allen                April 28

Faculty News April 15, 2013

Autrey Mill Faculty News    

April 15, 2013

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."

-Anatole France

News/Timelines/Due Dates

Relay for Life is this Friday!!  Come support the team beginning at 5:00 at Taylor Road Middle.  WE have reached the silver level for Relay for Life with over $3,800 raised!!!

Upcoming Events:  This Thursday afternoon we will have two Georgia Representatives and other guest visiting the eighth grade Amplify pilot.  On Wednesday, April 24, beginning at 9:30 several key leaders including Joel Klein from Amplify and Dr. Avossa along with CEO’s of some major companies will be here to see the Amplify pilot and participate in a round table discussion on the use of technology in the classroom.   It is possible that the media may be in attendance also!  At the same time, rising sixth graders will be touring the building.

PRIDE will resume this week with silent reading.

 

Where is Livingston?

Barbara Paulson says, “I would like to pass Livingston on to Liz Grage. Liz goes above and beyond the call of duty every day. She is a hard worker at everything she does. Liz arrives at school each day long before the students arrive. She plans out challenging lessons for challenging students. She is committed to helping each one of her students reach their potential and become successful students and citizens. Liz has a wonderful relationship with her students too.  She treats them with kindness, fairness, respect and patience. In fact Liz is one of the most patient and kind people I know, not only with her students but co-workers as well. Being an SEC educator requires a lot of patience, something we all seem to have a little less of these days.

I have shared an office with Liz for the last three years and you couldn’t ask for a better ’officemate’.  She is always doing little things (and big) to help her co-workers out. She always has a positive attitude and really looks to find the best in others. Liz is just as dedicated to helping her colleagues and SEC team as she is her students. She is knowledgeable and professional in all aspects of her job. She is truly an asset to AMMS!”

Happy Birthday

Jaimal Page                April 16

Faculty News, April 8, 2013

Autrey Mill Faculty News    

April 8, 2013

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”

-Mikhail Baryshnikov

 

News/Timelines/Due Dates

 

THEY ARE READY!! – I know this is an anxious time with the lovely CRCT testing, but I also know that you have all done an outstanding job teaching the curriculum and making learning engaging for our students.  They will do well thanks to your hard work and collaborative planning.  Here we go!

 

TTCT FIGURAL Training Sessions July 9-10, 2013 – For those interested in learning how to score the TTCT. Once you pass the course, and Fulton’s inter-rater reliability exercise, Fulton will pay you $6 per test to score for us.  Fulton does not have any funds to cover the costs of the training.  Each participant pays for it on your own.  When you score, you tell us how many tests you can score in one week.  You can realistically pay off the price of the course in one school year. For more information and to view the schedule, visit: http://www.coe.uga.edu/torrance/training-opportunities/at-uga-ttct-figural/

PRIDE will not meet this Friday, April 12^th due to the CRCT.  We will resume PRIDE on Friday, April 19^th with silent reading.

Great Article on Student Engagement:  Robert Marzano on Student Engagement

(Originally Titled “Ask Yourself: Are Students Engaged?”)

            In this Educational Leadership article, author/consultant/researcher Robert Marzano has four questions on maximizing engagement:

            • Do I provide a safe, caring, and energetic environment? Without this, engagement will be minimal. The key is clear classroom rules (periodically revisited), evidence that the teacher likes students and appreciates their efforts, a high energy level, and getting students up out of their seats on a regular basis.

            • Do I make things interesting? Marzano distinguishes between triggered interest (a teacher captures students’ attention by singing) and maintained interest (a teacher asks an intriguing question and hooks students’ interest for much longer). Teachers can also maintain academic interest with games like Jeopardy, cold-calling (students don’t know when they will be asked to participate), and setting up debates on controversial topics.

            • Do I demonstrate why the content is important to students’ lives? Many kids will be more interested in polynomials upon learning that they are used to compute NFL quarterback ratings. A teacher’s genuine enthusiasm for a topic can also capture students’ interest – plus a story about how the teacher came to love it.

            • Do I help students see the role of effort? If students don’t think they can be successful in the classroom, they won’t engage. The best way to handle this is explicitly teaching the growth mindset – the belief that individual effort is what matters – including teaching about the changes that take place in the brain when people learn.

“Ask Yourself: Are Students Engaged?” by Robert Marzano in Educational Leadership, March 2013 (Vol. 70, #6, p. 81-82), www.ascd.org

Where is Livingston?

Natalie Smith says, “Barbara Paulson is the person I want to pass Livingston to this week. Barbara is one of the most caring professionals I know whose genuineness is evident immediately upon meeting her, and extending this authenticity to the classroom is part of  what makes her such a great teacher.

 Barbara works with some challenging students in a likewise challenging classroom environment as well, but does not deter her from meeting the needs in creative ways for each of her students. She has a natural ability in which she provides rapport in a humorous way with her students, that is refreshing and engaging, and is so appreciated by them. Often seeking new ideas and best practices, her willingness to work cooperatively with other teachers to learn and implement new and meaningful strategies in her classes is a testament to her dedication to her students.  She is such a hard worker in everything she does, in spending tireless hours in researching best resources to provide for individual needs for her students, or meticulous efforts in all that comes with her responsibilities in SEC.

Her selfless and humble nature is something to be admired, as she’s always there for someone to help in any way possible, thinks the best of others, flexible with anything asked of her, and never complains regardless of the task.  She is incredibly patient, kind, and gracious professionally and personally to all who know and work with her.  And one of the best qualities of Barb is her sense of humor with any of the day to day challenges as a teacher; Her ability to laugh always shines through difficulties and leaves others uplifted and laughing as well. 

She is truly an unsung hero that deserves to be recognized for all that she does as an SEC educator, her creative efforts to provide the best instruction for her students, and her consistent positive attitude  no matter what that is so admirable to others that have the pleasure of working with her.”

 

Happy Birthday

Matt McNamara         April 11