Happy New Year PKY Elementary!

Scooby "the mighty Chihuahua" riding a rhino at South of the Border

Happy New Year Elementary Faculty!

It is time for us to get back into the swing of things and I am so thankful for the workday to start us off with a little slower pace (not by much!).

Here is our week:

Monday:

• Work day: 1:00pm community meeting-see Fran's email

Tuesday:

• The students come back-hot diggity dawg!

Wednesday:

• Elementary Lead Team and teaching assistant meeting mid year lunch room review

• 3-4:30pm Kagan

Thursday:

• Elementary lead team meets with Terry Scott to review mid year PBS where we are and helpful tips to get us where we want to go.

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• Monday 1/11 Chik fil a spirit night

• 1/12 PKYPTO 5:30pm

• 1/13 Elementary Curriculum meeting that rolls into all K-5 learning community meetings 1:15-4:30pm.

• 1/15 Flex day no school

Celebrations:

• Welcome to Brian Moody!!! He is our long term sub for Ashlea Zeller. We are lucky to have found him as he is very well qualified and the kids already love him!

• Happy Birthday to: Jim Bice (HS Math) 1/7 and Dee Palmer 1/8!!!

• Shout outs go to: 

1. 5th grade teachers and students on their fabulous Civil War Projects/Museum!
   
2. Clary Rucker and her incredible 2nd grade class for their presentations of their PowerPoint "Legends." Whu hu! 

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right!"

-Oprah

See you in your rooms,

Amy

12/13-12/18

Tacky Faculty! 

Hello Elementary Faculty,

It was a warm and rainy weekend which makes it a bit hard to feel like it is "winter." However,as you drive around town it is easy to see all the holiday spirit which is a good reminder that it is December.

Here is our week:

Tuesday:

• SAC 5:30pm

Wednesday:

• Special area team Wacky Wednesday

• Early release 12:15

Thursday:

• 5th grade civil war museum

• kindergarten to the Nutcracker

• Early release 12:15

Friday:

• Early release 12:15-Happy Holidays!

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• IPDP meetings have begun and I will continue to meet with folks this week.

• 12/19-1/3 Winter Break-smile!

• 1/4 teacher workday

• 1/5 welcome back students!

• 1/6 Kagan training

• 1/7 elementary lead team

Celebrations:

• Congratulations to the band. Their performance last week was stupendous!

• Happy Birthday to: Lindsey Pavlik (12/15), Brittany Casey (yearbook/newspaper 12/15), Sherwin Mackintosh(12/19), Sue McCoy (12/25), and Gary Boulware (1/1)!!!

• Congratulations to Dr. Gary Boulware for successfully completing his doctorate work this semester. He will graduate with his son!

• Thank you very much to Sue, Ritzy and Lynda for opening up their homes last week for three fabulous faculty gatherings!

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

- Dr. Seuss

See you in your rooms,

Amy

Week of 12/7-12/11

Hi Elementary Faculty,

It is going to be a great week for our students because of all the great things that you do in your classrooms. 

I had a nice week of walkthroughs last week-go PKY faculty!

Here is our week:

Monday:

• k/1 Learning Community mtg

Tuesday:

• 4/5 Learning Community Mtg

• PKYPTO 5:30pm

Wednesday:

• Kindergarten Wacky Wednesday

• Tacky Elementary Faculty Meeting-Ritzy's house (directions were in your boxes last week)

Thursday:

• Patrol spaghetti dinner fundraiser/winter band concert

Friday:

• Progress reports go home

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• IPDP meetings have begun-at your learning community meetings your LC team leader will be sharing this year's form with you.

• 12/15 SAC mtg.

• 12/16-12/18 Early release 12:15-please help get the word out.

• 12/17 Kindergarten field trip to the nutcracker

• Two requests from Mrs. Preston in the attendance office:

1. Please do not allow parents to take their children out of your classroom without a slip from the attendance office. Parents need to sign their students out in attendance if they are picking them up early.
2. If parents know about an absence ahead of time please remind them to fill out the prearranged absence form.

Celebrations:

• Congratulations to the elementary chorus and MS/HS groups that performed last week in our winter vocal concert. It was awesome!

• Happy Birthday to: Jen Cheveallier 12/8 (9th grade Language arts) and Debbie Langlois 12/9!!!!!!!

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Mike McKnight

See you in your rooms,

Amy

Week of 11/30-12/4

Hello Elementary Faculty!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and that you are ready to have a great week of teaching and learning.

Here is what is going on:

Monday:

• P.E. will be in the secondary gym starting today-please allow for some extra travel time if you have P.E.  

• The secondary students will be on the elementary covered court until 12/18 for their P.E. we are trading spaces!
  

Wednesday:

• 1st grade wacky Wednesday

• 3-12 grade teachers writing training please RSVP if you have not done so already
  

• K-12 winter vocal concert 7:00pm

Thursday:

• SST check in meetings during planning

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• Please turn off all computers in the evenings. When we are leaving our computers on it causes the secondary students to have to log on as whatever teacher has left there computers on. We have been causing major issues for the secondary folks so please please make sure all of your computers are off every night.

• 12/8 PKYPTO
  

• 12/9 Elementary Holiday Curriculum  Meeting Ritzy's house!

• 12/10 Winter Band Concert
  

• 12/11 K-5 Progress reports
  

Celebrations:

• Happy Birthday to: Maria Zeigler(cafeteria manager) 11/29, Lisa Clemons (11/30), Laura Schollmeyer-Schwartz, Ashlea Zeller 12/5!!!!

" Happy Thanksgiving!!!!"

Amy

Week of 11/16-11/20

Hello Elementary Division,

I hope that you all had time this weekend to partake in some of the wonderful outdoor activities our community had to offer. Whether it was going to the downtown arts festival or just lounging in the yard it was beautiful weather to "play" outside.

Here is our week:

Tuesday:

• SAC 5:30pm (learning community leaders please gather grade level reports and send them to Macy-will someone on K/1 please do this for Kelly?)

Wednesday:

• Wacky Wednesday for 2nd grade 

• Cox Feast

• Kagan 3-4:30pm (last Kagan until January)

Thursday:

• Research in Action-this is our biggest RIA of the year please plan on visitors in your rooms and turn in necessary plans to Marisa.

• Krank Feast

Friday:

• 4th grade to St. Augustine

• 2nd grade to Silver Springs

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• Safety Patrol candy sales begin next week and will run through 2/11

• Thanksgiving Holiday 11/25-11/27-smile!

Celebrations:

• Congratulations to all the fabulous Blue Wave programs that always make us proud. Volleyball finished up another great season this past Saturday, Football also had their last game Friday night (Coach Lou did a nice job with the team), band is heading to their state competition this weekend, and boy's cross country won their regional meet.

• Happy Birthday to: 11/16 Leslie Peebles (middle school art) and 11/18 Shannon Hamlet (8th grade Social Studies)!!!!

"Every day brings a chance to start over."

-Oprah

See you in your rooms,

Amy

11/9-11/13

Hello Elementary Division!

We had an amazing homecoming week of events thanks to all of you.

Here is what is going on this week:

Tuesday:

• PKYPTO 5:30pm in the cafeteria

• Red Wheel Pie Pickup 2:30-7:00pm in the cafeteria

Wednesday:

• No School Veteran's Day Holiday!

Thursday:

• Elementary lead team: Looking at learning communities and current meetings-where are we and what needs to change? All are welcome to attend.

Friday:

• Report cards are sent home in Friday folders

Coming soon/ announcements:

• 11/17 SAC meeting

• 11/18 Kagan training

• 11/19 elementary research in action day
  

• 11/20 4th grade trip to St. Augustine/2nd grade trip to Silver Springs

Celebrations:

• Michael Roberts is hosting the students of Dr. Brophy's MUE 3311 class again this year. This is something that he has done since he arrived on our campus. It entails helping an entire class plan lessons, observing their lessons, and debriefing the lessons with the students. These future music educators are so fortunate to be learning from Michael! Another great way our PKY influence is shaping the future of education.

• Happy Birthday to: Christy Garison (11/11), David Holt (11/12) and Randy Hollinger 11/15!!

• Congratulations to Teddi Bewernitz (8th grade Science) she is expecting a baby!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

See you in your rooms,

Amy

11/2-11/6

It is Homecoming week-hurray! One of the things that I love best about being part of a K-12 school is getting to participate in all the fun of traditions like homecoming week.

Here is our week:

Monday:

• Psychedelic day-groovy man wear your favorite Tye dye!

• Kristin Weller's math students start their observations. I have sent out an additional email with their schedule for the week.

• Ozog's class field trip to Publix
  

Tuesday:

• Character day-dress up as your favorite cartoon character or wear your favorite cartoon character t-shirt!

• Krank's class field trip to Publix

• 3:00pm Brief meeting to go over plans for family math night-please plan to attend if you are working that evening.

Wednesday:

• My personal favorite day-clash day!

• Donnelly's class field trip to Publix

• Grades are to be entered by noon today for grades 3-5

• Kagan 3:00-4:30pm
  

Thursday:

• Sports day-wear your favorite team gear

• Family math night 5:45-7:30pm

• High Tide in the gym 7:00pm

Friday:

• PKY spirit day!

• PKY homecoming parade 9:00am please have your classes on the circle at 8:55am

• Carnival 4-7pm

• football game 7:30pm

• Homecoming dance 9-12th grade

Coming soon/ announcements:

• 11/10 PKYPTO meeting

• 11/11 no school Veteran's day

• 11/12 elementary lead team meeting 3-4:30pm
  

• 11/13 report cards go home in Friday folders

Celebrations:

• Thank you to everyone for a successful round of SST meetings last week. It is so apparent that we all care deeply about our students. A special shout out to Marisa for facilitating these meetings and for coordinating all of our data!

• Happy Birthday to: Angela Holloway 11/4, Tom Beyer (12th grade English) 11/5 and Mindi Bates 11/6

"Until you know that life is interesting - and find it so - you haven't found your soul."  ~Geoffrey Fisher

See you in your rooms,

Amy

October 26-30

Hello Fabulous Elementary Faculty!

Here is what is going on this week on campus:

Monday:

• Picture retakes
• k/1 learning community meets

Tuesday:

• End of the first nine weeks
• 4/5 learning community meets

Wednesday:

• Writing Professional Development 1:15-3:00pm

• 3:00pm Secret Ghost and Goblin reveal
• 2/3 learning community meets

Thursday:

• SST meetings

Friday:

• teacher workday

• SST meetings

Coming Soon / Announcements:

Safety reminders-As I have been walking around campus I have realized that there are some things that we need to be aware of to help keep our campus a safe place for our students:

• Please keep doors closed and locked at all times. As I have walked down the wings I often see doors open when classes are at recess, on their way to specials or just getting some fresh air. I do talk to folks face to face and close doors but it has become enough of a safety concern that I want to remind everyone to keep doors closed and locked.
  

• Please always have an adult accompany children to the classroom. Students should never be handed a key and asked to go and retrieve anything from the classroom on their own.

• Playground: If students are playing with equipment such as footballs etc. please have an adult supervise them on the fields behind I wing rather than on the playground. There is not enough space for football games etc to be happening on the playground and an accident could occur. 
  

Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!

• 11/2, 11/3, 11/4 Cox, Krank, Donnelly to Publix shopping for our wonderful Thanksgiving feast.

• 11/5 Family Math night 5:45-7:30/ High Tide
  

• 11/6 Homecoming parade/carnival/football game-if you are new to PK please ask your learning community team leader for some information on these events and our PKY homecoming week.

• Spirit Dress Up Days for homecoming are:  

Monday – Psychedelic Day
Tuesday – Character Day
Wed. – Clash Day
Thur – Sport Day
Fri-PKY Spirit Day

Celebrations:

• Happy Birthday to: Valerie Otero 10/29 (counseling secretary) and Sue Hoffman 10/30 (Speech and Language).

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

See you in your rooms,

Amy

Week of October 19-23

Greetings Fabulous Elementary Faculty!

I hope that you took time to enjoy the extra day off this past weekend whether it was doing some of the fun Gator homecoming activities, traveling, or just relaxing.

Here is what our week looks like:

Writing PD Recap:

• The K-5 focus for writing that we came to consensus on is: Constructing good sentences as defined by the ELS.

• Something to think about is not making this the focus of instruction but rather the expectation for our students doing writing in any subject.
  

• Guiding questions for us to think about are: How am I addressing the ELS? What am I noticing about the student work in my classroom?
  

• Finally, in two weeks on 10/28 come with three student writing work samples preferably not from your writing block. Please bring a sample of above grade level, on grade level and below grade level sentence construction to share with your vertical grade level team.

• Questions? email Ashley P.
  

Tuesday:

• 1st grade trip to the pumpkin patch

• SAC please get your grade level team info to Macy for the elementary division report.
  

• 4th/5th LC meeting with the portable design team

Wednesday:

• 3-4:30pm Kagan

Thursday:

• Research in Action

Friday:

• All CBM data due to Marisa

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• Please send me the name of the teachers from your grade level that will represent you for the 11/5 elementary parent math night. I need to get these names to the business office to get you stipends

• Kristin Weller is going to be stopping by Math blocks in the next few weeks. She has taken on the roll of our elementary Math lead teacher this year and wants to stop by to see Everyday math in Action.

• Ghost and Goblins: If you are participating on our secret pals I believe the basket ended up in the front office by Shirley Ann. Please stop by to pick out a name on Tuesday and start your gifting on Wednesday of this week.

• Please remember to check the faculty school wide calendar online at the very bottom of our website before submitting paperwork for field trips or planning any special events. We have run in to two major conflicts this year because we are are not looking at the calendar. Unfortunately, if something is on the calendar and it conflicts with a field trip or event you will be asked to change your date.

• 10/26 Picture retakes
  

• 10/27 end of first nine weeks
  

• 10/28 Writing PD please read the  "writing recap" section above to see what is expected for this PD.

• 10/29 K-2 SST

• 10/30 Workday/3-5 SST

Celebrations:

• Congratulations to Mrs. Ozog on her recent wedding!!!!

• Happy Birthday to: Renee Simmons 10/20 (elementary pre intern supervisor) and Pauline Hazan 10/24 (9th grade teacher)!!!

"Wag More, Bark Less" -a dog lover quote

See you in your rooms,

Amy

Week of October 12

Whu hu to Jamie Burg for the outstanding work that she has done with our band program!

Fire it up Elementary division there is going to be record highs this week-yikes!

While we are busy trying to keep cool please remember that students need to keep well hydrated especially those of you with PE and recess later in the day.

Here is what our week looks like:

Monday:

• K/1 Learning community meets 3-4:30pm

Tuesday:

• Arby's spirit day 11:00am-8:00pm

• 4th/5th learning community meets 3-4:30pm

Wednesday:

• 4th grade wacky Wednesday

• Division curriculum work 1:10-3:o0pm

• 2/3 learning community meets 3:00-4:30pm

Friday:

• UF homecoming no school!

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• Ongoing: parent conferences-during your conferences please encourage parents to attend our elementary math night scheduled for 11/5. Please really encourage parents of your struggling math students to attend.

• Ghost and goblins are right around the corner...more information soon

• 10/20: 1st grade trip to the pumpkin patch/SAC meeting 5:30pm

• 10/21 Kagan training

• 10/22 elementary Research in action day

• 10/23 data due to Marisa

Celebrations:

• 4th/5th grade learning community will be the designated "portable pioneers" next year as they help lead the way with our k-5 shift to the learning community way of working.

• Thank you to all of you for turning in your tier 2 logs in a timely fashion. These are important pieces of evidence that will help us figure out how to best meet the needs of all students-you all rock!

• Happy birthday to: Lynda Hayes 10/17!!!!

" If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?" -Stephen Wright

See you in your rooms,

Amy

10/5-10/9

Class of 2010

Good Day Elementary School!

I hope that everyone had time to relax and recharge a little this weekend. 

It is going to be a great week of learning for our students because they have awesome teachers like you!

Here is our week:

Monday:

• 4th grade book fair begins and runs for this week.

Wednesday:

• Kagan training 3-4:30pm

Thursday:

• 3-4:30 Elementary lead team meets (Ritzy, Cary, Angie, Ashlea, Amanda, Kelly, Marisa, Ashley and Brynn) Agenda: New Building final decisions about who is moving, Learning Community check in and PBS data collection-how do we do this?

• Lead Team meeting is open to anyone that would like to attend even if you are not an official lead team member. * we will meet in Kristin Weller's room which is located in the HS division 1st wing on the right past the lunchroom/first room on the right.
  

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• 10/13 Spirit day at Arby's

• 10/16 No school Homecoming! :)
  

• Walkthroughs will continue with an eye out for Kagan in action
  

Celebrations:

• Happy Birthday to: Betsy Creveling (6th grade language arts) 10/7 and Melanie Harris (middle school performing arts)10/8!!!!

"A teacher's job is to help all of their students think that  they have what it takes to be successful. If students believe they can be successful they will be." 

Direct quote from a PK lifer on the 10 hour bus trip to NC last Friday.

Smile, take some time to breath and enjoy your students this week because they are amazing people!

Amy

9/28-10/3

Hi Everyone!

I cannot believe that October is here so fast. I hope the cooler weather is right around the corner now that Fall is officially here.

Here is what our week looks like:

Monday:

• CBM assessments start

• k/1 learning community 3-4:30pm
  

Tuesday:

• 4/5 learning community 3-4:30pm

Wednesday:

• 3rd grade wacky Wednesday

• 1:15 Elementary meeting: Vocabulary focus

• 2/3 learning community meets 3-4:30pm

Friday:

• K-5 progress reports go home in Friday folders

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• 10/5 book fair arrives-this is a fund raiser for the fourth grade trip to space camp

• 10/7 Kagan training 3-4:30pm

• 10/8 Elementary lead team meeting
  

Celebrations:

• Margie Donnelly's kindergartners doing quiz quiz trade!

• 5th grade giving all their students the same "drops in their buckets." Team collaboration and planning is very evident in their learning community reading block.

• Happy Birthday to: Brynn Bostic 9/29!!!

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

Mahatma Gandhi

See you in your rooms,

Amy

September 21-25

Kagan Trainer Extraordinaire!

Hello Elementary Division!

It was a very hot but good Gator game this weekend-Go Gators!

Here is what is going on this week around campus:

All week: We will have students from Jonathan Bostic's Math Methods course coming to campus to observe during math blocks. These are the observations that we spoke about at last week's meeting. I have sent a schedule to you via email so you can see when they will be in your room.

Monday:

• K/1 Learning Community Mtg. 3-4:30pm

• Chik fil A family night 5-8pm
  

Tuesday:

• 4/5 Learning community meeting 3-4:30pm

Wednesday:

• 2nd grade wacky Wednesday

• K-5 FAIR testing training 1:15-3:00pm community classroom
  

• 2/3 Learning community meeting 3-4:30pm
  

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• This week I will start using a walkthrough form when I come through your classrooms. I will specifically be focusing on looking for clues that show me that the Kagan "PIES" are in place as you are doing cooperative learning. Please feel free to let me know if there is a time when you are using Kagan and would like me to drop by. You will also get a copy of the form from me after I visit.

• Next week we start curriculum based measurements
  

• 9/30 kindergarten trip to Greathouse butterfly farm
  

• 10/1 elementary art club meets after school
  

• 10/2 k-5 Progress reports go home 
  

• October is conference month for elementary teachers. By the end of this month you should have documented parent conferences with all of your families.
  

Celebrations:

• Congratulations to Ashlea Zeller-it's a boy!!!!!
• Happy Birthday to: Bill 9/26!

"If we teach today as we taught yesterday we rob our children of tomorrow."

John Dewey

See you in your rooms,

Amy

Week of September 14-18

Hello Elementary Division!

I hope that your weekend was great and full of fun.

Here is what our week looks like:

Monday:

• 3:00pm Interior design students interview K-1, 2-3, 4-5 learning community reps-one teacher per learning community needs to be there. Please talk to your team leader or me if you are interested in helping out.

Tuesday:

• Picture day-please refer the the schedule sent out last week from Brittany.

• 3:00pm Elementary Lead Team meeting (Amanda, Angie, Kelly, Cary, Ashlea, Ashley, Brynn, Ritzy, Marisa, and Amy) This is an open meeting and all teachers are welcome to attend. Here is the agenda: 

Open House Grade Level Feedback

Lead team meeting schedule 

Meeting with Fran to look at portables for construction moves.

• 5:30pm SAC meeting  we are still looking for a new elementary rep-please let me know if you are interested.

Wednesday:

• 1st grade wacky Wednesday

• 1-3pm professional development led by Ritzy-effective parent communication with minority parents. We will also go over the 2009-10 meeting schedule at this meeting.

• Kagan training 3-4:30pm

Friday:

• Emergency sub plans are due today-please make sure that you have emailed Ellen and I their location in your room.

Coming Soon/Announcements:

• week of 9/21 learning community meetings begin after school

• 9/21 Chik fil A spirit night

• 9/23 Wacky Wednesday 2nd Grade

• 9/24 Elementary Research in Action

Celebrations:

• Whu hu Cary! Great job with our whole faculty Kagan training last Wednesday after school-thumbs up!

• Happy Birthday to: Macy 9/20!!!

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

Dalai Lama 

See you in your classrooms,

Amy